Why Not Teleconfernce?

Did you know that we like to do teleconferencing? You might well like teleconferencing as well when you consider,
* It costs less
* You can do it at home, work, where ever, you choose
* You can be “seen” the day and time you wish
* We can direct lab tests, x-rays, etc from the office
* Refills, new Rx, are a snap

In the main these are done in patients who have been in the office previously but if you are anywhere in the State of California we can do a consultation.

If you are outside California, we can work with any doctor licensed in your state and direct all the testing and therapy through that doctor.

If you are outside the United States it depends on the local circumstances as to whether they will legally accept our directions.

You only need a camera on your PC and some service that transmits the Teleconference such as Skye or another similar.

We do handle things over the phone too. It’s just that under California law we need to “see” you on the teleconference to make it an office visit and have your insurance cover its usual amount.

It’s time for you to take charge of your health, how you want to deal with your health and what to do in the off chance you become ill. After all, it’s your time.

Drug Eluting Stents - A Follow Up

The eNews below was sent to the people who have been patients in the Office. I seem to have not expressed myself well because a number of responses felt that I was damning all the therapies mentioned.

I was not.

In fact, all the therapies mentioned have been proven to be of some worth to prevent primary and recurrent blood clots in the arteries. We have little experience with these new stents but wished to warn anyone that this new therapy with the coated stents seem to have such a major problem, they are no longer use in Europe.

It appears that these stents release the coating into the tissue around the stent, not just the central part of the stent, causing clotting in nearby blood vessels. The problem is with the stent and even though these excellent therapies were applied, they were not able to overcome the toxic substance eluted from the stent.

Lastly, I was asked if I was “now saying that l-arginine is not safe.” This link is to our Web Site that contains 39 pages of material that indicates l-arginine is unparalleled in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

The new drug eluting stents the world has been awaiting have run into unanticipated problems. Clots are occurring in the stents themselves and the collateral vessels that ordinarily would shunt blood around the larger clogged artery with the stent inside.

This appears to be an intrinsic flaw in the stent and has nothing to do with actions of the patient. The medications that have used to prevent clotting are failing everywhere. These medications are statins, l-arginine, aspirin, Plavix and most important of all aerobic exercise.

It appears that the exercise will bring out progenitor cells to line the arteries, especially the damaged areas where the stents were placed. This advice was never needed with the prior stents so no one is quite sure if it will do the job now.

New Laboratory in the Building

There is a new laboratory down the hall from Endocrine Metabolic Medical Center called Hunter Laboratories. The presence of the laboratory near our office makes it very convenient for laboratory testing for any patient. 50 feet is just about the right distance to walk for a lab test.

We have already struck a good relationship with them in that they will do some special testing for us other commercial laboratories do not wish to do.

They accept all insurances, including Medicare, and for those who have no insurance, their prices are very reasonable.

I believe that 2007 is going to be a year of huge transition for medical care. The presence of this laboratory in this setting is one of the new things you will observe.

Avian Flu Update

Avian flu (Bird Flu) has not seemed to have the aggressive clinical course that might be expected this year. If is hoped that this might signal the diminishing virulence of the virus. Bird Flu seems to have returned with a periodicity of 75 to 100 years. This strain (H5N1) was first isolated in 1995 which could mean that 12 years is long enough and the virus is on the wane.

• But 3600 wild ducks died in December in Idaho.
• The start of Avian Flu season in Hong Kong was seen on 1/4/2007.
• It has now been transmitted into sparrows.
• The H5N1 virus has continued to have new polymorphisms which are new strains that may mean new virulence.
• These new strains have been reported in Egypt, Korea, Azerbaijan, China, Mongolia and Iraq.

Most of you received prescriptions for Singulair, Tamiflu and lately for the post-flu pneumonia treatment with a Tri-Pack of Azithromycin. These will be stable for some time after the expiration date if stored in the refrigerator.

We might have dodged the bullet of Avian Flu but as you can see, there is too much virus activity to know.

Drug Eluting Stents

The new drug eluting stents the world has been awaiting have run into unanticipated problems. Clots are occurring in the stents themselves and the collateral vessels that ordinarily would shunt blood around the larger clogged artery with the stent inside.

This appears to be an intrinsic flaw in the stent and has nothing to do with actions of the patient. The medications that have used to prevent clotting are failing everywhere. These medications are statins, l-arginine, aspirin, Plavix and most important of all aerobic exercise.

It appears that the exercise will bring out progenitor cells to line the arteries, especially the damaged areas where the stents were placed. This advice was never needed with the prior stents so no one is quite sure if it will do the job now.