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MORE BODY MISCELLANY
Are risk takers really extremely cautious? Studies by a sports psychologist of sky divers, race car drivers, aerobatic pilots, and other risk takers show that they usually put an extraordinary amount of planning into their activities. Thus, the extensive preparation increases their confidence, commitment, self-control--and helps them conquer what would otherwise be debilitating fears. So claims psychologist Dr. Robert Kriegel, author of SACRED COWS MAKE THE BEST BURGERS (2002).
It is better to learn to live with asbestos safely than to attempt the impossible, even dangerous, task of eliminating it completely from the environment. Asbestos is often safely contained within walls, pipes, and other stable areas of buildings such that the air indoors contains no more asbestos than the air outside. In such cases, attempting to remove the asbestos may cause greater risk than leaving it alone. This is according to the Council of Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association.
Vitamin C as sunscreen? Smearing the body with vitamin C sounds crazy. Then again, who would have thought that Retin-A, a form of vitamin A, would be used so eagerly by so many to fight wrinkles? One dermatologist believes that vitamin C makes a far more effective sunscreen than anything else on the market because it blocks both ultraviolet A and B rays and cannot be washed-, sweated-, or rubbed-off for up to three days. This is according to Dr. Sheldon Pinnell of the Duke University Medical School.
Retin-A, the anti-wrinkle cream, has been given a new role. It is now being used on stretch marks by one dermatologist. So claims Dr. Melvin Elson, a dermatologist from Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
There are fewer alcoholics in Japan than there are in European countries. The reason for this may be that the Japanese have a marked inability to tolerate alcohol due to a genetically-based enzyme defect. This is according to Dr. Hiroshi Harada of the University of Tsukuba School of Medicine.
The Japanese seem to handle pain better than Westerners do. Researchers at two hospitals, one in Tokyo and the other in Atlanta, compared Japanese and American patients with chronic lower back pain. Both groups had similar medical histories, but the Japanese patients had an easier time living with the pain. The researchers are from the Manaka General Hospital in Tokyo and the Pain Control and Rehabilitative Institute of Georgia in Atlanta.
What you drink to swallow a pill may be very important. For example, in one study, when grapefruit juice was used by men to take a pill containing procardia (a blood pressure-lowering medication), the grapefruit juice tripled the rate at which the procardia was absorbed. The men's blood pressure dropped so low that they experienced headaches, flushing, and light-headedness. However, orange juice and water had no effect on procardia absorption. So claims Dr. Brian Morgan of Columbia University Medical School in New York.
Most people think that fat people gain weight the fastest. But it is thin people who are really the weight-gaining champs. In five studies where both fat and thin people were over-fed for two weeks, the thin ones put on more weight, even though both groups had eaten the same amount of food. This is according to Dr. Gilbert Forbes of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York.
It is okay to exercise if you feel a cold or flu coming on provided that your symptoms are limited to a runny nose, sneezing, or a scratchy throat. This is according to one medical expert who is also a marathon runner. This is according to Dr. Edward Eichner of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, U.S.A.
Aerobics has some unusual hazards. Five women came to a doctor complaining of dizziness, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Patient histories revealed that each had spent a great deal of time in aerobics classes prior to the onset of symptoms. According to the doctor, vigourous jumping can dislodge the tiny crystals embedded in the surface of the inner ear that help hearing and balance. So claims Dr. Michael Weintraub of the New York Medical College.
Some long-distance runners become so addicted to their sport that they experience withdrawal symptoms when forced to stop. According to one expert, symptoms of exercise withdrawal include depression, difficulty sleeping, and feeling bloated. That is the conclusion of Dr. Morris Mellion of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has been on the rise for many decades. For example, in the U.S., in 1930, only one in 1,500 Americans ever developed this form of cancer. In 1990, this figure rose to one in 120. From 1995 to 2004 (the latest year in which we have figures), the figure rose by one per cent each year. This is according to Dr. Martin Weinstock, professor of dermatology and community health at Brown University and the American Academy of Dermatology.
The incidence of asthma is higher in Australia than in most other parts of the world, according to one medical expert, Dr. Jack Thomas a Sydney general practice physician.
In Australia, 257,000 people have been diagnosed as suffering from diabetes. Yet an equal number have diabetes but do not realize it, according to the national organization for Australians with the disease, Diabetes Australia in Melbourne.
An estimated 0.5 to one per cent of the U.K. population suffers from some form of skin ulceration. The majority of these are leg ulcers. However, the incidence of skin ulceration is much higher in the elderly. An estimated four per cent of those over age 70 have them. This is according to Terry Turner of the Welsh School of Pharmacy in Cardiff.
The risk of stroke and heart attack in the elderly is two to three times greater during winter than during other seasons. According to one expert, this may be due to the fact that cold temperatures boost levels of the clotting substance, fibrinogen. This makes the blood thicker and more likely to clot. Blood clots in the coronary arteries cause heart attacks. Blood clots in blood vessels in the brain cause strokes. This is according to Dr. Robert Stout of the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Vaginal dryness during sexual intercourse often results from inadequate foreplay. It takes an average of 20 minutes of sexual stimulation for a woman to become fully aroused and lubricated enough for easy intercourse. This is the claim of Dr. Jonathan Scher of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
People live longer today---longer than ever before. This is due to many things, including new treatments for heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other deadly ailments. However, we also spend more time in poor health. Ironically, in most cases, improved health care merely extends the period of life during which people are in frail health. They are then vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and other chronic and debilitating diseases. Thus, according to one expert, we are now spending an ever-increasing proportion of our lives in poor health. This is the contention of Dr. Jay Olshansky, professor of public health at the University of Illinois.
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