Health Wanted: DIY Health Care

The Episode

The internet is a mecca for DIY enthusiasts. You can find out how to remodel your house, fix your car, and even…become your own doctor? This week on Health Wanted: As more Americans become disillusioned with our health care system, more tech companies are providing DIY alternatives to doctor’s offices…but is that a good thing?

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The Listener Questions

If I’ve had shingles, but not the shingles vaccine, is my risk of dementia reduced?

The evidence we have is conflicting. Some studies say that getting shingles has no impact on your risk of developing dementia, and some studies say getting shingles increases your risk of dementia.

But there are no studies that say getting shingles reduces your risk of dementia.

You have to remember the point of the shingles vaccine is to prevent occurrences of shingles in people who have never had it or recurrences of shingles in people who have already had it. We actually don’t know if the shingles vaccine works to prevent dementia because it prevents shingles or because there is something else about the antibody response itself that is protective.

We’re still working on that one, but given that studies have shown the Shringix is better at preventing shingles than Zostavax, it could have something to do with the virus.

Now this doesn’t mean you need to freak out about dementia if you’ve had shingles. We still don’t know entirely, and an increase in risk isn’t a guarantee. But it is just more reason to get the shingles vaccine when eligible, if for no other reason than I’m sure you don’t want shingles again.

Does my VO2 max have anything to do with my health and life expectancy?

It's fair to say that there is a correlation between VO2 max and life expectancy, but people don’t need to run out and get a VO2 max test at a lab costing hundreds of dollars.

Your VO2max is the amount of oxygen your body consumes while exercising. Your lungs take in oxygen, your heart pumps oxygenated blood to your muscles and your muscles use that blood to create energy. The higher your VO2 max, the better your cardiovascular health, because it means you are providing more oxygenated blood to your body.

But a high VO2 max is the outcome of lifestyle choices. Sure, there are some people who are genetically predisposed to a higher VO2 max—which is why some people can run marathons in two hours and some of us will never be able to do that—but you’re not going to have an elite VO2 max if you’re a smoker, or never exercise.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in this country, so it tracks that if you have good cardiovascular function, your risk of death is lower.

It's enough to do what you can to try to maximize your VO2 max (like regular high intensity training throughout the week, which also usually requires a regular sleep schedule, good nutrition, and abstaining from vices like drinking too much or smoking) and not obsess over your score. And if you want to know your score so that you can decide if you need to adjust your workout routine, there are a lot of tests you can do at home.

Catch all the listener questions and Laurel’s answers on the full episode of Health Wanted by:

• Streaming at wabe.org or the WABE app
• Subscribing on Apple or Spotify
• Watching on WABE's YouTube channel