It’s been said that, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” How true! I recently planned to attend medical meetings in England, and Switzerland. I never reached Switzerland. A volcano in Iceland spewed ash all over Europe for nine days. No planes flew. But I didn’t spend all my time sulking in English pubs. So here’s what I learned.
Tiger Woods’ alleged quarrel with his wife and resulting crash into a tree is not an uncommon phenomenon in England. A survey of 1,183 motorists showed that 36 percent admitted they drove erratically after a fight. Psychologist, Honey Langcaster-James, reports that a blazing row with a partner triggers acute emotional turmoil causing drivers to behave aggressively and take needless risks. This mistake results in 2.3 million accidents on English roads every year. Langcaster-James’ advice to Woods and others; cool down for one hour after a major tiff, before driving.
There’s debate in England, as here, about children using mobile phones. Professor Lawrie Challis, a physicist and expert on the effects of radiation, says children should not be given these phones until they’re at least 12 years of age. She argues that children are more sensitive to ultra violent light, pollutants and have a less developed immune system. And that, in an ideal world, these phones would never hit the market until more research has been done.
The problem Challis sees is that cancer and neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s Disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, take years to develop. Mobile phones have only been around for a decade. To settle this debate of the effects a huge study comprising 250,000 Europeans and 100,000 Britons is being launched. The result will not be known for 30 years! But I’ve just become aware that there may be a speedier solution. I hope to report on this shortly.
Dr. Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist at Imperial College, London, reports that “being fat is bad for your brain”. A study of 6,500 people found that those who were obese at middle age were more likely to suffer from dementia in their 70s. Brains normally get smaller with age, but the result of several studies reveals that extra pounds accelerate the process. The question is why this happens.
Genes that help to govern obesity may be part of the answer. Being overweight can lead to sleep apnea, which decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain. And since obesity is linked to atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), hypertension and diabetes, this too would decrease the supply of oxygen to brain tissue. Dr. Judson adds that fat cells secrete substances that cause chronic inflammatory changes in the brain often seen in Alzheimer’s Disease. This is alarming news as it was evident as I wandered England and Wales that it’s not only North Americans that are getting obese. In the years ahead the economic impact of these diseases will be enormous.
English doctors I talked to worried that politicians were about to make unprecedented cuts to medical services. For instance, psychiatrists were concerned that 500,000 patients with mental illness would lose access to counseling. Shon Lewis, Professor of Adult Psychiatry at the University of Manchester, claims mental illness is a soft target as “You can drag money out of this area and people don’t die straight away, unlike cancer.” It’s the same old song, everywhere.
I discovered that this year has had negative impact on organic food in Britain. The biggest decline was in organic bread and bakery products. The only organic foods that bucked this trend were organic milk and baby foods. It didn’t help that last year the Food Standards Agency, after analyzing 50 years of research, found that organic food was no more nutritious than conventionally produced food.
Years ago I helped to legalize the use of heroin for terminal cancer patients after seeing it used for pain to great advantage in England. To get an update, I visited several hospitals and found heroin is still the painkiller of choice for patients suffering terminal malignancies.
Was I disappointed at not reaching Switzerland? Yes, but I found the best therapy in a cozy English pub and a pint of beer.
W. Gifford-Jones, MD is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker, graduate of Harvard Medical School. Diana Gifford-Jones is his daughter, a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School. Their latest book, “No Nonsense Health” is available at: Docgiff.com
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