Tag Archives: medical-issues

Dr. Ariel Warden-Jarrett on Good Day DC to Discuss Flu and Cold Prevention

Dr. Ariel Warden-Jarrett Featured on Good Day DC to Discuss Flu and Cold Prevention

Dr. Ariel Warden-Jarrett from MPCP’s Bowie office joined Fox 5 DC to share expert tips to avoid cold and flu this fall—just in time for the holidays!

Catch the full segment from Good Day DC with Steven Chenevey and learn how simple lifestyle changes and proactive health habits can keep you feeling your best all season long.

Watch here: https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1547202

Dementia Prevention: It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Start

More than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, a figure expected to nearly triple by 2050, with 10 million new cases each year. Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability and dependency among older adults globally. It can be overwhelming for patients, families, and caregivers, with significant physical, emotional, and financial impacts.

While dementia isn’t fully preventable, addressing modifiable risk factors early and continuing throughout life can reduce the likelihood of developing it. Research suggests that around 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by managing these risk factors. The good news? It’s never too early or too late to make these changes.

Proactive Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia

Dementia isn’t just a concern for older adults. Risk factors accumulate across your lifetime. Poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and even social isolation starting in childhood can contribute to cognitive decline later in life. However, taking steps to reduce these risks at any age—from your 20s to 70s—can still make a meaningful difference.

No single behavior guarantees dementia prevention, but proactive changes can lower your risk. Here are several evidence-backed ways to support your brain health:

Stay Physically Active: Regular exercise promotes blood flow to the brain and supports overall brain health.
Maintain Heart Health: Keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar in check, as hypertension and diabetes increase dementia risk.
Avoid Smoking: Smoking damages blood vessels, reducing oxygen to the brain. Quitting at any age can benefit brain health.
Eat a Brain-Healthy Diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats (like those in fish, nuts, and olive oil) protects the brain.
Get Regular Hearing Checkups: Hearing loss increases dementia risk. Protect your hearing and seek treatment if needed.
Get Your Vision Checked: Vision loss is associated with increased dementia risk. Vision-correcting measures like eyeglasses, contacts, and cataract surgery can help prevent vision loss.
Stay Socially Engaged: Social connection help prevent cognitive decline. Join activities, spend time with loved ones, or try new hobbies.

Prevention at Any Age

Starting these healthy habits early is ideal, but taking action at any age can benefit brain health. Younger adults can focus on building lifelong habits such as regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, and stress management. Midlife is a crucial time to address heart health, quit smoking, and stay engaged socially and mentally. Keeping your mind active through reading, puzzles, and social interaction can slow cognitive decline for older adults.

Take Control of Your Health

In addition to reducing your risk of dementia, these healthy habits can improve your overall health, lowering your risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of awareness and understanding surrounding dementia, which often leads to stigmatization and barriers to diagnosis and care. If you’re concerned about your risk for dementia or want to learn more about how to protect your brain health, starting a conversation with your MPCP provider is a great first step. We’re here to help you navigate these concerns.

Dr. Rahman joined Maryland Primary Care Physicians in 2024, and sees patients in the Arnold practice. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Grace University School of Medicine, and completed her residency at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.

Hypertension: Making Some Noise About the ‘Silent Killer’

By: Pio Poblete, M.D.

Most people who have hypertension don’t know it.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is when the pressure of the blood in your arteries rises to an unhealthy level. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart attacks or heart failure, strokes, aneurysms, and damage to your eyes and kidneys.

Even though hypertension is dangerous, most people experience no symptoms. They can be on the edge of a serious health episode and not still have a clue. That’s why hypertension is called “the silent killer.”

Are you at risk?

There are many factors that can put you at risk for hypertension:

Age. The older you are, the more your risk of high blood pressure grows.
Race. High blood pressure is widespread among blacks, and health complications from it tend to be more serious.
Family history. If you have close relatives with hypertension, you are more likely to get it.
Unhealthy weight. The more you weigh, the more the pressure you put on your artery walls and the higher your blood pressure.
Being a couch potato. People who are inactive tend to have a higher heart rate, making your heart work harder and putting more pressure on your arteries.
Using tobacco. Whether you smoke, chew or are just around people who smoke (secondhand smoke), tobacco can cause your arteries to narrow, increasing your blood pressure and straining your heart
Too much salt (sodium). Before you reach for the salt shaker, too much sodium in your diet causes fluid retention, leading to higher blood pressure.
Too much booze. Having more than three drinks in one sitting can raise your blood pressure to unhealthy levels, and long-term heavy drinking can cause heart damage.
Stress. High levels of stress raise your blood pressure. And if you cope with stress by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you only make the problem worse..

Your Next Step

Even though hypertension usually has no symptoms, it can be easily detected. Have your blood pressure checked at your next doctor’s appointment.

If you are diagnosed with hypertension, you can work with your doctor to control it. Your doctor may prescribe medicine, but you will also need to make lifestyle changes to keep your blood pressure down to healthy levels:

Eating a healthier diet with less salt
Exercising regularly
Quitting smoking
Limiting alcohol
Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight

People who make lifestyle changes and get their blood pressure under control can often reduce their need for medicine, and sometimes even stop taking it.

If you haven’t had your blood pressure checked in the last year, now’s the time to contact your doctor. Don’t let the silent killer sneak up on you.

Dr. Pio Poblete is an MPCP partner and sees patients in the Columbia office. He received his medical degree from University of Virginia School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Is Zika coming to Maryland?

A Q & A by: Jerry Levine, M.D., FACP, MPCP Medical Director

Q: What is Zika?

A: Zika is a virus spread mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species found in Maryland and many other states. These mosquitoes, when they bite people infected with Zika virus, become disease carriers and spread the virus by biting other people. In some cases, Zika can also be transmitted between sexual partners.

Q: Where does Zika come from?

A: Before 2015, Zika virus outbreaks occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Since then, Zika has spread to parts of South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

See which countries have reported Zika: http://1.usa.gov/1Qq5Iow

Q: Is Zika in Maryland?

A: At the time this article was written, there were dozens of confirmed cases of Zika virus in Maryland, but all of those people were infected while traveling overseas. So far, no one has gotten Zika in Maryland, but the imported cases may result in local spread of the virus.

See Zika cases in the U.S.: http://1.usa.gov/1PiUIcc

Q: Are people with Zika contagious?

A: At this time, the Zika virus is not believed to be airborne and is not primarily spread from person to person, which means there’s little to no risk of becoming infected with the virus from simply being near an infected person. However, Zika can be transmitted sexually.

Q: How dangerous is Zika?

A: Most people infected with Zika virus won’t experience any symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, headache or conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. Hospitalization is rarely needed, and so far there have been only two deaths from Zika reported in the U.S. – an elderly man with other health issues and a baby born infected with the virus.

The main danger from Zika is that pregnant women can pass it to their unborn children. The CDC has confirmed that the virus can cause severe defects in unborn children, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and often with brains that do not develop properly. The CDC strongly advises that women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon don’t travel to Zika-infected areas.

Q: If Zika comes to Maryland, what can I do?

A: There is no medicine or vaccine to prevent or treat Zika virus disease, so prevention is key. If Zika is reported in Maryland, take these steps to protect yourself and your family:

Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, para-menthane-diol, and lemon eucalyptus oil.
When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
Aedes mosquitoes typically lay eggs in standing water, so empty water from containers outside your home such as buckets, bowls, bird baths, flower pots, old tires and vases.

Q: What should I do if I think I have Zika?

A: The risk of getting Zika is presently very low in Maryland. However, if you travel to an area with Zika and develop a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes within two weeks of returning, see your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor where you traveled. Zika can’t be cured, but your symptoms can be treated to make you more comfortable.

Dr. Levine is an MPCP partner and sees patients in the Columbia office. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College, completed his residency program in Internal Medicine at University of Maryland Medical Center, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Levine currently serves as MPCP’s Medical Director and Vice President.