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Greetings!
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome aboard and thank you for choosing Walk with a Doc Airlines. This is your pilot David speaking. As you settle into your leather chair, our flight crew will be coming by to take your beverage order. Please do not hesitate to ask for coffee, water, or fruit. As we hope you are aware, we continue to strive to be the safest and healthiest
aircraft in the skies. Speaking about coffee...
There was an interesting study a couple weeks ago. We've known the benefits of coffee for some time but this adds to our understanding. Using mice bred to develop Alzheimer's symptoms, the University of South Florida (USF) researchers found that caffeinated coffee causes an increase in blood levels of a growth factor called GCSF, or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. The substance, greatly decreased in patients with Alzheimer's, has been demonstrated to improve memory in Alzheimer's mice.
In the study, researchers compared effects of caffeinated coffee (drip, not instant), decaffeinated coffee and caffeine alone. Only the caffeinated coffee stimulated GCSF.
USF researchers say the findings, described in the June 28 Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, provide the first evidence that caffeinated coffee offers protection against Alzheimer's that is not possible with other caffeine-containing drinks.
Now, as the crew prepares for the safety demonstration, I would like to share how WWAD Air will help prevent you from getting a deep venous thrombosis/blood clot (DVT) on your flight this morning (or any other prolonged trip). There are whole numbers of things we can do to significantly decrease your risk.
- On this flight, you will move around every hour or two. No worries our flight staff will signal your row when it is time. If you so choose, feel free to take advantage of the exercise equipment in the rear of the aircraft.
- This is only relevant historically, but smoking used to contribute to DVTs - obviously this is not currently an issue. WWAD Air, like our fellow airlines, does not permit this activity.
- As you may have noticed, you have space equal to a standard airline's bulkhead seating. We feel you need room to stretch.
- We recommend that you flex and extend your ankles and knees periodically; avoid crossing your legs; and feel free to change your position while seated. In your seat-back monitor we have demonstration videos on the topic from either George Clooney or Sharon Stone. The choice is yours.
- We will be coming by every 30 minutes to facilitate your fluid consumption to avoid dehydration - this will help you with our 1st recommendation.
- Avoid agents that favor immobility (e.g. sedative drugs and alcoholic drinks). However, if you so choose as we taxi into the gate we will have about 10 free minutes to partake in "moderate" alcohol consumption. As you are aware, this can be extremely beneficial to those of us with a moderate increase in cardiovascular risk factors who choose to occasionally partake.
- You will find below-knee stockings in your seatback pockets - Guidelines from the British Committee for Standards in Hematology do not recommend global use of compression stockings, but do recommend their use for travelers at the highest risk who are on trips of three hours duration or more
- While low molecular weight heparin a few hours before a flight may be protective in those at high risk for DVT, aspirin and other anti-platelet drugs are not effective in this setting.
We receive many questions regarding DVT prevention and we hope this answers any you may have.
Thank you once again for choosing WWAD Air. Currently temperature in Walk with a Doc World is a sunny 68 degrees with light winds and no chance of rain. Please kick back and stretch out your legs. We will let you know when we are about 10 minutes from landing and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight.
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