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FROM THE DOC
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WHAT'S NEXT?
Recent news reports have focused on health cost issues and in particular, the burden of unnecessary testing and the costs the stresses this is placing on the health care system. It is worthwhile conversation. Who is in favor of 'waste'? Like when President Eisenhower, in the post-war era, railed against the military-industrial complex, he was a true insider who knew where the fat and waste were and wanted focus the country's attention on the issue.
As expanded medical coverage is looming for a larger and larger portion of our country, the danger of waste will be magnified if the system expands and with it, the waste. This will be difficult, nay impossible to control, but educating ourselves about some of the simple measures that are definitively wasteful and not worthwhile, is a legitimate goal.
That said, there is an undercurrent in this move, trying to 'shift the costs' of care that is currently covered by insurance, back to the individual, even as medical coverage is going to supposedly 'expand.'
Figuring out what is wasteful is equivalent to saying.... we (the government/insurers) will not pay for these items. That is fine for the tests that are truly wasteful, but when the government wades into more controversial areas, the issue becomes murky.
As an example, mammograms done yearly are a staple of routine care. I recommend mammograms yearly for women 40-80 years old. Scientifically speaking though, the only group that 'definitively' benefits from this testing is woman age 50-60. Other groups are 'likely' to benefit from such screening, but there is a raft of scientific literature that argues the pros and cons of screening in these other age groups. This is not just about mammograms for women in the 80's and 90's and whether they benefit from preventive mammograms, it includes women in their 40's, 60's and 70's. It is 'argued' by medical researchers exactly how much statistical improvement is provided across the country, for such routine screening.
It is just such issues that will become part of this movement, as the government wants to include more topics like 'yearly mammograms' in the unnecessary and wasteful category.
So, as always, you and I need to be in conversation about what is necessary to keep our health optimal and to do that which is necessary & useful.... independent perhaps of what the government would like us to think.
Yours in good health,
Dr. Lakin
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One of Our Amazing Patients:
Meet
Mr. Harold S.
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'Magic' Breakfast Formula to Live
Forever
A mixture of 3-4 cereals. Preferred list: Special K, Grape Nuts, Barbara's Shredded Wheat Biscuits
- Sliced banana
- Sliced strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- 10-12 dark red grapes
- Peaches in season
- 2-3 dried prunes or figs
- Dried cranberries
- 1/2 Tablespoon Brewer's Yeast
- Powdered Cinnamon
- Powdered Vitamin C, 5000 mg, approx. 1 teaspoon
- 15-20 drops of liquid ginger (unless it's in your daily vitamin)
- Ground flax seeds
- Splash of soy or hemp milk
- Splash of liquid Kerr Cultured Milk Probiotic, Plain Nonfat
- Fat free milk
Harold also jogs an average of 50 minutes. daily. If he must skip a day, it is usually replaced with a visit to the workout room to use the elliptical and other machines. All exercise is finished off with stair climbing in his high rise building of at lesat 100 steps, totaling over 1000 for the week.
He's been at this routine in one form or another since he was a "child" of 50. His philosophy is if you never get into exercise, just remember this priceless message. 'There are two best days to plant a tree: the first day was 20 years ago, the next day is today.'
And never forget: Everything in moderation, including moderation.
Throughout his life he was an adventure traveler for a hobby and enjoyed horseback riding and biking.
Harold is an inspiration to us all!
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in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee
E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)
Chansons Innocentes (1923)
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5 Vital Health Tests You
Shouldn't Skip. . . . . . . .
|  If you find the problem early, it'll more likely be easier to treat: that's why you want to make time for health screenings. Here are five important tests to help keep tabs on your health:
Heart health checks. High blood pressure and cholesterol are major risk factors for heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the USA. Get your blood pressure checked at least every two years and more frequently if it's elevated. For cholesterol, people age 20 or older should have their blood tested once every five years and more often if your numbers are high.
Mammograms. A recent Dutch study suggests mammograms reduce the risk of breast cancer death by nearly half. The American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advocate annual mammograms starting at age 40; the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women should wait until 50, then get the test every two years. Talk to your doctor, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer.
Pap smears. Cervical cancer was once a top cancer killer for women, but death rates dropped significantly over the past several decades, thanks to the power of the Pap. The test can detect changes in the cervix before cancer develops; it also can find cervical cancer early, at its most curable stage. A number of groups most recently proposed the test be done every three years, starting at age 21 and stopping at 65 if recent screenings were normal.
Colorectal screening. Make your first appointment when you turn 50; if you're at an increased risk, your doctor may suggest earlier testing.
Blood sugar tests. Some 7 million Americans have diabetes and don't know it - but with such potential complications as heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease and nerve damage, that's information you need to know. The American Diabetes Association recommends glucose screening beginning at age 45 (especially if you are overweight), to be repeated every three years if the results are normal.
-By The Doctors, USA Weekend
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Dr. Douglas Lakin Named "TOP DOCTOR 2012"
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Every year the Phoenix Magazine publishes a guide featuring over 500 of the Valley's best physicians. The doctors are selected through a peer-review survey. The theory is that medical professionals are the best qualified to judge medical professionals. The survey asks the doctors to nominate those doctors who, in their judgment, are the best in their fields.
Once again, Dr. Lakin has been chosen as a TOP DOC among his peers.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lakin again for the 10th year!
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Paradise Valley Medical Clinic PC
& Virginia Piper Cancer Center
Proudly Present:
Dr. Lakin's Panel of Specialist,
Discussion & Questions
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Hello!
Evidence shows that some of the leading causes of health issues in the United States often can be prevented by improving personal health habits.
Join us for a relaxed, yet informative evening with Dr. Lakin, and his special guests Dr. Jon Mellen, Dr. Nik Iyengar, and Dr. Ron Korn .
Dr. John Mellen is a Gastroenterologist, Dr Nik Iyengar is a cardiologist, and Dr. Ron Korn is an oncologist/radiologist.
We welcome all our patients to this free event. We have arranged for a conference room for this presentation, and we encourage you to RSVP as soon as possible if you plan to attend.
Where: SHC Hospital, Conference Center
9003 East Shea Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
When:
Thursday April 12, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM MST
Hope to see you!
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Soda-Drinking Men At Higher Risk For Heart Attack. . . . . . .
|  Men who drink sugar-sweetened beverages, including sodas and non-carbonated fruit drinks, may have a higher risk of heart attack, a new study shows.
Harvard researchers found that men who drank one sugar-sweetened beverage per day had a 20 percent increased risk of heart attack compared to those who eschewed the sugary drinks, according to the study published in the journal Circulation.
And the risk rose with increasing consumption: Two sugary drinks a day was linked to a 42 percent increase in risk, while three was associated with a 69 percent increase.
The researchers also found that sugary drinks were associated with higher levels of inflammatory factors, such as CRP, that are thought to be involved in the development of heart disease.
The bottom line is that Americans need to pay more attention to what they're drinking, said the study's lead author, Lawrence de Koning, a research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The first thing to do is to reduce the intake of sodas and then eventually eliminate them," de Koning said.
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Warm Winter Brings an Early Start to Seasonal Allergies. . . . .
|  It may be a tough spring for some allergy sufferers: The unusually warm winter has ushered in an early start to seasonal sniffling, sneezing and watery eyes.
Hay fever symptoms are most often triggered by an allergic response to pollen, and a mild winter can cause trees and grass to produce the allergen sooner. Plus, scientists in the Netherlands recently found that hay fever feels worse at the beginning of the season than later in the summer, even when pollen counts are the same.
Hay fever afflicts more than one in five people. It's not really possible to avoid pollen completely, but here's how to reduce your exposure and keep springtime allergies under control:
Consider moving it to the afternoon: Pollen counts are usually highest from 5 to 10 a.m., so limit time outside during those hours. And if possible, skip outdoor chores that stir up allergens, such as gardening, or at least wear a mask while doing so.
Shut pollen out. Wind can carry the pollen from trees and grass for miles. So even if you don't live near a park, it's best to keep your windows and doors closed when levels are high. Find pollen readings at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology's National Allergy Bureau (aaaai.org/nab).
Hang laundry indoors. Pollen may cling to your clothes, sheets and towels if you let them air-dry outside.
Ask about nose sprays. Prescription nasal corticosteroids are the most effective hay fever medication for many people; they reduce allergic inflammation, and they are safe for most for long-term use. The same may not be true for over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays - using them too often for too many days may make your symptoms worse. Talk to your doctor about your best options; other possible medications include antihistamines, cromolyn nose spray and oral decongestants.
- Written by The Doctors
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3 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer
|  The news for colon cancer is promising: Fewer people are dying from it, and the average number of new cases a year decreased by 66,000 over the course of four years, federal reports show. Colon cancer remains the nation's second most deadly cancer, but it doesn't have to be: Screening can find abnormal growths so they can be removed before the cancer starts, and tests can help find colorectal cancer early when it's easiest to treat.
Current recommendations say people should start being screened at age 50; people at an increased risk, such as those with a family history of colon cancer, may consider starting sooner. In addition to being screened, you should take these three steps:
Eat your broccoli. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that consuming vegetables from the brassica family - including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage - appeared to reduce the risk of cancer in the upper colon.
Add whole grains. Three servings to your daily diet may help cut your risk of colon cancer by 20%, a recent research review shows. Scientists analyzed 25 studies that included a total of nearly 2 million people and found that a high-fiber diet is linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer, especially if the fiber is from cereal and whole grains. What counts as a serving? One slice 100% whole-wheat bread; 1 cup 100% whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal; or ½ cup of cooked brown rice, cooked whole-wheat pasta or whole-grain oatmeal.
Watch your waist. Obesity is a known risk factor for colon cancer, but according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology, carrying the extra weight around your middle may matter most.
- The Doctors, USA Weekend
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Fashion's New Favorite Color. . . . . . .
|  Fashion has a crush on orange, from pale peach to traffic-cone bold.
"I saw it on more spring runways than not," says Target and HSN designer Liz Lange. "It was everywhere!" What enchants designers about it? "Orange is nature's bronzer: It flatters any skin tone or hair color and makes you glow," says Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen.
It has been long linked to Dutch royalty and Hindu holiness, but orange gets no respect stateside. Till Prada made a splash with orange/chocolate striped dresses a year ago, it was associated with pumpkins, life vests and fruit bins. Now frocks squeeze the most of what Pantone Color Institute labels 2012's top tint.
A Halloween horror when paired with black, orange goes well with white, navy, brown, pastels, brights - and itself, Kneen says. He prefers solids to patterns. "And leave Day-Glo neons to utility workers. That's when the color wears you."
- USA Weekend
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Cheers! Drink Beer and Live Longer
|  Up until you're 21, you're told that drinking alcohol is bad. Then you're suddenly told that, really, it's drinking alcohol and driving that's bad. The latter is definitely true. But the former? Scientists aren't so sure. Case in point: During a five-year period, lifetime alcohol abstainers were 19 percent more likely to die than regular drinkers, defined as having one or two drinks, three or more days a week, say Virginia Tech University researchers. Those who never touched the bottle were also roughly 56 percent more likely to experience coronary heart disease than regular drinkers, found the scientists, who crunched data from a government survey of nearly half a million Americans. So what power does alcohol hold, besides making you awesome at karaoke? Past research has shown that alcohol can raise good cholesterol, lower bad cholesterol, and can reduce those blood problems that lead to clogged arteries. It can even lower your risk for diabetes. But don't start pounding half-a-dozen RBVs every night. (For one thing, mixing energy drinks and alcohol is a bad idea.) The Virginia Tech study shows that heavy drinking, defined as at least three drinks, three or more days a week, is even worse for you than abstaining. (Although not by much, and non-drinkers were more susceptible to heart disease.) Instead, look for healthy alcohol options, such as a low-calorie beer like Beamish Irish Stout. If you're more of a wine guy, avoid bottles with red or yellow labels. They're designed to draw your attention, and usually mean the wine's not worth your taste buds. - By Markham Heid, Men's Health
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Your Daily Moments of Zen. . . . .
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1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
4. Sex is like air. It's not important unless you aren't getting any.
5. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
6. No one is listening until you fart.
7. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.
8. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
9. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
10. It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.
11. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
12. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
13. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
14. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat & drink beer all day.
15. If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
16. Don't squat with your spurs on.
17. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
18. If you drink, don't park; accidents cause people.
19. Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield.
20. Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time.
21. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes of bad judgment.
22. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
23. Timing has an awful lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
24. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
25. Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side & a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
- Bert Christensen's Truth & Humour Collection
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 6 Signs You Need More Sleep
Need a reason to hit the snooze button a few more times? Sleep is as vital for survival as food, according to Dr. Mary Susan Esther, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). And chances are you're more likely to burn the midnight oil to finish all your work (and play) than you are to pass up dinner. But chronic lack of sleep can lead to a host of health problems, such as high blood pressure, obesity, depression, irregular hormone production, a weakened immune system, memory lapses, constant irritability, and decreased concentration and reaction times.
So are you spending enough quality time between the sheets, asleep? See how many of the signs below describe you. Then decide if a sleep deficit is holding you back.
1. You're not hungry for lunch.
A lack of sleep can make you constantly want to eat more, or persistently feel like you're not hungry. It throws off your internal clock resulting in abnormal feelings, which is why so many people lose or gain weight during periods of sleeplessness.
2. You've looked at three other Web sites in the last 5 minutes, and checked your email twice.
No, you (probably) don't have Attention Deficit Disorder. Whether you're writing a quick email or solving chemical equations; a lack of sleep can make focusing seem impossible.
3. You can't remember where you put the car keys.
Your brain needs sleep to refresh and regenerate. Without it, your short-term memory may be impaired, which is why pulling an all-nighter rarely yields better results than getting quality shut-eye, according to Dr. Neil Kline, a sleep physician and representative of the American Sleep Association.
4. You can't carry on a conversation.
Come Saturday night you may work a party like a pro, but as long as you're sleep-deficient, coming up with witty, or even coherent, one-liners is out of the question.
5. You're drowsy at the wheel.
Your eyes may glaze over now and then when you're staring at the computer screen or stuck in an endless meeting, but if you struggle to stay awake behind the wheel, or doing any task that puts your life at risk, you're not just bored. You need more sleep.
Caffeinated drinks, blasting music, or rolling down the windows (in January) may arouse you briefly, but it won't keep you alert for long drives.
6. You feel sick, and you never get sick.
Your immune system repairs and strengthens while you sleep. So in addition to eating flu-fighting foods, log at least seven hours a night to stay healthy all season.
- By Abby Lerner , Men's Health
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| At the Movies With Barb A. . . . . . | 
A MUST SEE! + + + + + GREAT + + + + ENTERTAINING + + + RENT THE MOVIE + + FORGET IT! +
+ + + SAFE HOUSE
THIS FILM TAKES PLACE IN CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA AND STARS DENZIL WASHINGTON AND RYAN REYNOLDS. FROST (WASHINGTON) IS A CIA AGENT WANTED IN FOUR CONTINENTS FOR ESPIONAGE. REYNOLDS IS A YOUNG CIA AGENT WANTING MORE ACTION. HE IS PLACED IN CHARGE OF FROST IN A SAFE HOUSE BECAUSE A MYSTERIOUS GROUP IS TRYING TO FIND HIM AND KILL HIM. WE DON'T FIND OUT WHY UNTIL THE END OF THE FILM. THERE ARE HUGE CAR CHASES AND JUMPING FROM ROOF TO ROOF. LOTS OF ACTION AND IT KEEPS YOU ON YOUR TOES FOLLOWING THE HAPPENINGS. YOU ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN INFORMANT IN THE CIA AND YOU FIND OUT WHO IN THE FINALE. I ENJOYED THE FILM BUT IT WAS VERY VIOLENT. BRING YOUR PAD AND PENCIL AND TAKE NOTES.
+ + RAMPART
WITHOUT WOODY HARRELSON, THIS FILM WOULD NOT BE WORTH SEEING. HE REALLY WAS EXCELLENT. THE STORY LINE REVOLVES AROUND A PRECINCT IN A DIFFICULT AREA IN LOS ANGELES. OFFICER DAVE BROWN IS A VIETNAM VET AND TOUGH COP. A DEPARTMENT WIDE CORRUPTION ISSUE ADDS TO THE ACTION. THE FILM FEELS VERY REAL WHICH MADE IT SCARY TO ME. MAYBE JUST RENT THE VIDEO.
+ + + + + FOOTNOTE
ONCE AGAIN IT WAS JOAN'S TURN TO PICK THE MOVIE FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS ONE WON MANY AWARDS AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL. I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS SUB TITLED. SHE REPLIED "NAHHHHH" (SHE WON'T GO TO SUBTITLED).WELL, AFTER THE MOVIE TRAILERS FINISHED, THE FILM STARTED AND GUESS WHAT? THE MOVIE WAS IN HEBREW. ANYWAY, THAT DIDN'T BOTHER ME. THE STORY REVOLVES AROUND TWO PROFESSORS - A FATHER AND HIS SON. ONE OF THEM IS TO RECEIVE AN HONOR FOR SCHOLARSHIP IN THE COUNTRY. YOU MUST SEE THE FILM TO FIND OUT WHO IT IS AND WHAT HAPPENS. I CLEARLY DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT FOR YOU.
.....JUST A FEW MOVIES THIS TIME, OFF TO THE BALL GAMES!!!!
See you at the movies!
Barb A
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We Wish you a Happy and Healthy Arizona Spring!
Douglas Lakin
Paradise Valley Medical Clinic PC
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