The AIDS Epidemic

Stephen Lewis, former UN-envoy to Africa for HIV/AIDS and author of "Race against time" spoke at Thompson Rivers University this past Thursday. One of the most shocking statements he made (and he did make several) was about the growth and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

"For every two people we get on treatment, five more become infected," he said. Now, while that seems horrifying, let us examine the growth pattern so we can fully realize how scary arithmetic growth like this is.

According to Lewis, if two people receive treatment another five become infected with the disease. So, if we then treat two of those five, five more become infected. This is only the second generation of this equation and we are seeing four people on treatment (two plus two) alongside eight infected. We can extrapolate the equation to look like this:

Third generation: six in treatment, 11 infected
Four generation: eight in treatment, 14 infected
Fifth generation: ten in treatment, 17 infected
Sixth generation: 12 in treatment, 20 infected
...
The thousandth generation: 2000 in treatment, 5000 infected

This highlights the chaos and the horror that is mathematical growth, whether arithmetic (where the numbers grow by a set rate continuously) or exponential (where numbers double each generation).

This is a graph that documents the rise of those undergoing anti-retro viral treatment for HIV/AIDS against the growth of the disease.

The end of needles?

Could the immunization needle be a thing of the past? It is a possibility according to some new research.

A surprising article from MedicineNet.com reports that researchers have devised a molecule that can carry a vaccine into a person's immune system without requiring a needle.

If so, it would be far more difficult for people to finagle their way out of an annual flu shot. The ramifications in providing immunizations in the third world would also be staggering.

Diabetes: An Introduction

"Diabetes in Canada is reaching epidemic proportions."

Those were the words my biology professor opened with during a lecture on Tuesday evening.

Karen Ross is part of the faculty of science at Thompson Rivers University and her research interests lie in the field of diabetes. Her topic could hardly be more timely.

According to the Canadian Diabetic Association more than 3 million Canadians have diabetes. If the population of Canada is just over 30 million, than that means according to this statistic, 10 per cent of the population is diabetic.

While that number may be a little inflated, if even six to eight per cent of Canadians have diabetes then it is far too prevalent. Especially considering that one can make certain life choices that decrease the risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes.

While this post will not go into the pathophysiology of diabetes there are several articles that have brought the topic back to the centre of public interest.

The main risk behaviours for acquiring Type 2 diabetes include sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and a high-glucose (sugar) diet. According to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun drinking coffee or tea regularily may reduce the risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes.

However, think about how much sugar one pours into the average double-double or triple-triple (and, yes, I've heard of people ordering quadruple-quadruples).

So for those readers who are wondering, "why should I care when I take care of myself?" consider the following article from the Vancouver Sun.

"The rising rates of diabetes in Canada could cost the economy as much as $17 billion by the year 2020, according to a new report that calls on the federal government to do more to ease the economic burden," the article reports.

That money has to come form somewhere. If more Canadians are educated about this disease and how best to avoid it then that number can be reduced. Either way, it's going to be our tax dollars that fund the treatment.

An observation on healthcare funding

The link between tobacco consumption and the prevalence of cancers like lung, esophageal, and mouth cancer are definite; however, if it fair for tobacco-users to put such a burden onto the healthcare system?

Tobacco products in Canada are taxed at very high levels. The governing philosophy is that the health complications due to consumption will be paid for by the taxes that a smoker pays over his lifetime.

But is this the correct approach? And how do the numbers measure up? A diagnosis of cancer is not guaranteed merely because someone smokes, but paying taxes on cigarettes is.

We must first establish what the purpose of the tobacco tax is. Does it serve to discourage use because of cost, or is it designed to recoup the cost of providing healthcare to individuals who develop health complications from consumming the product?

While people will disagree on what purpose the tax serves, what remains clear is that it is expensive to smoke and expensive to treat someone for lung cancer.

Allow me to submit a topic for debate: Would it be better to keep tobacco taxes as they are, raise them even more to help offset the rising costs of healthcare, or abolish the taxes completely and subsequently charge people out of their own pockets for cancer treatment if they were smokers?

The issue at stake revolves around one's view on individual rights in a society. Do you possess the right to engage in harmful behaviour that will cost the state many dollars to treat? What happens if the state decided that it no longer wanted you to ahve that right because it could not afford the consequences of your actions.

If you have a comment or opinion on this issue (I'm certain everyone has opinions on this issue), then please feel free to either post it or e-mail me at 'gregory.sawisky(at)gmail.com.

UPDATE: Here is an interesting article in the New York Times that comments on this issue.

High Cholesterol hits huge numbers

More than 41 per cent of Canadians have a high total cholesterol according to a new report by Statistics Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, "Blood tests of thousands of Canadians showed 41 per cent of adults had a high total cholesterol level."

Cholesterol, which is like a fat can come in two varieties: High density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL). High density lipoproteins have traditionally been thought of as 'good cholesterol' as it helps prevent the narrowing of arteries while low density lipoprotein is often thought of as 'bad cholesterol' and high levels and lead to cardiovascular disease.

In truth, it is best to keep concentrations of both cholesterol's in check.

The CBC published an article on the study available here.

Optimism is good for your health

Don't worry, be happy.

Those words, original composed and sung by Bobby McFerrin, may just carry more weight than we expect.

A recent joint study published in Psychological Science conducted by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville has concluded that being optimistic boosts the immune system.

Two articles, one from sciencedaily.com and the other at e!ScienceNews.com wrote about the implications of the study and the optimistic state of mind.

The study followed 124 law students who were assessed as to their general outlook on life and success in their first year of law school. They were then injected with a solution generated to create an immune system response .

The ScienceDaily article writes that, "At more optimistic times, they'd have bigger immune responses; at a more pessimistic time, a more sluggish immune response. So, being optimistic about success in a specific, important domain may promote better immunity against some infections."

While it may be difficult to corroborate this evidence, or even prove conclusively how our outlook on life affects our immune system, it certainly can't hurt.

Extremely Drug Resistant Tuberculousis

Tuberculosis. It is a disease that many people regard as having been "defeated" and no longer a major health concern to us.

They could hardly be more wrong.

Several recent articles have examined instances of a new strain of tuberculosis called Extremely Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDRTB).

A recent CBC article reports that the World Health Organization doesn't know what effect they have had in combating this strain of tuberculosis.

In addition to that, the disease has reached record levels in Western Russia according to another article.

And Aboriginals in Canada are 30 times more likely to have tuberculosis than non-aboriginals. In order to treat tuberculosis, one is usually given antibiotics to take for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, many people stop taking the drugs once they feel better. Now tuberculosis is mutating and becoming stronger.

The video posted below is the work of the famous conflict photographer James Nachtwey. He documented this outbreak around the world over the course of a year. The images say so much more than words ever can.

The original video is available here. or on YouTube.