CROSSFEED 3-98
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by Larry Kline
SPINAL REPAIRS EASIER - herniated discs, which occur when the connective tissue between vertebra is torn, have traditionally meant days in the hospital and weeks of recovery. But a new procedure repairs herniated disks quickly and with only a half-inch incision. Doctors in Memphis have performed about 750 micro-endoscopic diskectomy procedures, usually on an outpatient basis. They believe that is new procedure allows for quicker recovery-at about the same cost. Men’s Health 12/97.
SAVING YOUR SICK LEAVE - working out just once a week could lower sick leave usage by half. Investigators in the Netherlands tracked 884 men and women who participated in a weekly employee fitness program for a year. The hour-long workouts included aerobic exercise and weight training. On average workers called in sick only five days that year, down from ten the previous year. Health 3/98.
PAINT YOUR HOUSE FOR HEALTH - a new antibacterial paint can kill 99 percent of bacteria and viruses within an hour of contact, for at least four years. Hospitals will be the main users of this calcium-hydroxide paint to reduce the almost 2 million infections contracted in hospitals each year. The inventors feel that the paint will be most beneficial in air-conditioning ducts, which transmit airborne bacteria and allergens. The antibacterial paint should be available country-wide by late summer. Men’s Health 4/98.
FRESH VS. FROZEN - in a recent study at the University of Illinois at Urbana, researchers compared the nutritional profiles of four fresh vegetables with their frozen counterpart. After almost one year of storage, the frozen samples had roughly the same amount of vitamin C - one of the least stable vitamins - as fresh green beans and corn at eight days, broccoli at 14 days, and carrots at 21 days.
There are two primary ways to sap nutrients from a vegetable: by letting it sit around after it’s been harvested and by cooking it. Fresh vegetables suffer the most from the first part of this rule. It may be a good two weeks from harvesting to serving for meals, during which time the vegetable may lose anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of some of their nutrients.
Frozen vegetables end up on ice within hours of being picked, so they are really about even in nutritional value as their fresh counterparts. While vitamin C is the most unstable of vitamins (it oxidizes easily), happily, fiber, beta-carotene, and all of its minerals are locked into the vegetable whatever treatment it receives.
Steaming or stir-frying is best for preserving the nutritional value of vegetables. Boiling seems to greatly diminish the fragile vitamins in vegetables. Health 3/98, and U.C. Wellness Letter, 5/98.
SOY TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL - many patients have discovered that regular soy consumption may significantly lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Some results have indicated that up to a 30% drop in cholesterol and up to a 40% drop in triglyceride levels have been recorded within three months of adding soy to their daily diet. Health 3/98.
INFANT WARNING - never give honey to children less than a year old. About 10% of honey contains dormant spores, which can cause botulism in infants. Infant botulism is the most common form of botulism in this country, with honey the cause in approximately 1/3 of all cases. The severity can range from mild illness to severe paralysis and sudden death. Honey is safe for older children. U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter, 5/98.
BACK PAIN PATCH - a transdermal patch may be available soon that will relieve back pain for up to 72 hours. The Duragesic patch delivers a continuous dose of fentanyl, a painkiller. In a study at Baylor College of Medicine, 50 patients with back pain used the patch for one month, with 43 of the patients reporting significant relief.
If the patch passes further testing by the FDA, it should be available by prescription for about $10 each. Men’s Health 4/98.
GOOD VS. BAD...FAT-WISE - a Harvard University study indicates that the total amount of fat you eat may be far less important than the types you consume. A large-scale study involving more than 80,000 people over the course of 14 years showed that those who ate a great deal of saturated fat, found in meat and dairy foods, had higher than average rates of heart problems. But there was a larger risk from consumption of trans fatty acids, found in margarine, shortening, and commercially baked goods, like doughnuts, cookies, and crackers.
This study supports the growing consensus than trans fats are harmful, although most research has pegged them as less dangerous than the saturated kind. Some patients in the study actually were protected from heart disease by consuming fats - polyunsaturated (the type in corn and soybean oils) and mono-unsaturated (olive and canola oils). But some critics say the study’s results shouldn’t be taken as a license to load up on “good” fats. They cite that heart disease isn’t the only health problem related to fat intake; cancer is, too. The “good” fats are very heavy in calories.
Most experts recommend watching total fat, but work hardest to limit saturated and trans fats. Nutritional labels do not list trans fats, so to avoid them, cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. Choose tub margarine or vegetable oil spreads over stick margarine or try the trans-fat-free margarine that have just come on the market.
FATS AND OILS COMPARED
Product Saturated Polyunsaturated Monounsaturated Trans Fats
(1 Tbsp.) (Bad Fat) (Neutral) (Grams) (Good Fatty Acids) (Bad Fatty Acids)
Canola oil* 0.9 4.5 7.6 0
Safflower oil 1.2 10.1 1.6 0
Sunflower oil* 1.4 5.5 6.2 0
Margarine, soft 1.5 6.0 2.5 1
Margarine, stick 1.5 3.0 2.5 3
Corn oil 1.7 8.0 3.3 0
Olive oil* 1.8 1.1 9.9 0
Sesame oil* 1.9 5.7 5.4 0
Peanut oil* 2.3 4.3 6.2 0
Cottonseed oil 3.5 7.1 2.4 0
Lard 5.0 1.4 5.8 0
Palm oil 6.7 1.3 5.0 0
Butter 7.1 0.4 3.3 0
Cocoa butter 8.1 0.4 4.5 0
Palm kernel oil 11.1 0.2 1.5 0
Coconut oil 11.8 0.2 0.8 0
* = good dietary choice
Health 3/98 and Hope Health Letter 6/98.
STICK-ON BIFOCALS - Optx 20-20 are plastic half-moon-shaped reading lenses that stick to the insides of sunglasses and peel off again. They come in nine corrective strengths and can be custom-fit to an frames. Prices are in the $25 range and they are sold in sporting goods stores, frame shops and some department stores. Phone number is 800-344-2020. Health 10/97.
PUT THE SQUEEZE ON CHEST PAIN - angina, which is severe chest pain caused by poor blood flow in the heart, usually requires a surgical fix. But some physicians have begun treating angina by inflating a series of cuffs on a patient’s lower body, to open clogged passageways in the heart. The procedure, known as “Enhanced External Counterpulsation” or “EECP” cut incidence of angina by half in a study at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. The study’s leader feels that the treatment may help expand the blood vessels around the heart. It is noninvasive, and the benefits last up to three years. EECP is available at 30 treatment centers in the United States. More information may be obtained at 800-455-3327, ext. 779. Men’s Health 4/98.
WHEY TO GO, DUDE...whey is the watery substance in yogurt or cottage cheese. Whey is rich in B vitamins and other minerals, so don’t toss it, but mix it back in and get more nutrition from yogurt. Men’s Fitness 5/98.
TOBACCO’S LEGACY - smoking kills more Americans every year than died in battle during World War II and the Vietnam War combined! Every day more than 1,200 Americans die from smoking-related causes, the equivalent of three or four fully loaded 747's crashing with no survivors. U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter, 5/98.
BUT WILL YOU ACT LIKE RICHARD SIMMONS?...women may not be the only ones who can use estrogen for health benefits. A study at Johns Hopkins Hospital found that men with heart disease who took a 0.625 milligram shot of estrogen increased their blood flow by 32 percent. Estrogen dilates blood vessels and reduces the symptoms of heart disease by 50 percent in postmenopausal women. These studies indicate that it may have the same effect in men, but further research is necessary before this procedure may be recommended. Men’s Health 4/98.
BACK ALERT: THE RISK OF PROLONGED SITTING - extended periods of sitting fatigue back muscles, as these muscles work hard to keep your frame upright when sitting . Blood circulation slows down with extended sitting, with some ensuing harmful effects. When muscles stay in unchanged position, waste products, called metabolites, accumulate, causing inflammatory reactions in the muscles, which in turn causes pain. Metabolites are usually washed away by your blood flow, but if you don’t move much, they remain in the back area, causing more pain, which causes more contractions of the muscles, or spasms, which make you even less likely to want to move.
Poor circulation also means that the muscles don’t get the oxygen and other nutrients they need.
Extended sitting also puts constant pressure on the disks of the lower spine, the spongy cartilage that acts as a cushion between adjacent vertebrae. Sitting puts up to 40 percent more pressure on the disks then standing, because the pelvis rotates slightly when you sit, flattening the spine’s natural curve. Over time, the gel inside the disk seeps out and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Usually the disk will heal itself, but in the most severe cases surgery may be necessary.
To prevent the increased risk of damaging your back (and quality of your life) by extended sitting, there are several things which you may attempt to keep your back healthy:
1. Stand whenever you can, instead of sitting, duh! During turns, get out of the seat, help clean the cabin, or at least just take the load off the spinal disks and give the muscles a chance to recover.
2. Take minibreaks every once in a while. Even on longer flights, getting out of the seat to stretch will go a long way to help relieve the stress that your back endures during prolonged sitting. Just a minute or two up out of the seat gives your back a break by changing posture. Gentle back stretches periodically can relieve back stress.
3. Learn to fidget. Even when it is impractical to get out of the seat, shifting position in the seat is better than sitting still because it changes the load on the lower spine. Flexing and relaxing the buttocks helps also. Some doctors recommend leaning back in the chair to increase the angle of your back. This transfers the load to the backrest and reduces pressure on the disks by as much as 15 percent. Also make sure that you sit all the way back in the seat, otherwise you won’t reap the huge benefits of the chair’s lumbar support, which restores much of the curve to the spine.
4. Upgrade your seat. No we’re not talking about that magical move in seniority with the accompanying increase in hat size. We are talking about lumbar support. The -700 seat is a quantum leap in comfort and support. But if you are stuck with old “Mr. Mustard” (-200) all day, a strategically placed pillow or rolled towel can offer some lumbar support. Chairs at home should offer support as well.
5. Get fit. Strength training, especially in the opposing muscles groups of abs and lower back can reap benefits of longevity. Learn the proper stretches for lower back, gluteal maximus (your fanny), and hamstrings. These areas, when tight and not stretched properly, can lead to lower back strain. Health 3/98.
MUSCLE-CRAMP REMEDY - quinine, the tree-bark extract that flavors tonic water has long been used as a folk remedy for muscle cramps. Investigators in the Netherlands put it to the test by giving test subjects 300 mgs. of quinine a day for two weeks. The patients only experienced half as many cramps as usual, and the protection lasted a week or more after they stopped taking quinine. A glass of tonic water has 27 mgs of quinine. Health 10/97.
THE DANGERS OF FATIGUE - researchers at the University of South Australia have found that working tired results in a job performance worse than if the subject were intoxicated. After staying awake just 19 hours - until 3 a.m. - volunteers performed as poorly as when they’d had a couple of drinks. After 24 hours without sleep, their performance was as bad as when they were legally drunk. Health 10/97.
YET ANOTHER REASON FOR STRENGTH TRAINING - at rest, muscle burns about four times the energy fat does. Researchers at Tufts University put a group of elderly individuals on a program of weight training three days a week. The participants had to start eating an additional 300 calories each day simply to maintain their body weight - a demand created in equal measures by the workout itself, the boost in metabolism, and the enhanced vigor they displayed. Health 3/98.
AN APPLE A DAY... a study at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio found that eating pectin, a soluble fiber in the skin of fruits and vegetables, will make you feel full longer. Researchers gave subjects orange juice, some of which had been spiked with up to 20 grams of pectin. Those who drank the pectin-laced OJ felt significantly fuller, even four hours later. Researchers suggest that pectin may slow digestion and keep food in the stomach longer. Men’s Health 4/98.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"Flyer Buyer Beware!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
(edited for this publication-LK)
It’s time (almost) for us to take a couple of weeks off from work and go back up to the Colorado Rockies. A little work around the place, some fishing. A little wandering around aimlessly. I don’t care how much we like our jobs, a little “R & R” is a good plan.
Before going I wanted to clean up a few items that I have left hanging in my agenda at the cost of continuity.
Melatonin - recent good study (“good” for a change) suggests effects are mild and do not appreciably lengthen sleep time - works in approximately 25% of users. Means to Joe that it doesn’t work three-fourths of the time. No control of manufacture. Long term results of use are not yet available.
Fat Stuff - I’ve written before about Olestra and Meridia. You know what I think about these compounds. Let’s not be doing these things.
Zinc for Colds - studies attempting to prove benefits have been inadequate, poorly controlled. Careful analysis of early studies failed to show benefits.
Hair Stuff - in my view a study of the sales promotion history of Rogaine should be required reading for every Marketing major. “Good” studies showed Rogaine to be ineffective 75% of the time. “Extra Strength Rogaine” very slightly more effective. Higher cost not justified by little improvement.
Propecia - very large ad campaign. This baby started out as Proscar which was offered as a control for prostate enlargement. Makers proposed a six month trial of the drug to see if it would help Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy on our “nickel” - approximately $500. Almost put out of the market by “Hytrin”, etc...that worked faster, cheaper and better for BPH: Propecia” alters PSA tests, throwing them off. May cause erectile dysfunction. Like Rogaine, long term effects are unknown. If Propecia works slightly better then Rogaine (which isn’t saying much) it costs three times as much as generic Rogaine.
What has this to do with Aviation Medicine directly? Nothing directly, of course. Then what good is this article in the first place? You know how deeply criticism wounds me so I’ll try to pull this note out of the fire a little by some direct relevance to flying. “Zyban”, offered as a smoking deterrent is exactly the same drug as “Wellbutrin” packaged differently only. It is a mood altering medication - an antidepressant. You may not use it and fly legally. Marketing, marketing!! What next? A nicotine containing rectal suppository? Why not - we’ve got almost every other delivery system!
Viagra - this is a real beauty from a sales point of view. Some of my overseas guys say it goes for $100 a pill in Japan where it hasn’t been officially approved yet. Sometimes I get “thank you” cards from some guys I’ve gone to bat for with certification problems. To date we’ve gotten three cards for Viagra. Aviation relevancy? You probably won’t pass a color test if all you can see is blue!
Here’s to snow-capped mountains, clear streams, rivers, and blue, blue, blue skies and lakes.
Best,
Joe
