The Lunatics

Heart Failure Leads To...

2005-11-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Studies show that Congestive Heart Failure, and heart failures in general lead to an increased risk in kidney failure. Acute renal failure is sudden loss of ability of the kidneys. Kidneys are no longer able to excrete wastes, concentrate urine, and conserve electrolytes. It is important for the balance of electrolytes in the body because they affect the amout of water in the body, blood pH, muscle action, and other important processes. Kidneys are the organs that filter waste by using the body's natural pressure.

There are many signs of kidney failure, the most general of them being swelling. Acute renal failure can be revealed through testing or examination. Kidney failure also alters different tests as well, and one should be well aware of the disease if they contain it. Treatment usually focuses on preventing excess accumulation of fluids and wastes, while allowing the kidneys to heal and gradually resume their normal function.

To find out more abour kidney failure, go here.

Minorities at Greater Risk?

2005-11-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

The September 2005 issue of American Heart Journal stated in an article that hospitalizations for patients with heart failure were greater among black and Hispanic people than among people of other ethnicities. The results showed that compared with white enrollees, black enrollees had a 50% increased risk of heart failure hospitalization and Hispanic enrollees had a 20% increased risk. The likelihood of hospitalization for heart failure was 50 percent less likely among Asian enrollees.

This study was done by researchers in Miami and Atlanta, using data from the Medicare Provider Analysis Record (1990 to 2000). Investigators involved in this study say that because Hispanics are the fastest growing sects in the United States, heart conditions will increase in importance as a major health condition.

Dr. Janet B. Croft, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says how the government wants to approach this situation,

"To combat these disparities, national professional and patient education efforts are needed that focus on developing and implementing culturally competent prevention and treatment strategies."

Living with CHF: Diet Changes

2005-11-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

People diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure need to watch their diet. Cutting out fat and salt is difficult, but there are many ways to do so. Here are some tips from the American Heart Association:

1. Keep the saltshaker out of sight to avoid temptation.
2. Remove the skin from turkey and chicken to decrease the amount of fat intake.
3. Look at the amount of servings in something. This is very important. Oftentimes, a 16 oz. drink will have more than one serving.
4. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables instead of canned fruit and vegetables. Canned fruit and vegetables contain extra salt.
5. At restaurants, ask if they have low-fat or low-salt options.
6. Use polyunsaturated margarine or oil instead of butter.
7. Avoid fried foods. If you absolutely cannot give up your love for fried foods, at least use a nonstick frying pan so you do not need to add extra fat to your dish.
8. Drink skim milk and eat non-fat yogurt.

Myths of Foxglove

2005-11-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

While today Foxglove is known to help treat Congestive Heart Failure, the plant has been the focal point of many medical myths. Herbalists have used it to try to cure almost anything.

One herbalist used foxglove to cure those who had fallen from high places, while another put foxglove in boiled wine and used it in as an expectorant. Another herbalist used it as an ointment, saying that foxglove was the best possible cure for old sores and scabby heads. Welsh physicians seemed to agree, using it as an external medicine. Some herbalists seemed to simply prescribe foxglove for any complaint. Many times, foxglove was overused, causing horrible side effects.

And besides all the medical untruths about the plant, there were other myths about foxglove. Spots on the foxglove were said to be spots touched by elves. (Similar things were said about the spots on butterfly wings and peacock feathers.) Others believed that the spots were guarding dangerous juices within the plants, earning foxglove the nickname "the dead man's thistle" in Ireland. Others thought the plants served as gloves for fairies, also known as good folk, as common belief said that fairies lived in the same environment as the foxglove.

It is possible that some of the herbalists' claims about foxglove could be true. However, the only scientifically proven use of foxglove is treating Congestive Heart Failure. As the plant can be extremely dangerous if overdosed even slightly, it is not suggested to try to use the plant to cure anything else.

For more information about these myths and other information about the foxglove plant, click here.

The Lunar Society's End?

2005-11-08T07:37:00.000-08:00

Even with all the Birmingham Lunar Society accomplished, the society eventually started to fall apart. Problems among the society started occurring after William Small, the leader of the group, passed away in 1775. As the same time, the American Revolution started to become a hot topic for discussion for the Lunar Society. Everyone except Boulton, a loyal Tory, sided with the radicals, but Boulton later sided with the other members (he first disagreed because of the issue of slavery). Boulton and the other members had another quarrel about the French Revolution (Boulton was against it). The supporters of the revolution held a celebratory dinner for the cause. However, the Tories were angered by this and started to riot against Priestley and all the other radicals. Priestley was forced to escape to America. The Society could never return to its orginal state. Watt commented on the banishment of Priestley saying, “[it] almost broke up our Lunar Society.”

Jenny Uglow wrote about this in her book, The Lunar Men. She described Priestley's banishment as "the beginning of the end." For the New York Times's book review of The Lunar Men, click here.

A Meeting for the Future of Botanical Medicine

2005-11-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

In an article in the New York Times called “At Bronx Botanical Garden, Mainstream Doctors Meet Kava and Cohosh,” Leslie Berger writes about a conference called “Botanical Medicine in Modern Clinical Practice” in June 2003. Doctors who came to this conference were worried about the future of botanical medicine. One Dr. Small came into the weeklong conference because he was startled about the results of recent studies of hormone replacement therapy, called the Women’s Health Initiative. The study revealed that the women who were on the hormone replacement therapy had increased risks of diseases that the treatment was supposed to protect them from – diseases including cardiovascular disease and dementia. Dr. Small stated:

As a group, we've been confronted with the surprising results of the Women's
Health Initiative -- startling is even a better word -- and I think it's
incumbent upon us to find other helpful avenues for our patients

However, there are some optimists for the field of botanical medicine. One of these people were Dr. Colanaste, who claims that her patients were using many dietary supplements and folk remedies that she is eager to learn more about. Robert McCaleb, the president of the Herb Research Foundation says:

The medicinal properties of soy, saw palmetto and chocolate shared equal billing
with how to review randomized controlled trials and judge information on the
Internet.

Nevertheless, this meeting sparked more and more studies on botanical medicine. It also revealed that botanical medicine is spiraling down as alternative medicine, unless something is done about it.

Other Than Digitalis...

2005-11-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Different from the nineteenth century, there are some other treatments doctors use to treat Congestive Heart Failure. Some drugs in circulation are ACE Inhibitors. ACE Inhibitors are "vasodilators," which cause the blood vessels to dilate, or open up. By dilating the blood vessels, ACE Inhibitors reduce the workload of the failing heart commonly seen with heart failure.

The drugs in this class are:
Benazepril (Lotensin)
Captopril (Capoten)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Enalapril, Enalaprilat Injection (Vasotec IV)
Fosinopril (Monopril)
Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
Moexipril (Univasc)
Perindopril (Aceon)
Quinapril (Accupril)
Ramipril (Altace)
Trandolapril (Mavik)

Captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, quinapril, ramipril and trandolapril have all been clinically studied, and show that they significantly reduce the number of deaths at hospitals from heart failure. Limited data is available for the use of benazepril, moexipril, and perindopril in heart failure. However, because it is thought that all ACE Inhibitors work in the same manner, these ACE Inhibitors are sometimes used in the treatment for CHF. Researchers are still finding ways to determine the dosage that should be used for patients. Right now, doctors have a rough estimate of what they should give their patients, but they hope that researchers will further study these ACE Inhibitors.

To learn more, click here.

A Treatment for Cancer?

2005-11-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Digitalis has been used to treat heart disease since the nineteenth century. But now, some believe that digitalis may be able to treat cancer too.

In 1930, a professor at Purdue University started to look at medical records of those who used digitalis. He noticed that none of them had died of cancer. He wondered if digitalis could treat cancer, but when he explained this to his peers, they began to wonder if he was crazy. No one discussed the possibility again until 1974.

In 1974, Dr Bjorn Stenkvist conducted a study to test the effects of digitalis in breast cancer patients. Tumors in patients taking digitalis grew slower than tumors in patients who did not take digitalis.

Another study in 1984 produced similar results to the original study in 1930.

In the 1990's, Dr. Johan Haux studied the relationship between digitalis and cancer. He found that one type of digitalis, digitalis purpurea, did seem to treat cancer, while another form of digitalis, digitalis lanata, did not seem to treat cancer. Dr. Haux had trouble publishing his study, but eventually he published in the Journal of Oncology. Dr. Haux is currently conducting more research on the subject.

"Digitalis is the right drug being used to treat the wrong disease," says Wayne Martin, who helped conduct the first study on the relationship between digitalis and cancer. However, with many people considering these studies ridiculous and crazy, it is impossible to say if these studies could really lead to the treatment of cancer or if the studies are just complete nonsense.

For more information about the possible links between digitalis and cancer treatment, click here.

Are Botanicals Safer?

2005-10-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

In Joe Schwartz’s book, The Fly in the Ointment, he states that William Withering, the person responsible for the cure of dropsy, would be shocked if he had heard the slogan “botanicals are safer.” Well, are botanicals really safer and better than the synthetic stuff?

Well, take for example botanical and synthetic insecticides. Botanical insecticides are natural and made from plant extracts, with no synthetics added whatsoever. When these plant extracts are processed, these insecticides are very similar to other synthetic insecticides. Examples of botanical insecticides are nicotine sulfate, which may be more harmful to mammals than they are to insects, and pyrethrum, which would only be effective to cockroaches if a synergist is added to enhance the activity of the pyrethrum or the paralysis that it would cause is only temporary.

There have been many synthetic insecticides that have been synthesized in the lab. One of example of this is synthetic pyrethroids. Not only does this insecticide knock down cockroaches fast, but it also has low mammal toxicity. However, it is harmful to fish and people with respiratory problems, such as asthma. Scientists have made these synthetic compounds more stable and natural than botanical insecticides.

Find out more on insecticides by going here.

How To Deal With CHF in Your Everyday Life

2005-10-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

Besides diet and exercise, there are other ways to deal with CHF in everyday life.

It is very important for someone with CHF to manage their stress level. Now, doctors and physicians give helpful tips on how manage stress to patients who have Congestive Heart Failure. Some of them include taking 15 to 20 minutes a day to just sit quietly, and avoid making many promises. Many hospitals provide support groups to patients as well.

People with CHF need to be well rested. A nap during the daytime and good night's sleep will easily make living with the disease easier. It will allow your heart to rest, as well as reduce the person's stress level.

Other things to avoid are clothing that is tight and may decrease circulation within the body, like tight socks. It also important to quit smoking if diagnosed with this condition. Each puff of nicotine from tobacco smoke temporarily increases heart rate and blood pressure, even as less oxygen-rich blood circulates through the body. Finally, it is very important to try to avoid catching influenza or pneumonia since they pose greater dangers for people who have heart failure or any heart condition. When someone develops a lung infection, they don't take in oxygen as efficiently as they should. Then the heart has to work harder to pump oxygenated blood through the body. People with heart failure should avoid putting this extra stress on their heart.

If you want to learn more, click here.

The Importance of the Birmingham Lunar Society

2005-10-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

According to Dr. Desmond King Hale,

'[The Lunar Society] are now seen as leading British contributors to the Enlightenment, so much more impressive than the French philosophers because they were practical instead of being merely intellectuals preaching from ivory towers.'

This quotation (taken from this site) shows the true importance of the Birmingham Lunar Society. At the time, many intellectuals simply discussed and preached their ideas. However, members of the Birmingham Lunar Society tried to discover practical solutions to problems. Among a long list of things, members of the Lunar Society helped design a better steam engine, created better coins, helped advance the study of glass, and improved agricultural machines.

But the Birmingham Lunar Society members were more than scientists. Members of the Lunar Society worked for education and transportation reform. Many invested in canals, as they believed canals could solve transportation problems. And they loved to discuss politics. Unsurprisingly, most of them were politically liberal, supporting the American and French Revolutions and always looking to improve the lives of the common people.

For more information about the members and beliefs of the Birmingham Lunar Society, click here.

Surgeries for CHF

2005-10-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

While medications and lifestyle changes can help control and treat CHF, there are cases in which surgery is nesscary to control CHF. These surgeries include Heart Valve Replacement, Coronary Artery Bypass, and Heart Transplants.

When a pateint has a defective heart valve, s/he may need a heart valve replacement. During this surgery, the surgeon attatches the patient to a heart-lung machine. The doctor stops the heart and makes an incision. The old valve is removed and new one replaces it. It takes four to six weeks to recover from this surgery.

For patients with clogged arteries, a coronary artery bypass causes the blood flow to avoid the clogges section of the artery. The patient is attatched to a heart-lung machine. The surgeon cuts open the chest. Arteries from the chest and veins from the legs are connected to the clogged arteries. It takes approximately 4 to six weeks to recover from a coronary artery bypass.

In severe cases of CHF, a patient may need a heart transplant. This is only usually attempted when the patient has a high risk of dying. The surgeon opens the chest and attatches a heart-ling machine. The old heart is removed and replaces with a new one. It takes four to six weeks to recover from a heart transplant.

For more information about these surgeries, click here.

Risk Factors for CHF

2005-10-21T08:11:00.001-07:00

While anyone can get Congestive Heart Failure, certain people have a higher risk of getting the disease than others. People with risk factors can change their lifestyle to decrease their chances of getting CHF. Below are some of the common risk factors for CHF.

Agewise, CHF ususally occurs in people over the age of 65. In fact, CHF is the most frequent cause of hospitalization for people over 65.

Excess drinking, smoking, and the use of anabolic steroids are common risk factors for CHF.

Hypertension, (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, hyperthyroidism, severe emphysema, and previous history of heart disease are all risk factors for CHF.

Men have a higher risk of getting CHF than women. However, this raised risk is very small and both men and women do get CHF.

For more information about risk factors for CHF, click here.

Living with CHF: Lifestyle Changes

2005-10-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Besides Digitalis, there are many other ways to help treat Congestive Heart Failure. These include medicines, surgeries, and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. Below are some suggested lifestyle changes for someone living with CHF or at risk for CHF:

Try to lose weight by eating a low fat diet and exercising regularly. With less weight, the heart does not have to work as hard. By eating low fat foods, one will not only lose weight, but also decrease one's chance of coronary artery disease. Exercising, like eating low fat foods, will also help one lose weight. It will also help strenghten the heart muscle.

Try to stop smoking or limit smoking. This suggestion obviously does not apply to everyone, but it is very important for smokers. Smoking forces the heart to work harder.

Try to stop or limit drinking alchohol. For those at risk for CHF, alchohol increases the chances of getting the disease. For those with the disease, alchohol interfere with their heart medication.

Try to eat less sodium. Sodium causes water retention, which makes the heart work harder. Water retention also worsens swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet present in someone with CHF.

For more information about living with CHF, click here.

The New Lunar Society

2005-10-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

After two hundred years, the Birmingham Lunar Society still, like its eighteenth-century predecessor, focuses on issues that affect the future of the region of Birmingham and quite possibly the world. But this Lunar Society, administrated by Amanda Cadman, is quite different from the one in the eighteenth century.

The meetings of the society are different from what it used to be. Unlike the small, informal meetings back in the days of Boulton and Withering, the meetings of the present are grander than what it used to be. The meetings of this new society are more focused on debating, linking social, economic, scientific, and cultural thinking and sparking action that affects issues that are critical of the future of Birmingham and the region. Also, the membership of the society changed. The society no longer is a club of a small group of intellectual friends, the membership of the society includes accountants, bankers, caterers, doctors, engineers, health administrators, lawyers, manufacturers, marketing consultants, religious leaders, school teachers and university teachers and administrators. Though this society still caps the amount of people allowed in the society per time, it is still way more than the fourteen who initiated this club. The membership is limited to only three hundred people.

Here is a quote from the society about their meetings:

The Society's programme is full and varied. Four Main Meetings each year, addressed by a speaker of inter-national repute and chaired by a member, are followed by discussion and supper. Less formal meetings are arranged, sometimes over dinner, to address issues of local interest affecting work, leisure or welfare in the community.

This new society still reveres its old predecessor by holding several meetings on the history of the original Lunar Society. They also aided in the refurbishment of the Lunar Room in the Soho house, which is now a museum commemorating Boulton, the Lunar Society, and what they did to advance industry.

You can visit their site here.

Who was Dr. William Withering?

2005-10-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

William Withering was born in Wellington, Shopshire on March 17, 1741. He was the only son of the surgeon Edmund Withering. His journey to becoming one of the greatest minds in medicine started in 1758, when he apprenticed his father. In 1762, he started studying at Edinburgh University to become a doctor. Three years later he received his M.D.

He became interested in botany through a very unorthodox manner. His girlfriend was fascinated with flowers and in order to impress her, Withering decided to learn about botany. In 1772 he married Helen Cooke and had two children.

In 1775, William Small, physician to Matthew Boulton died and Withering took over his practice in Birmingham, becoming friends with other members of the Lunar Society. He was appointed Chief Physician at the newly established Birmingham General Hospital, a position he held for 13 years.

Aside from his research with foxglove, he also investigated the phenomenon of the “fairy rings” and discovered in 1792 that they were caused by the roots of mushrooms. Withering died in 1799 and was buried at Edgbaston Old Church where his memorial includes an engraving of a foxglove.

The Divine Digitalis

2005-10-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

According to Dr. Schwarz's Fly in the Ointment, one of Dr. William Withering's patients cured her dropsy by taking an herbal medication from the "wise woman of Shopshire". Dr. Withering, an expert botanist, looked at the twenty-plant-long ingredient list and isolated foxglove as the active ingredient. He experimented until he created the first standard and reproducible drug.

This preperation, known as Digitalis purpurea, became an extremely popular cure for dropsy. Today, some still use Digitalis to treat heart failure. Dr. Erasmus Darwin, fellow Birmingham Lunar Sociey member and grandfather of Charles Darwin, even depicts dropsy as divine and immortal in the following poem:

Bolster'd with down, amid a thousand wants,
Pale Dropsy rears his bloated form, and pants;
"Quench me ye cool pellucid rills," he cries,
Wets his parched tongue and rolls his hollow eyes.
So bends tormented Tantalus to drink
While from his lips the refluent waters shrink;
Again the rising stream his bosom laves
And thirst consumes him mid circumfluent waves.
Divine Hygeia from the bending sky
Descending, listens to his piercing cry;
Assumes bright Digitalis dress and air;
Her ruby cheeck, white neck and rraven hair;
Four youths protect her from the circling throng,
And like the Nymph the Goddess steps along,
O'er him she waves he serpent wreathed wand,
Cheers with her voicce and raises with her hand
Warms with rekindling bloom his visage wan,
And charms the shapeless monster into man.

This poem, found on the Texas A&M Medical Botany website, fairly represents the public's view of digitalis during the late 1700s and through the 1800s. But what makes Digitalis so divine?

The Texas A&M Medical Botany website provides some answers. Digitalis contains a glysocide bond , meaning two sugars are bonded in a specific formation. For a picute of this bond, click here. This bond indriectly helps increase levels of sodium ions in the cells, which causes increased calcium ion levels in the cells. These extra Calcium ions bond with other chemicals in the cells to help regulate heartbeat. However, scientists do not fully understand how Digitalis works. For more information on how Digitalis works, click here.

A Short History of the Birmingham Lunar Society

2005-10-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

During the eighteenth century, many intellectuals and gentlemen of wealthier classes hosted various political, social, philosophical, and scientific discussion groups. These discussion groups usually included food and drink. Founded by Matthew Boulton in Birmingham, Britain, the Birmingham Lunar Society was one of these clubs.

The meetings of the Birmingham Lunar Society were held on nights of the full moon (thus the name Birmingham Lunar Society). This helped members find their way to meetings. Mr. Boulton gathered the Lunar Society at his residence at the Soho House.

The members of the Birmingham Lunar Society consisted of Matthew Boulton’s brightest friends,the intellectual elite. All of the members of the society were chosen because of their special area of expertise. Thus, membership was very exclusive. Only fourteen members were allowed at a time. The members of this society all accomplished extraordinary goals. For example, Matthew Boulton created one of the very first modern factories and also helped establish the Birmingham Theater and the development of the general hospital. Other members included James Watt (whorevolutionized industry with his steam engine), Josiah Wedgewood (whose scientific precision gave industrial pottery its birth), Erasmus Darwin (who wrote about medicine and botany and anticipated the his grandson's theory of evolution), Joseph Priestly (who isolated oxygen), and William Withering (who used his knowledge about plants to acquire a cure for dropsy).

To learn more about the Lunar Society, click here.

The Facts About Herbal Medication

2005-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Much like the wise lady in the essay "The Lunatics" in the book The Fly in the Ointment, many people around the world rely on herbal medication to cure them of their ailments.

Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine, refers to the use of any plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. Long practiced outside of conventional medicine, herbalism is becoming more mainstream as up-to-date analysis and research show their value in the treatment and prevention of disease.

The history of using herbs to cure, or herbology, dates back to Ancient China. Chinese herbologists were aware of the benefits that could help aid the patient with their suffering. Before x-rays were invented, microscopes were as simplistic as a low powered magnifying glass, and chemistry was still somewhat “crude,” herbologists used their own senses and perceptions to figure what herbs to use.

Beginning in the 1800s, scientists and chemists began exploring the method of botanical medication further. They started extracting and modifying the active ingredients from plants that helped cure illnesses. Although, the use of herbal medication declined when synthetic pharmaceutical medication became accessible.

The World Health Organization (WHO), a sect of the United Nations, estimated that 80% of the worldwide population rely on herbal medication for some aspect of their healthcare. For more information from the World Health Organization, click here.

An Explanation of Congestive Heart Failure

2005-10-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

When Dr. William Withering discovered a treatment for dropsy (now known as CHF), he did not recognize dropsy for what it was: A type of heart failure. The swelling and lung problems seemed completely unrelated to the heart.

The American Heart Association provides an explanation for CHF. To understant CHF, one first needs to know the anatomy of the heart. The heart is dived into two sides: left and right. The left side pumps blood back into the ciruculatory system, while the right side pumps blood to the lungs for oxygen. Each side is divided into a lower chamber (called the ventricle) and an upper chamber (called the atrium). Blood is pumped into the heart through the atrium and is pumped out of the heart through the ventricle.

Heart failure usually starts on the left side of the heart. In some cases, the heart can no longer contract properly. Thus, the heart cannot push the normal amount of blood into circulation. This is called systolic failure. In other cases, the heart loses its ability to relax correctly. Thus, the left ventricle does not fill with the correct amount of blood. This is called diastolic failure.

The slow blood flow from heart failure helps cause the swelling present in CHF. Because it takes longer for blood to flow places, fluid begins to accumulate in the body tissue. This fluid causes the swelling.

When blood tries to flow from the lungs to the left ventricle, it sometimes gets clogged. Some fluid then flows back into the lungs. This causes the excess fluid in the lungs present in CHF. This excess fluid also helps cause heart failure on the right of the heart. The flow of fluid back through the right side of the heart ruins the heart. The right side of the heart becomes weaker and loses pumping power.

The loss of pumping power in the right side of the heart also helps cause swelling in the body. Blood backs up in the veins, causing swelling. This swelling is most commonly found in the legs and ankles.

An Introduction to our Blog

2005-10-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

In Dr. Joe Schwarcz's The Fly in the Ointment, Dr. Schwarcz writes an essay entitled "The Lunatics". This essay revolves around the life of Dr. William Withering, who discovered treatment for dropsy. Dropsy, now known as Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) caused horrible swelling that often lead to immobility. The disease also impaired the lungs by filling the chest cavity with fluid.

Dr. William Withering, along with numerous other important scientists, was part of the Birmingham Lunar Society, nicknamed by Dr. Schwarcz as "The Lunatics". Thus, the name of our blog. This blog is dedicated to sharing information about CHF, Dr. William Withering, and the Birmingham Lunar Society.