E2 B
*
www.philly.com
Personal Health Study rates Botox, Dysport in treating ‘crow’s-feet’ Are all wrinkle-relieving botulinum toxins created equal? For some readers (you know who you are) this is an important question. So you will be glad to know that a study by University of California-San Francisco researchers found that both tried-and-true Botox, approved in 2002, and rival Dysport, approved in 2009, were effective for lateral orbital rhytids — eye creases better known as “crow’s-feet.” However, Dysport was superior to Botox when patients squinted as hard a they could, according to the study, funded by the makers of the two brands of injections. For the study of 77 women and 13 men, each patient received one agent on the right eye, the other agent on the left. A researcher and the patient judged the patient’s results without knowing which agent was used on which side until the study was completed. Although Dysport turned out to be better at relieving wrinkles during “maximal contraction” of eye muscles, the researchers see a need for studies in other facial muscles. Their investigation (complete with photos) is in last week’s Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. — Marie McCullough
Small diet changes can make a big difference, study shows Harvard University researchers have demonstrated what we all sort of know but hate to admit: Small changes in diet can add up to a big difference over time — for good or bad. Their study, published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed self-reported information from more than 120,000 healthy, non-obese professionals who were followed for 20 years. On average, they put on less than a pound a year, but that added up to almost 17 pounds over two decades. The researchers correlated weight gain with changes in consumption of certain foods and beverages, as well as factors including exercise and TV watching. The impact of any single dietary change was small. For example, eating more desserts corresponded to gaining 0.7 pound over four years, while eating more fruits corresponded to losing that much over four years. However, the combined effect was hefty. Increased intake of potato chips, sugary beverages, and meats was associated with the greatest weight gains over 20 years, while eating more fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains was associated with the least weight gain. — M. M.
Even small amounts of alcohol affect drivers, research shows When it comes to drinking and driving, it may be that no amount of alcohol is safe. A new study reports that even “buzzed” drivers, with blood-alcohol levels well below legal limits, incur and cause more serious injuries than sober drivers. Current laws in U.S. states prohibit driving with blood-alcohol concentrations of 0.08 percent or more, but many other countries are stricter. Limits in Sweden and Japan are 0.02 percent and 0.03 percent, respectively. Now, researchers at the University of California at San Diego say that even a level of 0.01 percent may be measurably more dangerous than no alcohol at all. The current study analyzed all U.S. driving accidents involving at least one fatality from 1994 to 2008, focusing on injury severity. “Buzzed” was defined as up to a 0.01 blood-alcohol level. Compared with sober drivers, buzzed drivers’ accidents resulted in worse injuries to themselves, their passengers, and other people. The results are published in this month's issue of the journal Addiction. — Helen Shen
Advice from experts: Bathe before trips to water parks A message to parents visiting water parks this summer: Stop ignoring those “shower before entering” signs! The fear of mysterious substances floating down the lazy river is usually enough reason for parents to sway kids from swallowing pool water, but according to a recent poll by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, only about 26 percent of parents surveyed thought it was important for their children to shower before getting into water-park pools. The study surveyed 865 parents of children ages 5 to 12 and found that nearly 4 in 10 of the families had visited a park in the last year. Only about 15 percent of the families surveyed thought there was a high risk for their kin to get sick from the water. Waterborne infections affect more than 10,000 Americans each year and are more common than drowning. Common recreational water illnesses such as cryptosporidiosis result in queasy stomachs and fever, and are spread by contact with contaminated water. Even though chlorine can kill most germs that cause illness, a simple solution is recommended by health professionals to help water-park staff maintain clean pools: Wash thoroughly with soap and water before swimming, check diapers often, and, as if it were not obvious, do not swim when you have diarrhea. — Juliana Schatz
How to Contact Us
The Inquirer’s medical and science staff welcomes your ideas. Please e-mail or call us if you’d like to share a news story or to comment on Health & Science. Editors Karl Stark, science and medicine editor, 215-854-5363 or kstark@ phillynews.com Don Sapatkin, deputy editor/health reporter, 215-854-2617 or dsapatkin@ phillynews.com On the Web Keep up with The Inquirer’s Health & Science coverage all week at www.philly.com/health
Reporters Tom Avril writes about science. 215-854-2430 or tavril@phillynews.com Sandy Bauers covers the environment, natural resources and wildlife. 215-854-5147 or sbauers@phillynews.com Stacey Burling writes about medical issues. 215-854-4944 or sburling@phillynews.com Faye Flam writes about science. 215-854-4977 or fflam@phillynews.com Marie McCullough covers women’s health, cancer and molecular medicine. 215-854-2720 or mmccullough@ phillynews.com
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Monday, June 27, 2011
Well Being By Art Carey
‘Life in Full’ full of activity WELL BEING from E1 100 feet when the roof of the chamber where they’d been working collapsed. “That rat saved my life,” Herrelko recalled the other day. And what a life it’s been, long and rich enough to warrant a book. In fact, Herrelko did just that. With the help of his son David, he wrote an autobiography that was published in 2008, Frank Herrelko: A Life in Full. The book chronicles Herrelko’s 34-year career in the Army and Air Force, from which he retired as a colonel. It includes such episodes as his tour of duty in Hawaii, where, as a young medic, he helped certify the health of prostitutes frequented by GIs. And the time he danced with Marlene Dietrich in Iceland. And the time he was chosen, because of his talent on the trumpet, to play “Ruffles and Flourishes” to welcome King George of England to the United States. Along the way, the reader comes to know a man of many skills and interests (musician, dancer, marksman, woodworker) and immense vitality and enthusiasm for life. The same can be said of Herrelko at age 98. All his life, he has taken care of his body by exercising and watching what he eats. In the 1980s, he learned about the senior Olympics and began competing at the state and national level in bowling and such track and field events as race-walking, the 50-meter dash, the high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw. In 2003, he appeared in Sports Illustrated as one of the “Faces in the Crowd.” The magazine saluted him for winning nine gold medals (five in track and field, four in bowling) in his age group at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, as well as a 10th as the overall track and field champion. In all, Herrelko has collected more than 350 medals for his athletic feats. He has become such a fixture at the Huntsman Games that he was inducted into its Hall of Fame. If he can enlist an escort, Herrelko plans to vie again in October. The competition is thinning in his age group, 94 to 99. Herrelko, who was born on June 8, 1913, still stands an inch over 6 feet and weighs 180 pounds, a weight he has maintained, give or take two or three pounds, since reaching adulthood. “God gives most people a pretty good body,” Herrelko said, “but many people don’t take care of it. The main thing is not to gain any excess weight.” He maintains his physique by walking. At least six times a day, he strides
ART CAREY / Staff
Frank Herrelko does bench presses at the fitness center at Spring House Estates,
Lower Gwynedd. Below, he sews, a favorite hobby, mending and altering for friends and fellow residents. “God gives most people a pretty good body,” he says, “but many people don’t take care of it. The main thing is not to gain any excess weight.”
the long corridors from his apartment to the lobby of Spring House Estates, the retirement community where he lives in Lower Gwynedd. Outdoors, he walks the campus trails. On Mondays, he bowls, usually with other residents, at a nearby alley. During one recent series, he averaged 170 scratch, with a high game of 190. Once or twice a week, he visits the fitness center, where he walks on the treadmill and lifts weights. “When I wake up, my pulse is 50,” Herrelko said. “During the day, it’s 62. That’s the pulse of a superathlete.” A while back, researchers at Johns Hopkins, impressed by his fitness, test-
ed and probed him over the course of three years as part of a human longevity study. For breakfast, Herrelko usually eats two eggs with bacon or ham. For lunch: soup. Supper consists of a variety of food but a constant accompaniment is one or two glasses of port wine. Some of that wine is given in gratitude by friends and other residents. One of Herrelko’s hobbies is sewing, and he does mending and alterations for free. Trained as a barber, he also gives haircuts. To keep his mind keen, he plays bridge and completes crossword puzzles. His memory is such that he can recite the Gettysburg Address, which he sometimes delivers dressed as Abraham Lincoln. Herrelko has four children, six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife, Edie, who grew up in Bridgeport and to whom he was married 68 years, died last June at 94. “I sure miss her,” he said. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me.” He has conducted his life according to the advice of his father: “There’s nothing within reason that you cannot accomplish if you want to and are willing to work for it.” Contact columnist Art Carey at 215-854-5606 or acarey@phillynews.com.
Planet of the Apes By Faye Flam
‘Belief’ in evolution? It depends … APES from E1 ing. dismiss its breadth and scope. cording to the Star-Ledger. “That’s none A recent issue of the journal Science Ted Daeschler, associate director of of your business,” he retorted, which includes a story about a scientist who vertebrate zoology at the Academy of may not have won him the title of Mr. believes a virus causes mad cow dis- Natural Sciences, said it was frustrating Congeniality. Yet some thought it was a ease (the orthodox view blames an infec- to see evolution talked about as “just a reasonable response, considering the tious protein called a prion). She be- theory” or “a matter of belief,” since question. lieves it now because she hasn’t found these phrases obscure the central role Academics differ in their beliefs such a virus. If she does, its existence evolution plays in the life sciences. “It about the word belief. A number of them will no longer be a mere matter of be- actually unifies all fields of biological agree, however, that it can have multi- lief. sciences and makes them make sense,” ple meanings and is often misconOthers use the word belief in areas he said. “It’s not just this idea that hustrued, having the same denigrating ef- where different types of measurements man beings came from apes.” fect on evolution as the much-misunder- arrive at disparate answers, which has Daeschler said he sympathized with stood word theory. happened in the quest to date the split Christie when questioned on his belief “I have attempted, largely through between the chimp and human lineag- in evolution or creationism. “It’s a terrispurring on from several colleagues … es. A type of DNA analysis called a “mo- ble question,” he said. to never use the word In contrast, some did belief in talks,” said Arilike the question posed zona State University to the Miss USA hopephysicist and writer fuls. “The question ofLawrence Krauss. fers the opportunity to “One is asked: Does demonstrate the kind one believe in global of breadth (knowledge warming, or evolution, of history, culture, and and the temptation is science) that college to answer yes,” he graduates are expected said, “but it’s like sayto have, but often do ing you believe in gravinot,” said Eric Plutzer, ty or general relativipolitical science profesJULIE JACOBSON / Associated Press ty.” sor at Pennsylvania Miss USA contestants offered a variety of views on their “belief” in evolution. “Science is not like State University. religion, in that it doesn’t merely tell a lecular clock” indicates a somewhat Not all the contestants were necessaristory … one that one can choose to be- more recent split than is shown by the ly college grads, but their answers were lieve or not.” fossil record. So for now, some believe nevertheless revealing. Michael Shermer, the founder of Skep- the DNA and some believe the bones. Some addressed the teaching of evolutic magazine, also disapproves of the Physicist Krauss agrees that scien- tion as a revolutionary notion that had word belief as applied to science. “You tists tend to use belief when they lack never been tried. “I think it’s a great might say, ‘I believe in democracy’ or ‘I definitive evidence — as in “do you be- idea,” said Miss Delaware. “People will believe in gay marriage,’ ” said Sherm- lieve black holes exist and have a singu- have an issue with it,” opined Miss er, author of the book The Believing larity?” Utah. Brain. “But it is not reasonable to say ‘I It’s fair enough to apply the word to Most tried to advocate a middle believe in evolution,’ because this ideas that are still being debated within ground by approving of the teaching of would be like saying ‘I believe in gravi- the scientific community, said Gregory evolution along with “the other side,” or ty.’ ” Petsko, a biologist at Brandeis Universi- “creationism,” or “other theories,” or Others had less trouble with this locu- ty. But as ideas become established, the “belief in faith.” tion. Darwin himself discussed the be- word belief no longer applies. A few clearly advocated teaching evoliefs of his scientific colleagues in either “How we talk about things has a lot to lution, however. Miss Vermont did so, creationism or evolution, said Glenn do with how we think about them,” he and went on to say evolution was releBranch, deputy director of the National said, “and believe is the wrong word to vant to the way bacteria were becoming Center for Science Education. use in reference to evolution.” resistant to “drugs and whatnot.” And scientists today use the word all He said other established areas of sciOthers deflected. Miss Indiana said, the time, said University of Pennsylva- ence aren’t talked about this way. “Cer- perhaps wisely, that this might be a betnia linguistics professor Mark Liber- tainly plate tectonics isn’t. Atomic theo- ter issue for the government to work man, author of the blog “Language ry isn’t. Quantum mechanics isn’t. Each out than the contestants in a beauty Log.” Just a quick search of some jour- of these is as important to their respec- pageant. nal headlines revealed: “Do we still be- tive disciplines as evolution is to bioloWhich was surprisingly close to Chrislieve in the dopamine hypothesis? New gy.” tie’s answer to a follow-up question. data bring new evidence”; “Three reaAnd yet, evolution is still widely dis- Asked if creationism should be taught sons not to believe in the autism epi- cussed in the general public as a matter in New Jersey schools, he, too, said it demic”; and “Seven (and a half) reasons of belief. should be left up to governments — just to believe in Mirror Matter: From neuPenn philosopher of science Michael not the level of government he happens trino puzzles to the inferred Dark mat- Weisberg said the ambiguous use of be- to occupy. ter in the Universe.” lief can have a corrosive effect similar And yet, as these examples show, sci- to that of the word theory, which in sci- Contact staff writer Faye Flam at entists tend to use the word belief to be ence has a specific meaning but has 215-854-4977 or fflam@phillynews.com. synonymous with a suspicion, or hunch, been wrongly used not only to make Read her “Planet of the Apes” blog at when more definitive evidence is lack- evolution look speculative, but also to www.philly.com/evolution.