Health
Texas postal worker dies while delivering mail in ‘dangerous environment’ with record-high temps
North Texas postal worker Eugene Gates Jr., 66, died on June 20 after he collapsed while delivering mail amid a dangerously high heat index, according to multiple reports.
The heat index that day had reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest recorded temperature in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1980, according to a local news outlet.
A homeowner rushed outside to perform CPR after Gates lost consciousness, but he was later pronounced dead at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
The cause of death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner.
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Gates served in the United States Army. He later traded his uniform for another life of service for the United States Postal Service (USPS), as noted in a statement.
He was a member of Lone Star Branch 132 in the National Association of Letter Carriers. During his 36 years of delivering mail, Gates was “beloved by his colleagues and customers,” the statement added.
North Texas postal worker Eugene Gates Jr., 66, died on June 20 after he collapsed in a yard while delivering mail amid a dangerously high heat index. (iStock)
“America’s letter carriers often work in dangerous environments,” National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian L. Renfroe, based in Washington, D.C., said in a recent statement.
“The most important and immediate step that can be taken to protect anyone from the hazard of excessive heat is to learn as much as possible about this potentially life-threatening hazard — particularly the warning signs of heat illness,” he continued.
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Some organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), claim that climate change is causing steadily rising temperatures and increasing exposure to heat.
“Heat stroke can occur whenever one is exposed to excessive heat without protection, cooling measures or fluid and electrolyte repletion,” Carl Allamby, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
To prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke, it’s vital to understand the warning signs.
What’s the heat index?
The heat index measures how hot your body feels when considering both the humidity and the outside temperature, according to the National Weather Service.
“America’s letter carriers often work in dangerous environments,” National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian L. Renfroe, who is based in Washington, D.C., said in a recent statement. (iStock)
When it gets too hot outside, the body starts to sweat, which has a cooling effect when perspiration starts to evaporate.
As the relative humidity increases, however, it takes longer for the sweat to evaporate, causing people to feel warmer.
Understanding heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion occurs when the body loses too much salt and water, often through excessive sweating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The loss of water through sweating and evaporation can cause dehydration and the loss of electrolytes, Allamby said.
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“Symptoms manifest as an elevated heart rate (tachycardia), sweating, nausea/vomiting, headache, weakness and dizziness,” he noted.
Some other warning signs include feeling thirsty, sweating profusely or having a decreased urine output, the CDC said.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include elevated heart rate, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness and dizziness.
“These symptoms are usually reversible by removing the person from the heated environment, providing liquids containing electrolytes and using evaporative cooling methods, such as spraying them with water and putting them in front of a fan,” the doctor added.
When heat exhaustion symptoms are ignored, they can progress to heat stroke, Allamby warned.
If symptoms worsen, persist for more than one hour or lead to vomiting, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention, the CDC warns.
Signs of heat stroke
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body’s sweating mechanism breaks down and the person can’t cool down, according to the CDC.
“This is where the person’s temperature elevates above 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, [leading to] neurological changes such as confusion, difficulty walking, seizures, slurred speech, delirium and coma,” Allamby said. “They may also stop sweating at this point.”
Heat stroke can be fatal, especially if left untreated.
This condition occurs more often in children and the elderly, who may not have a structured environment to protect themselves from the heat, the doctor added.
Heat stroke “is usually fatal if not treated — but even with treatment, a significant amount of people will die as a result,” Allamby warned.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, which occurs when the body’s sweating mechanism breaks down and the person can’t cool down, according to the CDC. (iStock)
A temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit may indicate heat exhaustion, while a temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit could be a sign of heat stroke, Healthline’s website explained.
When to seek medical attention
Heat stroke is a medical emergency, per the CDC, so it’s always important to call 911 when someone shows signs of the condition.
Use cooling measures while awaiting help. This includes getting the person into shade or a cool environment, said Allamby.
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“Time is of the essence, and the earlier treatment starts, the better the chance of survival and recovery,” he added.
The most effective treatment for heat stroke is immersion in a cold-water bath, Allamby said.
An alternative treatment for heat stroke is to apply ice packs under the arms, in the groin area and around the neck. (iStock)
An alternative treatment is to apply ice packs under the arms, in the groin area and around the neck.
“In the hospital, we can give cold [intravenous] fluids and provide other invasive techniques if needed, so getting them to an emergency department right away is of utmost importance,” Allamby explained.
“I hope this story helps to remind us to watch out for those who are most vulnerable to heated environments such as this mail carrier, children — especially during the sports training season — and the elderly,” he said.
“Please check on your neighbors and the ones you love — and maybe you can save a life.”
Since the age of 13, Joseph Kowalsky has harbored a fascination with life after death, pondering ways to extend his existence indefinitely.
Today, Kowalsky, now 59, is among some 2,000 individuals who have signed up with the Cryonics Institute in Clinton Township, Michigan, betting on a future where death is not the end.
Chilling prospect of immortality
Cryonics, the process at the heart of Kowalsky’s hopes, involves preserving human bodies at ultra-low temperatures in the anticipation that future science will one day revive them.
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Shortly after a person dies, organizations like the Cryonics Institute use a heart-lung resuscitator, circulate a medical-grade antifreeze in the blood and suspend the body in aluminum pods filled with liquid nitrogen.
Dennis Kowalski, current president of the Cryonics Institute (and no relation to Joseph Kowalsky), told Fox News that over 250 individuals are currently in “suspension” at the Michigan facility.
Cryonics involves preserving human bodies at ultra-low temperatures in the anticipation that future science will one day revive them. (Cryonics Institute)
Could defying death be affordable?
The Cryonics Institute is just one player in a burgeoning industry.
Alcor, the world’s oldest cryonics company, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, boasts a state-of-the-art facility where more than 200 individuals are preserved.
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For those opting for whole-body preservation, the price tag is $200,000, while brain-only preservation costs $80,000.
Alcor CEO James Arrowood dispels the notion that cryonics is solely for the wealthy, highlighting that many clients use life insurance policies to cover costs.
Over 250 individuals are currently in “suspension” at the Michigan facility, the president of the Cryonics Institute told Fox News. (Cryonics Institute)
“About 80% of people who sign up are middle-class,” Arrowood told Fox News.
He pointed out that the clientele includes notable figures such as baseball legend Ted Williams, whose head and body were cryopreserved separately.
Skeptics cast doubt
Critics dismiss cryonics as speculative and unproven, labeling it an “iceberg scheme” lacking scientific backing.
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“It’s a sad case of people being beguiled by a very understandable dream of resurrection,” Clive Coen of King’s College London told Fox News.
The neuroscience professor raised concerns over the damage inflicted during the preservation and revival process, warning that “there will be billions of mini-strokes in every millimeter of brain tissue” due to the inability of antifreeze to traverse the brain’s complex landscape.
Hope springs eternal for death defiers
There is currently no scientific evidence or successful case of a human being revived from a cryonically preserved state.
For those opting for whole-body preservation, the price tag is $200,000, while brain-only preservation costs $80,000. (Cryonics Institute)
Despite the skepticism, Joseph Kowalsky, who formerly worked with the Cryonics Institute, remains undeterred.
“Worst-case scenario, I’m still dead … And the upside? It could be a potentially life-saving medical technique,” he said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
As science and ethics continue to grapple with the implications of cryonics, individuals like Kowalsky illustrate a deep-seated hope for defying mortality, one frozen body at a time.
Andres del Aguila and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
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Most of the 38 million people living with diabetes in the U.S. use daily injections or insulin pumps to keep glucose at safe levels — but new research suggests that a third option could be just as effective.
In a study led by Dr. Irl B. Hirsch, M.D., medical director of the Diabetes Care Center of the University of Washington Medical Center, an inhaled form of insulin — similar to an asthma inhaler — worked just as well as injections or pumps to control type 1 diabetes.
The research was presented last week at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s 84th Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida.
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The clinical trial tested a product called Afrezza, an inhaled insulin made by MannKind Corporation in California.
Afrezza, the only inhaled insulin on the market, has been available since getting FDA approval in June 2014.
An inhaled form of insulin worked just as well as injections or pumps to control type 1 diabetes in a recent study. (iStock/MannKind)
Benefits of a third option
“In those with type 1 diabetes, insulin is required for survival,” Hirsch told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“With continuous glucose sensing, glucose control has been dramatically improved — but not everyone reaches the target with multiple injections or pumps, and there are many pros and cons with each therapy,” he said.
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With pumps, people must wear the device, which can lead to skin problems.
They also have to purchase extra accessories.
Blood glucose levels can also drop with exercise, Hirsch warned, which can be problematic.
Afrezza, an inhaled insulin pictured here, is made by MannKind Corporation in California. (MannKind)
“Injections overall can be more convenient for some, but they don’t do as well as pump patients,” he said.
With Afrezza, the product is inhaled into the lungs before meals, and the fast-acting insulin minimizes the glucose spike often seen after eating, Hirsch noted.
“Patients with type 1 diabetes should consider this as another option for their mealtime insulin, and talk to their doctor about this choice.”
During the 17-week study, researchers evaluated the results of 141 adults who were assigned to either use the Afrezza inhaler or continue with traditional methods of injection or pump delivery.
At the 17-week mark, all participants switched to the inhaler for another 13 weeks.
Dr. Irl B. Hirsch, M.D., medical director of the Diabetes Care Center of the University of Washington Medical Center, led the new study. (MannKind)
All groups were assessed with continuous glucose monitoring at the start of the study, at 17 weeks and again at 30 weeks.
Among the inhaled insulin group, 30% of participants reached their target glucose levels (less than 7% blood sugar) compared to 17% of the people using injections and pumps.
There was no difference in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) between the groups.
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“In general, there was no difference in our primary endpoint, HbA1c, a reflection of average blood sugar,” Hirsch said.
“But that alone is misleading — many patients did better with their glucose control, while others did worse.”
With Afrezza, the product is inhaled into the lungs before meals, and the fast-acting insulin minimizes the glucose spike often seen after eating, a doctor said. (MannKind)
“The point is, inhaling insulin isn’t for everyone, but some did better than they did on their pumps.”
The people who saw the best results inhaled insulin between meals and at bedtime, Hirsch added.
At the end of the study, more than half of the participants said they would opt to stay on the inhaled insulin therapy.
“The biggest takeaway is that patients with type 1 diabetes should consider this as another option for their mealtime insulin, and talk to their doctor about this choice,” he recommended.
‘Adds value’
The American Diabetes Association acknowledged the promise of the study findings in an email to Fox News Digital.
“We look forward to our Scientific Sessions every year to see data like the INHALE-3 study’s findings, which have the potential to expand diabetes care,” Raveendhara Bannuru, M.D., PhD, the ADA’s vice president of medical affairs and quality improvement outcomes in Boston, Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital via email.
“With continuous glucose sensing, glucose control has been dramatically improved,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“We are hopeful for the continuous development of alternative insulin delivery methods that could offer options for people living with diabetes,” the group also said in the statement.
“The INHALE-3 trial demonstrated that inhaled insulin, combined with insulin degludec, effectively reduces A1c levels without increasing hypoglycemia or weight gain in people with type 1 diabetes. This adds value to the options in insulin therapy.”
Potential risks and limitations
While more people met their glycemic targets with Afrezza, some subjects saw worse readings when switching from usual methods to inhaled insulin — “potentially due to missing doses of inhaled insulin during the day and/or underdosing going into bedtime,” the researchers wrote.
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“We didn’t see any concerns,” Hirsch said when asked about side effects.
“As expected, a few people coughed immediately when dosing their insulin, but no major concerns were seen and everyone continued on their inhaled insulin.”
“Not everyone reaches the target with multiple injections or pumps, and there are many pros and cons with each therapy,” a doctor said. (iStock)
The most common side effects noted in the study were hypoglycemia, cough and throat pain or irritation.
Afrezza has been linked to a risk of acute bronchospasm in patients with chronic lung disease, such as asthma or COPD, according to the manufacturer.
“Inhaling insulin isn’t for everyone, but some did better than they did on their pumps.”
Before starting Afrezza, patients should see a doctor for a physical examination and testing to measure lung function.
Patients who smoke or who recently quit smoking should not take the inhaled medication.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
Fox News Digital reached out to MannKind requesting additional comment.
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