Jìortlanò (Observer
Page 4
December 15. 2010
H EALTH MATTERS
Low-Dose Aspirin Fights Cancer
L ong-term use o f a daily low -
dose aspirin dram atically cuts the
risk o f dying from a w ide array o f
cancers, a new investigation reveals.
S pecifically, a B ritish research
team unearthed evidence that a low -
dose aspirin (75 m illigram s) taken
daily for at least five years brings
about a 10 percent to 6 0 percent
drop in fatalities depending on the
type o f cancer.
“T hese findings provide the first
p ro o f in m an that aspirin reduces
deaths due to several com m on c an ­
c e rs,” the study team noted in a
new s release.
But the study's lead author. Prof.
Peter R othw ell, stressed that “these
results do not m ean that all adults
should im m ediately start taking as­
pirin.”
AIDS Can Infect Anyone
A small, daily dose o f aspirin significantly diminishes the risk o f death
from a wide range o f cancers, according to a landmark study.
“T hey do dem onstrate m ajor new
benefits that have not previously
been factored into guideline reco m ­
m endations,” he added, noting that
“previous guidelines have rightly
cautioned that in healthy m iddle-
aged people, the small risk o f bleed­
ing on aspirin partly offsets the
benefit from prevention o f strokes
and heart attack s.”
health issues that are particularly
relevant to A frican-A m ericans and
A fricans in an easy-to-use form at.
Funded by a grant from the State
o f O regon's O ffice o f M ulticultural
H ealth and Services, the w ebsite
includes articles o f interest to all
com m unity m em bers, not ju s t m en.
T he inform ation com es m ostly
from the N atio n al In stitu te s o f
H ealth's extensive “M edline P lus”
co n su m er health site and includes
articles on diabetes, stroke, heart
disease, nutrition and m any other
topics. It a lso h as lin k s to n a ­
tio n a l an d lo c al h e a lth o rg a n iz a ­
tio n s and a d ire c to ry o f lo cal
lo w -c o st an d n o -c o st h ealth c lin ­
ics an d W o m en , In fan t an d C h il­
d re n (W IC ) o ffice s.
■
Website on
Health Launched
T he M en's H ealth Project o f P ort­
land has unveiled a new health in-
form ation w ebsite for the co m m u ­
nity.
O urH ealthA lliance.org provides
a c c u ra te , u p -to -d a te a rtic le s on
Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled s ta ff are ready to help those in need.
__________
An ongoing series of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession
Part 33. Osteoperosis and Bone Loss Reversal
I have o steoporo sis and
now m y back has a m ore
“rou n d ed ” look. W hat is this?
A : Y ou m ight have started
to d e v e lo p a “ d o w a g e r’s
h u m p ” o r an abnorm al outw ard
curving o f the vertebrae o f the up­
per back. Bones becom e brittle with
osteoporosis and the upper verte­
brae can collapse on each other,
causing a rounded appearance.
T o help stop and even reverse
bone loss:
I have friends w ho say they d o n ’t H IV can now e x ­
like to w atch the new s because it’s p ect to live 13
depressing o r focuses too m uch on years lo n g er than by L arry L ucas
things that d o n ’t im pact them . But the sam e person
w hen it com es to the H IV /A ID S d iagnosed w ith the virus in 1996.
crisis, w e c a n ’t afford to sim ply tune Scientific advancem ents like highly
it out. There are m ore than 33 m illion active anti-retroviral therapies have
people living w ith H IV across the accounted fo r a m ore than 70 p er­
globe, and the U nited States has the cent drop in the annual num ber o f
highest adult incidence rate in N orth deaths in the U.S. due to A ID S,
America.
according to the C D C .
A ID S - A cquired Im m u n o d efi­
T here is still m ore w ork to be
ciency Syndrom e - is cau sed by d o n e . C u r r e n tly , A m e r i c a ’ s
infection w ith a virus called hum an biopharm aceutical research com pa­
im m unodeficiency virus (H IV ). The nies have 97 m edicines in d ev elo p ­
v iru s is tra n sm itte d g e n etica lly , m ent to treat H IV and A ID S. T hese
through b lood-to-blood and sexual drugs are eith er in hum an clinical
co n tact, but can infect anyone - trials o r aw aitin g approval by the
y o ung and old, black and w hite. U .S. Food and D rug A d m in istra­
A ccording to the W orld H ealth O r­ tion.
g an izatio n and U N A ID S, nearly 3
T his is esp ecially great new s for
m illion people w ere new ly infected m any in o u r com m unity. A frican
in 2008 alone, and 2 m illion A ID S A m ericans, w ho m ake up ju s t 13
patients died the sam e year. A nd p ercen t o f the U .S. p o pulation, a c ­
these num bers are only grow ing - count for m ore than h a lf o f new H IV
especially in developing co u n tries diagnoses, acco rd in g to the C D C .
that have little access to effectiv e
B ut developing m edicines that
m edicine and treatm ents.
can one day help A ID S patients
H ere in the U .S., the C enters for across the globe d o e sn ’t do an y ­
D isease C ontrol & P revention e sti­ thing for patients w ho need them
mates that m ore than 1 million people now . A m e ric a ’s biopharm aceutical
are living w ith HIV. O ne in five o f research co m p an ies have co n trib ­
those d o n ’t know they have it. F o r­ uted m ore than $9 billion in im prov­
tunately, new and innovative treat­ ing health care in d eveloping c o u n ­
m ents are helping m any w ith the tries, esp ecially those dealing w ith
disease live longer, h ealth ier lives. the global A ID S crisis.
B ut m any o f these treatm ents are
A ID S is not an issue w e can
m ore effective if you begin them ignore. If you o r a loved one needs
before the disease has advanced; inform ation about H IV /A ID S , in ­
th a t’s w hy screenings are so im p o r­ clu d in g testin g lo catio n s, please
tant. It can help save y o u r life and contact the C D C 24 hours a day, 365
that o f your partner.
days a y ear at 1 -8 0 0 -C D C -IN F O or
For those living w ith the disease visit c d c.g o v /h iv .
now, their reality differs significantly
Larry Lucas is a retired vice
from those diagnosed in the 1990s. president fo r the Pharmaceutical
A ccording to a recent C an ad ian Research and Manufacturers o f
study, a 20-year-old diagnosed w ith America.
THE____________
SPINAi COLUMN
Z
*
For Your
• D evelop good body m ech an ­
ics through exercises to im prove
y o u r posture.
• Eat a diet rich in calcium and
vitam in D. Y our do cto r m ight p re­
scribe a m edication to help prevent
further bone loss.
• E x ercise reg u larly to help
strengthen bones. T alk w ith a d o c­
tor to learn exercises you can safely
perform.
C onsult a ch iro p racto r if the
c u rv a tu re o f y o u r u p p e r b ack
causes pain o r discom fort.
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
2124 N.E. Hancock Street, Portland O regon97212
P hone: ( 5 0 3 ) 2 8 7 * 5 5 0 4
Shield Kids from Flu
Arsenal starts with shots, hygiene
T here are a n u m b er o f w ays p ar­
ents can protect th eir children d u r­
ing flu season, experts say.
T he best d efense is to get c h il­
dren v accinated, according to d o c­
tors at C incinnati C hildren's H o sp i­
tal M edical C en ter and the A m eri­
can A cadem y o f Pediatrics. T hey
also o ffered o th er tips on how to
prevent the spread o f flu germ s:
C ough and sneeze into a tissue.
If a tissue isn't handy, bend y o u r
arm and sneeze o r cough into it.
T each y o u r children to do this.
U se tissues to w ipe runny noses
and throw tissues in the garbage
after each use. People w ho are cough­
ing o r sneezing frequently should
w ear a m ask.
D o n 't k iss y o u r c h ild on o r
a ro u n d the m o u th o r face if e ith e r
o f y o u are ill.
A lw ays thoroughly w ash your
hands w ith soap and w arm w ater
before and after co m in g into close
co n tact w ith som eone w ith the flu.
D on’t allow children to share paci­
fiers, cups, spoons, forks, w ash­
cloths o r tow els. N ev er share to o th ­
b ru sh e s.
U se hot, soapy w ater o r the d ish ­
w asher to w ash dishes and utensils.