The Minnesota Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will have a free informational meeting with training tips and details about a September MS Challenge Walk. MS is a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
The meeting will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Rochester Athletic Club, 3100 19th St. N.W. For information about research progress, call 1-800-FIGHT-MS or go to www.mssociety.com.
Screening set
Life Line Screening will conduct preventive screenings Aug. 6 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin, 301 First St. N.W. Appointments begin at 10 a.m.
The screenings are fast, painless and low cost and involve the use of ultrasound technology to scan for potential health problems related to blocked arteries, aortic aneurysms and hardening of the arteries in the legs. Also offered is a bone density screening to assess the risk for osteoporosis.
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Each screening takes 10 minutes or less. A complete vascular screening package is $109. With osteoporosis screening added, the cost is $139.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-643-6188. Registration is required.
Don't panic
A new study suggests that panic attacks are far more likely in nicotine addicts than nonsmokers. In surveying more than 3,000 Munich-area teenagers and young adults, researchers from Germany and California found that 7.6 percent of regular, nicotine-dependent smokers had a history of panic attacks. That compares with 0.7 percent of nonsmokers, 2 percent of occasional smokers, and 1.9 percent of regular smokers who weren't nicotine-dependent.
The scientists report a similar pattern for subjects who met diagnostic guidelines for panic disorder.
