Meet Eric Hadley! Eric is a friend of mine, and a budding writer. He has a brand new blog on my Blogsplot server called Clubis. He’s already given me a real workout in a discussion we just had on Harry Potter … he made so many good points, that I had to spend hours pondering on exactly how to express what I wanted to reply with!

If Eric’s name is familiar to you, it’s because not too long ago, I mentioned him in one of my posts. He was the only one missing in the photo … so now you know what he looks like.

I feel honored to have Eric on Blogsplot. He’s astute beyond his years. If you go over and read his blog, you’ll see what I mean. He’s looking forward to discussions and debates … ! :-)

Please, go take a look at Eric’s new blog, welcome him to the Blogosphere, and give him a link to get him started!

WebMD: Low-Salt Diet May Not Cut Heart Risk

Salt has become a serious factor in my life in the last two and a half years since I was diagnosed with CRF, HTN, and a couple of secondary problems. Salt turns me into a huge sponge … literally. I can gain more than five pounds of water weight in one day if I eat nachos or something that is very salty.

I have to question whether to put a lot of stock in the study which came up with those results …

Since it’s WebMD, and not Medscape, the study is addressed in only general, lay-man’s terms, so it’s really hard to tell how they actually got their information. I suspect that the reason that those who cut down on the salt had a higher death rate was because they had a medical reason to cut back on the salt to begin with, and the medical reason predisposed them to the health crisis which ultimately caused their demise.

For example: my nephrologist wants me to avoid all salt, because my body can’t deal with it. I have existing medical problems which could cause me to have a stroke, or some other medical crisis, at any time. So, if I were included in this study, I would be one of those who stopped using salt in my diet. If my high blood pressure were to go out of control, which it occasionally does for no apparent reason, and I were to have a stroke, it would be because of my preexisting condition - not because I cut salt out of my diet.

In fact, I suspect that cutting salt out of my diet would even forestall the stroke to more or less of a degree.

Or perhaps the study involved a certain group of people with a genetic predisposition for heart disease and strokes who happened to eat a diet low in salt because of regional or cultural traditions … again, it wouldn’t be because they avoided salt - but rather because of their genetic predisposition.

The idea that following my nephrologist’s recommendation to not eat salt could make me 37% more likely to have a stroke seems, well, hard to believe … but if it’s really so, I’m going to feast on nachos, pickles and olives, potato chips, salted nuts, and some nice hot buttered and salted home-grown popcorn!!!

I believe that publishing that sort of study for non-medical people, using non-medical generalities, can be a dangerous thing … I believe that we should perhaps take the results of that study with a grain of, *ahem* … salt!

I would like to ask the physicians who visit my blog to comment on this study … I’d like a bit of insight …

The Doctor Is In » The Pornography of Ideas

Dr. Bob of The Doctor Is In blog has done it again. He has an extremely well written post about those on the far left of the political spectrum. He shows some amazing insight into just what makes some of those extreme ideas so dangerous.

Definitely a must read!

Texas Law Linked to Drop in Abortions, Rise in Birth Rates Among Teens

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 09 - Since a parental notification law was enacted in Texas, teen abortion rates in the state have fallen by as much as 20%, according to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine for March 9. In a subgroup of older teens, the law was linked to an increase in birth rates.

In 2000, Texas started enforcing a law that requires physicians to notify the parents of any minor who is contemplating abortion at least 48 hours before the procedure. Similar laws have been enacted in 35 states.

The effect these laws have on abortion and birth rates is unclear. Several reports have suggested they cause a drop in abortions rates, but have little effect on birth rates. Still others, however, have questioned whether abortion rates really drop, suggesting that out-of-state non-recorded abortions may account for the difference.

Dr. Theodore Joyce, from the City University of New York, and colleagues decided to study teen abortion and birth rates in Texas because it is the biggest and most populous state to adopt a parental notification law. Also, because of its large size, teens are unlikely to go outside the state for abortions in a non-recorded area.

The study compared abortion and birth rates in 1998 to1999 with those in 2000 to 2002.

The enforcement of the notification law was associated with an 11% drop in abortion rates among 15-year-olds, a 20% drop among 16-year-olds, and a 16% reduction among 17-year-olds relative to the rates seen in 18-year-olds.

Among minors who were 17.50 to 17.74 years of age at the time of conception, the law was tied to a 4% rise in birth rates relative to their peers who were 18.00 to 18.24 years of age. Also, compared with 18-year-olds, subjects 17.50 to 17.74 years of age were 34% more likely to have second trimester abortion.

“Although the observational design of the study makes it impossible to confirm causality, these findings are relevant to an assessment of the likely effect of pending legislation to extend such laws,” the authors comment.

N Engl J Med 2006;354:1031-1038.

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scan man’s notes » The Abortion Debate

Scan Man is a radiologist from India, and has a very attractive and interesting new blog. He has engaged me in a discussion about abortion, and has ideas which are rather different than ours - whatever side of the abortion question we find ourselves on.

Please take a moment to visit him, and give him a link to get him started. Thank you!