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CONTENTS: (BLUE indicates recently posted)
Last Update on the Explosion
1. Dementia Cases in U.S. Projected to Double
2. Alcohol Harms Your Body
3. What is UnitedHealthcare?
4. HMSA - Hawaii's largest health insurance company
5. Trauma Surgeon, Gunshot Survivor
6. Tea Drinkers Live Longer
7. Thank you, Warren Braren
8. Message from Dr. D
9. Brown Rice - what you didn't know
10. New Post to be posted soon
11. Getting Cancer? - chances are good
12. Alzheimer's Disease Early Stage
13. Alzheimer's 9 Common Risk Factors
14. U.S. Neurological Death Rate Rising
15. Secret Military Tests - Part 1
16. Secret Military Tests - Part 2
17. Wildfire Retardant Danger
Last Update on the Explosion
Nina Wu reported for Star-Advertiser that 6 severely injured burn victims were transported by C-17 military jet to Arizona. Dr. Kevin Foster, Director of the Arizona Burn Center said, “Everybody is stable. Good vital signs, good air and output, and we're very happy with where we're at right now.” He said the 6 patients face a long road of recovery. They suffered extensive burns ranging from about 45% to nearly 80% of their body surface areas.
Dementia Cases in U.S. Projected to Double
Dr. Josef Coresh, senior author of the study and founding director of the Optimal Aging Institute at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine said the growing population of aging people in the US is likely the primary driver behind the study's projected increase in dementia rates. Solis-Moreira said, “The study's projected rise in dementia cases varied by race. Yearly dementia cases are set to alarmingly double among white adults. And cases among Black adults are even more staggering: their risk is expected to triple.”
It's not as bleak as it may seem. There is some promising information, but you need to be willing to do what you need to do. For example, according to a 2024 Alzheimer's Association report, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia in the US and other high-income countries may have actually declined in the past 25 years. Dr. Nancy McLinskey, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, said the decline could come from better treatments for dementia risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. Keeping your brain active, e.g., continuing education for seniors which promotes learning, may help against age-related brain changes. Those are two better-known examples. In the upcoming webinar I will cover some not-too-commonly-known risks and things you can do to lower your risk for dementia.
Alcohol Harms Your Body
From National Geographic Premium (for subscribers only) here are brief summaries of some recent articles, on alcohol's affects on your body, by National Geographic journalists.
Stacey Colino (July 2024): People have a harder time dealing with alcohol as they get older. We have less body water as we age. If you drink the same amount at 80 as you did at 30, your blood alcohol level will be much higher. Enzymes that help our body metabolize alcohol diminish with age. The aging brain is more vulnerable to effects of alcohol, which can affect coordination and balance, resulting in higher risk of falls.
Leah Worthington (July 2024): When you drink on a plane, alcohol compounds the effects of high altitude on people's bodies, putting an extra burden on the cardiovascular system, reducing blood oxygen levels, compounding dehydration and impairing sleep quality.
What is UnitedHealthcare?
NY Times reported, “In the hours after the shooting early Wednesday morning, social media exploded with anger toward the insurance industry.” Experts say the public reaction shows growing discontent with the healthcare system and the industry's profit-driven model.
A few examples of what people are saying online: “When you shoot one man in the street it's murder. When you kill thousands of people in hospitals by taking away their ability to get treatment you're an entrepreneur.” “I'm an ER nurse, and the things I've seen dying patients get denied for by insurance make me physically sick.” “I pay $1,300 a month for health insurance with an $8,000 deductible ($23,000yearly). When I finally reached that deductible, they denied my claims.” “My breast cancer surgery was denied by a different insurance company. She asked me 'well, is it an emergency?' I don't know – it's (f***ing) cancer. What do you think?” A 2009 study found 45,000 Americans die every year as a direct result of not having any health insurance.
Sicko, Michael Moore, & Luigi Mangione's Manifesto
“In the United States, we have a whopping 1.4 million people employed with the job of DENYING health care, vs 1 million doctors in the entire country! . . . We pay more people to deny care than to give it. . . . I made a film---SICKO---about America's bloodthirsty, profit-driven and murderous health insurance system. It was nominated for an Oscar. . . .
Because this anger is not about the killing of a CEO. . . . It is about the . . . misery---the physical pain, the mental abuse, the medical debt, the bankruptcies in the face of denied claims and denied care and bottomless deductibles on top of ballooning premiums---that this 'health care' industry has levied against the American people for decades. With no one standing in their way! Just a government---two broken parties---enabling this industry's theft and, yes, murder.
People across America are not celebrating the brutal murder . . . They are screaming for help . . . they are saying that this system is not just and it is not right . . . They want justice. They want health care. . . . not to throw [their money] away each month into a black hole of health insurance premiums only to discover that when the time finally comes to use their insurance . . . their health insurance company is there not to help them but to deny their claim, bankrupt them with deductibles and co-pays, and give them the runaround . . .
You can't be the CEO of a company where you knowingly deny care to people---often leading to their deaths---and not have people mad at you, people hate you, people who have no pity for you because you have no pity for them.”
HMSA – Hawaii's largest health insurance company
Scott Norton was required by HMSA to get weeks of physical therapy before HMSA would approve an MRI or specialist care. His son said Norton “just got worse.” He was in a lot of pain, but no one knew he had cancer because HMSA denied the MRI. “The cancer was literally eating his bones at the time that he had to go through physical therapy.” After months of suffering, Norton died. “He was angry. He said we had been paying HMSA all these years.”
Sophie Cocke, for StarAdvertiser, reported, HMSA executives “received hefty pay raises and bonuses during the COVID-19 pandemic” at the same time HMSA was eliminating and outsourcing the jobs of nearly 200 employees. 107 HMSA workers lost their jobs. Another 89 employees now provide customer service for HMSA as employees of a company based in Mumbai, India, or provide tech assistance for HMSA as employees of a company in Maryland and Bengaluru, India.
Gina Marting, HMSA executive vice president and CFO: total compensation rose 20% from $902,402 in 2021 to $1.08 million in 2022.
Janna Nakagawa, HMSA vice president and chief administrative and strategy officer: total compensation rose from $788,287 to $995,633 (26% increase) in 2022.
David Herndon, HMSA executive vice president and chief business operations officer: total compensation rose to $817,361 (3.7% increase) in 2022. Jennifer Walker, HMSA senior vice president for data and analytics and general counsel: total compensation rose nearly 20% to $737,689 in 2022.
HMSA is a nonprofit organization. It reported profits of $48.9 million in 2021 and $26.9 million in 2022. In 2021 employee salary increases were capped at 1.5%. Average increase was 1%. In 2022 average employee raise was 3% according to HMSA.
Trauma Surgeon, Gunshot Survivor
When I was 17, I was nearly killed when . . . a stray bullet struck my throat, tearing through my trachea and damaging my carotid artery. In the hospital, [my parents] were overwhelmed by a labyrinth of paperwork, billing inquiries, and questions about insurance coverage. Even after I was discharged . . . Instead of focusing on my recovery, we spent our energy addressing delayed approvals for follow-up care, denied access to physical therapy and endless requests to clarify reimbursements.
The average annual cost of health care in the US is estimated at a staggering $15,074 per person. We purchase health insurance . . . with the expectation that if we need to see a doctor or undergo treatment, our insurance will cover most, if not all, of the expenses. Yet nearly two thirds of US bankruptcies are tied to obscenely high medical expenses, even among people who have insurance. Around 41% of Americans carry medical debt, highlighting the system's profound failure to provide financial security when it's needed most.
On top of these ruinous costs . . . insurers also decide whether they will pay for care, regardless of whether a patient's doctor says such care is necessary. The delay of care through bureaucratic hurdles like prior authorizations and denied claims are carefully designed to force people and their doctors to fight their way through outdated systems . . . to ask for appeals or reconsideration of denied treatments or examinations. All too often the mental effort and excessive time required to navigate claims, denials, and appeals wears people down, leading them to simply give up on getting the coverage they are owed.
I've spent countless nights fighting to save lives in operating rooms. I've witnessed how gun violence intersects with healthcare inequities, leaving families to confront not only grief but insurmountable medical bills. Survivors often endure years of physical and financial pain as they battle not only their injuries but also insurance denials for necessary care. . . . Every step of my own recovery felt like a negotiation---not just for my health but for access to the care I needed. . . .
For many, financial strain forces impossible choices: families forgo optimal treatments or rehabilitation . . . because they simply can't afford them. These compromises lead to worse patient outcomes . . . compounding suffering that could have been prevented with proper access to care. Too often, hope is eroded by a system more focused on profits than well-being.”
Tea Drinkers Live Longer
Herbal teas do not contain caffeine. They tend to provide antioxidants. They have healing benefits, e.g., rooibos has aspalathin that may help regulate blood sugar. Chamomile helps with relaxation. Peppermint tea may improve alertness.
Thank you, Warren Braren
Tobacco companies lied to the American public repeatedly, even hiring scientists to produce bogus research that showed cigarettes and tobacco do not cause cancer. They were so wealthy and powerful they could get away with it. Now some big corporations that are harming the health of the American people are using the same tactics the tobacco companies used successfully for decades.
Message from Dr. D
This blog is under Hawaii Health Foundation (HHF), a 501c3 nonprofit organization. HHF has no funding except what Dr. Shintani and I put into it. Dr. Shintani provides much of the funding for the HHF out of his own pocket. EES does not fund HHF. My sources of information for webinars and this blog include 10 to12 publications I subscribe to. I pay for the subscriptions myself. For The NY Times I pay $24.04 every 4 weeks. We are grateful for the dozen or so individuals who donate to the HHF every year and the 3 people who donated on this blog.
In gratitude to people who donated to HHF, Dr. Shintani and I are giving a special, private zoom webinar just for donors. Everyone who donated in 2024 or this year will be emailed the link to the webinar. Dr. Shintani and I will give private webinars throughout this year as a perk for donors. If you are not a donor, if you want to get on the webinar list for this year, just make a one-time donation this year. If you prefer not to donate, that's okay, you are welcome to continue to visit this blog. Except for EES, there will be no public webinars.
Brown Rice - what you didn't know
The first vitamin was identified in 1912, but it was not chemically defined and isolated until 1926. In 1942, Robert R. Williams was granted one of the first patents for chemically or artificially synthesizing a vitamin. That was vitamin B1 or thiamine.
White rice was more expensive and advertising told people it was superior to brown rice. This was during European colonization of Asian countries and European colonists saw white rice as more desirable and of better quality compared to cheap brown rice eaten by the common local people.
White rice caused the disease beriberi. No one noticed the poor local people who ate brown rice were not getting beriberi. Some symptoms include fatigue, irritability, poor memory, sleep disturbances, anorexia, abdominal problems, and neurological problems like burning sensations in feet; calf muscle cramps; weakness. It can affect the heart and can lead to death if not treated. No one knew how to treat it.
This was when Dr. Louis Pasteur was famous so people were afraid beriberi was caused by germs and that it was contagious.
Beriberi
Based on this evidence, Dr. Eijkman proposed beriberi was really a nutritional deficiency and not caused by germs and that something in rice bran prevents beriberi. No one believed him and he was relieved of his duties and sent back home a failure. That was before he received the Nobel Prize.
Getting Cancer? – chances are good
T.J. DeGroat reporting for Lifestyle News, said hearing your doctor say, “you have cancer” is something no one wants to experience. No one wants to hear that ever, but chances are good you and many other people will be hearing those words. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, oncologist and former deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said one in two men and one in three women in the US are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. You can keep your lifetime cancer risk lower than the numbers predict because lifestyle does play a role in raising or lowering your risk.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle you need to know how to protect yourself from toxic exposures. There are many different kinds of hazards. These are known to cause genetic damage and gene mutations that can lead to cancer. The gene mutation may appear random because it often takes time, even years before the result of the mutation or a cancer becomes apparent. Dr. David Katz, founder of Yale University's Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, said, “random mutations are not necessarily random at all,” they may arise as a result of lifestyle factors. He said, “Mutation rates are higher in those exposed to toxins and lower in those exposed to health-promoting conditions. Studies have already shown that cancer-promoter genes are turned off and cancer-suppressor genes turned on by healthy living.” In our zoom webinars, Dr. Shintani covers information on promoting health and I cover toxic exposures.
Alzheimer's Disease Early-Stage
Here are some symptoms of Mild Dementia/Early Stage Alzheimer's disease
Diminished short-term memory, e.g., asks the same question repeatedly within the same conversation
Misplacing belongings in odd places (e.g., puts car keys in refrigerator); losing valuable belongings, like wallet or purse
Seems “not himself” and shows uncharacteristic behaviors
Lapses in judgment
Difficulty with mental arithmetic and handling money, e.g., finds it difficult to balance checkbook or determine correct amount of money to pay for an item while shopping
Disorientation in unfamiliar places or situations
Alzheimer's Disease – 9 Common Risk Factors
There is something you can do about every one of these risk factors. For example, (obesity) lose weight if you are overweight; (carotid artery narrowing) lower your cholesterol and inflammation; (high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes) eat a plant-based diet; (frailty) exercise; (high homocysteine) attend Dr. Shintani's free webinars to learn about homocysteine and inflammatory processes. Dr. Shintani teaches about all these topics including plant-based diet, how to lose weight, and how get better control of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation. You can even improve your education by attending his free webinar classes.
These are the nine common risk factors for Alzheimer's disease:
Obesity
Carotid Artery Narrowing
Low Education
Depression
High Blood Pressure
Frailty
Smoking Habits
High Levels of Homocysteine (amino acid)
Type 2 Diabetes
U.S. Neurological Death Rate Rising
The researchers compared 21 developed countries and found for adults between ages 55 and 74, overall neurological death rates rising 2% for men and 1% for women, but in the U.S., it's 82% for men and 48% for women. For people 75 and older, those considered elderly, overall neurological death rate rose among all the countries 114% for men and 185% for women, but in the U.S., it's 368% for men and 663% for women. According to this research, neurological causes now kill more elderly American women than cancer does.
This kind of difference tends not to be a natural occurrence. Something's going on. So it's important to know potential risks that are out there so you can do something. Knowledge is an important part of taking care of your health.
Secret Military Tests - Part 1
According to the legislation, “Upon leaving service in the Army, veterans of the program could not seek benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for disabilities relating to the program without violating their secrecy oaths.” They could not report the debilitating health effects which include paralysis, cancer, depression, psychosis. Bob Taylor, 73, former Army private said, “I went to Edgewood, and my whole world fell apart.” He has been diagnosed with multiple cancers, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Frank Rochelle, 76, said, “When I went to file a VA claim, I was told that the tests I took part in had never happened. The records were sealed. I had no way to prove my case.”
Hersey reported, “a 2023 ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington is enabling Rochelle and other service members for the first time to obtain VA disability compensation retroactive to their date of discharge.” Mark Jones, attorney for Rochelle, said the court found the secrecy agreements that the participants signed, which carried the threat of criminal penalty if violated, effectively denied them due process and disability compensation to which they were entitled. He said, “This decision importantly opens a pathway for all veterans who are under a secrecy agreement to pursue their claims, whether they are Edgewood Arsenal vets or not.” Jones said though the VA states it now has a process in place for Edgewood Arsenal veterans to file to receive benefits, they continue to delay decisions and deny claims.
Secret Military Test Part-2
Michelle Josephs, wife and full-time caretaker of former Army sergeant, Tim Josephs, 76, said, “We were told it was 'informed consent.' Tim and the others had volunteered. But these were a bunch of 18- and 19-year-old guys who had no idea the government would give them things harmful to them.” She said, “We fought for years for benefits and then finally gave up.” The experiments led to neurological problems that persisted in the decades after military service, including depression, nightmares, extreme anxiety. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 20 years ago. She said, “We've had a lot of [medical] expenses over the years. At one point his medications were $3,000 a month. . . . We're demoralized.”
Senator Blumenthal's office said he plans to reintroduce the legislation in the new Congress, this year, and he will continue fighting to ensure Edgewood veterans receive full benefits.
Wildfire Retardant Danger
Stanton Florea, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, explained, “Sprayed ahead of the fire, the retardants coat vegetation and prevent oxygen from allowing it to burn.” Red dye is added to the retardant so firefighters can see it against the landscape. It lasts longer because it doesn't evaporate like water.
Tabuchi reported, researchers estimated from 2009 to 2021 more than 400 tons of heavy metals were release into the environment from fire retardants, a third of that in Southern California. Fire retardants are a necessary evil as they are used to fight wildfires, but concentrations of heavy metals end up in rivers and streams after wildfires, sometimes by “hundreds of times.” This water will be consumed by wildlife and ultimately by people.