Health Briefs
Advertiser Staff
Health fair set for Saturday
The Organization of Chinese Americans will hold a free public-health fair and workshops as part of its national convention Saturday at the Sheraton Waikiki.
The group plans to offer screenings for high blood pressure, blood sugar, glaucoma, cataracts, bone density and cholesterol from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness and promote a healthy lifestyle among Asian Americans of the Pacific.
The organization also is presenting two workshops: from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Medicare and Medicaid; and from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on "Ethnicity and Cancer," which discusses risk factors for different groups.
A spokeswoman said 1,000 people have registered for the conference for the national civil rights organization.
Survey looks at menopause
A new survey released last week found that many women going through menopause aren't talking to their doctors about their symptoms and remain confused about treatment options.
The National Consumers League commissioned the J.D. Power and Associates survey of 851 women between the ages of 45 and 59 who are not taking hormone therapy. The survey found that as the severity of menopausal symptoms increased, satisfaction levels with doctor-patient relationships declined.
The survey found that nearly one-third of the women said they're not discussing symptoms with their medical provider, although those in their 40s were more likely to report symptoms than those in their 50s.
And one-third of those questioned said doctors tend to trivialize symptoms, a conclusion that 43 percent of doctors surveyed also reached, saying they generally don't understand what women go through during menopause.
Hawaiian health talks wind down
A summer lecture series on Hawaiian health and well-being concludes Thursday at He'eia State Park with a talk by Alva Andrews on "the importance of physical health for overall well-being."
The series is sponsored by the Friends of He'eia and Hui Ku Opio Ke Ko'olau and Alu Like Inc. and moderated by Dr. Ismael Stagner. For more information, call 247-3156.
Humane Society VP to speak
A top official with The Humane Society of the United States will speak at the August meeting of the Vegetarian Society of Hawai'i.
Wayne Pacelle, senior vice president for communications and government affairs for the society, sets communications and legislative agenda and is a leading spokesman for the organization.
Since 1990, Pacelle worked on or helped to direct more than a dozen successful ballot initiatives including the recent ban on gestation crates for sows in Florida. Last year, he lobbied Congress to ban any interstate transport or exports of birds for fighting — a measure that could have a major affect on Hawai'i's cockfighting industry.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse, 404 Kapahulu Ave. Admission is free and open to the public.
