Portland observer., December 28, 1994, Page 5, Image 5

I he P gr ¡ land O bserver • D ecember 28, 1994
P age A5
ALTH
Chronic Diseases
Strike Minority Groups
C h ro n ic d ise a se s su ch as
h a v io rs an d h ea lth d a ta re la te d
c a n c e r , h e a rt d is e a s e an d
to c h ro n ic d is e a s e a m o n g A f­
stro k e are th e m ajo r k ille rs
rican A m eric an s, A m eric an In­
o f A m e ric a n s to d ay — and
d ian s, A la sk a N a tiv e s, A sian ,
they are kn ow n to hit som e
P a c ific I s la n d e r s , H is p a n ic
m in o rity g ro u p s h a rd e r th an
A m e ric a n s. T he d ata w ere c o l­
th e g en e ral p o p u la tio n . B ut a
lecte d from re s p o n d e n ts in 47
p io n e e rin g an a ly sis says th at
sta te s a n d the D is tric t o f C o ­
key h e a lth h ab its lin k ed to
lum bia, w h e reas p re v io u s s tu d ­
e d u c a tio n e x p la in m any o f
ies th at d e a lt w ith on ly o n e or
th e d if f e r e n c e s th a t w e re
tw o ra c ia l o r e th n ic g ro u p s.
o n ce th o u g h t to be ra c ia l or
T he re se a rc h not on ly c o m ­
eth n ic.
p ared ra c ia l an d e th n ic g ro u p s
“C h ro n ic D isease A m ong
to the g e n e ra l p o p u la tio n but
M in o rity P o p u la tio n s ,” a re ­
to o n e a n o th e r, y ie ld in g a c o m ­
port p u b lis h e d to d ay by the
p re h e n s iv e c o m p a riso n o f the
C e n te r fo r D isea se C o n tro l
h ea lth s ta tu s o f th ese g ro u p s.
an d P r e v e n tio n 's N a tio n a l
F or b o th m en an d w om en,
C e n te r fo r C h ro n ic D ise a se
the p e rc e n ta g e re p o rtin g c u r ­
P re v e n tio n and H e alth P re ­
re n t c ig a r e tte s m o k in g w as
v e n tio n , say s in ev e ry ra ce or
h ig h e st in A m eric an In d ian s
e th n ic g ro u p stu d ie d , d eath
and A la sk a n N a tiv e s, and lo w ­
rates from th e m ajo r k ille rs
est a m o n g A sian and P a cific
are h ig h e r am o n g p eo p le who
Islan d e rs.
sm o k e c ig a re tte s , are p h y s i­
T h e p e r c e n ta g e w ho re ­
ca lly in a c tiv e or are o v e r­
p o rted a s e d e n ta ry life style
w eig h t. T h e se risk fa c to rs, in
was a p p ro x im a te ly ten p e rc e n t
tu rn , a r m o re p re v a le n t
h ig h e r a m o n g A fric a n A m e ri­
am o n g p e o p le w ho have not
can and H isp a n ic re s p o n d e n ts
fin ish e d h ig h sch o o l.
than am o n g A m eric an In d ian
T he stu d y is the first c o m ­
re s p o n d e n ts .
p re h e n s iv e n a tio n a l stu d y o f
B ut in ev e ry ra c ia l/e th n ic
d e m o g ra p h ic d ata, risk b e ­
g ro u p , risk fa c to rs fo r c h ro n ic
d is e a s e s w ere lo w e r am on g
p e o p le w ith h ig h e r e d u c a tio n !
a tta in m e n t.
T h at was tru e a m o n g all I
e th n ic /ra c ia l g ro u p s stu d ied .
T h is sam e high c o rre la tio n
also has been id e n tifie d b e­
tw een risk fa cto rs and e d u c a ­
tio n in s tu d ie s o f th e g e n e ra l |
p o p u la tio n .
C D C D i r e c t o r D a v id l
S a tc h e r , M .E ., s a id , “ T h e
good new s here is th a t m en
and w om en are not d e s tin e d
to die o fo n e or a n o th e r c h ro n ­
ic d is e a s e b e c a u se o f th e ir
race o r e th n ic g ro u p . T hey )
c a n m o d ify t h e i r ris k s b y
ch a n g ed lifesty le.
C D C is an ag e n cy o f th e
U .S. P u b lic H e alth S e rv ic e !
and has its h e a d q u a rte rs in)
A tla n ta .
Dr. S a tc h e r sp o k e at the I
C D C s N in th A n n u al C onfer-1
en ce on C h ro n ic D ise a se s inf
W ash in g to n , D .C .
C o p ie s o f th e r e p o r t,I
“C h ro n ic D isea se in M in o rity
P o p u la tio n ,” m ay be o b ta in e d !
by c o n ta c tin g th e O ffic e o f |
S u rv e illa n c e and A n a ly sis o f ,
the C D C , at 4 0 4 -4 8 8 -5 5 8 3 .
Chocolate May Be Better
For You Than You Think
f
Dr. Wayne Clark
Oregon Health Sciences Uni­
versity is one of fewer than 30 insti­
tutions across the country selected to
participate in a major clinical trial
that could one day lead to a new
treatment for stroke, a leading cause
of death and disability.
The study, one of the most ambi­
tious stroke therapy trials ever un­
dertaken, is testing the therapeutic
effectiveness of an experimental drug
called pro-urokinase, or pro-UK, in
breaking up cerebral blood clots that
cause stroke.
The drug must be administered
Herbal Cancer Cure
Is Hot On-Line Topic
Lasers Speed
Back Surgery
Recovery Time
to patients within six hours of the
first sign o f stroke symptoms. Med­
ical researches believe that by rapid­
ly dissolving occluding blood clots,
the drug may significantly reduce the
brain damage associated with stroke.
As you already may be aware,
stroke is the nation’s leading cause of
disability and the third leading cause
o f death. Existing approaches to
stroke treatment focus on preventive
or rehabilitative efforts and currentlv
there is no approved, interventional
treatment for stroke such as the ap­
proach being tested in the study.
Dr Wayne Clark is the lead in­
vestigator at Oregon Health Scienc­
es University.
Patients with symptoms of acute
cerebral artery stroke admitted to
participating trial centers are being
screened for entry into the study.
Patients who are admitted to the hos­
pital w ithin six hours after the onset
o f stroke symptoms and who meet
other study criteria, are eligible to
participate.
While medications exist to pre­
vent secondary stroke and rehabilita­
tion offers some hcpe to stroke survi­
vors, there is currently no effective
treatment for an initial stroke.
Stroke is the third leading cause
o f death in the United States and is
the leading cause o f disability.
HIV
Prevention
Program
Needs
Volunteers
C ascade AIDS P ro je c t’s
Men’s HIV Prevention Program,
one of the most extensive and ac­
tive HIV education and outreach
projects in the Portland area, is
looking for motivated and com­
mitted volunteers to help in its
mission of fighting the spread of
HIV infection.
In the midst o f a cam paign
called Speak To Y our B roth­
ers, the organization seeks to
establish contacts and use so­
cial networks to pass critical
interpersonal support, are ex­
pected to create positive chang­
es in decisions that affect each
individual’s health and the health
o f the whole community.
Advertise In
Portland
(O b sc ru c r
Call 503-288-0033
First Step in Reform Taken
With Managed Health Care
NATURAL REMEDIES
(NU) - Are you ready for the
MYTH: Candy is a major cause
sweet truth about candy? It may be
of tooth decay.
better for you than you think.
TRUTH: Tooth decay is primar­
Just sink your teeth into these
ily the result of poor oral hygiene.
myths, and then savor the sweet
(NU) - What are the hot topics
Cavities occur when any food with
truth.
fermentable carbohydrates is left on out in cyberspace? If you hook up
MYTH: Candy has a high fat con­ the teeth too long.
with Prodigy's Health Bulletin
tent and will lead to weight gain.
MYTH: Chocolate causes acne. Board, you'll find lots of e-mail on
TRUTH: A 1 1/4-ounce milk
TRUTH: Studies show there’s lit­ holistic medicine, including antiox­
chocolate bar has just 13 grams of tle connection between chocolate idant therapy and an herbal remedy
fat; a dark chocolate bar has just 12 and acne. Just ask the lucky m id­ known as Essiac, discovered in the
grams. Splurge with a milk choco­ shipmen at the U.S. Naval Acade­ 1920s by a Canadian nurse.
late almond bar, and you'll consume
Essiac is believed to be a cure for
my who were asked to eat at least
14 grams of fat.
three chocolate bars a day for four cancer.
With candy, like all else in a
As the story goes, Rene Caisse
weeks.
weight management plan, the key is
At the end o f the four weeks, was a head nurse in an Ontario hos­
moderation. But if you’re watching
there was no change in the condition pital when she met a patient with a
your diet, bringing something sweet
strangely scarred breast. The patient
of their skin.
into your life may actually be good
MYTH: Chocolate is high in caf­ told her a friend, an Ojibwa Indian
for you.
medicine man, had given her the
feine.
“An occasional sweet treat helps
TRUTH: A one-ounce milk recipe for a remedy that cured the
you stick to a healthy eating plan,"
chocolate bar has only six milligrams hard mass on her breast.
says registered dietician Annette B.
When Caisse acquired the recipe,
of caffeine. A five-ounce cup of in­
Natow, author of "The Fat Counter"
stant coffee, on the other hand, con­ she called the herbal compound it
and "The Fat Attack Plan."
tains between 40 and 108 milligrams. produced Essiac, which is her name
MYTH: Chocolate is high in cho­
So relax on your next coffee spelled backwards.
lesterol.
While the name Rene Caisse is
break ... with a bit of chocolate.
TRUTH: Chocolate contains no
You’ll have lots o f company. hardly a household word in the Unit­
animal fat and is actually low in cho­ Brown & Haley President Mark Ha­ ed States, it seems some Prodigy e-
lesterol. For instance, a 1.65-ounce
ley, whose company has been mak­ mailers have done their holistic
chocolate bar contains only 12 mil­ ing candy for more than 75 years health homework and know about
ligrams of cholesterol.
and is one of the country’s largest her. In fact, one woman said she has
To feel really righteous, choose
boxed-chocolate m anufacturers, "tons of information” on Caisse and
candy made from natural ingredi­ says Americans consume about 2.6 Essiac and offered to share it with
ents, like Brown & Haley’s boxed
billion pounds o f chocolate every anyone who’s interested.
chocolates or Almond Roca.
C aisse's com pound, which is
year.
m arketed in the United States as
(NU) - Slipped discs, a condition
responsible for severe back pain in
thousands of Americans each year,
can be treated successfully today
through advanced laser surgery.
Since laser surgery is less inva­
sive than traditional techniques, it
means shorter hospital stays and
faster recovery for patients.
The surgery, which uses a con­
centrated light beam much like a
scalpel, has long been used to treat
a number of medical conditions,
from cataracts to gallstones and torn
knee ligaments. But only recently,
and in just a few medical centers na­
tionwide. has it been used for pa­
tients suffering from herniated
("slipped") discs.
"With traditional surgery, back
patients used to spend days in the
hospital and have months of at-home
recovery," said Douglas Weiland, a
surgeon at the Florida Spine Institute
in Clearwater. Fla. The hospital is a
pioneer in laser surgery for spine re­
pair.
Because the procedure is mini­
mally invasive, it’s generally con­
sidered safer for patients.
For a copy of the Florida Spine
Institute’s free educational video
about spinal laser surgery, call 1-
8(M)-477-7746. Phones are answered
by nurses or physicians' assistants
who can answer questions.
OS HU Tests Clot
Dissolving Drug
By James W. McLane
CEO. Aetna Health Plans
Flor*Essence, consists of sheep sor­
rel, burdock root, slippery elm bark,
rhubarb root and other herbs. To­
gether they act as a powerful detox-
ifier, purifying the body but causing
no dangerous or uncomfortable side
effects.
In cancer patients, the remedy
is said to localize growths within
the body, break them down and
flush them out, along with other
toxins.
Essiac has been tested at Chica­
go’s Northwestern University, the
Sloan-Kettering Institute for Can­
cer Research in New York and the
Bioran Blood Chemistry Laborato­
ry in Cambridge, Mass.
The studies at Sloan-Kettering
and Bioran showed promising re­
sults. In the Bioran study, doctors
concluded that Essiac can be used in
conjunction with conventional can­
cer therapies.
For more information on Essiac,
check out "The Essiac Report. Cana­
da's Remarkable Unknown Cancer
Remedy," a new book by Los Ange­
les author Richard Thomas. To order
a copy, call 1-800-796-4300.
Then, you might share what
you’ve learned with everyone else in
cyberspace.
■
(NU) - National health care re­
form may have died in the 1994 leg­
islative session, but the health care
revolution is already under way —
it’s called managed health care.
Unlike
government-imposed
changes similar to those discussed this
year by Congress, rational market­
place
solu­
tions, such as Guest
increased com- Commentary
petition among
health plans and the growth of health
maintenance organizations and other
managed health care networks, are re­
ducing costs today while improving
the consistency and quality of care.
How?
Managed health care attacks the
causes of excessive health care
spending by reducing the incidence
of unnecessary and inappropriate
care and by building partnerships
between physicians, hospitals and
managed health care companies to
assure patients receive the highest
quality care in the most appropriate
setting, at the most appropriate time
and at the lowest cost.
In fact, a recent study of Aetna’s
managed health care plans indicat­
ed that the average cost for HMO
coverage is 23 percent less than tra­
ditional health insurance. Costs are
not only less, managed health care
also encourages use of procedures to
prevent illness, to detect it at an ear-
ly stage, and to ask the right ques­
tions of medical professionals about
alternative health care procedures.
As a major player in providing
health care for approximately 16
million Americans, Aetna supports
fundamental reform. Guaranteed
portability of coverage, changing
pre-existing conditions to allow
more individuals to qualify for
health care benefits, reduction in ex­
cessive paperwork, malpractice re­
form and better access to health care
are issues critically im portant to
America.
We must encourage our state leg­
islators and Congress to meet these
issues head on with the understand­
ing that the significant progress al­
ready achieved through our evolv­
ing and increasingly popular
managed health care system must be
maintained.
How popular is managed health
care? It is estimated that 51 percent
of all individuals employed in the
United States are now in some form
of managed care network — up 29
percent from just five years ago.
Over the past 12 years, enrollment
in HMO plans has quadrupled —
with more than 45 million individ­
uals now covered.
The reasons for this significant
growth in enrollment and high lev­
el of satisfaction are simple. Man­
aged health care was created and is
being driven — not by government
— but by free-market forces that tru­
ly reflect and meet consumer needs.
The brilliant yellow saffron that makes dyes and food flavoring comes
from dried autumn crocuses. It takes 4,000 flowers to yield one ounce of
saffron— hence its high price.
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