REPORTING POINT 09-00
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
HEALTH NEWS
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
SMOKER? NOW EARLIER DETECTION OF LUNG TUMORS - a new type of CAT scan can detect tumors in the lungs while they are still curable. The low dose CAT scan is capable of finding tumors far quicker than conventional X-rays, which can change the survival rate from 12 or 15 percent to 80 percent. Every year 160,000 people die of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in this country. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer is usually too advanced to treat. Experts recommend that smokers and former smokers consider annual low-dose CAT scans. Men’s Fitness 1/00.
VEGGIES FOR BONE HEALTH - a recent Swiss study shows that eating more vegetables can increase bone density. Subjects who ate more lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and especially onion and parsley showed increases in bone density. This is important to athletes who may suffer stress fractures as well as those in later years who battle osteoporosis. Men’s Fitness 1/00.
HELP FOR SORE KNEES - researchers have found that gentle exercise and physical therapy can dramatically quell the pain of arthritis and even prevent the need for surgery.
Test subjects with moderate knee pain caused by osteoarthritis visited physical therapists twice a week. Half of the group received placebo ultrasound treatments while the other half received therapy that incorporated clinic and home workouts. In the clinic, patients received gentle stretching of tight leg muscles, improved the knee’s range of motion, rode an exercise bike for at least five minutes, and did light strength exercises such as knee extensions. Similar exercises incorporating stretching and strengthening were done at home.
After just eight visits, the stretching and strengthening group indicated that their pain and stiffness decreased by more than 50 percent, making it a lot easier to walk and climb stairs. The placebo group experienced no relief whatsoever. One year later, the placebo group were four times as likely to have undergone knee replacement surgery as the exercise group (only 5 percent of the exercisers underwent surgery). Health 5/00.
GUM REPAIR - the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 has been found to be a major benefit to anyone suffering from gum disease. Japanese researchers found that taking 50 mgs of CoQ10 for three weeks dramatically improved the health of gum tissue - subjects who were once candidates for surgery no longer had visible symptoms of gum disease. Men’s Fitness 1/00.
IRRADIATED MEATS - beef, pork, and lamb have been approved to be treated with radiation to eliminate salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria capable of ruining your day. Irradiated meats sold in markets will show the “radura” symbol: a flower inside a broken circle. Health 5/00. (Insert radura symbol here-lk)
ASPIRIN - MORE WONDERS - besides relieving headaches, lowering risk of heart attacks and lowering risk of colon cancer, now a study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology found that people who took low doses of aspirin had healthier gums than those who did not take aspirin. Researchers theorize that aspirin protects the fibers and ligaments that attach gums to teeth. Men’s Health 7/00.
MAGNETS ENHANCE CHEMOTHERAPY - researchers at UCLA Medical Center believe magnets may help make chemotherapy more effective. They added particles of iron to a chemotherapy drug before injecting it into an artery feeding a tumor. They then put a magnet right over the tumor and drew the iron-laced chemicals to it. This type of therapy can concentrate the chemotherapy drugs on the tumor site, making it more effective and hopefully, reducing side effects. More studies are scheduled in hopes of receiving FDA approval. Men’s Health 7/00.
FEAR OF FLYING? - for the average American, the odds of being involved in an aircraft accident are 1 in 4 million. The lifetime chances of being involved in a serious or fatal car crash are 1 in 3! Since 1914, the year commercial aviation began, 13,000 people have died in nonmilitary plane crashes. Every year, three times that many Americans die in car crashes. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/00.
FROM THE FLIGHT SURGEON
“It’s to Diet From”
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
(edited for this publication - LK)
Larry Kline, a pal of mine who flies for Southwest, called recently to ask my “take” on the Adkin’s Diet. This dietary approach has undergone a recent resurgence of interest having been first published about 25 years ago. I could do that (Adkin’s) but I thought, why not start with an overview of weight control/obesity as we now understand it?
So here goes. First, how about a little reality perspective? It is estimated that Americans spend 33 million bucks a year on weight control products and services, but the percentage of Americans that are overweight tends to increase by almost 1% a year. Some studies following people who have originally lost weight suggest that after a five-year study period, 95% of the group failed to maintain their lost weight. Simply stated, many people can lose weight - it just seems that they can’t keep it off! So, why bother to fight it? Well, in my observations, there are only a couple of overall motives:
1. In our culture “thin is in”. Or at least “trim is in”. Following this theory, we become more attractive to ourselves and others if we are not flabby. Of course, if continuing to be “fat” is just the way it’s going to be for you and it’s making you severely depressed, I have an idea. Get a job in a Third World country. You are guaranteed admiration. Has anybody ever seen a statue of a skinny Buddha?..Ho-Tai?
2. Aesthetics aside, there is the matter of health, maybe. The bad effects of “overfat” appears in various forms in terms of our body function. You’ve all heard the horror studies about heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, etc., associated with “overfat”. In my own practice, if the only indications that a guy is “overfat” are the holes in his belt, I don’t worry a lot about gimmick-like “skin-fold” testing, etc. If, on the other hand, lab findings or physical examination show proven bad effects of “overfat”, then it’s certainly time to talk things over. (Switch to O’Douls???) Lay off the 5 pounds of lasagna at dinner? Whatever... What kind of doctor just waits for someone to have symptoms before he educates or tries to intervene on a patient’s behalf? Just one who works in the real world, that’s all. Anyone who has a TV or reads a newspaper is advised endlessly about healthy life styles, diets and exercise. They don’t seek me out for this as long as they see themselves as being healthy. The “Fen-Phen” diet docs maybe held medical degrees, but they sure as “bleep” weren’t “physicians”. “Orlistat”, now offered as a “fat blocker” can lead to some eye and sphincter-opening experiences. I have more to say about this subject, but I have run out of time and space. We need to talk about the role of genetics and other things. For now, I’ll leave you with these ideas:
We are fat because we eat and/or drink too much in relations to our level of activity. Less than 2% of all of obesity can be traced to a metabolic disorder (i.e. thyroid disease) or hormonal imbalances. No more copping out to that! More on the subject later.
Best,
Joe
