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The Detroit Medical Center will host
a free seminar on diabetes and the
eye, 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at
the MedMax Superstore in
Farmington Hills. To register, call
(888) 362-2500.

575

Wouldn't it be nice to have one less thing
to worry about?

Learn about your-options at a FREE Henry Ford seminar conducted by
our top Refractive Surgeons. Call 1 800 363-7575 now for reservations.
All seminars are held at Henry Ford Medical Centers starting at
7 p.m. (unless specified).

The Depressed
Are Costing More

Depression among the elderly is
expensive, according to research in a
recent issue of (beginital) The Journal
of the American Medical Association.
(endital) Researchers tracked the med-
ical expenses of a group of Medicare
patients in Washington state over a
four-year period and found that
"depressive symptoms were common,
persistent, and associated with a signif-
icant increase in the cost of general
medical services."
In the first year, the average annual
medical costs for depressed patients
was $2,147 compared to $1,461 for
nondepressed patients. Over a four-
year period, their total medical costs
averaged $15,423 as opposed to
$10,152 for depression-free patients.
Just 1 percent of older adults suffers
from severe depression, but many
more have significant depressive symp-
toms bordering on severe depression.
The study's authors warn that by
2040, people over 65 will account for
21 percent of the population and con-
sume more than half the national
health-care resources. The researchers
say they can't conclude that better
treatment of depression among the
elderly will reduce medical costs, but
the idea certainly merits a closer look.
Older adults who suffer from mild
depression may want to discuss the use
of St. John's Wort with their doctor.
Studies in Britain and Germany have
shown the herb to be as effective as
standard anti-depressant drugs at
relieving symptoms of mild depres-
sion. In Germany, prescriptions for St.
John's Wort outnumber those for
Prozac 25 to 1. The average dose is
300 milligrams two or three times a
day, and it takes a few weeks for
patients to notice an improvement.

DATE

LOCATION

SPEAKER

11/10
11/13
11/17
11/1 8
11/20

W. Bloomfield — Conf. Rm. B
Fairlane — Eye Care Rec. Area
Lakeside — Conf. Rm. A — 2
Fairlane — Conf. Rm. 3 & 4
Sterling Heights — Eye Care Rec. Area

Dr. Neff
Dr. Levine
Dr. Rolain
Dr. Sapeika
Dr. Hamburger

.

HEALTH SYSTEM

We understand more than medicine.

Experience

now Ope-nf

arts, crafts, and jewelry

Os, 14 E.044.44/44

6885 Orchard Lake Road
248-539-3309

11/ 7
1997

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