September 2016

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Average retiree willsee Social Securitybenefit decrease: Retirement ScanThe Social Security Board of Trustees is pushing for a 0.2% increase in the cost-of-living adjustment for retiree benefits in 2017, CNBC reports. The Medicare Board of Trustees has also issued a report that callsfor a 22.3% increase in the Medicare Part B premium. The proposed increases could result in reduced benefit payouts because ofautomatic premium deductions from retirees'benefits. Retirees on Social Security who earnan income below the national average will notbe affected by the increase in Medicare PartB premiums under the Hold Harmless Act.

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10 Reasons to practice Yoga1. STRESS RELIEF: Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. Byencouraging relaxation, yoga helps to lower the levels of thestress hormone cortisol. Related benefits include loweringblood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion andboosting the immune system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthmaand insomnia.

2. PAIN RELIEF: Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicingyoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of thetwo, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer,multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertensionas well as arthritis, back and neck pain, and other chronicconditions. Some practitioners report that even emotionalpain can be eased through the practice of yoga.

3. BETTER BREATHING: Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths. Thishelps to improve lung function, trigger the body’s relaxationresponse and increase the amount of oxygen available tothe body.

4. FLEXIBILITY: Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasingrange of movement and reducing aches and pains. Manypeople can’t touch their toes during their first yoga class.Gradually they begin to use the correct muscles. Over time,the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasingelasticity, making more poses possible. Yoga also helps toimprove body alignment resulting in better posture andhelping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

5. INCREASED STRENGTH: Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helpingto increase strength literally from head to toe. And, whilethese postures strengthen the body, they also provide anadditional benefit of helping to relieve muscular tension.

6. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: Yoga (even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control effortsby reducing the cortisol levels as well as by burning excesscalories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthyeating habits and provides a heightened sense of well-beingand self-esteem.

7. IMPROVED CIRCULATION: Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of variousposes, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to thebody’s cells.

8. CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING: Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefitsby lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

9. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT: Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to become moreaware and to help create mind body health. It opens theway to improved concentration, coordination, reaction timeand memory.

10. INNER PEACE: The meditative aspects of yoga help many to reach adeeper, more spiritual and more satisfying place in theirlives. Many who begin to practice for other reasons have reported this to be a key reason that yoga has become anessential part of their daily lives.

National Cholesterol Education Month

Too much cholesterol in the blood is one of the main riskfactors for heart disease and stroke—leading causes ofdeath in the United States. One way to prevent these diseases is to detect cholesterol and treat it when it isfound. And yet, most adults with high cholesterol don’t have their condition under control.1

Two out of 3 adults have high cholesterol—or high LDL“bad” cholesterol.2 Learn more about what steps you cantake to prevent high cholesterol or to reduce your levels.

What is Cholesterol?Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that your bodyneeds. But, when you have too much in your blood, it canbuild up on the walls of your arteries. This can lead to heartdisease and stroke.

There are two kinds of cholesterol, high density lipoprotein(HDL). It is also called “good” cholesterol. There is also lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. It is also called “bad”cholesterol. When we talk about high cholesterol, we aretalking about “bad” LDL cholesterol.

What Role Does Screening Play?Screening is the key to detecting high cholesterol. High cholesterol does not have symptoms. As a result, many people do not know that their cholesterol is too high. Doctors can do a simple blood test to check patients’ levels.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years.

In national surveys done from 2005–2009, the number ofpeople who said they were screened for cholesterol within 5 years increased from 73% to 76%.

However, only a handful of states met the 80% Healthy People 2020 objective, and disparities persist among sociodemographic groups.3

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How Can You Prevent or Control High Cholesterol?Make therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) by eating a lowfat,highfiber diet and being physically active most days of theweek: 4

n Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt; low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and rich in fresh fruitsand vegetables.

n Take at least 1 brisk 10minute walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.

n Maintain a healthy weight.

n Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible.

Have your cholesterol levels checked every 5 years and besure to follow your doctor’s instructions and stay on yourmedications, if prescribed, to controlyour cholesterol.

Are There Clinical and community programs to help address cholesterol?Eating a healthy diet, being physically active, and achievingand maintaining a healthy body weight can help decreaseyour risk of developing serious health conditions such ashigh cholesterol. There are also a variety of community andclinical activities that address cholesterol screening andtreatment:

n CDC’s National Heart Disease and Stroke Preventionprograms support states implementing evidence basedpractices in community and clinical settings, specificallyhighlighting cholesterol control within communities(www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/programs/nhdsp_program/index.htm)

n The National Cholesterol Education Program providesevidencedbased resources and recommendations tohealth care providers, and new guidelines for cholesterolare currently in development(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep/).5

n The Million Hearts™ initiative, a public/private partnership,is an innovative alignment and coordination of clinicaland community activities targeting leading causes ofcardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality—includingthe improvement of cholesterol control (http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/index.html).

Sources: CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of high levels of lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol.United States, 1999–2002 and 2005–2008. MMWR.2011;60(4):109–14.

1. CDC. Prevalence of cholesterol screening and selfreportedhigh blood cholesterol among U.S. adults, 2005–2009.MMWR.2012; 61.

2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Your guide tolowering your cholesterol with TLC. NIH Publication No.065235.Bethesda, MD: U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutesof Health; 2005. Available from:www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol_tlc.pdf

3. Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Merz C, et al. Implications of recent clinical trials for the National Cholesterol EducationProgram Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines. Circulation.2004;110:227−39.

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