“What do you do if you’re running and a thunderstorm comes up?”

Alice, Houston, Texas

June is “lightning awareness month.” Lightning strikes somewhere on the surface of the Earth about 100 times every second. In the United States alone, lightning sets 10,000 forest fires and causes $100 million in property damage every year. Between 1940 and 1991, lightning killed 8,316 people in the U.S. Lightning is the #2 storm killer in the U.S. It kills more people than hurricanes or tornadoes on average. Lightning strikes central Florida more than any other region in the country, and has caused about $5 billion of economic loss annually in the U.S. Your house has a 1 out of 200 chance of being struck per year. You have a 1: 280,000 chance of being struck by lightning.

Today the average number of lightning-related deaths in the U.S. is 80 per year. Fortunately, not everyone dies who is struck by lightning. Eighty percent of lightning-strike victims survive. However, 25 percent of survivors suffer major aftereffects. Many of the aftereffects of lightning are difficult for inexperienced medical professionals to characterize.

A lightning flash can happen in about a half a second. In that half second, the lightning flash superheats the surrounding air to a temperature five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. Nearby air expands and vibrates, forming sound that we hear as thunder. Sound travels slower than light, so it seems that thunder occurs later.

If you get caught in a thunderstorm while exercising outside, here are some tips that can help you get out of a potentially dangerous situation.

When a thunderstorm threatens, the National Weather Service advises us to:

            Avoid high or open places.

            Go inside a large building or home.

            Go inside a car and roll up the windows.

            Stop swimming or boating as soon as you see lightning or hear thunder.

            Stay away from telephone poles and tall trees if you’re caught outside.

            Stay away from the telephone, except in an emergency.

            Stay off hilltops and crouch down if you’re in a ravine or a valley.

Stay away from farm equipment and small metal vehicles, such as motorcycles, bicycles and golf carts.

            Avoid wire fences, clotheslines, rails and any other electrical conductors.

            Stay several yards apart if you are in a group.

To tell if lightning is too close, count the number of seconds between the flash of the lightning and the sound of the thunder and divide by 5. This is the number of miles that the storm is away from you. If the number you get is less than 7, the storm is too close and you should try to find safe shelter.

If you are inside:

            Don’t stand near windows, doors and electrical appliances.

Don’t attempt to unplug TVs, stereos, computers or any electrical appliances during a storm.

            Avoid any contact with piping including sinks, baths and faucets.

            Don’t use your telephone except for emergencies.

No lightning safety guidelines can give you a 100 percent guarantee of total safety, but they can help you avoid a lightning casualty.

First Aid for Lightning Victims:

Most lightning victims can survive with timely medical treatment.

Lightning victims do not carry a charge, so it’s safe to touch them to give first aid.

Call 911 to provide directions and information about the likely number of victims.

First make sure you are not in a high-risk area (“make no more casualties”). If the victim is in a high-risk area such as a mountaintop, under an isolated tree or in an open field with a continuing thunderstorm, giving first aid may cause others to become lightning victims.

Most lightning victims will have major fractures that can cause paralysis or major bleeding. During an active thunderstorm, a rescuer needs to decide whether or not to move the victim from a high-risk area to an area of lesser risk. Don’t be afraid to move the victim if necessary because lightning can strike the same place twice.

If your victim is not breathing, you should start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If you decided to move your victim, give them a few quick breaths before you start moving them. Check the victim for a pulse at the carotid artery at the side of the neck or femoral artery (groin) for at least 20–30 seconds. If you don’t detect a pulse, start cardiac compressions. If you are in a cold and wet environment, you should put a protective layer between the victim and the ground. This may decrease the chance of getting hypothermia which can complicate the resuscitation. If you are in a wilderness area, or any area far from medical care, you should conduct prolonged, basic CPR. Please give chest compressions in a very forceful manner. But, remember the victim is unlikely to recover if they don’t respond within the first few minutes. If the pulse returns, you should continue ventilation with breathing if needed for as long as practical in a wilderness situation. But, if the victim’s pulse does not return after 20 to 30 minutes of good effort, you shouldn’t feel guilty about stopping resuscitation.

Remember lightning can travel at speeds up to 300 miles per second and can carry 50 million volts of electricity. No place outside is safe during a thunderstorm. So, when you see a thunderstorm approaching you should use common sense and act quickly to avoid danger.

Before starting your fitness program, consult your physician.

For help with drug, alcohol and mental health problems call Sobriety Through Outpatient, the area’s most unique drug, alcohol and mental health treatment center at 215-227-STOP (7867) or 1-800-660-STOP (7867). Watch or listen to our recovery media stations everyday at www.stop-recoveryradio.com.

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The crisis is clear. Chronic diseases are crushing healthcare.

As people live longer, chronic diseases have skyrocketed, accounting for nearly 75 percent of the nation’s annual $2 trillion health expenditures, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year.

Our healthcare system is good at treating short-term problems, such as broken bones and infections. Medical advances are helping people live much longer than in the past. But obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. The population is aging. We need to do a much better job managing chronic diseases.

Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s disease take a heavy toll on health. Chronic conditions also cost vast amounts of money. The current trends are going in the wrong direction:

1. Obesity increases the risk of developing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The rate of obesity in adults has doubled in the last 20 years. It has almost tripled in kids ages 2–11.
2. Without big changes soon, 1 in 3 babies born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
3. Average healthcare costs for someone who has one or more chronic conditions is 5 times greater than for someone without any chronic conditions.
4. Chronic diseases account for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare.

Over 162 million cases of seven common chronic diseases — cancers, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders, and pulmonary conditions — were reported in the United States in recent reports. These conditions shorten lives, reduce quality of life and create considerable burden for caregivers.

The global economic impact of the five leading chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, mental illness, heart disease, and respiratory disease — could reach $47 trillion over the next 20 years, according to a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) released in the summer of 2011.

Chronic disease is estimated to account for 35 million deaths worldwide. Cardiovascular disease and cancer comprise a major proportion of chronic diseases in both developed and developing countries. Other than cardiovascular disease and cancer, obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, end-stage renal disease, osteoarthritis and non-alcoholic hepatitis are also becoming significant public health problems.

The prevalence and incidence of these diseases may rapidly increase in the near future in the United States because the prevalence of obesity has increased. At the same time, the population is gradually aging, and age-related degenerative diseases/conditions claim enormous health and economic tolls. Age-related cataract is the leading cause of blindness, accounting for about 42 percent of all blindness. Approximately one in five people over age 65 live with age-related macular degeneration, and adults with advanced macular degeneration have a markedly reduced quality of life and need for assistance with activities of daily living. The incidence of dementia also increases with age. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for more than half of dementia cases.

Chronic illnesses impact every aspect of the lives of people who suffer with them. They have three major tasks. They have to deal with the medical management of their disease — whether it’s taking pills, or doing exercise, or diet, or whatever. They have to deal with the fact that the things they want to do and need to do in life may also change. That can go all the way from no longer being able to work to no longer being able to do a loved hobby, or having to change things in a major way. And they have to cope with the emotional impact, whether this is fear or anxiety or depression.

Adopting a pessimistic attitude, some people believe that there is nothing that can be done, anyway. In reality, the major causes of chronic diseases are known, and if these risk factors were eliminated, at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes would be prevented; over 40 percent of cancer would be prevented.

There are two different types of disease that people can suffer from: acute and chronic. Acute diseases come on fast, with mild to severe symptoms that last a certain amount of time. In some cases they can be life threatening. Chronic diseases, on the other hand, take place over time. They too can be either mild or severe, but it takes a lot longer for them to develop and it takes longer for them to disappear. The symptoms also have a tendency to come and go repeatedly.

When it comes to avoiding chronic diseases, there are several preventive measures that can be taken:

• Do not smoke. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 26.2 million men and 20.9 million women smoke in the United States. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, emphysema and lung cancer. To prevent the onset of these diseases, do not smoke or quit if you currently do.
• Get some exercise. Exercise brings with it a number of benefits: it helps reduce weight, improves mobility, elevates mood, strengthens bones and helps improve circulation. All of these factors will help reduce the chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise on five or more days a week.
• Reduce your alcohol intake. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause a number of health problems. A chronic condition that can occur is cirrhosis of the liver. This is a chronic condition where scar tissue replaces healthy tissue causing the liver to not function optimally. To prevent this disease, keep your alcohol intake moderate.
• Cut out unhealthy foods. What you eat plays a big role in developing chronic diseases. Foods that are processed, have large amounts of refined sugar or are high in saturated fats should be avoided. They can cause obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
• Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber is a non-digestible substance that gets passed through the digestive system. Eating fiber helps relieve constipation and it reduces your chances for colon cancer, diverticulitis, diabetes and kidney stones. The Institute of Medicine recommends eating 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories you eat. Some examples of fiber-rich foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and oat bran.

On our current path, the United States will experience a dramatic increase in chronic disease in the next 20 years. But there is an alternative path. By making reasonable improvements in preventing and managing chronic disease, we can avoid a projected 40.2 million cases of chronic conditions in 2023.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January, 2012. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

It is undeniable that drugs do save lives, but few prescription medications are completely free of risks or side effects. Naturally, the more drugs that are taken at the same time, the greater the risk of adverse interactions and potentially devastating side effects.      

People 65 and older are the largest consumers of prescription and nonprescription medications in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that although the 65-and-over age group makes up only 15 percent of the U.S. population, they account for nearly one-third of drug prescriptions. And drug use by the elderly is expensive. According to Medicare, each senior currently averages 28.5 new prescriptions and refills per year at a cost of $42.30 per drug.

As we get older, our use of medicines will often increase as we treat ailments that often occur as a result of aging.

Medicines are taken to ease, control or cure ailments. They are effective and safe if used correctly.

However, elderly people can be at increased risk from medicines for various reasons:

• Four out of five people over 75 take at least one medicine.
• 36 percent of this age group takes four medicines or more.
• The aging body can be more susceptible to the side effects of medicines.
• Elderly people with multiple diseases can often end up taking multiple medicines at the same time. With multiple medicines, there is an increased chance of side effects, interactions between different medicines and problems taking them correctly.
• The physical effects of aging, such as arthritis and failing eyesight and memory, can also cause issues in taking medicines the way your doctor intended.
• As we age, our livers become less efficient at breaking down medicines, our kidneys less efficient at excreting them.
• This means that normal adult doses of certain medicines may be more likely to cause side effects.

As a result of these natural changes associated with aging, prescription medications can affect the elderly in some very specific ways:

Brain and Nervous System

• The brain and nervous system become more sensitive to certain medicines as we get older.
• Elderly people are particularly susceptible to the side effects of opioid painkillers such as morphine, and sleeping tablets such as diazepam.
• Your doctor may prescribe lower doses of these types of medicines and for short periods only.
• As we age we can also become more forgetful and may have trouble remembering what medicines are for, or whether we have taken them that day.
• There are various strategies to help, including medicine reminder charts and pillboxes that can be filled with all the daily or weekly pills needed. A pharmacist or health visitor can help you arrange this.

Eyesight

• Failing eyesight can cause problems with reading small-print labels and information leaflets supplied with medicines. If this is a problem, ask your pharmacist for large-print labels and leaflets.

Bones and Joints

• Arthritis is a common problem affecting elderly people, and it can cause particular problems with getting medicines out of childproof containers and administering medicines such as eye drops and inhalers.
• Since medicines are of no use if you can’t get into them, your pharmacist can supply your medicines in non-clicklock containers on request. He or she can also provide devices to make using medicines such as eye drops and inhalers easier.
• You will need to remember to keep medicines that are in non-clicklock containers well out of the reach of children.

Mobility

• If you have difficulty getting to the doctor’s to collect prescriptions or to the pharmacy to get them dispensed, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Home visits and delivery arrangements can be made.

Swallowing

• Many elderly people have trouble swallowing tablets and capsules. You should always take tablets and capsules with plenty of water.
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have difficulty swallowing them, because many medicines also come in liquid or soluble forms that are easier to swallow.

Here is some information on some specific categories of medications commonly prescribed for seniors:

Diuretics (sometimes called water tablets)

Diuretics are used most commonly to treat high blood pressure. They are also used to treat conditions such as heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver, in which they remove excess fluid that has been retained in the body.

Diuretics are designed to draw water out of the body, which means you may need to go to the toilet more frequently. For this reason, try to make sure you can easily get to a toilet quickly.

It is usually best to take diuretics in the morning to avoid disturbing your sleep with trips to the toilet at night.

Another possible side effect of diuretic medication is it can cause a drop in your blood pressure when you get up from lying down or sitting. This may make you feel dizzy or light-headed.

If you find this is a problem, get up slowly. If you do start to feel light-headed, sit or lie down until the symptoms pass.

Because the aim of diuretic medication is to remove fluid from the body, you should try not to counter its effect by drinking too much. Just drink enough to satisfy your thirst.

Some forms of diuretic medicine also remove salts (potassium and sodium) from the body. For this reason, your doctor may want to monitor your levels of these salts using a blood test.

Painkillers

Pain and stiffness in the back and joints are common in old age. Many stronger painkillers such as morphine cause constipation as a side effect, so a laxative may also be needed.

Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen and others can cause bleeding from the stomach or bowel.

Elderly people are at particular risk from this side effect, particularly those with heart and kidney problems.

More than one NSAID should not be taken at the same time. If you’ve been prescribed an NSAID by your doctor, you should not buy aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen over the counter to take as a painkiller as well. Ask your pharmacist for advice when buying painkillers.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if painkillers do not provide effective relief.

Older people often take a handful of pills every day. Some are prescribed to treat side effects from other medications. Far too many senior citizens may be overmedicated. In some cases this can lead to depression, confusion or a false diagnosis of dementia.

If you think you, your parent or other elderly loved one is overmedicated, you have every reason to be concerned. But the last thing you should consider doing is stopping the medication!

Only a doctor can tell you whether you or your older relative is suffering from medication side effects or from an actual disease.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, as well as an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Is there something in American society that is causing us to be overweight and obese? This American generation is the most obese and unhealthy society in history. More than 70 percent of Americans struggle with weight that they find impossible to take off. It is the biggest medical epidemic we face today.

Obesity is simply fatness in a degree higher than being overweight. The energy intake coming from food is stored as fat because the body does not use it.

There was a time not so long ago that obesity was considered a sign of health, wealth and beauty. It is widely known today that this is not the case. Obesity has many dangerous side effects such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. At no other time in history has obesity been as widespread as it is right now.

Why? What is the reason for this spike in obesity? Is it lifestyle? Is it laziness? Do we just not care about ourselves anymore?  What is the problem?

Obesity occurs when a person intakes higher amounts of food which do not burn and is stored as fat in the body. Obesity can greatly have an adverse impact on a person’s health. It may even have a worse effect on a person’s mental health.

There are many more people in Philadelphia who are overweight or obese (900,000) than who are at a healthy weight (600,000).

In 2008, 64 percent of adults and 47 percent of children were overweight or obese. In North Philadelphia, nearly 70 percent of children were overweight or obese.

Nationwide, the rate of obesity has tripled in the past 20 years.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.

The crisis is obesity. It’s the fastest-growing cause of disease and death in America. And it’s completely preventable.

Think of it this way: Statistics tell us that for every 20 people reading this column, at least two will die because of a completely preventable illness related to overweight or obesity. Because of overweight or obesity, two of you will spend less time pursuing your dreams, serving in your communities, and enjoying your children and grandchildren.

An unprecedented number of children are carrying excess body weight. That excess weight significantly increases our kids’ risk factors for a range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and emotional and mental health problems.

Looking back 40 years to the 1960s, when many of us were children, just over four percent of 6- to 17-year-olds were overweight. Since then, that rate has more than tripled, to over 15 percent. And the problem doesn’t go away when children grow up. Nearly three out of every four overweight teenagers may become overweight adults.

Our children did not create this problem. Adults did. Adults increased the portion size of children’s meals, developed the games and television that children find spellbinding, and chose the sedentary lifestyles that our children emulate. So adults must take the lead in solving this problem.

Benjamin Franklin was absolutely right back in the 1700s: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But more than 200 years later, prevention is still a radical concept to most Americans.

Some people want to blame the food industry for our growing waistlines. The reality is that restaurants, including many fast -food restaurants, now offer low-fat, healthy choices.

For the meals we eat at home, and the meals we eat out, it’s still our decision what we eat, where we eat, and how much we eat. That concept is part of what I’m talking about with Americans of all ages, races, creeds and colors: increasing our health literacy.

Health literacy is the ability of an individual to access, understand and use health-related information and services to make appropriate health decisions.

Every morning people wake up and, while they’re sitting at the kitchen table, they read the newspaper and the cereal box. Throughout the day they read the nutritional information on their meals and on their snacks. But do they really understand the information they’re reading?

The labels list grams of fat. But do you know how many grams of fat you should eat in a meal? Or in a day? Or how many is too many? Or too few? These are seemingly simple questions, but we’re not being given simple answers.

The number of obese people in the world is currently estimated at approximately one billion, which is a phenomenal statistic, so where did it all go wrong and how have we become this way, over the years?

We now use computers more than ever before; the Internet starts taking over television as the most popular sitting-down activity ever. We now have an abundance of machines that we can use at home that don’t involve much moving about, PlayStations, Xboxes, etc. People use email in organizations rather than talking to their colleagues or getting up to speak to them. We can now use phones anywhere we want to and see and talk to people for hours and hours, wherever we are, and will be mostly doing this while we are sitting down.

The answer to this is quite simple. We do far less [physical] activity than ever before; the old saying goes: “Use it or lose it.” As human beings we are not designed to be sitting for long periods of time or being inactive. The number of cases of diabetes these days is becoming almost a regular thing. We are becoming very poorly educated as regards food; everything is about saving time and not necessarily our own health.

The big problem is with all of this is that due to all of the industrialization, around us we tend to think that we should just go everywhere in our cars. Rather than walking or buying fresh produce, we have let ourselves become a bit too comfortable with our lives and rely on technology to do everything for us, so in the long run we tend to do less rather than more.

Walking briskly for just an hour a day is enough to cut the effect of tendencies toward obesity, according to new research.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health also found that staying sedentary — measured by how long a person watched TV per day — worsened the effects of the “obesity genes.”

A sedentary lifestyle marked by watching television four hours a day increased the genetic influence by 50 percent.

And as we are getting our kids to make healthy choices, we also need to make them for ourselves.

James Baldwin captured the essence of this when he said: “Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health-related topics.

His second book is “Information is the Best Medicine.” For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

According to the Institute of Medicine, “in any given month, an estimated 48 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Prescription drugs are crucial for preventing and treating diseases and improving the public’s health, but they can also have unintended harmful effects. Often, their benefits and risks cannot be fully identified until after a drug has been used by a large, diverse group of patients over time, mainly because clinical trials conducted before approval may be too small or too short to detect all possible risks.”

New drugs are an important part of modern medicine. However, recent controversies leading to the recall of certain prescription drugs have fueled concerns about the nation’s drug approval process. Unfortunately, even the most rigorously designed and controlled clinical study might not identify every possible side effect of a new drug before it is approved for use. More often than we would like, problems may not appear until after a medication is taken by thousands or even millions of patients.

The FDA’s responsibilities for protecting the health of Americans are far-reaching. The FDA protects our nation’s food supply through regulatory activities designed to cover 80 percent of the food consumed in this country. It also regulates all drugs, human vaccines and medical devices, and hence plays a critical role in ensuring the appropriate safety and effectiveness of rapidly emerging medical products. The FDA monitors more than $1 trillion worth of products, representing about 25 cents of every $1.00 spent annually by American consumers.

For approximately every 5,000 to 10,000 compounds that enter preclinical testing, only one is actually approved for marketing. According to the FDA’s own data, only 8 percent of all drugs progressing to human trials after demonstration of safety in animal studies will gain approval. Only about 15 percent of trials for new drugs and treatments are funded by the government. The private pharmaceutical industry funds 85 percent.

The FDA approved 69 drugs in 2007, a 26 percent drop from 93 approvals in 2006. The approval rate of new drugs dropped below 60 percent in 2007, down from 76 percent the year before. This is the lowest approval rate since 1994.

Under fire on several fronts recently, the beleaguered FDA is facing particular scrutiny regarding the safety of drugs it approves for human use. Recent high-profile drug safety failures such as Trasylol, Pergolide, Zelnorm, Ketek and Avandia add to a litany of dangerous drugs, many still prominent in the public’s memory, including Vioxx, FenPhen, Propulsid, Rezulin, Seldane and Accutane.

About half of clinical-trial drug failures are due to undetected toxicities (poisoning), and about half of the small percentage of approved drugs will later be taken off the market or receive black-box warnings for the same reason.

In spite of all this effort, even marketed drugs do not work for most patients. More than 90 percent of these drugs only work in a minority of patients, and rates of effectiveness are as low as 25 percent for cancer treatments and 30 percent for Alzheimer’s disease products. Something is clearly amiss with preclinical drug testing when only 4 in 100 drugs entering clinical trials are truly safe and effective, and that effectiveness means that only a minority of patients will benefit.

It is generally agreed that tens of thousands of people die every year from adverse effects of the medicines they are taking. It is estimated that 7,000 people die yearly from medication errors (as defined in this testimony) alone. One U.S. study showed that 10 percent of drugs approved between 1975 and 1999 had serious safety warnings added after approval, and 3 percent were withdrawn from the market.

New knowledge comes from diversity. The more diversity you have, the more likely you are to find scientific discoveries. A study published online in the journal Medicine suggested the legacy of Tuskegee partly explained a deep distrust of doctors. Among medical patients surveyed in Maryland, the study found 58 percent of Blacks believed doctors prescribe medicine to experiment on people without consent, compared with 25 percent of whites. And 25 percent of the Blacks — but only 15 percent of whites — thought their doctor would ask them to take part in a study that would hurt them.

The FDA focuses its inspections on domestic companies, with about 1,200 inspections conducted annually in the United States. Meanwhile, only about 300 foreign facilities are inspected each year. The latter number amounts to only about 10 percent of the firms shipping prescription drugs or their ingredients into the U.S.

The FDA says itself that it is understaffed and underfunded and needs more regulation authority to deal with the growing international outsourcing for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.

A scathing report for the Institute of Medicine in September 2006 states, “The public would benefit from more information about how drugs are studied before FDA approval, how drugs’ risks and benefits are assessed, and what FDA review entails. Patients also need timely information about emerging safety concerns or about a drug’s effectiveness in order to make better decisions in collaboration with their health care providers. FDA does not have an adequate mechanism for seeking and receiving specific scientific and patient/consumer advice on communication matters.”

The FDA must no longer be comfortable with a failed drug-testing process that puts the public health at risk. What’s needed is a major overhaul of America’s drug approval process, including research ethics. We need to devise a new means of either funding all studies being relied upon in approving medications, or guaranteeing independent oversight of the study process.

Here are a few questions to ask if you are considering being in a clinical trial for a new drug or medical device:

What is a clinical trial, and why is it important to me? Who is sponsoring this trial?

How will my health and safety be protected? Will this benefit me directly? Where can I get more information?

Remember, I’m not a doctor just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible.

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics. His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January 2012. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday promised an extraordinarily thorough springtime review of President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul — more than five hours of argument, unprecedented in modern times — in time for a likely ruling affecting millions of Americans just before the presidential election.

Whitney Houston joins a long list of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Dorothy Dandridge, Elvis Presley, Phyllis Hyman, Gerald Levert, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and others whose deaths are surrounded by facts and whispers of prescription drug involvement.    

Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem.

Officials in the United States say deadly abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has reached epidemic levels. More than 36,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2008, the latest year available. That is almost as many as from road crashes.

More than half of the overdoses involved drugs that need a doctor’s approval. And three-fourths of those deaths involved what are called opioid pain relievers. These include drugs like methadone; morphine; and hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin; and oxycodone, or OxyContin.

Death rates from prescription drugs were highest among people 45 to 54 years old.

More than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems. Fifty-one percent of American children and adults were taking one or more prescription drugs for a chronic condition, up from 50 percent the previous four years and 47 percent in 2001. Most of the drugs are taken daily, although some are needed less often.

There are more than 8,000 medications available either by prescription or over the counter. When drugs are in the research and testing phase, they are most often given to adult men between the ages of 25 and 50; but drugs may act and interact very differently in children, teenagers, women, pregnant and nursing women, menopausal women, and particularly in the elderly, where nutrient absorption and liver function are issues. Your doctor’s only way of measuring your tolerance to a drug is to begin with a standard dose for an adult male and see what happens. If you don’t complain of side effects or no effect, chances are the dose will never be changed.

There are dozens and dozens of factors that can influence what effect a drug has on you, from how much sleep you got the night before and what you had for breakfast, to the condition of your liver and your blood pressure. For example, alcohol abuse can greatly increase or decrease tolerance to a drug, as can obesity, exercise, stress levels and exposure to pollutants such as car exhaust, pesticides or industrial chemicals.

Drugs and nutrients can affect each other in your digestive system, in your bloodstream, in your liver and kidneys, or at the cell level where the drug or nutrient receptor is.

The four major routes for eliminating a drug from the body are the kidneys, liver, skin and lungs. Most drugs are processed out through the liver and then the kidneys. If you have kidney or liver disease, how your body handles drugs is greatly affected. Food, drink or lifestyle habits that stress and damage your kidneys or liver, such as alcohol abuse or chronic exposure to toxins such as solvents and paint fumes, can also affect how you process drugs. Kidney or liver stress or damage usually raises drug levels higher than normal by slowing down the excretion process.

Many types of drugs are prepared for clearance out of the body through the liver using enzymes, also known as the P-450 pathways.

In a drug-free body, or in the presence of only one drug, the P-450 pathways can handle the load. When you have more than one drug cleared through the same pathway, the system quickly gets overloaded, stalling the removal of the drugs from the system. The result is an overdose which can be life-threatening. Grapefruit juice also uses this pathway, which is why drinking it is not advised with some drugs.

A 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that over 70 percent of people who used prescription pain relievers non-medically got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet. The same survey showed the scale of the problem is vast with more than 7 million Americans reporting use of a prescription medication for non-medical purposes in the past 30 days.

If you’re over 50, chances are you’re taking more medications and in greater quantities than you ever did in previous decades. Indeed, people between the ages of 55 and 64 are given an average of eight different prescription medications during the course of a year. And those over age 70 take an average of 6.5 medications per day. It’s only logical that the more medications you take concurrently, the more likely it is that an adverse drug reaction could occur. And for older people, such risks are further compounded by physiological changes that make the body more sensitive to the effects of medications. The body removes drugs with other waste materials. Many drugs travel from the cells through the bloodstream to the kidneys and are eliminated in the urine. The body also removes drugs in tears, sweat and solid wastes. Some of the anesthetics are eliminated when in exhaled breath.

A sluggish digestive system can slow the rate that medications are absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning that less of the medication is available to produce the desired therapeutic effect. Diminished blood flow to the brain may boost the likelihood that certain medications will cause dizziness, fainting, loss of coordination, forgetfulness, confusion or other signs of cognitive impairment. In some people the heart functions less efficiently with age, which in turn may deprive other organs of an adequate blood supply, causing further disruptions in how medications are distributed in the body.

Anything you put in your body shouldn’t be taken lightly; there are side effects to everything you do when it comes to taking prescription medications. Always follow medication directions carefully. Don’t increase or decrease doses without talking with your doctor, and don’t stop taking medication on your own.

Prescription drug abuse is a silent epidemic that is stealing thousands of lives and tearing apart communities and families across America. All of us have a role to play. Health care providers and patients should be educated on the risks of prescription painkillers. And parents and grandparents can take time today to properly dispose of any unneeded or expired medications from the home and to talk to their kids about the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional, medical advice. Readers should always consult their healthcare providers to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation, or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures nationally and internationally on health related topics.

His latest book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January 2012.

For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Sugar gives the body energy. Actually, it is the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells. Each gram of sugar contains 4 calories. Unlike complex carbohydrates, sugars are digested quickly and are easily broken down into glucose, which is then used for energy. 

In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the U.S. from 26 pounds to 135 pounds per person per year! Prior to the turn of this century (1887–1890), the average consumption was only 5 pounds per person per year! Cardiovascular disease and cancer were virtually unknown in the early 1900s.

The average American consumes an astounding 2–3 pounds of sugar each week, which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce and a plethora of microwave meals.

The problem with sugar is that it tastes so darn good. Therein lies the rub. If sugar treats tasted like broccoli, it would be easy to avoid them altogether. Because sugar tastes good, it can be very difficult to avoid consuming excess amounts of it. Sugar is habit-forming. It is addicting. And that can lead to all kinds of health problems. Sugar has absolutely no nutritional value. Consuming a lot of sugar is the equivalent of taking a daily fat pill.

One of sugar’s major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.

An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body’s blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so when you eat sweets high in sugar, you’re making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.

One of the dangers of sugar is thatit raises your blood sugar levels (makes sense). But sugar can also cause hypoglycemia. Over the long term, excess sugar in your diet speeds up the aging process, increases your risk of getting cancer, heart problems, contributes to diabetes, can lead to osteoporosis, hurt your eyesight, and can cause arthritis.

Refined sugar is lethal when ingested by humans because it provides only that which nutritionists describe as “empty” or “naked” calories. It lacks the natural minerals that are present in the sugar beet or cane.

In addition, sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification and elimination makes upon one’s entire system. So essential is balance to our bodies that we have many ways to provide against the sudden shock of a heavy intake of sugar. Minerals such as sodium (from salt), potassium and magnesium (from vegetables), and calcium (from the bones) are mobilized and used in chemical transmutation; neutral acids are produced which attempt to return the acid-alkaline balance factor of the blood to a more normal state.

Sugar taken every day produces a continuously overacid condition, and more and more minerals are required from deep in the body in the attempt to rectify the imbalance. Finally, in order to protect the blood, so much calcium is taken from the bones and teeth that decay and general weakening begin. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body. Initially, it is stored in the liver in the form of glucose (glycogen). Since the liver’s capacity is limited, a daily intake of refined sugar (above the required amount of natural sugar) soon makes the liver expand like a balloon. When the liver is filled to its maximum capacity, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These are taken to every part of the body and stored in the most inactive areas: the belly, the buttocks, the breasts and the thighs.

NOW — let’s talk about high fructose corn syrup.

It is used as a sweetener, and is in almost any processed food you can find on the supermarket shelf today.

High fructose corn syrup is a liver toxin. It is metabolized in the body the same way alcohol is metabolized. Now, the brain metabolizes alcohol, and so you get effects that you can recognize, we call it intoxication. Effects like impaired judgment, slowed response time impaired motor function, etc. But fructose is not metabolized by the brain, so you don’t notice that is affecting your body the same way alcohol is. Drinking a can of soda does the same thing to your liver that drinking a can of beer does. And you are allowing your kids to drink this every day. You may be a person who doesn’t believe in drinking because it destroys your body, but the soda is destroying your body just as much.

When the fructose breaks down in your body, it causes fatty liver disease which raises your cholesterol, and it actually deactivates a substance in your body that prevents high blood pressure, so you get hypertension and high blood pressure, and then you become insulin resistant and develop diabetes. As long as you ingest anything containing fructose or sucrose (table sugar) you will be unable to cure yourself of high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. It also causes kidney disease, which contributes to diabetes and high blood pressure as well. The small blood vessels in the kidney become damaged and even though you might be taking something to lower your blood pressure, because of the kidney damage your heart has to continue to pump the blood through at a higher pressure. The kidney also starts to retain sodium as a result of the damage. So you see, drinking sodas must stop if you want to be really health.

Limiting the amount of sugar in the diet is important to your health. Sugar should account for fewer than 10 percent of your daily calories. If you eat 1,800 calories, that’s 180 calories from sugar — or 11 1/4 teaspoons.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one. Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. It is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.

His second book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January 2012. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Water is a fundamental part of our lives. It is easy to forget how completely we depend on it. Human survival is dependent on water — it has been ranked by experts as second only to oxygen as essential for life. Every day your body must replace 2 1/2 quarts of water.

The water you drink literally becomes you! Since such a large percentage of our bodies is water, water must obviously figure heavily in how our bodies function. Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature and blood circulation, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. This “body water” also cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord, from shock and damage. Chronic dehydration may cause certain problems for the body, including hypertension, asthma, allergies, and migraine headaches. Every process in our body occurs in a water medium.

We can exist without food for two months or more, but we can only survive for a few days without water.

Although water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, only 1 percent of the Earth’s water is available as a source of drinking water.

Among its other benefits, water plays a major part in weight loss. Since water contains no calories, it can serve as an appetite suppressant, and helps the body metabolize stored fat. It may possibly be one of the most significant factors in losing weight!

Make no mistake about it: “Water is the single most important nutrient you take in every day.”

Drinking more water helps to reduce water retention by stimulating your kidneys. Dehydration leads to excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity, joint and muscle soreness and water retention. Water works to keep muscles and skin toned.

Constipation is a frequent symptom of dehydration. Increased water, along with increased fiber, will usually totally eliminate a constipation problem.

Since the body has no reserve system, it operates a priority distribution system for the amount that has been made available by intake. Adults lose nearly six pints (12 cups) of water every day. We lose 1/2 to one cup a day from the soles of our feet. Another two to four cups are lost from breathing. Perspiration accounts for another two cups. Another three pints (six cups) are lost in urine. The body’s signals of dehydration are frequently joint pain, stomach pain and ulcers, back pain, low energy, mental confusion and disorientation.

The “dry mouth” signal is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration. In addition, the thirst sensation gradually decreases with age. The result is increasing dehydration. We even need water to breathe! As we take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide, our lungs must be moistened by water. We lose about one to two pints of water each day just exhaling.

Asthma is frequently relieved when water intake is increased. Histamine plays a key role in regulating the way the body uses and distributes water and helps control the body’s defense mechanisms. In asthmatics, histamine level increases with dehydration. The body’s defense is to close down the airways.

The kidneys remove wastes such as uric aced, urea and lactic acid, all of which must be dissolved in water. When there isn’t sufficient water, those wastes are not effectively removed, which may result in damage to the kidneys.

Water lubricates our joints. The cartilage tissues found at the ends of long bones and between the vertebrae of the spine hold a lot of water, which serves as a lubricant during the movement of the joint. When the cartilage is will hydrated, the two opposing surfaces glide freely, and friction damage is minimal. If the cartilage is dehydrated, the rate of “abrasive” damage is increased, resulting in joint deterioration and increased pain.

Brain tissue is 85 percent water. Although the brain is only 1/50th of the body weight, it uses 1/20th of the blood supply.

With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are frequently results of dehydration. Dehydration plays a major role in bringing on migraines. Dehydration causes stress and stress causes further dehydration.

A non-active person needs a half ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. That is ten 8-ounce glasses a day if your weight is 160 pounds. For every 25 pounds you exceed your ideal weight, increase it by one 8-ounce glass. The more you exercise the more water you need. Spread out your water intake throughout the day. Do not drink more than four glasses within any given hour. After a few weeks your bladder calms down and you will urinate less frequently, but in larger amounts.

With the recent news about the problems with our water supply, it’s important to still understand the role that water plays in our lives. Times like this make it clear that we must do everything possible to protect the water.

Bottled water is not necessarily safer than your tap water. EPA sets standards for tap water provided by public water systems; the Food and Drug Administration sets bottled water standards based on the same EPA tap water standards. Filters are no better a long-term solution than bottled water — in the end, we need to make tap water safe for everyone.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended, nor implied, to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Glenn Ellis is a health advocacy communications specialist. He is the author of “Which Doctor?” and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, as well as an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health-related topics.

His latest book, “Information is the Best Medicine,” was released in January. For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com.

Stress is the mental, emotional and physiological response of the body to any situation that is new, threatening, frightening or exciting. It can be both positive and negative. What determines this is how we react to it. The ways we react to stress has been categorized as eustress or distress.

When we react to stress in a positive way it’s called eustress. In this case, health and performance continue to improve even as stress increases. When we react to stress negatively, we are in a distressed state. When a person experiences continued distress, health and performance begin to deteriorate.

Stress signals

Stress is a part of everyday life. Some people can even thrive on it. But when stress reaches your mental, emotional or physiological limits it becomes distress. The way in which people perceive and cope with stress seems to be more important in the development of disease than the amount and type of stress itself.

If you suffer from headaches, fatigue, compulsive overeating, over-critical behavior, tooth grinding, crying over nothing, thoughts of running away, edginess, indecisiveness or feel ready to explode, stress may be the cause.

Stress can increase the risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, eating disorders, ulcers, diabetes, asthma, migraine headaches, sleep disorders, depression, chronic fatigue and certain types of cancer. Stress accumulated from our daily life can also aggravate many illnesses.

Eating and stress

If you tend to overeat when you feel stressed, you could be causing a lot of problems both mentally and physically. Problems associated with this reaction to stress include gaining weight and being at risk for diseases associated with being overweight. Using food to deal with stress can also lead to eating disorders, such as bulimia and compulsive overeating.

Become more aware of the events and thoughts that prompt emotional eating. Keep a log to help you analyze what’s happening with your emotions. Be specific in what you write.

Seek alternatives. Instead of turning to food to cope with your feelings, work on dealing with them in other ways.

You should try to limit your daily food intake to:

Two to three servings of protein (fish, chicken, turkey, beef)

Four to six servings of grains (whole-grain bread, pasta, rice)

Four to six servings of vegetables

Four to six servings of fruit

Avoid junk foods!

What can you do?

Here are a few quick tips that will help you cope with stress immediately.

Stop your thoughts before they escalate into the worst possible scenarios.

Breathe deeply to release physical tension.

Smile — it’s hard to feel stressed when you smile.

Take a quick walk even if it’s for one or two minutes.

Have a cup of warm herbal tea.

Appraise the situation or identify the problem.

View the stressor as a challenge.

Do what you can to deal with the problem or stressor.

There are many ways of dealing with prolonged stress. If you’re “stressed out,” try these methods of coping with stress.

Use your mind to keep you calm when you feel stress building. You can do this by breathing deeply with your eyes closed then consciously telling yourself to relax. Once you calm down, view the stressor as a situation, you can deal with and take steps to do so. There may be times when you have to postpone dealing with it.

A regular fitness program is a great way to reduce the amount of stress you experience in your daily life. Research shows that aerobic exercise stimulates alpha wave activity in the brain. These same wave patterns are commonly seen during periods of relaxation and meditation. Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, biking or dancing for 30 minutes or more also releases morphine-like substances called endorphins. These endorphins not only act as painkillers, but also induce a calming effect. The good feelings you get from working out will carry over for hours. Exercise is a great way to deal with stress.

There are books and pamphlets, which explain how to practice other techniques of dealing with stress. These include breathing techniques for relaxation, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation and autogenic training, which is a form of self-suggestion.

Other ways of dealing with stress include changing or improving personal character traits. These can include behavior changes such as assertiveness training, self esteem enhancement, being flexible, improving organizational skills and time management.

Remember, there are many things that we can’t control. But, we must maintain control over how we handle things. If you need to cry, scream, count to ten, smile or simply sigh, do it. Take things in stride and work through it. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

The symptoms of stress are common for many illnesses, so consult your doctor to rule out other health problems. If you feel you need help to cope with stress, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.

Before starting your fitness or health program, consult your physician.

For help with drug, alcohol and mental health problems call Sobriety Through Outpatient drug, alcohol and mental health treatment center at (215) 227-7867. Watch or listen to our recovery media stations every day at www.stop-recoveryradio.com.

If you have a fitness question or concern you would like addressed write to “Tips to be Fit” P.O. Box 53443 Philadelphia PA 19105, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (215) 387-3081. If you’ve missed an article of “Tips to be Fit,” go to www.phillytrib.com and search “Tips to be Fit.” Listen to “Tips to be Fit” with Vince daily at www.stop-recoveryradio.com.