September 16th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Policy, News
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I was glad to to hear from Wendy from wendysbattle.com … like my friend, she is battling stage IV colon cancer. Unlike my friend, she lives in Ontario and has no assistance to pay for her chemotherapy. In a jaw dropping video from a cancer press conference in Ontario, Wendy and 2 other colon cancer patients testify about being denied coverage for standard of care colon cancer therapy. Wendy says that Ontario has valued her life at less than $18 thousand dollars.
In a recent interview with Senator Mike Kirby, I learned that one of the major problems facing the Canadian healthcare system is the cost of expensive new drugs. The universal system was designed to have patients pay out of pocket for their medicines and have the government cover almost everything else. When this health insurance strategy was created, drugs were very inexpensive. However, with all of the technological advances in medicine – diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer have become chronic, manageable illnesses with expensive treatment price tags. And now, the lack of drug coverage is shifting unmanageable costs directly to the patient. Sadly, Wendy is one of many victims of lack of drug coverage in Canada.
All this to say that the grass is not really greener in Canada – especially for cancer patients.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
September 5th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
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Like most of us, this headline made me squirm – visions of the Minotaur, mermaids, and Dolly the sheep with a human face, danced in my head. But as much as this form of experimentation seemed ethically wrong, I decided to figure out what exactly they were proposing.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) ruled that British scientists could now use animal eggs to host human stem cells. Because there is a shortage of human eggs to use for experimentation, they asked that rabbit or cow eggs be used.
Stem cells are the first kind of cells created when an egg is fertilized and divides. They are capable of developing into any kind of human cell – and are therefore quite interesting in terms of their potential to heal. (Transplanting these cells into damaged tissue can actually repair the tissue to some extent – no matter if its brain, heart muscle or other tissue). But these stem cells have to incubate inside an egg (kind of like a tiny soft shell) if they are to divide.
So the scientists are asking to use animal egg shells (without the nucleus that contains the majority of their DNA) as mini incubators for human stem cells. The HFEA approved that use – but has NOT approved mixing human and animal DNA in a human egg. Such a blend would serve no useful scientific purpose.
Ultimately, the goal of this human-animal embryo experiment is to allow for the creation of many more human stem cells without harvesting human eggs to do so. It also may help scientists to understand what these egg “shells” do to influence the growth of stem cells – if we knew how that worked, we may not need to use human eggs to retrieve stem cells, but could create them from any cell in the body.
So, although this embryo experiment sounds alarming at first – it’s actually a way to do stem cell research without using so many human eggs. Now, that doesn’t mean that I necessarily condone the idea – but it helps put into perspective what the scientists are proposing. Rest assured that there will be no Minotaurs resulting from these particular experiments.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
August 23rd, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
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I’ve always thought that bats got a bad rap. Just because one type of bat sucks blood from unsuspecting cattle, a whole vampire legend has unfolded, spun by Hollywood executives looking to feed upon a new movie blockbuster. But what about the other 700 species of bats who are vegetarian or eat mosquitoes and other bug pests?
Well, it’s getting harder and harder to defend these cuties, especially since two very incriminating reports were released recently. Apparently, rabid bats are turning up in Illinois, and certain fruit bats are carrying an ebola-like virus in Africa. So what’s a human to do? Basically, you should avoid bats – don’t touch them or play with them. And if you encounter one in your attic, it’s best to presume that it could carry the rabies virus and call in professionals to remove it. I would be especially wary of bats in sub-saharan Africa (for all those of you who frequent that part of the globe) since the Marburg virus they carry is quite lethal.
There have been recent cases of bat-bourn rabies in Canada so although it’s really rare – it’s something to keep in mind.
Here’s to bat free living…
Addendum: just today a woman in Chicago was bitten by a rabid bat when trying to remove it from her home. Guess she didn’t read my blog. 
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 23rd, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Opinion
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Many European countries have “presumed donor policies” where (unless otherwise stipulated) the untimely demise of one of its citizens results in potential organs for those on organ transplant waiting lists. In other words, the default assumption is that you want to be an organ donor should you die in an accident.
Britain is now undergoing internal debate over whether or not to institute a presumed donor policy. On the “no” side is Scotland and the Conservatives – suggesting that the government has no right to an individual’s remains. On the “yes” side are the Liberals and the British Medical Association – reminding the “no’s” that people are free to opt out, and that studies show that 70% of people have not formally registered to donate their organs even though they state that their wish would be to donate their organs in the event of sudden death.
Spain has been very successful with their presumed donor policy – doubling organ donations after enacting it into law. Austria quadrupled their organ donations after following suit.
I think that Europe’s presumed donor policy is a good idea and I would personally endorse a similar policy in the US, so long as next of kin had veto power. What do you think?This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 9th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
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In a charming news article, the BBC reports that the British Sandwich Association is concerned about high salt levels in national fare. If you have high blood pressure, there is now new evidence that avoiding soup and potato chips will not be sufficient in curbing your salt intake. Yes, even the humble sandwich can be a good hiding place for sodium. But this article is even more whimsical than informative.
First of all, I think it’s terribly funny that the “British Sandwich Association” actually exists – and that its public health warnings are taken very seriously. Second, I think that the contents of common British sandwiches are somewhat disturbing: a “prawn mayonnaise” sandwich lacks a certain appeal in my mind. And the fact that this variety of sandwich was selected as a representative example of a typical sandwich is also amusing.
And finally, the website for the British Sandwich Association is hilarious. Check out part of their mission statement:
“To safeguard the integrity of the sandwich market by setting standards
for sandwich making, by encouraging excellence in sandwich making and
by encouraging the development of the industry in terms of skills,
innovation and overall market development.”
And the BBC includes this very astute quote from the organization’s director:
“Sandwiches involve the assembly of ingredients,” said Jim Winship, director of the organisation. “The fact is that the salt is already in the ingredients…”
Well, I think the take home message here is that if you have high blood pressure or are on a low salt diet, remember that sandwiches often contain very high sodium levels. The message between the lines is that the British are inherently funny and have bizarre taste in food.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
