Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.05.1986, Blaðsíða 8

8-WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 23. MAÍ 1986
Children Needed for Research
Dear Parent:
We would like to invite your child
to participate in a study of car-
diovascular risk factors — that is, fac-
tors associated with diseases of the
heart and circulatory system —
which we are now conducting on
children of Icelandic descent in the
area north of Winnipeg between May
5 and May 30, 1986. This is a part of
a larger study in which descendents
of the Icelanders who emigrated to
Canada around the turn of the cen-
tury are compared with icelanders
now living in northeastern Iceland.
In addition to health factors, the
larger project — a cooperative
endeavor involving scientists and
health authorities from Iceland and
North America — also investigates
cultural and anthropological factors.
Dr. Jens Pálsson will, in fact, be con-
ducting anthropological studies on
adults in April and on children and
adults in May. These are of extreme
importance in confirming the genetic
congruence of Canadian Icelanders
with their kinfolk in Iceland.
In the cardiovascular part of the
study, for which we are now soli-
citing your cooperation, we will be
looking at various factors associated
with heart and circulatory disease,
using a population of youngsters ag-
ed 7-20 years. Our motivation is to
try to detect such risk factors early,
when the chances of preventing the
development of disease are much
greater than in later life. And the
study will also help us to understand
the causes of cardiovascular diseases
and the manner in which they
develop.
Our assumption is, of course, that
most of the youngsters participating
in our study are healthy. Your child
has been selected for participation on
the basis of his/her Icelandic descent,
and not because of any suspected
health defect. However, your child's
participation in the study has the
potential benefit of detecting certain
developing problems that might
otherwise pass unnoticed.
Basically, your child will receive a
blood test and the sort of test of heart-
lung function popularly known as a
"stress test". Doubtless you have
read about such "stress tests" in
newspapers and magazines; a stress
test is simply a test of heart and lung
function which includes meas-
urements made while the subject is
exercising, in addition to those made
with the subject at rest. Most health
authorities agree that this kind of test
shows much more than tests which
depend exclusively upon measure-
ments made with the subject at rest.
In the investigation in which we
are asking your child to participate,
a blood sample is drawn from each
Icelandic Content I
Recently, Lögberg-Heimskringla
commented on increasing interest in
Western Icelanders by Icelandic
scholars and scientists. The last few
years have seen more and more Ice-
landers visiting North America with
some kind of research in mind. Their
topic — Western Icelanders.
But there are others who have
taken keen interest in them. People
of non-Icelandic background find
Western-Icelanders an ideal ethnic
group to study. There are undoubted-
ly many reasons for that, but here on-
ly two will briefly be discussed. First:
"foreigners" know relatively little
about Icelanders in North America.
All-primary sources are in Icelandic
but these are what every true scholar
wants to examine. It is true that very
Murder Sentence
in Iceland
Sentence has been passed in the
case of a young man convicted of a
murder committed last spring.
The man, a 20-year-old resident of
Kópavogur, was sentenced to 17
years in prison, which is the max-
imum provided for the law. He was
convicted not only of murder, but
also on two counts of arson, and a
suspended sentence from the
previous year was also invoked. This
is only the second time that a 17-year
sentence has been passed by the
courts.
little is available about Icelanders in
English. Most interested parties are
aware of efforts made to preserve the
Icelandic language, publications, lit-
erature and strong heritage.
Second: the number of Icelanders
is small compared to major ethnic
groups. Yet they form a very signifi-
cant part of specific communities
(Manitoba). It is obviously easier for
anyone, interested in ethnic studies
to travel into New Iceland and work
with the Icelanders there rather than
having to seek them out all over Noth
America.
MESSUBOÐ
Fyrsta Lúterska
Kirkja
JOHN V. ARVIDSON
PASTOR
10:30 a.m. Thc Service followed
by Sunday School & coffce hour.
subject after he/she has fasted over-
night. Blood pressure and an electro-
cardiogram are taken with the sub-
ject at rest, and lung function is
measured by having the subject blow
into a tube. Similar measurements
are then made while the subject
pedals a stationary bicycle ("exer-
cycle"): this is the so-called "stress
test".
The "stress test" involves a level of
exertion similar to that experienced
in school sports, snow shoveling, or
the like, and should therefore involve
little risk for a healthy person. How-
ever, no one who shows even the
slightest sign of cardivascular abnor-
mality in the resting tests will be
allowed to undergo the stress test.
Further, subjects are continuously
monitored during the stress test, and
a physician is present to supervise
each test. The stress test is dis-
continued if there is even the least
Minnist
BETEL
í erfðaskrám yðar
JOIN
ICELANDIC
CANADIAN FRÓN
Send membership fee of
$5.00 single or $10.00 family
to
Scandinavian Centre
764 Erin Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4
Telephone: 774-8047
sign of difficulty.
In effect, your child will receive a
very thorough heart, circulation, and
lung examination free of charge.
Should we detect any abnormalities
or unusual risk factors, these will be
explained to you and your child and
(if you desire) to your family doctor.
At the same time, your child will also
be helping scientists to understand
heart and circulatory disease.
If, having read the enclosed in-
formation, you agree to allow your
child to participate in the study,
please contact Dr. Johann Axelsson,
or Dr. Anthony Way in Gimli as soon
as possible.
Your cooperation will be greatly
appreciated.
Working To Keep Our Heritage Alive
CANADA ICELAND
FOUNDATION
SECRETARY 1-204-772-8989
Mrs. S. Borga Jakobson
1145 Dominion St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 2P3
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