underwriting

Pilot Ejected -Body Recovered

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Pilot ejected when small airplane dove near Chattanooga; body recovered – U.S. News.

EAA – EAA Experimenter – FAA’s Zodiac 601/650 Aircraft Report.

This post is for diehard underwriters only.  How unusual is it for a pilot to be ejected from his/her aircraft while aloft?  According to various news reports, the plane dove, the canopy came off, and the pilot ejected.  The first link is to a short story covering the accident.  The second link takes you to an eye-opening, well researched article on accidents involving the Zodiac 601.  Plenty of information for the next phone call from a life insurance agent who asks,

“Why did you rate him $5.00 per thousand?”

Answer: He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and the plane he flies has a tendency to break apart while in flight.

Parents to Students with Debt: ‘We’re Buying Insurance in Case You Die’

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An increasing number of parents are taking out life insurance policies on their college graduates in an effort to avoid being left tens of thousands of dollars in debt if their child dies and can’t repay the loans, The Financial Times reports.

via Parents to Students with Debt: ‘We’re Buying Insurance in Case You Die’.

Azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) – Risk of Potentially Fatal Heart Rhythms

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ISSUE: FDA is warning the public that azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm. Patients at particular risk for developing this condition include those with known risk factors such as existing QT interval prolongation, low blood levels of potassium or magnesium, a slower than normal heart rate, or use of certain drugs used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. FDA has issued a Drug Safety Communication today as a result of our review of a study by medical researchers as well as another study by a manufacturer of the drug that assessed the potential for azithromycin to cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart.

via Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > Azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax): Drug Safety Communication – Risk of Potentially Fatal Heart Rhythms.

PTSD Ups Risk for Developing CVD, DM

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Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome compared with those that are not diagnosed with the disorder, increasing their risk for developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Ebrahimi and colleagues utilized VA electronic medical data to identify the incidence of insulin resistance (defined as triglyceride over HDL cholesterol ratio ≥3.8) and metabolic syndrome in 207,954 patients (mean age 60 years; 14.93% men).

via Patients with PTSD at risk for developing CVD, diabetes | Endocrinology.

High Cholesterol and Complementary Health Practices | NCCAM

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According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, high blood cholesterol is one of the top 10 conditions prompting use of complementary health practices among adults. This issue provides information on “what the science says” about the effectiveness and safety of several dietary supplements reportedly used by people with high cholesterol, including red yeast rice, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, and garlic.

High Cholesterol and Complementary Health Practices | NCCAM.

I’ll take a statin please.

Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries Involving Fishing Vessel Winches — Southern Shrimp Fleet, United States, 2000–2011

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Workers in the commercial fishing industry have the highest occupational fatality rate in the United States, nearly 35 times higher in 2011 than the rate for all U.S. workers (1). During 2000–2009, a total of 504 fishermen were killed in the U.S. fishing industry, most commonly by drowning as a result of vessels sinking (51%) and falls overboard (30%). Another 10% of fatalities (51 deaths) were caused by injuries sustained onboard vessels, such as entanglement in machinery (2).

via Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries Involving Fishing Vessel Winches — Southern Shrimp Fleet, United States, 2000–2011.