REPORTING POINT EXPRESS 09-01
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
HEALTH NEWS
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 511/email: skyguy737@cox.net
PROSTATE PROTECTOR - selenium is a potent antioxidant. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that men whose diets were high in selenium experienced a 60% reduction in clinically significant prostate cancer. Recommended dosage is 200 mcg per day. Let’s Live 5/01.
NOT FOR MEN... - if you are a male, be sure to check your daily multivitamin. Multivitamins with added iron should not be taken by men, unless recommended by your physician. Excess iron can contribute to the formation of free radicals, harmful substances that damage the arteries and may lead to cardiovascular disease. Most men’s diets already contain sufficient iron; none is needed in supplement form. Men’s Health 1/00.
CRANBERRIES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEART - a recent study from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse found that cranberry juice contains just as many heart-healthy flavonoids as found in grape juice and red wine. According to the study’s author, the antioxidants in cranberry juice can prevent arterial clogging. The study recommends drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cranberry juice each day, or alternating between grape and cranberry juice for maximum protection. Men’s Health 4/01. (Be aware that there is usually a great deal of added-sugar in most cranberry juice products sold. LK)
BEING YOUR SHARPEST WHILE ON DUTY - an American Heart Association study found that eating a light meal and drinking an hour before a flight can increase circulation within the body by 20 percent, and double the amount of blood flowing to the brain. Men’s Health 4/01.
DON’T WAIT TOO LONG TO “GO” - do not wait too long to “visit the ‘wc’” when on long flights. Holding urine in a full bladder can increase your heart-attack risk, according to a study from the American College of Cardiology. After studying subjects, researchers found that the stress of having a full bladder and not being able to relieve it increases heart rate by an average of nine beats per minutes, and ups bloodflow to the heart by 25 percent. Both of these symptoms could be enough to trigger a heart attack, concludes the study’s author. Men’s Health 4/01.
SLOWER IS BETTER - hit a plateau with weight training? According to Dr. Wayne Wescott, slowing down repetitions can produce larger increases in muscle and strength. There are two ways to do slow repetitions: take 10 seconds to raise the weight and 4 seconds to lower it, or take 4 seconds to lift the weight and 10 seconds to lower it. Each technique produced big strength gains in experienced lifters. Men’s Health 1/00.
CHOLESTEROL SKIN TEST - Cleveland Clinic Foundation researchers are currently developing a test to measure cholesterol levels in the skin. Three minutes after a few drops of chemical solution are placed on a patient’s palm, a monitor detects changes in the color of the solution - changes that correspond to different cholesterol levels. Trials have indicated that this procedure is more accurate than standard blood tests at predicting heart disease risk. This test - called Cholesterol 1,2,3 may be available in a home version by early 2002. Men’s Health 4/01.
LOSE WEIGHT GRADUALLY - dropping weight too fast on a low-calorie diet, besides being stressful on the body and usually not leading to permanent weight loss, apparently causes pesticides locked away in the body’s fat to be released into the bloodstream. Researchers living in the Biosphere in Arizona lost a great deal of weight when they were forced to live on a reduced calorie diet. As they lost weight rapidly, blood samples revealed levels of PCP’s and DDT, not used since the 1960's. Because the liver is slow to detoxify certain fat-soluble pesticides - an influx of which could theoretically cause organ damage, slower weight loss likely equals safer weight loss. Men’s Fitness 4/01.
COLD SORE REMEDY? - wake up with a cold sore? - try drinking a glass or two of red wine. According to a study published in Antiviral Research, resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, stopped the herpes simplex-1 virus from multiplying in the lab. Researchers aren’t sure if this will work as effectively in humans, but the research has been promising. Men’s Health 5/00.
THIS FRUIT MAY CUT SMOKER’S RISK - a recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, subjects who frequently at grapefruit cut their cancer risk in half. Grapefruit, especially white grapefruit, contains naringin, a phytochemical that may help lower levels of a cancer-causing enzyme. Be sure to check with your pharmacist first if you are taking any medications; grapefruit juice can interact with many drugs. Men’s Health 5/00.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"WHAT? I HAVE TO DO THE DRIVING AGAIN?"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
(edited for this publication-LK)
It just occurred to me that I haven’t repeated the article on alcohol-related moving vehicle violations in several years. It is reported that during the past holiday season, more than 2,000 of our fellow citizens were ticketed for alcohol/driving-related offenses. Even though no airman has been proven guilty of this sort of violation since the Battle of Hastings, one should always consider the possibilities! Besides, the allowable legal limits for alcohol consumption (DUIs) have recently been reduced.
Several months ago one of my airline guys came in and told me about a mistake in judgment he had made. (Actually, he said, “I stepped on my ...”)
He had acquired a “drinking while driving” ticket sometime prior to the due date for his medical. He had squared all his incurred obligations with the police and judicial system and he had cleared the issue with his airline. He was not taken off active flight duty. The offense had occurred on his “own time.”
To be on the safe side, he even checked with some doc at ALPA to further reassure himself in the matter of his airman’s certificate. That doc said that, as long as he reported the problem appropriately on his next medical application, there shouldn’t be a problem.
I know and trust this pilot, He’s a straight shooter. I forgot to add that his previous driving record was clean. We went through our usual physical, and I issued his First Class Medical - of course.
OK. Fine.
No. Not fine!
A relatively short time later, he received a letter from the FAA Civil Aviation Security Division telling him he had violated a federal reg by not reporting the incident to them within 60 days of the occurrence...and he was in trouble.
The airman in question brought me the letter he had receive. We shall call him “Jack” for that is his name. (Joke. Of course it’s not his real name!) I got on the phone to a young lady in OK City who was handling Jack’s “case.”
I am required as a designated AME to have knowledge of all the regs pertaining to the issuance of airmen medical certificates, so I sat there like a good little boy and took my medicine while she told me “all about it.” At the time of our conversation, he did not know what action her agency proposed to take. For one of the few times in my life, I kept my cool.
I know, “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” I know that “the law is the law,” etc. I also know that my sense of fair play was outraged at the time.
Jack and I awaited further communication from the agency. I guess they gave weight to his honest, multiple attempts to clear the matter because no punitive measures were forthcoming, beyond what amounted to a letter of reprimand.
It is my belief that many individuals under given circumstances could flunk a breathalyizer test. Sometimes, it might take a lot less than one thinks. It is also true that when I was a young sailor (sometime shortly after the Civil War), several of my shipmates and I went on liberty and did not concern ourselves so much with whether we were drinking too much, but rather that we were drinking too little.
My personal judgement has also lapsed on occasion since those early days. I don’t mean to say that any of that was wise or good, but that it is possible for humans to make human errors. The key is not to repeat them.
The point of this long story and personal confession is to advise you that, should you experience an unfortunate situation like Jack’s, you must within 60 days report the event to: Federal Aviation Administration Aeromedical Certification Branch AAC-700 Mike Monroney Aeromedical Center
P.O. Box 26080
Oklahoma City, OK 73126
Attn: Civil Aviation Security Division
To conclude, I’m forced to add that while drinking and driving exposes one and everyone else to greater statistical danger, any guy who drinks and drives has got to be too dumb to find his own rear with both hands and the help of a friend!
As for this column, I sincerely hope that it will be of absolutely no value to you.
Best,
Joe
