Local Physician Endorses Strategy that will Help Those Most at Risk
In an April 16 letter to Mayor Frank Scott Jr., Little Rock Physician Christie Cobb, MD, FACOG, said, “Allow me to bring to your urgent attention a health advisory including specific steps to reduce the COVID-19 death toll. The vast majority of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. have occurred in people with underlying health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, lung disease, and smoking. Many of these conditions are especially prevalent in African Americans.”
Dr. Cobb recommends that Mayor Scott share information about three steps to address these health conditions:
Quit smoking and vaping. Smoking cessation improves lung function within six weeks.
Optimize medications. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or lung disease, check with your primary care physician to re-evaluate your medications, restore lapsed prescriptions, and treat to target now.
Implement diet changes. In as little as two weeks, blood pressure can be improved by boosting vegetables and fruits and reducing meat and fat. Low-fat plant-based diets also improve body weight, blood glucose, and blood cholesterol levels. Some evidence suggests that diet changes, particularly avoiding dairy products, may also rapidly improve lung function in people with asthma.