Jews in the D

52 | OCTOBER 31 • 2019 

to stop or slow its progression,” 
says Dr. Aaron Ellenbogen, 
movement disorder special-
ist at QUEST 
Research Institute 
in Farmington 
Hills. “Quest has 
been researching 
Parkinson’
s disease 
for more than 15 
years, frequently conducting 
clinical trials for pharmaceuti-
cal companies regarding their 
development of new drugs.

“Based on the knowledge 
that people don’
t respond to 
medical treatments the same 
way, a new approach, called 
tailored medicine, emphasizes 
treating people with certain 
conditions using personalized 
plans,” Ellenbogen says. 
It is thought that up to 15 
percent of Ashkenazi Jewish 
patients with PD may carry 
one or more of the gene muta-
tions that increase the risk of 
acquiring the disease. 
Current research is inves-
tigating new therapies for 
PD patients with these gene 
mutations. This personalized 
medicine could have benefits 
for everyone with PD. QUEST 
Research Institute is currently 
enrolling for one of these trials, 
testing people with PD for free 
if they have Ashkenazi heritage 
or family history.
To learn more, call (248) 
957-8940. 

Ellenbogen

continued from page 51

SOME PD SYMPTOMS: 
• Tremor or shaking 
• Slowed movement
• Rigid muscles
• Stooped posture and balance 
problems 
• Loss of automatic movements 
such as blinking or swinging 
arms when walking
• Speech changes such as 
speaking softly, slurring words

Panel to Discuss Different Religions’
 
Perspectives on Organ Donation

Throughout the U.S., thou-
sands of severely ill individuals 
await donated organs to alle-
viate their chronic illnesses or 
injuries. 
 The wait can be long and 
not everyone survives until an 
appropriate organ is available 
for transplantation. Donating 
an organ is not an easy deci-
sion, and the views of various 
religions toward organ dona-
tion vary.
The InterFaith Leadership 
Council of Metropolitan 
Detroit will present a panel 
discussion, “Organ Donation 
Across the Faith Traditions,
” 
from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, 
Nov. 3, at St. John’
s Episcopal 
Church, 26998 Woodward 
Ave., Royal Oak.
Ramonia Chapmen from 
Gift of Life Michigan will 
moderate the panel fea-
turing representatives of 

many faiths: Imam Ibrahim 
Kazerooni, Islamic Center 
of America, Dearborn; 
Shama Mehta, board-cer-
tified Hindu chaplain; Jill 
Abromowitz Gutmann, 
Jewish expert on bioeth-
ics; Rev. Ronald Copeland, 
organ recipient, New 
Prospect Missionary Baptist 
Church, Detroit; and Father 
Richard Leliaert, St. Robert 
Bellarmine Parish.
Program co-sponsors 
include Gift of Life Michigan, 
WISDOM (Women’
s Interfaith 
Solution for Dialogue and 
Outreach in Metro Detroit) 
and the InterFaith Health and 
Hope Coalition. 
The event is free of charge. 
RSVP in advance at 
detroitinterfaithcouncil.com. 
For details, contact 
gailkatz@comcast.net or at 
(248) 978-6664.

Ask Dr. Vieder 

For more health information, visit the Ask Dr. Vieder page at LakesUrgentCare.com 
Dr. Sanford Vieder, DO, FACEP, FACOEP, Medical Director at Lakes Urgent Care, West Bloomfi
 eld/Livonia

I am trying to quit smoking and have been using an E-cigarette product as a substitute.
Now I’m hearing that this is not such a safe alternative. What are the latest fi
 ndings on vaping?

Unauthorized vaping products regularly enter the market, and underage sales too frequently occur in stores and online. Some experts believe vaping 
is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. But much is unknown about the long-term health consequences of vaping. Unlike traditional cigarettes, 
E-cigarettes don’
t contain tobacco, don’
t involve combustion and contain fewer ingredients. A 2018 analysis of more than 800 peer-reviewed 
scientifi
 c studies suggests that “E-cigarettes are likely to be far less harmful than combustible tobacco cigarettes.” While vaping exposes users to 
some toxicants, the vapor has “fewer numbers and lower levels of most toxicants” than cigarette smoke. However, E-cigarettes have not received 
FDA approval as a medical smoking cessation device.

What are the potential health risks of vaping? 
E-cigarettes are undeniably harmful, exposing users to numerous toxic and carcinogenic substances that may lead to adverse health effects. But they 
virtually eliminate exposure to carbon monoxide, tar and many of the 7,000 chemicals that contribute to cigarettes’
 lethality. In short, E-cigarettes 
are less harmful than smoking, but they are by no means safe! As of last week, the CDC has reported a total of 29 vaping related deaths across the 
US, in contrast to nearly half a million cigarette related deaths annually. Vaping products from reputable, regulated manufacturers may indeed be 
measurably safer than traditional cigarettes, but there is simply not enough experience or research to know the ultimate health impact vaping will 
have on users. The simple and safe answer is, don’
t smoke cigarettes and don’
t vape.

I know that smoking is detrimental to my health. If I have to stop vaping, what other safer alternatives 
do you recommend?
It is true that most smokers who try E-cigarettes continue to smoke, but that does not mean that E-cigarettes are an 
ineffective cessation aid. Most smokers who try FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies also continue to smoke, but 
such products are still offi
 cially deemed “effective.” The best source of advice and guidance to quit smoking cigarettes or 
discontinue the use of vaping products will be your primary care physician. There is certainly not a “one fi
 ts all” approach but 
keep trying to quit if you are a smoker or vaper! care physician. There is certainly not a “one fi
 ts all” approach but keep trying 
to quit if you are a smoker or vaper!

