OVER the years, we have been receiving interesting questions from our readers. Since our column is also posted on Inquirer-Globalnation and half a dozen other newspaper websites, we get queries from around the world. Once again, we are sharing some of the most interesting ones with you in this column today.
How can one with normal EKG develop a heart attack?
Heart attack occurs when a part of the muscles of the heart is deprived of blood. This condition can happen when one of the tiny spaghetti-sized arteries to the heart gets blocked, either by a blood clot
induced by high cholesterol blood level, or by spasm, or a dangerous heart rhythm disturbance. When the cause is obstruction from a clot, the autopsy will show it, but not when a temporary spasm or fatal heart
irregularity was the cause of the heart attack. Therefore, someone who just had a normal EKG a few hours or days or weeks before can still suffer a heart attack, given the appropriate trigger circumstances. Foremost among the aggravating risk factors include high cholesterol diet, lack of exercise, obesity (mild to
severe), high blood pressure, diabetes, family history. Heart attack is treacherous, and it can be a silent one. This is why a regular medical check-up, starting from age 30, even as a baseline examination for future reference, is essential. Those with probable symptoms should undergo a cardiovascular evaluation, to include blood tests and a stress EKG as deemed necessary by the attending physician.
Does position during sex influence gender of the baby?
This is a myth. Misinformation that coitus from
behind, compared to the so-called “missionary style,” increases the likelihood opf producing a male baby is simply not true. There is no scientific basis to this claim.
Is eating red meat really unhealthy?
We have written about this several times in the past, but it is worth repeating that red meat (pork, beef, etc), for one thing, is not an essential food item. It provides protein, but protein can be derived from healthier sources like fish, white meat of chicken, some vegetables, soy beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, some fruits. If children at age one is not exposed to red meat, and fed milk from grass-fed cows (not those fed with corn, soy products, antibiotics,
hormones), fish, vegetables, some fruits, they will grow up with healthier DNAs and boosted immune system to prevent diseases most of us have today, like high blood pressure, cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, and especially cancers, where red meat plays an important role in their development.
Is it true that spices are good for us?
Yes, this is true. Spices, like peppers, garlic, onion, ginger, scallion, curry, cumin, cilantro, dill, basil, paprika, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, cinnamon included, etc., are powerhouses, boosters of the immune system. The great antioxidants, poly-phenols, plant sterols in them, strengthen the bodily
resistance to illnesses and stress. They are also good substitute for salt to make food more palatable, since moderation in salt intake is healthier for all of us, especially for those with high blood pressure and or heart ailments.
Since chemo-drugs for cancer are toxic, are herbals better?
For patients with cancer today, there are no herbals that can cure them of the malignancy. Chemotherapy and or radiation are still their best bet, with our without surgical resection, depending on the stage and or what the surgeon finds. If all else fails, then I would try anything, if I were the patient. But statistical data, without a question, favor chemotherapy and or/radiation as more effective modalities than herbals and other non-proven treatments. (See related article on Apple’s Steve Job’s below).Of course, researchers are continuously looking for chemo agents that would be toxic only to the cancer cells but not to the patient.
Do “erection pills” help lack of libido in women?
The anti male erectile dysfunction (ED) pills like Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, do not help in treating libido, in women or even in men. These pills are not aphrodisiacs. They act to induce erection in men but studies not have found them to have the same “sex” effects among females. There is no drug today that improves libido; the genuine aphrodisiac has not been discovered yet. Rhino horn, cactus extracts, or even ginseng have no aphrodisiac effects, as claimed. The ED pills have been most effective among men with ED and powerful aid among those who have mild or no erectile dysfunction but have stress related ED.
Did red meat cause Steve Job’s pancreatic cancer?
I have tried to research information about this but have not found any direct information about the probable cause of the pancreatic cancer was that killed the Apple co-founder, chairman and CEO. Studies have shown that eating red meat, especially barbequed meat with charcoal-burnt black residues on the meat, increases the risk for the development of pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and other malignancies. While his was a variety of pancreatic cancer (neuro-endocrine type) that was slow-growing, he refused surgery and opted to try unconventional herbal therapy, etc., for nine months. In the end, he regretted having done so, according to his biographer, Walter Isaacson. Steve Jobs realized that he had wasted those precious nine months that allowed the cancer to spread, and that surgery could have possibly saved his life.
To read more about these topics, read the new 800-page health guide, entitled Lets Stop “Killing” Our Children, available in eBook format that can be downloaded from the internet, and in soft and hardbound versions, at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and xlibris.com. View book and details at www.philipSchua.com
*Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com