The Costco Connection

To learn more about Costco Pharmacy, click on the “Pharmacy”
link at Costco.com or call toll-free 1-800-607-6861.

Balancing nutrients

Pharmacy Update COSTCO

FOR SOME OF US, there is a troublesome gap between the nutrients we need and those we actually consume.

The typical American diet exceeds recommended amounts for things like refined grains, sodium, saturated fats and calories, and falls short for important vitamins, minerals and nutrients such as fiber, potassium, vitamin D and calcium, which can lead to nutritional gaps, according to Alpa V. Shah, senior medical manager for U.S. dietary supplements, global medical affairs, at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

Getting the right nutrients is
very individualized and needs to
take into account things like age,
gender, dietary habits, physical
activity and medical history,
according to Shah. Age-related
changes in the body can affect the
nutritional requirements and sta-
tus of individuals age 50 and older.
Supplementing with a multivita-
min can be one effective way to
help improve nutritional health.

When choosing a multivitamin, you want to ensure it has key nutrients important for this age group, like vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D and calcium. Look for multivitamin formulations that are specifically designed for men or women and tailored to meet unique gender nutritional needs, such as higher amounts of calcium for women and higher amounts of vitamin B for men.

BUYER’S PICK MULTIVITAMINS

IF YOU ARE a male over 30, it’s normal for testosterone levels to gradually decrease.

Weider Prime Healthy Testosterone Support for
Men is a supplement that contains herbal extracts,
Weider Prime’s main ingredient, KSM- 66®,
is an extract from the ashwagandha plant that
has been used in Indian medicine for centuries.
This proprietary extract helps men support a
healthy level of testosterone. Another key ingre-
dient, Chromax, helps reduce body fat while
improving lean muscle mass.

A two-month supply (120 capsules) of Weider Prime Healthy Testosterone Support for Men is available in the warehouses and on Costco.com. Item #886740.

Mary Arriola

Assistant Buyer, Pharmacy

Weider Prime

SURVIVING A HEART attack can often
make a person re-evaluate and make lifestyle
changes that may help prevent future heart
attacks, such as a healthy diet, exercise and
quitting smoking. But there are also lesser-
known factors that can increase one’s risk of
heart attack and stroke. This includes the
usage of common over-the-counter nonste-
roidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
In July 2015, the Food and Drug Admin-
istration strengthened the warning on all
prescription and over-the-counter NSAIDs
(except aspirin) to highlight increased risk of
heart attack and stroke. The new warning
states the increased risk can occur as early as
the first weeks of use and occurs in people
both with and without other risk factors for
heart disease and stroke.

The warning also notes that people given NSAIDs after a first heart attack were more likely to die in the first year after the heart attack compared with those who were not given NSAIDs, and that there is an increased risk of heart failure with NSAID use.

These warnings do not apply to aspirin, which has been proven effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes in people with increased cardiovascular risk. If you have heart disease and require pain relief, the first thing to do is consult with your doctor for guidance. The American Heart Association recommends that if pain can’t be controlled without the use of medication, the lowest dose of acetaminophen or aspirin might be acceptable for short-term needs.

Finally, don’t assume that because something is over-the-counter and widely sold that there aren’t risks associated with its use. The Costco Pharmacy team is here to help you. Simply take your medications to the window and ask your Costco pharmacist about any drug interactions or precautions you might not know about.