Veins, Leaders and Cowpeas

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

One of my buddies gloomily reported that he is going to see a specialist because it was pointed out to him that he has many symptoms of "Chronic Venous Insufficiency".

He had been on a cruise and scuffed the side of his lower-leg with the sole of his shoe. It subsequently became infected.

His lower leg is dark-red and the skin is scaly and fragile.

The really bad news is that CVI can escalate quickly: Sepsis, DVT, blood-clots which are the root-cause of most strokes, heart-attacks and lung embolisms.

The bad news is that most of the contributing factors are out of our control: History, genetics.

The good news is that some of the MAJOR factors are in our control: Exercise (you knew that was coming, didn't you), shedding weight, Getting out of your chair or recliner every 30 minutes to walk about, if you have a recliner get good pillows for the foot-rest, compression stockings, taking your anticoagulant, seeing your doctors and following their advice.

---Edited to add: Skin hygiene on your legs and staying on top of having clean socks and pants is very important. Addressing breaks in the skin is also a big deal. All things that are first-line, self-care. End edit---

A note on anticoagulants: The primary function of an anticoagulant (like low-dose aspirin, heparin, warfarin or Eliquis) is to prevent the formation of clots. A secondary benefit, one that isn't advertised much, is that clots that do form are much more porous and clot-buster drugs (Draino-for-the-Braino) are MUCH more effective at dissolving those clots and oxygen flows more quickly to the tissues down-stream of the clot.

One report suggests that the standard low-dose aspirin therapy has the most advantageous clot-busting results. That may be due to the fact that 81mg of aspirin per day is probably "hot" compared to what is optimal. 81mg was chosen because that was a dosage that was readily available off-the-shelf.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR...but aspirin binds to the blood proteins and the anti-coagulant function has a half-life of about 24 hours. A low-dose aspirin every-other-day might be a better dosage for many people but it will never be tested because there is no money in a commodity drug like aspirin.

Reluctant leaders

Many who crave positions of leadership are motivated by the basest of reasons.

The competent person who sees leadership as a burden-of-duty is often the best leader.

Genetically Modified Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) 

Bt genetically modified cowpeas are all the rage in Africa right now.

The Bt genes come from a bacteria that destroys caterpillars because it produces a protein that shreds the caterpillar's guts. Sort of like Typhoid or Cholera in humans.

Studies suggest the toxin is not an issue with humans.

Because cowpeas (black-eyed peas) are native to Africa, there are many pests that have evolved to predate the ripening peas. Many of them are larvae that are vulnerable to Bt.

In Ghana, Nigeria and many other countries in Africa, they must spray every seven to twenty days with synthetic pesticides purchased from Europe, America or China in order to get a crop. Those costs are passed on to the consumers, typically people living in huge cities.

This is currently not on the radar-screen of the lap-top class of Social Justice Warriors. They are the type of well-fed people who have the vapors when hungry people think they ought to have access to 2000 Calories a day, even if it means eating Franken-food.

For the record, when Leningrad (aka St Petersburg) was under siege during WWII, it is documented that starving citizens were delighted to eat pancakes made from a bit of wheat-flour, sawdust and fried in motor oil. Hunger will change your perspective.