I LOCAL NEWS

IF YOU CAN'T COME TO US
FOR A HOME LOAN,
WE WILL COME TO YOU.

If you're like most people these days,
you're probably stretched pretty thin
at work.

Add to that the time-consuming
activity of looking for a house, and the
demands of your family, and you might feel
too pressed to come in and see us.

If so, please don't worry about it. All
you or your realtor need do is call
1st Nationwide Bank, and together we can
arrange a convenient
place and time for us
to come and meet
NATIONWIDE NETWORK
with you.

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BANK

...EWER g tHE

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26

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1990

© 1988, First Nationwide Financial Corp.

Levine

Continued from Page 1

medical breakthrough, but
substantiate theories that
someday may help medical
experts better understand
the brain.
"We hope to learn more
about strokes in general by
studying cocaine," Dr.
Levine said.
The study, he said, is "the
final nail in the coffin."
Shortly after he joined the
staff of Ford, Dr. Levine
began studying patterns of
stroke patients who used
"crack," a crystallized form
of cocaine. Doctors began
recognizing the association
of strokes with cocaine use
in 1977, when the first case
study was published in a
medical journal.
After treating a few pa-
tients, Dr. Levine and some
of his co-workers found a
pattern among crack users.
Within an hour of use, and
sometimes immediately,
crack can cause two types of
strokes: one that creates a
hemorrhage in the brain or
one that blocks an artery.
A stroke occurs when there
is a sudden disruption of the
blood supply to a part of the
brain. It can paralyze and
kill brain cells.
"Crack can kill you by
causing strokes," he said.
"We need to be massively
educated. Then hopefully,
we will be able to treat it
better."
For the study, medical
researchers looked at stroke
patients between ages 23 to
49 at four hospitals. Of the
28 patients, 18 were men; 24
were black; six suffered from
high blood pressure.
Most had been regular
crack users for at least two
years before the stroke oc-
curred.
Eighteen of the 28 patients
had acute symptoms immed-
iately or within one hour of
using crack. Symptoms de-
veloped between one and
three hours after use in five
patients.
Fifteen of the 28 patients
had severe headaches before
the stroke. Five suffered
seizures before or during the
stroke.
Studies did not determine
whether other factors, such
as hypertension, cigarette
smoking, alcohol use or
genetic influence, predispose
persons to cocaine-associated
stroke. The researchers have
not yet been able to estimate
what percentage of crack
users will suffer strokes
from their addiction.
"We believe that the ongo-
ing crack epidemic will lead
to more cocaine-related
strokes," Dr. Levine wrote
in the Journal. "A thorough
history of drug use and tox-

Dr. Levine:
"It puts the nail in the coffin."

icologic testing of urine and
serum should be part of the
evaluation of any young pa-
tient with a stroke."
Dr. Levine, originally from
Long Island, N.Y., first came
to the state to study as an
undergraduate at the Uni-
versity of Michigan. He then
attended the University of
Wisconsin Medical School,
interned at Sinai Hospital
and studied neurology as a
resident at U-M.
His subspecialty at Ford
was stroke.
Now, Dr. Levine said, he
will continue research to see
how cocaine affects the brain
and the blood vessels within
the brain.

❑

Maimonides Lunch
Program Offered

Mr. Menachim Levin,
Machon IlIbrah's general ad-
ministrator, announced a new
learning program for
professionals.
The program, "Have Lunch
with Maimonides," will
feature a lecture on the last
Monday of each month.
Rabbi Avraham Jacobovitz
will discuss a chapter of
Maimonides relevant to daily
Jewish living. Lunch will be
provided.
The first program will be
held at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at
the office of Jack Zwick, 3000
Prudential Town Center,
Southfield. Reservations are
required. For information,
call the Machon office,
967-0888.
JudaiCollege, the adult
education program of Machon
IfIbrah, will hold a pre-Rosh
Hashanah lecture on the
function of pleasure in Jewish
thought and Yom Kippur at
7:30 p.m. Sept. 24.
The session will be followed
by a discussion led by Rabbi
Jacobovitz. There is no
charge. For reservations, call
Machon, 967-0888.

