brock health - issue 2

1

Dear Reader,

I am pleased to present to you the second publication of Brock Health! The purpose of this aca-demic publication is to enhance the peer-to-peer educational experience and to inform the student body of current health research. This maga-zine covers a wide range of topics from public health issues to treat-ing cancer because health care these days is taking more of a multidisci-plinary approach. It is through this manner that we can achieve the best health results for the community.

We have several great ar-ticles in this publication including the feature article by Kristie New-ton who writes about the private and public health system in Canada and debunks the myths surrounding the issue and the negative effects of a two tier system. There will be a follow up in the next publication in March 2011, arguing the other side of the two tiered system. Kinesiol-ogy major, Brittany Ferren writes about spine health and what stu-dents can do to prevent back prob-lems. We also have a new addition to the magazine called ‘Master’s Highlight”, where a student pursu-ing his Master’s degree at Brock, Ryan Alexander, shares his research experience for those interested in pursuing graduate studies.

We also have other interest-ing articles such as academic dop-ing, students taking Adderall to in-crease their academic performance without realizing the harmful side

effects and laser eye surgery.

This publication could not have materialized without the nu-merous people who have worked so hard to bring it to you. Brock Health has many new faces this year with more and more people wanting to get involved. First and foremost I would like to thank Brock Health’s managing editor Phuc Dang, for her very hard work; everything from bringing the crazy editor-in-chief’s ideas down to reality, managing Brock Health’s 20+ members, and ratifying Brock Health as a club. I would also like to thank Brock Health’s ‘everything guy’ Scott Al-guire for his amazing work on the cover, layout design and website.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Brock’s University Student Union (BUSU), especially VPSS Kenneth Truong, for funding this publication for the 2010/2011 academic year and Mad-elyn Law for her very generous do-nation to Brock Health. I would also like to thank Dr. Kelli-an Lawrance for her enthusiasm and support for the project and her invaluable ad-vice. Unfortunately Jackie Robb will be leaving Brock, I would like to wish her the best of luck with her new job and thank her for all her help she has given to students.

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~Elizabeth Andrew

Editor-in-ChiefShahla A. Grewal

Managing EditorPhuc Dang

Layout DesignScott Alguire

Editorial BoardYumna AhmedNida AhmedStephanie BryentonBrittany FerrenLindsay RussellEliza BeckettKristie NewtonHassan KhalidSingha ChanthanthamSteve DemetriadesShirin PilakkaMichael Carrigan Vicky Horner

Graduate EditorsGregory McGarrRebecca MacPhersonLauren McMeekin Whitney Brown

SecretariesChrysta EverettEliza Beckett

Health Seminar SeriesStephen DemetriadesShirin Pilakka

PhotographerEmily Loveday

WebmasterScott Alguire

Faculty ConsultantKelli-an Lawrance (PhD)

Editor’s NoteShahla A. Grewal

Brock Health Team

2November 2010 - Issue 2

• Laser Vision in Your Future?

• Master’s highlights

• Spine Health in Post Secondary Students

• Mrs. Jackie Bean, Advisor Message

• To Detox, or Not to Detox

• Faculty Spotlights

• Oh Canada, the True North Strong and... Overpriced?

• Alzheimers Prevention: Vrai ou Faux?

• Academic Doping Drug of Choice: Adderall

• Having Trouble Catching Zzz’s Lately?

• Anti-diabetic Drug Metformin at the Forefront of Ther-

apeutic Cancer Research

• SicklySweet...Thetruthbehindartificialsweetners

• Cut out the Take-out How to Eat Healthy on a Student

Budget

• Catharsis: Letting it out

• John Hay PhD - Professor Research

• Hot Headlines!

• References

• Brock Health Team

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

Page 20

Page 21

Contents

3

As fascinating as it would be for me to be talking about the abil-ity to shoot a laser out of one’s eyes, this article actually discusses the in-creasingly popular laser eye treatment procedure many people consider as a form of permanent vision correction. Actually, the procedure involves the lasers directly aimed into the impaired eyes to correct the shape of its cornea, usually by vapourizing the tissue with ultraviolet light1.

Gradually, this helps bring the operated eye to a prime state of vision, or even better. Many questions cloud the decision-making process for the treatment, like the uncertainty about the safety and effectiveness as well as the longevity of the results. Another setback is that it can only treat mild to moderate cases of erratic corneal shapes, so those with a severe case may still be out of luck.

There are two commonly found types of laser treatments in Canada, PRK (Photo Refractive Ker-actectomy) and LASIK (Laser As-sisted in situ Keratomileusis). There are also variation procedures called LASEK and Epi-LASIK. The varying differences, in these otherwise similar procedures, account for the types of equipment used to remove the corneal flap, accuracy of tissue removal and efficiency of healing. The common concepts with all procedures are, first, that a thin layer of the cornea is tem-porarily lifted to expose the tissue to be reshaped.

Secondly, a computer guides the Excimer laser to remove small, sometimes specific, amounts of cor-neal tissue to correct the vision. To increase the accuracy, surgeons some-times use Wavefront technology to map the eye in order to make the cor-

rections even more precise1. Once re-shaped, the opened flap is replaced and allowed to heal. The whole process is very short, taking approximately 10 minutes for both eyes. Depending on the procedure performed, the post-operative eye can take anywhere from one day to two weeks to heal.

The chances of complications are very rare, but there have been oc-currences of post-operative corneal flap dislocations. One man was struck nine years after his surgery by the paw of a dog. His flap became folded and needed to be surgically removed; a bandage contact lens was then applied with topical medication. His vision returned to normal with no complica-tions as well2. So, while there is a po-tential for the corneal flap to become dislodged, this obstacle can be fixed relatively easily.

In terms of efficacy, one study found that using iris recognition soft-ware in the LASIK machine improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in the patient, and lowered the amount of errors. Patients were given a proce-dure using the software in one eye and no software in the other. Overall, the results showed that the group with the software had better results than the control group3. While this improves the chances that the surgery will be more accurate and successful, there are still risks that arise from any sur-gery.

Thus, with new software comes great responsibility. Ensuring all questions that need to be asked are asked and answered will only help in avoiding complications and improv-ing the likelihood of satisfaction.

It ultimately falls into the re-sponsibility of the individual looking to improve their vision for the greater good… of his/her eyes.

If you would like to know more informa-tion and more about the risks of Laser eye

treatments, visit Health Canada’s website for a quick fact page and links to Canada’s Oph-thalmological Society

and Medical Associations Journal.

Laser Vision In Your Future?

Singha Chanthanatham

(Photo credit: Olivier Voisin/www.sciencesource.com)

Interested in joining the Brock Health team?

Contact us at: [email protected]


Master’s Highlight

Ryan Alexander gradu-ated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health and a minor in the French language. He continued his studies by pursuing a Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences. His involvement in extracurricular ac-tivities such as the PHAST study and SNAP was what made him realize that graduate studies were best suited for him.

He began noticing that both his physical activity levels and his marks were improving and this peaked his interest in researching the relationship between these factors in a 3rd year project. Ryan explains that “every course counts,” which is truly evident since this project set the stage for his Master’s research investigating

how motor proficiency influences this relationship.

“When manipulating data, you are the only person in the world who is discovering new knowledge at that moment.” Ryan highlights the fact that pursuing graduate studies al-lows you to take learning into your own hands and steer research into ar-eas of personal interest.

He also encourages anyone considering a Master’s to contact po-tential supervisors so that there is an open line of communication, as this can often influence your success as a graduate student.

Ryan’s next step in his career is to continue applying his research and practical skills within the area of health promotion. He is currently em-ployed in the division of Chronic Dis-ease and Injury Prevention at Niagara Region Public Health.

When Ryan isn’t busy work-ing on his research project and part-time position, he enjoys playing flag football and cheering on his #1 team, Go HABS Go!

HOT HEADLINES!

“Mice robbed of darkness fatten up; time of day can affect calories’ im-pact” by Janet Raloff – summarized by Shirin Pilakka

A new study indicates that when it comes to weight management, the timing of dining is pivotal-at least in rodents. Mice whose environments were lightly illuminated during night-time encouraged them to eat about half their meals compared to those which ordinarily ate about two-thirds of their food during their active night-time activities. Since mice normally play and forage at night, those whose environments were illuminated were unprepared to efficiently burn the in-coming calories. Consequently, they gained more weight and had bigger adipose (fat) pad sites as sampled by the researchers, suggesting that the increased body mass reflected in-creases in white adipose tissue.

While the authors of the study point out that rodent’s circadian rhythms may not be relevant to humans, they maintain that when eating during naturally dark periods, the food might encounter a sleepy metabolic system. A slow metabolic system may leave some calories unburned and then store the residual as fat. When you eat is as important as what you eat.

5

Statistics Canada ac-knowledges back pain as one of the most common chronic conditions in Canada, stating that four out of five adults will experience back pain in their lifetime.6 In 1990 alone, direct medical costs for low back pain were greater than $24 billion!5

The American College Health Association found that back pain was the most frequent health problem experienced by college students, ac-counting for 47% of 42,879 students surveyed that year.2 In a recent study done by Gilkey and colleagues (2010), 91% of the college students studied reported themselves in good health or better but 38% of them still reported having back pain in the last school year. Out of those 38%, only 19% sought any medical attention. From these facts, it’s obvious that back pain is a significant problem, but what spe-cifically causes back pain? How can it be prevented and/or treated?

What is at the root of all this back pain? As university stu-dents, we spend most of our time in class or sitting and doing homework. Sitting for long periods of time flat-tens out the lumbar portion (low back) of your back; which puts more stress on your spine.4 It has been found that height and body weight (overweight), poor posture, as well as weak abdomi-nal muscles can also cause flattening of the lumbar spine and increase your risk of developing chronic low back pain.7 In particular, slumped posture was found to be detrimental to spinal alignment and respiratory function by compressing the organs and impeding diaphragm movement.3 Surprisingly, psychological factors can also cause back pain. These factors can include: psychosocial characteristics (social anxiety), emotional stress, and feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, exhausted, very sad, and depressed.2 It seems like most – if not all – of these factors explain exactly how most university students feel at one point or another. Society dictates most of these psycho-logical factors to be what is ‘expected’ of university students.

What can be done to prevent/treat back pain? If you are sitting down for long periods of time, try to get up and stretch your legs for at least a minute every half hour. When you are sitting, it is important to dis-tribute your weight as much as pos-sible. Use your legs as support and, use a chair where the back rest slopes forward while working at a desk, and one that slopes backward while in lecture.5 Be conscious of your posture at all times, try to pack your bag as light as possible and try to avoid using non-traditional backpacks (tote bags, purses, etc.). Don’t get too stressed out; there are counsellors, therapists,

and doctors all available right in the university, so find help if you’re not feeling like yourself.

All of these preventative tech-niques will help, but what if you are still having back pain? Heat always feels good on sore backs, but it doesn’t help in the long-run. Ice the affected area for 15 minutes on/15 minutes off. It will decrease inflammation as well as help the repair process. For more severe back pain, you can go to a mas-sage therapist and/or a chiropractor. Your student health plan even covers some/all of the costs!

Spine HealthIn Post-Secondary Students

Brittany Ferren

Five Ways to Pass!CHSC 3P19

according to Vicky

1. Read and re-read your text!

2. Don’t fall behind or else your 3 exams will creep up fast!

3. Start ahead on your pre-sentation & ask for clari-ficationonanyquestionsyou may have

4. Find a study partner; sharing your expertise on your presentation topic is useful

5. Pull out important tables of different drug func-tions and properties, put them up around your study area and/or agenda so even when you have a few minutes, you can glance at them (it can become a lot to memorize all at once!)


Chiropractic Myths – Answered by Dr. Pat Maddalena, HKin, Chi-ropractor

Myth 1 - Spinal adjustments hurt• 85-90% of adjustments feel good because it restores motion in the joints, relaxes muscles, and releases

endorphinsMyth 2 - Spinal adjustments are dangerous• Any kind of physical treatment has its risks, but that’s the reason why chiropractors go through and

continue to go through such extensive training throughout their careersMyth 3 - Adjustments only treat back pain• Most chiropractors are trained to treat any musculoskeletal problems; many chiropractors train to treat

all types of athletesMyth 4 - Adjustments are expensive• Many practices will have student pricing, and on average, physiotherapist visits are 25% more expen-

sive than a regular chiropractic treatmentMyth 5 - An adjustment isn’t an instant fix• It depends on the severity and condition of the issue(s). If you come in for an adjustment in pain, it will

most likely be relieved by the end of the visit. As a preventative measure, you visityour dentist mul-tiple times a year even when there’s nothing wrong. A chiropractor should be thought of in the same sense. Maintaining spine health is always important and chiropractics is a preventative AND treatment measure for back painsame sense. Maintaining spine health is always important and chiropractics is a preventative AND treatment measure for back pain

Mrs. Jackie BeanAdvisor, Goodbye Message

Although Jackie has been a CHSC academic advisor for a short time, her enthusiasm and dedication has certainly impacted many stu-dents. Whether you have a question about course selection, career paths, or you just need to sort through some everyday stresses that come with a student lifestyle, you could count on a quick response to your email.

Jackie is a shining example of how involvement in Brock can steer you into your career, often without even realizing it. During her undergraduate degree in Com-munity Health, she was involved

in activities such as the inaugural Community Connections team, Smart Start, Student Development Centre, and the Non-Academic Discipline Panel to name a few. Af-ter graduating, and working with Canada Border Services Agency for nearly a year, she couldn’t resist the offer to pursue the job opportunity she’d always wanted. “Advising has allowed me to do a little bit of everything”, Jackie explains (which is something many of us hope for in a job!). Her expe-rience has helped her confirm that working within student affairs is a passion she will continue to pursue at Lakehead University.

During her two years in this position, she emphasizes how excit-ing it has been to interact with stu-dents, see them grow and help them succeed in any way possible. “I’m really going to miss everyone. This has been the best two years. I wish you all the best!”

Phuc Dang and Vicky Horner

7

Lose seven pounds in a week, rejuvenate your body, and maximize health benefits. Sound fa-miliar? These phrases are heard time and again by North Americans and are associated with an increasingly popular trend known as detoxifica-tion. Detoxification is defined as “the process of eliminating the build-up of wastes and toxins from the body, often accomplished with fasting, ad-hering to specific diets, colon therapy, vitamin therapy, chelation therapy, and hyperthermia”1 All detoxification plans claim to flush toxins from the body but what is the rationale behind detoxification?

Detoxification is not a new concept, and the reasoning “behind these cleanses is as old as human history”.2 Due to the promises of weight loss and improved health de-toxification has grown in popularity. Dr. Crowe writes that industries are claiming the body’s toxins are present due to poor diet, alcohol, food addi-tives, caffeine as well as pollution. 3

However according to Berg “natural chemicals in our foods are thousands of times more potent than additives”. 4 Despite several discrepancies in the scientific literature many choose to follow a detox program.

Cordaro, a medical officer with the Food and Drug Administra-tion speaks against detoxification and states “the whole concept is irrational and unscientific”4. Healthy foods con-tain toxins and our bodies have devel-oped a system to neutralize and clear these toxins out. When comparing the body’s natural method for eliminating toxins to detox little evidence indi-cates that a detox diet is more benefi-cial.

Benefits of detoxification diets are more related to changes in individual’s habits rather than physi-cal benefits. These diets encourage healthy eating, drinking more water and encourage people to think about the food they are consuming.3 Yet the true question is still evident, do detox programs work? According to Dr. Crowe, although individuals feel better after a detox diet, this effect has little to do with the elimination of toxins.3 An individual who begins to eat healthier by drinking less alcohol and caffeine, drinking more water etc. will feel better. This is an important outcome as one’s mindset leads to im-proved feelings of health and higher energy levels.3

Further, the restrictive na-ture of detoxification diets resulting in a lower calorie intake leads to de-creased bloating, headaches, lethargy, and weight loss. 3 However restricting ones diet through detoxification can result in dehydration, dizziness and malnutrition. As for losing weight, Elisabetta Politi, a nutrition director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center notes that “fasting slows the metabo-lism, which makes it a poor method of long-term weight loss”.2

It seems a short term detox diet results in fewer health risks. Se-vere fasting diets and detox pills are not safe forms of weight loss as they result in nutrient deficiencies and should not be followed for a long time. The consequences of living an unhealthy life cannot be reversed in a few days. In summary, the key to feel-ing healthier and energized is to re-duce the amount of negative items in one’s lifestyle and diet, and not detox diets.3

To Detox or Not to Detox?Yumna Ahmed

5 Ways to Pass CHSC 2F95According to Brittany

1) Keep up-to-date with textbook

readings; it is an amazing textbook

that can be used for many other

courses as well

2) Attend every lab: the body part

models are the best way to assist in

learning the course material

3) There is too much information

to study sometimes: ask your TA for

help and guidance on how to use

yourtimemostefficientlyandfocus

on the right information

4) Review course material at least

once a week; the exam will be far

toodifficultifyoutrytoleaveallof

the studying and memorization to

the last minute

5) Pick a topic that you are truly

interested in for your lab presenta-

tion; your fellow peers and TA will

be more interested if you seem

really into the topic and completing

the assignment will be easier for you

as well


In addition to emphasiz-ing the relevance of health studies to any profession, Madelyn offers the following advice to all students: “find your balance, but be 100% engaged in whatever you choose to do!”

Madelyn’s ongoing research in the field of health administration is re-flected in her teaching style that equally emphasizes teamwork, col-laboration, and community engage-ment. Interestingly, Brock Health share those same values!

When Madelyn Law first joined the Brock teaching community in 2002, she began her instructional career in the PEKN department. Her current pursuit of a PhD in health adminis-tration, with emphasis in areas such as patient safety and organizational structure, greatly aligns her exper-tise with the research interests of the CHSC department.

Along with a number of CHSC faculty members, Madelyn had an integral role in developing the Bachelor of Public Health pro-gram, which is the first of its kind

in Canada. It is intended that stu-dents pursuing this degree will earn credentials that are more widely recognized, ultimately leading to new career paths. Most recently, in collaboration with Dr. Faught, they developed and implemented the “Supercourse,” which is an exciting opportunity for students to earn a CHSC 1F90 credit during the sum-mer in only two weeks!

Madelyn believes that ‘being healthy’ is maintaining a balance amongst all of life’s stressors. She credits self-reflection as her means of managing the demands of her personal and professional responsi-bilities.

Madelyn Law BSM, MA, PhD (abd)

For the past seven years, Dr. Terry Wade’s expertise in sociology has continuously broadened the scope of health studies offered at Brock. As the chair of the CHSC department, which greatly emphasizes the interdisciplinary aspect of health, Dr. Wade’s area of inter-est highlights the effects of social disad-vantages on health status. “Good health is the ability to live the way you want without constraints,” which reiterates the value of researching the reasons why cer-tain groups face certain social disadvan-tages that others do not.

Alongside colleagues within the CHSC faculty, one of his current projects investigates the relationship between obesity, blood pressure, and childhood hypertension. Dr. Wade’s involvement in this study will integrate his perspective on how the social structure of society is

associated with this health issue, as well as examining other factors such as nutri-tion and physical activity.

Mental health, in particular, is an area of research that Dr. Wade continues to explore. His background includes stud-ies in deviance and delinquency as well as adolescence substance abuse and addic-tion. “As stress increases, mental issues do as well,” again marking the necessity of examining the impact social stresses can have on one’s health.

Dr. Wade was quick to clarify that health is not merely the absence of disease, and encourages us to define our own health within the context of our lives. He explains that the definition of ‘being healthy’ is different for all people depending upon the various stages and social issues that are present in their lives.

Dr. Terry WadePhD, Chair of Community Health Sciences

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS



Regarding the importance of studying health, he adds: “It [health] plays such a central role in people’s lives and most people take it for granted until they don’t have it, we can only prevent disease by knowing what promotes and deteriorates health sta-tus.”

“Enjoy your time at Univer-sity but keep in mind why you’re here. Some days are more enjoyable than others, but in the end it is extremely re-warding.” Keep your eyes on the prize and stay healthy Brock!

9

Oh Canada, the True North Strong and...Overpriced?

A look at the possible privatization of Canada’s Health Care System and its effects on us as Canadians.

Kristie Newton

“Oh Canada, the true north strong and free”. These well known words ring true with many Canadians who are very grateful for all the freedoms we have in our beautiful country. However, what would happen if one of our biggest freedoms, our healthcare coverage, was not free anymore?

We as Canadians enjoy healthcare that covers the majority of our needs (around 70% of all expenditures 2) including immunizations, annual checkups, medically necessary sur-geries, and cancer treatments, to name a few. Also, around 91% of hospital expenditures and 99% of all physicians are covered by the public sector. Dental and eye care, along with physiotherapy make up the majority of the private spending in Canada1.

This universal coverage means that every Canadian is able to receive most medical care with-out the burden of high costs. In 2010, 80% of Canadians had used the healthcare system and reported being very happy with it2. So, if most Canadians are satisfied with Medicare and see room for only a few changes, why are some people set on the idea of privatizing our system?

Privatization already exists in both Alberta and Quebec in the form of private clinics and special-ists at places like the CréMed Clinic which offers annual checkups, pap exams, and other medical proce-dures that they can smother past the anti-privatization laws in Canada.

Introducing a two-tier system into Canada, or the same sort of system as the US, would mean people with the financial resources would be able to pay for their medical care and ideally, those who could not af-ford it, could take advantage of the public sector.

At first glance this seems like a perfect solution, right? Introduce a system that allows both private and public care to Canadian citizens. This, in reality, would be one of the worst decisions ever implemented by Canadians. Why? Because even though the idea of two-tier health-care looks great on paper it does not function in real life. The perfect ex-ample of private healthcare failure can be seen in the United States.

People all over the world know Canada for its healthcare system and we are always comparing it to the private system in the United States. There are some pretty com-mon myths created by supporters of an American style system. So let’s see how that two tier system stacks up to ours and who, in the end, is actually better off.

Myth number one surrounds the idea of cost7. Supporters of privati-zation argue that by implementing a two-tier system it will cut down the cost of Medicare for all Canadi-ans; this is far from true. Medicare in Canada is funded through taxes paid by the citizens. In the US, even though anyone who wants coverage must pay private insurance compa-


nies anyway, some of the healthcare costs are also covered by taxes.

In Canada per-capita spend-ing for healthcare was around $3,600, while in the US it sat around $6,700. In terms of GDP, this means Canada spent 10.0% while the US spent around 15.0% 3.

Now it may be argued that 15% of the State’s GDP is not a huge amount but how is it Canada can provide completely free health-care services to its citizens with a 10% cut and every American still has to pay ridiculous premiums for any sort of coverage? The US has a GDP of around 14 trillion dol-lars, so where is this 2 trillion3 go-ing in their healthcare system and why is no one benefiting from it? Canada manages to run almost all of their public system on 200 bil-lion3. Clearly privatization is not the cheaper option for the country at all.

The second myth that seems to surround the idea of private health care is the lower individual cost it provides7. This implies that by privatizing healthcare in Canada all citizens would pay less than they do now, and that the private sec-tor would cover some of the public sectors costs. The major questions that fuel this belief are “what if you don’t get sick? Why pay for every-one else’s problems?” This is simple to answer; what if you do get sick?

Other than dentistry, optometry, and physiotherapy costs (which are often partially covered by company benefits4), the average Canadian spends absolutely nothing for their coverage out of their own pockets. This means when we get sick we can get to the ER, see a doctor, get an IV, receive pain killers, stay a night in a hospital and receive a follow up visit for $0; this is not the case in the states. First of all, in Canada, EV-ERY citizen has coverage despite their financial situation. Also, Ca-nadian’s do not pay the deductibles, co-payments, or other fees that are present on top of monthly coverage

costs present in the United States6.

In the American private system, 48 million citizens have absolutely no medical coverage because they cannot afford it, 167,000 Ameri-can’s filed for bankruptcy last year because they had no insurance and 525,000 filed because they could not afford the costs of their medical care even after paying for their pri-vate insurance7. So it’s safe to say individual cost is not reduced in a private sector and since so many in-dividuals cannot afford to pay pri-vately for their care, the private sec-tor would not be covering any of the public sector’s costs.

The third major myth that sur-rounds a two-tier system is the re-duction of wait times7. Many private system supporters argue that by in-troducing a private sector into Can-ada and “eliminating” those who wish to pay for their care, the wait times for those in the public sector would be drastically reduced. This idea is the worst out of them all. It is true that if we could completely eliminate those who wanted to pay for care the wait times would most likely decrease, however this cannot be done. If people who are paying

for their care leave the public lines so do some of the public doctors.

This leaves the same doctor to patient ratio in the public system; not solving any problems. Further-more, because people with the fi-nancial resources will be paying for things like hip replacements and heart surgeries and most likely still want coverage for immunizations and doctor visits, this could increase wait times with a smaller number of doctors5.

Canada’s healthcare service is far from perfect, but a two tier private/public system is not the answer. By introducing a private sector, national and individual costs will skyrocket and wait times will not be reduced. Canada is a fantastic country, de-fined partially by its amazing medi-cal system, and removing this will destroy the health equality among Canadian’s that we have worked so hard to achieve. We need to be proud to be Canadian and instead of trying to change what we have we need to invest our energy into per-fecting an already amazing system.

11

In light of the ever-aging baby boomer generation, there is more and more fear and hype brewing with regards to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Many families are facing heart-breaking challenges as their loved ones are diagnosed with AD, a disease which inevitably annihilates the very self. As a result many are searching for ways to prevent, if not eliminate this disease. People begin believ-ing claims that herbal medicine like Ginkgo Biloba will prevent AD (for the record there is no association to decreasing risk of AD, neither helps nor harms2). However, a cure seems a bit out of reach at the moment, so as of late the focus has been on preven-tion.

First, a little background on AD; there are two major types, fa-milial (genetic) which accounts for 15-20% and sporadic cases, which account for the other 80%2. There is no single “cause” of Alzheimer’s, but instead an accumulation of risks that eventually surpass a threshold and start killing off neurons in the brain2. It is important to note that there are many other forms of dementia as well.

Dr. Brian Jeynes from Brock University, whose primary research is AD, believes that the main cause of AD is a dysfunctional blood brain barrier leading to an increased build up of amyloid. He suggests that any future medication should involve al-lowing more amyloid to get out of the brain. Though currently we do not know the exact function of amyloid however it is clear that it plays a ma-jor role in progression of AD.

In April 2010, an independent expert panel organized by the

NIH released a report for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. The panel reviewed the liter-ature (25 systematic reviews, 250 pri-mary research studies, and 6907 cita-tions) with the aim to determine what prevents AD. The report summarizes the panel’s review of the scientific literature by saying that, “firm con-clusions cannot be drawn about the association of modifiable risk factors with cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.”2

However the report did men-tion a few factors showing an asso-ciation for AD. Associated with an in-creased risk for developing AD were things like diabetes, APOE e4 (apoli-poprotein E - contains the instructions needed to make a protein that helps carry cholesterol in the bloodstream), smoking and depression. A decreased risk was associated with a Mediterra-nean style diet, cognitive engagement and physical activity2. Delving deeper into the nutritional aspect, a study led by Scarmeas et al (2006), concluded that people who ate a Mediterranean style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and unsaturated fat were 40% less likely to develop AD than their peers.1

Based on the evidence pre-sented in the systemic review by the NIH panel, it would benefit to engage in more cognitive training (more structured training rather than puzzles) and to consume things like Ginkgo Biloba and vitamin C and E only to encourage overall health as they do nothing to prevent progres-sion of AD specifically2.

So to answer if Alzheimer’s prevention is true or false, the answer is both right and wrong, as the review panel stated that there are no hard and

Alzheimers Prevention: Vrai ou Faux?Shahla A. Grewal

fast conclusions about modifiable risk factors however the actions we take still matter (engaging in cognitive training and eating a ‘Mediterranean style diet’. Dr. Jeynes is also in agree-ment with current research and sug-gests that some things that students can do to reduce the risk of develop-ing AD would be to stay physically and mentally active, eat a healthy diet, reduce stress and hope that you have “good” genes.

There is a lot of information floating around about Alzheimer’s prevention, such that it can be pre-vented if one starts early enough so the risk can be delayed or eliminated. However, as mentioned by the panel review it is largely false, There is a silver lining in that there are a few things we can do to better protect our-selves as mentioned in the article.

I am not one to be pessimistic so I do hope, despite current research, that we learn more about this disease and how it can be better dealt with in the near future. So with that I leave you with the following quote

“Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men/women who kept on working.” - Unknown


Academic DopingDrug of choice: Adderall

Hassaan Khalid

Almost everyone these days is looking for a quick fix, every-thing from weight loss pills to pills for feeling good after a ‘bad day’. Also, it doesn’t help that competition amongts students is increasing, lead-ing to some students quite frequently looking for ways to get one over their fellow classmate

While competition does lead us to better ourselves, sometimes too much of it can cause us to enter risky behaiour and engage in unethi-cal practices like abusing drugs in the name of being better.

Some ambitious students (making up to about 25% of the under-graduate student population at some North American Universities1) are now resorting to pharmaceutical help to boost their GPA’s and party even harder in the face of good study habits and regular attendance at lectures fail-ing to give them any real edge over their just-as-smart classmates. Their drug of choice is Adderall. This drug is used to treat people with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis-order) characterized by extremely short attention spans alternated by compulsive hyperactivity2. But is this drug use really worth it?

Adderall is classified as a controlled substance belonging to the amphetamine class of psychostimu-lants3. It works by increasing the concentrations of the neurotransmit-ters dopamine and norepinephrine in the extraneural space in the brain by blocking their reuptake into the presynaptic neurons3. It is classified as a controlled substance because it can cause extreme psychological de-pendence and has serious withdrawal symptoms like extreme fatigue, de-pression, serious insomnia, and hy-peractivity. The most significant man-

ifestation of abusing this drug is the development of a schizophrenia-like psychosis3. Indeed doctors have ob-served that Adderall can induce such schizophrenia-like in some users with as little as four weeks of use5. Re-cently, a 20 year old man was brought into St. Joseph Medical Centre, NY for suffering a heart attack when he mixed alcohol with non-prescribed Adderall4. Other risks include sudden death, stroke, coma (if taken within weeks of taking anti-depressants)3 and high blood pressure6.

Students are taking on these risks because Adderall, due to its mechanism of action on neurotrans-mitters, intensifies concentration and promotes wakefulness4. If that’s mostly what Adderall has in stock for us students to help us with our stud-ies along with side effects such as headache, stomach ache, insomnia, decreased appetite, nervousness and dizziness3, we have to ask ourselves if taking this drug is really worth it. Afterall, what good is wakefulness when it’s accompanied by a headache and dizziness? Interestingly, in one study of adderall users, 75% of the students said the drug did not really help them get better grades so they discontinued its use5.

In the quest for perfection, today’s students find it increasingly hard to resist the urge to rely on phar-maceutical help to do better in school. But only a little research elucidates the fact that this drug does not nec-essarily guarantee higher grades. Not only that, but it carries several seri-ous risks associated with prolonged use that can have major, long term impacts on ones health. I don’t know about you, but I would rather stick with a healthy diet, exercise, regular studying and perfect attendance to get my A’s. Okay, maybe a multi-vitamin

supplement. Five Ways to Pass!

MATH 1F92 by Chrysta Everett

1) Work in groups and com-pare answers while working on assignments

2) Go to the math help cen-tre when working on assign-ments or studying

3) Use old assignments and tests for practice questions- the exams usually have similar questions

4) Go to lectures! Examples done in class are much easier to understand than in the textbook

5) If you don’t understand the material, don’t be scared to ask for help! :)

13

Kramer: “[de Vinci] slept only 20minutes every 3hours. Now, that works out to 2 ½ extra days that I’m awake per week, every week. Which means, if I live to be eighty, I will have lived the equivalent of 105 years.” -Seinfeld

Sleep; the one thing that we all love and crave but sadly sometimes unable to get, especially being university students. Sleep has many benefits on overall health by helping the body to recover and re-juvenate after a day of physical and mental activity. Research shows sleep restores the nervous system; helps improve memory, and regu-lates mood and emotional adjust-ments 1.

Around 6-8 hours of sleep every night keeps an individual healthy and alert for their early morning lectures. However, there are factors that sometimes interfere with healthy sleep pattern such as: stress, working late on a project, hormonal changes or even a sleep-ing disorder. Some of these factors (stress, working late) are all too common in the lives of university students and are the main reasons for their sleep deprivation.

Individuals who have an unhealthy sleeping pattern experi-ence daytime sleepiness, irregular actions during sleep, insomnia and inability to fall asleep at preferred times2. These symptoms depend on the history and health of the in-dividual. Furthermore, people with recreational drug and alcohol use, and prescription medication may be at a higher risk of developing sleep-ing disorders.

A large part of how we sleep

Having Trouble Catching Zzz’s Lately?Nida Ahmed and Shirin Pilakka

deals with the biology of the body itself. Our bodies contain special-ized proteins, cytokines, which help regulate sleep and contain sleep-promoting substances known as sleep factors2.

When these sleep factors cannot function properly, insom-nia and inability to fall asleep at a preferred time results. In individu-als who are sleep deprived, the con-centration of the neurotransmitter dopamine rises in the brain4. This increase can lead to alertness and wakefulness, but also negatively affects memory and learning4 mak-ing it hard to concentrate, especial-ly in class. Matthew Walker of the University of California, Berkeley stresses, “Sleep almost prepares the brain like a dry sponge to soak up new information.”4

There are treatments to help regain a normal sleeping pattern. Common treatments include medi-cations such as Benzodiazepines;

sleeping pills that help with insom-nia by lessening the amount of anxi-ety the patient feels during daytime5. Antidepressants, such as Trazodone (a sedative) help with insomnia and falling asleep at the preferred time5. Where medication fails, other forms of treatments that can be prescribed by the physician include increasing amount of sleep at night and provid-ing daytime treatments that make the patient more awake5.

Through these options, the individual can maintain a healthy sleep pattern and therefore a healthy overall well being and good quality of life. Like Cosmo Kramer, we are all attempting to find the balance between a healthy sleep pattern and increasing our quality of life.


Anti-diabetic Drug Metformin at the Fore-front of Therapeutic Cancer Research

Lindsay Russell

What may have started out as a commonly prescribed dia-betes medication has now seeming-ly made a name for itself in cancer research. Metformin has been on the market for 15 years as the pri-mary drug to fight insulin resistance and curb hyperglycaemia experi-enced by persons with type-2 dia-betes. Recently however, this drug has found a new place in medicine specifically as a potential therapy for certain types of cancers.

An upcoming publication in the American Association for Can-cer Research reveals compelling results in mice studies that Metfor-min as a potentially effective can-cer treatment. In this study, breast tumour cells grown in mice were treated with a drug cocktail contain-ing doxorubicin (a highly potent and widely used cancer drug) and Metformin2, 3.

Alone, doxorubicin has proven to be highly effective in kill-ing regular cancer cells, but regular cancer cells are believed not to be involved in reoccurrences of tu-mour growth. Current theories point to cancer stem cells, which differ from regular cancers cells in that they control the growth and surviv-

al of regular cancer cells2. Sequen-tially, the stem cells would also be responsible for tumor re-growth or relapse. Metformin along with the doxorubicin treatment of cancerous tumor cells obliterated both regular cancer cells and cancer stem cells3.

Further, mice being treated with doxorubicin alone had a re-currence of tumor growth where as mice treated with both medications showed no signs of tumor regrowth in over a 3 month period. This find-ing is indicative of the unique result of the action of Metformin2,3.

The mechanism by which metformin may illicit its tumor sup-pressing effects is not entirely un-derstood. Some popular theories have pointed to the dependency of cancer cells to glucose in order to thrive and withstand the body’s natural defenses; Metformin may be depriving the cancer cells of this much needed glucose. Another theory is that this drug affects the immune system, and may help the body fight off tumor recurrence1.

Further studies point to the effects Metformin has on IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) which is seen in increased levels in dia-betic patients along with increased serum insulin levels5. Metformin decreases insulin and IGF-1 levels in the blood stream and some sci-entists suggest that this reductive effect may have a profound effect on tumor growth as it could poten-tially slow or inhibit tumor progres-sion1,4,5.

A recent study led by Phil-lip A. Dennis, M.D., Ph.D., senior investigator in the medical oncol-ogy branch of the National Cancer Institute, revealed promising re-sults with Metformin and lung can-

cer tumorgenesis. His team treated mice with Metformin for a 13 week period after the mice were exposed to a nicotine-derived nitrosamine (NNK), the most prevalent carcin-ogen in tobacco and a known pro-moter of lung tumorigenesis. Their results revealed a reduced tumour burden (grow and regrowth) in the Metformin-treated mice by 40 to 50 percent1,5.

Further, Dennis and col-leagues evaluated the effects of Metformin on a series of biomark-ers for lung tumours and found that it inhibited mammalian target rapa-mycin (mTOR), a known tumour promoter in the lungs, by decreas-ing serum insulin levels and IGF-1. Dennis’s experiments determined a reduced lung tumour load by 72 percent5.

Currently, most studies are geared towards Metformin’s pos-sible cancer fighting effects on diabetic patients who are at higher risks of certain types of cancer than the general population. It seems that this drug may play more of a role in reducing tumour re-growth in pa-tients with severe insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.

It will be years before fur-ther studies indicate a definitive role for Metformin as an adjunct to chemotherapy; thus far, this anti-di-abetic drug is strictly indicated for diabetes and insulin resistance only. Nevertheless, the future of medical research regarding this particular anti-diabetic agent as a cancer sup-pressor could potentially change the lives of many and bring new hope to cancer victims globally1.

15

One of the biggest cau-tions surrounding diets today is the consumption of sugar. There seems to be a developing fear of consum-ing this very common substance and like any health threat, multiple substitutes and so called “solutions” have popped up all over the place.

However, unlike some health warnings, a fear of sugar consump-tion is not completely unwarranted. In the last thirty years our sugar consumption has increased 20% to between 22 and 30 teaspoons a day. That’s between 350 and 450 calories when the recommended amount is around 150 calories1. This huge in-crease in sugar consumption has led to many health problems such as an increase in obesity, heart problems, and diabetes1.

So researchers started think-ing, if sugar is such a huge problem and causes so many dietary prob-lems and health risks, why don’t we come up with a healthy substitute? That is exactly what they did, in the form of artificial sweeteners.

We have all heard of arti-ficial sweeteners, those fantastic sugar substitutes that give flavour to everything from diabetic chocolate to those diet sodas everyone views as much healthier than the sugar filled versions; but are they actually healthy?

The answer to that question is a big NO! There are around 4 cal-ories per gram of sugar and artificial sweeteners have around 2.4 calories per gram. However, because of their chemical makeup our bodies are unable to break them down. This means they contain no calories and cause no weight gain on their own.

So what is the problem with these fantastic substances that sweeten without fattening? Accord-ing to Janet Hull, all of the main sugar substitutes we know, like SPLENDA® (sucralose) and Nu-traSweet/Equal® (aspartame), are very dangerous for our health be-cause of the chemicals they contain2. NutraSweet/Equal® contains meth-anol, and the so called “harmless” improvement over NutraSweet/Equal® known as SPLENDA®, contains chlorine. Both chemicals which have have negative effects on your health1.

Aspartame can lead to sev-eral different health problems such as endocrine disorders, vision fail-ure, and even mental retardation in babies with metabolic problems. Chlorine, the other option, is a car-cinogen and can lead to various forms of cancer. The sweeteners mentioned above have also been known to cause digestive problems, liver problems, and infertility in both men and women2.

When it comes down to it, you have to ask yourself, do you re-ally want to risk the health problems associated with sugar substitutes? After all, table sugar in moderation has no serious health implications. If you are looking for something other than the high calorie sugar op-tion, there are a few natural sweet-eners that are safe to use such as Stevia or molasses.

So next time you go to reach for the diet cola or the packet of sweetener for that coffee remember, sometimes natural is best.

Sickly Sweet...Thetruthbehindartificialsweetners

Kristie Newton

HOT HEADLINES!

5 or 15? What nutrients do you want?

Summary of Joseph Hall’s Article Five and15 rule for food nutrients coming- Eliza Beckett

A new nutrition labeling system is about to hit the shelves. This easy to use system will help Canadians make healthier choices while buying packaged food. The five-fifteen concept can be applied to all nutrients. The term five or “a little” will be given to nutrients below 5% of that value and the term fifteen or “a lot” will be giv-en to nutrients above 15%. This is applicable to nutrients from fiber to saturated fat. Some critics are skeptical and say little has been done to address other issues re-garding food labeling such as the “amount” line. Hasan Hutchinson , head of Health Canada’s nutri-tion policy and promotion office are in agreement that the values could be more confusing and leads consumers to inaccurately mea-sure their ingredient intakes.


Cut out the Take-outHow to Eat Healthy on a Student BudgetEliza Beckett

It has become common knowledge that we should consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins in order to stay healthy and receive the proper vitamins and nutrients, but what happens when we go to the grocery store and all those healthy foods are way too ex-pensive for our limited student bud-gets? I mean, it is much easier and cheaper to order a pizza or make some Kraft Dinner® right?

Well the effects of eating a nutrient-deficient diet are probably worse than you think. By leaving out the essentials, your school work and overall well-being are probably suffering1. What if it was possible to eat well on a student budget? Well I am here to tell you it is possible and very realistic! The long-term benefits of eating well now will be worth it and pay off in the end.

The first step is to cut out the take-out! These options are al-ways high in simple carbohydrates and fats, not to mention the dent in your wallet they can make. A week of eating take-out and fast foods can set you back about $100-140. Yikes! Also get off the booze cruise! It is typical in university to consume alcohol, however, this offers no nu-tritional value, just empty calories. This is also where most students tend to spend their money.

A healthy breakfast that will provide the required daily nutrition-al values and meet Canada’s Food Guide requirements may include orange juice, an apple, and Cheeri-os® with skim milk. This meal will provide Vitamin C, fibre, Vitamin D and calcium, which are all impor-

tant vitamins for your body’s essen-tial functions1.

For a healthy snack, try car-rots to increase your Vitamin A in-take and an oat bran muffin for fibre and magnesium intake. Also, you can try a serving of yogurt for cal-cium with a granola bar, and banana slices for fibre and potassium1.

Lunch is a vital meal, pro-viding energy used throughout the day. A spinach salad will provide you with Vitamin K, magnesium and Vitamin E intake. Along with the salad, switch to whole grain bread with natural peanut butter to obtain a serving of meats and alter-natives1.

A healthy dinner that is af-fordable would consist of a lean grilled chicken breast with a serving of cooked sweet potato and cooked mixed vegetables. This dinner will provide healthy protein and fats es-sential for the body and fibre from the vegetables (Berdanier, Zemple-ni). This meal plan will only cost an affordable $70-90 a week. So eating healthy is very possible and an ef-fective way to save money.

Interested in joining the Brock Health team?

Contact us at: [email protected]

17

Aristotle defined catharsis as “purging of the spirit of mor-bid and base ideas or emotions by witnessing the playing out of such emotions or ideas on stage”4 so to read a tragic tale or view a tragic play, one is a participant and en-gaged in the events unfolding. For instance, Bertold Brecht, a German playwright, considered it as a tool for a greater social change. Brecht used absence of consistent action to provoke a feeling of emptiness, build tension, and lead the audience to catharsis, which would make the audience undertake social/political action in order to escape from that feeling of emotional emptiness in-side4.

Traditionally, catharsis is viewed as a psychological effect, induced after participating in a dramatic tragedy, an effect which induces the purga-tion of pity and fear, or any negative anxieties. It may also be argued that physical exertion in an aggres-sive arena may serve as yet another outlet to induce cathartic release.

A participant of aggressive sports will often face fear or anxi-ety in their respective fields- a boxer in a ring, or a lacrosse player on a field. In addition to the emotional and psychological stimuli, the per-son is pushing themselves to their physical threshold, creating the ul-timate trifecta of endurance.

Of course, to maintain a positive atmosphere, this aggressive behaviour is best held in a controlled arena, such as said boxing ring or playing field. Aggressive sports are better for the induction of catharsis because they produce an element of confrontation, further intensifying the psychological strain of the indi-vidual. The key is to immerse one-self in the aggression and physical-

ity of the situation, to emphasize the magnitude of the cathartic release afterwards. Kearney fittingly notes, “It is what Shakespeare meant, I think, when he spoke of the wisdom which comes from exposing our-selves ‘to feel what wretches feel’.

Indeed, these activities are important in the induction of cathar-sis with regard to supplementing the body’s need for stress relief. If the body does not find release, sup-pressed anxieties may be problem-atic to mental and physical health. Freud believed ones’, “psyche was poisoned by repressed fears and de-sires, unresolved arguments and un-healed wounds.”

As students, stress can be-come overwhelming at times, ex-ams, essay deadlines, social drama and money concerns all seem to im-pede a person’s will to relax. Many theories suggest that although vent-ing, the aggressive action done such as hitting a pillow feels good, it ul-timately does not provide the long term cathartic release. This may be true, however hitting a pillow or any similar action in which the person exerting themselves does not feel the aggressiveness returned. In order for a cathartic release to be possible, the individual must expe-rience the harsh aggressive nature of the situation, versus in the case previously suggested, that the per-son is simply exerting themselves instead of being exerted upon by another party.

Through physical endur-ance, it is an outlet in which to de-posit negative feelings and in turn purge them from oneself. It is the mental purification one should pro-mote periodically, whether they are conscious of it or not. Like tradi-tional catharsis found in literature,

physical catharsis serves as an out-let for the build up of negative emo-tions. However, physical catharsis is different in that it makes the tran-sition from experience to cathartic release more direct and immediate. Stress release is important to one’s physical and mental health, students should find something they like do-ing which is aggressive by nature. They will find that by conquering this activity they will have released suppressed negative feelings and in turn will feel liberated.

Catharsis: Letting it outMichael Carrigan

18March 2010 - Issue 1

John Hay PhD - Professor Research

I appreciate the opportunity to introduce my research in this fo-rum. My interest lies largely in the effect that physical activity has on the health of children, particularly those with chronic disease or disor-ders. This has resulted in my work having two separated but highly in-ter-related facets. On the one hand is the measurement of physical activ-ity, while on the other is to develop an understanding of why some chil-dren – healthy or otherwise - elect to be inactive.

These interests have led to my involvement in a wide range of research teams where my princi-pal role is around issues of physical activity and health or illness. One of the challenges facing medical scientists working with seriously

ill children and their families is that research requires measurement, and medical measurements are often in-vasive or intrusive. The need to de-velop a measure of physical activity for children with chronic disease that was reliable and valid but not demanding of the child or family led to the development of the Habitual Activity Estimation Scale (HAES).

The HAES is now employed internationally and I am a mem-ber of research teams investigating the role of physical activity in the lung function of children with cys-tic fibrosis, of bone development of children receiving steroid therapy as part of their treatment for leu-kemia, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and renal disease, and of muscle de-velopment in children with Crohn’s Disease. In almost every case we have found that physical inactivity leads to poorer outcomes even af-ter controlling for other known risk factors. Here at Brock I am one of the lead investigators in the Physi-cal Health Activity Study Team (PHAST) project. In this research we are interested in understanding the effect of poor motor proficiency on the activity levels of children and the resultant effects on their

health – physical, social, psycho-logical, and academic. My interest here stems from earlier work prob-ing why some children chose to be inactive and from the development of the Children’s Self-perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity (CSAPPA) scale which measures general self-efficacy toward physical activity. The CSAPPA was found to be quite useful in screening for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and is an integral measure in PHAST where we have followed a group of close to 2000 students in Niagara schools for over six years now. We have discovered that children with DCD are at much greater risk for obesity, poor fit-ness and heart health, poorer psy-chologic profiles, and lowered aca-demic performance. I look forward to continuing the PHAST study and to helping heighten our understand-ing of the key role physical activity plays in the health and treatment of children with chronic disease.

SUDOKU!SUDOKU! Five Ways to Pass!CHSC 3P37

according to Singha1.Go to as many classes as possible…QUIZ!2.Full 30-min-interview, not necessary but optimal.3.Make your transcript looks well organized, even if it isn’t.4.Photovoice counts, pick a good one.5.Take advantage of the take-home exam article!

19

References

To Ban or Not to Ban… Summary of Lesley Ciarula Taylor’s Article Half of panel urges ban on popular diet pill – Eliza Beckett

In September, the debate was out on the popular online diet pill Meridia. Half of the panel re-ported to the U.S. Federal Drug Ad-ministration that the drug should be banned while the other half wants increased warnings. Harsher rules such as, only specially trained doc-tors should prescribe it were sug-gested.

This review was in response to a study from the New England Journal of Medicine which found that 28% of patients were at risk of a non-fatal heart attack and 36% were at risk for a non-fatal stroke. In March 2002, Health Canada con-ducted a review of Meridia due to reports of adverse reactions includ-ing increased blood pressure and heart rate, eye pain and hemorrhage. Health Canada considers the drug safe.

Aspirin ‘helps protect against bowel cancer’. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer by Nick Trig-gle – summarized by Stephanie Bry-enton

With such extensive experi-ments and discoveries in our health world, scientists have actually been theorizing about whether or not an aspirin tablet could have such a result of reducing and prevent-ing a human from being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Professor Peter Rothwell, who is a lead researcher founded that the daily tablet reduces the risk of bowel cancer by 24% and reduced the probability of an indi-vidual dying from bowel cancer by 35%. It seems to be a controversy on whether taking a daily dose of aspirin to be considered a positive affect on an individual due to the

long term side affects, but consider-ing such a small dose, the side ef-fects would be hypothesized to be as minor as the common nose bleed or maybe some small bruising.

Even with this in mind, the idea of a daily dose of aspirin to re-duce your chances on developing bowel cancer seems to be worth-while. Professor Peter Rothwell ends his findings by saying “There is a small benefit [to taking a daily dose of aspirin] for vascular disease and now we know a big benefit for this cancer. In the future, I am sure it will be shown that aspirin helps pre-vent other [types of] cancers too.”

Use your brain, not a pill bottle, to help you lose weight - Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen. Summarized by Kristie Newton

Even though some diet pills have been FDA approved, there is a way to use your brain to diet smart and lose that weight. Weight loss is more complicated then just eating less and exercising more. People need to find a way to get over the humps and past the road blocks of dieting and there are five brainy ways to do it.

1. You’re going to slip sometimes so try keeping cut up veggies and fruit on hand in the fridge. This will pro-vide you with quick healthy snacks when those cravings hit.

2. Insist on eating delicious healthy food, this will make eating healthy much easier and impress your taste buds at the same time.

3. A half hour walk is great exercise but it won’t make up for 23.5 hours of sitting, pull up the stationary bike while you watch TV and make it a new habit.

4. Ask for medical help if you need

it, there is no shame in trying a pill like Wellbutin or surgery like Lap-Band.

5. Once you’ve made it, don’t slide backwards, join a support group to keep you on track.

Bionic legs enable paraplegics to walk – Summary of Alex Horkay by Kristie Newton

Bionic skeletons, or exo-skeletons, are the newest technolo-gies to help paraplegics walk again. Berkeley Bionics unveiled their newest prototypes, the eLegs, last week. The device has crutches and sensors that allow the right and left legs to move forward based on arti-ficial intelligence. At first the eLegs will be available at rehab centers and are meant for patients under 220lbs and 6’4”.

They are worn over regular clothes and have a backpack like structure with velcro straps. How-ever, eLegs are not for everyone, they could help people with ALS, MS, polio, stroke victims and rehab patients, since the patient needs to have enough upper body strength to get out of a wheelchair. The eLegs may also help patients have more access to nature and places where wheelchairs have trouble. Inter-views with patients have showed varying opinions, and even though the be-all end-all would be a cure or paralysis, bionic skeletons look like a promising technology for the fu-ture.

Hot Headlines!


To Detox, or Not to Detox by Yumna Ahmed

(1) Hunt SL, Simon SL, Wisocki P. An examination of physi-cal health and coping styles associated with symptoms of general1) Northwestern Health Sciences University. (October 2010). Retrieved from http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU/liveNaturally/gloss.html2) Springen, K., & Kuchment, A. (2008). Diet trick: Stop eat-ing. Newsweek, 152(18), 71-71. 3) Crowe, T. (2010). Diets, weight loss and detox diets. Nutrid-ate, 21(1), 2-4. 4) Berg, F. M. (1997). Detox with pills, fasting. Healthy Weight Journal, 11(3), 56.

Having Trouble Catching Zzz’s Late-ly? by Nida Ahmed and Shirin Pilakka1.Lee, Elliott Kyung, and Alan B. Douglass. “Sleep in Psychiat-ric Disorders: Where are we Now?” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 55.7 (2010): 403-12. Print.2.Chokroverty, S. “Overview of Sleep & Sleep Disorders.” In-dian Journal of Medical Research 131.2 (2010): 126-40. Print.3.Roepke, Susan K., and Sonia Ancoli-lsrael. “Sleep Disorders in the Elderly.” Indian Journal of Medical Research 131.2 (2010): 302-10. Print.4.Saey, Tina Hesman. “Dopamine Fends Off the Zzzzz’s.” Science news 174.6 (2008): 11-. Print.5.Renger, John J. “Overview of Experimental and Conven-tional Pharmacological Approaches in the Treatment of Sleep and Wake Disorders.” Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 8.11 (2008): 937-53. Print

Academic Doping: Adderall1.McCabe, Sean E., John R. Knight, and Christian J. Teter. “Non-medical Use of Prescription Stimulants among US College Students:prevalence and Correlates from a National Survey.” Society for the Study of Addiction 99: 96-106. Print. 2.J,Biederman.“Attention-deficit/hyperactivityDisorder:a Life-span Perspective.” The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 59.7 (1998): 4-16. Print.3.Shire, Inc. One Dose Daily Adderall XR. Wayne: Shire US, 2010. Print. 4.Jiao MD, Xiangyang, Sonia Velez MD, Jennifer Ringstad MD, and Valerie Eyma MD. “Myocardial Infarction Associated with Adderall XR and Alcohol.” Journal of American Board of Fam-ily Medicine 22 (2009): 197-201. Print. 5.Surles MD, Lara K., Harold J. May PhD, and Joseph P. Gary MD. “Adderall-Induced Psychosis in an Adolescent.” JABFP 15.6 (2002): 498-500. Print. 6.Nissen, MD, Steven E. “ADHD Drugs and Cardiovascular Risk.” The New England Journal of Medicine 354.14 (2006): 1445-448. Print. 7.Pandina, Ph.D, Robert J., Daniel M. Ogilvie, Ph.D, and Georgia Kouzoukas. The Illicit Use of Non-Prescribed Adderall among College Students. Thesis. Rutgers University, 2007. Print. FDA_Page.html4. Hinshaw SP. Treatment for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorder.In:KendallPC,editor. Child and adolescenttherapy: cognitive-behavioral procedures. 3rd ed. New York: Guilford; 2006. p. 82-113.5. Wolraich ML, Wibbelsman CJ, Brown TE, Evans SW, Gotlieb EM, Knight JR, Ross EC, Shubiner HH, Wender EH, Wilens T. Attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorderamongadolescents:areview of the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical implications. Pediatrics 2005 Jun;115(6):1734-46.6.LilienfeldSO.Scientificallyunsupportedandsupportedin-terventions for childhood. Pediatrics. 2005 Mar;115(3):761-4.7. Chronis AM, Chacko A, Fabiano GA, Wymbs BT, Pelham WE Jr. Enhancements to the behavioral parent training paradigm for families of children with ADHD: review and future direc-tions. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2004 Mar;7(1):1-27.

Spine Health in Post Secondary Students

References1.De Carvalho. D. E., Soave. D., Ross, K., & Callaghan, J. P. 2010. Lumbar spine and pelvic posture between standing and sitting: A radiologic investigation including reliabil-ity and repeatability of the lumbar lordosis measure. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33, Number1, 48-55. 2.Gilkey, D. P., Keefe, T. J., Peel, J. L., Kassab, O. M., & Ken-nedy, C. A. 2010. Risk factors associated with back pain: A cross-sectional study of 963 college students. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33, Number 2, 88-95. 3.Lin, F., Parthasarathy, S., Taylor, S. J., Pucci, D., Hendrix, R. W., Makhsous, M. 2006. Effect of different sitting postures onlungcapacity,expiratoryflow,andlumbar lordosis.Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 87, 504-509. 4.Murrie, V. L., Dixon. A. K., Hollingsworth, W., Wilson, H., &

Doyle, T. A. C. 2003. Lumbar lordosis: Study of patients with and without low back pain. Clinical Anatomy, 16, 144-147. 5.Parcells, C., Stommel, M., & Hubbard, R. P. 1999. Mismatch of classroom furniture and student body dimensions. Journal of Adolescent Health, 24, 265-273. 6.Statistics Canada. (2004, April). Back Pain. Retrieved October 25th, 2010 from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-619-m/2006003/4053542-eng.htm. 7.Youdas, J. W., Garrett, T. R., Egan, K. S., & Therneau, T. M.

2000. Physical Therapy,80, Number 3, 261-275.

Oh Canada, the True North Strong and...Overpriced? by Kristie Newton [1] Guyatt, G.H. et al. 2007. HYPERLINK “http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/view/8/1” A systematic review of studies comparing health outcomes in Canada and the United States. Open Medicine, Vol 1, No 1. [2] Hussey PS, Anderson GF, Osborn R, et al. (2004). How doesthequalityofcarecompareinfivecountries?.Healthaffairs (Project Hope) 23 (3): 89–99. [3] Anderson GF, Hussey PS, Frogner BK, Waters HR (2005). “Health spending in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world”. Health affairs (Project Hope) 24 (4): 903–14. [4] Woolhandler S, Campbell T, Himmelstein DU. (2003). “Costs of health care administration in the United States and Canada”. The New England journal of medicine 349 (8): 768–75. [5] Sheldon L. Richman. HYPERLINK “http://www.amate-con.com/etext/dosm/dosm-ch03.html” “A Free Market for Health Care.” From The Dangers of Socialized Medicine, edited by Jacob G. Hornberger and Richard M. Ebeling. Future of Freedom Foundation (February 1994) [6] Nair C, Karim R, Nyers C (1992). “Health care and health status. A Canada--United States statistical comparison”. Health reports / Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Health Information 4 (2): 175–83 [7] Gibson D, Fuller C. The Bottom Line. Edmonton: Newest Press, 2006.

Alzheimers Prevention: vrai ou faux? by Shahla A. Grewal

1) Scarmeas N., Stern Y., Tang MX. Mayeux R., Luchsinger JA. Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Neurology 2006; 59: 912-921.2) Williams JW, Plassman BL, Burke J, Holsinger T, Benjamin S. Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 193. (Prepared by the Duke Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10066-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 10-E005. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. April 2010. Available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/alzcogtp.htm

Sickly Sweet - The Truth Behind Arti-ficialSweetnersbyKristieNewton

[1]Liebman,Bonnie.(2010).TheDangersofArtificialSweet-eners. Journal of Nutritional Health, 37(1), 1-8. [2] Hull, Janet. (2005). America’s Sugar Binge. Journal of Total Health, 27(1), 30-32.

Catharsis: Letting it go by Michael Carrigan

1) Kearney, Richard. Narrating Pain: The Power of Catharsis. Paragraph, Volume 30, Number 1, March 2007, pp. 51-66 (Article). Edinburgh University Press. Accessed September 20, 2010. 2) Kearney, Richard. Narrating Pain: The Power of Catharsis.3)McRaney, David. Catharsis. http://youarenotsosmart.

com/2010/08/11/catharsis. Accessed October 28, 2010.

Laser Vision in your Future by Singha Chanthanatham

1. Health Canada. Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada; c2003-2007 [updated 2007 February 16; cited 2010 Oct 8]. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php/2. Kim HJ, Silverman CM. Traumatic dislocation of LASIK flaps4and9yearsaftersurgery.J.Refract.Surg.2010Jun;26(6):447-452.

3. Wu F, Yang Y, Dougherty PJ. Contralateral comparison of wavefront-guided LASIK surgery with iris recognition versus without iris recognition using the MEL80 Excimer laser system. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 2009;92(3):320-327.

Cut out the Take Out by Eliza Beck-ett

1) Berdanier, C. and Zempleni, J. (2009). Advanced Nutri-tion: Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and Metabolism. CRC Press. 309-359.

Anti-diabetic Drug Metformin at the forefront of Therapeutic Cancer

Research1) Ben Sahra I. Le Marchand-Brustel Y. Tanti JF. Bost F. Metformin in cancer therapy: a new perspective for an old antidiabetic drug? 2010 May 2010. Molecular Cancer Thera-peutics. 9(5):1092-92) Bodmer M. Meier C. Krahenbuhl S. Jick SS. Meier CR. Long-term metformin use is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer. June 2010. Diabetes Care. 33(6):1304-83) Hirsch HA. Iliopoulos D. Tsichlis PN. Struhl K. Metformin selectively targets cancer stem cells, and acts together with chemotherapy to block tumor growth and prolong remission. 2009 Oct 1. Cancer Research. 69(19):7507-114) Luo Z. Zang M. Guo W. AMPK as a metabolic tumor sup-pressor: control of metabolism and cell growth. 2010 March. Future Oncology. 6(3):457-705) Regan M. Memmott, Phillip A. Dennis. Molecular Pathways: The Role of the Akt/mTOR Pathway in Tobacco Carcinogen-Induced Lung Tumorigenisis. 2010 January. Clin Cancer Res. 16:4-10

Photo Credits1. Cover Photo by Emily Loveday2. Page 3 - (Photo credit: Olivier Voisin/www.sciencesource.com)3. Page 5 - http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~art511_h/emerging08/swmasterf/project1f/punching2.html5. Page 7 - http://www.1st-healthyfood.com/free-radical-antioxidants.htm6. Page 9 - http://www.adancevision.com/?page_id=677.Page10-http://www.riadent.com/virtual_tour_office8. Page 11 - http://www.health.com/health/gal-lery/0,,20416288,00.html9.Pge12-http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_jack-son/2662567984/10. Page 13 - http://www.foxnomad.com/2008/10/28/5-ways-to-get-used-to-working-after-a-good-vacation/11. Page 14 - http://health.pharmacy-bg.com/tag/pancreatic-cancer/ and http://www.medindia.net/news/Metformin-Linked-to-Vitamin-Deficiency-in-Diabetics-69203-1.htm12. Page 15 - http://www.lowdensitylifestyle.com/a-look-at-artificial-sweeteners-part-4/13. page 16 - http://www.young-germany.de/university-education/university-education/article/c901304b1d/living-expenses-for-students-two-case-studies.html14. Page 17 - http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~art511_h/emerg-ing08/swmasterf/project1f/punching2.html

References

Steve Demetriades Shirin Pilakka

Vicky Horner

Singha Chanthanatham

Scott Alguire

Gregory McGarr

Yumna AhmedTHE TEAM

Michael Carrigan

Your PROfilemight include...

AutoFill PlusYour prescription isrefilled and waitingfor you.

Diabetes Carein ActionAccess practicalinformation, resourcesand support.

Pill Pack PlusWhen it is time to takeyour medication, simplypush out the correctbubble.

PROfileBrochuresHealth information thatyou can take with you.

FLAVORxWe can make yourmedication easierto swallow.

...and much more

Sobeys Pharmacy has programs and services tocomplement your prescription and help you manageyour family’s medication and health care needs.Talk to your PROfile Pharmacist today.

They can do much more for you than you’d expect!

?What’s your

another valued service of

SobPh-BrockUniversity:199029-Lawt-SobSeniorAd05-corr 1/6/10 12:21 PM Page 1

Brittany Ferren

Nida Ahmed

Eliza Beckett

Whitney Brown

Phuc Dang

Kristie Newton

Hassaan KhalidAbsent:

Emily LovedayLindsay RusssellStephanie Bryenton

Chrysta Everett

Your PROfilemight include...

AutoFill PlusYour prescription isrefilled and waitingfor you.

Diabetes Carein ActionAccess practicalinformation, resourcesand support.

Pill Pack PlusWhen it is time to takeyour medication, simplypush out the correctbubble.

PROfileBrochuresHealth information thatyou can take with you.

FLAVORxWe can make yourmedication easierto swallow.

...and much more

Sobeys Pharmacy has programs and services tocomplement your prescription and help you manageyour family’s medication and health care needs.Talk to your PROfile Pharmacist today.

They can do much more for you than you’d expect!

?What’s your

another valued service of

SobPh-BrockUniversity:199029-Lawt-SobSeniorAd05-corr 1/6/10 12:21 PM Page 1

For more info please contact: [email protected]

Copyright © 2010 Community Health Science Council. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5

Canada License

You are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this magazine and its contents, provided you attribute the work in an appropriate manner and do not use it for commercial purposes. Any derivative works must be licensed similarly. These conditions may be waived with the permission of the copy-

right holder.

Full terms of licence are found at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca/

Fax: 905-682-3665Email: [email protected]

Creating Memories in Stone Since 1929

fonthill dunnville welland st. catharines niagara falls fort erie

brock health - issue 2

Documents

publication of brock

ratifying brock health

brock healths

spine health

health care

public health system

public health issues

best health results