Jonathan Kantrowitz

I take aspirin regularly. So does my internist. Here’s why:

Aspirin can prevent heart attacks and strokes

Aspirin is best known of course, for its ability to reduce aches, pains, swellings and fevers. But in recent years, the evidence has been overwhelming that a daily aspirin may help lower the risk of heart attack and clot-related strokes. An estimated 20 million men and women take a low dose of aspirin (81-325 mg daily) to control heart disease.

Aspirin reduces the clumping action of platelets, the blood’s clotting cells. Clotting helps a cut or wound stop bleeding. But clots also form within blood vessels that supply the heart and brain. If the vessels are already narrowed from a buildup of fatty deposits, a blood clot can quickly block an artery, causing a heart attack or stroke. The only negative aspect of aspirin use is that in increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding – a significant risk for only a small percentage of the population.

Aspirin is also amazingly effective if taken during a heart attack.

One striking result of recent scientific research is the remarkable difference in reaction to aspirin use of men and women:

Aspirin:

Helps prevent a first stroke for women. There’s no risk reduction for men.
Helps prevent a first heart attack for women over age 65 and for all men.
Helps prevent a second heart attack for men and women, regardless of age.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care. The Task Force conducts rigorous, impartial assessments of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of a broad range of clinical preventive services, including screening, counseling and preventive medications. Its recommendations are considered the gold standard for clinical preventive services.

Summary of Aspirin Recommendations

• The USPSTF recommends the use of aspirin for men age 45 to 79 years when the potential benefit due to a reduction in myocardial infarctions outweighs the potential harm due to an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

• The USPSTF recommends the use of aspirin for women age 55 to 79 years when the potential benefit of a reduction in ischemic strokes outweighs the potential harm of an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

I take enteric-coated aspirin, in the apparently forlorn hope that it will minimize the risk of stomach upset and bleeding.

As powerful a tool as aspirin is in preventing heart attacks and strokes, recent scientific research has indicated many other possible benefits from aspirin use:

In general, aspirin use may reduce over-all risk of cancer.

Specifically (Click on links for more information on each)

Aspirin can reduce colorectal cancer risk

Aspirin may reduce risk of common type of breast cancer

Aspirin offers lowers risk of asthma

Aspirin may prevent atherosclerosis

Aspirin may aid in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Aspirin may aid in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer

Aspirin may reduce or increase blood pressure
(Aspirin at night = significant reductions in blood pressure)

Aspirin can reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Aspirin can prevent liver damage

There are a lot of good reasons to abolish the death penalty, as pending legislation here in Connecticut would do.

1. The risk of executing an innocent person – DNA has released prisoners from Death Row – how many more died before this test was used, or are innocent but cannot be absolved in so direct a way?

2. The cost. The legal system now in place means a death penalty is litigated for many, many years at enormous expense. Gideon from the great blog ‘a public defender’ has the numbers here.

3. It’s barbaric. No other nation in Europe, North or South America (except some Caribbean Islands) still has a death penalty. Civilized people do not do this.

Rich marine ecosystems along the New England coastline are in danger of vanishing, thanks to generations of overfishing and mismanagement of the fishing industry
The decline of fish populations – such as cod, pollock, flounder and halibut – is leading to depleted natural resources, which in turn can ultimately upset the entire marine ecosystem.

Groundfishing, the catching of fish that live near the ocean bottom, was the first colonial industry in America. But decades of overfishing and mismanagement have led to severe declines in groundfish stocks (such as cod, pollock, flounder, halibut), ever tightening regulations, and the loss of traditional fishing communities.

The time has come to adopt a new management approach that prevents overfishing and protects our historic groundfish industry. By establishing community-based fishing cooperatives, called “sectors”, fishermen are given the opportunity to manage their own share of an annual catch limit. This provides fishermen with greater flexibility to run their businesses more efficiently and profitably, while adhering to science-based catch limits that promote rebuilding of fish populations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is seeking feedback from Connecticut’s residents on a new plan that would help restore balance to the fishing industry and give local fishermen greater flexibility while adhering to science-based catch limits.

Here is my response:

I support immediate action to end overfishing and to restore New England’s historic groundfish fishery. To achieve this goal, I enthusiastically support the full, effective and timely implementation of sector management and strongly recommend that the following measures be adopted and applied across the entire New England groundfish fleet by 2010:

- Science-based annual catch limits on all managed fish stocks

- Strong accountability measures that ensure fishing ceases once annual limits are reached and that correct overages if they occur

- A comprehensive monitoring and reporting system that provides accurate estimates on all fish caught (landings and discards of all species)

Full implementation of these measures will not only bring groundfish management into compliance with the new requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act but will also help create a fair and level playing field among all fishermen, whether participating in a sector or not.

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/contacts/contactus.cfm

I support Ned Lamont for Governor. I was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Ned’s in his successful run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. ( I was the principal driver of the famous KISS float displayed all over the state on my truck.)

Many of my fellow Lamont supporters would prefer that Ned wait until 2012 for a rematch with Lieberman, rather than fight a steep uphill battle against the weirdly popular Governor Rell.

But what we need is a different kind of candidate to run against Rell, not one of the career politicians currently in or mentioned for the race ( although Nancy Wyman is the most attractive candiddate among that group.)

Ned will bring a new energy and new perspectives to the governor’s race, and will accomplish far more when elected than any of the other lifers.

Ned founded his own company, Lamont Digital Systems, in 1984. Now known as Campus Televideo, the company serves over 150 campuses across the country with foreign language, distance learning and cable television services. He is a graduate of both Harvard and the Yale School of Management.

He spent eight years in local government, chaired the state investment advisory council overseeing a $20 billion pension fund, served on many civic boards, and has served as a policy member at the Brookings Institution.

Ned served as a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics in Spring 2007, and currently serves on the board of Mercy Corps, Conservation Services Group, and Teach for America CT. He serves as the chair of the Arts and Sciences Public Policy Committee at Central Connecticut State University.

In 2006, Ned energized the grassroots and netroots and defeated incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic primary, becoming the Democratic candidate for Senate in Connecticut. Tens of thousands of new voters registered as Democrats for the primary.

Ned and his wife Annie live in Fairfield County with their three teenaged children.

I am going to buy white tea this weekend and start drinking gallons of it, and also try to keep up my wine drinking. Here’s why, according to new research reports out this week: (Details and more health tips here.)

White tea may help you lose weight

Possible anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human fat cells (adipocytes). Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism have shown that an extract of white tea effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.

Drinking wine may help you live longer

Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years—at least in men—suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Here’s the Connecticut Post article describing the press conference in which I participated. And here’s the CT Post editorial endorsing the legislation for which we advocated!

Here’s a picture from the event:
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and another article describing the event.

America is currently in the throes of a persistent high school dropout crisis that has been a long time in the making, with substantial disparities in dropout rates across race, ethnic, and income groups and geographic areas. The absence of new funding at the federal and state level since the 1980s has led to decades of disinvestment in re-enrollment programs across the country. In the current global economy, having at least a high school diploma is a critical step for avoiding poverty, and a college degree is a prerequisite for a well-paying job. The costs of dropping out of high school today are substantial and have risen over time, especially for young men, who find it almost impossible to earn an adequate income to take care of themselves and their families.

The Obama Administration’s national education agenda expresses clear support for addressing the dropout crisis through preventive measures implemented during the middle-school years and reforming the No Child Left Behind law. The selection of former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan as National Education Secretary sets the stage for an exploration of strategies to re-engage students who have already dropped out of high school. Because of the widespread, pressing nature of the crisis and the large numbers of young people who have already dropped out, a national re-enrollment strategy should be a fundamental part of America’s national education agenda.

In order to lay the groundwork for an informed discussion of solutions, the Center for Labor Market Studies (CLMS) in cooperation with the Chicago Alternative Schools Network analyzed a variety of data from 2007.

A BLEAK NATIONAL PICTURE: NEARLY 6.2 MILLION DROPOUTS

The dropout crisis impacts all of America, but affects men, Blacks, and Hispanics particularly hard. In 2007, an astounding 16.0% of persons between 16 and 24 years of age (nearly 6.2 million people) were high school dropouts. Among these dropouts, 60.1% were men, 18.8% were Black, and 30.1% were Hispanic. In addition:

• Nearly one in five U.S. men between the ages of 16-24 (18.9%) were dropouts in 2007.

• Nearly three out of 10 Hispanics were dropouts (27.5%).

• More than one of five Blacks had dropped out of school (21%)–versus a dropout rate for Whites of 12.2%.

LIFELONG ECONOMIC IMPACTS FROM DROPPING OUT

Americans without a high school diploma have considerably lower earning power and job opportunities in today’s workforce. Over a working lifetime from ages 18-64, high school dropouts are estimated to earn $400,000 less than those that graduated from high school. For males, the lifetime earnings loss is nearly $485,000 and exceeds $500,000 in many large states. Due to their lower lifetime earnings and other sources of market incomes, dropouts will contribute far less in federal, state, and local taxes than they will receive in cash benefits, in-kind transfers, and correctional costs. Over their lifetimes, this will impose a net fiscal burden on the rest of society.

By contrast, adults with high school diplomas contribute major fiscal benefits to the country over their lifetime. The combined lifetime fiscal benefits––including the payment of payroll, federal, and state income taxes––could amount to more than $250,000 per graduated student. Such a public fiscal benefit more than outweighs the estimated cost of enrolling a student who has dropped out.

WHAT’S NEEDED: A FEDERAL AND STATE RE-ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

It is our responsibility as a society to explore every potential means to do so. If we do nothing, the cost of inaction will be steep–not just for the nearly 6.2 million high school dropouts, many of whom will remain jobless and with low incomes, but for the economic and social wellbeing of our nation as a whole, for years to come.

A range of effective re-enrollment programs have emerged in recent years both nationally and in number of cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Portland (Oregon). These programs have found that young people who have left high school before earning a diploma are not dead-end dropouts, but often are in fact students waiting and looking for opportunities to reenroll and finish high school. The most successful programs are small (80-150 students), offering comprehensive after-school and summer activities, led by experienced principals and teachers, focused on learning in the real world, well funded with local school site program and fiscal control, and track specific, measurable outcomes for student achievement including skill gains, enrollment, attendance, credit gains, promotions, and graduations. These programs should be used as models for additional local and national efforts.

Update:

Breaking News – BPA Banned in Minnesota

Yesterday morning, Minnesota’s governor, Tim Pawlenty (R) signed landmark legislation, the first statewide prohibition on the use of the toxic plastics chemical Bisphenol-A, or BPA, in baby bottles and sippy cups. The prohibition will go into effect January 1, 2010.

BPA, a toxic hormone disruptor found in bottles and sippy cups, as well as infant formula, canned foods and food packaging, is linked to a growing list of serious health problems, including cancer. Recent studies find BPA exposure during early life may permanently alter the developing brain and reproductive systems, and the National Toxicology Program within the U.S. National Institute of Health has raised concerns about the safety of children’s exposures to the chemical.

California and Connecticut are poised to consider similar measures in the next week.

As the scientific evidence continues to mount in favor of restricting the chemical’s use, many retailers and manufacturers have responded. Within the last year, mega retailers like Wal-Mart and Toys R’ Us have announced they would stop selling baby bottles made with BPA. The water bottle manufacturer Nalgene and several of the nation’s largest baby bottle makers are phasing BPA out of their products. Even the petro-chemical giant Sunoco has promised that it would no longer allow any of the BPA it makes to be used in items designed for children 3 and under.

Last week, the Connecticut House of Representatives approved HB 6572 a landmark bill to phase out the hormone disruptor Bisphenol-A (BPA) from children’s food and beverage containers. BPA has been linked to many chronic diseases and disorders, including obesity, diabetes, breast and prostate cancers, and behavior problems. With the Food and Drug Administration still asleep at the wheel, and new evidence about BPA’s toxicity coming out every week, people from around the state are working to make Connecticut a model for more protective chemical policies.

A vote in the Connecticut Senate on HB 6572 to phase out BPA from food and beverage containers is imminent. With the recent 128 to 14 vote in favor of the bill in the House, lobbyist for the plastics and chemical industries are descending on the state capitol in droves in an effort to weaken or stall the legislation in the Senate.

Please send an e-mail to your State Senator and urge him or her to co-sponsor and support HB 6572 to phase out BPA.