Health Uncle:Farrah and Michael

America invented celebrities.Now we must deal with the loss of two in one day,shedding all the light we can on them for the common good.Farrah Fawcett,an actress whose alluring poster became the most famous of all time,went on to serious roles and battled cancer with the intensity of a commando-even before she contracted it herself.Michael Jackson knew the stresses of child stardom,but became the master of self-reinvention,carrying it to an extreme,in the estimation of many,by literally altering his face,even as he composed and performed at the highest level.Their boldness in the grip of adversity and the mundane grasp of this life set new standards for the world.
At age 50,Michael Jackson was in the prime age range of 45-55 for sudden cardiac arrest.It can be caused by many different factors:stroke,drugs,blood clots,aneurysm.In sudden cardiac arrest,the heart stops beating,and starts quivering,which is known as ventricular fibrillation.Unless the heart is restarted within a few minutes,the patient goes into a deep coma and dies.Loss of consciousness is immediate in sudden cardiac arrest.Drugs can cause it by constricting the blood vessels or stopping breathing.Family friend and attorney Brian Oxman said the whole Jackson family was concerned about Michael's taking excessive medications.This is what I feared was going to happen,Mr.Oxman remarked.
Michael Jackson's friend Celine Dion noted that since he was little,he's under pressure.I think he lived under pressure all the time,she said.He needed to be surpassing even his own self.If you only live under pressure,he didn't have the balance,Ms.Dion feels.Another friend,Cher,said she didn't relate to him in his later years-his behavior was so strange.He was a great teenager:optimistic and adorable,but not confident.He was a soft spoken boy always,Cher recalls.Cher also remembered the awesome strength of her friend Farrah Fawcett in the face of cancer.She was never sure Farrah wouldn't beat it,she was so resilient.
Two American legends died yesterday.Their lives and deaths were as varied as they were fascinating.Their spirits outshone the notoriety they shared.

Health Uncle:Triathletes Face More Risk

Triathletes are at about twice the risk of sudden cardiac death as marathon runners,according to a Minneapolis Heart Institute study.Several hundred thousand Americans take part in the grueling triathlon event-consisting of swimming,biking and running-each year.Around 15 of every million participants will die suddenly during competition,as opposed to four to eight deaths per million marathon runners.Most of the triathlete heart attacks occur during the swimming portion of the event.Swimming in a natural body of water is more strenuous than in a pool,says Dr.Kevin Harris,a cardiologist at the Institute.The triathletes often just sign up for the events without having had a heart check-up.Many of them are not properly conditioned for these difficult competitions,Dr.Harris points out.Triathlons are becoming increasingly popular as charity fundraisers,and professional events are frequently televised on weekend afternoons,including the Ironman series,stoking the imaginations of amateur triathletes.