Michigan
Longtime Michigan football announcer makes call on heart health
Over four decades of announcing games, former Michigan Football voice Jim Brandstatter, 74, has made some memorable calls.
“Wolverine nation, the long drought is over: Ohio State is vanquished.”
The words from University of Michigan’s 2021 victory are some that he’ll never forget.
But from his condominium on Florida’s east coast, the recently retired Brandstatter reflects on another notable call.
“I never had an issue with my heart, but I made the decision in my 60s to start seeing a cardiologist,” he said.
“I didn’t even know the problem was there, but they helped me manage my condition and keep living my life without major changes.”
Brandstatter played football for Michigan from 1969 to 1972, winning two Big Ten championships and earning two trips to the Rose Bowl.
During that time, he didn’t suffer any major injuries.
“I’m very lucky,” he said.
“I’m one of the few guys from that team with all my original parts: No artificial knees or hips. Nothing serious enough to send me to the hospital or require a surgery.”
His good health continued through his broadcast career, which started in local Michigan news.
In 1979, Brandstatter began calling color commentary for Michigan Football on the radio and took over as the play-by-play caller in 2014.
Getting proactive on heart health
Around 2012, Brandstatter visited U-M Health for his first appointment with cardiology.
His former coach, Bo Schembechler, had his first heart attack at the age of 39 before the Rose Bowl in which Brandstatter played.
Schembechler received several treatments at the U-M Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center, with care led by Kim Eagle, M.D., one of the center’s directors.
During one of his appointments, Brandstatter’s care team diagnosed him with atrial fibrillation.
Recent estimates show that around 10.5 million Americans have the condition, commonly called Afib.
Many people with Afib don’t experience regular symptoms, including Brandstatter.
However, the irregular heart rhythm can increase your risk of a heart attack and stroke if left untreated.
Brandstatter has received several treatments for Afib.
In addition to management with medications, Brandstatter’s electrophysiologist, Hakan Oral, M.D., also treated him with a minimally invasive catheter ablation.
This method involves threading a catheter into the heart’s left atrium, identifying spots that cause faulty heart signals and using heat or cold energy to stop them.
“Catheter ablation has evolved as a highly effective treatment modality for patients with atrial fibrillation, and U-M Health has been at the forefront of furthering this therapy over the last three decades,” Oral said.
“With the availability of latest ablation technology using nonthermal, 3D pulse field ablation, the procedure can often be safely performed within 60 to 90 minutes, and most patients can go home the same day.”
Throughout his treatment, Brandstatter was able to travel to broadcast U-M games. This continued through his retirement at the end of the 2021 season.
Despite leaving the booth, Brandstatter remains active on social media, where he produces video segments about U-M athletics.
He plays golf several days a week and takes many walks with his wife, Robbie.
“Jim Brandstatter was very proactive about his health,” Eagle said.
“I think that in watching what happened to Coach Schembechler and other former players and friends, he realized that when it comes to heart health, we all need to understand our risk factors and have a medical ‘coach.’ They can help find the best possible ‘game plan’ to prevent and overcome heart disease. It is gratifying to watch a patient with that mindset do so well.”
Brandstatter urges people to take his lead and get their heart checked at some point.
“For your own safety and peace of mind, find a cardiologist,” he said.
“Heart disease can happen to anyone and it’s best to treat it early.”
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Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.
The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.
It’s not over.
To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.
There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.
The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.
The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
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