Health@Heart
Allergic to cholesterol lowering drugs
READER: I am allergic to cholesterol lowering drugs, and I am contemplating to get chelation treatment. Is this effective in dissolving hardening of the arteries?
PSC:
No. Most definitely not, in spite of the hype about it. There is no drug or substance today that can dissolve calcified cholesterol deposits in the inner wall of arteries. These calcified plaques that reduce the internal diameter or channel of the arteries, are as hard as bone. Even the surgeon’s knife is not strong enough to cut through them. Anyone who discovers a substance that can dissolve cholesterol plaques in the artery will surely be a Nobel Laureate, because arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the aging process itself (“We are as old as our arteries”), for hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, heart attack, etc. Chelating agent is effective and designed for the treatment of metal (lead, etc.) poisoning, and most ineffective in “cleaning our arteries to prevent heart attack, stroke, etc.” as being irresponsibly marketed and practiced by some people, who charge $5,000 or more per course of intravenous chelation therapy. Some of these practitioners have been censured and their license revoked for participating in this scam, which victimizes the unsuspecting public.
Herbal solution to a weight problem?
READER: I am a 29-year-old female, five feet tall, and weigh 190 pounds. I have been battling with my weight problem for years. Are herbal drugs effective for weight reduction?
PSC: Complaints like yours are very common. Hundreds of thousands of overweight people (some of them highly educated professionals) have been lured by obviously effective commercials to try what their marketing gimmicks describe as “miracle herbals” for fast and effective way to lose weight. But like the “juices and skin patch, or even grapefruit and “weight-reducing” tea, these herbals “designed” to help people lose weight, is nothing but a commercial gimmick. And one thing that is also scary is the potential adverse side-effects of these over-the-counter (very expensive) herbals, juices, pills, etc. The safest way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more, and be guided by your weight that should be monitored once a week using an accurate scale. Then, you adjust the amount of food intake and amount of exercise according to how your weight responds to your regimen. Drinking a tall glass of ice cold water before each meal is a good part of your weight-control strategy. The other advantage is that your purse is the one that will gain the weight your body loses, since you will saving a bundle of money.
Is aspirin bad for children?
READER: During my childhood, my parents would give me aspirin whenever I had fever or pains. I now heard that aspirin is bad for children. Is this true?
PSC: What you heard is mostly correct. Today, Pediatricians advise parents not to give aspirin to their children when these youngsters have a cold, sore throat or any viral upper respiratory tract infection, because of the discovery in the early 70s of a new illness, a complication that implicates aspirin, called Reye’s Syndrome, which is very serious and sometimes fatal. Mortality rate averages about 21% (one in five children dies, lapsing into coma first). But there are specific diseases in children for which aspirin is effective and safe, and used by Pediatricians without complications. It is most prudent to consult with a physician before taking, or giving, any medication, especially to children. Remember that all drugs, no matter how commonly used, how good and effective they may be, have potential complications, some of them serious.
Are growth hormones effective?
READER: I am on growth hormone for almost two years because a friend of mine is on it to stay younger, stronger, taller and have better stamina and potency for sex. I am disappointed since I do not notice or feel any improvement. Please explain why.
PSC: Ads on human growth hormones (HGH) are all over the media, even in emails, making claims as stated in the complaint letter of the reader above. Just like the “invitation” in a lot of emails “to increase the size and length of your penis by taking a safe and natural pill,” or the cream or pills that can “enlarge female breasts fast and safely,” or the lure to drink “specially formulated beverages,” the “miracle cure for ALL diseases and ailments, from acne to cancer,” growth hormones are not as safe and effective as the ads purport them to be. The ads say HGH will reduce skin wrinkles and signs of aging, increase sexual potency, stamina, etc. What they do not state are the serious side effects of these hormones that could endanger life. Practically all these claims are fraudulent. Why fool with Mother Nature? (Please visit www.FUN8888.com. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com)
