The Dr. B Health Blog

Whether one supports or opposes the Affordable Health Care Act or not, detractors focus on the notion of committees that will determine what therapy or procedure is justifiable or not. They have been referred to as “death panels”- denying care to those who need it and thereby letting them die. Seniors are up in arms with images of Soylent Green. Everyone wants every chance at life- no matter the cost!

Let me say from the outset that rationing of health care products and services is inevitable. It will make NO difference what health care plan (or unplan ) we implement and who populates the Congress or White House. There is an extraordinary amount of U.S. medicine that is wasteful, ineffective at best and often causing premature death and adversely affecting quality of life. You have heard my theme before- MORE is NOT BETTER!  MORE food is not healthier. MORE X-Ray testing is not better, because it can cause cancer in and of itself. MORE antibiotics are not better because they cause resistant bacteria that we cannot treat. MORE tests find more disease, that leads to yet MORE tests, medications and procedures that lead to complications that lead to MORE disease than the original disease. All the while, MORE of this takes resources ($) from the prevention and treatment of disease we CAN address.

Cancer specialists have identified procedures that do not help patients live longer and, in fact, may be worse for the patient. The non partisan Congressional Budget Office in 2008 estimated that nearly 30 % of health care costs like hospital stays, procedures and tests that do nothing for patient health!!!!!!!!!!!  The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 200 physicians strong) released a list of what it considered unnecessary. It included drugs that cost as much as $100,000, but which extended life but a few months. It pointed out imaging tests (like CT scans, PET scans, etc.) that costs thousands, but, that do not benefit patients at all. ASCO recommends against routine use of four procedures: chemotherapy for patients with advanced cancers who are unlikely to benefit; advanced imaging technologies such as CT and PET or bone scans to determine the precise stage of both early breast and prostate cancers at low risk for metastasis; and drugs to stimulate white blood cell production in patients receiving chemotherapy if they have a risk of febrile neutropenia, an often-fatal condition marked by fever and abnormally low numbers of certain white blood cells.

Lead contamination is a known potential issue with dietary supplements, particularly those containing minerals or herbal ingredients. Children are most sensitive to lead poisoning and may be affected by total daily exposure to as little as 6 micrograms (including all food and drink, as well as supplements). Adults can tolerate higher levels of lead (25 to 75 mcg of lead per day). Lead is stored in the body and unnecessary exposure should be avoided. The FDA permits supplement manufacturers to set their own limits on lead in their products, but one state, California, requires a warning label on supplements that contain more than 0.5 mcg of lead per daily serving (or 1.5 mcg of lead in supplements that contain 1,000 mg or more of calcium).

Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include contaminated air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, home renovations or in auto repair shops also may be exposed to lead. Users of herbs and vitamins are at risk as well as I have already mentioned. Even a number of calcium supplements contain lead. I often check lead levels in my patients because typically they are frequent users of nutritional supplements. Many of the ingredients The symptoms of lead poisoning include:

The 3000 Club is a group of like-minded individuals, small business owners, volunteers and non-profit agencies and organizations who bond together in order to help rescue the millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and distribute these instead to everyone especially to the needy and hungry families deeply affected by the challenging economy we are currently in.  Men and women, especially the children are at risk of getting Type Two Diabetes for lack of fresh, nutritional fruits and vegetables in their diets. The people who need the produce may very well be our next door neighbor or our close friend who are undergoing transition in their current lifestyle.

Every year, The 3000 Club members, supporters and volunteers help to:

• Rescue about 30 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Distribute over $45,000 worth of produce.
• Provide over 23 million meals.
• Help more than 460,000 families in need.
• Distribute fresh produce to more than 300 food banks and agencies across Arizona and throughout the United States.

So please, visit the 3000 Club website, and donate now!