Mark spitz still making a splash

If you are too young to remember 1972, then you may not knowthat…

Mark Spitz was widely recognized as the 22-year-old handsomeswimmer with a dark mustache. At the ’72 summer Olympics, he entered sevenevents and won the gold medal in each one. He became then, and remains now, the only athlete to winseven gold medals at a single Olympics.

In the years since his record-smashing performance, Spitzhas built a life for himself outside the pool. He is a successful entrepreneur and a talented motivationalspeaker. As Spitz recently told Health monitor, he has also done whatever ittakes to stay fit and healthy.

Healthy Lifestyle Not Always Enough

Bob Costas, an insightful sports commentator, called Spitz a“swimmer of uncommon physical gifts.” While this is an accurate description, it is also true that Spitz hasfaced some decidedly common physical ailments.

In the decade after his Olympic success, a routine physicalexam revealed that Spitz had high cholesterol. (See Box.) Spitz wasn’t shockedby the news; his mother had high cholesterol, and Spitz knew the condition mayrun in families. When his doctorprescribed medication —a statin drug—to lower his cholesterol, Spitz thoughtthat he would be taking this drug for a brief time, “like an antibiotic.”

“I was so surprised when I found out that I would be takingit for the rest of my life,” he admits.

Aware that diet and exercise may help some people lowertheir cholesterol levels, Spitzpoints out that he was already following a sensible diet and exercisingregularly when he was told that he had high cholesterol. Spitz said, “I have always eatenhealthy; whatever my wife puts on the table is healthy. I love vegetables, fruits, fish, andsalads. I avoid fatty foods.” Heswims almost every day.

At the time of his diagnosis, Spitz’s cholesterol readingwas 278 mg/dL. After one month oftaking the statin, his cholesterol dropped to 178 mg/dL. Spitz is still takinga daily statin pill, and his cholesterol has stayed near 178 mg/dL.

many Meds

In addition to high cholesterol, Spitz has had to cope withacid reflux disease and kidney stones. With the help of appropriate medications, he has overcome these problemsas well.

“A lot ofpeople take multiple medications,” he notes. Spitz tells the story of anelderly relative who was experiencing difficulty eating because she feltnauseous. After she talked withher pharmacist, who helped her sort out her prescription drugs, she foundrelief.

Spitz credits pharmacists as being the unsung heroes of thehealthcare team, based on his personal experience as well as his professionalaffiliation (as a spokesperson) with a large mail-order pharmacy servicesprovider. “In the beginning, Ithought it was unusual to get pills by mail. It was like when people first started buying things over theInternet, you had to wonder: Will my order come? What if it gets lost?” However, Spitz has been happy receivinghis medications by mail.

An optimistic outlook

Spitz sees the pool as half full, rather than half empty. “Icould have easily fallen into the trap of thinking that high cholesterol onlyhappens to other people,” he said. Instead, he has directly faced health challenges himself and encouragesothers to do the same.

Spitz asserts, “You need to be proactive about yourhealth. You can’t look at somebodyand tell that they have high cholesterol; [heart disease] can be a silentkiller. That’s why it is soimportant to have your blood work done regularly.

“I like to think of myself as being healthy, and my taking apill is not the only thing that maintains my health. Just being on any medication is not an excuse to go out andeat whatever food you like. Do you have regular checkups? Do you get on a scaleon a regular basis? These are probably good ideas.”

Still Making A Splash

If you are old enough to have many memories of 1972, thenyou may recall Mark Spitz for more than merely splashing his way into therecord books. Beyond being a star athlete, Spitz was cheered as “the nextgenuine American folk hero” in the national press. To this day, he continues tobe a role model for going for the gold in healthy living.

Lowering cholesterol levels cuts heart attack risk

Cholesterol, a waxy substance, is both made by the body andobtained from animal products in the diet. In general, you are more likely to develop heart disease asthe amount of cholesterol in your blood increases past normal levels.

Because heart disease is the number-one killer of adults inthe United States, it is recommended that everyone age 20 and older have theircholesterol level tested at least once every five years. For this test, a blood sample is takenfrom a vein in the arm or from a finger. Cholesterol is then measured in milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dL) ofblood.

Cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dL are considered desirablesince they reflect a low risk of heart disease. An estimated 106.9 million Americans have high bloodcholesterol—cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL.

High cholesterol can often be lowered by diet, physicalactivity, weight management, and/or prescription drugs. Be sure to talk with your doctor aboutways to achieve, or keep, your idealcholesterol level.

To learn moreabout cholesterol and heart disease, visit the National Heart, Lung, and BloodInstitute Web site at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.