What's Your Grade? A or an F?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Monday, December 11, 2006

What have you learned from this column during the past year? I hope I've been a good teacher and you pass this test with at least 50 percent of the questions right. But don't get depressed if you flunk the test. I'm not going to tell anyone! And it may even help you when playing Trivial Pursuit.

1. Men who don't shave daily enjoy less sex and are more likely to suffer a stroke and heart attack.

2. Abdominal hernias are repaired to decrease the risk of strangulation of the bowel. But recent studies show that there is no need to operate on all hernias.

3. A waistline of more than 100 centimeters (40 inches) for a man and 90 centimeters (35 inches) for a woman is a risk factor for heart disease.

4. COLD-fx is an effective over-the-counter remedy that can be used on a daily basis to prevent colds or when a cold strikes. COLD-fx strengthens the immune system by boosting the effect of natural killer and antibody producing cells and is being used by several NHL hockey teams.

5. 75 percent of cases of sudden death during sexual activity occurs in those involved in extramarital sex.

6. Men with high levels of lead in their bones have three times the risk of developing cataracts and are 2x more likely to have hypertension.

7. Leeches can be helpful in treating post-operative complications when a severed limb has been rejoined and excessive swelling threatens to decrease the flow of oxygenated blood to the extremity.

8. Magnesium is nature's natural antispasmodic and can help to ease the pain of angina and decrease the risk of an abnormal heart rate.

9. Prince Edward Island potatoes contain 800 milligrams of potassium, much more than a banana and they reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and hypertension.

10. Reversa is an excellent anti-aging skin cream that contains glycolic acid which sheds the outer layer of skin. It also contains an anti-wrinkle micro-collagen plus vitamin C that helps to regenerate collagen and elastin.

11. The kinetic energy of a rotating power blade of a lawnmower has 3X the muzzle energy of a .357 Magnum pistol and can cause serious eye injury.

12. Low Intensity Laser Therapy can ease the pain of arthritis, herniated lumbar disks and heal diabetic ulcers.

13. The diagnosis of depression is often missed in more males than females due to their macho image.

14. Older drivers can adapt to night driving as well as younger drivers as long as they take vitamin E.

15. It's not possible to catch herpes by sitting down on a public toilet seat as the virus is quickly killed on exposure to the air.

16. You only require 10 grams of dietary fiber daily to ensure soft bowel movements and decrease the risk of developing hernias of the large bowel.

17. High doses of vitamin C increase the risk of cataracts, arthritis and kidney stones.

18. X-rays are far superior to colonoscopy in diagnosing cancer of the large bowel.

19. Mitral valve prolapse is a serious heart condition that always requires surgery.

20 . A short afternoon nap does not increase mental and physical performance.

21. Studies show that the worst time to have a surgical operation is Tuesday morning at 8:00 am. The best time is Monday morning.

22. Women experience the same symptoms of heart attack as men. And the results of bypass surgery are just as good as those for men.

23. Headache is more often the result of white wine that contains 200X more histamine than red wine.

24. 95 percent of the time gout affects females because they eat more foods containing purine that produces low amounts of uric acid.

25. A lack of estrogen is responsible for hot flushes, insomnia and fatigue, but rarely results in thinning of vaginal lining and painful sexual intercourse.

26 Fatty disease of the liver and cirrhosis are always the result of excessive alcohol consumption and never the result of obesity.

The first 13 questions are true, the rest false.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod