Tobacco On Trial

Thu AM. A Sober Start

October 21, 2004 1:40 pm by Gene Borio

Judge Kessler entered the courtroom this morning and said she felt compelled to mention something about yesterday’s events.

She said Mr. Hoel’s death was “sad, very sad.” She understood that many of the Defense team were friends with Mr. Hoel, and she offered her condolences to his family through the defense team.

The morning then began with an examination of adverse witness John Graham “Gray” Robertson, President of HBI, formerly ACVA Atlantic.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 21st, 2004 at 1:40 pm and is filed under Notes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “Thu AM. A Sober Start”

Jim Repace Says:
October 22nd, 2004 at 12:02 pm
Mr. Hoel’s death from an abdominal aortic aneurism is a hallmark of tobacco-related disease. Isn’t it ironic?
Martha Hoel Garrison, M.D. Says:
October 23rd, 2004 at 5:23 pm
To the comments of Jim Repace: an abdominal aortic aneurysm ( note the correct spelling of aneursym )can be caused by multiple factors and is NOT a “hallmark of tobacco-related disease”. While smoking is considered a risk factor for abdominal aortic aneursyms (AAA), it is one of several risk factors. Other risk factors of AAA include: advanced age, being a male, genetics, inflammation of the aorta and atherosclerosis. Causes of atherosclerosis do include smoking but elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are also major risk factors. Mr. Hoel was a 72 year old, slightly obese male with elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. How do I know these facts about Mr. Hoel? He was my father. Mr. Repace next time you write comments on a persons cause of death, first get your facts correct and second think of the suffering and sorrow of the family of the person who just passed away.
James Repace Says:
October 25th, 2004 at 1:32 pm
Dear Dr. Hoel Garrison, I can empathize with your suffering and sorrow, because my father died at the age of 59 from lung cancer from smoking, and I felt the same way. I am sorry if I added to your pain. Had I known that I was posting to a list read by a family member I would have avoided it.
Gene Borio Says:
February 7th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
Aneurysm Scans Are Urged In Older Men Who Smoked

I hate to pick at old wounds, but anyone following the medical aspect of this discussion needs to know this new information, and this recommendation from a government group.

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ANEURYSM SCANS ARE URGED IN OLDER MEN WHO SMOKED

Source: New York Times
Date: 2005-02-01
Author: GINA KOLATA
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/health/01scan.html?pagewanted=all&position=

In a sharp change from current policy, an influential medical advisory group is recommending that all men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked have an ultrasound screening test to see if they are developing a condition that could kill them in minutes by bursting a major artery in the abdomen.

The group, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, is an independent panel of medical experts that advises the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Its recommendations help set government policy and are generally followed by primary care doctors.

The task force last looked at the condition, abdominal aortic aneurysms, in 1996 and concluded that there was insufficient evidence that a screening test would save lives. But now, it said, four large clinical trials have provided the evidence it needs, at least for those most at risk.

Finding aneurysms early, with a scan that can cost $350 to $400, and repairing them with an operation that can cost $15,000 to $20,000 if there are no complications, can cut the death rate by a third.

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The US Preventive Services Task Force press release is here:

The USPSTF recommends one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by ultrasonography in men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.

http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsaneu.htm

Other news stories on this are here:

http://www.tobacco.org/articles/category/cardio/

Thu AM. A Sober Start

4 Responses to “Thu AM. A Sober Start”

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