As I was finishing up last month's issue of Real Health, my pal Nick, a newly minted Utah cowboy, sent me some blockbuster information about another scientific breakthrough on the health benefits of nicotine, the main ingredient in my favorite herb, tobacco.

The product is called "Angiogenix" and is a nicotine-based treatment that appears to grow new blood vessels in the heart. It can be taken orally and, the company says, is non-addicting.

The company, located in Texas, is called Endovasc Ltd., Inc. (I didn't know you could be both "limited" and "incorporated," but that's Texas.) Established in 1996, they think big, move fast, and have an impressive record for a young company. The fact that the company has been able to get this potential blockbuster drug all the way to Phase III trials (which means it's well on its way to FDA approval) without incurring any significant debt, in near record time indicates that they are very savvy indeed.

It seems Endovasc believes that nutriceutical nicotine-based drinks, fitness bars, or capsules combined with high protein complexes could become super stars among nonprescription products. And these products could produce positive cash flow even sooner than you'd expect because they are not subject to the FDA approval process.

I'll keep you posted on this perky little company and its fascinating products, both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical. Being old fashioned, I prefer to smoke three cigars a day to get my nicotine ration, but not everyone would agree with that. 

Solo CPR

You're driving down the freeway and suddenly it feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest. The pain is severe, oppressive, radiating down your left arm, and you're feeling starved for air. You quickly realize that you're having a heart attack.

When the alarm bells go off, the most important thing you can do is to remain calm. Call 911 immediately and pull over to the side of the road to wait for help. Or, if you are in familiar territory, drive to the hospital, but call 911 anyway and give them your position.

If, amongst the symptoms listed above, you have a faint or lightheaded feeling, you might be on the verge of experiencing something called ventricular fibrillation. This can be fatal if not treated within minutes. Fortunately, there is something else you can do, which may prevent ventricular fibrillation. For lack of a better term, it is called "self CPR."

To perform this maneuver, take a deep breath and cough as hard as you can. This mimics CPR's characteristic quick breath of air and chest compression that would generally be administered by another person. This procedure must be repeated every few seconds until you can feel a pulse at your neck (Practice it now-it's easy.) Keep in mind that because you are essentially hyperventilating, your dizziness will not go away and might even get worse.

Please note that I cannot guarantee that this method will work, but I can safely say that it will not harm you, and it may save your life. If you ask me, those odds make it worth a shot.