Inspirational reading

I recently finished reading “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder. The author is much admired among journalists for the way he immerses himself in a subject, then writes the hell out of it. This time, he profiles Dr. Paul Farmer, who, while still a medical student, established a clinic for the poor in Haiti, then expanded his work to help the poor all over the world.

It's an awesome book that I can't stop thinking about.

Listen to an interview with Farmer on public radio’s “Fresh Air.” Or listen to Kidder talk about his book on "All Things Considered."

Survival depends on where you live

As I gathered information this week for a story that will run next Tuesday, a source sent me a link to this USA Today series. It's about the state of emergency medical services in selected U.S. cities.

Essentially, USA Today found that your chances of surviving a heart attack vary depending on where you live. Seattle is among the cities praised for their EMS response systems.

Meanwhile in Spokane, our EMS folks are trying to get more automated external defibrillators in public places. They want them to be as common as fire extinguishers. The devices can shock the heart back into rhythm during the crucial six-minute window of opportunity.

Spokane International Airport will install 10 AEDs by the end of the month. And in the past six months, the number of AEDs in public buildings and businesses in Spokane County has increased from 30 to 44. Locations include Albi Stadium, Valley Mall, Northtown Mall, Riverpark Square, Spokane City Hall and Manito Golf Course.

Spokane case on TV's Discovery Health

There must be a better way to get on television.

The story of Brandon Combs, the Spokane Valley teenager who survived after a 30-inch piece of rebar impaled his face, will be on the Discovery Health Channel on Friday. The show is called "Impact: Stories of Survival." Combs was treated at Deaconess Medical Center in September. Check local listings.

Missed cancers and breast implants

Breast implants make mammograms more difficult to read, but they don’t lead to more "false positive" test results, according to a study published in the Jan. 28 Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, found that mammograms missed 55 percent of breast cancers in women with implants.

Mammograms missed 37 percent of cancers among women without implants.

Interestingly, the researchers found that the problem did not result in more advanced cancers at diagnosis in the women with breast implants.

Implants show up as white mass on mammography film and block the view of breast tissue. A technique called implant displacement views can be used to get a better look.

Women with implants should inform their doctors and mammography technicians about their breast augmentation, the researchers advised.

Read the abstract.

Taxol claims deadline extended again

Consumers who used the anti-cancer drug Taxol (or its generic equivalent, paclitaxel) now have one additional month to file claims in an antitrust case. The new deadline is Feb. 29, 2004.

Nationally, $12.5 million is available to consumers who were overcharged for the drug by manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb. Patients would have received Taxol during treatment for cancer of the breast, ovaries, lung or other cancers.

Submit claims by contacting the Taxol settlement administrator at 1-800-659-7609 or by visiting the Taxol claims web site.

Funky doctor

Heard Dr. Dean's treatment plan for America?

Get ready to boogie.

Buzzword alert

One of my favorite web sites, Word Spy, today defines "passive overeating" -- a new nutrition buzzword, which means, basically, cleaning your plate. Restaurants serve huge portions and the good boys and good girls inside us feel we have to eat it all.

Study says eat more dairy

The study was supported by a grant from the National Dairy Council. And it was called to my attention by someone from the Dairy Farmers of Washington.

Still, the paper in the January issue of the American Journal of Hypertension reaches a provocative conclusion: We could save more than $200 billion in health-care costs and reduce our risk of several chronic diseases if we’d all eat three to four servings of dairy each day as part of a lower calorie diet rich in nutrients.

So, I resolve to eat my share of cheese and ice cream.

The authors write: "We anticipate some skepticism and even resistance to this assessment of the healthcare savings that could be achieved by reversing the decades-long decline in dairy food intake in the US. If it provokes a healthy debate among experts, we will have achieved our purpose."

New cancer stats released

More women are dying of lung cancer every year, but the increase in the death rate is finally showing signs of slowing.

For other brand-new cancer statistics from the American Cancer Society, click here.

Low-carb junk food

Here’s the latest corporate over-reaction to the re-popularization of the Atkins diet: Frito-Lay announced today that it will launch a new low-carbohydrate version of its Doritos and Tostitos snacks. The company will use soy proteins and fiber to reduce carbs in the products by 60 percent.

Soon all we will eat will be soy.

You are getting very sleepy ...

Get ready for a barrage of news media and advertising attention to insomnia, says this story by Andrew Pollack in the New York Times. Drug companies have new sleeping pills in the pipeline and are sure to try to expand their markets.

"Frankly, worrying people about sleep is good for the drug companies, it's good for the sleep clinics and maybe it helps people get research funding too," says Dr. Daniel Kripke. professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego, in the New York Times story. Kripke has a web site called the Dark Side of Sleeping Pills.

Sunshine, MS and vitamin D

Taking a supplement containing vitamin D protected women against developing multiple sclerosis, according to a study of more than 187,000 women published in the journal Neurology. The research suggests why MS is more prevalent in the northern hemisphere where lack of sunlight may inhibit the body’s vitamin D-making mechanism. Read the abstract.

Preventing falls: What works

Walking on ice and snow over the weekend, I reflected on how treacherous it is for older folks to venture outdoors during the winter. But staying indoors doesn’t prevent falls. Each year, between a third and a half of people over age 65 experience a fall, and one in 10 of those falls lead to a broken bone.

What works to prevent falls? A review of 62 research studies finds that muscle strengthening, balance training such as Tai Chi and professional assessment of home hazards could help. Read more.

Report cards on state tobacco laws

Check how your state's tobacco laws rate with the American Lung Association. The group's report cards grade states on smoke-free air, youth access to tobacco, prevention spending and taxes on cigarettes. Click here.

Side effects can be brutal

Doctors are overdosing patients because drug companies market products in one-size-fits-all dosages, says researcher and author Dr. Jay Cohen of the University of California, San Diego.

That can lead to nasty, sometimes fatal side effects.

Doctors shouldn't expect drug company representatives to tell them that half doses, quarter doses and even smaller amounts work for many patients with many drugs, Cohen said. That includes anti-depressants, the cholesterol-lowering drugs Lipitor and Zocor, and Celebrex for arthritis.

Cohen started researching dosages because of a professional experience when Prozac was new. One of his patients, a 35-year-old woman, became acutely psychotic after three days on the antidepressant. He got so fascinated by the subject that he eventually wrote a book, ``Over Dose: The Case Against the Drug Companies'' (Tarcher/Putnam, 2001).

His web site -- www.MedicationSense.com -- is a great place to start for consumers who want to approach their doctors with the topic.

And for another doctor’s personal experience with side effects of bupropion(Wellbutrin), read this essay in Sunday’s New York Times.

Good news for coffee lovers

Drinking six cups of coffee or more a day was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Male java junkies cut their risk by 50 percent. Females by 30 percent.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed reports from 125,000 people. The researchers are from the Harvard School of Public Health.

New treadmill in your future?

The February issue of Consumer Reports tests and rates treadmills. The magazine says you can spend less and still get a quality product if you’ll use your treadmill only for walking. Runners, however, should spend more for a more sturdily built machine.

For runners, the magazine likes the Landice Pro Sports Trainer L7 ($2,900), True 400HRC ($2,200) and Life Fitness T31 ($2,800).

For walkers, the recommended units are Life Fitness Sport ST55 ($1,800), Schwinn ($1,300) and Vision Fitness ($1,350).

You’ll have to subscribe to read the magazine’s ratings online.

Baby, it's c-c-cold outside

It’s minus 6 degrees in Spokane this morning, so I’m calling local emergency rooms to hear about frostbite, hypothermia and fractures caused by slipping on the ice.

On the Web, I came across this recent press release from the National Institute on Aging about the risk for older folks of getting too cold inside the house when they turn down the thermostat to save money on heating bills.

And, for the brave at heart, here are photos of frostbite on the feet.