Within two hours of having learned about the explosive wildfires in Maui, Dr. Reza Danesh (photo at left) had stocked his mobile medical clinic with antibiotics, food and water. He set out for Lahaina, a community now almost entirely devastated by the flames.

Dr. Danesh said he spent 14 hours Wednesday driving people to evacuation shelters, treating them in his mobile clinic and helping triage evacuees. One woman he treated was covered in small burns. She told him she jumped into the ocean to avoid the flames, along with her neighbors — one of whom died, she said.

“I heard that story and I was just so sad,” Dr. Danesh said. “There she was, keeping her spirits, and her pets had all died, and she had nothing, and I’m taking care of her wounds.”

For the most part, Dr. Danesh said, he was tending to the “wounded well” — people with asthma or other chronic health issues that made it difficult to tolerate the smoke or the stress of watching their homes burn. Dr. Danesh said he gave out antibiotic drops for eye infections and inhalers for people who had trouble breathing because of smoke inhalation.

Dr. Danesh, a board-certified emergency physician, runs an urgent care center and mobile clinic, MODO Mobile Doctors, which he said he started in hope of expanding access to outpatient care in Maui. But even as someone accustomed to working in the emergency room, Dr. Danesh said, he wasn’t prepared for what he saw on his drive to Lahaina on Wednesday morning.

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Editor’s Note: Congratulations to AAHPO Member and weight loss expert Dr. Tro Kalayjian for being quoted in the following recent article about the weight-loss benefits of eating cottage cheese.

With 200 million hits, TikTok is going wild for a creamy super-protein that our grandmothers swore by: cottage cheese. Carb-conscious and keto dieters in particular are raving, saying cottage cheese allows them to enjoy everything from extra-fluffy eggs and pancakes to cheesy dips, creamy pasta and no-churn ice cream as they crush their nutrition goals. But does cottage cheese really help with weight loss? Is cottage cheese keto? And is cottage cheese ice cream anywhere near as good as TikTokers say it is? We’re here to answer all your questions — and share success stories and simple but delicious cottage cheese recipes. So keep reading and prepare to be inspired:

Does cottage cheese help with weight loss?
According to the latest research from Florida State University, simply consuming cottage cheese as a daily snack leads to stronger muscles, a quicker metabolism and better overall health. What makes such a mild cheese so powerful? For starters, it’s loaded with nutrients that heal and transform, like energizing riboflavin, waist-shrinking folate, thyroid-boosting selenium and fat-blocking calcium.

Perhaps most crucial of all, each 162-calorie cup of cottage cheese contains a whopping 28 grams of casein and whey, two “super-proteins” found only in dairy products. Both casein and whey are proven to have surprising health benefits. (More on those benefits, below.) And many folks simply feel this special protein provides advantages other proteins don’t. “Cottage cheese is awesome,” raves New York weight loss expert Tro Kalayjian, DO, who personally shed 150 pounds while enjoying lots of the stuff. If you want to get lean, “it’s one of the best foods you can eat.”

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Click Video Image below to watch Dr. Tro’s personal weight loss story.

Editor’s Note: AAHPO Board Member and nutritionist Knarig Khatchadurian, PhD has reviewed the article below, and has made this comment: “I agree with the American Society for Nutrition and the study described below. Nutrient contents are not the same. Consult with your nutritionist or health care provider to determine which products are best for your nutritional needs.”

The plant-based milk market is exploding, offering beverages made from seeds, nuts, legumes, grains and blends of those ingredients, often marketed as ready replacements for the traditional choice of cow’s milk.

However, not all of those plant milk options are fortified to meet the levels of various nutritional ingredients contained in dairy, according to a new unpublished study presented Monday in Boston at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

The study analyzed nutrition labels and ingredients for 233 plant-based milk products from 23 different manufacturers and found only 28 of the beverages had as much or more protein, vitamin D and calcium as cow’s milk.

“About half were fortified with vitamin D, two-thirds were fortified with calcium, and nearly 20% had protein levels similar to cow’s milk,” said lead study author and registered dietitian Abigail Johnson.

“I’m not seriously concerned about this as it’s easy to get these nutrients from other sources, and cow’s milk certainly isn’t perfect and infallible,” said Johnson, who is assistant professor and associate director of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Nutrition Coordinating Center in Minneapolis. “But if a consumer thinks plant-based milks are a one-to-one substitution for dairy, many of them are not.”

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On World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25), WHO released an investment case on drowning prevention showing how just two actions – investing in day care for pre-school aged children and teaching basic swim skills to school-age children – could protect millions of lives. Each dollar invested in these actions can yield benefits up to nine times the original value.

Drowning is an underappreciated but lethal public health issue. It has caused over 2.5 million deaths in the last decade, with an alarming 90% of these fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Across all age groups, children aged 1–4 years and 5–9 years experience the highest drowning rates, highlighting the need for immediate action to protect future generations.

Yet effective solutions exist. The new investment case shows that by 2050, increased global investment in just two measures could save the lives of over 774 000 children, prevent close to 1 million non-fatal child drownings, and avert severe and life-limiting injuries for 178 000 drowning victims.

It could also prevent potential economic losses of over $400 billion in low- and middle-income countries, and provide cumulative benefits valued at around $9 for each $1 invested. Countries such as Bangladesh, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam have already invested in these cost-effective interventions, benefiting children and their families by reducing their risk of drowning, while simultaneously providing new opportunities for improved health, development and well-being.

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VIEW FACT SHEET ON DROWNING

Originally Published by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, July 27, 2023 Issue.

By Stephan S. Nigohosian

The Armenian American Healthcare Professionals Organization (AAHPO) honored four healthcare professionals for demonstrating exceptional leadership and service during the Covid-19 pandemic. The event, held during the organization’s Annual Winter Brunch, recognized AAHPO Board of Directors John P. Bilezikian, MD; Kim Hekimian, PhD; and Tsoline Kojaoghlanian, MD; as well as AAHPO Member Mihran Seferian, MD.

From left, AAHPO Vice President Garbis Baydar, MD; John Bilezikian, MD; Tsoline Kojaoghlanian, MD; Mihran Seferian, MD; AAHPO President Lawrence V. Najarian, MD (not pictured: Kim Hekimian, PhD)

During the global pandemic, the four dedicated individuals were located at the epicenter of the overloaded and fatigued healthcare system in the metropolitan New York City region. In March 2020, the gravity of the pandemic became clear when recorded cases of the coronavirus grew exponentially in New York, from one to 89 to 75,795 in just 30 days. “Our region was blessed with countless Healthcare Heroes, including our honorees, who bravely cared for the sickest patients during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said AAHPO President Lawrence Najarian, MD. “It is worth noting that within our organization, the actions of these four members in particular distinguished themselves in unique ways during extraordinary circumstances. Their actions benefitted countless numbers of people, including those in and outside of the Armenian community.”

Each of the honorees have volunteered their leadership, expertise, and time toward serving the critical healthcare needs of citizens in Armenia and Artsakh, as well as in the United States. Their inspiring commitment, support, and compassion during the Covid-19 pandemic served to demonstrate their dedication to the well-being of others worldwide:

John P. Bilezikian, MD, a leading endocrinologist and medical researcher at New York’s Columbia University, was recognized for his contribution to the body of scholarly publications that aided the understanding and treatment of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic.

Kim Hekimian, PhD, a public health specialist and educator at New York’s Columbia University, was honored for tirelessly educating the medical community and the public by interpreting COVID-19 data from the U.S. and Armenia.

Tsoline Kojaoghlanian, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at New York’s Maimonides Children’s Hospital, was honored for tirelessly educating medical and lay communities with the latest COVID-19 information through articles and public webinars.

Mihran Seferian, MD, an infectious disease specialist, was recognized for caring for the sickest patients at Holy Name Hospital (NJ), considered by many to be Ground Zero for COVID-19 during the darkest days of 2020.

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According to a 2016 study of about 3,000 people, working even one more year beyond retirement age was associated with a 9% to 11% lower risk of dying during the 18-year study period, regardless of health. Working longer has benefits such as keeping people mentally engaged with work they value and/or enjoy, having a sense of purpose, and preventing or reducing loneliness.

Below are two inspiring stories about the value of “unretiring” to work longer, or simply continuing to work well beyond the traditional retirement age.

Why this 100-year-old Woman is Never Retiring

When Jayne Burns turned 100 last summer (photo at right), she told her friends that she had one wish: “to keep working.” She’s had the same part-time job as a fabric cutter at Joann Fabric and Crafts store in Mason, Ohio for 26 years — and it’s still one of her favorite ways to spend time.

“I enjoy what I do, so I want to keep doing it,” she says. “I’ll work for as long as I can or as long as they’ll have me.”

Burns — who turns 101 on July 26 — didn’t plan on working past 100. She tried retiring several times throughout her 70s and 80s, then would “unretire” just a few months later, taking bookkeeping jobs at veterinarian offices and accounting firms. Prior to joining Joann, Burns was a bookkeeper for most of her career.

“I like the routine, I like to keep moving,” she says.

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Advice from the Oldest Practicing Physician

The world’s oldest practicing doctor knows a thing or two about how to live a long and happy life — but you might not like everything he has to say.

For Dr. Howard Tucker — who just turned 101 on July 10 — a key secret to his longevity is meaningful work.

Tucker received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1947 and he has practiced neurology for 75 years — eventually earning the Guinness World Records title of the world’s oldest practicing physician.

The chipper centenarian has lived a remarkable life, sharing many happy years with his wife Sara (who still practices psychoanalysis and psychiatry at age 89), his four children and 10 grandchildren.

While Dr. Tucker says “good genes and a bit of luck” can help to extend your life, he also follows a few simple lifestyle rules that boost his health and happiness.

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Note from AAHPO Member Meroujan Maljian, MD, a forensic psychiatrist working in the New Jersey prison system: “I see a lot of substance use disorders among the prison inmate population. I mostly agree with the following article [from Johns Hopkins University] that Cannabis products are substances of abuse which can often be harmful. They are potentially addictive and can lead to medical complications, drug interactions, and mental health problems. I also agree that more research and data are needed to understand how legalization of recreational Marijuana affects patterns of drug use and associated drug-related crime in the community. The article seems to suggest that depending on what that data and research shows that recreational Marijuana is something that people can decide whether or not to have as a society, but I disagree with that notion. As a physician who has seen the harmful effects of casual Cannabis use and how it is often a gateway drug leading to the use of more harmful drugs like Heroin and Cocaine, I personally can only support the use of medical Marijuana with medical supervision as a society for treating specific illnesses like terminal cancer where it was shown to help symptoms like pain and appetite.”

On July 1, Maryland joined 23 other states (including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut) permitting anyone 21 and older to buy and use cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes. But as more states make cannabis legal, what are policymakers and government agencies doing to ensure its safety? What does the latest research on cannabis indicate that can help the public make informed decisions?

For answers, The Hub recently sat down with Ryan Vandrey, an experimental psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who works with an interdisciplinary team in the Cannabis Science Laboratory.

Q. As someone who spends day in and day out studying cannabis, what does the legalization mean to you?
A. People get harmed by drugs all the time, even prescription drugs, and cannabis is no exception. But if there wasn’t good reason to believe that some value would come from legalization, it wouldn’t have happened. On the benefits side, there’s been a clear demonstration that the long-lasting war on drugs has been largely ineffective and has marginalized subgroups of individuals. There’s also clear evidence that making cannabis illegal hasn’t stopped people from accessing it. This isn’t my area of expertise, but from a criminal justice perspective, it makes sense to try to establish quality control for this commodity and to pull manufacturing and revenue out of the hands of drug dealers and into the hands of responsible businesses.

But there’s always risk and some level of concern when you grant open access to the public of a substance that can produce intoxication and impairment. My biggest worry is with public education and the information about the risks and potential harms of using cannabis that might get lost in the excitement of legalization.

Q. What important research findings do you think are getting left out of the public conversation about cannabis?
A. [As a society,] we need an open dialogue and increased education about the risks and how to minimize the likelihood of harm for individual users. There just isn’t enough discussion currently. For example, research tells us that there are subgroups of people with certain health conditions who should not use products with high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that produces the “high” in cannabis. These include individuals with a personal or family history of psychosis, who can end up in an acute psychotic state that lasts hours or days. Likewise, individuals with heart conditions or even asymptomatic cardiovascular disease can end up having a heart attack or heart failure, despite exhibiting no previous signs of trouble.

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Congratulations to Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian for being named Cultural Advisor to the Embassy of Armenia. Shoghag, as her friends call her, has been a long-time supporter of AAHPO, one of many causes she has championed. She is the widow of the late Raffy Hovanessian, MD, a beloved AAHPO Board Member for whom the AAHPO, Dr. Raffy Hovanessian Medical Education Program was named.

“Shoghag is a tremendous force for good. She has helped many people directly and indirectly through the numerous charitable causes she and her family have supported. AAHPO congratulates Shoghag on receiving this honor which she so well deserves. We are fortunate to have her as part of our community,” said AAHPO President Lawrence V. Najarian, MD.

The article, below, about Mrs. Hovanessian and her well-deserved appointment was published in the July 9 edition of the Newsletter of the Armenian News Hour of New Jersey. To read the Armenian Mirror Spectator coverage, click here.

Kudos to AAHPO Board Member Kim Hekimian, PhD, and AAHPO colleague Sharon Chekijian, MD, for their participation in the 6IMCA Medical Conference session on Emergency Medicine and Disaster Preparedness and the Outlook of Health Care in Armenia.

Kudos to AAHPO Board member John Bilezikian, MD, for his participation as a Plenary Speaker at 6IMCA. Doctors participating in the 6th International Medical Congress of Armenia not only bear professional responsibility to Artsakh and Armenia, but also bear political responsibility.

In the framework of the 6th IMCA, through the US ambassador to Armenia, the American Armenian doctors urged the US government to put pressure on Azerbaijan.

The members of the delegation of doctors told NEWS.am, the information partner of the Congress, about the meeting held at the US Embassy.

Navigating the intricacies of allogeneic transplants is a specialty of Dr. Nelli Bejanyan (shown at left in photo at left) The program leader of Blood and Marrow Transplant and the head of the Leukemia/Myeloid Section of the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center is renowned for her expertise in transplanting healthy donor (allogeneic) stem cells into patients with blood cancers such as acute leukemia.

It’s a skill and an expertise that isn’t available everywhere around the globe. But with the specialized BMT training program at Moffitt, Dr. Bejanyan hopes to change that. She wants to start with her home country of Armenia.

This year, Dr. Bejanyan invited hematologist Dr. Nerses Ghahramanyan (both shown in photo, top left) from Yeolyan Hematology Center in Yerevan, Armenia, to learn as much as he can about allogenic transplantation at Moffitt. The goal is to take that knowledge and experience back to Armenia, where adult patients have no access to curative allogeneic bone marrow transplants.

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