 April 9
Peggy Buker
May 12
District Breakfast
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Next Week...
April 9
Peggy Buker, Providence Trinity Care Hospice Foundation
Upcoming Programs...
April 16
TBA
May 7
PP Steve Day - Rotary Foundation
Activities...
April 30 - May 3
District Conference, Newport Hyatt
All Officers and Committee Chairs must attend
May 12
District Breakfast - LAX
All Officers and Committee Chairs must attend
Westin Hotel, 5400 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles
May 16
District Assembly
All Officers and Committee Chairs must attend
June 27
Demotion Dinner, Beach Club
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This Week...
DR MATTHEW BUDOFF, CARDIOLOGIST, at WVRC on April 2nd
SHARON BRADFORD brightened up the hall when she led the Pledge.
MARK ROGO provided not one, but three Invocations – one even preceded by its recitation in Hebrew!
First inspirational which is the ancient Hebrew pray over the bread.
Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth.
Second inspiration came from the Book of Psalms.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help cometh from G-d, who made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep. G-d is they keeper; G-d is they shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. G-d shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul. G-d shall guard they going out and they coming in, from this time forth and forever.
Psalms 121: 1-8
Third inspiration also came from the Book of Psalms and is an ancient prayer over the departed.
G-d full of mercy who dwells on high
Grant perfect rest on the wings of Your Divine Presence
In the loft heights of the holy and pure
Who shine as the brightness of the heavens
To the soul of James Downie.
Who has gone to his eternal rest
As all his family and friends
Pray for the elevation of his soul.
His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
Under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
G-d is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
And let us say Amen.
We had no Visiting Rotarians, but there were several guests. SUNNY came with LENNY, and SHARON was with CHRIS. PEGGY brought her daughter, Joanne Hunter. JACK HARRIS came with his daughter, Elizabeth Compton, and WARREN DODSON brought Pat. While I’m noting names, I spoke to GENE PRINDLE – you may remember that he was having some physical problems, but he is up and around, and hopes to be back at Rotary soon. Give him a call, OK?
The Head Table was introduced. MARSHA HUNT just said Hello. PP RON LYSTER was pleased to announce a recent Motorcycling Rotarians ride, and he reminded us that such activities count as a Makeup! ALY SHOJI was glad to admit that her new daughter is named London. When PEGGY BLOOMFIELD was accused of ‘Ditching’ WVRC next week, she denied all, stating that she simply won’t be present next week. Perhaps because of this rebuff to what he probably figured were his Presidential Perks, President SEAN then announced that fines for non-pins would be increased to ten bucks! Sad to report, there were no transgressors this week. And lest I forget, both PP JOHN SINGLETON and (honorary) PP BOB LUSK were nicked for twenty-five clams each, for — get this — talking business at the meeting! This, of course, leads us to significant reflection on what power we do, or do not, have over honorary members. Since neither of the two criminals are attorneys, methinks someone who is, will soon be demanding justice, or something. Stay tuned.
Birthdays — You won’t be surprised to find that ELLIOTT TURNER demanded the 1st, specifying Jacksonville. FL. SHERRY DEWANE was next, sharing the 5th with DORIS OGILVIE, but SHERRY liked Manitowoc (that’s Wisconsin, of course) while DORIS thought LA was just fine. DEBBIE HEAP was another date sharer, the 7th, with CLARK MCQUAY, and Debbie chose Pasadena, while CLARK settled for Altadena. DICK ROBINSON had the 8th all to himself, in Altus, Oklahoma. Our almost-immortal purveyor of Inspirational Moments, ERIC LOBERG, settled on the 18th, in Ithaca (and if you don’t know that’s in NY, I may quit revealing all this information – so there! MADELYN FISCHMANN liked Chicago, on the 20th. NICK KAHRILAS preferred NY NY (isn’t there a song like that?) on the 23rd, and DON PARK wrapped April up on the 28th, in Bruning, Nebraska. All those present were suitable serenaded, and then signed our several books going to the Westwood Library.
Next Auxiliary Meeting: The Spring Tea! Wed, April 8th, at the home and gardens of Carol and Jim Collins, starting at 11:30, 955 N. Bundy Drive. Children and grandchildren are especially invited. The program includes Natalie Carol Hession, Carol’s granddaughter, who will talk about her trip to Japan, and Kaitlin Cochran, Eloise Siskel’s granddaughter, playing the violin. Guests should park on Bundy Drive, and Jim and other Rotarians will drive them up the hill in golf carts. Members bringing finger foods for the tea should arrive before 11:30, park briefly at the house to deliver trays, and then go down the hill and use the special golf cart service. Call Roz Nelson for reservations, please.
STEVE PETTISE gave a brief report on his recent visit to Egypt. They spent eleven days there, including a five-day cruise on the Nile. He made up at one Club in Egypt, and they presented him with a lovely plaque, housed in an equally nice storage container. During that meeting, the other 12 guests were local residents of Sakkara, all of whom had benefited from participating in a small loan program totaling $25,000. They used the proceeds to buy equipment for their small businesses, and all were successful, plus 98% of the loans have been repaid in full! Several of the recipients spoke of their association with the Rotary Club, which sponsored the loans. It certainly sounds like STEVE attended on an auspicious evening.
Less we drift too far from pure Rotary business, President SEAN brought us back with some more Irish history. In some attempt at sequence, know that in 1555 William Annyas was elected the Mayor of Youghal, County Cork – he was the first Jew so chosen In 1871 the Irish census shows the population to be 5,412,377, of which only 285 were Jewish. Moving ahead to 1911, the Titanic was launched in Belfast on April 1st. And in 1956, Robert Briscoe became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin. But there’s still time for a quick Irish story: The pharmacist asked O’Halloran, “Did that mudpack I gave you improve your wife’s appearance?” “It did surely,” replied O’Halloran, “But it keeps fallin’ off.”
Slightly later, PEGGY BLOOMFIELD introduced our Speaker, Matthew Budoff, MD. Dr, Budoff is a Principal Investigator at the Los Angles Biomedical Research Institute. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and Director of CT (Cat Scans) at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. Dr. Budoff graduated from the University of California, Riverside, and his medical degree is from George Washington University School of Medicine. He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine, as well as his Cardiology Fellowship at LA Biomed/Harbor/UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Budoff is a Fellow and Board Member of the American College of Cardiologists, and the American Heart Association for Southern California. He also is a founding Board Member of the Society of Cardiovascular CT. Over the last twenty years, he has conducted extensive research using Cardiac CT to identify those at high risk for a cardiac ‘Event’ (Peggy really LIKED this word, which in turn got a good response from the audience…), including progression of coronary calcium and non-invasive CT Angiography. He is the author of over two hundred articles and books on these subjects.
Dr Budoff began by stating that he was particularly interested in early detection of heart disease, and the opportunities he enjoys at the Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, which he describes as the southern satellite of UCLA. The # 1 cause of death for both men and women today is heart disease – it is twice as likely that we will suffer heart disease compared to all kinds of cancer combined. It is 100 times more likely than HIV or other known causes of death today. The only nice thing (if such exists) about heart disease is that it progresses very slowly. We can find it years – even decades – before it is going to strike, thus giving us more time to modify the risks. A baby aspirin (81 MG) per day lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke by ONE/THIRD! Lower blood pressure also reduces the risk almost as much as aspirin. And colorectal is another major factor – thus aspirin, blood pressure, and lower cholesterol, combined with exercise and diet are the five major factors leading to a healthy heart. At a recent meeting of the American College of Cardiologists, they were told that one pill combining the three chemical inhibitors is now about to debut! In other words, we have ALL the tools which could reduce heart disease by 85% - but there is lots to learn about using these tools.
We almost know HOW to treat, but the question is, WHO to treat? What is really needed is a guide to intensity of therapy related to insensitivity of risk. One of the major problems with heart disease is that one-day you feel fine, and the next day you have a stroke — there are not always a lot of warning signs. About a third of heart attacks occur without ANY warning. An example is President Bill Clinton, who had regular, detailed health exams every year he was in the White House – and a few months later, had to have open-heart surgery. Thus early evaluation is key, and Dr. Budoff has spent a lot of time since 1990 looking for new ways of predicting a problem. Now, heart scans are a routine part of the physical exam. They are now engaged in several large studies, having found that the heart scan can show problems years before they become life threatening. However, it is difficult to convince insurers to accept heart scans, since they do not concentrate on prevention. The questions are first, when to test — then, who to test, and last, should the tests be repeated, and if so, how often?
The Biomedical Research Institute in Torrance has about 1,000 employees, all doing clinical research. No other institution compares to this in the breadth of its research. Dr. Budoff identifies himself as a preventive cardiologist, and opened to questions.
Q&A - Are there different types of plaque? Yes, those he is discussing block the arteries, and are not the same as dental plaque. If blood is blocked going to the heart, it’s a heart attack – if to the brain, it’s a stroke. Are there blood tests that can show arterial blockages? Yes, the best known is the C Reactive Protein, which shows inflammation, but doesn’t pinpoint where it is coming from. So it isn’t a particularly good blood marker. Is there talk of reversing heart disease? Yes, but the more we study this, the more difficult it appears to be. The best tests so far can stop plaque, but getting it to reverse has not been established. The problem with extreme diets, for example, is that almost nobody can stay on them indefinitely. The key to diet is moderation, which also applies to red wine, for example. Being a vegetarian provides the highest risk diet seen so far. India, where died is often controlled by religion, is vegetarian, and has the highest risk of heart disease in the world. (comment from the audience – was it SEAN? – I KNEW vegetables were no good). Fish is good, and fish oil, if you don’t like fish, is OK, but not as good as fish itself. It used to be that the only people who should be treated for heart disease were those with 70% or more blockage – they are now finding that most heart attacks occur with people who have 30% blockages! Fish oil tablets tend to have more Omega three and Omega six ingredients – Omega nine is not as effective. But again, actual fish itself is more effective than any fish oil. What is the cost of a cat scan for the heart? About $250, but Medicare will usually cover it. What about exercise? Probably the minimum you want to do is 20 minutes three times a week – that’s an hour per week. 30 to 40 minutes a day, up to every day, is the best schedule. And beyond about five hours a week, the results become negative, besides producing more orthopedic injuries. What about stint and cardiac surgery? Both of them are not as popular as they once were. We have learned that by treating the problem with a pill, or more exercise, or a combination, you can do as much, or more good for yourself than with a stint or surgery. A stint, by the way, looks like the small spring in a ballpoint pen – and sometimes they offer the best answer. Is a regular aspirin (325 CM) better than baby aspirin? Maybe, but you can have too much aspirin, and the 81 CMs is a good choice. Alcohol is good for the heart – it lowers our blood pressure and raises the good cholesterol! And abstention is NOT good – moderation is always better. (Cheers from the audience). But if 1 or 2 drinks a day, on average, is good for you, you cannot make up for missing a couple of days by drinking a six-pack! Is one time of day better than another for exercise? No, morning might be slightly better, but the most important thing is to DO it. Does heart medication have serious side effects? All medications have side effects, but in most cases they are minimal. What about Zettia? It lowers cholesterol, and is effective – it works with other heart medications. He uses it as a supplement to other medications, since all the effects have not yet been identified. Last Question - Can you compare yogurt and ice cream? Yogurt is healthier than ice cream because of the fat content.
Dr Matthew Budoff, thank you for a most educational and helpful discussion.
Words of Wisdom
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good, OR Bigamy: One wife too many. Monogamy: same thing!
