Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

by drfortan on February 24, 2011

Are you at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Here are some hints if you are in trouble.

The field of aging and dementia is in particular focus today. When is it just aging? When is it dementia? When is it more than just absent-mindedness, yet not Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Is there a premonitory state, a category of people who are at particular danger of developing AD? The answer today is yes. Though not all of those fulfilling these symptoms will develop AD, a majority will. Concentrating our efforts on this group may be important for prevention.

Dementia comes from two Latin words: ‘de,’ meaning out of, and ‘mentis,’ meaning mind. Therefore, dementia means to be out of one’s mind. The practical difference between natural aging and dementia is that an aging mind still has the ability to live independently. The demented mind, even with one’s best effort, cannot do so. One recognizes reality and the other one increasingly loses it. Recent research has identified a transitional state between normal cognitive decline and AD. We call this Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Both clinical criteria and now imaging and laboratory criteria seem to overlap in distinguishing a segment of our population that is at high risk for developing AD. Studies have estimated that those fulfilling the criteria for MCI develop AD at a rate of 17-20% per year.

However, not all develop AD. Recognizing this group is important for both medical treatment and practical reasons. The practical reasons are that these individuals can make the proper choices for their future health care and life before they lose their ability to do so. Medical treatment, risk mitigation, and prevention are a must. Family, financial, and social support can begin to optimize their life, mitigate their being victimized by predators, and delay early entry in a nursing facility.

Reverent George, well known and loved at the hospital, told me the story of how he first met his wife in Brooklyn back in the days when horse drawn buggies still carried the groceries to the people (rather than the huge markets that we have today). As he described the sounds of wagon wheels, the sights of the red clay buildings, and smells of fresh fruits that permeated the air of the city (as if it existed at that moment in the hospital cafeteria), I could not but feel anxiety as he recounted these wondrous events for at least the tenth time to me in the past thirty mornings.

Reverend George still drove himself, visited patients diligently, and was no danger to himself or to others. However, everyone had begun to notice his recurrent stories, name and word finding difficulties, decreased attention to detail and personal hygiene, and a heavy reliance on his daily planner. The tell-tale signs of his last meal he often wore on his tie. His great wealth of history and his pastoral empathy overshadowed any shortcomings, except for those who knew him as intimately as I did. Since I had moved from New York to California, Reverend George had become my extended family father. Through the years, he had cultivated my interest in Bioethics through casual references of books that I might find interesting, which I did. Soon, our early morning visits at the doctors’ dining room for breakfast became a tradition or a habit I looked forward to, as I knew he did.

Four years after the onset of these symptoms, I was called to the Emergency Room after he had not shown up for breakfast. He had been in a motor vehicle accident that morning, having gone through a red light. Now looking back at the typical signs of MCI criteria, Reverend George had started to fulfill them four years before.

The criteria can be categorized into four main points. First, memories of recent events become vague and a reliance on old stories predominates. Second, behaviorally they become less fastidious and occasionally need to be reminded to groom. Third, though their judgment perception and reasoning is intact, there is a measurable difference noted by family and friends. Fourth, in comparison to their age related contemporaries, their reaction time and memory performance lags with heavy reliance on notes.

The dividing line between MCI and AD is not a line at all, but a grey zone often demarcated by an event that clearly indicates an inability to function independently or safely. It may be as apparent as an accident, a sudden episode of disorientation or hallucinations, or as subtle as forgetting an appointment. Once it begins, it slowly but insidiously worsens with peaks of lucidness and valleys of sudden deterioration.

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Spirituality and Prayer

by drfortan on January 13, 2011

Prayers of Thanksgiving are associated with decreasing cortisol level (our aging hormone) and an increase in growth hormone, dopamine and serotonin.

The Buddha study in Wisconsin using the functional MRI proved this fact. There was an increase in activity in the infra frontal gyrus and singulate gyrus in those who were able to say positive prayers or meditation. This caused a consequent increase in dopamine and serotonin levels. Dopamine is associated with an increase in impulse control, that is decrease in addition, and serotonin an increase in our ability for restful sleep and decrease in our pain perception. Yes, by praying we actually decrease our pain and increase our ability to be in self-control. No wonder those who prayer together stay together.

Forgiveness

As we grow older the majority of us have regrets and resentments. One patient told me, “I killed myself to give them (her children) all I could and what did I get in return, a kick in the pants. They don’t even come to visit me, nor call on holidays. I have to call them first”.

Hope College in Michigan gave guidelines to forgiveness. First, refuse to see yourself as a victim. Second, empathize. Try to see it through their eyes. Third, don’t expect them to be thankful you forgave them. Fourth, forgive and if you can forget, but learn the lesson.

Resentment, I have been told, is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to fall.

Forgiveness is essential for physical, mental, and spiritual health. Start it today.

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The Sleep Epidemic

by drfortan on December 21, 2010

According to the American Sleep Association, 17% of the US population have obstructive sleep apnea. It is responsible, according to JAMA 3/09, for 82% of resistant hypertensive cases. Second, there is a twelvefold increase in Alzheimer’s disease, a fourfold increase in coronary disease and sudden death, and threefold increase in cancer associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Do you have it, or your patients? If you or your patients are over 40, overweight, and snore, there is a 70% chance you or they have it. The epidemic is not just in adults, but attacks our children and adolescence.

Obesity rate has now reached 30% in the United States. Obesity is a major cause of OSA. Obesity is defined as a waist size in women of 35” or greater, in men a 40” waist or greater.

Besides the morbidities mentioned, there are others such as a fourfold increase in traffic accidents, poor school and work performance, and marital discord and depression directly associated with OSA.

OSA affects stage 3 and 4 sleep and REM sleep. Stage 3 and 4 sleep and REM are essential to restoring thyroid, growth, and sex hormones and essential

Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine and serotonin are the executive anti-addictive and antidepressant neurotransmitters. REM sleep is essential for memory consolidation.

People with OSA or insomnia over eat, are irritable with poor frustration tolerance, on neuropsychological testing show poor memory, poor attention and concentration, and agility skills (the cause for car accidents and poor work performance). The loss of hormones replacement causes rapid aging, and this together with no sex drive, irritability, and depression is a major cause of marital and work-related problems.

Is there a remedy? Yes.

As a physician, any patient over 40 and obese, must be asked if they snore. If they do, they need a polysomnogram.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Need for Follow Up

by drfortan on December 21, 2010

Most studies have shown obstructive sleep apnea can seriously impair our cognitive function; especially executive functioning that is our ability to get things done, second, vigilance that is the ability to be attentive and concentration, and third recent memory or working memory, which is dependent upon vigilance.

People with obstructive sleep apnea have mainly three choices:

1. CPAP. A mask with positive pressure

2. A mandibular advancement device, usually made by a dentist

3. Surgical intervention.

CPAP has proven to be effective in 80% of the cases where advancement mandibular device less than 50%, and surgery less than 33%.

A major problem with CPAP is that there is a low compliance, often 70% or greater, of people despite having the equipment do not use it or use it inadequately.

Because it has been shown that if a patient is not compliant within the first week, there is a high likelihood they will not continue using it. The consequences, of course, are severe, a twelvefold increase in Alzheimer’s, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, plus obesity, personality changes and anxiety, panic attacks, and depression are just a few of the ramifications for those with Obstructive Sleep Apnea who do not use or utilize their CPAP correctly.

Compliance can often be helped with close follow up by the physician and a referral to centers or companies that supply the CPAP equipment and will work with the patient in order to find the right fit for them.

Armodafinil 150 to 250mg per day has also been shown to improve wakefulness and vigilance and episodic memory difficulties. If the CPAP cannot be tolerated, then a mandibular device might be tried, though only 52% of the patients will get satisfactory results, despite a 77% compliance rate. Palate surgery should be a last resort since it is the least likely to be successful compared to CPAP.

A new drug in phase 3 clinical trials called Almorexant may be a new strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as it has been found that obstructive sleep apnea stimulates orexant by the hyperthalamus releasing abeta amyloid. This blocks orexant receptors and inhibits the abeta plaque accumulation.

In conclusion, compliance for those with obstructive sleep apnea is mandatory or the consequences including Alzheimer’s disease is too much of a price to pay. It is, therefore, important for everyone who has been told they have obstructive sleep apnea to return to their physician and have someone come to their home or you go to their office to find the best fir for your CPAP. I can be done. It must be done.

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Vitamin D

by drfortan on December 20, 2010


What are the real facts?

What type of Vitamin D is best?

What does it do?

Can I take too much?

What does it do?

Vitamin D increases intestinal absorption of calcium, which helps keep bones strong. It also has a protective effect against cancers, especially prostate cancer. It is also helpful with immunological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis which is often associated with low levels of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is the only one of 13 vitamins that can be made by the human body. Sunlight acts on a form of cholesterol in the skin resulting in Vitamin D3 that goes to the liver and kidneys to become an active vitamin D calcitrol.

What type of Vitamin D is best?

Either Vitamin D2 or D3 are good, as both must go to the liver to be activated. So either type is ok, and the proper dosage would be 1000IU of either or a combo of 500 IU. The recommended dosage for the 51-70 year old age range is 400 IU, however an individual over 71 years of age should increase their dosage to 600 IU. Dietary Vitamin D found in fish oil is better. If you are deficient, only supplementation will help you, as you would need 24 oz of fish to get 400 IU of Vitamin D.

Can I take too much?

The answer is yes. Do not take more than 5000 IU per day. The recommended dosage is 1000 IU.

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Pain Clinics: The Modern Opium Dens of Today

by drfortan on July 19, 2010

If you have a pain that just won’t go away, should you go to a pain clinic? If you choose the wrong one you may go from bad to worse. Pain clinics are springing up like Marijuana clinics here in California. Why? Is it because there is concern over suffering or because there is a lot of money to be made on desperate people?

Let me tell you a story about one of my patients, named Jane. This story is true and occurring at an alarming frequency.

A pediatrician asked me to see his girl Friday. She was the best employee he had in 30 years. He told me how over a ten week period this dynamo of 9 years in his employment turned into a zombie, barely able to think no less talk. What happened to Jane?

She told me that she had some back pain that would not go away, so she decided to see a pain specialist. She said, “He briefly examined me and said I had a herniated disc and gave me a prescription for Vicodin” and scheduled me for a series of shots and tests. After a week when that didn’t work, he changed it to Norco and an epidural shot into my spine. Then he changed me to Oxycontin, and finally morphine sulfate.

Jane now in addition to her back pain, she had severe constipation, constant drowsiness, a feeling like she couldn’t think and a loss of her libido. Her recently estranged husband threatened to take their kids away as she had overslept one morning and failed to get their children to school on time.

In a two month period, she had been given five epidural injections of steroids in her spine. At least 10 local injections of steroids and now they were considering putting in a morphine pump. A gadget placed in her body which would give a steady stream of narcotics. Prior to eight weeks ago, Jane rarely drank more than one glass of wine per year. She was the breadwinner and the finest worker my pediatric friend had ever hired.

What happened? Jane got caught up in the spine pain jungle where doctors make their patients addicts and at the same time charge tens of thousands of dollars for worthless injections and when all else fails, they order like they did with Jane a morphine pump. Yes, now Jane will be his patient forever. Forever addicted, forever drugged, forever dependant and forever a failure in life unable to take care of her family no less themselves. Yes, a chronic addict no different than the old opium dens in China 100 years ago. Now we call these “pain clinics”. Luckily not all pain clinics are unscrupulous.

My exam clearly showed all Jane had was a little arthritis, her MRI scan showed no significant disc problems. All she needed was 1-2 weeks of ibuprofen and 4-5 sessions of physical therapy. Neither of which had been prescribed to her. But now such a simple remedy would not work because Jane had a serious problem, she was an addict.

After examining her, I asked her to call her pain doctor. The receptionist answered and was reluctant to tell her the credentials of these so called pain physicians. I took the phone and was told these pain specialist were only general practitioners.

Jane had been caught up in the new age opium mill called the pain specialist clinic.

The American Academy of Neurology and American Pain Academy warn that Narcotics are the last medication choice, and should only be used for severe acute pain for less than 2 weeks. The most commonly used Narcotics that we find are Codeine, Vicodin, Norco, all of which are Hydrocodones. Next are Oxycontin, Percocet, Demerol, and Morphine Sulfate to name a few.

Narcotics don’t treat the problem. They just hide the symptoms. I call them the Ostrich narcotics, as you don’t see the pain but it is still there.

The downsides of narcotics are:

1. constipation

2. drowsiness

3. loss of libido

4. addiction

5. depression

The dependency on narcotics is fierce, and withdrawal symptoms with increased pain perception, cramps and vomiting can be debilitating. The fact is after 2 weeks narcotics effectiveness begin to wane and stronger or higher doses are needed. This is what happened to Jane.

Narcotics play havoc with our normal hormone dopamine and our calmative hormone serotonin which are so important for our body’s natural defense against pain.

Narcotics not only hide the pain, but make us more sensitive to it when they wear off. Yes, in time we are not only addicted physiologically, but pain wise narcotics actually decrease our own defenses and our ability tolerate any pain.

If your doctor keeps re-ordering your narcotic medication, ask him to help you get off them.

The difference between the opium dens of the early 20th Century, and some of the pain clinics today is that the Den is now called a clinic, the Opium are prescription narcotics. Dens were illegal, but are now paid for by private insurance companies who don’t police those who call themselves pain specialists.

Jane is now in a narcotics withdrawal hospital. Why, because she had a simple case of low back pain and was going through a life crisis. Her life is in ruin. How can you avoid this trap? Ask your doctor who he’d send his family to.

Tell me your story

Next, how to pick a good pain specialist

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Why Diet Sodas Are So Dangerous!

by drfortan on June 16, 2010

First, they cause carbohydrate craving that leads to obesity.

Second, They contain Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal & Spoonful) which may be a poison.

Diet soda may not contain calories but their chemical formula turn on a similar mechanism in the body and brain that refined carbohydrates do, turning on a potent stimulus in the brain to crave carbohydrates. People involved in diet drink research have been shown to gain weight.

Aspartame can be a poison. When the sweetener’s temperature exceeds 86 degrees Fahrenheit, (our body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) it turns the Aspartame to Formaldehyde (embalming fluid) then to Formic acid, the poison injected by fire ants. Methanol toxicity from this process has been implicated in producing symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus.

Remember to watch out for the label “Sugar Free” and also the label “Fat Free” as fat free is often full of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is the cause of the obesity epidemic in America.

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Trouble Dieting

by drfortan on June 2, 2010

Why can’t we stay on our diet? The reasons are many, but two I want to bring in focus:

1. Loss of willpower

2. Addictive foods that cause carb craving

Loss of willpower is due to low serotonin and dopamine levels caused by inadequate sleep and uncontrolled stress.

Physicians, disciplined and dedicated all their lives are most susceptible as they are chronically stressed and get inadequate sleep. What does this do to those disciplined young doctors as they mature? The American Medical Association clearly has indicated that physicians are more often than not overweight or obese, have a high rate of addiction to alcohol and drugs, and have a higher than 65% divorce rate.

All diets will fail unless you control sleeplessness and stress.

Do you sleep adequately? For the next week I want you to log the time you get in bed and the time you get out of bed, and then the time you actually slept. If the time of sleep does not equal 7 hours you probably are having difficulty with serotonin and dopamine and the energy needed to keep your willpower up in times of temptation. (See the Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription on sleep or CD and DVD series)

Are you taking care of your stress? It is not how busy you are, but how frustrated that causes you to have decreased levels of serotonin and dopamine and increased levels of cortisol that cause you to overeat and age. Understanding the difference between controlled and uncontrolled stress is essential. (See the CD or DVD program on stress)

How to be successful and prevent Alzheimer’s. First control your sentinel risk factors, that is stress and sleep problems. This will give you the willpower. Know what to eat. The harmonic diet and the golden dozen foods high in antioxidants. Know that all important order of eating. Eating a protein, Omega 3’s found in fish oil and other products will first decrease your appetite and convert sugar to protein by provoking the hormone glucagon. Just by eating a protein or a fat first, you can turn on your bodies chemistry to lose fat, increase lean muscle mass and keep on your diet. Yes, what we eat first determines what we eat next (a carbohydrate leaded dessert) or not. The CD or DVD on harmonic diet will pave the way to your success.

The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription and DEAR Program

Did you ever wonder why you cannot change your lifestyle, that is stay on a diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep? Be the person you want to be? Many will tell you it is just a matter of motivation or willpower.

If that is true, then why are doctors and other professionals who attain their degrees in position only through persistence and determination and shear willpower, often overweight or obese, and out of control?

The reason is not a question of willpower, but neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Without them it is like a Mercedes without fuel. Our intentions, “healthy life changes”, fail without willpower and a plan.

The DEAR Program and Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription will show you how to maximize how to the hormones that in fact help us maintain willpower and motivation. “The fuel”. Learn about the sentinel risk factors that cause us to fail. Go to the DEAR Program.com to find more.

Wine: Friend or Foe

A recent European study shows why drinking 4-6oz of wine for women and double that for men is helpful for both brain and heart.

Drinking wine boosts Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish.

A study called the IMMIDET showed wine, more than beer, increases Omega 3 DHEA in blood plasma and EPA.

A UCLA study showed moderate wine drinkers were 25% less at risk for disability than tea tottlers.

Worried About Osteoporosis?

Recent studies from Tuff’s University in Boston showed in a four year osteoporosis study that foods high in anti-oxidants carotene inhibit bone breakdown and re-absorption. Such foods are:

1. Tomatoes

2. Guava

3. Watermelon

4. Sweet peppers

5. Grapefruit

6. Carrots

7. Strawberries and other dark berries.

So eat a colorful meal of vegetables at lunch and dinner.

Warning: if you are on statins (cholesterol lowering agents) grapefruit may interfere with its absorption.

Exercise or Not

Why don’t we exercise? The reasons I am given by my patients are:

1. I cannot find the time. I call this the time deficiency syndrome.

2. Going to a gym is too difficult and expensive. I call this the gymless syndrome.

3. I am just too tired after working all day. I call this the overworked syndrome.

The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription and DEAR Program show you how to overcome all three at home with no need for a gym or equipment. Go to DEARProgram.com

Exercise: Why you Fail

1. I cannot find the time. I call this the time deficiency syndrome.

2. Going to a gym is too difficult and expensive. I call this the gymless syndrome.

3. I am just too tired after working all day. I call this the overworked syndrome.

Let’s take number 3, I’m just too tired. I am just too tired after a full days work! I am too tired means your stress hormones are high (cortisol) and youthful hormones testosterone, estrogen, growth hormone, and thyroid are low. One of the assets and best ways to reverse that quotient is, in fact, exercise. Exercise decreases stress hormones and delays aging, heart disease, and carb craving, and consequently obesity that comes with being a couch potato. ( Potatoes by the way are high on the glycemic index) So, by resting in fact you make it worse.

Exercise just 10 minutes by the Fort Formula will raise growth hormone 14% for four hours, stimulate thyroid, testosterone production and the hormone Leptin that decreases appetite. Yes, 10 minutes will burn calories and decrease your appetite and make you lean.

In my experience the average person over 50 who exercises before dinner consumes 20% less calories while simulating the youthful hormone that make you look younger and increased energy for the next day and increase your endurance.

The additional bonus is that the increase is an increase in muscle mass and increase in calories burned just by being lean. In fact you look younger and you are younger.

Exercise done the Fort Formula way increases neogenesis and neoplasticity that is increase in brain cells and its connections.

Exercise just 10 minutes a day makes your body lean and healthy, resists aging and increases your mental abilities and prevents Alzheimer’s disease.

Time Deficiency Syndrome

Not enough time. Not enough time is rarely a valid reason in America not to exercise. The Nielsen Study shows that the average American watches 5.5 hours of TV per day. Clearly, there is time. However, the gymless syndrome often chimes in, I need a gym.

The Fort Formula home program can be done “on the couch or in front of a TV”. Wow. Now the only excuse left is I have no couch or no TV. Well, that is even better. The Fort Formula exercise program is fashioned to strengthen core, muscles where we lose up to 36% of our lean muscle mass as we age. It is the major cause for falls and injuries and the number one cause for falls and that is fear of falling in individuals 60 years of age or older, especially in those over 70. Injuries to the hips, knees, shoulders are very frequent as we age. In fact, it doubles every 10 years after 50. The Fort Formula exercise program without need for weights or assistive devises causes the excitation of a muscle hormone called IGF-1 that stimulates a brain derived hormone that sets off three genes that increase lean muscle mass (Increase muscle size) and increase bone density (so important to women over 50). Finally, these genes of CRG 1 and 3, stimulate brain growth. Exercise is essential to both our body and brain. It also is essential to our psyche, or attitude and sense of self-contentment.

Some say, “I look better, therefore I feel better, and therefore I am better”.

When you exercise the order changes to is, “I am better and that makes me feel better”, and when you feel better you become all you can be and as a consequence you look better, not just physically, but most important in your own eyes. People who like themselves are liked by others.

What about sleep and stress? Please go to DEARProgam.com for more.

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Prevention or Cure: Dimebon

by drfortan on March 10, 2010

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”

Dimebon has been hailed as a revolutionary drug to retard progression and improve Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Pfizer Pharmacueticals has funded the phase 3 trial to prove Dimebon’s efficacy in humans, that is does it work!

The results of their latest trials were declared March 3rd:

“Dimebon shows NO EFFECT in treating Alzheimer’s”

In the past 10 years, 20.2 billion dollars has been spent on 6 major drugs thought to be an answer or partial one to the Alzheimer’s epidemic now effecting 5.6 million in the U.S. with 40% of Babyboomers anticipated to become a statistic of the disease.

Dr. Vincent M. Fortanasce, author of “The Anti Alzheimer’s Prescription”, while strongly supporting the billions spent on research to find a cure says:

Would it not be wise to put some funds for research into “Preventative measures, while we pursue the elusive cure”. He is currently researching the effectiveness of a special exercise regimen that stimulates a hormone IGF-1 that effect a brain derived hormone that turns on 3 genes; One that causes cytoskeletal growth or muscle mass and bone density. The second and third genes increase the production of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity (new brain cells and dendrites, the roots from a cell). Thus, it is believed that this program might slowdown or reverse the normal degeneration of the brain that can rapidly progress from 50 years old and on. The exercise can be done at home without the need of equipment and even in front of your television or desk, says Dr. Fortanasce.

The cost of such prevention may be an ounce of sweat versus the estimated $2400 dollars per pound that people spend on anti-Alzheimer’s medications on the market.

It is time for a reality check, why ignore the preventative research when we know it works.

Anyone interested in finding out more or funding such research or want a copy of the exercise tape, please contact our office at fortanasce@earthlink.net

“At present, Preventative measures are our only weapon against this disease”, says Dr. William Sears author of the new book “Prime Time”.

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Children, Cell phones and Cancer

by drfortan on February 10, 2010

You would never tell your child to pack a gun, why let them pack a cell phone? Could cell phones be as dangerous as a weapon?

New studies indicate actively growing cells as brain, retinal eye, and reproductive organ cells (testes) are highly vulnerable to micro radiation from cell phones causing cancer or cell death. Is this really true? Should a parent wait until the jury is out? I think all parents would agree that it is best to be cautious. We would not let our children eat food that we thought might have spoiled. The risk outweighs the benefit. The questions should be, do the risks of carrying a cell phone outweigh their benefits. Lets weigh the evidence and keep it in perspective of the past. It is said that those that ignore the past, are in danger of repeating it.

In the 1960s, I remember my older cousin presenting me with a cigarette, I shook my head “No” and he said “everyone smokes, even doctors”. He died 30 years later of lung cancer. What does present science tell us. Most disconcerting is a recent study that revealed rats who have very similar brains to humans in that they have the same blood brain barrier and brain cell types. Note that rats exposed to 2 hours of radiation and then sacrificed 50 days later showed multiple areas of dead brain cells in those exposed to radiation versus none in those who were not so exposed.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Cancer Center notes that cell phone use affects our immune system and bone marrow. Other recent reports show that their may be an increase in brain tumors especially of the eye and ear. Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Paul Sung from USC recently warned that having a cell phone in ones pocket might also prove dangerous to a child’s testes and reproductive organs. The reasons why are summarized by a Dr. Agarwal who reports that electromagnetic waves, those from cell phones can cause disturbance in sleep, difficulties in concentration, fatigue, and headaches. Also, increased resting blood pressure, and reduced reduction of melatonin. There are implications that it breaks down the DNA strands that might lead to disease like Alzheimer’s and cancer. A Swedish study also clearly reports “Cell phones damage key brain cells and could trigger early onset of Alzheimer’s disease”.

I have written in the past that Alzheimer’s disease does begin in childhood due to lifestyles that children then carry on into adulthood, which are injurious to their general health and its brain. Now it is clear that cell phones which have proliferated in use by children and recent report noted that children use the computers, cell phones and video games for an average of 8.2 hours per day and, in fact, at least two hours a day was spent on cell phones. Scientific data appears to overwhelmingly indicate very active growing cells are particularly vulnerable to micro radiation from cell phones. The testes and ovaries in males and females, the brain cells especially those in developing children.

Personally, it has been my experience that cell phone micro radiation is a great danger. Electro diagnostic machinery highly sensitive to micro radiation that I sue in my office vibrates 2 to 3 seconds before my cell phone goes off, despite the cell phone being 4 to 10 feet from my equipment.

Yes, this micro radiation is powerful and the question is does it or doesn’t it cause a problem. I do believe that we should always be cautious. I advise strongly that all parents heed this advice because the areas that can be most involved with children are their strongly developing brain especially their learning centers, called the hippocampus, that store information, memory, and is their learning center. Second, are their eyes and third are their ears. These are the areas where nerve cell production and activity is the highest and are most vulnerable to the micro radiation from cell phones. Further, the organs of reproduction which are also developing in our adolescent children and must be protected. Remember most young children and men pack their cell phone in their pants pocket, right next to their testes. What can you do?

1. Don’t buy your child a cell phone unless it is urgent. The risk outweighs the benefit.

2. Limit the time your child spends on their cell phones and do this by checking their

phone usage monthly, just as you would check their phone bill.

3. Use a wired headset or advise using the speaker phone.

4. Make sure that they are not carrying the cell phone on their body especially their

pocket.

Is history repeating itself? Recently, Larry King Live discussed just this cell phone problem on his show. The cell phone companies refused his invitation. Not too different from tobacco companies response 40 years ago.

Are telephones as dangerous as guns? Decide now before it’s too late.

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