14 - North Shore News — Sunday, January 2, 2000 on the scene DO you have high blood pressure? Are you presently on medication to treat your high blood pressure? Are you age 65 or over? Are you interested in learning more about different options for treating high blood pressure? Recently, Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society has been working with the UBC health sciences division on a project looking at how we make decisions about the med- ications we use. Seniors who Sharing a Vision of Health LIONS GATE HOSPITAL'S Caring Community ‘Calendar Maternity Sibling Tour Sat, Jan. 8 at 10:30 aM. + Euect cn 3rd floor by elevators A tour for children whose MOMs are expecting a new. baby. For info. call 984-5864, Diabetes Support Group Mon. Jan. 10 at 7 PM. ... in the L.G.H. Cafeteria, Chair Aerobics video. Come and give it a try? Discussion and support too! For people living with diabetes. Family and other support persons welcome, For info. call Linda. Lee Ross 988-3131, L. 4495. Headstart Support Group _ Wed. Jan. 12 at 7PM. in Seminar A For any person with a brain: injury. Concerned family members are welcome. For more info. cal] Joanne Oben, “1S. W. at 984-3742. . Heart Attack Recovery Thursdays at 9:30 AM. on 2 West/Sun Room “| This information session is for . Janyone who has been diagnosed, or has a family member dia- gnosed with angina or heari . fattack. One session only. Please -|phone for more info. and/or to register your attendance with Patty Phillips at 984-5849. : Screening ‘Mammography Hf you are a woman aged 40 or over, you may refer yourself to this program. For an ‘ {appointment call 984-5714, ‘Kids Worry Too on the Ist & 3rd Tuesday ‘of the month at 10:30 aM. in Seminar Room A ‘An information and education session to help you deal with children's unique needs when a parent is diagnosed with cancer. For information call 984-3709 or 984-5831. Breast Self Examination Teaching Clinic ‘ in the Medical Day Centre ’ |For appointnents call 925-1952. are taking medication for high blood pressure were asked to All cur questionnaires and some were selected to atcend a workshop presented by Dr. Robert Rangno, associate pro- fessor with the departments of medicine and pharmacology and Dr. James McCormack, associate professor with the faculty of pharmiaceutical sci- ences, Using hand-held keypads that connected with a comput- erized response system, they respunded to questions related to information commonty pre- sented in the newspapers or on “LV, often with rather confus- ing and misleading statistics included. For instance, we may read or hear something from friends or on the Internet that states that a new medication will give a 50% Detter result than the drug we may now be taking. Sometimes this infor- mation is based on untested or incorrect data, and this is where the workshop gave us advice about evaluating what we hear from other sources. Ar the end of the session eople were given a handout fo tke homes rhich included information op risks associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke and other health problems. There was a list of medications commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, including their technical and trade names. Seniors went home feeling that they had learned a great deal, and some made a list of questions they wanted to ask their dextor. This research program will be continuing through the winter and spring of 2000. More people are needed for the next session which will PET —SENIORS ——— The ups and downs of high bloot NEWS photo Mike Wehsticid WENDY Stark, the program superviser at Paramed Home Health Care checke a woman's biood pressure. Recently, North Shore seniors participated in a workshop about the treatment of high blood pressure, nels take place on Feb. 21. Study participants will receive an honorarium of $25. Participation will include attending a workshop (up to two hours in length), complet- ing brief questionnaires, and a telephone interview. ‘The questionnaires and interview will ask you what you know about high blood Pressure and the medication you take to treat your high FROJECT ty of north vancouver pOoG LICENSES Under the Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw, dog owners are required to purchase an annual Dog Licence for dogs over four months. Fines do apply to dogs found not wearing a current Dog Licence in the City of North Vancouver. If you have purchased a 1999 Dog Licence from the City of North Vancouver, you will receive a 2000 Dog Licence statement in early January 2000. blood pressure. The workshop will help you to understand and interpret the medical evi- dence for drugs used to treat high blood pressure. The workshop will be held on the North Shore. If vou are interested in par- ticipating in this study, you can call Rachel McKendry at the Informed Shared Decision Making Project office at 822- 8002. if you did not purchase a 1999 Licence, or for some other reason, do not receive a statement by January 3, 2000, please contact the Treasury Department at City Hall, 141 West 14th Street, North Vancouver - Telephone 983-7316. Dog Licences may also be purchased at the S.PC.A. Shelter, 299 Mansfield Place, North Vancouver IN PERSON ONLY. For New Registered Dog Owners, proof must be supplied for spayed and neutered dogs. Terry Christie, Director of Finance There is so rnuch informa- tion coming at us from all sides that it is very important for us to learn as much as we can from experts who are not selling a product. Doctors Rangno and McCormack gave us two key staternents to remember: the decision to treat risk factors (such as high blood pressure) must be made by you and your physician; and medica- ~ City of North Vancouver 2000 Dog Licence Fees: Spayed or Neutered Dogs: $17.00 | Un-Spayed or Un-Neutered Dogs: - Mayor Barbara A. Sharp Councillor Bill Bell Couneillor John Braithwaite Councillor Bob Fearnley Councillor Craig Keating Councillor Darrell Mussatto Councillor Barbara Perrault tions should almost never be abruptly stopped, and must. - always be done in consultation - with a physician. ; Always tell your doctor: if you are taking medications, herbal supplements or other remedies that the doctor does ; not know about. Then we | oem seniors can lock after our: -: + >. health in parmership with 61 our." physician. ; vo Tes up to us to make sure » we that we're looking after our-.":.. selves ina responsible manner." ° Mary Segal is coordinator of. Lionsview ‘Seniors’. Planning. Society. Idens for future columns. are welcome. Contact ‘Sigal. at 985-3852. : ‘Worry about the mercury in den: tal fillings: appears unfounded. We're exposed to more total mercury from food,” water and air than from the miniscule amounts in dental amalgam | filling. - material Exhaustive research on this sub- ject fails to show any correlation between ill health and amalgara. What is it in tea that exerts posi- tive effects on our bodies? Tea. contains flavonoids, antioxidant: chemicals also found in fruits. and vegetables. They slow down * celt damage caused by free radi: § cals and are possible cancer risk. reducers. Green tea drinkers sta-’ ustically have fess stomach can- cers while black tea lovers show: less esophageal cancers. - Free Parki: Free Delivery for Pharms Prscipcons . 1401 St. Georges 985-8771