On Tuesday evening, October 31, Congregation Etz Chaim’s Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series featured a virtual talk with Dr. Mel Breite, Founder and Director of the lecture series. The series is hosted by Congregation Etz Chaim and draws medical experts from NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.
Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg, Rav of Congregation Etz Chaim, introduced Dr. Breite and shared the appreciation of the community for this service that Dr. Breite has provided, which is now in its 13th year. Dr. Breite shared what is new in adult medicine over the past year. He began by asking how we are doing medically as Americans. In a medical paper on mortality rates, it said that in the mid-1930s and 1960s we were better, in comparison with the rest of the affluent world. Since the 1980s, we have been worse in terms of mortality rates. Why is this happening?
Dr. Breite shared three reasons. First, we have underserved people. We should encourage everyone to obtain health insurance. Secondly, there is a higher incidence of heart disease. This is diet-related. There are firearms deaths and alcohol abuse. There are also bad COVID and HIV reactions. In addition, we have high maternity mortality rates that are higher than other affluent countries.
The best diet in a Harvard study on nurses was the Mediterranean Diet. This diet is the best for preventing heart disease. This diet includes a lot of vegetables and fish, and no butter or cream, and avoiding a lot of red meat. People who follow this diet generally experience less disease. You can find this diet online.
Next, Dr. Breite spoke about vaccines. He recommends the flu shot. He shared that he has personally had a flu shot every year for the past 60 years. Also, the pneumonia shot can prevent certain types of pneumonia. In addition, he strongly recommends the shingles vaccine. It prevents shingles 95% of the time. This shot is recommended for people over the age of 60. He shared that last year he saw four women in their 80s and 90s who were suffering with pain for six months from shingles. He added that there is a new RSV vaccine, but he doesn’t recommend it as we don’t know the effect of that vaccine, and in general we are immune to that virus. Regarding the COVID vaccine, he said that there are new boosters and we should wait two or three months to see if it has any bad effects.
He then spoke about a study on exercise that was documented over a long time period. If you walk once a week and take 8,000 steps, you live longer according to the study. Every day, you should walk 4,000 steps. He added that 6,000 steps is better, and this walking will prolong your life, as it delays the onset of disease.
After that, he spoke about ways to preserve your mental acuity. There are documented modifications of lifestyle that help. Number one is a healthful diet, as well as exercise. Don’t smoke, and do minimize alcohol consumption. Do cognitive activities every day. Learning Torah, of course, is the best. Then there is doing crossword puzzles, games, etc. which will help. Also, be involved in social activities. Go to shul, shiurim, classes, talk with friends on the phone, etc. He also pointed out that people with poor hearing lose mental acuity faster, so it’s important to obtain hearing aids. They make a difference.
He then had everyone do a mental acuity test, which had three questions. Write down the date including month, day of the week, day of the month, and year. He showed everyone three items in the beginning of the talk and then asked at this point for everyone to list the three items. Next, he said to write down as many animals as you can within a minute. If you could list 12 in a minute, and answer the other two questions correctly, then you passed.
He shared some important tips. If you come back from the hospital with medicines, you need to go to your doctor and find out if you still need all those medicines. Your doctor should review your prescriptions every time you see him.
He shared that being overweight increases the risk for a number of cancers including esophageal, breast, colon, and others. If a person is really having trouble with weight control, bariatric surgery can sometimes be helpful.
He emphasized that early treatment when there is evidence of a stroke is crucial. Run to the nearest emergency room with a stroke center. NewYork-Presbyterian has one, and so does Northwell. Do not wait for it to get better.
He then spoke about arthritis of knees and hips. Exercise has been found to help this type of arthritis, and they found that marathon runners had fewer instances of knee arthritis. The theory is that running causes lubrication of your knees. If you have arthritis, you should walk more, and losing weight is helpful for hip arthritis. If you have pain at the base of the thumb it is important to see an occupational therapist. They work on function.
He shared that if red blood cells are found in urine after repeat tests, then ask for a sonogram. You want to make sure there isn’t a kidney issue or a growth in the bladder.
Next, he spoke about PSA and colonoscopy. High risk people should get a PSA starting at age 45 every year. High risk means family history, overweight, or African American. If there is a high PSA, then you should get an MRI. Start colonoscopy if you are high risk at age 45 and stop at age 75.
If you or someone you know is short of breath, it is important to go to the emergency room and demand politely that you get a CT scan. Say, “I’m short of breath and I want to make sure it’s not a pulmonary embolism.”
He then shared problems that can occur from tick bites. Then he spoke about high blood pressure. The normal is now 130 over 80. High blood pressure is a chronic disease. If your blood pressure is more than 130 over 80, it needs treatment. Treatment includes diet, and then he also spoke about medications for this. He said that if you buy a cuff to take your blood pressure you should bring it to your physician to make sure it’s validated, and you should compare using it with the one in his office to see if it’s accurate.
After the lecture, there was a lively Q&A. The community thanks Dr. Breite for this informative program.
By Susie Garber
