Health & Medicine - Statistical Data Included

Reducing the Risk Dietary potassium can reduce the risk of stroke by as much as 38 percent, according to a dietary study of 43,738 men by the Harvard School of Public Health. Men reduced their risk of stroke by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals. Harvard investigators also studied a sub-group of men with high blood pressure. Men who took a potassium supplement with a diuretic decreased their incidence of stroke by 60 percent, compared to men who did not. Unless the patient is taking a potassium-wasting diuretic like furosemide (Lasix) or thiazide (available in many brands), potassium tablets are not necessary. Two tomatoes and one serving of cooked spinach per day provide approximately as much potassium as a supplement. Bananas, oranges and other fruits and vegetables are other viable sources of potassium.

--Robert Wilbur, B.S.

Pain Protection

Pain-free orthopedic surgery? Yes! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved PainBuster[TM], a new pain management system that releases a continuous flow of local anesthetic directly into a wound site for up to 70 hours after surgery.

"This system will tremendously enhance patient comfort and promote rehabilitation," says Les Cross, president of Smith & Nephew Inc. Bracing and Support System, which has added this revolutionary product to its DonJoy product line. "[It is] truly a breakthrough in orthopedic and sports medicine specialties."

There are 3.5 million orthopedic surgeries in the United States each year. Approximately 1.4 million involve significant post-operative pain. For more information on PainBuster, call (800) 336-6569.

Giving Cancer the Raspberries

Medical tests show the red raspberry is one of the most effective all-natural ways to fight certain forms of cancer. This flavorful fruit contains high amounts of "ellagic acid," a phenolic compound that is a proven anti-carcinogen, anti-matagen and anti-cancer initiator. Tests conducted at the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina found the ellagic acid in red raspberries is readily absorbed by the human body and retains its potency even after being heated, frozen and processed for concentration.

For more information, visit www.red-raspberry.com.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Turning 40 is a mere speed bump in a lifetime's journey filled with duties and responsibilities. One's 40th birthday is not the hallmark of mid-life it once was.

However, a vision problem called presbyopia, Or lack of eyesight accommodation, often makes its entrance during this stage of life. It is a condition in which the eyes lose their ability to focus on nearby objects. Consequently, one may be moving reading material increasingly farther away before it becomes clear enough to read.

Steadfast contact lens wearers may recognize the condition earlier than eyeglass wearers. New contacts may seem blurry for reading yet clear during distance vision. Eyeglasses sit further away from the eyes, so the lack of accommodation is less evident.

If you prefer contacts, monovision contact lenses are the most common solution for presbyopia. In monovision, one eye is corrected for distance vision and the other for close-up vision. In most cases, the dominant eye used for distance correction is the right eye. Although there are exceptions, your doctor can make this determination when fitting your contacts.

Monovision is the process of closing one eye so distance vision processed by the other eye becomes focused. Closing the other eye should focus your close-up vision. With both eyes open, distance vision may be a little fuzzy. Until your brain adapts to the different corrections, it may seem a little unsettling. Allow a couple of Weeks to get accustomed to the difference in depth perception.

Most doctors with optical chains will work with lens fittings. Doctors tend to find their patients more satisfied after they adapt to their contacts. This provides an affordable method for correcting presbyopia. Monovision fittings and standard distance correction contacts are equally priced by most physicians.

-- Mary Bakos Sebesta

Kids and Calcium

Building peak bone mass in the first two decades of life is an important factor in the prevention of adult osteoporosis, according to a report presented at an American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons conference.

"As children grow, their bodies are able to take in more calcium than they lose, which builds their bones to their maximum strength in adulthood," says Laura L. Tosi, M.D. "Forty-five percent of this mass is created from birth to age 10. By age 17, nearly 90 percent of adult bone mass has formed."

However, most children do not consume the appropriate amount of calcium. "Children under five years of age are only getting about 46 percent of the recommended daily requirement of calcium," says Dr. Tosi. "Daily calcium requirements increase with age. A one- to three-year-old child needs 500 milligrams, while a four- to eight-year-old needs 1,300 milligrams. Two to three servings of dairy products would complete a child's daily requirement, or eating two ounces of cheese or one cup of yogurt."