
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 29, 1994                   TAG: 9403290030
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LESS SWEAT, BUT MUCH HARDER WORK

Q: During the winter ice and snow, we heard a lot of warnings about men overextending themselves by shoveling snow and risking a heart attack. I cut my grass with a push mower and work a lot harder in the summer doing yard and garden work and don't hear much concern about that. Why all the emphasis on men shoveling snow? S.N.D., Lexington

A: Shoveling snow is much harder work. Cold weather and heavy clothing matter, too.

Human behavior complicates the issue, especially among men in a hurry to get to work or get back in out of the cold.

Our physical condition, or lack of it, in the upper body during winter doesn't help.

We're more active in the summer, and pushing a lawn mower works our legs more than our arms. The heat makes us slow down, and blood pressure moves to a safer level.

Pushing a mower takes less effort than shoveling, and rarely do we have to cut grass so we can get to work. So there's no rush.

In deep snow, each shovelful could weigh 50 pounds. After 40 or 50 of those, we've lifted a ton of snow, and the car still isn't out of the driveway.

And winter coats hinder movement. Arteries constrict because of the cold, sending blood pressure up. We may not be conscious of these things, but they force the heart to work harder, said Dr. Hayden Hollingsworth, a Roanoke cardiologist.

"People shouldn't go from doing nothing into [sudden] vigorous exercise," said Dr. Marta Sayers, another Roanoke cardiologist.

Even lawn mowing can be bad for cardiac patients who aren't accustomed to the work, Sayers said.

Single-payer alternative

Q: Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., is touting the single-payer plan for a new health-care system. It has about 90 supporters in the House and may be the sleeper to Clinton's plan. Can you briefly describe the single-payer plan? Also, what kind of doctor is Jim McDermott? B.S., Roanoke

A: McDermott, a psychiatrist, provided a 22-page fax on his legislation. This summary is brief, indeed.

The single payer would be a federal program overseeing plans administered in each state. It would replace Medicare, Medicaid and private health-insurance programs.

McDermott says it would cover all citizens, allowing them to move between jobs and retain coverage for pre-existing conditions. Doctor and patient could decide on surgery without prior approval from an insurance company.

To many observers, single payer looks like the Canadian plan. McDermott says it would be tailored American-style.

Single-payer financing would come through taxes. Money employers now pay to private insurance companies would become premiums paid into the federal tax system. Employee payroll deductions also would go into taxes.

McDermott also proposes a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes and a 50 percent excise tax on handguns and ammunition.

Lobbyists opposed to the plan include the health-insurance industry, tobacco interests and the National Rifle Association. They carry enough clout to keep single payer asleep for a long time.

Got a question about something that may affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.

by CNB