The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 12, 1986 -Page 5

HEALTH &

FITNESS

Powerful new drug may aid heart attack victims

ATLANTA (AP) - Combining a powerful new form of
a drug to dissolve blood clots with tiny "balloons" that
squeeze open clogged arteries may save the lives of
many heart attack victims, a preliminary new study
suggests.
"This is one of the hottest subjects in cardiology today,
because we're dealing with something that affects over
half a million patients a year," said Dr. Eugene Braun-
wald of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
BRAUNWALD said a major new study will begin
within a few days to determine whether every heart at-
tack victim should get the new drug, undergo a
diagnostic procedure called angiography and - possibly
- receive therapy using a tiny balloon to open up
clogged arteries as well.
"I think this is a very, very important study in terms
of potential health benefits to the country and the
world," he said.
Braunwald outlined the results .of - the latest ex-

periments, conducted over the past year on 200 patients,
Monday at the annual scientific meeting of the
American College of Cardiology.
MANY-HEART specialists are enthusiastic about the
potential of clot--busting drugs to prevent the damage
that occurs during a heart attack.
"The approach to heart attacks will be very much dif-
ferent in the future," predicted Dr. Spencer King of
Emory University. "There will be an attempt to in-
terrupt the heart attack."
When a heart attack occurs, a blood clot forms in one
of the arteries that feed the heart muscle. The muscle is
deprived of oxygen, and in a few hours a section of it
dies.
THE GOAL is to find a drug that can be safely injected
into a vein at the first sign of a heart attack and dissolve
the clot without causing uncontrollable bleeding. .
Braunwald is chairman of a $31-million, federally-
funded experiment on breaking up blood clots during

heart attacks. Last year, the group reported the results
of a comparison of two clot-dissolving medicines -
streptokinase, which has been available for several
years, and an experimental drug called tissue
plasminogen activator, or TPA.
That study showed that TPA opened up 62 percent of
clogged arteries and worked twice as well as strep-
tokinase.
Streptokinase disrupts the body's ability to make new
clots when they are needed to stop bleeding. But TPA is
more selective. It attacks only existing clots, researchers
found.
The researchers found that instead of smashing 62
percent of heart clots, they can now wipe out 75 percent
of them.
However, TPA treatment has a major drawback. On-
ce freed of clots, arteries often close up again, especially
when they are already clogged by hardening of the ar-
teries.

SO THE doctors examined the patients with
angiography, a procedure in which a catheter is inserted
into the heart so that X-ray movies can be made of the
arteries.
theysfound that two-thirds of those who initially
responded to TPA appeared to be good candidates for
angioplasty. In this therapy, doctors insert a small
balloon-like device into the heart's arteries, blow it up
and force the arteries open.
The procedure seemed to be successful in 95 percent of
cases in keeping the artery from closing off.
Of the other one-third of the patients, the doctors
determined that half didn't need angioplasty because
their blood vessels weren't narrowed by fatty deposits.
Braunwald said the other half might have to have
surgery.
At one time, the researchers planned to test TPA
against dummy placebo shots in heart attack victims.
But that study has been abandoned.


Authorities fear Ecstasy may cause brain damage
(Continued from Page 1)

physically, you just can't continually
take it," says Andrew, a medical
student.
Another disturbing aspect of the
drug found in a recent study of
animals at the University of Chicago
Medical Center is the possibility of
brain damage. Chemically similar
drugs can damage brain cells that
control sleeping, sexual behaviour,
mood, aggression, and sensitivity to
pain.
The University of Chicago's Charles
Schuster, who heads' a drug-abuse
research center, and Lewis Seiden, a
pharmacology professor, have begun
to study whether MDMA causes the
same damage as its chemical cousins,
which include amphetamines and
mescaline.
DOMINO predicts that research
will show even more damaging effects
from using Ecstasy.
Ecstasy is currently considered a
"fad" drug, and doctors are waiting
to see if its popularity fades. Use of
other popular short-term drugs such
Pas LSD, mescaline, and PCP (angel
dust) has declined.
Claims that users made about LSD
20 years ago are similar to what
today's proponents of Ecstasy say.
The biggest difference users find bet-
ween the two is that Ecstasy, unlike
LSD, allows users to distinguish bet-
ween fantasy and reality.
BUT LSD has a much higher
chemical margin of safety, and a
lethal dosage of LSD has not been
'determined.
Ecstasy was 'originally created
years ago, as a part of a U.S. Army
study on drugs that would in-
capacitate an enemy. The Army con-
Soviets
preparing
to activate
space station
SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) -
The Soviet Union may be preparing
as early as this week to link up three
large craft already in orbit and then
launch three cosmonauts to inspect
and activate a space station, an
American expert said yesterday.
James Oberg, a space engineer and
author who closely monitors the
Soviet space program, said three un-
manned Russian craft launched
earlier have moved to within four
miles of each other and he expects
that they soon will be linked to form
one large station.
Oberg said the Salyut 7 space
station, which was launched in 1982
and has been manned for long periods
of time, is already linked to a craft
called Cosmos 1986 which was laun-
ched last fall.
Think You 're Pregnant?
Free Pregnancy lest
Completely Confidential
Pregnancy Counseling Center
529 N. Hewitt, Ypsilanti
Call: 434-3088 (any time)

sidered such tactics as drugging the
water supply of an adversarial city,
with a drug that would only confuse-
not kill-according to Domino.
Study on the drug came to a halt in
the early 1950s with the death of one of
the subjects. He was initially given a
30 mg dose, then received a second
dose of 460 mg and experienced heart
failure. Students who have tried the
drug say one dose is 100 mg, and they
seldom take more.
LAST JULY 1 , the Drug Enfor-
cement Agency decided Ecstasy has a
high potential for abuse, and placed it
in Schedule I-making it illegal-a
category for substances that includes
heroin and LSD.
Until then the drug had been widely
used -recreationally and on a much
smaller scale by therapists who say it
aids in psychotherapy. A New York
therapist who tried it compared Ec-
stasy to "a year of therapy in two

hours," according to an April 15, 1985
article in Newsweek.
Therapists have challenged the
DEA's decision to outlaw the drug,
and federal courts are now deciding
on what to do about Ecstasy. Some
therapists recommend that the drug
be placed on a lower drug schedule,
which would outlaw recreational use
while allowing physicians to prescribe
it.
CON DOURGHTY from the DEA
said a decision must be made by July
1, when the present rule expires.
Production or sale of Ecstasy curren-
tly is punishable by up to 15 years in
prison or a $125,000 fine.
Although there are dangers in using
the pure MDMA clinicians use, doc-
tors warn that what the users buy off
the streets can be more dangerous.
"For students to take powders that
they don't know what is in is stupid,"
Domino says, and Hollister agrees.

"As it is not always certain that doses
of street drugs can be accurately
determined, a relatively minor error
in dose could have serious consequen-
ces," he states in a report.
Though the drug's effects are
unresolved, some students do not
seem concerned about the possible
dangers. Says Lori: "If it does bad
things to me, I feel it is countered by
what I get from it." Laura, an RC
student, adds that "you have to
minimize the danger in your own
mind before you take the drug."

Students say that most people
taking Ecstasy have already ex-
perimented with drugs like cocaine,
acid, mushrooms, or marijuana. They
say Ecstasy is not as popular as
cocaine or marijuana.
Others describe a sense of euphoria
after taking the powder, but express
quiet caution. "When you're on it you
think it's so addictive that you want to
dump it in the New York City water
supply. You don't want anything near
violence. But you feel it in your
system for a few days...it's not good to

do it a lot, and no one seems to know
what the effects are," says Jeff, an
LSA senior.
Peter described Ecstasy as a "pure,
honest, simple drug that's non-
addicting - but you won't feel like
running out to do another hit right
away."
Domino expresses the ultimate
caution: "There is a big danger of
fooling with MDMA. I wouldn't mess
with MDMA until I knew a lot more
about it."

ANN ARBOR ASSOCIATES
IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
* offers services to ** *
The University community
REGARDING
" Relationship Issues
o Depression
" Study Problems
* Anxiety and Stress
-% Eating Difficulties
For Referral to a Qualified Professional,
CALL between 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Weekdays: 665-0005

"CAN WE BELIEVE IN GOD AFTER THE HOLOCAUST?"
SUNDAY, MARCH 16 7:00 P.M.
Rackham Amphitheater
(free and open to the public)
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR STEVEN KATZ DELIVEIFS THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS FOR
THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON THE HOLOCUAST
"Faith in God, Faith In Each Other"
Sunday - Wednesday, March 16 - 19
(check posters f6r details)
Sponsored by several University offices & departments, local churches & synagogues

.4-
-p

What's
Happening

Recreational Sports
NUTRITION-FITNESS CLINIC
WEIGHTLIFTING
Tuesday, March 18, 1986
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
CENTRAL CAMPUS RECREATION BUILDING
WEIGHT ROOM
CALL 763-3084 FOR MORE INFORMATION

HAAGEN DAZ
ICE CREAM
assorted flavors
$1.59 pint

agn-pool~

Share youroldeyewear
Save on a new pait
Give us your old glasses when you come to Pearle for new ones. In return,
we'll give you $20 off. And we'll pass your old glasses on to someone in need.
Save $20.00 at Pearle.
This coupon valid until 3/22/86,when you buy a complete pair of
prescription eyeglasses or prescription sunglesses only at
participating Pearle Vision Centers. This coupon must be
Snresented at time of order.No other discounts apply. 1

PALAX TREE
RESTAURANT




II