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Show c2" The Salt Lake Tribune SCIENCE & MEDICINE Thursday, July 18, 1996 High Thyroid Hormone Doses Cause Bone Loss Is there a connection between thyroid hormone and osteoporosis? I have been on the same thy- YOUR HEALTH roid-hormone dose fer more than 20 years without any problems whatsoever. My new doctor took somebloodtests and nowtelis me that she needsto lowerthe dose to that keeps TSH in the normal e. REGULA E. BURKI markedboneloss. in which case the TSH would be monelevel. TSH is the hormone secreted by the pituitary that con- too high. Unless the thyroid-hormone pills are used to completely suppress all hormone production by the thyroid (for example, to keep it from growing a goiter or to prevent recurrence of a thyroid tu- trols how much hormone the thy- roid secretes. If there is too much thyroid hormone in the blood stream, the TSH levels are low. TSH is also the mostsensitive way to detect an underactive thyroid, mor), the desired dose is the one the test of time. The Food and Drug Administration is consider- HEALTH UPDATES _ ing whether to change aspirin labels to include takinga tablet during a suspected heart attack. The proposal stems from new research suggesting that aspirin may help prevent deaths when given to people actually experiencing heart attacks. INTESTINAL TRANSPLANTS About one-third of all patients who have undergone intestinal transplants are still alive, and a Earlier studies showed thattak- Teport in The Lancet suggests ing small dosesof aspirin regularly helps to prevent heart attacks. “Approximately 1.2 million heart attack patients are admitted to U.S. hospitals each year,” not- that, in the short term, suchtransplantsareat least as successful as lung transplants. But researchers say they cannot yet evaluate the transplants as a long-term treatment. ed Charles Hennekensof the Harvard Medical School. So far, 170 patients have re- “If we could increase aspirin use to virtually all patients having ceived 180 transplants since 1985, and nearly 80 percent of those still alive are eating regular food. The procedure has become a life-saving option for patients who develop liver failure after a heart attack, tens of thousands of premature deaths could be avoided each year.” — Chicago Tribune a prolonged intravenous feeding, TEEN-PREGNANCY RATES or for those with aggressive tu- mors who have to have most of States that spend more money on welfare have lower teen pregnancyrates than states that spend less, accordingto a study conducted by Shirley Zimmermanof the University of Minnesota. The findings indicate that in states that provide less help for their gastrointestinal system re- moved. But the chances of infection and rejection remain high, and the authors of the report say the procedure mustoffer more safety, lower costs and a better quality of life than intravenous feeding people in need, thereis also less before it becomes standard treatment. — Gannett News Service shape your bones are in. Two factors maybepertinentin the dose they needed for regular Your doctor probably measured a Thyroid Stimulating Hor- hone-density study to see what I recommend a DEXA study, your case: First, you say that you have been on the same dose for more than two decades. At that time, the highly sensitive TSH test was not available. Most people were placed on roughly double save mybones.Is she right? Yes. High doses of thyroid hormone, either as a pill or because of an overactive thyroid, cause thyroid-replacement therapy. Second, you do not mention your age, but as thyroid metabolism slows down with age, people over 65 need replacement doses about 10 percent to 15 percent lower than when they were younger. Depending on your age and your other risk factors for osteo- porosis, such as high alcohol and nicotine consumption, diet low in calcium,lack of exercise and sed- whichgives the most reliable and reproducible results and is avail- low,several treatment options are available, aesbefore you start losing height and pening bongs, Regula E. Burki,MtD., FA.C.0.G., is aSalt Lake City gymecologist and past president of Utah Women Physicians. Piease send your tions to her c/o The Salt Tribune, P.O. Box 867, ae Lake City, UT 84110. Burki on a variety ps topics and refers questions to other specialists when entary lifestyle, or prednisone necessary. o FRESHMANDRINKING Acute alcohol intoxication requiring treatment in a hospital emergency room is not uncom- security. mon amongcollege students, par- ticularly freshmen. According to a study of students at Vanderbilt University published in the July issue of the Archives ofPediatric and Adolescent Medicine, nine of 44 students treated for intoxication had also suffered an injury related to a fall. Emergency physicians Seth W. Wright and Corey M. Slovis exam- ates brought to the university's medical center during the 1992 and 1993 academic years. Older students and those attending oth- Those brought by ambulance had higher blood alcohollevels, an average of 0.24 (more than double the legal definition of intoxication), than those brought by friends or security, whose mean blood alcohol count was 0.18. On average female students had higher blood alcohol levels than did males. Nearly all of the students arrived in the hospital between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Three quarters of the students were treated on Friday or Saturday ined the treatment recordsof all drunk Vanderbilt undergradu- night. The average stay in the emergency room was 4% hours. Of the students who had inju- ries related to falling while intoxi- cated, two sustained facial or scalp lacerations, two had minor er schools were excluded, as were students who were treated during orthopedic injuries and three were evaluated for cuts and bruises. cords were part of the survey, 23 freshman with a blood alcohol level of0.29 whofell outofa sec- the summer, Of the 44 students whose re- were males. The average age of the students was 19; most were freshmen and only five were over Amongthese was a 19-year-old ond-story window. The overrepresentation of freshmen, the authors speculate, 21, the legal drinking age. maybedueto their relative lack Thirty-six Veneie or 16 studenis, were brought to the ER by of experience with alcohol and the practice of drinking too much transported by friends or campus — The Washington Post ambulance, while the rest were too fast. Payments provided by the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program are not the culprit behind the teen-birth-rate phe- nomenon,Zimmermansaid. — Chicago Tribune mein the morning” seems to pass The Mormon Yo Chorus Symphony DE Utah and international audiences for nearly three decades, this one hundred piece symphony orchestra and three hundred voice chorus has traveled the world as ambassadors of music. The program will feature a wide variety of musical selections including many of our favorite Friday, July 19, 1996 hy Ly js er Murray Symphony Orchestra and Murray City present “Musical Centennial Pleasures” Connor Kamm, last week hada @ Continued from C-1 yet sure whether they Three years ago, a chest sean showed McDonald had four malformations in her lungs. Her professional contacts led her to Yale University, where the malforma- tions were treated. A radiologist there, Kober* White, told McDonald there were enough HHT specialists at the U. of U, to form an- other clinic here. McDonaid worked with Miller, and James Parkin, chairman of the U. of U. Department of Surgery, to set upthe clinic. Within BLOOD SCHEDULE IHC Blood Services will observe the following schedule for the weeks ending Aug. 2. Further information may be obtained from LDS Hospital Blood Bank. Sponsors andlocations areas follows: n DiscoverCard, 8475 South Sandy Parkway, Sandy, 7 a.m. to 1:45 p.m, 2 JC Penney Telemarketing, 1505 North Main Street, Bountiful, 11 a.m, to 2:45 pm,; Discover Card, 8475 South Sandy ParkWay, Sandy, 9 a.m. 10 4:45 pam.; North Logan LDSStake, 2750 North 800 East, Logan, 3 to 7:45 pam. aly 25:South Jordan River Ridge, 10200 South River Ridge, South Jordan, 4 to 7:45 pam.; Sandy Crescent West LDS Stake, 1245 Bast11000 South, Sandy, 4107:45 p.m.; me South LDS Stake, $44 West 700 Sout 3 to 7:45p.m. sole Ss jroeriean Chores. 340 Best Rout, Fomple, Salt LakeCity, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m; erty Ca aig ‘lon WhiteBoulevard, Oecen, 6 to 6:45 ‘Tuly 20; TriadCenter, 68 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, 9 a.m, to 12:45 p.m,; Kimberly lark, 10 Rulon White Boulevard, Ogden, 6 to 8:45 daly 30: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South Stat ; th, Sandy, 4 t 0 ussStake, 1700 South 2000 weet irciere, 3 the ‘31: Taylorsville Valley Patk LDS Stake, 4986 South Valois Drive, Taylorsville,4 Intermountain West. McDonald's eget son, need imme- diate treatment. Connor was iested after he began having seizures. For McDonald, the warning signs included shortness of breath. “That’s the take-homepahese for people with HHT,” “You don’t want to get to the point where you are outof breath just crossing the room or having other symptoms. It's clear thet long before those cee Peet a person living with stroke or foieabe abscess risk for years and could have done some- thing aboutit.” to 7:45 p.m; Cottonwood Stake, 1880 Hus 6400 South, Salt ake Cty,410745 pm; Syracuse South LDS Stake, 21@6 South 125 Wee. Clearfield, 8 to 145 p.m Cemtervile Coayna View 138 stakee 210 East1825 North, Cenerele, 7:45 pm; West Jordan River renad Heartland Elementary School, 1451 West 7000 South, West Jordan,4 t0 7:45 p.m. 2; United Parcel Service, 3530 West ae South, West Valley City, 20 a.m. to 445 Sears are alo scheduled at these nati tions: Cottonwood Hospital Annex: Mondays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m; Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Medical Center: Thuredays, 3 207 pm. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 pm; Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m Logan Regional Center: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 ‘a.m, to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, noon to 8 pan. McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden: Mondays tnd Wednesdays, 9 4m. to 7 pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 am. to 4 p.m,; Fridays, 9 a.m, to 4 p.m. Regional Medical Center: Mopdays through Thursdays, 9 am, to 648 pn. ‘Hospital: Monday and Friday: 8 Gus pm; Tuesday, Wednesday and ‘Thursday: 8 a.m. to 7:80 p.m.; Saturday, Sun. day and holidays: 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Picture ID required. Utah Valley Regional Medics! Center, Provo: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thorsdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 pm; Wedne days, 9 a.m. to7 p.m. Columbia of Uta: Ogden Regional Medical Center: Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays from 9 a.m.to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 9 a.m. fla Mark's Hospital: Mondays, Fridays and incon: 11 a.m. to4 p.m; Tuesdays through ‘Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. HIGH-TECH High-tech horror!” Highted boone Small musica! groups, Childrens games, crafts Melodrama - 11:00 am 4: 00 pm, trade demonstrations Wheeler hometours, Farm activities, Wagon rides Activities - Period Dress Ball 7.000 to 10:00 pm ce ay of event Ticks for bol cll aho iow artence to af Sap eis tickets are forsale at Day Murray Music, Muray Parks ii from any Symphony Member. |"— BREATHLESS “It'll leave you breathless” Sam Halonbeck, WTVT THRILLS BAIS Hag) f a Snowbird Event Center 7:00p.m. $5.00 per person, $15.00perfamily (Two adults, four children, of Pioneer Day. ROCKY MOUNTAIN PTICAL. A Prvaician Owneo Dispensary 4400 Soum 700 East ROCCErece Vessel Disorder several dozen patients from the a Utah Centennial Event Saturday July 20 Wheeler Farm. time Activities - 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM ABeee ‘Adulis, $2,00 Chiddren/Seniors Purchase day admission at the gate, children 3 and under arefree) andpatriotic songs in honor the last year, they have treated ‘A NON-STOP SPECIAL EFFECTS ROLLERCOASTER’ said. TAKEAN ASPIRIN The old standard medical advice to “take two aspirin andcall Nosebleeds May Signal Rare Blood able at several area hospitals and clinics. If your bone density is help for teen-age girls whoare at risk of becoming pregnant, she o Broadway and Disney tunes, treatment for ailments such as asthma orarthritis, you mightdiscuss with your doctor a baseline : BEYSe (Likes eel.b GRAND OPENING "BY FAR THE SUMMER'SGREATEST COMEDIT “FUNNY! FUNNY! FUNNY!!! FUNNYII! Michael Keaton IIs Great,Great, Great, Great!" PREVIEW BEAUTIFUL NEW INVENTORY WITH A SPECIAL SHOWING FROM “ictok KI Hystericall ‘Muttiplicity’ isa't justone of the funniest films of the yearit's one of the best” ‘itCo,SOY SCANDPREV “The summer's funniest comedy! LAURA ASHLEY EMMANUEL KAHNH JEAN NATE NAUTICA ELLEN TRACY , rimary Children’s BE UN Flog. %, HOME Show. $40 OFF ANY COMPLETE PAIR PURCHASE WITH THIS AD At Capitol Park 12th Avenue andF Street 4400 South 700 East Onthesite of the former Primary Children’s Hespital Tickets $7 in advance at Smith’sTix or $10 at the door Proceeds benefit Primary Children’s Medical Center VALID THROUGH AUGUST 3/, 1996 NO CTHER DISCOUNTS, PACKAGE PRICES, OF INSURANCES APPLY. 264-4430 Ere 72 Re oe : Tare ie nea STEREO. 00 955 ae TUES) ate sts Gur ‘ |