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BERWICK AREA HEART SUPPORT GROUP
JULY 2005 NEWSLETTER
Berwick Area Heart Support Group. Hon President P.D.Dr Higham Affiliated to the British Heart Foundation
Next meeting July 6th at the day Hospital, Berwick Infirmary from 7.00pm – 9.00pm Guest speaker Katy Tiernan. Complimentary Therapist. Kathy will relax you, I have no doubt! She has that tone of voice, that choice of words which lull you into peaceful relaxation. She is the best I’ve heard. Her choice of background music soothes the ears. I’m looking forward to being under her spell. She may also time permitting take us through a exercise programme.
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Donations
On behalf of the Berwick Area Heart Support Group I would like to thank the following groups and individuals The No 4606 Salmon Lodge of the R.A.O.B (The Buffs) for a very generous donation of £200 towards the publishing costs for our newsletters and the website. Joyce Blenkinsop and Bea Nicholson Walking for Health for the collection of £75 raised at the Walking For Health Day at Etal which was shared £37.50 each to ourselves and The British Heart Foundation Michael Redican for his £10 donation.
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DR HIGHAM – June 2005
WAITING LISTS
Improvement continues.
Waiting list for angiograms – down to a week.
CAT SCANNER IS HERE
“CAT scans” are an exciting development and can replace angiograms with a non-invasive procedure. Radiation exposure is about the same. CAT can also be used where an exercise test is impossible.
NEW DRUGS
A better drug for heart failure – eplerenone can replace spironolactone
Ezetimibe can be combined with statin and is very beneficial. If you cannot tolerate the statin, then this can replace it. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR IF THIS APPLIES TO YOU
Clopigogrel – a touch better than aspirin, but tend to use for only one year after MI
HEART FAILURE
- Special pacemaker developments
- Special exercise test routines being developed
- There is now an HF Clinic (Sally Scott) at Lee Moor.
- New drug – see above
(OUR GROUP WELCOMES HF PATIENTS & WE WILL BE CONTACTING SALLY SCOTT).
IVUS
Ultra sound scans inside the artery (to reveal disease in the artery wall) cannot be offered routinely – the probe can only be used for one session.
STENT
Stent implantation as part of emergency treatment on admission will not be offered. Survival once you reach hospital is better than 90% with existing treatment.
Again, thanks from our group to Dr Higham for his talk
HE WILL BE BACK LATER IN THE YEAR WITH CAT SCAN PICS!
Phil.Harris
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Energizing tip
Aromatherapy oils are a potent way to rebalance energy levels. Try using them in the bath or, for instant pick up, place 2 – 3 drops on a tissue and breathe in the scent deeply. The best energizers are grapefruit, peppermint and rosemary oils.
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Monthly Recipe
Rhubarb in Jelly
Ingredients
- Rhubarb
- Sugar free jelly crystals any flavour (the blackberry or strawberry flavour is particularly delicious)
- Plain or vanilla low fat yogurt
Method
- Fill a 2pint bowl with washed cut up rhubarb
- Cover bowl with plate or pierced cling film
- Microwave on simmer until cooked, stir once during cooking (approx 10 minutes)
- Remove from microwave and stir in 1 packet of sugar free jelly crystals whilst it is still very hot, These crystals take a good 5minutes stirring to dissolve.
- When mixture is cold place in fridge until set.
- Serve with yogurt or on it’s own
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Wally’s Yarn
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet has passed away."
The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?
"Yes, I'm sure. The duck is dead," he replied.
"How can you be so sure", she protested. "I mean,you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog and took it out and returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from its beak to its tail and back again.The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman
The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "£150!" she cried. "£150 just to tell me my duck is dead?!!"
The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word would have been £20. But what with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up
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A VALUABLE BOOK
The Longevity Diet
By Brian M. Delaney and Lisa Walford,
Marlow & Co, New York, 2005
ISBN 1-56858-309-5
Putting on weight at any age, but especially in middle age, is not good for health. Losing a bit of weight can dramatically improve your blood pressure and sugar control and can lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol. However, 95% of people who try to “diet” end up a year later at the same weight that they started with. Doing it badly is probably not good for you.
This book takes a different approach. The book distils the wisdom of numerous people of all ages, who have managed to keep their weight down and have been the better for it. Importantly they have made it part of life and been able to get on with other things. Why have they done it? Usually because it makes them feel so much better. They also know they are healthier because tests by their doctors show the improvements. For many there is the opportunity to have a longer life. How have they done it? Anybody who has tried to eat sensibly will recognise in the stories some of their own difficulties and perhaps will be inspired to find solutions. We begin to see the sense in making our body an ally in order to achieve success. You will find that there is something in this book for everybody. What are the principles of excellent nutrition? You can trust this book for a sane approach.
I declare an interest. I know the authors. Also one of the contributors, Ed Sullivan, is a long-term friend of mine. This is not just another book that you need to read in isolation. If you have queries or want to tell your own story, this can be done. This is not a book by remote people. Join a group of friends. IT IS AMERICAN, and American food examples can be different, but I believe this book is to be read across cultures, and is relevant for us in Britain. We all belong to this tricky modern world and increasingly we share the modern ills as well as the advantages.
RECOMMENDED BY PHIL HARRIS, CO-CHAIRMAN, BERWICK HEART SUPPORT
“Not another fad diet. It gets the science right while allowing for individual difference.”
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