THE SHOW TOMORROW JUNE 15 2012

Are you white, pink, blue or yellow?...your artificial sweetener, how do you decide which one's the one for you and won't give you cancer?... Alexander Dale Oen became a national hero in Norway last year after he became a world champion in the breast stroke BUT he stunned the whole world this year by dying at the rip old age of 26...understanding what happened may just save your life...if you had one hour with your doctor with no pressure on you or her what should you ask?...all this and your calls.

                                              DR. CHAMBERS ON CALL 

                                    SATURDAYS 6-8 AM ON KFWB NEWS TALK 980

                                        THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 888 539 2980

THE SHOW TODAY

No blogging yesterday. Sorry hectic schedule. Still on the air live at 6 and it's a show you won't want to miss. My three tips on how to optimize a doctor's visit...how to have a happier sex...sugar is the smoking of our day and more and more are realizing this hence the great Disney brand just gave American kids a big gift...and a special guest Arian Morgenstern representing the Silver Ladies of Solidarity AND as always the star of the show...you and your calls.

 

                                                       DR. CHAMBERS ON CALL 

                                    SATURDAYS 6-8 AM ON KFWB NEWS TALK 980

                                        THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 888 539 2980

ARE YEARLY PHYSICALS A WASTE OF TIME?

This article states yearly physicals are a waste of time and money. The author, Dr. Elizabeth Rosenthal, says she's never had a yearly physical since she finished her medical training in 1989. I have to confess I don't bother with a yearly physical either. The evidence that it benefits you simply isn't there. Dr. Rosenthal does follow the guidelines for screening tests for women in her age group. Clearly with her medical training she's a very sophisticated health care consumer and what worries me is people not quite as informed will read her article and never see a doctor. 

DR. JOE'S TAKE AWAY: If you feel your healthy and don't want to do a yearly physical that's cool. Make sure you know what screening tests you need and when. This means you have to get informed or check in with your family doctor now and then. The list below applies to healthy people with no risk factors and assumes each time your tested it's normal. I'll talk more about this on the show this Saturday June 9th. 

  • Blood pressure checks - minimum every two years and at every doctor visit.
  • Cholesterol - every five years starting at age 20.
  • Colonosocopy - if no family history of colon cancer every ten years starting at age 50. With a family history you may need to start as young as age 20. Talk to your doctor.
  • Male self exam of testes - especially ages 15 to 35. 
  • Mammograms - yearly after age 50. Family history means starting age 40 or sooner. Talk to your doctor.  
  • Pap smears - start at age 21, every three years. 
  • PSA - controversial but I don't see a role for it.  
  • Diabetes screening - yearly with a fasting sugar from age 45 on but if you're at risk because of say family history or obesity start at age 30.
  • Vaccinations must be kept up - e.g. tetanus, influenza.

 

YES ON PROP 29 & THE FIGHT AGAINST SMOKING.

Smoking causes 90% of lung cancer deaths but the damage it does is way more than that, way way more...heart disease, erectile dysfunction, emphysema and on and on. All in all smoking has a great ability to make your every day life miserable long before it kills you.

This a good summary on prop 29. 

Money Quote:

"At 87 cents, the cigarette tax here is about half the national average, and ranks 33rd in the nation — down from third highest just years ago. California is one of only three states that have not raised the cigarette tax over the past decade."

 

Opposition to prop 29 is being funded and pushed by the tobacco companies. Enough said.

Dr. Joe's Take Away: I'm voting YES on 29. Higher taxes on cigarettes means less smokers, means less human misery.

SNAKES WILL BE SNAKES...BELIEVERS WILL BE BELIEVERS.

Preacher Mack Wolford, a serpent handler, died after being bitten by a deadly snake. His belief based on a very literal reading of verse 16:17-18 in the gospel according to Mark - “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Well, Mack got bitten and everyone including a photo journalist stood by watching him writhe in agony for about ten hours. The paramedics were eventually called and he was taken to hospital but way too late to be of any use.

No question Mack understood what he was doing. As a teen he watched his father die a similar death in the exact same circumstances. Mack was a grown man entitled to his beliefs and entitled to die for his beliefs, I know that....Still it saddens me, not only that he died but that he died unnecessarily and in agony. As a doctor I see more than my share of death. The premature, unnecessary deaths like Mack are the hardest to take. It's moments like this that I wish the deeply religious among us would accept that if God is all powerful and created everything then he created modern medicine. There's no shame in using it and no shame in using it to save your life. Mack would probably be alive now if he received prompt medical attention. The shame is he didn't get it. 

THE SHOW SATURDAY JUNE 2nd

Nanny Bloomberg bans our precious soda...how will we survive?!...on a hot day the pool looks soooo inviting but why does that guy look so serene?...what's that yellow stuff?...Oh my God he didn't!...what you need to know so you don't get sick in your local pool...new approach to alcoholism...breast feeding in public AND as always the star of the show, you and your calls.

                                                     DR. CHAMBERS ON CALL 

                                    SATURDAYS 6-8 AM ON KFWB NEWS TALK 980

                                        THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 888 539 2980

HEART ATTACK ASSESSMENT TOOL - YOUR 10-YEAR RISK

 

Heart attack risk factors: age, gender, family history, smoker, Diabetes Mellitus, elevated LDL - the bad cholesterol, hypertension. 

The role of HDL, good cholesterol, is somewhat controversial but this much is clear. If your HDL is naturally high your chances of having a heart attack are less than someone who has low HDL. Unfortunately artificially increasing your HDL does not appear to be of any use.  

If you want to calculate your risk of having a heart attack follow this link from the NIH and fill in the values. I did. My chance are 5% of having a heart attack in the next ten years...so I'm off to the gym.  Five percent is too high for comfort.

NEW YORK'S ON THE WAR PATH!

NYC wants to ban oversized sugary drinks. Nanny state run amok or good pubic health? C'mon nobody needs 24 or worse 32 fluid ounces of sugared water in one go. Get real. Love to see this ban go nation wide. If you agree or disagree leave a comment and I'll read some out on the air Saturday. 

BREAST FEEDING IN PUBLIC

Breastfeeding in public...what d'you think? The above picture caused quite a stir in the military. Leave a comment and I'll read some on the air Saturday. 

                                                      DR. CHAMBERS ON CALL 

                                    SATURDAYS 6-8 AM ON KFWB NEWS TALK 980

                                        THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 888 539 2980