Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/8157
4A – Daily News – Monday, March 22, 2010 Vitality & health By MARISSA CEVALLOS San Jose Mercury News SAN JOSE (MCT) — Starting this month, someone rushed to Santa Clara Valley Med- ical Center with a trau- matic brain injury may get a shot of a sex hor- mone. The hospital is join- ing Stanford, San Fran- cisco General and about a dozen hospitals across the country to test if progesterone, a hor- mone pregnant women produce in abundance, can stop the brain from wreaking self-destruc- tion after an accident. Neuroscientists say the trial is the most promising in decades to find a drug that can treat traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which afflicts 1 million to 2 million Americans each year. Researchers say the ill- ness has been chronical- ly underfunded and understudied, but is now stepping into the lime- light as the signature ill- ness of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, no drug exists to stop the brain from swelling a few hours after a blow to the head, commonly from a car crash, an accidental fall, or in Iraq, a blast from an improvised explosive. Swelling causes bystanding brain cells to die and under extreme pressure, the brain can leak out of the base of the skull, killing the patient. Proges- terone may halt the brain from bulging and protect brain cells around the injury. Few drugs have shown promise to treat TBI. For the past three decades, "all of the clin- ical trials have failed," said Geoffrey Manley, Hospital begins study on brain injuries amount of money to do studies on brain injury," Torres said. Nearly $400 million in research grants for TBI were awarded by the Depart- ment of Defense, Veter- an's Affairs, and Health and Human Services between 2003 and 2008, which doctors say is a dramatic increase from the 1990's. "It was sort of a blessing in dis- guise," Torres says. If this trial shows progesterone is effective in treating TBI, soldiers will add injectable prog- esterone to their med- ical kits, and para- medics could give it at the site of a car wreck. Torres believes one reason TBI has been underfunded is that nurses and doctors often see brain injured patients go in wheel- chairs to nursing homes, but rarely get to see the patients who recover and return to school or work. chief of neurosurgery at San Francisco General Hospital. Two studies were halted when the drugs made patients worse. But in a 100-person trial at an Atlanta hospi- tal between 2001 and 2005, TBI patients given progesterone were more than twice as like- ly to survive than those given a placebo. Patients with a moderate brain injury were more likely to recover if given progesterone. And prog- esterone, which occurs naturally in both men and women and is pack- aged in birth-control pills, has well-under- stood and limited side effects. In the next five years, 1,140 patients will be enrolled in the study. The progesterone Lassen House ALZHEIMER’S/DEMENTIA SUPPORT GROUP EVERY 4TH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 6:00 PM COME AND JOIN US WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU! Coffee and Refreshments served. *This month, March 23rd , Carol Pickard, Regional Operations Manager for California, will be joining us. She will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Carol is a raduate of CSU, Fresno and has been involved in elder services for over 20 years, 12 years working directly with dementia specific clients. 705 Luther Road, Red Bluff (530) 529-2900 • Lic.# 525000833 must be administered within four hours, about the time it takes a blow to the head to begin per- verting the brain's chemistry. Since brain injured patients are likely unconscious when rushed to the hospital and can't give consent, the study has an FDA exception to enroll a patient if a medical proxy can't be found. The war in Iraq has done more than any- thing else to elevate traumatic brain injuries to the public conscious- ness, according to neu- rosurgeon Dr. Roland Torres at Santa Clara Valley Medical, who oversees about a thou- sand TBI cases each year. "All of a sudden, there was an incredible "There's a strong nihilism on the part of the medical industry," Torres says. "They assume, that's how the patients will be forev- er." Another reason TBI may lie below the public consciousness, suggests the clinical trial's leader David Wright, a neuro- scientist at Emory in Georgia, is for lack of a spokesman. "It's almost taboo to have a brain injury because it means you're mentally impaired," Wright said. "You ever see some star come out and talk about TBI?" That's changing now, says Wright, as sports organizations like the NFL acknowledge risk of dementia from con- cussions and more sol- diers with TBI flow through places like Wal- ter Reed. CARE TO COMMENT? At redbluffdailynews.com, scroll to the end of any story, click the link and type away. Andrea’s Therapeutic Massage Andrea Strege C.M.T. Deep Tissue • Relaxation Pain & Stress Relief 1 Hour massage Only $ 15 minutes $15.00 30 minutes $25.00 Now Offering 45.00 Red Bluff Health & Fitness walk-ins welcome 530-776-8201 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Corning Calif. Largest Selection In Tri-County • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com fitness How to: Relax at the doctor's office (MCT) Going to the doctor for a checkup or a diagnosis is near the bottom of many people's list of desired activities. Nurses pass along these tips for feeling less on edge: Leave early for an appointment. ... If you rush out the door and are running late, you'll get to the office already stressed out. ... But expect to wait. Doctors try to run on time, but the reality is they often don't. Bring something relaxing to do in the waiting room, such as a favorite book or maga- zine, a book of puzzles, a knitting project or an iPod. Avoid caffeine. Stop drinking soda, coffee and other caffeinated products at least an hour before your appointment. Caffeine can cause extra jitters and also raise your blood pressure. Bring company. Ask family member or friend to come to your appointment. You'll have a nice distraction in the waiting room and, if you want, an extra set of ears when your doctor gives you advice. Communicate your fears. Tell your doctor up front if you are nervous and let her know what part of an appointment scares you the most. Stay in the loop. Have your doctor explain what's going on at different stages of the visit to avoid surprises. Use visualization. During shots and blood draws, close your eyes and picture yourself in a favorite place (looking away from needles also can help reduce pain). Relax your muscles as much as possible and breathe slowly and deeply. Try not to be embarrassed. While you may feel uncomfortable with being naked or discussing sensitive health topics, your doctor likely has seen and heard it all before — often many times a day. Nutrition quiz: Omega-3 (MCT) — OK, you're telling me that Omega-3 Awareness Day came and went on March 3 _ and we missed it? The least we can do is devote a quiz to the celebrated fatty acid. ___ 1. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the use of omega-3 helps increase the lifespan of those with heart disease by how many years? a) 5 b) 10 c) 15 2. For which of the following conditions is the use of omega-3 not helpful? a) Decreasing triglyceride levels b) Helping lower the creatine kinase in the kidneys c) Slowing the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque 3. What is a major problem that someone who con- sumes too much omega-3 (more than 3 grams a day) can experience? a) Cluster headaches b) Brittle bones c) Excessive bleeding 4. Which of the following foods does not contain alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid? a) Flaxseed b) Oysters c) Soybeans 5. Other than salmon, which fish contains the high- est levels of omega-3s? a) Flounder b) Shark c) Swordfish ANSWERS: 1: a; 2: b; 3: c; 4: b; 5: c (swordfish: 0.97 grams per 3-ounce serving). Source: www.americanheart.org.