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Show The Daily Utah Thursday, February 25, 1999 DIXIE Doctors May-B- e Hindering Health Care The Associated Press Subconscious prejudices among doctors may help explain why women and blacks complaining of "chest pain are less likely than men and whites to receive the best cardiac testing, a study suggests. Researchers have found such differences in care previously, and have attributed them to financial barriers and differences in patients' preferences, medical condition and access to care. A new study of 720 physicians found that, with all symptoms being equal, doctors were only 60 percent as likely to order cardiac catheterization for women and blacks as for men and whites. For black women, the doctors were only 40 percent as likely to order catheterization. Catheterization is considered the "gold standard" diagnostic test for heart disease. It involves squirting dye into cardiac arteries, then them to find blockages and determine the best treatment. "Most likely this is an underestimate of what's occurring," Dr. Kevin Schulman of George- town University Medical Center said, because the doctors knew their decisions were being recorded although not why. In the unusual study, doctors attending medical conferences were told they were participating in a study of clinical decision making, and viewed medical data and a taped interview with one of eight "patients." The patients were really actors. There were two black women, two black men, two white women and two white men, divided into two identical groups. In one group, all the patients were said to be 55; in the other group, 70. The actors described identiInformation cal symptoms. such as insurance coverage, profession and results of a heart stress test also were the same. Researchers found disparities in doctors' treatment recommendations. "We still need to understand a lot more about why these differences occur," Schulman said. "This may all be subconscious." The research was reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. Another journal report suggests black patients with congestive heart failure have a higher risk of death or worsening disease than whites getting similar treatment. In congestive heart failure, the heart's ability to pump blood gradually declines, causing pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms. Researchers at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, examining data from an earlier cardiac study, found 42 percent of blacks treated for such symptoms died, compared with 36 percent of whites. For patients with the disease but no symptoms yet, 22 percent of blacks died vs. 14 percent of whites. Previous studies found higher death rates for blacks, but cited factors such as differences in disease severity or access to care. These researchers took those factors into account, and instead concluded that hormon- al differences between races may affect survival. continued from page 1 In the end, both sides reached a compromise in the form of Senate President Lane Beattie's, Bountiful, substitute bill for H.B. 32. The compromise gave control of the Dixie situation back to the regents ' while forcing them to report to the Legislature on the Dixie College situation by Nov. 15. The regents' report will include: Considering the name change of the college. Establishing four-ye- ar Dixie with the degrees at Dixie's campus. The big loser in the compromise was Southern Utah University, which will have to give up the $500,000 it had been getting for the University Center. The center was set up in Cedar City so Dixie students could get four-yedegrees at the SUU campus. While the substitute bill was passed some senators expressed con29-cern over possible higher education funding the bill could create. "We have to do this in a way so we don't take money away from the University of Utah," said Sen. Lyle Hill-yarar 0, THE ULTIMATE PARY-TTIIJV1- d, degrees at or Dixie either independently through a separate research institution. The estimated costs of establishr degrees and the ing the have on the will the costs impact entire higher education system. The transfer of $500,000 given to the University Center Program at Southern Utah University to Dixie. The University of Utah may end up getting involved with Dixie but will probably not take over the school. To alleviate the costs involved with changing a junior college to a four-yeschool, Beattie's substitute bill will allow Dixie to contract a research institution. That institution will then deliver four-yedegrees through four-yea- ar ar Dixie. The U and Utah State University are the only research institutions in the State; one will probably supply Chronicle - 3 IE JOB! Hillyard said the Legislature needs to increase spending for the entire higher education system. "It is remarkable how well our students do with the lack of funding they receive. I attribute this to the quality of the students and faculty," he said. Charles Johnson, Chair of the regents, stressed the deal gave no guarantees. The regents' Nov. 15 report will consider the entire higher educational system, not only Dixie, he said. The compromise, then, only guarantees the regents will consider the Dixie issue and give a report to the Legislature by Nov. 15. That report could say that the higher education system in Utah would be better off if Dixie stayed a junior college, he said. If that happened, the controversy would come full circle and nothing will be resolved. 009 Worldwide Olympic Sponsor Now hiring loaders unloaders to work in our Salt Lake Hub at 2040 W. 2495 S. Eating Disorders Among Males Rising Anjali Asrani The California Aggie (U California-Davis- ) DAVIS, Calif-Eat- ing have been known to affect disorders women for many years, as well as a growing number of men, including many students on the campus. The three main types of eating disorders found in people are anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a refusal to uphold a healthy body weight through starvation and overexercising. There is also a loss of approximately 15 percent of the normal body weight associated with anorexia. "A person with one type of eating disorder does not necessarily move back and forth between another type," Cowell Student Health Center dietitian Lorna Belden said. "People with anorexia can have bulimic tendencies, but are still anorexic, and vice versa." Bulimia is another common type of eating disorder, characterized by UC-Dav- is unrestrained binge eating and purging. Means of purging may include vomiting, overexercising or using laxatives. "The binging in this cycle can sometimes be 3,000 to 4,000 calories at a time, and the purging can take place after every meal," Belden said. Binge eating is the third main type of eating disorder, which is the intake of large amounts of food, generally reacting to stress. "There is a much higher rate in bulimia," said Shelly Shavor, of the UCD Counseling Center. According to the Counseling Center, eating disorders affect approximately 15 percent of college-age- d women as well as a growing but undocumented number of men. Among these people, 43 percent start this behavior between the ages of 16 and 20 years old. There are approximately 5 to 10 million women in the United States who are afflicted with eating disorders. Approximately million men have eating disorders. There is also an estimated 50,000 people that die as a result of the eating disorder. 1 BENEFITS for FULL-TIM- E Part-Tim- e Work! $8.50 or $9.50 per hour to start Comprehensive benefits package Paid holidays and vacations 401k Stock purchase Promotion from within Shifts available: Sunrise: 3:30 am 7:30 am Twilight: 5:30 pm 9:30 pm Midnight: 10:15 pm 2:15 am - - NO WEEKENDS Get paid to work out! Contact Student Employment, SSB 2 380 or the UPS Jobline, 973-377- UPS is an Equal Opportunity Employer Drive Into The New Millennium In Style! Join us at the Men's Basketball Game February 25, 1999 during half time to see who will win the Volkswagen New Beetle and other prizes! it pass yoyfoy! Don't Oet University Dining Services by: Charlwells |
