ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997 TAG: 9701070063
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Health Notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
What effect do common nutrients like folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 have on the body? Can they prevent strokes from recurring?
Answers to these questions are being sought in a new national study that will be done at 36 medical centers including the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in North Carolina.
UNC-CH's portion of the study is being funded with a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The overall project will cost $20 million.
People who have had a mild, non-disabling stroke will be recruited for the study. (Details will be given here as soon as they become available.) All recruits will receive appropriate medical care, but half of them also will be given the vitamin supplements.
In the five-year study, 3,600 patients will get larger or standard amounts of the nutrients, and by comparing the groups' experiences, the scientists hope to learn if the dietary supplements work.
Between 7 percent and 10 percent of patients who have suffered a stoke will have a second one, statistics indicate. Strokes, which result in damage to the brain, are caused by interruptions of the brain's blood supply through blockage by clots or internal bleeding.
Stroke and heart attack patients generally have higher levels of something called homocysteine, which is a breakdown product of red meat, and the B vitamins reduce homocysteine, explains Dr. Lloyd Chambless, professor of biostatistics at the school. It is logical that the vitamins then might prevent stroke and heart attack, but that's not known for sure.
Thus, the study's reason for being.
The principal investigator for the UNC-CH study is Dr. James Toole of Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem. Doctoral student Virginia Howard is project manager at Bowman Gray.
Learn elderly care
A friend who has been in town visiting an elderly relative commented Sunday that our generation is downright puny when it comes to knowing the needs of an older person. Osteoporosis has worn down her aunt's former stature so much that her clothes no longer fit. Among other things, the woman needed a new bra.
It's just not something you think about, the friend said.
But what we don't know we can learn. And that's the point behind a nine-session course planned by the American Red Cross and the Roanoke United Methodist Home.
The course, "Adult Basic Care," starts Jan. 14 and meets each Tuesday and Thursday from 1-3 p.m. though Feb. 11. It costs $40 for all sessions of $5 per session.
Here's the lineup of topics: Services Available for Caregivers, Meeting Emotional Needs I and II, Insurance and Legal Issues for Older Adults, Safety and Medication, Nutrition and Menu Planning, Personal Care I and II, Grief, Loss and Aging.
The meetings will be held at the home, which is providing lunch for participants from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
The course was developed by the Health Services Committee of the American Red Cross in conjunction with the League of Older Americans, Allegheny Health Department, Roanoke County Schools, Catawba Hospital, Carilion Health System and the Council of Community Schools.
To register or get more information, call the Red Cross at 985-3544.
Heartburn tips
The following tips on avoiding or coping with heartburn were developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc. for the holidays, but are good year-round:
* Eat several small meals each day instead of three large ones. This reduces stomach acid.
* Avoid eating late at night just before lying down or going to bed. Don't lie down for two or three hours after eating.
* Avoid acidic, tomato-based, spicy and fatty foods or beverages. If you can't avoid these foods, drink water immediately after them to wash then out of the esophagus.
* Try to avoid fried and fatty foods, chocolate, peppermint and alcohol because they relax the lower esophageal sphincter muscle and delay digestion. Coffee, tea, cola, carbonated beverages, beer and whole milk products increase acidity; citrus fruits, pepper, tomatoes, ketchup, salsa and raw onions irritate a damaged esophagus.
* Avoid alcohol and quit or cut down on smoking.
* Raise the head of your bed four to six inches by putting books, bricks or wood under the legs of the headboard or use a triangular foam wedge which fits on top of your mattress. Don't use extra pillows. Your entire body needs to be at an angle, not just your head.
Fit for credit
Today is the first day of class, so if you haven't registered for "Perfect Fit" at Virginia Western Community College, you're late. Unless, that is, you want to take the night class, which doesn't begin until Thursday.
Since the college does allows registration through this week, there's still time to get in on a two-credit class that promises to:
* Improve your eating habits
* Cultivate exercise motivation
* Help you set realistic goals
* Enhance body image and self confidence.
Instructor Nancy Maurelli will run the 10-week course that costs $97.30 plus text. She has a private practice in nutrition consulting and teaches cooking classes through the Roanoke County Adult Education Program.
The daytime class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, today-March 13 from 10-11:30 a.m. The Thursday evening class meets from 6-9 p.m. Call 857-7281 for more information or to register.
Sandra Brown Kelly can be reached at (800) 346-1234, ext. 393, or at 981-3393 or through biznews@infi.net.
LENGTH: Long : 108 linesby CNB