In her dad's memory ..

This is the first installment on an ongoing series of stories profiling folks who are donating their hair to LOCKS OF LOVE.

Casey Mullaney is 16 years old. On Sunday she'll be donating her hair at the Niskayuna Dutch Reformed Church .. 3041 Troy-Schenectady Road ( that's route 7)
Casey's dad died from brain cancer in 2001. She donated her hair then and has done so two more times.
On Sunday, Casey's being joined by more than 2 dozen other folks including a husband/wife team who are donating their hair. Clearly, as Casey's mom Rosemarie says "this cause is near and dear to us."
You can join in .. the haircut will be free of charge - local stylists are donating their time.
There will be refreshments.
To sign up call Casey at 785-5905 or email at lupin1929@aol.com

Locks of Love

What's with the long hair?

Many of you have been asking about my 'new do'.

The answer is - I'm growing it for Locks of Love.

It started as a hairstyle for a play I was in. Then the nurses who care for a friend's elderly mother said to him, " I see Benita's growing her hair for those cancer kids" .. and my course was set.

Then something else happened. You may recall Jasmine Johnson. We reported on her many accomplishments. She was diagnosed at 2 with cancer and battled the disease and its effects for most of her 20 years, losing her battle earlier this year. It's in Jasmine's memory I'll donate my locks.

But I'm not alone in doing this. I know there are many people who are growing their hair as well. So send me your stories and each week I'll share them.

I plan on cutting my hair at the end of August. I'm working on a project with RUMORS HAIR SALON in Latham so everyone who wants to join me, can.

For more information on Locks of Love just go to http://www.locksoflove.org

Tomorrow I'll share the first local story - it's about a group of kids who'll be donating their hair this Sunday.

Belly Fat

That spare tire you're nuturing isn't doing you any favors.

For the first time, scientists have found the smoking gun between belly fat and disease. What they discovered is that fat cells inside the abdomen give off molecules that increase inflammation. It's that inflammation that's been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other ailments.

Scientists had been stumped for a while. When apple shaped people had liposuction to remove stomach fat, they didn't get the benefit researchers expected. This time they studied what's called visceral fat- the fat that surrounds organs in your gut. Voila- tests on visceral fat showed it likley contributes to an increase in systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.

The take home from this: it's more important than ever to employ the one-two punch to trim your waistline - diet and exercise.

the study is reported in the journal DIABETES - the current issue.

Blood Booster Warning

You've probably seen the ads for 'erythropoiesis-stimulating' agents .. drugs like PROCRIT, EPOGEN and ARANESP. The ads target cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy and promises them increased energy or an easing of fatigue. A warning from the FDA not only disputes that, it warns about the use of these drugs.

The FDA says aggressive use of these drugs can actually cause 'serious and life threatening side effects'. Moreover, the FDA says there has never been any evidence support claims these drugs can increase energy or reduce fatigue in cancer patients.

With all this in mind, the FDA has issued a black box warning about the use of these drugs. The big issue - using these drugs to raise red blood cell levels HIGHER than the targets on the drug label.

If you're using these drugs, make sure you undergo regular checks of your red blood cell level and cwyd ( check with your doctor).