Weekly H1N1 flu update

As an internist and primary care provider, I expect to be on the front lines during the upcoming flu season...whatever it may bring. Here's my first weekly flu report; stay tuned for future updates concerning the H1N1 vaccine, the latest in H1N1 research, and ways that you, your family, your friends, and co-workers can stay healthy through the fall and beyond!

A few words about seasonal flu

Influenza viruses are identified by their surface proteins that allow the little buggers to 1) stick to the cells of your throat and 2) thrive and multiply in your airway. H is for hemagluttinin, a protein that hooks the virus up to you, and N is for neuraminidase, a protein that promotes the release of newly made flu virus particles from the infected cell to its uninfected neighbors.

The reason that flu is such an ongoing nightmare is that the virus remakes itself every year with novel H and N proteins so that many people, even those who have previously had flu, aren't immune to the new variety. Every year we try to anticipate what this slippery little devil is going to do with respect to H's and N's and then develop a shot to promote immunity in all vaccinated persons. We particularly target those who are very young, very old, or otherwise affected with a chronic disease which would make them more susceptible to a complicated and dangerous case of the flu.

What's all the fuss about H1N1?

This past spring (late in the flu season) a new strain of flu emerged--first identified in Mexico--with novel H and N proteins. The strain was first traced to pigs--new influenza strains often start in pigs--thus the original name 'swine flu'. This name was dropped after pigs were unfairly targeted as the infectious source of the disease, but now we know of course that you cannot get H1N1 flu from eating pork.

The scary things about this new flu were that 1) it showed up in the Northern Hemisphere at a time when flu should be winding down, and 2) it appeared to be particularly severe or lethal in healthy, young adults, a group generally not at risk for flu complications or death. We are concerned, of course, that this H1N1 flu could cause another worldwide, devastating pandemic like the outbreak of 1918 which was also caused by an H1N1 type of influenza. Bird flu,incidentally, is typed as H5N1.

Lots of research is being done on this new strain, but the findings of flu expert Dr. Peter Palese and his team at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York are reassuring. They agree with CDC data that estimate only 10% of household contacts of patients with H1N1 will become infected which suggests that this bad actor is not as tough or transmissible as we originally feared.

Tuna casserole deficiency or cardiac arrest?

Manytuna Casserole
2 tuna-fish-can-sized cans of the cheapest tuna
1 package broad noodles
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package of frozen green peas

Precook the peas. Precook some (not all) of the noodles. Mush together in the pot
you just cooked the peas in (after draining off some of the water): the peas, the tuna
fish, the cream of mushroom soup (just as it comes out of the can), and the following
seasonings: salt pepper paprika oregano and garlic salt
Beginning with the noodles, alternate in your casserole dish layers of cooked noodles
and mush-mixture, ending with mush-mixture. Sprinkle a little paprika on top for local
color. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so (there being no cheese to melt in this recipe).

I was never deficient in tuna casserole after my mom sent me "The Impoverished Students' Book of Cookery, Drinkery, & Housekeepery." And a good thing too as medical research confirms that ample tuna casserole (or omega-3 fatty acids in any other form) is a good way to ward off death. Here's what researchers at the University of Washington found:

They gathered blood samples from 300 unfortunates who had pitched over mid-life from sudden cardiac arrest. They then minced up the red cell membranes from the dearly departed, analyzed them for omega-3 fatty acid content. This measurement of omega-3 fatty acids in red cells--specifically DHA and EPA--is called the omega-3 index and measures the levels of these worthy fats as a percentage of total fats in the cell membrane.

The omega-3 indices of the fallen were compared to those of a control group from persons of similar age who were still alive and well. This upstanding group--who doubtless loved tuna casserole or rare tuna steaks or anchovy pizza--were far more likely to own red cells with at least 5% omega-3 content.

A preventive cardiology group at the University of Munich crunched omega-3/risk of death numbers and came up with these compelling statistics for downing capsules even if they make your breath smell like a dead mackerel:

"A review of the literature, expanded by measurements of the omega-3 index, indicates that the risk of sudden cardiac death correlates inversely with the omega-3 index. For persons with an omega-3 index <4%,>8%.

So omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA (read the label on your fish oil supplement selections and choose the capsule with the highest content of these two components), have anti-atherosclerotic (prevents build-up of cholesterol plaque), and anti-arrhythmic (prevents your heart from beating too fast, too slow, or too irregularly) properties. Furthermore, that fishy oil in the red cell membranes makes them less likely to glump together in a clot and more likely to squish through narrow places.

What's your excuse for sneering at tuna casserole?

Cankles

Not a pretty sight, and certainly not one you want to see below your knee on a trans-Atlantic flight. On average, it's a bad thing that airplane seats on such journeys are so close together that you can hardly reach your feet to pull off your shoes, but a good thing insofar as inspecting your ankles is difficult. But when I finally got my lower leg into viewing range on the leg of the trip from Madrid to Philadelphia, it was strictly Exhibit B for me!

This would be a good time to review venous return from the lower leg and all that might interfere with it during a summer flight. Consider blood and its journey from toe back to heart after its load of oxygen has been delivered to these nether regions. Each heartbeat sends a surge of blood through the elastic arteries which expand as the blood pushes by and then contract in a springy sort of way to amplify its forward progress. By the time the blood passes through the teeny weeny capillary bed back to the leg veins, however, it's a different story.

The veins which carry blood back to the heart are neither elastic nor springy. When the blood arrives in the venous system, that pulsing kick from the heart's action is much diminished. In the upright or seated position, gravity is tugging that old deoxygenated blood downwards. The veins have valves on their inner walls that open to partially prevent this gravitational backwash, and activation of the leg muscles helps to further squeeze venous blood in its upward course.

Think for a moment, then, about a middle-aged lady(MAL) stuck in a seat for 9 hours watching "Bride Wars" and "Marley and Me" and eating salty airline meals. Actually, the movie choices have nothing to do with our cankle tale here, but believe me, these were dismal ways to pass time. So the MAL has already walked too much through the hot Spanish sun with her venous system dilated from the heat and saggy with age. She's retaining water from the high salt food. Furthermore, as she sits motionless in steerage, two 90 degree turns in her leg veins (at the knees and the hips) further slow the flow.

Oh gad, methought, those are NOT my ankles (or more precisely, where are my ankles?). For those of you wondering when your ankle bones will re-emerge from the inflight edema, mine took two days and I've seen it take up to two weeks in some of my patients.

Limbrel--new option for osteoarthritis

I wrote some time ago about licofelone, a new analgesic for osteoarthritis (OA) that was then in Phase III clinical trials. Not only does this new agent decrease pain and inflammation from OA without stomach irritation (a la ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) or cardiovascular complications (a la Vioxx and Bextra), it also demonstrates potential in actually slowing down joint destruction. Alas, while new reports on its dual action efficacy--analgesia AND disease modification--continue to appear, I can find no information on a release date.

I was pleased, therefore, to learn today about a new drug for osteoarthritis--a medical food actually--from a patient. Limbrel is all phytochemicals which should delight the aging hippies in all of us that search for the natural in the drugs we take to keep old body hooked to mellowing soul. It's made from those two lovely plants pictured above: Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu.

So here's the scoop. Arachidonic acid(AA) is a polyunsaturated fat that's necessary to body functions when it is appropriately converted to chemicals that protect your stomach lining, dilate blood vessels, promote proper blood clotting, and repair tissues. Too much AA in the wrong place at the wrong time is a bad thing whether it's derived from cellular injury or diet (think twisting your ankle as you eat a Big Mac for a double load of AA). Per Dr. Barry Sears: "...if you inject arachidonic acid into... rabbits they are dead within three minutes. "

As you get older, injured, have an inherited predisposition to arthritis, and eat too much fatty red meat or egg yolks, all that piled up AA gets churned along by the COX-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX enzyme systems into a world of inflammatory molecules and reactive oxygen species which set off a process by which your cartilage is destroyed and your bone overgrows into treacherous spurs.

You can inhibit COX-1 by aspirin or NSAIDs or inhibit COX-2 by Celebrex, but unless you turn down your 5-LOX as well, the resultant imbalance creates other problems. Scientists have sorted through more than a thousand plant-derived molecules looking for flavonoids with favorable suppressive action on these inflammatory pathways. Apparently those pretty posies posing above won the competition, proving both safe and efficacious in decreasing the pain of osteoarthritis.

While licofelone has been shown to slow down the cartilage destruction that leads to permanent joint deformities in osteoarthritis, Limbrel makes no such claims. Whether this is due to a lack of research supporting this function, or simply that it doesn't work in that way is not clear. Limbrel, however, is available here and now whereas licofelone is still churning along on the slow train to FDA approval. I've requested samples from the company, and look forward to working with those of you with the gnarly hands and aching knees of osteoarthritis to see what we think about this one.

Patellofemoral pain, arthritis, and exercise

First off, an explanation. What's Martha Raye with her toothsome bedentured smile doing in a post on aging knees? If you have patellofemoral arthritis, I think you can relate.

The patella (kneecap) sits in front of the lowest part of the femur (thighbone) at the knee joint. Patella slides over femur as we bend at the knee, and when all is young and working correctly, the cartilage-covered surface of one slides over the cartilage-covered surface of the other.

So with age, cartilage breakdown, misalignment, and saggy old quadriceps (large muscle on the front of the thigh in charge of getting us off chairs and toilets), the patella starts slamming into the front of the femur, and the cartilage frays, tears, and wears away down to bone. So as we squat, plie, rise up, and sit down, one bone grates on the other bone, and...just like Martha Raye fielding a seed between denture and gum...we wince with pain.

Well, that's me. Deep knee bends are yesterday's move, squats out of the question, and I channel Martha Raye during lunges. The first thing I told a personal trainer during a trial session is "I don't do lunges. Period." But she is not taking no lunges for an answer, noting as I have that flexing the weight-loaded knee to heave the rest of me up and down (assuming I'm not in a wheelchair) is what I must do for the rest of my life if I care to remain independent. Is this all about being under 30 and not appreciating how it feels to work-out on aging knees, or is she on to something?

She will feel smugly vindicated when I show her a Dutch study(1) that indicates exercise beats other strategies for relieving patellofemoral pain. The sports medicine practitioners at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam signed up 131 patients with up to twice that number of painful knees to undergo a 12 week supervised exercise program directed at quadriceps strengthening, flexibility, balance, and coordination or an equal number of weeks under 'usual care' from their physicians. The latter, I'm guessing, means this control group was told "You should do leg lifts and take Advil (or whatever the Dutch equivalent is) and get over it. Next."

On comparing the exercised group with those who motored on without supervision, the researchers found significant improvement in pain and function scores in the former not only at the end of 12 weeks but also on follow-up 12 months later. One can assume that diminished pain means improved alignment and quadriceps strength have improved the tendency of bone to grate on bone and, as a result of this supervised exercise program, wear-and-tear degeneration has been halted.

My trainer has cleverly disguised lunges as other exercises where I hop from bent leg to bent leg as she throws things at me (well, a ball actually), or stand on one bent leg while I do distracting maneuvers with weights in hand, and, well, I hate to admit it but my knees feel better.

So I guess I'll channel Erma Bombeck instead and let Martha Raye rest in peace.
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1. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 56th Annual Meeting: Abstract 570. Presented May 27, 2009

I'll be doggone!

I was scribbling away on my patient's chart during the initial part of her annual exam. As I wrote her latest information, she began to pant.

My first doctorly thoughts before I looked up: "Good heavens, she's in metabolic acidosis," "She has a sucking chest wound," and finally "She's lost her mind!"

As I turned my gaze towards my patient, I noted that she looked neither distressed nor hypoxic. And...the panting was coming from near her feet!

"What on earth is that noise?" I asked.

She leaned down sheepishly and unzipped her large bag. A small silky-haired dog popped out and made my day by sitting in my lap for the remainder of the interview.

A biological reprieve from life in a shoe

There was an old woman
who lived in a shoe,
she had so many children
she didn't know what to do.
She gave them all broth
without any bread;
she whipped them all soundly
and put them to bed.
--Mother Goose

Have you ever considered that menopause may be a biological boon to get us out of such sticky shoe situations? Seriously though, what is Mother Nature's point with this mixed, menopausal blessing?

Craig Packer, a professor of ecology at the University of Michigan, considered the evolutionary advantage to animals of such programmed senescence, where the ovaries quit years before the rest of the body. He first looked for a 'granny effect', a survival advantage for those young animals with living grandmothers capable of assisting in their care. Baboon grandkids survived just as well whether grandma was dead or alive. Lion cubs only benefited from Grandma Lioness's attention if granny could nurse the little darlings because she herself remained fertile (heaven preserve us from that!).

So why don't the females of various species just keel over at menopause? Packer concluded that the answer could be found in ''prolonged maternal investment," the dependence of young mammals on the presence of a mother who's neither frail, shoe-bound, nor dead. Baby baboons need that mother's touch through their second birthday, and it is fortunate then that a baboon mom typically lives five years past her final birthing.

On the other hand, lion cubs are independent and good to go after just one year, so mama lionesses live less than two years past the end of ovarian function. Packer then assumed that human children need their moms until age ten (what kids has he been around??), and guessed that our maternal ancestors ideally would have lived until age sixty--ten years past the end of reproductive cycling--in order to see the last little darling out the door.

And now, with current advances in medical care and nutrition, we can anticipate successfully nurturing our children until they themselves are sixty!*
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*Or more. My 90 year old patient spent the first half of her annual exam appointment two weeks ago fretting over her 70 year old son who still walks from his house next door to hers each evening for her home cooking. Gad.

The oriented-in-space place

Drawing a mental blank is a drawback of a busy day; being unable to draw a mental map of your current location is a red flag for trouble. While getting lost in your work rates high performance reviews, getting lost while driving maybe a sign of dementia.

Arriving safely at home at the end of our day requires the proper functioning of an oriented-in-space place in our brains located just behind and above the ear. This medial superior temporal area (MST) is charged with personal global positioning, providing our brain with continual updates on our current location in space.

Unfortunately, the MST is particularly vulnerable to the cellular destruction associated with Alzheimer's Disease(AD), leaving its victims unstuck in their once familiar world. This deficit has been dubbed 'motion blindness'; the the resultant inability to navigate, even through one's own home, leads to a tragic loss of independence.

Here's another scary consequence. While early AD victims may remember street names and the basic rules of the road, there are certain driving skills that lapse early in the course of the disease based on MST dysfunction. I remember an office visit where my elderly patient arrived slightly late for her appointment. She sat down in the chair with a sigh, then proceeded to recount her harrowing drive over during which, per her report, she sideswiped several cars on both sides of the narrow streets near my office while trying to guide her car down the middle of the road. She had no sense at all of where her car ended relative to those parked by the curb.

I don't know what was more disturbing--her zigzag navigation of a potentially lethal weapon or her relative indifference to destruction that she left in her path.

What's the scoop on the flu?

Every year, the influenza virus reinvents itself. In the countryside and farms of Southeast Asia, this bad actor mixes up genetic material with its viral cousins, producing brand new strains that then spread throughout the world in the throats and lungs of international travelers. And every year in turn, epidemiologists try to anticipate the new flu variants in order to produce an effective vaccine in time for the next flu season.

But now, as all of you know, the pesky pathogen has performed a new sort of quick change trick. This latest viral transformation apparently occurred in the pig farms of Mexico, and the resultant strain strings together genetic material from human, swine, and avian sources into a novel hybrid to which none of us are immune. This 'swine flu' has produced serious illness in its country of origin, and now the whole world watches in nervous anticipation as it continues its spread.

Let's get the good news out right up front. First of all, flu is seasonal, and the season here is nearly over. While this new strain of flu may resurface next winter, its current run could well be brief. And scientists will have time to develop an effective vaccine before its next world tour. Secondly, the cases thus far identified in the US and abroad have generally been mild and self-limited.

And finally, this swine flu is sensitive to two standard anti-virals--Tamiflu and Relenza. Remember, however, that not only can influenza pull off genetic mixology to produce an entire new strain, it also can acquire the genes for immunity to these drugs. If enough of us twitch and take Tamiflu at the first sign of any viral illness, be it flu, croup, or the common cold, this acquired resistance will be a sure thing. So don't call your doctor for a 'just in case' prescription; Adele and I will say "NO!"

The flu is highly contagious; it's effectively spread by tiny respiratory droplets which remain suspended in air and settled on surfaces for some time after an unrestrained sneeze or cough. Good prevention practices include:

• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve. Using your hands or a tissue to contain your explosion just makes more objects infectious.
• Better yet, stay home with your secretions when ill, and don't expect affected employees or co-workers to crawl on in to work when they are unwell.
• Wash your hands frequently, and don't touch your face or handle food after touching shared surfaces until you've washed up.
• Practice good health habits to enhance your overall immunity and resistance.
• Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels, and then discuss supplements with her/him to bring yours up to the ideal range. Influenza is increasingly considered a vitamin D deficiency disease!

For an amusing look at keeping your mucous to yourself, check out this video.

Of linens and proteins...*

And stressful situations in closets and cells.

I've mentioned before that I suffer a weensy bit from disposophobia or the inability to part ways with stuff. Old towels are no exception. My linen closet bulged (past tense due to recent reform efforts) with tattered towels and sheets too short for current mattresses. As I dug deeper in search of bath accessories with the most residual fluff, the rifled remaining towels took up more and more space, threatening the hinges on the closet doors. I desperately needed an unfolded towel response (UTR).

Enter the towel-like equivalent of body clutter, namely unfolded proteins. Not only do your cells need to string the appropriate sequence of amino acids together to form proteins, but they also must pull a little proteinaceous origami trick to get them into the right spatial configuration for proper functioning. Unfolded proteins are the bane of an aging cell's existence--witness all that rumpled beta-amyloid protein that gums up old neurons in Alzheimer's disease.

Hurrah for evolution! Enter the unfolded protein response (UPR), nature's way of sensing a haphazard pile of proteins on the cellular floor. And if the UPR can't straighten up the protein closet--wadded proteins stacking ever higher--then the UPR just makes some sort of nasty enzyme that explodes that cell and its proteiny mess right then and there.

Alas, as Dr. Dale Bredesen of the Buck Institute for Age Research points out, the UPR is no different than a lot of other body responses to dysequilibrium: "The initial response is protective, but the late response is destructive." He and other neurobiologists are hoping to unlock the secrets of UPR in order to keep this organizing principle on our side.
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*Check out Menopause Moments for a review of a book with one theory how misfolded proteins may be the infectious basis for Alzheimer's Disease.

"The Power of Two"

After my mother's craniotomy for a subdural hematoma several years ago, she made rapid progress and was transferred to the rehab unit. Unfortunately, shortly after playing several hands of bridge with visiting friends, she developed a fever and chills and was diagnosed with c. diff sepsis.

The hospitalist came right over, started IV fluids and antibiotics, and breezed on out. My friend Brenda, the unit's only RN, and I looked at one another.

"Are you okay with her staying here?" I asked.

"It's just me and 20 patients," she replied. "I don't think I have time to give her the care that she'll need."

Fortunately, I caught up with the doctor, and he agreed to transfer Mom to the ICU. A good thing too as bacterial sepsis is not a rehab floor matter. I wondered what would've happened if I hadn't been there at the time. And I wondered that again several days later when the specialist missed the fact that Mom was going in and out of atrial fibrillation on the ICU monitor. And I marveled how anyone survives a hospitalization without an advocate on hand.

We are fortunate, therefore, that Brian and Gerri Monaghan have written a moving account of their own journey through life-threatening illness and advocacy, "The Power of Two". Not only is this book a compelling, entertaining, and (at times) tear-jerking account of love and loyalty in sickness and in health, it is a step-by-step, tip-by-tip, how-to manual for all of us who will face a serious illness or care for someone in that situation. And, through my life roles as doctor, wife, daughter, mother, and friend, I can tell you that will absolutely be all of us.

I'd like to say that I'm going to keep this book on my shelf for my next advocacy adventure, but I plan to give it away to a friend who was diagnosed last week with cancer. With the Monaghans on their team, and this guidebook in hand, she and her family will be able to stand up and advocate for what they need.

In praise of Dr. Anthony Laporta

My friend/patient did not look well. She came in on Friday of last week looking gray and tearful, still battling the abdominal pain that she'd called me about the previous week. Not only was she 7 pounds lighter than her usual weight, she had scary lymph nodes on the side of her neck.

One of those moments when I puzzle over what to do with my face as I launch into Dr. Scheduler, working to get her a CT scan and an appointment with a general surgeon for a biopsy. All ASAP! Within two hours, both appointments were made for the beginning of this week.

So here it is Tuesday p.m., and I've just gotten off the phone with Dr. Anthony Laporta whom I've never met and never spoken to before yesterday. My friend and I agree that this fellow is the best. He was on his cell phone, the sounds of his son's lacrosse game in the background. He had the the CT results to me within 2 hours of the Monday's scan. Post-op, per him: "I walked down to the lab to have a look at the slides from the biopsy." No unnecessary waiting for my pal--"My goal," per Laporta, "is to get things done as quickly as possible to minimize the time spent worrying about the unknown."

So tomorrow a.m., she will see the oncologist--on her way to an action plan within five days of her first appointment! I recommend Dr. Laporta with pleasure to all those facing the scary prospect of surgery.

Fretful and friendless raises risk of dementia

Just untangling the conclusions of this Swedish study was a brain workout in its own right, a downright 'how much wood would a woodchuck chuck..." sort of puzzle:

Neither high neuroticism nor low extraversion alone was related to significantly higher incidence of dementia. However, among people with an inactive or socially isolated lifestyle, low neuroticism was associated with a decreased dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.27-0.96). When compared to persons with high neuroticism and high extraversion, a decreased risk of dementia was detected in individuals with low neuroticism and high extraversion (HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.28-0.94), but not among persons with low neuroticism and low extraversion (HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.57-1.60), nor high neuroticism and low extraversion (HR = 0.97 95% CI = 0.57-1.65).(1)

Got it? So do we fret and socialize, stay home and calmly knit, or placidly go out drinking with our buddies? Don't freak out while you discuss this conundrum with your friends because, as you will see once you sort out the various possibilities here, being a Buddha of a buddy is your best bet for the brightest brain.
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Wang, HX, et al. Personality and lifestyle in relation to dementia incidence. Neurology. 2009 Jan 20;72(3):253-9.

Flector patch--the first NSAID patch for pain

So what does a NSAID patch have to do with this piece of exercise equipment? Let me explain.

It's called a Trikke (as in trike for grown-ups). You use all your balance and leg strength to power this in a skating sort of fashion. Is this the appropriate gizmo for a middle-aged female? No, no, not me, I wouldn't be caught dead on this thing--probably would be dead if I tried. My intrepid medical partner Adele, however, has been seen 'skating' on a Trikke down Montview Blvd. here in Denver, and one day she met the pavement beside her trike, her hamstring muscle ripped from its pelvic attachment.* She healed to skate (and ride, and do Pilates, and lift weights again), but the scarred muscle is not as flexible as it used to be which in turn puts stress on her pyriformis muscle.

So last week she was running from exam room to exam room working her healing magic while occasionally clutching her piriformis muscle which was in spasm whilst whining softly with pain (check out where the pyriformis muscle is and you'll know what she was grabbing). The King Pharmaceuticals rep coincidentally showed up with info and samples of the Flector patch.

A word or two about diclofenac, the active ingredient in this medicated patch indicated for topical use for pain control of acute injuries such as strains, sprains, and contusions. Diclofenac, formerly known as Voltaren, is a dandy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) which reaches high concentrations in joint spaces. It's generic, cheap, works well, AND causes stomach inflammation with bleeding, possible liver toxicity, and can reduce blood flow to kidneys, particularly aging kidneys.

So, Novartis developed Voltaren Gel to smear on arthritic joints; used regularly it significantly decreases pain without bothering the stomach, the liver, or the kidneys. And now King Pharmaceuticals brings us diclofenac in patch form with very little systemic absorption--also safer for use particularly in older souls with acid gastritis and aging vascular systems.

Adele, being the sort of sport that she is and really distressed by her pain in the butt, slapped a patch on the offending area. Perhaps this was not the best Flector patch trial as it became quite wrinkled given the anatomy of the area and the wearer reported it was a little like having an ongoing wedgie. Nevertheless, Flector is a good idea (but a really stupid name) and I look forward to handing them out to persons with sprained ankles, shoulders, or back to see how they fare.
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*My bro' Reality Man uses one too, but so far he's remained upright in his exercise endeavors.

How do crossword puzzles help my brain?

Check it out at Menopause Moments.

YogaToes revisited

I've mentioned before that this product has relieved most of my foot pain coming from falling arches and mid-foot impingement syndrome (along with arch supports in the shoes). Just noticed a coupon code in Health Magazine for $15 off--go to YogaToes.com and enter coupon code H3X9.

Can NSAIDs prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) gums up the brainworks with tangled neurons and protein plaques. Much of the damage occurs, however, as a result of an inflammatory response to these changes. Scientists theorized that the regular use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, naproxen, or Celebrex (also known as non-steroidal inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) could slow down or prevent this degenerative disease.

The Alzheimer's Disease Anti-inflammatory Prevention Trial(1) enrolled over 2,000 seniors aged 70 years and older and followed them through 7 years of life correlating the use of NSAIDs (naproxen 220 mg. twice daily, Celebrex 200 mg. twice daily, or a look-alike placebo with no anti-inflammatory properties at all). All participants had a family history of AD and were thus considered to be at increased risk for developing the disease.

Made no difference what the septuagenerarian subjects took--naproxen, Celebrex, or no drug at all--with respect to their subsequent tendency to drift towards dementia. In fact, there was 'weak evidence' for a detrimental effect of naproxen.

The problem, however, is that this really wasn't a preventive trial at all. By the time old folks enter their eighth decade, they may well already be on the road to AD. Chemopreventive studies--i.e. those research trials seeking substances that actually protect against the development of AD through a neuroprotective substance-- would need to be undertaken on younger subjects over a longer period of study, an approach that is prohibitively expensive. The studies that suggest that NSAIDs are indeed useful in AD prevention are largely observational and/or retrospective; large populations are quizzed as to their health habits and medication usage, and these reports are correlated with present or future health outcomes. And if you've ever quizzed an old person about their drug use now and in the past, you may well wonder as do I how accurate those self-reports really are.

While the jury's still out as to whether NSAIDs are useful against AD, there is evidence that they may lower the incidence of cancer, and they certainly are good for pain. On the other hand, a recent study(2) showed a strong link between their use in patients also on anti-depressants such as Prozac or Lexapro (aka SSRIs) and gastrointestinal bleeding. Those on this pharmaceutical duet were 4.8 times more likely to bleed from their upper GI tract.
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1. ADAPT Research Group. Cognitive Function Over Time in the ADAPT: Results of a Randomized, Controlled Trial of Naproxen and Celecoxib. Arch of Neur. 2008;65(7): 896-905.
2. deAbajo FJ, et al. Risk of upper GI tract bleeding associated with SSRI and Venlafaxine therapy: Interaction with NSAIDs and effect of Acid-suppressing agents. Arch of General Psychiatry. 2008;65(7):795-803.

Kefir and breast cancer

(thanks to Dr. Jacob Schor once again for bringing yet another health topic to my attention; check out his web-site at denvernaturopathic.com to subscribe to his newsletter)

Human beings have a self-preservation mechanism in the gag reflex; when something unexpectedly unpleasant in taste or texture hits the mouth, the entire upper digestive system reacts quickly and violently to eject to the offender. The first time I learned about this survival mechanism, I had just taken a large mouthful of buttermilk with my childhood friend Jean's encouragement. She raved about how tasty it was when, in fact, it was vile. I laughed hard and gagged simultaneously, sending the buttermilk through my nose.

Decades later, I accepted a small jar of homemade kefir from my patient V who took a bottle of the worthy stuff to work every day along with a container of home-cooked stew. As she is absolutely one of the healthiest people I know and care for, I was eager to start a kefir habit of my own. But oh heavens, it's surprisingly tart and foul, worse than buttermilk, and I spit the stuff out. New research suggests, however, that it may be the latest and greatest chemopreventive agent against breast cancer. Maybe chocolate syrup can enhance the taste. Check this out:

Canadian nutritionists cultured human breast cells--both cancerous and not-- in the lab, then fed the little colonies extracts of kefir, yogurt, and plain old pasteurized milk in various concentrations and checked out who thrived and who died(1). Kefir depressed tumor cell growth in a dose dependent fashion--the more kefir present, the fewer the cells. A .63% kefir extract dose (now perhaps even I could handle that) decreased tumor cell numbers by 29% and the 2.5% formula felled those cancerous bad girls to 56% their pre-kefir numbers. The yogurt also suppressed tumor growth, but less vigorously than the kefir. And the milk stimulated both lines of breast cells--normal and malignant--at concentrations as low as .31%!

Do I want to wait for more info, more studies? I think not. I'm calling V tomorrow for her kefir recipe. After all, if I fully expect it to taste sour and slightly carbonated, I can overcome the urge to cough it out through my nose.
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(1) Chen, C et al. Kefir extracts suppress in vitro proliferation of estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells but not normal mammary epithelial cells. J Med Food. 2007 Sep;10(3):416-22.

Updated colon cancer screening guidelines

When I was an intern, we had a standard 'scut list' of tasks that no one loves but only an intern (or medical student if you were lucky enough to have one around) would do. Every admission, no matter what time they rolled through the ER door, needed a complete work-up by the time morning rounds began, and that work-up included a gram stain of that which they were coughing up if coughing was one of their presenting symptoms. This involved getting a phlegmy sample, teasing out spit from the real deal gunk within, then spreading the mess on a slide and processing it appropriately. Needless to say, it was gross.

What does that have to do with colon cancer screening? Well it's to let you know that I'm okay with digital rectal exams and testing stool samples thus obtained for blood because it's a walk in the park compared to the above. Nevertheless, I welcome the latest screening guidelines(1) from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that do not include rectal finger probes for those brave souls who get their every 10-year colonoscopy exams.

Colonoscopies are the best cancer screening tests we have with respect to cancers ducked (as pre-cancerous polyps are removed) or cured (tiny cancers found before they spread). That said, they're expensive, time intensive, and not without rare but serious complications. Someday we'll have a better way, but meanwhile they are still on the A list for those over 50 at average risk. On the other hand, the USPSTF says that colon CT scans are not yet ready for prime time screening purposes. More info needed, they declared, to support its routine use because thus far, this easier and less expensive scanning technique produces too many 'false positives' (looks like a polyp but not a polyp just a hunk'a stool clinging to the colon wall).

For those who cannot stomach (or perhaps cannot colon) the thought of a colonoscopy, or just plain can't afford it, the panel supports yearly high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) or every 5 year sigmoidoscopy with FOBT in between. Used to be that FOBT was about equivalent creepy to sputum gram smears--requiring that the testy testee fish around in the toilet water for their 'specimen,' then to use a junior-sized popsicle stick to apply it a little card, do this three days in a row, then mail the cards off to the MD office where a testy assistant had to open the crusty old card and test it for blood. Now, the MD or patient takes darling little grooved stick from a teensy tube, gently rubs it in the residual stool on the exam glove finger or a used piece of toilet paper (if doing test at home), and reinserts stick in tube. Testing is then carried out with a treated paper strip and no further person/fecal interaction is required.

Alright, that is a wee bit gross as well, but all this colon cancer seeking is important stuff for persons of age.
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1) Preventive Medicine 2009: The Annual Meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). Session 30. Presented February 13, 2009.

Breast cancer and hormone therapy

I believe that the most important influences driving our medical decision making process are our personal beliefs, both our worst fears and our fondest hopes. These belief systems are powered by our own medical histories, those of our family, the things that we read, and our personal experience. Sometimes my exam room is crowded to overflowing as Suzanne Somers argues with Dr. Susan Love in the corner as Dr. Andrew Weil tries to get a word in edgewise. Meanwhile my patient's mother and her best friend's cousin are lurking just behind her clamoring to add their opinions on the magazine articles spread out on the desk in front of us.

I would be foolish to discount these many voices; if they're important to my patient, they need to be a part of our discussion. I like to think my worst fears are highly informed ones, yet I am highly influenced by my family history of dementia and completely freaked out by the latest news on breast cancer and HRT in the latest issue of the NEJM(1). Here's the scoop:

The Women's Health Initiative randomized over 16,000 women to receive either combined postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (Premarin plus Provera) or a look-alike placebo, then followed each group with regard to health outcomes, particularly the incidence of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. The trial was abruptly halted in the summer of 2002 (what menopausal internist can forget that?) when it was clear that harm outweighed benefit with respect to heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer risk.

The study has come under attack for applying data obtained from a somewhat older group of women (average age 63) many of whom were overweight, hypertensive, diabetic, and smokers to a younger group of women just entering menopause and looking to improving their quality of life with HRT. Several studies, both trials concluded and some still underway suggest that, in fact, this latter group of 50-somethings may actually receive cardiovascular protection from the use of hormones particularly so-called bioidentical estrogen delivered in a non-oral fashion (such as via a skin patch).

I'm good with all that but note please that cardiovascular disease is not high on my to-worry list although I certainly recognize that many of my patients are at risk for same. And as losing my marbles is number one on my future frets, and estrogen is a top neuroprotective agent for aging female brains, I'm choosing to motor on with my HRT choices.

When the WHI data came out, some drug company or other provided me with graphics on this breast cancer thing. One thousand little grey female stick figures were lined up on the top of the page three of whom were colored orange. These unfortunate orange ladies were the number per year of new breast cancer victims in 1,000 post-menopausal ladies not on hormones. At the bottom of the page, another 1,000 skirted sticks queued up, 996 clad in grey and 4 in blue. You've got it: the blues were new cases of breast cancer per year in 1,000 post-menopausal hormone users. The absolute risk was huge; a 33% increase in breast cancer amongst hormone users but the relative risk small, namely one additional breast cancer per thousand users.

BUT...consider that 4th blue lady, her life turned upside down with biopsies, chemo, radiation, and a world of worry even though her chances of actually dying from that cancer are small. And if your worst fear is that cancer-induced world upheaval, then you will choose to discontinue therapy or never start it in the first place.

And now the doctors of the WHI bring us this new news to add to the evidence behind our worst fears, namely that the incidence of breast cancer which nearly doubled in the hormone users over the 5.6 years of the study decreased rapidly in the two years after the study coinciding with a marked drop in the use of combined hormones by the subjects. The busy slide at the top of this post illustrates this in the upsloping solid red line on the left which represents cancer incidence during the study and the soothing downward solid blue line on the right as fewer women got the bad news in the 2 years following the study's end. The black and white graph that follows is the interesting and contrasting data from a Scottish study that also notes the drop in hormone use over a similar time frame (the two plunging lines) but the more or less straight line at the top shows that Scottish women did not experience the drop in breast cancer rate with falling use of HRT.

Argh, what's an aging woman on hormones or contemplating their use to think? Estrogen is a growth-stimulating hormone, and thanks for the boost when it comes to bone, muscle, connective tissue, skin, vaginas, and brain. I love my brain power, I worry often about dementia, and I don't mind the youngish looking skin, so here's to hormones! But, breasts that aren't prepping to feed a developing babe don't like to be stimulated, and the more you goose your breast cells years after pregnancy is nothing but a distant memory, the more likely you are to stimulate a cancer. I don't want cancer, no not one bit, I know one woman who got cancer within 1 1/2 years of starting HRT, so to heck with hormones!

Well, Ms. Suzanne Somers staring out the cover of "The Sexy Years" like you just rolled out of a bed in which you were not alone, what is easy about this decision? Absolutely nothing. Per Dr. Morris Notelovitz, a venerable old menopausal researcher, every year a woman and her doctor should review her hormone therapy decision (and every other medical decision she makes per me!). If she is using HRT, why? If she is not using HRT, why not? What are the experts and your secretary's aunt saying? What do you believe is best for yourself?
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(1)Cheblowski, RT et al. Breast Cancer after Use of Estrogen plus Progestin in Postmenopausal Women. NEJM. Volume 360:573-587 Feb. 5, 2009.

Pilates, back pain, and Denver's old spines

I see a lot of older women going to ground--their spines telescoping downward and often acquiring notable, painful curves in the journey south. Unfortunately, got one of those backbones myself. I've tried a lot of things to shore it up but none more useful than my lessons with Dana Dreifus, a wonderful Pilates instructor in central Denver. She has an incredible intuition for that which you need to balance and strengthen, and she's quick with adjustments to the standard postures in order to accomodate your ability and level of fitness.

But you don't have to be old and degenerating to enjoy Dana's careful attentions and enthusiasm. If you're new to Pilates or wish ongoing instruction, you could not do better than to call her at: 720-936-3667.

L-carnitine for your hair

Those of you who follow my Menopause Moments blog might already be taking this stuff to boost your brain. So here's good news from TheDermBlog.com that this supplement may stimulate hair growth.

Hair follicles go through cycles wherein hair grows (anagen) and then falls out (telogen). Hair aging badly becomes thinner, finer, and more colorless with each cycle. Progesterone promotes glorious hair (think hair during pregnancy) and precipitous drops in this hormone cause hair loss (think hair after pregnancy or during menopause). Testosterone causes hair loss in a characteristic pattern (those thinning temples and shiny pink crowns of aging men and some women). Minoxidil or Rogaine improves circulation to hair follicles and sort of helps men and women hold onto their hair. So what does l-carnitine do?

When hair follicles were cultured in the lab (if they can grow 'em in a dish, why can't they grow 'em on our heads?) in the presence of l-carnitine, researchers at the University of Hamburg observed several positive things: the growth phase lasted longer, fewer hair matrix cells keeled over dead, and more matrix cells proliferated. At a molecular level, less TGFbeta2 factor, less TGF-beta II receptor protein, and falling levels of caspase 3 and 7 confirmed a more-growth-less-death environment for the hairy little cell community(1).

The German dermatologists summed it up thus: "l-carnitine, a frequently employed dietary supplement, may stimulate hair growth by increasing energy supply to the massively proliferating and energy-consuming anagen hair matrix." Whoa, I would like to use "massively proliferating" and "my hair" in the same sentence. How do you say "Please don't hate me because I have beautiful hair" in German?
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1. Foitzik, K et al. L-carnitine-L-tartrate promotes human hair growth in vitro. Exp Dermatol. 2007 Nov;16(11):936-45.

Moxxor

From an e-mail I received this week:
I was wondering your thoughts on Moxxor. I pasted below an email I got from a friend who is helping promote it. Please let me know your thoughts.

Oh dear, another product about which I know nothing but upon which I am asked an opinion. The standard dilemma--do I write back and say "This is Dr. Paley's secretary. Thank you for your query but unfortunately the doctor is unable to answer individual e-mails." Or do I look it up and give it my best guess. Well that's what I did.

Moxxor is a supplement made of oil d'green-lipped mussels. The thought of eating bi-valves always brings to my mind "The Walrus and The Carpenter" poem from Alice in Wonderland; the first poem I ever memorized (one of three lifetime poems by rote for me) wherein a walrus and carpenter entice little oysters to scurry from their beds for a walk along the beach and ultimately eat them all(2).

Back to Moxxor, just letting you know I'm a little uncomfortable right up front with its origins. I am, however, very pro-omega-3-fatty acids, and Moxxor's green-lipped mussel variety is, per glowing Internet reports, a particularly fine one. GLM-omega-3's are purported to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. One fellow who actually met the guy who developed Moxxor (a toothy, widely grinning fisherman from New Zealand) took his first dose, worked out like mad at the gym that afternoon, then woke up the next day pain-free from his exercise session.

Now if you can wait long enough for the graphics to load (which I did not), mymoxxor.com tells you how you can become an independent distributor of the stuff. Right there that's enough to make me want to write back to this lady about what a silly scam it all is--just buy the 3 for 1 omega-3's at puritan.com. But I looked in on PubMed.gov and learned a thing or two about the health benefits of GLM's.

UK Scientists did a meta-analysis of studies treating osteoarthritis with GLM(1). They concluded "The data... suggests that GLM may be superior to placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate OA. As a credible biological mechanism exists for this treatment, further rigorous investigations are required to assess efficacy and optimal dosage." The credible mechanism is provided by numerous studies that show that GLM's have unique poly-unsaturated fatty acids with significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Whoa, I'm down for that; I've got a finger, two thumbs, a knee, and a foot in serious need for significant anti-inflammatory activity. Maybe I could become a Moxxor dealer and get out of primary care. I'll let you know if I ever get past the graphics delay and my bi-valve aversion to actually order this stuff.
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(1) Brien, S, et al. Systematic review of the nutritional supplement Perna Canaliculus (green-lipped mussel) in the treatment of osteoarthritis. QJM 2008 Mar;101(3):167-79.

(2) Here's the part that's put me off my Oysters Rockefeller:

*'But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,
'Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!'
'No hurry!' said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

'A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,
'Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed --
Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.'

'But not on us!' the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
'After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!'
'The night is fine,' the Walrus said,
'Do you admire the view?'

'It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'Cut us another slice-
I wish you were not quite so deaf-
I've had to ask you twice!'

'It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,
'To play them such a trick.
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
'The butter's spread too thick!'

'I weep for you,'the Walrus said:
'I deeply sympathize.'
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

'O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
'You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none --
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

Pedometer-based walking intervention

I love these names--if I recommend pedometers, and I do, then I am conducting pedometer-based walking interventions. Visions of two wild-eyed pedometer experts swooping unannounced into your workplace, grabbing you one arm apiece, and carrying you out to the parking lot where they install a pedometer on your waistband and drag you screaming, half-walking/half-kicking around the parking lot until you hit 10,000 steps.

Anyway, scientists from the Dept. of Family Medicine conducted a meta-analysis of PBWI's which means that they not only searched six electronic databases for weight loss outcomes in nine different studies that compared the pedometered with the pedometerless to see who lost the most weight, but they also contacted real-life pedometer experts just in from field interventions to interpret the results. Their conclusion?

Pedometer-based walking programs result in a modest amount of weight loss. Longer programs lead to more weight loss than shorter programs.

I trust the experts were pleased.

Statins and infection control

I have any number of patients who take statin drugs(1) to lower their cholesterol levels in order to reduce their risk of unwanted cardiovascular outcomes such as stroke or heart attack. I would prefer, in an ideal world, that these patients control their risk factors with healthy habits in diet, exercise, and weight control, but, alas, this is not a perfect world but rather one in which many lack time, will-power, and resources to make these changes in a timely fashion.

In addition to their ability to reduce cholesterol production and increase LDL clearance by the liver, these drugs are known to reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a good thing as a first responder to infection or injury, but inflammation gone amok is part of the pathological process that increases tissue destruction in Alzheimer's disease, athersclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cancer, arthritis, and severe infections.

Danish and American researchers theorized that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins could improve outcomes for patients admitted to the hospital for pneumonia; those persons protected from over-exuberant inflammation by statins might be more likely to walk out of the hospital rather than being rolled out through a basement door on a gurney. They examined the hospital records for nearly 30,000 patients over 7 years looking for pre-admission statin use as correlated with the risk of sepsis and death associated with serious pulmonary infections. Indeed, those patients currently on statins had a 31% better chance of being alive 90 days after their pneumonia diagnosis compared with those in a statin-less state.

Wondering why? Dr. Kasturi Haldar of the Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases (I kid you not) informs us in an editorial in the same Archives issue that it's all about G proteins. Statins block the isoprenylation (whatever that is) of small G proteins. This decreased prenylation business protects against Alzheimer's disease because the beta-amyloid guck that gums of the brainworks in the disease depends on the breakdown of amyloid precursor protein, a process which in turn counts on prenylated G proteins.

In infections, little G proteins increase the inflammatory response which can fill the patient's airway with fluids and white cells instead of the air upon which we depend. G proteins might also promote the bacteria's ability to enter cells and prosper therein. As in Alzheimer's, as statins decrease the prenyl pool upon which G protein function depends, the decreased inflammatory response may reduce the inflammatory response.

So if you are ever called upon to weigh the decision of statins or not in your future health care plan, consider this side benefit of the use of these drugs.
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(1)Lipitor, Crestor, simvastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin
(2) Thomsen, RW, et al. Preadmission Use of Statins and Outcomes After Hospitalization With Pneumonia. Arch Int Med Vol 168 (No.19), Oct. 27, 2008.

Skinceuticals C E Ferulic

So what's Arlen Specter doing on my blog? Well, he's got those pouchy things going on on either side of his mouth. And that's my newest obsession--my little pouchy things where acne scars are coalescing with wrinkles. I googled Arlen Specterish pouchoid look and found TheDermBlog.com Well, actually not, I don't exactly remember what I googled but it was some combination of Vitamin C serum and aging skin. Topical vitamin C is known to stimulate collagen production, and collagen is the fibrous tissue that keeps your cheeks off your chin and your chin off your collar. And Dr. Benabio's excellent blog noted that this fern-derived antioxidant called ferulic, when combined with topical C, stablizes the latter and allows it to penetrate better into damaged skin. And he said someday soon, topical C plus ferulic would be available.

I am computer woman, see me google. Off to vitamin C AND ferulic arriving at Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Sample Size . What the heck, thinks I, it was on sale in December, so for $25, why not?

Fast forward to three weeks later, a patient told me today my skin looked great. "Good color," she said, "You look healthy!" Need I say more?

September, 2009 update: Still using CE Ferulic. A little goes a long way--one tiny sample body supplies nightly face application for over a month. Skin looking so good that my 20-something year old daughter noticed it and took one of my bottles for herself! Get your own CE Ferulic my dear!

Fat or not, the fit live longest!

I mentioned in my previous post that exercise promotes immunity, just one more reason to dance as if your life depends on it. Exercise scientists set out to study the association between cardiorespiratory fitness, extra weight, and the predisposition to keel over dead in older adults. They enrolled 2600+ adults aged 60 or older in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, poked, prodded, measured, and then watched their subjects' survival stats over 22 years. Here's what they found:

In conclusion, in this prospective study of adults 60 years or older, low fitness predicted higher risk of all-cause mortality after adjustment for potential confounding factors, including adiposity. Fit individuals had greater longevity than unfit individuals, regardless of their body composition or fat distribution...It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category(1).

So here's what I hear: "I'm so discouraged. I've been working out for a month now and I haven't lost any weight." A couple of points: 1) Working out at the rate of 20 minutes on a treadmill 3 days per week is insufficient to promote fitness or weight loss, though theoretically it's better than nothing at all, and 2) If you are on the road to fitness with sufficient cardiovascular workouts, you are promoting good long-term health--and survival--whether or not you lose weight. All-cause mortality is just that, death from any cause whether it be heart attack, stroke, cancer, or sepsis from an overwhelming infection with some nasty, multi-drug resistant bacteria.

What's on your New Year's resolution agenda?
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(1) Sui, X, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity as mortality predictors in older adults. JAMA 2007 Dec 5;298(21):2507-16.

ESBL E. coli

My 60 year old patient needed help from two of us to walk from the waiting room into the exam room. Once there and lying down, her blood pressure was 78/40 and her pulse was 120. I was unable to check her 'postural' blood pressure (comparing values sitting to standing looking for a significant drop indicative of dehydration) as she kept losing her balance and her consciousness in the standing position. Long story short--once admitted to the hospital, her diagnosis was sepsis (invasion of bacteria into the bloodstream) from an overwhelming urinary tract infection caused by ESBL E. coli.

I'll admit, I hadn't heard of this bad boy before Ms. B. nearly died from her infection. Just looking at the culture & sensitivity report, however, was enough to make my heart sink. Cultures of her blood grew an E. coli species resistant to all but 2 antibiotics tested, and those two were 1) only availble by IV, and 2) did not even exist back when I was in training.
Beta-lactam antibiotics are named for a beta-lactam ring in their structure. They include penicillin whose discovery revolutionized the treatment of infectious disease, and cephalexin, the miracle drug discovered after many bacteria developed resistance to penicillins. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli (or ESBL E. coli) produce an enzyme (beta-lactamase) that destroys the beta-lactam chemical ring, rendering it useless against the little buggers.

ESBL E. coli has been a problem in Europe for awhile. Its 'extended spectrum' resistance (eats not just one but most beta-lactam antibiotics) is theorized to have developed due to the overuse of antibiotics in animals--particularly chickens--raised for food. More often found in health care institutions such as hospitals, ESBL E. coli is clearly now out in the community where my patient came into contact with it.

Ms. B. survived, barely. When she came in earlier this week with symptoms of weakness and urinary burning and frequency, we both thought...and feared...the same thing. The culture came back yesterday--ESBL E. coli. She cried and I shuddered, feeling like I was glimpsing our future in Ms. B.'s today.

Ms. B. did nothing wrong, nor do we know just what to do right to avoid such a super-infection. I'd suggest hand-washing, scrupulous handling of raw meat especially chicken, vitamin D, and hot, sweaty exercise as known, immune-enhancing strategies.

Red yeast rice revisited

I sweat along with one of my fifty-something year old patients at weekly Jazzercise sessions. As a result, I know her elevated cholesterol levels have nothing to do with a lack of exercise. We have tried several statin strategies to lower her numbers. Alas, even using CoQ10 supplements, low alternate day dosing of Crestor, and statins less likely to enter muscle cells, all still result in unacceptable side effects for her. She has chosen to motor on without meds.

She recently told me that she was using red yeast rice supplements as a 'natural' way to lower her cholesterol. I asked her how she was feeling, did she have any muscle pain with the supplement? As a matter of fact, she replied, she did notice that. She was surprised to learn that insofar as taking a supplement made by the fermentation of rice with fungus was natural, a process through which Lovastatin is made, she was going natural. So she was actually taking low-dose Lovastatin in an unregulated sort of way, complete with a risk of toxic contamination by the metabolic byproducts of fungus feasting on rice!

If you are interested in supplements, and I certainly am, I recommend you invest $30 or so in an annual membership to consumerlab.com, where you can read reliable information on the science behind those OTC pills we take and the results of their testing various brands for content and contamination.

Conditioner for limp, pathetic hair

No news to regular readers that my hair is a source of some angst to me. Progesterone cream helps to keep it on my head, but nothing was giving it that shine and manageability I sought. Conditioners, mousse, volumizer, sprays, gels...all gave me the dog-caught-in-a-rainstorm look. My neighbor/friend/hair consultant just sadly shakes her glowing bouncy locks as she trims my hair in about five minutes, says no product exists to improve this mane.

So, far be it for me to be a beauty consultant, but this tip is too good not to share. I was flipping through Health Magazine, checking "The best anti-aging secrets: Looking younger isn't all about serums, needles, and lasers. Here's 17 all natural moves." This is the same article that gave us the all natural move of chugging our coffee ASAP so as not to stain our aging yellowing teeth.

This was the #1 tip from Lisa Hedley, the founder and creative director of the Mayflower Inn & Spa:

Open Sesame (Oil): First thing every morning I massage organic sesame oil from the health food store all over my body. Working it in wakes me up and really gets my blood circulating. Plus the oil hydrates my skin, giving it a healthy glow. Then I jump in the shower--the oil naturally cleans away dead skin cells.

I thought that would be the sort of thing my daughter would enjoy--all that blood circulating and glowing in the morning. She said let's get real here, I'm not going to do that before I go to work. So I'm left with this bottle of sesame oil, and I'm sure as heck not going to smear it all over me pre-shower and risk falling in the tub and cracking my skull open. But...wait, I think, what if I massage it into my scalp, toss some coffee quickly past my pearly whites, then wash my hair? Couldn't hurt, maybe could leave a healthy hair glow?

Who'd'a thunk it? My hair is fabulous (in a relative sense)--soft, shiny, no frizz, no flyaway, no static. I'm sure it will be hard to keep my husband from running his fingers through it when and if he finally notices. Six bucks for 13 oz. of the organic stuff from King Soopers. I highly recommend it.

A lovely thought

My patient Tricia asked about my Mom. When I told her she had died some months previous, and about how she had had enough and had been ready to die, Tricia smiled and said: Ah, a life concluded, not interrupted.

What did Lotrel ACCOMPLISH?

Blood pressure is a 'surrogate marker.' This vital sign is easily obtained at home, at the grocery, and in the doctor's office, and the success with which any antihypertensive medication lowers the BP is correlated with the final desirable outcome of blood pressure therapy, namely decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death by cardiovascular disease. In order to best accomplish our goal of avoiding those pesky outcomes, large studies have been undertaken to see which BP meds work best.

The Avoiding Cardiovascular Events in Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension or ACCOMPLISH trial compared the effects of two combination therapies on cardiovascular events in thousands of hypertensive patients over the age of 55. These subjects were already hypertensive, many were on more than two medications, and only a third of them or so had their blood pressure within the therapeutic goal of less than 140/90. All of them had some sort of health trouble which significantly increased their risk of future problems, including a history of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, enlarged heart, decreased blood flow to their legs, or kidney disease.

They discontinued their current meds; half began Lotrel which is a combination of Lotensin (aka benazepril) and Norvasc (aka amlodopine) and the other half started benazepril plus a water pill known as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). HCTZ has been considered first-line therapy for high blood pressure.

But ACCOMPLISH became one of those 'stop the study' studies by the end of three years. In other words, the benefits of the Lotrel combo were so compelling with respect to preventing unwanted cardiovascular death and disease--decreasing risk of same by 20% compared to conventional therapy--that the researchers called off the trial in order that everyone might benefit from the now proven superior approach.

So take that HCTZ at least when it comes to treating a high risk population. Here's what Dr. Franz Messerli had to say:

This landmark study unequivocally relegates hydrochlorothiazide from first-line to third-line therapy at least in a patient population with similar demographic and clinical features as in ACCOMPLISH. The issue is not to be taken lightly, since hydrochlorothiazide remains one of the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs. Every year more than 100 million prescriptions of hydrochlorothiazide are written in the US. Almost half of those prescriptions are written for hydrochlorothiazide alone.

Some persons don't tolerate Lotrel very well, suffering a cough from the Lotensin part or swelling from the amlodopine component. Lotrel is available in some strengths as a generic, though it is thus far one of those pricey generics.

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome

You're probably thinking well shoot, I've already got that. You may well have saggy eyelid syndrome--you know, look in the mirror, gently shove the skin below your eyebrows off your upper lids and poof, the young, wide-eyed ingenue reappears. But this is FLOPPY Eyelid Syndrome, first described in 1981 by two researchers checking out the lids on middle-aged obese men. Associated with sleep apnea, this lizardish look not only includes the saggy lidded thing but also redness and irritation in the no-longer-so whites of the eyes.

We know that sleep apnea can seriously affect the heart (right-sided failure) and brain (increased risk of small vessel disease and 'mini' strokes). But why the eyes? Some investigators feel the cause is mechanical stress--i.e. smashing and stretching the eye against pillow--which is supported by the fact that one-sided sleepers often get one-sided F.E.S. Others wonder if alternating ischemia (not enough oxygenated blood) followed by reperfusion (flood of oxygen-rich blood when the apnea ceases) results in tissue inflammation. Studies of floppy lids (what happened to the sleeper upon which these lids resided!?!) showed an inflammatory injury reaction consistent with both stress and ischemia as seen in other tissue types.

Not only does F.E.S. limit the field of vision (while providing, perhaps, some sun protection in a visor sort of way), but the redness and irritation along with that iguana image may necessitate a surgical lid lift, one that the insurance company would be willing to fund!

Medical advice from Whole Foods vitamin clerks

I wonder what their credentials are. And what's in adrenal extracts anyway? Whose adrenals are dried and powdered within, and could they be just offal?

Ergonomic snow shovels

Wendy did a recent blogo-riff on snow shovels. Must be a Canadian thing as Jean had a thing or two to say on the subject last winter. More than likely it's a consideration for those of us middle-aged and beyond, and it just popped on my radar screen and lumbar spine this past week here in Denver.

Ergonomics is the study of people at work, and the science of fitting equipment and work place to worker to optimize performance and minimize injury. "Your online guide to ergonomic snow shovel" says it all:

The gardens, or lawns are covered with snows and the road is also covered with snow that piles up to any feet. The snowfall creates a lot of inconvenience and we wish that the days of snowfall are numbered...The act of removing snow is also back breaking work and many people go to the doctor to rid themselves of the ailment they have got on them during snow shoveling. The snow shovel is an important tool and it becomes very important during the days of snow. ...There is a lot of research going into the making of these snow shovels and the result is different types of snow shovels.

Well, I got a back pain on me when I used our new snow shovel on the first snow this season. My husband, noting that plastic rimmed shovels break easily, bought a metal-edged scoop. Cold metal on wet concrete is an ergonomic no-no. The characteristics of an ergonomically correct snow shovel have been described in exacting terms: plastic blade, 16 1/2" x 14 1/2" with a 42" adjustable shaft for a short person such as I've become, no steel-reinforced edges (note to husband!), and an angular shaft. And ergonomically correct snow shovel reviews are fun to read:

With a shovel like this, the user can thankfully proclaim "Who needs a snowblower?" Of course, snowblowers might make the job of clearing snow easier, but they are expensive, noisy, smelly, and can cause numbness in the hands. The ergonomic shovel will allow the operator to breathe clean air and experience healthy physical exercise. The chances for injury will be reduced as will the snow in the driveways and on the sidewalks of America.

But oh Wendy and Jean, wouldn't you wuv a SnoWovel Wheeled Snow Shovel as pictured above?

Exam room etiquette

I'm currently reading Pursued by the Bear, a book by 70-something year old psychologist about his 8 year journey through the medical world in pursuit of treatment for 3 different kinds of cancer. Dr. Singer's book is both hilarious and insightful; I highly recommend it to you. A lot of the book explores the relationship between patients and doctors. Here's his take on exam room etiquette, and one of his only observations with which I take issue:

[The doctor] tells me to get dressed [and] leaves the room (you have noticed I am sure that doctors seem unable to tolerate you in the process of dressing or undressing? They don't have problems with you naked or very scantily clad, but the act of removing or putting on clothing seems to be too personal or obscene to be allowed in their presence. It's the action itself that seems off-putting to them. My theory is that in the act of dressing or undressing, your personhood, your humanity cannot be denied--you are someone doing something--I move, therefore I am. Naked you can be an object)...

I always meet my patients while they are dressed, invariably leave the room while they are undressing, attempt to examine them in a way that reveals only that part which I am currently inspecting, and always leave the room while they dress. While we are both dressed, I feel our 'equal partnership' status is intact. When they are undressed, I am very aware that this is an unusual and privileged interaction between two people, doctor and patient. While disrobing or re-robing, however, I feel like I have no business in the room, that, as Dr. Singer writes, the act is indeed 'too personal' though certainly not 'off-putting', and that to stay there would overstep the boundaries of our professional relationship. Once my patient is dressed, we once again enter our partnership agreement where I offer my knowledge and observations and ask my patient to consider with me the options for care.

Are you offended when your doctor scuttles out of the room after the exam is over? How do you feel about conducting the pre- or post-exam interview while still undressed and gowned?

Here's your iliac crest

His-self: It was hard to find a picture of an iliac crest suitable for inclusion in a family-friendly blog, but at least this model left his Calvin Klein's on! It's that bone your thumb finds as you place your hands on your hips.

Waist circumference

It's the new vital sign. Waisted fat (i.e. fat socked beneath the abdominal musculature and carried front and center like an unfolding pregnancy) is known to be a potent marker and cause of both cardiovascular and diabetic risk. While the ideal dimensions of a healthy waistline are in dispute, thus far 40 inches/102 cm. for men and 35 inches/88 cm. for women are cited as goal.

How to measure a waistline is a hot topic. In fact, the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, an organization headquartered in Quebec City, established a sub-committee to review the existing medical literature on the subject and establish a waist circumference protocol. Let it never be said that we doctors don't take our tasks very seriously.

The expert panel reached two conclusions: 1) "It didn't matter" where you measured distended abdomens with respect to predicting mortality from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or all other causes. If the silhouette looked apple-ish (think Tweedles Dee and Dum), that defined the problem, and the bigger the gut, the worse the risk. 2) They decided to establish a protocol nevertheless to put an end to the "mass confusion" that existed on the subject so that both providers and patients could measure midriffs and follow weight loss progress.

They concluded for purposes of simplicity that the top of the iliac crest (aka pelvic or hip bone located on the side of the body at roughly, well, the waistline!) was a good anatomic marker easily found by physicians and the public alike. And in a bit of good news, spokesman and sub-panel chair Dr. Robert Ross assures us that the bathroom scale may not be the first reporter of success in weight loss programs, but rather that waist circumference may fall in a reassuring and healthful sort of way before the pounds start to drop off.

Shingles shot

Comment from a 65 year old nurse who came in today with a painful case of shingles on her abdomen:

I could kick myself for not getting the shingles shot.

This after spending 4 and 1/2 hours in the ER two days ago with the pain that preceded the outbreak. She got a CT scan, an ultrasound, many exams, and a raft of bloodwork looking for other causes for the pain.

While people are getting more and more familiar with the patchy, one-sided, blistered skin associated with an outbreak of shingles, many patients don't realize that severe pain is often the first sign of the disease and can predate the rash by several days.

For more information on shingles, see The shingles shot.

Estriol and wrinkles

Estriol is the darling of the natural hormone set. A weak little estrogen, it is, in fact, a metabolic byproduct of the normal breakdown of the body's two stronger circulating estrogens, estrone and estradiol. Enormous quantities are necessary to preserve bone mass, but itty bitty bits dabbed on your aging visage may improve the quality of your skin.

A .3% topical cream, available by prescription from compounding pharmacies, was applied daily to the wrinkled surfaces of a group of perimenopausal ladies. Not only did skin elasticity and firmness improve after six months of use, but also wrinkle depth and pore size decreased. Skin biopsy specimens (now how much did they pay these ladies for that?) showed increased numbers of collagen fibers. Serum hormone levels did not change and there was no evidence of any systemic hormone effects, suggesting that topical estriol is safe for use in women unable to use full-dose estrogen replacement therapy.

Working memory and menopause moments

Wondering why you're wandering around the house in pursuit of who can remember what? Check out Working memory and menopause moments.

Cipro side effects

Chances are good that if you go to an urgent care center for treatment of a urinary tract infection, you will end up with a prescription for Cipro. This fluoroquinolone antibiotic is also commonly used for intestinal infections, and its cousin Levaquin is a favorite choice for the treatment of pneumonia. Some of my patients request these antibiotics by name as their use was particularly effective for some previous bacterial infection.

Powerful medications are a good thing when battling serious infections, but you should know that the fluoroquinolones now have a 'black box warning' per the FDA. This cautionary material is rimmed by a bold black square in the PDR and on the product insert. This particular alert was issued 7/8/08 and reads in part:

Fluoroquinolones are associated with an increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture. This risk is further increased in those over age 60, in kidney, heart, and lung transplant recipients, and with use of concomitant steroid therapy. Physicians should advise patients, at the first sign of tendon pain, swelling, or inflammation, to stop taking the fluoroquinolone, to avoid exercise and use of the affected area, and to promptly contact their doctor about changing to a non-fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drug.

The achilles tendon is particularly susceptible to this inflammatory weakening, and, per a physical therapist I know, the loss of tendon strength and substance associated with drug-induced tendinitis is particularly devastating and hard to reverse.

So while fluoroquinolones, when indicated, are effective drugs and potentially life-saving, their routine use in uncomplicated urinary infections is unwise. Ask your doctor about using other choices in cystitis or bladder infections, and ask him/her to consider ordering a culture of your urine sample to confirm that your infection is susceptible to the antibiotic prescribed.

Post-operative pain management

My medical partner and I are routinely aggravated by the following situation. Our patients are admitted for surgery, say a knee replacement or an appendectomy. They are released from the hospital on meds for pain with instructions to call us for follow-up and refills. We think the prescribing surgeon ought to stick with the program. Now I'm rethinking this strategy.

My friend E. who is now 2+ weeks post-op extensive abdominal surgery for cancer has been on high dose pain meds and anti-anxiety drugs. Her surgeon abruptly decreased the former and discontinued the latter two days ago, then added ibuprofen and Tylenol in place of the dropped narcotic doses. E. sailed through Thursday, feeling so wonderful that she went with her cousin up Trail Ridge Road, a spectacular mountain road which tops 11,000 feet in spots. The trip was a treat, but she began to feel shaky on the way home and had a full-blown panic attack early Friday morning. Queasy, breathless, and in pain, she called me over to help.

So what was going on? Was she queasy from pain, withdrawal, or ibuprofen? Was she anxious from a lack of anxiety meds, withdrawal from tranquilizers, increasing pain, or the fear that she'd have another panic attack? Was she in pain from doing too much too soon, undertreated post-operative healing, withdrawal cramps, or from ibuprofen-induced colitis? Or all of the above?

Perhaps a top-notch cancer surgeon, which I believe her oncologist to be, has no more business adjusting meds than an internist such as myself has performing cancer surgery.