A message from the President

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Stephen Read, President
National Anesthesia Services, Inc.

Quote of the month

THE RECIPE for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.

----- Elbert Hubbard

Spinal anesthesia doesn't cause Restless Legs Syndrome

Spinal anesthesia won't cause or worsen restless leg syndrome.

That's the conclusion of a new study published as a letter to the editor in the Nov. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study compared people undergoing general anesthesia to those undergoing surgery with spinal anesthesia and found no difference in restless legs syndrome symptoms between the groups.

"Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that spinal anesthesia would worsen the symptoms of restless leg syndrome," said the study's lead author, Dr. Thomas Crozier, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Gottingen Medical School in Germany. "This is important, because restless legs syndrome is a very unpleasant condition that affects up to 10 percent of the populaton," he added.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder that causes people to feel a compelling need to move their legs, especially when they're lying down. An observational study in 2002 had suggested that spinal anesthesia was responsible for transient restless legs syndrome after surgery, the researchers said.

"The study that prompted this one found new onset RLS that lasted six weeks and then abated," said Dr. Sam Awada, chief of family medicine at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Mich.

The current study included 359 people undergoing surgery. One hundred and forty-seven had spinal anesthesia, and the remaining 212 had general anesthesia. Thirty-two people said they had RLS symptoms before the study began.

The study volunteers filled out questionnaires before surgery, and then again at one and four weeks after surgery.

No one in either group reported new onset restless legs syndrome, and no one that had RLS at the start of the study reported a worsening of symptoms.

"Restless legs syndrome arising after surgery probably has more to do with the surgery itself or with the forced immobilization in the hospital," Crozier said. "We think that it is important for people suffering from restless legs syndrome to know that there is, at worst, only a small likelihood that spinal anesthesia, which is the best choice for a number of surgical procedures, will worsen their condition," he added.

Awada called the new study's findings "interesting," but said more research should be done to definitivley rule out a relationship between spinal anesthesia and restless legs syndrome.

Another recent finding--this one presented at the Neuroscience 2008 meeting in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16--linked restless legs syndrom with the use of allergy medications.

 

---Serena Gordon
http://health.usnews.com/articles

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Lessons in longevity

Lessons from the lives of the world's longest living people.

While many people consult doctors and plastic surgeons for the secret to a long, youthful life, many of the world's oldest people will tell you that it's more about simplicity than secrets. While fancy supplements and super foods claim to keep you going for years, the following individuals are proof that sometimes a good attitude and an apple a day are all you need.

Myrtle Jones, 111 years old, South Africa: Ms. Jones loved to bake and lived independently until the age of 109. Known as having a sharp memory and sense of humor, she did not smoke or drink. Myrtle advised, "An apple keeps the doctor away. An onion a day keeps the cold away." These are pretty simple tips from someone who saw Halley's Comet not once, but twice!

Busten Martin and Euphemia Cameron: Busten retired from work when he was 97 years old, but had to get a new job washing vans because he was bored. In 2008, at 102 years old, Busten trained for the London marathon and now holds the record for the world's oldest 5k, 10k and half-marathon competitor. He finished the half-marathon in five hours, a time that includes a stop for a beer and a cigarette. Euphemia Cameron also believes that staying active is the secret to a long life. While celebrating her 100th birthday in 2009, she declared, "I don't like to sit about, I keep myself busy. I don't know what a hobby is - I'm far too busy!"

Beatrise Farve, 113 years old: Described as a "soft, smiling lady," Farve was healthy her entire life without suffering any medical conditions or taking medications. She lived in the state of Georgia and sold beauty products until she was 100 years old. Her friends and family called her "Mama B" and say that her philosophy was "Work hard and eat a good breakfast." True to form, Farve started every day with a plate of fried bananas and bacon.

Jeanne Louise Calment: Having lived to the age of 122, Ms. Calment has the longest confirmed lifespan in history. She was "discovered" at the age of 113 when she became known as the last living person to have met Vincent van Gogh. At 85 years old, she took up fencing and was still riding a bicycle regularly at age 100. Calment's secret? Garlic, vegetables, cigarettes, red wine and "avoiding brawls." She credited olive oil for her fairly youthful complexion and said she poured it all over her food and rubbed it on her skin. Last, Calment swore by port wine and two pounds of chocolate every week.

While cigarettes and port wine may not be the usual ticket to good health and youthful looks well into later years, all of these individuals were active and interested in different aspects of life, from traveling and art to cooking. Perhaps it is a testament to spending life enjoying your passions or simply to living life to the fullest. If one thing is certain, there doesn't seem to be a certain "secret" to longevity, but simply an array of positive thoughts and passions for living that the fountain of youth keeps flowing.

---Acura of Troy
http://www.imakenews.com/acuraoftroy/e_article0 01428183.cfm?x=bfFMGp7,b567b9CC

California, here we come!