Sick of the Cold Week 7

OK there is sick as in ill with a cold or flu and then there is fed up as in "sick and tired" of something that you've had too much of and that's where we are. That also appears to be where many others are as well. In the District of Columbia there is a church sign posted saying: "To those of you praying for snow. Please stop." We have to agree. Make it stop and we don't just mean the white stuff. It's cold enough for us with the wind and without. This feels like it's enough to make us sick.

2010 FLU DEATHS by Jurisdiction THIS Week LAST Week YTD 2010 YTD 2009 YTD 2008 YTD 2007 District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Richmond / Norfolk, VA 3 11 12 4 1 16 12 5 11 113 85 41 12 125 56 53 11 117 87 46 9 116 87 48 TOTALS (Week 7) 30 34 250 253 261 260

On the good side we're not giving each other as much flu and pneumonia as well normally do. People are still being victimized by the flu though not as often. Cold good for us. Tarzan glad. One of the benefits of cold weather is the ability to keep us from infecting each other with our little viral "nasties." Our concern with the District of Columbia was the third (3) highest cause of death is accidents. When the mayor of Washington DC refused to close the local government when the roads were too icy to drive we thought the matter reckless and irresponsible. We aren't the ones responsible for the shrinking budget of a major metropolitan area so the decision isn't ours and its easy for us to second guess the mayoral decision. That's why we think emergency plans are so important. That this winter storm which exceeded all other prior storms yet didn't rank as an emergency we just couldn't fathom it.

On February 24, 2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine next season. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. Next season's vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus and 2 other flu viruses. - Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Just as the snow stops for some jurisdictions the deaths begins but the pattern is a little strange both north and south. In the District of Columbia the overall number of deaths are the years second highest (105) and they are in Richmond Virginia with their year to date highest amount of all deaths (81) while neighboring Baltimore (with 101) and Norfolk (with 52) is a decline in overall death rates. In Charlotte all the total number of deaths are down (with 105).

"The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was below the epidemic threshold... No states reported widespread influenza activity, three states reported regional influenza activity, Puerto Rico and eight states reported local influenza activity, the District of Columbia..." - Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

That so many Washingtonians died as compared to much larger by land mass and population statistics should be a cause for alarm for the area yet its not even worthy of mention in area media  Though not a state the District of Columbia is the fiftieth (50) largest state in the union only Wyoming is smaller according to 2008 census stats. No state has as density a population as the Washington DC. North Carolina is tenth (10) largest state in the union, Virginia is twelfth (12) and Maryland nineteenth (19). Aren't you glad that we're here to tell you what's what? Thankfully the federal government is addressing the national threat and planning to incorporate the solution into the future to prevent the possibility of future death to flu or pneumonia.

It's Infected

We're not obsessed with death rates and dying but we are concerned about overlooking the things that can prevent us from getting ill and dying. Is there a difference? We think so. If you can do something that will allow you to continue to have a joyful life, isn't difficult and requires few major changes in your life wouldn't you do it? That's our concerns keeping your own Pearlie Mae (loved one) alive and happy.

"Encouraging better vaccination rates to discourage diseases, such as influenze, that would need antibiotics. Using better strategies when prescribing antibiotics—such as using combinations of antibiotics for treatments. Making prescribers more responsible for when they prescribe antibiotics. "Providers don't bear the consequences, and that has to change," Laxminarayan said." - Health Leader

We found this research and though there are spelling errors in the article we still though the information useful to you. Though we've dealt with the issues before including the better hospitals in our jurisdiction based on recovery rates from surgical procedures.We also know that long life can come from where you live and your attitude toward life. We did think that you should know about a flesh eating bacteria especially if it's in the area and ravishing the countryside. It isn't by the way but it is about the things that can cause an infection that can lead to worst thing.

"The bacteria, community-acquired MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) has been a growing problem in schools, jails and athletic facilities in recent years. A study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases reported that the strain is now showing up more often in hospital outpatients. Community-acquired staph is a common cause of skin infections. It is a distinctly different type than hospital-acquired MRSA, which often causes bloodstream and surgical infections and pneumonia." - The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Dec 2009)

The number of deaths as a result of infections isn't as large as the other contributing factors that can lead to a loss of life. Now that's what's important to us maintaining life especially a quality of life that leads to continued joy and good health. That' just the way we are! The numbers are actually larger than the research would imply but they do mention their source numbers from our favorite flu source:

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that all hospital-acquired infections are associated with 99,000 deaths per year. While the Extending the Cure study looks at only two of the most common and serious conditions caused by these infections, it also calculates deaths actually caused by, rather than just associated with, infections patients get in the hospital." - Resources for the Future (RFF)

What's most interesting to us is this statement by the investigator:

“In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, Ph.D., principal investigator for Extending the Cure, a project examining antibiotic resistance based at the Washington, D.C. think-tank Resources for the Future.

We're not certain from the abstract or the statement if Dr. Laxminarayan advocating that patients seek a legal or political solution to hold hospitals accountable? That's something that has been overlooked in the story but that's why we're here to call attention to the overlooked issues in the news.

Just Brush Twice A Day

OK this is something we can do and if we didn't have to spit we could do that from the comfort of our couch. We love "couch potato" things that we can do that will make us better. Just before we go to sleep and as soon as we wake up brush our teeth and floss. The brushing we can do but the flossing we sometimes forget. This life saving advice was received from the African American Medical Network (AAMN). The benefits can be seen in less diabetes, cardiovascular and heart diseases deaths. It seems that according to AAMN gum disease leads to bad breath, tooth decay and contributes to the aforementioned medical conditions.

We couldn't find through any research that placed gum disease as a cause for diabetes and or heart disease because of the "disease care" system. Most of the the research we discovered on adults were with individuals currently suffering from the diseases rather than disease free. We did find this from the Journal of Periodontology researchers for one of our favorite organizations the World Health Organization (WHO) found that:

"The available evidence shows that important risk factors for periodontal disease relate to poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and diabetes mellitus. Integrated preventive strategies based on the common risk factors approach are recommended for public health practice." The researchers "(c)onclusions: The vast majority of countries need to establish a surveillance system for measuring progress in the control of periodontal disease and promotion of oral health. WHO has designed approaches for the integration of oral disease prevention within the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases, and global strategies are currently being implemented in all regions of the world." - (Dec 2005)

Which came first the chicken or the egg? For us the question is do you get diabetes because you have poor dental hygiene or do you have poor dental hygiene as a result of your diabetes?

"Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease (CHD). The association could be a result of confounding by mutual risk factors. The present study was undertaken in a Danish population to reveal the significance of common risk factors. Methods: The investigation was conducted as a case-control study comprising 250 individuals: 110 individuals with verified CHD from a Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and 140 control individuals without CHD from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Information on diabetic status, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, school attendance, household income, body weight and height, triglyceride, and serum cholesterol was obtained." - Journal of Periodontology (Sept 2006)

The most recent research we could find from the Journal says that in their conclusions: "This study supports the hypothesis of an association between periodontal disease and GDM." What we couldn't find in the study abstract was that association isn't a conclusion.

"Few studies have specifically examined the relationship between periodontal disease and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The objective of this study was to examine whether maternal periodontal disease is associated with GDM." - (Nov 2009)

The Journal of Periodontology isn't the only source of published dental research we will admit.but it appears to be the best source. What we most like about it was that the science is establishing the facts that are commonly held beliefs. We also look for links to the commonly held beliefs as well. We do like the easy way out of things, brushing twice and flossing often to avoid cardiovascular disease, diabetes and heart disease is easy enough thing to do.

We thought that would be the end of the story until we discovered this bit of dental news "according to a report by the Pew Center on the States. "The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children," released with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation, grades each state's policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America’s low-income children. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month."

Pew scored all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using an A-F scale, on whether and how well they are employing eight proven policy solutions to ensure dental health and access to care for children. These policies fall into four categories: cost-effective ways to help prevent problems from occurring in the first place; Medicaid improvements that enable and motivate more dentists to treat disadvantaged children; new workforce models that expand the number of qualified dental providers; and gathering data to gauge progress and improve performance. Only six states merited "A" grades: Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Carolina. These states met at least six of the eight policy benchmarks and had policies in place that met or exceeded the national performance standards. These high grades do not mean that all people in the state have access to quality dental care services. Severe access problems still exist in states that received "A" grades, but these states have policies in place needed to improve dental care." - Pew Report (Feb 2010)

The our local jurisdictions did not fare as we would suspect only Maryland received an "A." Both North Carolina and Virginia received a "C" grade. While the District of Columbia ranked last with grade of "D."

One of the categories used to determine the grading was the total number of dentist by state. Virginia has more dentist per state (# 11 ranked nationally with 4,395)  than Maryland  (# 13 ranked nationally with    4,169) yet received the lower grading. North Carolina was # 15 ranked nationally with 3,903 but Washington DC "D" grade seems not only appropriate but reasonable with it's # 43 ranking with only 575 dentist. The date of the information is admittedly not as current as the Pew Report which might also might explain the switch with Maryland and Virginia. The state rankings from StateMaster is from 2004. We just thought you'd like to know because we wanted to know if the number of dentist per state would make a significant difference in the gradings.

While the African American Medical Network (AAMN) might no longer be called the African American Medical Network and even exist we're thankful for their information as old as it might have been. Our advice to you - don't let things get out of hand. Check your gums, brush twice a day and floss often. Not that our teeth are any examples of perfect hygiene - they aren't. Pearlie Mae hated to go to the dentists and we're no different. Two brushes and flosses a day keeps the trips to the dentists away! That's something we can get behind.

Black Heart Health Month

February is considered by many to be Black History Month when many African American churches and organizations recognize the contributions made by many historical figures of African American descent. This year includes many health related concerns and issues as part of their celebratory events. Just in our jurisdictions along were these events:

According to Kelly Morin, director of marketing and physician relations at Saint Agnes, the event educates women about maintaining their hearts physically and spiritually. “Our mission is to educate women, specifically African-American women, about the risk factors of heart disease and the behaviors and conditions that increase their chances,” said Morin. Throughout the day, church leaders will supply worshippers with information regarding heart disease prevention and many churches will also provide free health screenings. (Maryland)

One of many events available this month in the nation's capital include:

SEIU/CIGNA Healthcare Health Fair. John D. Ruffin, Ph.D., the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health will be on hand to lead a discussion about the several medical conditions afflicting Americans at large. Insurance provider CIGNA Healthcare is providing information and health screenings as part of the event. Howard University and Washington Sports Clubs are also participating. -(DC)

Even in the tarheel state churches included health information and screenings as part of their "African American History" programs:

It’s a celebration of African American History at the Koinonia Church in Greenville, and there’s no shortage of things to do.“We have had education through exhibits, we’ve had entertainment, we’ve had musical entertainment, and health screens, specifically screenings that are important to the African American community. We’ve also had some great food - just a lot of fun in celebration of Black History,” said Theresa Holley. - WNCT TV 9 (North Carolina)

We included this bit of information from our US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) concerning information released in reverse. According to the New York Times, which has obtained an advance report concerning the possible recall of a diabetes medication by the FDA. What does that have to do with Black History Month? High blood pressure (hypertension), cardiovascular disease and diabetes all affect the African American community in disproportionate numbers contributing to premature, preventable andunnecessary. Maybe the FDA doesn't want to interrupt Black History Month with the warning.

After carefully reviewing several sources of study data, FDA concluded there is not enough evidence to indicate that the risks of heart attacks or death are different between Avandia and some other oral type 2 diabetes treatments. Because available data are inconclusive—studies have neither confirmed nor excluded the risk—FDA is allowing Avandia to stay on the market while a new long-term study to evaluate the potential cardiovascular risk of Avandia, compared to an active control agent, is conducted by GSK. The company agreed to add new information to the drug's labeling, warning of the potential for increased risk of heart attacks. People with type 2 diabetes who have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack should talk with their health care provider about the revised warning as they evaluate treatment options. FDA advises health care providers to closely monitor patients who take Avandia for cardiovascular risks. - FDA (Nov. 14, 2007)

Slow to act the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knew long before they considered releasing a warning to "we the people" some almost two years later. "Two drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes have been found to cause or worsen a serious vision impairment known as macular edema, Health Canada warned Wednesday. The advisory was released after GlaxoSmithKline Inc., the manufacturer of Avandia and Avandamet, informed Health Canada of reports that some diabetics on the drugs had developed the eye condition or had a pre-existing case worsen." (Dec 2005)

That the company released information about their own research at the same time that the Canadian government released an advisory for the medication for which it was developed may seem suspicious but that's true for all dependent research.

"Glaxo undertook a study of 500 patients with mild forms of Alzheimer's who were being treated in Europe and New Zealand. After six months, Avandia showed no benefit when compared with a placebo. When Glaxo separated patients on the basis of their genetics, it found that those who didn't have the type 4 variant of the gene showed a ``statistically significant'' improvement in memory." - The Pharmacogenomics Journal (Dec 2005)

While releasing information on the European and New Zealand study at the same time in Winston Salem a study was just beginning to determine the effect of the drug on adults 21-65 years of age who had been taking only Avandia for at least three (3) months advertising for participants in the local newspaper called: The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

We don't know the results of this study but we do know that the participants received $375 and something as unclear as "study related care and study medication at no charge." It's not clear if this is the same thing as free health care but maybe that's implied. What's most interesting is that in February of the same year the drug Avandia was licensed for use as part of "triple therapy in combination" with two (2) other drugs. This was the case some ten (10) months prior to the study being undertaken in Winston Salem, NC where the individuals selected for the study could not be taking any other medication.

The New York Times has obtained internal reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that have not yet been released to the public. A search of the FDA website reveals no new specific information so we will just have to take the NY Times word for it. What we should learn from this African American History Month is that the history of the FDA is too little critical health information provided too late. If history of the African American experience tells us anything is that to wait can be too late. "How long? Not long, (Yes, sir) because "no lie can live forever."

Common Wisdom Not Wise...

...when it comes to lung cancer. The big "C," commonly considered cancer, is an automatic death sentence is a mistaken belief. Yes, it is "the most lethal cancer in the United States" but doctor can catch it in time and recovery is possible. If you're the kind of person who does the old "wait and see" for treatment because you don't have enough insurance or either don't have enough money to buy either your current medications or can't pay your co-pay for every doctor's visit that delay can mean a death sentence. So maybe common wisdom is wise but it more of a "self fulfilling prophesy" than a forgone conclusion. Believing it to be so and the depression that can ensue from having a fatalistic "doom and gloom" attitude can do more to prevent treatment and recovery.

We bet you think we just make this stuff up as we go along don't you? We don't. Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH "an oncologist in the Division of Population Sciences at Dana-Farber, is the first author of the report in the journal Cancer. Senior author is Gary Bennett, PhD, of Duke University's Global Health Institute. Both whites and blacks in the survey "grossly underestimated" the bleak outlook associated with a diagnosis of lung cancer — only 15 percent of patients survive for five years."

"Many said 50 percent when the true number is 15 percent. There were three survey questions on which blacks and whites diverged significantly. African-Americans were more likely than whites (53 percent vs. 37 percent) to say they were confused by too many recommendations on how to prevent lung cancer. "This is shocking," says Lathan. "There is only one recommendation to decrease the chance of getting lung cancer. Stop smoking and avoid tobacco smoke." (Dana-Farber)

Dana-Farber (DF) is a Boston Mass based research center founded "in 1947, Dana-Farber has been committed to providing cancer patients with the best treatment available today while developing tomorrow's cures through cutting-edge research."

Last September DF discovered a protein that can aid in stopping cancer from spreading. Unfortunately the discovery that is on going doesn't appear to offer much hope to suffers of lung cancer. When Dana-Farber made Science magazine's "top ten breakthroughs of 2008" it had nothing directly to do with cancer or stopping cancer. The hope the center offers is to individuals who catch the lung cancer's in time and survive their surgeries thanks to "Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD, (who) is testing a small solution to the problem of lung cancer recurrence following surgery – small enough to fit millions of times into a grain of sand."

While the researchers at Dana-Farber have been searching for effective cancer medicines since 2003 with nearly $12 million in research fund and what's there final recommendations to prevent lung cancer? Stop smoking. Dana-Farber is no CUBA which, with less funding and no American tax dollars spent developed a lung cancer vaccine for terminal lung cancer patients. "CimaVax EGF does not prevent or cure lung cancer. It is a therapeutic vaccine which stimulates the patient's body to make an antibody against the epidermal growth factor (EGF), which is a key driver causing lung cancer cells to grow." Unfortunately the vaccine works better on the younger patients than the older. What it is more than anything else is hope to the hopeless.

Everything but the Zinc

The news on TV and on the web was that the makers are pulling their products from the market but what the stories don't tell is how soon they knew before they acted to pull their products from the market. That's the real news story. It wasn't that the manufacturers didn't have enough time and warning to know about their product. Research shows that they did know and until now denied the charges.

"Man claims Poligrip caused neuro damage - A man who used a denture adhesive now claims the zinc in the product caused neurological damage and has filed suit against the manufacturer. Smithkline Beecham Corporation, maker of Poligrip, is named as defendant in an East Texas civil action lawsuit filed on Tuesday, July 31. Through normal and regular use of Super Poligrip Denture Adhesive Cream, plaintiff William Walker alleges injuries which include neurological damages. The complaint states the product did not contain warnings or instructions regarding the hazards of ingestion and absorption of zinc.Plaintiff's attorney Casey Carlile of Marshall, Texas states Walker's injuries and their relationship to Poligrip were "inherently undiscoverable" and therefore, the discovery rule should not be applied until "discovery of Defendant's tortuous conduct." SE Texas Record (8/2007)

Before there was a lawsuit there were cases from individuals that we would call "canaries" that alerted individuals to dangers that could cause serious injury to users. This is before the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) acted in the public interest, or should we say reacted in the public interest.

"Everything in moderation -- even denture cream. - You wouldn't think of it as being hazardous to your health -- but in high amounts, it could be - at least according to handful of individual reports, highlighted in the journal Neurology. "In these four patients, they had neurological disorders and had been using high levels of denture cream, denture adhesive," says Dr. Marc Samuels, a dentist at Allegheny General Hospital. The issue is what's in the denture cream, namely, zinc and copper, which in the wrong amounts can be bad for your nerves -- with poor balance, hand weakness, confusion, and even bladder accidents." (KDKA TV  9/2009)

One of the reasons we focus on the scientific study and research is because of the specific knowledge derived from specific research. If we seem critical of our FDA its because of the slowness of their responses than to any feelings of mistrust.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has long sought to educate the public, advocate government policies that are consistent with scientific evidence on health and environmental issues, and counter industry’s powerful influence on public opinion and public policies. (CSPI)

We love the CSPI! We don't always agree with them but as a source of scientific information we them. We don't often quote them and when we do we'll highlight that it's from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. For the FDA an "event" is registered when a lawyer advised the Food and Drug Administration that a problem has occurred. For instance an attorney registered a MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) in November in 2005. Now we ask you, should you have to wait until four (4) years later to receive vital health information?

This care was reported by a lawyer and verified via medical records and described the occurrence of heavy metal poisoning in an adult female pt who used poligrip denture adhesive cream for dentures. The pt's past medical history included kidney stone. Concurrent medical conditions included hypertension. In the complaint, the reporter (lawyer) alleged that the complainant, an adult female, experienced heavy metal (zinc) poisoning and neurologic insult as a result of absorption and ingestion of poligrip. A physician or other health care professional has not verified this report. The outcome of the events is unk. (MAUDE Adverse Event Report)

We think the answer to that question is never. Information is power and vital information is a matter of life and death.

Snow Week 6 Flu in 2010

The best part of being snowed in is that the flu is either not reported or not spread. While we're huddled up with each other we're not likely to spread our virus to another outside our immediate families or be infected by another's virus. That the numbers are small is a very good thing. You might have been feeling cabin fever but chances are you weren't feeling the flu.

Flu Deaths 2010 by Jurisdiction  This Week Last Week YTD 2010 YTD 2009 YTD 2008 YTD 2007 District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Richmond/Norfolk,VA 1 16 12 5 U 14 14 7 8 102 73 37 12 118 41 53 11 100 72 38 7 103 72 38 TOTALS WEEK 6  34  35  220  224  221  220

During week 6 (February 7-13, 2010), influenza activity remained at approximately the same levels as last week in the U.S... ...No states reported widespread influenza activity, three states reported regional influenza activity, Puerto Rico and nine states reported local influenza activity, the District of Columbia and 35 states reported sporadic influenza activity, the U.S. Virgin Islands and three states reported no influenza activity, and Guam did not report. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

While the flu numbers were down unfortunately deaths by accidents or accidentally injuries were probably up as the number of deaths for the week weren't lower than usual. In the District of Columbia 107 individuals died the highest of 2010 to the week six (6) date. For Richmond where snow wasn't as serious a problem their overall death totals (41) were the lowest for 2010. Norfolk wasn't as fortunate, with 60 deaths closer to year's low of 51 for 2010. Charlotte had little snow and little change in their totals of 126 overall deaths which is consistent with their weekly numbers for 2010. Baltimore (Maryland) has, traditionally, the highest numbers of death though not the highest for 2010 with 171 this week.

You Look Marvelous!

We loved that skit! This is the second time we've quoted the character since we've began this and it's doubtful that many people will even remember either Billy Crystal or that he ever was a member of the NBC late night weekend program. There certainly isn't much internet evidence available to prove it. (This is the horrible music video that only gives a hint of the humor of the original) We just didn't think a comedy skit credo would be taken so seriously by so many people. What should be important is the good feelings and maybe reflecting those good feelings on your face. That's something we all could learn to do, in our humble opinions.

Does happy make you beautiful or do you feel beautiful because you're happy? Dr. Karina W. Davidson, PhD at the Columbia University Medical Center reported in 2006 in Pschosomatic Medicine reviewing Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and depression by getting a group of great minds together.

Don't worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease: The Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey - We examined the association between positive affect and cardiovascular events in 1739 adults (862 men and 877 women) in the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey... In this large, population-based study, increased positive affect was protective against 10-year incident CHD, suggesting that preventive strategies may be enhanced not only by reducing depressive symptoms but also by increasing positive affect.(The European Heart Journal)

Canadians are considered easy going, friendly and overly polite individuals so it might not be information readily transferable to every population and every situation. Our own anecdotal experiences with Pearlie Mae, Mamie and Alice was that attitude was extremely important to their health and well-being. The better they felt without the aid of pain medication the better their responses and the quicker their physical recovery. The information reported yesterday with Hawaii as the healthiest and has the greatest feelings of well being in the nation would seem to contribute to these result. What's most exciting is that research is continuing. Dr. Davidson is continuing her research finding the root causes for depression well into 2011 "comparing "Depression Interventions After Acute Coronary Syndrome (CODIACS)" with other schools including The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

"We suggest a process for clinical psychologists to collect an evidence base and join the evidence-based movement already underway in many areas of medicine. To illustrate this process, we review the history of cholesterol discovery, evaluation, and management as an evidence-based process, extracting lessons applicable to the field of psychology. By examining these lessons and building consensus, clinical psychologists can advance the movement along an evidence-based practice continuum, improve client care, build a more informative evidence base, and promote equitable reimbursement for psychological practice." (Karina W. Davidson Dec 2005)

Our only problem with the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health is their focus on the purely clinical with little information for patients with that in mind and even though their research makes it easier to live a "couch potato" lifestyle we need to let it go! We do! All of the joy individuals feel don't come from their particular residence as earlier studies indicated we find joy amidst the sorrow. Even in the least joyful states there are happier areas. Indeed the only participants in the study might have been only the joyful. If anything such studies should indicate that joy is all around us.That however is just our point of view - it might not be yours. Neither opinions would be particularly scientific, scientifically viable or even verifiable.

Implanted Device Causes Body to Naturally Lower Blood Pressure - "A multi-center, 300-patient trial led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is testing the efficacy of the Rheos Baroreflex Hypertension Therapy System. The Food and Drug Administration-approved system is implanted surgically, with minimal scarring, under the skin in the neck and electronically stimulates the receptors in the carotid sinus, the area located at the bifurcations of the carotid arteries that are responsible for regulating blood pressure." - Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC)

Now this kind of research makes us happy. We included it because it is also from the same Columbia University Medical Center as the other research. This is what we're looking forward to using. Anything that will allow us to not to take medication, that we can sit in our recliners and put our feet up and sit on our rears in front of our big screen televisions and be healed. Now that's what we call research and that's why we love science.

Live Long and Prosper

Want to live a long time and be happy and know it? Honolulu is the place you want to be. However we choose the number one (1) place for health as well as life. For that we'd say. Kauai. The first healthiest and the second longest living place in the United States. Yesterday we said maybe you could move to the better side of town or state. Now you can with the newest research information from County Health Rankings. Of course you'll have to be well-to-do and really paranoid but it'll also be a useful piece of information for all those real estate developers looking to unload property in the right zip code. You can always drive to the best places for care that don't happen to be in these places.

We examine mortality (or death) data to find out how long people live. More specifically, we measure what are known as premature deaths (deaths before age 75). Morbidity is the term that refers to how healthy people feel while alive. Specifically, we report on the measures of their health-related quality of life (their overall health, their physical health, their mental health) and we also look at birth outcomes (in this case, babies born with a low birthweight). (County Rankings)

There are state rankings and though the news was announced in the District of Columbia's Union Station the statistics for DC were not included in the rankings. Fifty (50) states means fifty (50) jurisdictional rankings. We started to piece the surrounding jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia together to blending the areas in to a pseudo DC map except there are natural barriers that would limit such speculation.


Marylanders, as the president returns to a nuclear alternative for immediate energy relief to the oil sky high prices, you might want to consider Howard, Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll or Queen Anne's counties as the place to live. Calvert County the home of Maryland's only nuclear power plant is located in the tenth longest living place in the state and fourth in overall health.

Virginians will love to know that life is better in the lovers state the further you get from your nuclear alternatives. You might want to consider Fairfax, Fairfax City, Arlington, Loudoun,York and Albemarle.

North Carolinians can live with at least only one of their nuclear facilities not far from Charlotte and Raleigh the others aren't quite so enriching. You'd be better considering Wake, Orange, Chatham Union, Polk and New Hanover all the while remembering that you're making the best of a bad situation. Living in the tarheel state is considered the worst of the four (4) local areas to live. That it has the most nuclear power plants probably has nothing to do its rankings.

If you're looking for the local cheese you'll find it here. Again this means that you're making a commitment to the area to receive the full effects and that means holding to the local traditions that created the conditions that can contribute to a healthier community, a healthier state and a healthier nation. It's going to take more than just relocating to make it so. It's going to take a real commitment to the factors that make things better.

Hawaii is nuclear free and according to the Hawaii Reporter:

"Nuclear power plants are located in 32 states. Hawaii, of course, is not one of them, and it's very unlikely that a large "baseload" nuclear plant will ever be built here. But we need to remember that our country needs a mix of energy sources, and nuclear power must continue to be part of the mix. Quite simply, nuclear power is crucial for our energy security."

We'd certainly be amiss to not mention that Hawaii has virtual "universal health care" under a system that makes them the healthiest and happiest place in the United States of America. That might just be a coincidence or then again it might not be. In any event what's important is what's available to us and what our leaders will strive to create for us.

There is a video of the state of Wisconsin and their review of the county ranking and on the video it can be seen where one of the director's says to his staff: "Who was number one?" The problem with that type of thinking is trying to be be the tallest short person. The information, however, when presented to the state was only by county within the state and not within nation. To be fair the only information Wisconsin might have had may have only been state wide. Aiming lower than the highest high is our concern. Every jurisdiction needs to aim higher than Hawaii's Kauai which most certainly will be aiming to continue to be the best in the nation.

Vitamin E and Thee

From the people who brought you aspirin and breast cancer came the news that supplements and nutrients can have a positive effect on you. Sometime ago we told you about the University of California at Davis where the researchers were disproving the effect of supplements. Brigham and Women's Hospital as many other researchers have found what naturopathy and homeopathy have known for a long time. The right remedy for the right problem.

"The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future - must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm. The art consists in three things - the disease, the patient, and the physician. The physician is the servant of the art, and the patient must combat the disease along with the physician." (Hippocratic Corpus)

What matters most is what works best with the least amount of damage. Like take an aspirin to fight breast cancer taking vitamins can only be better for your health. What physicians don't want you to know is that aspirin is the original natural medicine. According to Bayer it all happened in a laboratory in 1863. According to the inventor's library the history of aspirin began much earlier before 1829 with Hippocrates.

Enough about aspirin this is a story about vitamin E. So let's go back to the research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH).

Vitamin E and Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer - With regard to vitamin E, to date, very few clinical trials have evaluated its impact on lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and serving as a cancer prevention therapy among healthy persons, despite promising data from lab and observational studies. In the Women’s Health Study (WHS), BWH researchers found that vitamin E had no overall benefits on cardiovascular disease or cancer. However, it did reduce cardiovascular deaths among all women, as well as overall cardiovascular disease in the subgroup of women age 65 years and older. These secondary findings need to be explored further.... In addition, a recent analysis of previous trials of vitamin E conducted among patients at high-risk or with cardiovascular disease raised the concern that vitamin E might increase total mortality. The WHS showed that vitamin E had no effect on total mortality. (BWH)

 Yes, we know the information isn't the most recent but it goes with our earlier stories criticizing research against vitamin therapy and supplemental use from the same people who brought you the aspirin news so let us be. Thank you!

Aspirin's Best for Breast

What we love about "following the money" in research is you don't do like the news programs and run from one new study to the next. The information comes from Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). What is the information?

"Animal and in vitro studies suggest that aspirin may inhibit breast cancer metastasis. We studied whether aspirin use among women with breast cancer decreased their risk of death from breast cancer... There were 341 breast cancer deaths. Aspirin use was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer death... Among women living at least 1 year after a breast cancer diagnosis, aspirin use was associated with a decreased risk of distant recurrence and breast cancer death." (JCO)

The information is important and Brigham and Women's has been doing research on aspirin from 1976 to date. All the information isn't online but much of it still is. You would think that all the information is consistent with the latest release but surprisingly it isn't. While we only have access to the abstract from the Journal of Clinical Oncology the Hospital does have some of the information on their website in a press release.

“In this study, we saw that women who used aspirin had a significant reduction in the risk of death and recurrence of the disease when compared to women who did not use aspirin,” said Michelle Holmes, MD, DrPH, lead author of the paper and a researcher and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Channing Laboratory at BWH. (BWH)

Though the release is recent the research subjects ended at 2002. Cancer isn't the only benefit to those who use aspirin. We've run earlier articles on the research as has Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"Low-dose Aspirin Shown to Reduce Risk of First Stroke in Women - Results of 10-year clinical trial suggest most consistent benefits among women 65 years and older - Boston, MA – In a long-awaited clinical trial conducted among nearly 40,000 initially healthy middle-aged American women, regular use of low-dose aspirin over a ten-year period was found to reduce the risk of stroke 17 percent. However, among the same population, researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) also found that low-dose aspirin did not benefit most women in terms of preventing first heart attacks or cardiac deaths." (March 2005)

Less than four (4) months laters Brigham and Women's Hospital found different results.

BWH WHS researchers found in this healthy population that regular, low-dose aspirin had no overall effect in preventing cancer, including breast, colorectal and other site-specific cancers. However, researchers did find that regular low-dose aspirin therapy could confer some protection against lung cancer but recommend further study to clarify these findings. The researchers, also of Harvard Medical School, could not rule out benefits of higher doses of aspirin. In addition, researchers identified that regular intake of vitamin E supplements did not help prevent overall cardiovascular disease or cancer and did not affect total mortality. However, vitamin E did reduce cardiovascular mortality and, again, researchers recommend that this finding be explored her. (July 2005)

So the problem might just be how much is enough? The abstract doesn't really say what the magic number is, nor does the current press release. What the hospital did was eventually come to the conclusion that we came to in August 2009. Back then we said or rather discovered:

“(T)hough aspirin doesn't protect women from heart attacks their studies showed less usage provided an equal amount of results from a less frequent amount of aspirin. "Regular use of low-dose aspirin does not prevent first heart attacks in women younger than 65, as it does in men, a 10-year study of healthy women has found... ...The amount of aspirin taken by subjects in the Women's Health Study - 100 milligrams every other day - is less than the amount one gets from taking a baby aspirin, which contains 81 milligrams, every day. But the researchers noted that the smaller amount still had the intended effect on blood clotting, as evidenced by blood analyses, by reduced risk of stroke and by the greater incidence of bleeding" the March 2008 New York Times reported.” (PearlieMaes August 2009)

What Brigham and Women's Hospital eventually reported in December of 2009 was:

"Although our study found no large benefit from low-dose aspirin, the possible modest protective effect we did find warrants further study," said William G. Christen, ScD of BWH. "If future studies confirm our findings, it could be important to make the public aware of this benefit," he added.

Their research was first published in the December issue of Ophthalmology:

"Researchers, led by William G. Christen, ScD of BWH, looked at records for 39,421 women enrolled in the 10-year Women's Health Study (WHS) were used to evaluate the impact of low-dose aspirin on AMD risk. None of the women had AMD at the study outset; they were randomly assigned to take low-dose aspirin (100 mg on alternate days) or a placebo. It is known that low-dose aspirin substantially reduces the risk of serious blood vessel blockage, so researchers reasoned it might affect blood vessels that may play a role in AMD. Aspirin's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects were also considered potentially relevant. The research was supported by the National Eye Institute."

Now that's the way a news story is suppose to go. Give us all the information currently available and that way we can make an informed decision. The same researchers that brought us: Aspirin good. Cancer bad! Brigham and Women's Hospital found some other uses for aspirin beyond the breast.

Greener Grass of Well Being

If you’re suffering through this high unemployment downturn you might be thinking: “Who Moved My Cheese!” You wouldn’t be alone. This is a new era. This is a new time. This the age of Obama where anything is possible. If you’re not happy here you can always go somewhere else and be happy right. It’s not quite “the grass is always greener syndrome” is it? Is it attainable somewhere else?

It might be unless you’re unhappy here. We are “(a)mong the nation's 52 largest metropolitan areas that Gallup surveyed in 2009, San Jose, Calif., had the highest well-being in the nation followed closely by Washington, D.C., according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Rounding out the top five well-being cities are Raleigh, N.C., Minneapolis, and San Francisco.” (Gallup)

If you are unhappy or rather if you aren’t feeling the well-being maybe you can down size /up size from North to South or South to North. You won’t have to go far to fix your feelings. If it’s here and you’re not feeling it maybe you’d still need to move to San Jose. Can you feel less in San Jose or are there sections where the “highest well-being” can be felt?

State to state the best state to live is Hawaii but in our area Maryland, Virginia and then North Carolina. However what does Gallup mean by “overall well being?”

The Life Evaluation Index, one of six sub-indexes in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, is calculated using two questions, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale, which ask respondents to rate their present and future lives now on a ladder scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst possible life and 10 is the best possible life. Depending on their responses, Americans are classified as "thriving," "struggling," or "suffering." Improvements in 2009 versus 2008 on this metric alone compensated for declines across each of the other five areas that together make up the Well-Being Index. (Gallup)

When it comes to “Economic Confidence” no state is higher than the District of Columbia followed by Maryland, Virginia and then North Carolina according to the Gallup survey. Whether or not the confidence is misplaced or not isn’t known, only time will tell. For job creations the numbers change with Maryland, Virginia, DC and then North Carolina with North Dakota, Nebraska and West Virginia in the lead. Hiring has Maryland, Virginia, DC and North Carolina following the leaders Louisiana and West Virginia. You’re more likely to be “let go” by North Carolina though it’s way down the list at thirteenth.

Each sub-index is based on several specific questions. The following highlights questions that showed the biggest movement from January 2008 to January 2010 - (Gallup)

Don’t worry be happy! Should you enjoy where you are and what you’re doing even if you’re doing nothing? In a short word, yes! That’s easy for us to say! Let’s look at the stats. Gallup says that “San Jose, Calif., had the highest well-being in the nation followed closely by Washington, D.C.” Do you think that if you moved from the District of Columbia to San Jose, California that you’d actually have a better life? Then maybe you should – at the very least you should start to look online for San Jose employment and locate that apartment/ home/ neighborhood where you can experience greater “well-being.” Once you’ve found that “highest well-being” employment then you can make that move.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey-now. Don't be mean; we don't have to be mean, cuz, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” – Buckaroo Banzai (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension)

We apologize. We didn’t mean to be mean.

Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz, didn’t move or take a trip to Oz, she was taken against her will from her home. She left her home for her “well-being” to get her dog Toto back. Dorothy tries to get back home with her “well-being” (Toto). All of her family was safely in the storm cellar away from the house when Dorothy tries to get to them. It’s then she goes to Oz (though there’s no place like being poor and hungry in cyclone torn Kansas).

Both works of fiction are just simply works of fiction. Although works of fiction they do share one common thread. When Dorothy arrives in Oz she makes friends, has hope and isn’t mean because she “remember(s), no matter where you go, there you are.” We haven’t found our cheese but you’re a part of our process.

“We each live in a "Maze", a metaphor for the companies or organizations we work with, the communities we live in, the families we love places where we look for the things we want in life, "Cheese". It may be an enjoyable career, loving relationships, wealth, or spiritual peace of mind. With time and experience, one character eventually succeeds and even prospers from the change in his "Maze".In an effort to share what he has learned along the way, he records his personal discoveries on the maze walls, the "Handwriting on the Wall". Likewise, when we begin to see the "writing on the wall", we discover the simplicity and necessity of adapting to change.” -(“Who Moved My Cheese!”)

You have to decide for yourself what will give you “spiritual peace of mind.” Again the information from the Gallup organization is or rather was probably the most accurate snapshot of current America that will ever have access. If you and or we change our city/state/community might be as happy as San Jose or Hawaii. It might not be that we have to change our residence or employment. We might just have to change our attitudes. In the mean time we can not be mean because here we are.

Flowers for Pearlie

Give me my flowers when I'm alive so I can enjoy them. So what's a good nephew/neice/daughter/son suppose to do? It's a day of love and rememberance and we couldnt let it pass without our expressions of love. We gave symbols to each of our recipients of love. How could we not remember those we've just lost, those whom we've recently lost, or those we remember who are no longer with us. Three (3) sisters in one (1) year. Three (3) mothers/aunts/families fractured by disease and life. We remember. We loved, were loved.and still love. To you we send our love and our symbols of love. As we share our symbols of love to those we've lost and those you may have lost as well. These are our "Flowers for Algernon."

Salt Like Behavior

We have no scientific evidence to support our suggestions which we'll share with you later. Ever since we were young our elders have encouraged use to first taste our food before adding salt. We knew they were trying to reduce our salt and sugar intake even as children so we automatically went into repair mode because our food was communally prepared. What our high blood pressure having big cousins ate wasn't going to be satisfying to us. Out came the salt/sugar adding arm before taking the first bite.

Exactly what the effect are and what they could provide us was not known or rather scientifically verified until now. Not only what we could do but how much we should do and what were its effect on us physically and financially. This information is too hard to ignore. We'll put our suggestions in "couch potato" form and you can take it as you will. From the University of California - San Francisco we learned:

"Even a small dietary reduction in salt could mean fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths - Reducing salt in the American diet by as little as one-half teaspoon (or three grams) per day could prevent nearly 100,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths each year, according to a new study. Such benefits are on par with the benefits from reductions in smoking and could save the United States about $24 billion in healthcare costs, the researchers add." (USCF)

The Stanford University Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center helped developed the hows, whats and the whys:

"...were derived from the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model, found that reducing dietary salt by three grams per day (about 1200 mg of sodium or about ½ teaspoon) would result in 11 percent fewer cases of new heart disease, 13 percent fewer heart attacks, 8 percent fewer strokes, and 4 percent fewer deaths. For African Americans, who researchers believe are more likely to have high blood pressure and may be more sensitive to salt, this degree of salt reduction could reduce new cases of heart disease by 16 percent and heart attacks by 19 percent.

“Reducing dietary salt is one of those rare interventions that has a huge health benefit and actually saves large amounts of money. At a time when so much public debate has focused on the costs of health care for the sick, here is a simple remedy, already proven to be feasible in other countries,” said Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, senior author, executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University." (UCSF)

Our family tried adding rice to the salt shaker which just made us shake harder but what they didn't try was to add other seasoning to our shaker. When they hid the shaker we'd go to the cabinet and shake right from box. When we "box shake" we always added to much salt. What didn't work for us may work for you, if not try this. Here is a suggestion made by the American Heart Association:

There is a rich world of creative and flavorful alternatives to salt. Get started with this guide to spices, herbs and flavorings and the food items with which they are a particularly good flavor match. Then get creative and experiment! - American Heart Association (AHA)

We won't know how successful this bait and switch will be until we put it into action but if we start now we might be able to create an environment where alternative flavors might interests us and our families. Pearlie Mae felt that she didn't have to change because she was at an age where it didn't really matter. It mattered to us whether she lived or died. Since we were responsible for the foods Pearlie Mae ate and were prepared for her we didn't and should have to make major changes.

Public health interventions are often controversial. There is a common misperception that only certain people should reduce their salt intake and that for the vast majority of the population salt reduction is unnecessary. The opposite is true. Elevated blood pressure is a huge public health problem. Approximately one third of adults have hypertension, and another third have prehypertension. For adults who reach the age of 50 years, the lifetime risk that hypertension will develop is 90%. Furthermore, the benefits of salt reduction probably extend to children and young adults. Salt reduction in children has been shown to lower blood pressure, and blood pressure is directly associated with the earliest stages of atherosclerotic disease, even at young ages. (New England Journal of Medicine)

Changes only have to ten (10) to twenty (20) percent in lifestyle. There is hope through chemistry. Science is offering us hope for some additional alternatives.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator Charles S. Zuker and his colleagues have pinpointed the receptor molecules in the tongue that tell the brain whether a substance is sweet, bitter, sour, or savory (the taste also known as umami)." (HHMI)

We think flavorful alternatives are the solution - partially. Rice to the salt wasn't the solution for us but white pepper or some other white seasoning of other varying flavors might be the solution. For us we had to see the crystals on top of our food before we'd stop shaking. Whether or not that'll work for you we don't know. It's not scientific, we know and we disclaim our suggestions with that proviso. All you have to have is a quarter teaspoon worth of success.

Presidential Surgery

Former president Bill Clinton made news this weekend as concern for his health revealed a return to heart bypass surgery which for him was a tuneup to his quadruple coronary. The surgery didn't heal the problem it was a temporary solution to a long term problem. Doctor's revealed the problem wasn't that the former president returned to his bad habits. We initially postulated that it was his failures that brought about the problem. Surgical solutions aren't final solutions and as we continue to promote "couch potato" solutions to health we're gladden by the reports.

But coronary artery disease is a lifetime commitment, Dr. Randal Thomas, director of the Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Health Clinic and president of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation says. "[Surgery] is a good short-term solution [but] it's temporary; in the long term, the most powerful thing we can do is adjust lifestyle and medication. "Unless we get rid of the underlying problems," he says, the problem will come back.

We searched for local solutions to the bypass surgery and found to our dismay that if we or you needed to have such care the best place to receive it wouldn't be found in the District of Columbia nor even in the traditionally "best hospitals in America." While the places we located were considered by patients and professionals as your best bets for survival and had the lowest infection rates their "quality of care" wasn't equal to the medicine one received. The staff might suck even though the actual surgery and recovery may be the best. We can attest to this from our own anecdotal experiences. While the physician was rude but accurate the nurses were incredibly considerate and attentive.

There are no four or five star facilities in the District of Columbia for Heart Bypass Surgery. There are alternatives in the other local jurisdictions. The Best Hospital for Heart Bypass Surgery in MD -

          1. Saint Joseph Medical Center

The Best Hospitals (4) for Heart Bypass Surgery in NC -

          1. Durham Regional Hospital
          2. Select Specialty Hospital - Durham
          3. Mission Hospitals
          4. Mission Health & Hospital - St. Joseph

The Best Hospital for Heart Bypass Surgery in VA -

          1. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Even if you're not an ex-president and we aren't, we can still receive quality care that we can survive if we plan and utilize the best available services from the best available facilities. If we don't, we have only ourselves to blame. If we've got loved ones we can also give them the benefit of our knowledge. We didn't attempt this story until now because of our initial ignorance. We were in disagreement as to whether the problem was a result of President Clinton's lifestyle abuses. It was reassuring to discover it was not (well to some of us).

Dr. Allen Schwartz, the chief of cardiology at the hospital, publicly stated that there was "no evidence of [a] heart attack or [of] damage to [Clinton's] heart," and that what occurred was "not a result of either his lifestyle or diet, both of which have been excellent." (CNN)

Quality Check, our usual source for all things hospital rated was not the most recent source for these local facilities. Becker's Hospital Review magazine names America's 10 Best Hospitals for 2009 none of which made our list. Their choices were, in our area: Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC and John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD.

While the choices from Health Grades might be your best chances for survival and recovery they aren't the best choices in terms of patient satisfaction. The choices that might be good for you might not be good to you.

They May Excel, But They're the Worst Hospitals for Patient Satisfaction - Patients surveyed give these hospitals, some of America’s best, a poor score overall - Among elite centers in the U.S. News "America's Best Hospitals" rankings that reported patient satisfaction survey results for the year ended December 2008, the 10 percent below were rated worst overall. They had the highest percentages of patients who gave them a 6 or below (10=highest, 0=lowest).

Take, for instance, Virginia's Sentara Norfolk General Hospital which received a patient satisfaction rating of only 16%. While Maryland's John Hopkins considered by many to be one of the best hospital in America received a rating of 75%.

“The fact is, patients are twice as likely to die at low-rated hospitals than at highly rated hospitals for the same diagnoses and procedures,” Dr. Rick May, an author of the HealthGrades study, said in a statement. “With Washington focused on rewarding high-quality hospitals and empowering patients to make more informed health care choices, this information comes at a turning point in the health care debate.” (Seattle Biz Journal)

Our experience reflects that great nurses won't be found with great doctors and great doctors don't necessarily attract great nurses. We loved the nursing staff and care we received but the doctor's attitudes left a lot to be desire. We're they any good? The doctors were incredible. The nursing staff we felt saved our lives. Then again we weren't in for heart bypass surgery either. If we were we'd take rude over sweet but deadly anyday. To use our own anecdotal experiences with Pearlie Mae, her doctor's were the nicest and kindest people we'd ever met. However, the information they gave us wasn't just wrong. It was deadly wrong. We didn't have either access to the information we now have nor any of the rating we're making available to you. If we had, maybe Pearlie Mae would still be with us.

Colds Kill Week 5

When we were babies and we know you don't remember but all first time parents appear overly concerned about every cough, sneeze and sniffle their first child makes. Whether its late night calls to the doctor for a warm forehead or obsessive concern for every change in their child. To what we now know about our selves that we're not concerned for our cough, sneezes or sniffles unless we're knocked off our feet. Somewhere between that first overly obsessed concern to our belief in our own invincibility is a need for some concern for the realities of life.

2010 FLU DEATHS THIS LAST 2010 2009 2008 2007 District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Richmond / Norfolk, VA U 14 14 7 1 24 10 7 7 86 61 32 9 96 29 45 8 82 62 32 4 81 62 36 TOTALS (Week 5) 35 42 186 179 184 183

One such reality is that colds kill. They especially kill when we believe we should be unconcerned. We need to see the realities that can affect our daily lives. A mother's concern can sometimes still not be enough to keep their infant child alive. A mother's kiss, breast or touch can kill their just born prodigy.

"HOW HUMAN MILK PROTECTS FROM ILLNESS - Human milk is more than food. It's a complex living substance, like blood, with a long list of active germ-fighting and health-promoting ingredients. These help protect babies against all kinds of infections, common and not-so-common." (Ask Dr. Sears)

Research disproves what doctors and patients might believe to be true. What we offer is hope for all and not just those with a natural resistance who are survivors. What we offer is survival information for all.

"During the week of January 31 – February 6, 2010, most key flu indicators remained about the same as during the previous week... ...Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) nationally increased slightly over last week but remain low overall. ...Very few 2009 H1N1 laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations were reported by states during the week ending February 6 for most age groups." (CDC)

What we never realized is that jurisdictions that are closed do not report their area deaths. Well if they can't report then people don't die. Oh, wait they do! We get our information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What our local governments tell the federal government is not what they tell - we the people.

Life By Chocolate

For valentine's day when you give your valentine life affirming chocolates and they wonder why you're eating them all, you can always say that you're feeling a little stroke-ish and you want to do more research on how much it takes to starve it off. Or you could admit you're busted and pull out that second box you got, just in case you got busted. The big news, just in time for the "candy and card created celebration" is chocolate "lowers stroke risk." However the researchers from north of the border said:

“More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others,” said study author Sarah Sahib, BScCA, with McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Sahib worked alongside Gustavo Saposnik, MD, MSc, where the study was completed at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. - American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

It's the sugar in candy that isn't healthy for us right? Chocolate is good. Chocolate is very very good. Now all we need is the chocolate with the most antioxidants but with our luck it'll probably be like Indian Pale Ale or wild blueberries. All the really good stuff is never local and generally unavailable locally.

"To maximize the protective effect chocolate has to offer, your best bet is to reach for dark chocolate when the craving hits. To make sure you are getting the highest concentration of flavonoids, read the list of ingredients and choose bars that list cocoa solids or cocoa mass first, not sugar. Alternatively, choose a bar with a high percentage of cocoa – 70 per cent or more. Beware of highly processed, sugar-coated chocolate bars - these are nothing more than empty calories and contain little in the way of cocoa or flavonoids." Canadian Broadcasting Centre (CBC)

The science is well established for the benefits of chocolate beating wine and tea as a historic health elixir. This is our kind of natural health treatment. A chocolate life seems like the best kind of life of all. However moderation in all things. The most recent research puts it in this technical fashion:

"Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and is associated with an increase in plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. No changes in oxidative stress measures, lipid profiles, blood pressure, body weight or BMI were seen." The Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN)

The specifics of the research continued to say:

"Chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which may have a protective effect against stroke, but more research is needed. The first study found that 44,489 people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who ate no chocolate. The second study found that 1,169 people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46 percent less likely to die following a stroke than people who did not eat chocolate." American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

While the Mayo Clinic can continue to find studies they can review to disprove alternative and naturopathic remedies all they want. History and canadian researchers will continue to prove their effectiveness. From the same sources that brought us the chocolate news comes:

The yogurt, containing live bacteria or yeasts, appears to prevent stress-induced skin inflammation and hair loss. It works in mice, and researchers at the Brain-Body Institute at St. Joseph's Healthcare want to test whether it helps humans. "That is the hope," said lead researcher Dr. Petra Arck, Canada Research Chair in Neuroimmunology. "When they are experiencing stressful periods in their life ... (eating probiotic yogurt) could be a way of dealing with this." (The Spec)

The canadian researchers don't just tell us how to survive our heart attacks they've also go the cocktail for staying young. Their suggestions won't reverse the ravages of time but they can "forestalls aging."

The study found that a complex dietary supplement powerfully offsets this key symptom of ageing in old mice by increasing the activity of the cellular furnaces that supply energy - or mitochondria - and by reducing emissions from these furnaces - or free radicals - that are thought to be the basic cause of aging itself.- McMaster (Daily News)

Did you think we wouldn't tell you the secret formula? Who do you think we are the nightly news. If we know you know. Forget the Mayo Clinic when they're only reviewing research. This is the real scientific and tested deal.

Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in aging. Daily News

We say take your anti-aging cocktail with some hot black tea with a single serving of chocolate or an unsweeten biscuit with bits of chocolate to start a day that could last for the rest of your healthy life.

The antioxidant catechin content of chocolate is four times that of tea. Chocolate contributed 20% of the catechin intake in a representative sample of the Dutch population, and tea contributes 55%. Epidemiological assessments of health effects of tea should include other foods that are sources of catechins. (Lancet)

Hopefully you'll live a very very long time or it might just seem like a long life. The problem with anti-aging instead of reverse aging is that you'd better love the age you are because you ain't getting any younger. Don't like your age - aww poor baby! Too bady if you're lucky you get to stay this age forever. Or it might just seem like forever.

Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults - These findings suggest that green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced changes in abdominal fat and serum TG. The American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

Chocolate solves the known green tea reactions that individuals on some high blood pressure medications can suffer from their use - without any of negative side effects associated with green tea. Chocolate is the "couch-er" final solution. Chocolate - the weight loss answer that we've waited a lifetime to receive. You don't have to be a researcher to reach that conclusion.

Oh, by the way, don't just dump your chocolate drops in your blender and hope for the best. Nuke 'em in your microwave until their soft enough to dissolve and be digested. Learn from our mistakes!

Less X for Breast

It's too late for Pearlie Mae but we'd believed that it would be this way. If we could have only been successful in convincing her to receive a limited but admitted difficult radiation therapy we would have never created this homage to our favorite Pearlie. Unfortunately the pain and discomfort was just unbearable. Pearlie Mae was not a person who suffers pain well, neither are we.


This recent research from the wonderful researchers from McMaster's in Canada has provided future hope for those still living and hoping yet fearful of chemotherapy cancer treatments. Oh Canada! Just in time for the Winter Olympics:

An intense three-week course of radiation therapy is just as effective as the standard five-week regimen for women with early-stage breast cancer. Dr. Tim Whelan, a professor of oncology at McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, led a team of researchers to find that women who received the accelerated therapy have a low risk of the breast cancer for as long as 12 years after treatment. The study was conducted by the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group under the direction of Dr. Mark Levine. (Daily News)

What Pearlie Mae didn't have was early-stage breast cancer. Yet what we believe is that when your loved ones are your concern you never give up. We believe that there would be hope and help however we weren't the ones suffering. For those who are suffering can't always hold out as long as those for whom suffering is an observation instead of participation. If never hurts to hope no matter who you are.