The Health Blog by Ryan Healy

Unbelievable...

Just read this in today's Levine Breaking News: "Doctors are struggling to decide which pain relievers to prescribe now that they know that drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex pose serious heart risks."

Umm... Instead of prescribing pain relievers, how about telling people what they could do to get better?

Alas, 99% of doctors have not a clue how to cure disease; they only know how to write prescriptions to treat symptoms of disease.

I'm reminded of Henry David Thoreau's famous quote: "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

It seems the medical community's sole purpose is to hack at the branches of disease. A rather aimless pursuit, but one they are rather intent on pursuing.

New Year's Health Goals

Now that I've warned you not to become a One-Month Wonder, let's set some health goals for the new year. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

• Lose 5 pounds. Losing weight is the most common new year's resolution people make. And it's a good resolution. Since obesity is now at an all-time high, all of us could probably stand to lose a few pounds. Five pounds is realistic.

• Increase muscle mass. This new year's resolution is not as common, but it is measurable. Simply take a tailor's tape, wrap it around your bicep while it's flexed, and see how many inches around it is. Do this with any muscle you'd like to see grow: thighs, calves, and chest (for men) are other common muscle measurements. You should be able to grow the circumference of your muscles by at least 5% in a year.

• Eat a ____ a day. Now you fill in the blank. Maybe you want to eat a grapefruit a day or five broccoli florets a day... I don't know. But these kinds of resolutions are easy to measure and easy to keep. Another idea. Eat three salads a week. That'd be a great new year's resolution.

• Quit drinking soda. If you still drink soda, this one should definitely be on your list. Start by cutting back. Only allow yourself to have a soda with dinner on Wednesday and lunch on Saturday, or some such schedule that reduces the current amount of soda you're drinking. Over time, as your body recovers from the stress you're putting on it, you'll notice how crappy you feel after drinking a soda. And after you notice that feeling, kicking the soda habit is easy.

I hope these ideas help you set some good health goals for 2005. So, what will your health goals be in 2005? Please post them here so others can benefit from your motivation.

Here Come the One-Month Wonders

It was really busy at the gym yesterday. Normally, at lunch time, I basically have the run of the place. But when I pulled into the parking lot, I could see it was a lot busier than normal. As soon as I got inside, I could see I was right.

And that reminds me that I need to warn you: the One-Month Wonders are coming.

Every January for the past six years I've witnessed the same phenomenon: "resolute" people pour out of their homes to the gyms and rec centers, determined to get in shape, lose weight, lower their blood pressure, whatever.

But then February comes, and where have these One-Month Wonders gone? It's as if January were a mirage and that I had only imagined all those people were exercising with me.

Two pieces of advice here.

1. Avoid the gym on January 3.

Not only is it the first business day of the new year, it's also a Monday, which happens to be the busiest day of the week at just about every gym in the country. If you do decide to work out on the third, do so at your own risk... and don't blame me if you break a rib in the crush of people who are "getting in shape" and swarming around all the exercise equipment.

2. Don't become a One-Month Wonder.

First, it hurts your reputation. I had an ongoing bet with my mom for years. Every September she'd say she'd lose twenty pounds by the end of the year. I bet my mom $20 that she wouldn't. She paid that $20 for about five years until we just quit betting. Now when my mom says she's going to do something that requires some tenacity, I'm somewhat skeptical.

Second, it's bad for your self-esteem. If you resolve to get in shape, and only manage to exercise for 30 days or less, you'll become a One-Month Wonder. And then you won't feel very good about yourself because you'll have broken your commitment, and you'll still be out of shape. Spare your self-esteem and just follow through. Simple as that.

Third, it's bad for business. If you don't know this already, the One-Month Wonders put an enourmous strain on gyms during January. There's simply not enough exercise equipment to go around. But since all the One-Month wonders cancel their gym memberships in February, it's economically impossible for gyms to provide enough equipment for everyone just for the month of January. On the bright side, if you and your friends stick to your new exercise goals, you'll fuel the construction of more gyms to meet the new demand.

FDA Changes Their Tune

In light of recent drug scandals, like those involving Vioxx and Bextra, the FDA is now changing their tune.

I'm glad they're finally starting to tell the truth about NSAIDs and some of their harmful side effects. Better late than never, I guess....

Link to article: "FDA: Don't overdo pain pills"

A Scare Last Night

Had a bit of a scare last night. Stephanie, my wife, said she hadn't felt the baby move for two days and had felt a tightening in her uterus. So we went to the hospital at about 6 PM to get her checked out.

As soon as she laid down on the hospital bed and relaxed, the baby started to kick and move, which was a relief. But the monitors showed Stephanie was having about 8-10 contractions a minute... not good since she's only 6.5 months pregnant.

Stephanie said she'd been out nearly all day with our daughter doing the post-Christmas thing: running around from store to store exchanging and returning gifts. She hadn't stopped to rest for practically the whole day.

It seems as if the contractions were caused by excessive activity and a lack of rest.

The nurse said they were thinking of giving Stephanie a shot of something (can't remember the name) to make her uterus settle down. The nurse explained it would make Stephanie feel flushed and jittery, like drinking too much coffee and running a race, but that it would stop the contractions.

My first thought? No, thanks. That doesn't sound like a good deal at all.

Stephanie agreed with me that she didn't want the shot, so I told her to relax, visualize a peaceful place, and breathe deeply through her nose and out through her mouth.

The line that was tracking Stephanie's contractions changed instantly. And it changed dramatically. The line leveled out and instead of a whole bunch of sharp peaks and troughs, there was in its place a smooth, curving line, like a stretched out "S".

Long story short, common sense saved the day. The nurse decided Stephanie didn't need the shot after all.

Remember the old joke? The man says, "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." The doctor replies, "Well, don't do that anymore," and writes the man a bill for $50. Unfortunately, this happens all too often in real life.

The lesson here is that common sense can often do more for you than the medical community can. I'm not suggesting you self-diagnose and self-treat in just any situation... only that you have a measure of common sense and reasoning that can go a long way toward healing your body.

Back Pain Relief for Men

If you're a man, here's a simple tip for back pain relief: take your wallet out of your back pocket whenever you sit down.

I've always found sitting on my wallet to be uncomfortable, so I've always avoided it. I put my wallet in my coat pocket or in the car dash or on the table whenever I sit.

Turns out, some guys sit on their wallets for years...

A couple of nights ago I ran into my friend Brian. We got to talking and he mentioned how he'd been suffering from back pain pretty badly. His doctor suggested that he remove his wallet from his back pocket whenever he sits down.

Brian followed the advice and in less than two weeks had no back pain whatsoever. Talk about a simple cure for back pain!

"Can't See for the Smoke"

My wife's grandparents are going blind. They're both suffering from AMD—age-related macular degeneration.

For some time now I've wondered why both of them would be losing their sight from the same exact cause. Well, I think I've found the answer.

Richard Evans, MD, was the co-leader of an analysis of studies involving 12,468 smokers. The analysis, published in British Medical Journal, reported that smokers are four times more likely than nonsmokers to develop AMD.

Guess what? My wife's grandparents smoked heavily up until they were middle age when they both quit. I bet that heavy smoking is what has led to their AMD... which has led to their progressive inability to drive anywhere on their own.

Want to save your eyesight? Quit smoking.

(In my writing, I love to make connections among unrelated things. So I took the title for this post from the lyrics from one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. It just so happens this band is getting a lot of press right now. Can you figure it out: band, album, and song? Post your guesses here.)

Drugs from Canada: Are They Safe?

The U.S. government has made it illegal to buy drugs from Canada, and it has attempted to justify its actions by saying drugs from Canada are not safe. But I don't buy it.

In the December 15 issue of Bottom Line Personal there is a front-page article by Gary Passmore titled "Prescription Drugs from Canada." In the article, he makes a statement that is very revealing.

Bottom Line Personal: "The U.S. government says that importing Canadian pharmaceuticals poses safety risks. Are Canadian drugs truly less safe than American drugs?"

Gary Passmore: "Health Canada (the Canadian department of health) is as rigorous in its inspections of pharmaceutical makers and distributors as the FDA. There has been no documented death or illness caused by an unsafe drug sent to an American from a Canadian pharmacy."

The U.S. government says drugs from Canada are not safe. Gary Passmore, a man who has toured Canadian pharmacies for a Californian advocacy group, says drugs from Canada are safe. Who is right?

Let's put common sense aside for a moment and just look at the facts. Take a look at this life expectancy table. It compares the life expectancies of the 18 countries with the best longevity.

Where's the U.S. listed? In 16th place, with a life expectancy of 77.1 years.

Now where's Canada? It's not even close to the U.S. That's because it ranks 5th in the world for longevity. Canadians have a life expectancy of 79.4 years, a full two years longer than Americans are expected to live.

Whether it's related to their prescription drugs or not, Canadians, on the whole, are healthier than Americans. That's what the life expectancy tables show us. So why would the U.S. government want to illegalize Canadian drugs? It should be clear to you by now, but let me quote Passmore.

"The only reason the U.S. government is claiming that there are safety issues [with drugs from Canada] is that the pharmaceutical industry has considerable power in Congress and wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices."

Passmore's statement is powerful, but it lacks some of the lucidity I would like it to have. So let's dissect it to see what he's really saying....

Statement #1: "considerable power in Congress" - This is just a polite way of saying that the U.S. government receives millions of tax dollars from American pharmaceutical companies. To permit competition between American and Canadian pharmaceutical companies would mean an immediate reduction in the taxes received by the U.S. government.

Statement #2: "wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices" - Of course the pharmaceutical industry wants Americans to buy drugs at higher prices. Higher prices mean more profit! To permit competition between American and Canadian pharmaceutical companies would also mean an immediate reduction in the profits of American pharmaceutical companies.

"So what are you trying to say, Ryan?"

Only this: The U.S. government's illegalization of drugs from Canada is, at root, a classic Darwinian act of self preservation. It has nothing to do with protecting Americans. It has everything to do with preserving the income of those who work on Capitol Hill.

Health Savings Accounts

The company I work for is moving to a new insurance plan on January 1. It's a high-deductible plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Although it will initially make things harder for me, I think the new plan is closer to the way health insurance should be structured.

To learn more about HSA health insurance plans, I suggest reading Patrick Stevens' article posted in yesterday's Early to Rise: "Pay Thousands Less with a Health Savings Account." (Scroll down to "Today's Message.")

The Will to Live

My friend Bill Gardner is discussing Michael Marmot's new book The Status Syndrome. In Bill's own words:

"Marmot’s fundamental empirical finding is that there is a social gradient in health, that is, when you group people according to their places in social hierarchies, you find better health and greater longevity in each successively higher class."

I suggest you read the entire post to get a better understanding of what Marmot is talking about. At root, Marmot says that a person's place in society determines health and longevity. And, more specifically, that greater autonomy leads to greater health and longevity.

I certainly am willing to believe that this could be true. In fact, it makes very good sense to me. But it seems to me that the will to live may also play a key role in this discussion.

A person with a strong will to succeed will likely have a higher position in society, and, therefore, greater autonomy. And a person with a strong will to succeed will also likely have a strong will to live.

My questions:

1. Are the will to succeed and the will to live closely correlated?
2. If so, could it be will that, at least partially, determines health and longevity?
3. And could a person's good health and high position in society simply be a symptom of a strong will?

Some things to think about.

Update 08/01/2005: Bill Gardner has stopped blogging and has removed his blog from the Internet.