Weekend Edition Saturday, July 5, 2008 · The FBI has an entire army of people whose sole job is to do surveillance. Whether they are tracking a terrorist suspect or mobster or potential spy, the secret isn’t about being a master of disguise. Instead, it is all about blending in.

Turn on any cop show, and the surveillance always seems pretty straightforward. There are always a couple of guys in a van and maybe another two in a car outside some apartment building. But the truth is, real surveillance is much more subtle.

The Special Agent-in-Charge of the Special Operations Division of the FBI in New York is Todd Letcher. He says if his team is doing the job right, you won’t even know they are there. “When a target comes out of the bodega with a cup of coffee, they don’t see where we are, or they don’t see our people,” he said. “Our people look so ordinary, they just look over them.” …read rest of story..

If you are a faithful coffee drinker, consider adding a green tea bag to your morning cup of joe! This is a great way to protect your heart while still drinking your coffee.

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Does Green Tea Help the Heart?

By ALICE PARK

The next time you’re offered a choice between Earl Grey and green tea, you might want to go green.

 

A new study shows that the beverage, which is more popular in Eastern cultures, can protect heart arteries by keeping them flexible and relaxed, and therefore better able to withstand the ups and downs of constant changes in blood pressure. Led by Dr. Nikolaos Alexopoulos of Athens Medical School in Greece, the researchers found that among 14 subjects, those who drank green tea showed greater dilation of their heart arteries on ultrasound 30 min. later than those drinking either diluted caffeine or hot water. That’s because, the scientists speculate, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping cells there to secrete the substances needed to relax the vessels and allow blood to flow more freely. It’s the flavonoids in the tea, which work as antioxidants and help prevent inflammation in body tissue, that keep the vessels pliable. These substances may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks. “We found very promptly [that] after drinking green tea, there was a protective effect on the endothelium,” says Dr. Charalambos Vlachopoulos, a cardiologist and one of the authors of the study.

 

All it took, says Vlachopoulos, was 6 g of green tea, which amounts to 3 to 4 cups. To make sure the dilation effect was not due to the small amounts of caffeine found in green tea, the group compared the arterial sizes in the green-tea drinkers with those consuming a diluted caffeine beverage and found no change in arterial size in the caffeine drinkers. Even more intriguing, the beneficial effect seems to be long-lasting and cumulative. When the doctors measured the green-tea drinkers’ arteries two weeks after daily consumption of the beverage, they found that their vessels were more dilated than they had been at the beginning of the study. “It’s something that needs to be investigated, but we think that if someone takes green tea for one or two months, the beneficial effect will be even greater,” says Vlachopoulos.

 

But experts caution that one study isn’t enough to catapult green tea to wonder-drink status. Dr. Robert Eckel, a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver, and past president of the American Heart Association, notes that endothelial function is affected by a number of factors, including large doses of vitamins E and C. “Green-tea consumption may have beneficial effects on the arteries, but we should stop short of translating that into a recommendation that everybody should be drinking green tea because it’s been proven to reduce heart attacks and strokes,” he says. He acknowledges, however, that early studies hint that green tea may be a good addition to a heart-healthy diet. The American Heart Association does not yet include the beverage in its dietary recommendations, but more studies like this one may change that. In the meantime, if you’re drinking tea, it might not be such a bad idea to go green. View this article on Time.com
 

Related articles on Time.com: Green Tea, Black Coffee

Testosterone gel benefits some men with diabetes

By Megan RauscherWed

Men with type 2 diabetes or the metabolic syndrome, or both, are prone to have low testosterone levels. If so, testosterone replacement therapy with a gel applied to the skin may improve their response to insulin and their sexual function, according to the results of a new clinical trial.

Testosterone levels fall if testicular function is subnormal, a condition termed hypogonadism. “Consideration should be given to screening type 2 diabetic and metabolic syndrome patients for hypogonadism,” Dr. T. Hugh Jones told the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco this week.

Jones, of Barnsley Hospital and the University of Sheffield in the UK, and colleagues tested the effect of a testosterone gel (Tostran) on insulin resistance and symptoms of hypogonadism in 221 men with low testosterone levels.

One average, the men were 60 years age with a body mass index of 32, in the obese range. Eighty percent had metabolic syndrome, 64 percent had type 2 diabetes, and 44 percent had both. They were randomly allocated to use the testosterone gel daily or a matching placebo gel.

The study showed a statistically significant improvement in insulin sensitivity in testosterone-treated men at 6 and 12 months, Jones reported.

Testosterone therapy also led to a significant improvement in the score on a standard assessment of erectile function after 6 and 12 months.

Adverse events were similar in the two groups. Skin-related problems were the most commonly reported adverse events, experienced by 19 (17 percent) placebo-treated and 27 (25 percent) testosterone-treated men.

“These data tell us that replacement therapy for low testosterone in hypogonadal males not only improves sexual function but, more importantly, can also have an impact on insulin sensitivity,” Jones said. “Long-term improvements in insulin resistance may help to improve cardiovascular and other diabetes complications and improve quality of life in this at-risk population.”

“Awareness of the problems caused by low testosterone is becoming more widespread and its connection to health issues like diabetes continues to become increasingly apparent,” he added. “As the incidence of hypogonadism continues to grow along with the aging population, we need to … implement a more rigorous screening program, particularly in men with type 2 diabetes.”

The study was sponsored by ProStrakan, with US headquarters in Bedminster, New Jersey, makers of Tostran (also marketed as Fortigel, Tostrex and Itnogen).

By BETSY BLANEY, Associated Press Writer

A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra — but don’t necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation’s top producers of the seedless variety.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.

“Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it,” said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. “Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.”

Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn’t expect the same result from watermelon.

“It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment,” Wehner said.

The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More citrulline — about 60 percent — is found in watermelon rind than in the flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.

Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.

She said Patil’s research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body’s arginine level.

“The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more,” Perkins-Veazie said.

Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread.

Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream — a jolt that could cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.

Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon.

The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects — among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does — are beginning to be revealed in research.

Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.

“But they’re bitter and most people don’t want to eat them,” she said.

HOW I SEE IT!

I think defensive medicine is the key here. A doctor does not want to get sued for missing a diagnosis, especially in a child.   The results could be catastrophic.

First,  the average doctor  coming out of residency has almost $200,000 in student loans. No joke!   In order to pay that back, they will have to make payments of $2000-2500/month for 10 years or $1200/month for 30 years.

Since student loans are so high, most new doctors are going into specialites where they will make more money  instead of primary care; like pediatrics, family medicine and internal medicine. 

The result? 

Fewer family doctors and pediatricians.  The brave new  primary care doctors  pay 20%-25% of their monthly take home (After giving 35%  to taxes)  in student loans and another 10% in malpractice insurance. 

In then end, they take home 30 cents on the dollar.  Imagine making $10 per hour and taking home $3? Most new doctors do just that.  

Next month, Medicare is planning on reimbursing doctors from 11-20%   LESS for the work they do. Unfortunately,  many doctors are then pressured to see more patients per hour just to make ends meet. 

The result, they will do more CT scans of the head, abdomen and just about anywhere else since it is quicker and easier  than spending longer periods of time with  patients getting a detailed history. Contrary to belief, most doctors would love to spend 30 minutes or more with each patient if possible. They just would be able to pay their bills if they did.  

Patients are the real victims here. In addition to this, patients are paying more money for health insurance each year for less services. 

Meanwhile, most health insurance company stock prices are up 200-300% over the last 8 years.

The healthcare system is broken and until there is malpractice reform and health insurance reform- patients are actually going to be putting their own lives at risk. Patients and Doctors both  need to speak up!  Health Insurance CEOs make up to $51 million dollars/year while you stuggle to pay your $10 copay.

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Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans help doctors detect everything from cancer to kidney stones. But some physicians are raising concerns about the safety of such procedures — most notably, an increase in cancer risk. A CT scan packs a mega-dose of radiation — as much as 500 times that of a conventional X-ray. If your doctor orders a CT scan for you or your child, should you think twice?

Absolutely, say researchers behind two recent studies that sound the alarm about the increased cancer risk associated with multiple CT scans. In the first study of its kind, physicians at hospitals in Florida and Washington, D.C., evaluated the medical-imaging records of 1,243 randomly selected patients to calculate just how much radiation each patient had sustained in the past five years. Although CT scans were the biggest source of radiation, other offenders included X-rays and mammograms. The results of the study, presented in May at the annual conference of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, were disturbing: the average patient had received 45 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. (The typical chest X-ray dispatches 0.02 mSv of radiation.) And 12% of patients had gotten more than twice that amount — 100 mSv or more. “Our focus is to bring awareness to the fact that people are getting large doses of radiation and it’s not innocuous,” says Timothy Bullard, the study’s lead author and chief medical officer at Orlando Regional Medical Center. “We want people to use the technology appropriately.”

“Appropriate” is the key word — especially since a review study published last November in the New England Journal of Medicine determined that as many as one-third of all CT scans performed in the United States are unnecessary. The authors take issue with the “perhaps 20 million adults and, crucially, more than 1 million children per year in the United States [who] are being irradiated unnecessarily.” Part of the problem, the authors say, is that patients are being prescribed multiple, unneeded CT scans, a predicament that could be avoided with better communication between physicians. “Having the same CT scan twice is ridiculous,” says David Brenner, the review’s lead author and director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Medical Center. “There is no excuse.” In one of the review’s highlighted studies, among patients undergoing CT scans, 30% were on their third scan, 7% had five or more, and 4% had more than nine. Also to blame: doctors increasingly practicing defensive medicine. “There is an underlying philosophy that you’re at fault if you miss anything,” says Bullard. “The goal is to be perfect every time.” Plus, he notes, CT scans have no immediate negative side effects. “They are quick, painless, and send patients away with the sense of satisfaction that everything’s been done.”

Exactly how much radiation is too much? Because CT scans came into vogue in the 1980s and radiation-induced cancer takes roughly 20 years to develop, long-term studies of CT scans and cancer are still under way. But scientists are already anticipating future health implications. Indeed, researchers found a population of 25,000 Japanese post-atomic-bomb survivors who were exposed to roughly the same amount of radiation as two CT scans. Based in part on those studies, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that an adult’s lifetime risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from a CT scan is roughly 1 in 2,000. Worse, the risk for children is even higher.

Compared with adults, children are more sensitive to radiation because they have longer life expectancies and because their cells divide more rapidly, making their DNA more vulnerable to damage. A child’s risk of developing a fatal cancer from one CT scan is as high as 1 in 500. Although newer machines can be adjusted to deliver up to 50% less radiation for children and small adults, a 2001 study published in the American Journal of Radiation showed that radiologic technologists (RT) rarely make those adjustments. “Changing technical factors is very easy. It just requires a little thought and a few extra seconds,” says Michele Scoglietti, a spokesperson for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. “But I think there are many RTs who are either not trained to vary the technique, don’t know how, are in a hurry or are just lazy.”

When doctors first ordered a CT scan for Jen Houck’s six-month-old daughter in 2003, the new mom was more worried about the risks of anesthesia (used to keep children from squirming in the machine) than of radiation exposure. In 2006 and 2007, her daughter, now 5, had two additional CT scans, 6 months apart, for what doctors initially thought was a growth abnormality. They’ve since determined the child was perfectly healthy. “All that, just to find out her head is bigger than normal,” says the 27-year-old mother of two in Boone, North Carolina. In hindsight, Houck wishes she had done things a bit differently. “I would have asked more questions about the necessity for a third scan so soon after the second.” She also says no one mentioned the option of a low-dose scan, and she has no idea how much radiation her daughter received. “I wish I’d known to ask the question.”

So what should you ask, if a doctor recommends a CT scan for you or your child? Brenner suggests the following: is a CT scan really necessary? Might a test that doesn’t involve radiation, such as an ultrasound or MRI, do the job? In some cases, a CT scan is absolutely required — for example, for diagnosing severe head trauma or internal injuries, for acute abdominal pain, or to diagnose an existing cancer. If your doctor schedules you for a scan, call ahead to see if you can bring a flash drive. That way you can take an electronic copy of your CT scan to go, and may be able to avoid another scan later, should you move or change doctors. (A hard copy of the scan is bulkier, but may also be an option.) If your child needs a CT scan, ask the technologist to put the machine on pediatric-appropriate settings. For more information on kids and CT scan safety, visit the http://www.pedrad.org/associations/5364/ig/.

 

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• http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1818520,00.html