Sent to my patients on 3/12/2015.

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Are you ready for spring? The snow is melting away about as fast as it fell. Enjoy the change in seasons, it's good for the soul...


→ Heart Health 

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February was National Heart Month. While February may be over, taking care of your heart is a year-round commitment.

This is a reminder that, while heart disease is the number one cause of premature death and disability in the US, the risks of developing heart disease can be reduced significantly by making important changes in lifestyles, medical treatment, and early detection.

The most important modifiable risk factors for the development of premature heart disease include: Smoking, overweight, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, excess alcohol consumption, high "bad cholesterol" and lack of physical activity.

Heart disease can be delayed by many years by paying attention to your particular situation, and by "doing the right thing." We recently adapted for use in our office a heart risk calculator, which can give you an estimate of your risk for developing heart disease. This can be used to see how the risk changes if certain changes were made, such as achieving better blood pressure control, losing weight, etc.

Give us a call today; we'll develop a personalized program to help you reduce your heart related risks.


→ Alpha Lipoic Acid 

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Does the alpha lipoic acid supplement, available over the counter, have any value? Several patients asked me about it, and the answer may interest you.

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant that plays an important role in several bodily functions. It helps eliminate free radicals, which are the harmful waste products of metabolism and which are contributing to the aging process. Alpha lipoic acid also helps convert nutrients into energy within body cells. With these qualities, it is thought to be helpful in two important instances:

• In people with diabetes, it may help reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (burning, pain and/or numbness, usually of the feet), and lessen the detrimental effects of diabetes on the heart, kidneys and small blood vessels. It may also improve insulin sensitivity, which then allows the body to burn sugar more effectively. Alpha lipoic acid has been officially approved in Germany for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy for many years.
• In patients who are trying to lose weight, and who are already on a reduced calorie diet, alpha lipoic acid supplements may enhance weight loss, especially when combined with EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid. This has been shown in a small study of women, and probably holds for men, too.

As with many other supplements, don't just go and buy it. Let's make sure first that this is what you need, and that you take the right preparation and dose and minimize the chance of side effects. Call today for a quick an easy assessment.


→ High Deductables Got You Down? 

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As always, we're doing our best to make medical care affordable. Many patients now have a high deductible. In many instances you may have to spend $5,000-12,000 before your insurance kicks in, and you are charged "retail" fees for services such as office visits and labs. In order to make medical care more affordable, we limited our self-pay basic office visit to a minimum (usually $85-95, and scaled down in cases of financial hardship), and have made arrangements with two labs for very reasonable fees for blood tests that are not covered by insurance.

Please take care of yourself and don't deny yourself of necessary medical services!

Stay well, 
IS

Mediterranean Diet, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, and Ashwagandha

A few pearls for December:

Are you taking an ashwagandha supplement? Ashwagandha is an Indian herb from the Nepal region. It has been used by many patients for the treatment of mild anxiety and insomnia, and also for enhancement of cognitive and physical performance. Some studies say it may work.

Consumer Lab recently tested several Ashwagandha preparations, and found some of them not delivering the advertised amount of the product. They recommend the Pure Encapsulations preparation as the best one. Click here for an overview.

Are you on the Mediterranean Diet yet? A recent study done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston inferred that sticking to the Mediterranean Diet increases your lifespan. This is not surprising; we already knew that with this Diet your weight decreases, cholesterol profile improves, and the risk of a heart attack is diminished. The essentials of the diet are: Lots of fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish (it’s the fatty ones), extra virgin olive oil, and unrefined grains. A glass of red wine is good, and dark chocolate is not bad. Meats and fat containing milk products are not part of this diet, and should be kept to a minimum. We have a good Mediterranean Diet summary in our office. You are welcome to it, just request it by email at istaw@drstaw.com, or call the office (make sure we have your email address).

Are you still drinking sugar-sweetened beverages? If you do – stop it.

Considered one of the most important studies published this year, this study, an analysis of studies on more than 170,000 people, shows that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of heart disease. This is more so among men and American populations. Water is the drink of champions!!!

Have a great holiday season and stay well.

See The Doctor And Save $$$ This Holiday Season

Are you uninsured or under-insured? Do you deny yourself of medical care because of financial constraints? The following is taken from a recent press release. It's OK to spread the word, perhaps other physicians will join.

Local Doctor Explains How Getting A Physical Before The New Year Makes You Money And Why He's Offering Office Visits For $75 Or Less

By Amy Tessler (Open Post)November 24, 2014 at 2:38pm 

Whether you’ve been too busy to get to the doctor for your annual physical or think you just can’t afford it, there’s no time like the present to go! Many insurance companies are currently offering a money incentive ($250-$500) to members who complete their physical examination before the end of the year.

Dr. Igal Staw, of Respiratory Associates P.C. in Fairfield, says, “This incentive is a benefit to both the insurance company and patients, because patients are more likely to take advantage of preventive services, and the insurance company then saves money on recurrent medical visits. It’s really a win-win.” Dr. Staw suggests checking to see if your company participates. If you haven't had your periodic medical evaluation yet, this is the time to do it. And if you’re worried about the cost of your office visit, don’t be.

From now until January 1^st, any patient who visits Dr. Igal Staw at his Fairfield office will receive a quality medical exam, and the cost for this initial visit will not exceed $75.  According to Dr. Staw, “I’ve seen too many patients over the last few years deny themselves healthcare due to high deductibles or lack of insurance.  We want to ensure everyone has truly affordable medical care tailored to their needs, especially at a time of year where budgets are really pushed to the max.” 

The office will also offer blood testing at deeply discounted rates as well as X-rays, MRI’s, and cardiac stress testing/monitoring at appreciable discounts. The $75 rate is scalable in cases of financial hardship, because “you can’t put a price on the gift of health.”  To make an appointment, please call 203-853-1919.

At David's garden

Igal Staw, M.D. is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonology. His practice, Respiratory Associates P.C. at 2000 Post Road, Suite 202 in Fairfield, focuses on Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine, with an emphasis on prevention, lifestyle changes, and reduction of the risks that predispose you to the development of disease. 

Zeke Emanuel, Are You Serious?

The following is a letter to the editor I sent to the Westport News, which appeared on October 3, 2014.

Dr. Hezekiel Emanuel recently published a strong and lengthy, but controversial, article in The Atlantic, entitled Why I Hope to Die at 75,  an argument that society and families-and you-will be better off if nature takes its course swiftly and promptly.

Just a reminder: Dr. Emanuel, one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare), holds many awards and respectable positions (including  Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania). His writings have many listening ears.

In the article, and interviews that followed, Dr. Emanuel further extends his opinion why life after 75 is not only for him, but also NOT for you.

Needless to say, the article generated a lot of criticism which justified in my opinion. This is concisely presented in a Forbes article of 9/24/2014, Should We Take Zeke Emanuel’s  Advice And Be Ready To Die At 75?

I’m not going through the back-and-forth arguments here, but suffice it to say that I strongly disagree with Dr. Emanuel. May be it’s OK for him to count down to the day of his death at 75, but it is not so for many others. The percentage of people over 75 who are independent, active and productive is impressively high, and increasing on a regular basis.

 Warren Buffet is 84, I guess he is now 9 years “overdue.” Winston Churchill was prime minister of the UK until the age of 80. Ben Gurion was prime minister of Israel until the age of 77 (and very active for years after that), President Reagan was in office until the age of 78 (“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” at age 77).

And the 75’s and over are important to their families!

Dr. Emanuel is 57 years old; it would be interesting to see what he has to say when he’s 74 and ready to “fold it in.”

So where does it leave me and others in this age group? Are we living on borrowed time? Are we wasting public resources just because we live?  I don’t think so!

I’m here to continue with my plans: Continue to foster relationships, family and friends, and continue – and expand – the effort to treat the under-served.

I am already treating many patients who have no insurance, or whose insurance does not meet their needs, regardless of their ability to pay, regardless of their age. I think that no one should be denied medical care, and I intend to continue with that cause.

An Apple (or more) a Day...

At Beardsley Cider Mill and Orchard today, our youngest grandchild. 

What a great day to be outdoors with your family!