Harvard Doctor Practices What He Preaches

Posted by Dr. Jonathan Walker on December 10, 2008 under Rehabilitation | Be the First to Comment

In a world where it is common for a cigarette puffing, twinkie munching doctor to tell a patient to stop smoking and lose weight, Harvard professor Dr. Harvey Simon is a breath of fresh air. For years Dr. Simon has recommended exercise to his patients. What many of them probably don’t know, however, is how seriously he takes these instructions for himself. He was recently profiled in the New York TImes for having run every day for the last 30 YEARS!

The last day Dr. Simon missed a run was October 30, 1978. His daughter, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal writes:

When he travels overseas, my dad, who is 66, plans layovers so he can get in a couple miles around the concourse, lest he miss a day to the time-zone shift. During blizzards, he wraps his feet in plastic bags, pulls galoshes over his sneakers and screws in cleats for traction. Then he waits for a snowplow to pass his front door, so he can follow in the freshly cleared path.

This level of intensity is far beyond what is necessary or even healthy for the average person. It’s certainly a lot more running than I do! The average person would probably not be doing their spine a favor by running 10 miles a day, so don’t take Dr. Simon’s exercise routine as a template to follow. Dr. Simons himself advises patients to engage in moderate exercise, counting things like housework and gardening as acceptable forms.

Whatever the motivation, more physicians would do themselves well to practice what they preach!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/a-30-year-running-streak-still-going-strong/

What does osteoporosis have to do with a good night’s sleep?

Posted by Dr. Jonathan Walker on December 6, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

More than you may think, according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Seratonin, the neurotransmitter that is produced in the body to regulate mood, appetite and sleep has been linked to bone growth. Drugs such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft regulate seratonin to act as mood stabilizers.

95% of seratonin production occurs in the gut where until recently, it was thought to act primarily on digestion. However, a new study published in the November 28 issue of the journal Cell found seratonin actually signals cells in the skeleton to slow the production of new bone. Osteoporosis or osteopenia occur when new bone is not being produced as fast as the existing bone is being absorbed.

This study shows how excessive seratonin could inhibit the growth of new bone tissue. The types of osteoporosis linked to seratonin production in this study are both very rare and severe. However, this study opens up an entirely new area of research in the prevention of more common forms of osteoporosis.

So what does osteoporosis have to do with a good night’s sleep? The supplements that many people take to sleep better, such as 5-HTP or tryptophan may be affecting the health of your bones. Consult with your physician to make sure that you are not inadvertantly increasing the progression of osteoporosis with these common supplements.