REPORTING POINT EXPRESS 06-01
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
HEALTH NEWS
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
INTERNET INFORMATION ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS - reliable, easy-to-read information on more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs is available at the National Library of Medicine’s consumer website, MedlinePlus, at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html. The site tells you about dosing, side effects, drug interactions, precautions, and storage for each drug. This site also has links to other health-related websites. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 3/01.
PROSTATE CANCER UPDATE - in the near future, researchers may begin scanning for a defective gene during prostate-cancer biopsies. A UCLA study found that about half of men with advanced prostate cancer have a defective PTEN gene, which controls the growth of prostate cells. Blocking this gene with drugs may provide a new treatment in a few years, according to Charles Sawyers, M.D., director of UCLA’s prostate cancer program. Men’s Health 12/99.
VITAMIN B6 - vitamin B6 plays a number of crucial roles in the body, including hormone production, protein digestion and brain function. It is also critical for the immune system, as recently revealed in a study published in the British journal Lancet. This study showed that people who consumed adequate amounts of B6 suffered fewer infections and had stronger overall immune systems than the placebo group. The RDA for adult males is a mere 2 milligrams, but a more therapeutic dose - especially for active men who eat a lot of protein - ranges between 25 and 50 mg. B6 is also a natural antidepressant. It is abundant in bananas, red kidney beans, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Men’s Fitness 9/99.
EVERY 10 YEARS - you should have a tetanus booster - actually a combined tetanus and diphtheria (Td) shot every 10 years. Because immunization is so widespread, relatively few cases of tetanus (just 30 to 60 annually) occur in this country. Most tetanus infections occur in people over 50, who are least likely to be adequately immunized. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/01.
WEIGHT LIFTING + 1 MINUTE OF STRETCHING = 20% MORE MUSCLE GAIN - a recent study has revealed that stretching worked-muscle groups between sets can yield strength gains of 20 percent greater than those not stretching between sets. The test subjects were novice lifters, but the study’s leader says that experienced lifters in another related study also experienced similar strength gains.
For 20 to 30 seconds between sets, stretch the muscle just worked to a comfortable range, release, and commence another set. Men’s Health 1/00.
“A good sweat, with the blood pounding through my body, makes me feel
alive, revitalized. I gain a sense of mastery and assurance. I feel
good about myself. Then I can feel good about others.”‑‑ Arthur Dobrin
SKIN DOOMSDAY MACHINES - the term dermatologists refer to tanning booths. One noted dermatologist indicated that if he were asked to design a machine that would intentionally destroy human skin, this is the contraption he might come up with.
Any amount of tan means some damage has been done to one or more layers of the outer epidermis. A tan can only result because of damage. This is particularly important to those individuals with fair skin or freckles. Any kind of prolonged exposure to the sun can result in premature wrinkling and even skin cancer.
Also, the surfaces of tanning booths may harbor skin fungi, herpes, and bacterial infections. Men’s Fitness 9/99.
THE MUSICAL FRUIT - many of the pigments that make fruits and vegetables colorful are known to be powerful antioxidants that may help protect against chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Now food scientists have found similar healthful pigmented compounds (called flavonoids) in the coating of beans, which makes up about 10% of the bean and is also the main source of its fiber. From navy beans to red kidney beans, the different colors all contain healthy flavonoids besides fiber and a great source of protein. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 2/01.
PREVENTING SWIMMER’S EAR - to prevent bacteria in the water from causing the painful infection called swimmer’s ear, follow this quick routine after swimming: first, dry your ears with a hair dryer set on “low” for a minute or two. Second, using a clean eyedropper, carefully put a few drops of a therapeutic solution in the ear - half white vinegar, half rubbing alcohol. This mixture dries the inner ear and prevents any bacterial growth. Men’s Health 12/99.
CELL PHONE DANGER? - when cell phones are held against the ear and head, they transfer energy to the water molecules they encounter, much like a microwave oven. The radio frequency waves transmitted by cell phones are of very low intensity and thus produce far less heat than microwave ovens. Also this energy is not ionizing radiation like that of X-rays.
Three new studies, one in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and a third in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, have found no link between cell phones and brain cancer. The first two studies compared cell phone use in people with and without brain cancer. The third checked for cancer in a group of 420,000 cell phone users: cell phone users actually seemed to have a decreased risk. But these are relatively short term studies - there are more studies underway, some with oversight by the FDA and the World Health Organization, with results due in three years.
For now, there is only one reason to be concerned with cell phone use: they have been very causal in increasing motor vehicle accidents by distracting drivers.
Also, cell phones interfere with pacemakers, but all that is needed is to keep the phone at least eight inches away from the pacemaker. It is ok to talk on the phone, but don’t carry it in the breast pocket. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/01.
DRINKING AND YOUR LIVER - whenever you have at least 4 drinks in one sitting, some cells in the liver fill with fat and turn yellow, a condition known as “fatty liver.” If you abstain for a while, the liver generally will return to normal after a few days. But if you drink heavily and often, more and more cells fill with fat; some die and are replaced with scar tissue. Luckily, you don’t need them all.
Once the liver cells die, you cannot resurrect them. But you can protect those you have left by having a hepatitis B vaccination and watching your diet. Animal studies show that alcohol consumption coupled with a high-fat; low-carbohydrate diet may increase the risk of liver damage.
Bottom line: if still engaged in heavy drinking, it is time to lighten up! Research suggests that those who down two or more drinks a day have nearly double the death risk from heart disease and cancer as do those with only two to six drinks a weeks. Men’s Health 12/99.
THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION - investigating human immunity, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley recently discovered that older women (70 to 80) who regularly played bridge together showed improvements in immune response (as seen in numbers of certain white blood cells) after the game. The scientists demonstrated this by taking blood samples before and after the game. The specific area of the brain that controls bridge playing also regulates immune response, and immunity reacts positively to mental stimulation. The researchers speculate that positive attitudes and mental activity, besides contributing to good general health, may enhance the body’s ability to fights diseases. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 4/01.
