Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 1, January 2004
Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.
Seattle Sun healthy living briefs
Heart study seeks volunteers
University of Washington researchers are looking for volunteers to participate in a research program for people with Type 2 diabetes. The study, known as ACCORD, for Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes, is for men and women over age 55, or people over age 40 who have a previous history of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event; high blood sugar; and hypertension or high blood cholesterol.
Participants will receive diabetes medications and either blood pressure or cholesterol
medications at no cost, as well as a Precision Xtra glucometer with testing supplies, access to a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator and expert medical care.
The goal is to reduce the risk of people with Type 2 diabetes developing heart disease. Their risk currently stands at two to four times that of their non-diabetic peers.
For more information on the ACCORD study, call 598-8150 or send an e-mail to accord@fammed.washington.edu.
Clinic seeks donations
Community Psychiatric Clinic in Wallingford is conducting its annual Holiday Helpers campaign to purchase needed but inexpensive items as gifts for its clients, such as toiletries, warm clothing, food certificates and bedding. These items will be wrapped and distributed to the most needy clients and families enrolled in services at CPC. You can brighten the lives of those struggling with a mental illness. A tax-deductible contribution of any amount will help. Please send your donation to: Holiday Helpers, Community Psychiatric Clinic, 4319 Stone Way N., Seattle, WA 98103-7490. For details, call Jennifer Lynch at 545-2345 or send e-mail to jlynch@cpcwa.org.
UW gets grant for study
The University of Washington has received an award of $5.86 million for a research center to study fragile-X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental retardation. The five-year award, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, will be administered by the UW Center on Human Development and Disability.
Fragile-X syndrome affects an estimated one in 4,000 to 6,000 males and about half as many females in all ethnic groups, and is second only to Down syndrome as a cause of cognitive disability. About one in 100 to 600 females is an unaffected carrier of the mutation in a gene called FMR1. Physical features of those with Fragile-X syndrome can include enlarged ears, a long face, connective tissue problems, and skeletal problems. Some males exhibit speech disturbances, hand biting or hand flapping, and autistic behaviors. Because of the variability in symptoms, the diagnosis of fragile-X syndrome is often delayed.
The researchers include Dr. Charles Laird, UW professor of biology and director of the Fragile X Research Center, and Dr. R. Scott Hansen, UW research assistant professor of medical genetics.
Fein to head Swedish Physicians
Dr. Warren Fein has been named medical director of Swedish Physicians, Swedish Medical Center's primary care network.
Fein, a board-certified internal medicine physician, has been practicing at Swedish Physicians' Ballard clinic since 1988. He has served as the clinic's medical director for more than nine years. Fein also served as chief of medicine at Swedish Medical Center/Ballard Campus in 1993 and 1994.
The Laurelhurst resident earned his bachelor's degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Washington in 1981. A 1985 UW School of Medicine grad, he completed his residency in internal medicine at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn.
Swedish Physicians includes more than 70 health care providers at 11 clinics throughout Seattle and King County, including facilities at Ballard and Green Lake.
Two North End pools closed for holidays
Meadowbrook Pool, at 10515 35th Ave. NE, will close beginning Dec. 24 and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5.
Helene Madison Pool, at 13401 Meridian Ave. N, has been closed since August for major maintenance work and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 12.
Swimmers are welcome to visit Seattle Parks and Recreation's five other indoor pools during this closure period.
For more information on pools and swimming schedules, please visit www.seattle.gov/parks.
Green Lake volunteer honored
Tim Amen of the Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council was one of four Seattle parks supporters honored at the First Annual Denny Awards program for volunteer service to Seattle Parks.
The awards were presented by Seattle Parks Superintendent Ken Bounds at a Nov. 18 ceremony at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. "We couldn't do what we do without the tremendous support of volunteers," said Bounds. Last year, parks volunteers put in more than 164,000 hours, the equivalent of $2.7 million in labor.
Amen, a political science professor at Seattle University, received the honor for his 17 years of advocacy for and support of youth rowing programs. He has led efforts to create outreach and scholarship programs to involve young people who may not have otherwise tried boating. He was also a leader of fund-raising efforts to help purchase new boat equipment and to repair buildings damaged in the 2001 earthquake.
The other award recipients were Joyce Moty of the Friends of Bradner Gardens Park, Chairman Bruce Bentley of the Board of Parks Commissioners, and the Starbucks Coffee Company, which gave $100,000 in grants this year to neighborhood park programs.
The Denny Awards are named for David and Louisa Denny, who donated land in 1884 to construct the city's first park (now known as Denny Park).
Locals featured in calendar
North Seattle residents Nicola Griffith, Ron Leamon and Cindy Nelson are among 12 people featured in the new 2004 "Triumphing with Multiple Sclerosis" calendar created by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County. Griffith is a Wallingford resident who has written four published novels that have received major national and international awards. Leamon is a North Ballard resident who designs costumes for movies and television (including "Twin Peaks," "Smoke Signals" and "Rose Red"). Nelson is another who continues to live an active life while living with MS. The calendar's purpose is to illustrate that people with MS can still lead productive lives and engage in many interests and thus provide hope and inspiration to others who have this disease. A second purpose is to raise money for the MSA. Copies of the calendar can be purchased for $10 each plus $2 for shipping and handling either via the MSA Web Site, www.msa-sea.org/, or by calling 633-2606. The MSA of King County is based in the Fremont neighborhood.