Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Textron Specialized Vehicles is recalling Gas-powered Gold, PTV, Utility, and Shuttle Off-Road vehicles.  The starter generator wire can come in contact with the vehicle’s exhaust creating a fire hazard.  Stop using the vehicle and contact company for a free repair.  1-888-525-6040.   #recall #textron #offroad

Yamaha Golf Cars, Carts are being recalled due to defective front wheel hubs. These can crack permitting the front wheels to detach posing a crash hazard.  Stop using the cart and contact your dealer for a free repair.  Yamaha may be contacting you.  More info: 1-866-747-4027.   #recall #yamaha #golfcart 

Family Traditions Meat Company is recalling its ready to eat beef stick product Arcadia MEATS SMOKED BEEF STICKS ORIGINAL due to an undeclared milk allergen.  Return the product to point of purchase or call company at 1-641-847-8116.   #recall #milk #beefsticks

New Seasons Market is recalling its Grab ‘N Go Vegetarian Lasagna with Gluten-free Pasta due to the presence of an undeclared soy allergen.  Dispose of the product, return it to the point of purchase, or contact the company via email, talktous@newseasonmarket.com.   #recall #lasagna #soy #pasta

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/n2nhVcbEieA   The virus and its pandemic has been renamed by WHO: CoViD-19. Co for Corona Vi for Virus D for disease 19 for 2019 when it began. Numbers of infected, hospitalized, and perished continues to rise quickly.  Get the latest stats from Bloomberg:  https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-wuhan-novel-coronavirus-outbreak/ and bookmark the page. As of this recording, DATE: 2/15/2020, TIME: 8:30am ; ConfirmedCasesWorldwide: 67,175; DeathsWorldwide: 1527. 15 cases in US.  Largest cluster outside of China on the Diamond Princess docked in Japan with 218 cases. Chinese cases suddenly rose by 15,000 when medical authorities there began diagnosing the disease using lung CT rather than virologic blood ID. CoViD-19 death toll surpasses that due to SARS = 774. No vertical transmission mother to fetus seen in China. Best defense against CoVid-19 and the flu:  proper hand washing with soap and water.  How long should you wash.  At least 20 seconds.  That’s the Happy Birthday song tw

Nuts ‘N More is recalling its Plain Peanut Spread due to potential contamination with Listeria. Return the product to point of purchase or contact company at questionsl@nuts-n-more.com    #recall #peanut #bacteria

Corinthian Foods is recalling Uncooked Sweet Potato Crusted Alaska Pollock Nuggets due to mislabeling.  The package contains chicken nuggets rather than fish nuggets.  Return the product for a full refund or call the company at 1-912-634-0240   #recall #fish #chicken #mislabeled

Save A Lot is recalling Coburn Farms Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese, Cherry Juice-Infused Dried Cranberries & Roasted Sea Salted Cashew Snackers due to undeclared peanut allergens.  Return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.  Contact company at 1-314-264-7868.    #crackers #snacks

McCormick & Co. is recalling its Sunny Select Au Jus Gravy Mix.  This product has unlabeled dairy allergen.  Return or Dispose of product and contact company at 1-800-632-5847.   #recall #gravy #dairy #allergy

Lotte International America Corp is recalling Chocopie, Original, Banana.  There is a small amount of almond in the product not so labeled.  The product does state it is “manufactured in a facility that also processes peanut and almond.  Return the product to point of purchase for refund. Questions to company at 1-213-688-8806.   #recall #almond #allergy #banana

Miss a Bay LLC is recalling Ready PAC®Bistro® Bowl Spinach Dijon Salad.  Problems are undeclared egg and wheat allergens.  Problems for egg allergic and gluten-sensitive individuals.  Affected salads have the lot code 255588007.  Return product for refund.  For info, call Mary Toscano at 1-800-800-7822.   #recall #salad #celiac #egg

Blendtopia Products, LLC is recalling its Superfood Smoothie Kits.  The smoothie blends affected: Glow, Detox, Energy, Immunity, and Strength.  These 7 ounce frozen treats are recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria.  To his organism can cause fatal infections in the very young, old, frail, or immunocompromised.  In the health, it triggers fever, severe headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea.  It can cause miscarriage and stillbirths in pregnant women.  Consumers should not use these products and return them or discard them.  Questions to 1-844-260-8181.  #recall #smoothie #listeria #frozentreats

Gourmet International and Butlers are recalling  IRISH WHISKEY DARK CHOCOLATE TABLET BAR because it may contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious allergic reaction.  Return candy to point of purchase.  Questions to company at 1-800-875-5557.   #recall #candy #chocolate #allergy

Eisai Inc. is recalling Belviq (locaserin), a weight loss drug.  Last month, I reported that this medication had been linked to an increased incidence of pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancer.  Now it is being recalled and withdrawn.  Anyone taking locaserin should speak with their doctors about an alternative.  Dispose of the unused medication.  The FDA is not recommending special screening for patients that have taken the drug.  It does recommend that prescribers notify their patients and report adverse effects.   #dieting #cancer

FDA is compelling Medtronic to recall its MiniMed 600 Series Insulin Pumps.  This includes Models 630G and 670G and includes 342,205 devices.  The recall was initiated in November, 2019.  The reason for recalls is a missing or broken retainer ring the helps lock the insulin cartridge into place in the pump’s reservoir compartment.  If the cartridge is not properly locked in place, insulin may be under or over delivered.  There have been 26,421 complaints, 2,175 injuries, and 1 death.  Contact Medtronic Technical Support at 877-585-0166 for more info and device or part replacement.   #diabetes #insulin #insulinpump #recall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/vksM1_1l1UA   Taking the beta blocker metoprolol, Lopressor, along with aspirin for 6 weeks can prevent heart instability in association with enduring the loss of loved ones.  Australia’s University of Sydney studied 85 individuals within 2 weeks of their losses.   The treatment group received metoprolol 25 mg and aspirin 100 mg daily for 6 weeks.  The data showed that they had lower, more stable blood pressures and heart rates, less anxiety, and fewer depressive symptoms.  There were no side effects.   Death of family is a known trigger for heart disease.  This therapy will hopefully prevent additional tragedy as well as provide comfort to the bereaved.    Geoffrey H. Tofler et al. The effect of metoprolol and aspirin on cardiovascular risk in bereavement: A randomized controlled trial, American Heart Journal (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2019.11.003   #grieving #bereavement #death #heartdisease  

  Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/N7DsCNmHUro   By definition, a good Samaritan helps anyone in distress.  A new study from psychologists at Boston College and Harvard concludes we bestow more glory on those who help strangers than on those helping family members with one notable exception.   The researchers surveyed 1300 subjects and asked them to make make value judgments about the goodness of helpers in various scenarios.  The one situation where helping family scores higher than helping strangers is the case when you can only help one individual.  Then, blood is thicker than water.   Many studies prove that paying it forward help you as much as those you assist.  Doing good works reduces stress, diminishes anxiety, and lowers blood pressure.    Ryan M. McManus, Max Kleiman-Weiner, Liane Young. What We Owe to Family: The Impact of Special Obligations on Moral Judgment. Psychological Science, 2020; 095679761990032 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619900321   #samaritan #stranger #family #payitforward  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lwVLUsXVm40   The celebratory bell ringing when a cancer patient finishes radiation, chemo, or immunotherapy fails to prompt good feelings but rather conjures flashbacks of physical and emotional pain..  Oncologists at USC now publish a study of 210 patients half of whom rang the bell.  All filled out an opinion survey to measure distress.   The bell ringers turned in worse distress scores immediately after therapy completion.  Three to four months later, their negative feelings were even worse.   Finishing treatment for cancer is a milestone, but cancer control is a marathon and not a sprint.  More treatment may be necessary but the goal is to be certain that your cancer isn’t life-threatening.   Patrick A. Williams, Jinxiang Hu, PhD†, Dongyun Yang, PhD‡, Shu Cao, PhD‡, Richard L. Jennelle, MD∗. The Cancer Bell: Too Much of a Good Thing?  Radiation Oncology..  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.06.012   #cancer #bell #chemotherapy #radiationtherapy #immunotherapy #PTSD  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wskxVsnbwwk   A world-wide survey conducted in 40 nations reveals that 71% of women would prefer larger or smaller breasts.  A total of 18,541 women with an average age of 34 years were surveyed in this collaborative study coordinated at Britain’s Anglia Ruskin University.   The counts show that 48% want larger breasts and 23% want smaller breasts.  The breast size ideals are quite similar around the world.  Dissatisfaction with size tends to decrease with age.   The worrisome finding from the research is that those dissatisfied with their breasts are less likely to conduct breast self-exams to look for early cancer.    By the way, only 35% of men are satisfied with their sizes.   Viren Swami, Ulrich S. Tran, David Barron, etal. The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS): Breast size dissatisfaction and its antecedents and outcomes in women from 40 nations. Body Image, 2020; 32: 199 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.01.006   https://www.livescience.com/40192-penis-shame-guys-heads.html  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/U9Q5tWok52g   Middle-aged women and men consuming fermented soy in miso soup and natto enjoy a 10-11% lower risk of premature death compared with those who rarely eat these foods.  A Japanese study just published in the British Medical Journal reviewed the health records of nearly 93,000 men and women 45 to 74 years of age.   The study also revealed that natto, a common breakfast food in Japan, reduced deadly cardiovascular disease 24% in men and 21% in women.  Tofu or non-fermented soy ingestion did not show either longevity or heart disease benefits.   The investigators speculate that these non-fermented soy benefits are due to isoflavones, fiber, and potassium.    Katagiri Ryoko, Sawada Norie, Goto Atsushi, Yamaji Taiki, Iwasaki Motoki, Noda Mitsuhiko et al. Association of soy and fermented soy product intake with total and cause specific mortality: prospective cohort study BMJ 2020; 368 :m34.  doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m34    #soy #miso #natto #longevity #heartdisease