Hello, dear readers! Welcome to the monthly letters column. We have some interesting and important ground to cover, so we’ll dive right in.
- A recent two-part column about the growing awareness of the health risks of microplastics has begun to generate letters. Among them is a correction from an eagle-eyed reader in Texas. “You left out the word ‘million’ when stating the amount of microplastics in the environment,” she wrote. “It should state ‘between 10 and 40 million metric tons.’ This is a big error when people need to understand the significance of the problem.” Thank you for pointing out our mistake. When citing the statistic, we mistakenly left out that crucial -- and let’s face it, alarming -- word. We are also grateful for the kind and even-handed way you pointed this out.
- Also on the topic of microplastics, a reader in Virginia expressed frustration that awareness of the potential dangers of these pollutants comes long after they have become ubiquitous. “So let me get this straight: Products manufactured are not preapproved by the EPA or FDA but are disapproved after they flood the consumer market. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?” she wrote. “Imagine how I felt yesterday getting an infusion for my osteoporosis while staring at a small plastic bag of liquid flowing into a plastic tube flowing into my circulatory system. The word is ‘helpless.’”
- A column about how the stressful environment in which blood pressure measurements are taken can skew results has also struck a chord. A reader in Tennessee shared his humorous take on the phenomenon. “I now know why my BP is somewhat elevated when admitted to the exam room,” he wrote. “The nurse starts by making me stand on a scale. That’s enough to make my BP go sky high!”
- On that same topic, another reader shared their own observation. “Your blood pressure column was informative, but I would like to add to it,” they wrote. “I have worked for quite a few doctors over the years and what most of them say is that if a person has high blood pressure (from stress) at a doctor visit, it is quite likely that it will also go up during other stressful times in their lives.” You make a good point. Blood pressure is indeed a dynamic measurement. It fluctuates throughout the day and in response to variables like stress, exertion, emotion, food and beverage intake, and illness. However, in order to be able to identify hypertension, or to include blood pressure as a possible symptom when diagnosing a disease or condition, a resting blood pressure reading that is as accurate as possible is needed.
Thank you, as always, for taking the time to write to us. We love hearing from you. A quick reminder that we can’t offer a diagnosis or a second opinion, review medical records, or comment on medications or treatment plans. We will be back soon with more of your questions and thoughts in a bonus letters column.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
