Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/vwVsXQfh5-0   Virtual gaming can provoke damaging shoulder fatigue, neck inflammation, and eye strain.  Oregon State University industrial engineers studied 20 male and female GenZ and millennial gamers for repetitive-type injuries as they pointed and painted in VR.   The gamers extended hands led to shoulder discomfort after only 3 minutes as well as later eye strain.  The Oculus Rift headset’s weight sparked annoying cervical spine distress..   The engineers recommend manipulating virtual objects close to your body and keeping visuals at eye level to the extent possible.  Lighter headsets will eventually help.   VR is expanding into healthcare, military, and training environments of all sorts.  Heed these pointers to protect yourself from weird ergonomic injuries.   Sai Akhil Penumudi, Veera Aneesh Kuppam, Jeong Ho Kim, Jaejin Hwang. The effects of target location on musculoskeletal load, task performance, and subjective discomfort during virtual reality interactions. Applied Er

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/CEVbxm64OJ0   When adults enjoy play with infants, a bi-directional neural bond forms that creates an intensely rich interaction.  Neuroscientists at Princeton University explored this phenomenon by studying 18 children 9 to 15 months of age.   As the babies interacted with adults sharing toys, rhymes, and stories, their brain waves were recorded.   Child-adult brain linkage only occurred during face-to-face engagement, and the nature of coupling was surprising.  The babies’ pre-frontal executive zones were surprisingly active at a young age and led as well as followed the adult signals in dynamic ways.   To give your baby the proper start, put down your phone and focus on the interaction.  It’ll be good for you both.   Elise A. Piazza, Liat Hasenfratz, Uri Hasson, Casey Lew-Williams. Infant and Adult Brains Are Coupled to the Dynamics of Natural Communication. Psychological Science, 2019; 095679761987869 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619878698   #babies #parenting #communication  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xLOIonn4-SQ   Feeling down may be the root of your inability to stop smoking for good.  This the conclusion of Harvard researchers who reviewed a national survey of more nearly 11,000 persons but also conducted a detailed study of nearly 1300 locals and habitual smokers shown sad video clips.   Those in the national sample who rated themselves as sad tended to be smokers.  Those viewing the sad videos had greater tobacco cravings, more impatience to resume smoking, and inhaled more deeply than viewers of neutral videos.   To break the smoking habit, create happiness for yourself.  Do what you love.  Plan uplifting days. Be with positive people.  Love yourself .  Stop worrying.  Sing a happy tune.....to yourself.     Charles A. Dorison, Ke Wang, Vaughan W. Rees, Ichiro Kawachi, Keith M. M. Ericson, Jennifer S. Lerner. Sadness, but not all negative emotions, heightens addictive substance use. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019; 201909888 DOI: 10.1073/PNAS.19098881

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/kx4IZRogQ78   Regular tea drinkers live 26% longer than non-drinkers and have significantly lower risks of heart disease and stroke.  This from a Chinese study just published in the European Journal of Cardiology.   The investigation focuses on nearly 101,000 healthy middle-aged Chinese participants.  Regular tea drinkers have a 39% lower risk of any heart disease and stroke, a 56% lower risk of death from such diseases, and a 29% lower risk of death from any cause.   Polyphenol-rich green tea works the best as these antioxidants keep your lipids and blood pressure under control.  Buy and enjoy green tea regularly and you’ll toast others to a long life even longer.   Xinyan Wang, Fangchao Liu, Jianxin Li, Xueli Yang, Jichun Chen, Jie Cao, Xigui Wu, Xiangfeng Lu, Jianfeng Huang, Ying Li, Liancheng Zhao, Chong Shen, Dongsheng Hu, Ling Yu, Xiaoqing Liu, Xianping Wu, Shouling Wu, Dongfeng Gu. Tea consumption and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortalit

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/eHMN3NQAGFI   The all-nighters you throw to complete that project or cram for that exam seem harmless, and you seem fine after a good subsequent sleep.  No so says a new Swedish study that shows sleep deprivation triggers deposits of the tau protein synonymous with Alzheimer’s disease.   The researchers studied 15 healthy Gen Z men who normally enjoyed a good night’s sleep of 7-9 hours.  The men had an 8.5 fold increase in cerebrospinal fluid tau protein after a all-nighter compared with restful sleep.   Tau protein increases also occur after the head trauma that we know leads to dementia.  This latest info suggests that sleepless nights may also be a form of brain abuse.   Christian Benedict, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Cedernaes. Effects of acute sleep loss on diurnal plasma dynamics of CNS health biomarkers in young men. Neurology, 2020; 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008866 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008866   #Allnighter #tau #alzheimers #dementia #CTE  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/RJ4GkeblYuw   A huge problem is the lack of comprehensive care and services after any hospitalization elective or not.  A Canadian study of 700 persons shows that top 3 patient complaints are: insufficient home care services, services not in place before discharge, and the dumping of the burden for arranging services on the recovering patient.     US national hospital surveys also show that patients find hospital discharge planning and execution woefully inadequate.  Patients and families are given too little useful info about the medicines to take and the therapy they need to complete their recovery.     Don’t leave the ER or hospital floor until you fully understand what to do at home. Just don’t!   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200106103453.htm   #Hospitals #dischargeplanning #homehealthservices  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/1YUDCkhva2g   If you tend to sleep poorly and are prone to migraine headaches, beware that a doozie may strike you two days later.  This warning comes from a Harvard study of 98 young persons 35 yrs on average who wore wrist devices to quantitate their sleep and kept headache diaries.     The data shows that a night with 6 and a half hours or less of fragmented sleep triggers a 39% chance of a migraine the second day after.  Ironically, the chance of a next day migraine is lower.     Migraine sufferers should do all they can to assure a good nights sleep every night including avoiding caffeine, late night meals, and agitation.    Suzanne M. Bertisch, Wenyuan Li, Catherine Buettner, Elizabeth Mostofsky, Michael Rueschman, Emily R. Kaplan, Jacqueline Fung, Shaelah Huntington, Tess Murphy, Courtney Stead, Rami Burstein, Susan Redline, Murray A. Mittleman Neurology Dec 2019, 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008740; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008740   #Migraines #insomnia #fragmentedsleep  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/TdNB8BS7RGY   More than 2 million teens 15 through 19 years underwent uncomfortable bi-manual pelvic exams and Pap tests over a recent 6 year period.  More than half the pelvics and nearly two-thirds of Paps were unnecessary according to a just published CDC/UC-San Francisco study.     FYI: A routine pelvic is not recommended for young women unless pregnant or symptomatic.  Pap tests for cervical cancer screening are not suggested for those under 21.     Ok young ladies and mothers of same, listen up.  You have a right to question and refuse these procedures if inappropriate.  Unnecessary procedures can be painful, add to your costs, and can lead to complications and other unnecessary testing.     Jin Qin, ScD1; Mona Saraiya, MD, MPH1; Gladys Martinez, PhD2; et al. Prevalence of Potentially Unnecessary Bimanual Pelvic Examinations and Papanicolaou Tests Among Young Women Aged 15-20 Years In The United States.  JAMA Network.   https://ja.ma/37IYWYx   #Teens #gynecology #cervical

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/rFJpY1FDVCQ   The polyphenols and fiber in just two apples a day can lower cholesterol and normalize other lipids and vascular function.  This conclusion comes from a British and Italian Study just published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.   Study participants were 40 overweight men and women with mildly elevated cholesterol who consumed 2 Renetta apples a day for 8 weeks.  The apple supplement significantly lowered total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides.  Beneficial vascular relaxation was better after downing the apples.   The Italian-grown Renetta apples are particularly rich in the very bioactive polyphenol proanthrocyanidins.  The researchers don’t know if these polyphenols or fiber do the trick.  Either way, don’t pass up apples.   Athanasios Koutsos et al. Two apples a day lower serum cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic biomarkers in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial, The American Journal of

    Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tak9_VV6Yuc   Pre-teens viewing healthy food prep on TV are nearly 3 times more likely to make healthy food choices for themselves.     A Dutch study focused on 125 participants 10 to 12 years of age who viewed a 10 minute TV clip before choosing a snack.  The snack choices included healthy apple and cucumber pieces versus unhealthy chips and min-pretzels   Those pre-teens viewing the clip showing fruit and vegetable prep were 2.7 times more likely to choose a healthy snack compared with those who viewed the clip of burgers and fries being readied.   I suggest your kids view one of the kid cooking shows such as Chopped Junior.   Frans Folkvord, Doeschka Anschütz, Marieke Geurts. Watching TV Cooking Programs: Effects on Actual Food Intake Among Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.09.016   https://coolmomeats.com/2017/09/26/food-tv-shows-for-kids/    #TVcookingshows #healthyeating #parenting #kidcookingshows TVcookingshows, health

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/EAor3z2zmXE   Kindness to others can reduce your feelings of pain.  This the conclusion of Chinese experiments just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   In one experiment, the needle jab to donate blood hurt less when volunteers were giving to earthquake victims rather than making a routine donation.  In another, subjects were exposed to extreme cold but those working on a project to help migrant children complained less about the temperature.  In a third experiment, cancer patients helping to care for others noticed their own pain less.   Previous studies have shown that giving will bring you and others happiness.  Now, we know that charitable deeds also have therapeutic benefits for you.   Yilu Wang et al. Altruistic behaviors relieve physical pain, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2019). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911861117   #Charity #pain #altruism  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/_Usci1VDUaA   A large, multicenter study of  222 breastfeeding babies and their mother shows that insignificant amounts of most anti-seizure drugs pass from mom to babe through breast milk.  The one drug that did pass was lamotrigine marketed as Lamictal.   Nearly 50% of babies had undetectable levels of drug in their blood, and the remainder had insignificant quantities.  Lamictal did pass through more readily into breast milk than the others, and its concentration in the baby depended upon the mother’s dosing.   This study concludes that mothers, taking most drugs for their seizure disorders, can safely breastfeed.  As always, you should consult with your own doctors before proceeding.   Birnbaum AK, Meador KJ, Karanam A, et al. Antiepileptic Drug Exposure in Infants of Breastfeeding Mothers With Epilepsy. JAMA Neurol. Published online December 30, 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.4443   #Breastfeeding #antiseizuredrugs #antiepileptics #lamotrigine #Lamictal  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iMqDLWIj6Rk   Confining food consumption to 10 hours produces significant weight reduction, better overall health and sounder sleep.  Researchers at UC-SanDiego studied 19 unhealthy subjects with so-called metabolic syndrome before and after 3 months of time-restricted eating (TRE). Metabolic syndrome includes a number of issues including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes..   Time restricted feeding during any 10 hour timeframe led to a significant loss of abdominal fat, some blood pressure and cholesterol reductions, and, for 70% of subjects, better sleep.  Many participants tended to eat breakfast later and dinner earlier.   This plan involves no ca lorie counting but suggests healthy eating.  Try it!   M.J. Wilkinson, E. N.C. Manoogian, A. Zadouri, S. Navlakh, S. Panda, P.R. Taub. Ten-Hour Time-Restricted Eating Reduces Weight, Blood Pressure, and Atherogenic Lipids in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.  CellPress,:December 05, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.201

  Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/qaShibFU3hU   Men and women under 45 who cut their levels of bad cholesterol by half have a 4 times lower risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.  This conclusion comes from an international collaborative study of  nearly 400,000 individuals published in The Lancet.   This population and computer-modeling study shows that the effect of lowering non-HDL cholesterol on later life-threatening disease is greatest for millennials and younger.  Those over 60 cutting their damaging cholesterol by half only cut their risk by half.   It’s never too soon to speak with your personal doc about regular lipid screens.  Keep your levels normal by cutting out saturated fats, consuming fiber, and exercising.    Brunner, Fabian JZeller, Tanja et al.  Application of non-HDL cholesterol for population-based cardiovascular risk stratification: results from the Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium.  The Lancet, Volume 394, Issue 10215, 2173 - 2183   #Cholesterol #HDL #cardiovasculardisea

  Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/x96mfKzKFDo   Children given whole milk have a 39% lower risk of becoming overweight or obese.  Canadian researchers publishing in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition report this conclusion from their meta-analysis of 28 studies and nearly 21,000 children 1-8 years of age.   This finding flies in the face of current pediatric recommendations to switch from whole milk with 3% fat to reduced fat milk ranging from

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ufXT9FHoXAs   Thinking of fathering a child or having problems doing just that.  A new Swedish study shows that only 2 weeks of healthy eating including a lots of sugar the second week might boost your odds.   The investigators checked sperm quality for 15 healthy young men before and at the end of two weeks of controlled healthy eating.  During the second week, the healthy offerings were joined by sugary soda and pastries.   At the beginning, one-third of the men had low sperm motility.  At the end, all had vigorous swimmers!  We don’t know yet whether the healthy diet or the sugar did the trick.  For best results, use both.   Daniel Nätt, Unn Kugelberg, Eduard Casas, Elizabeth Nedstrand, Stefan Zalavary, Pontus Henriksson, Carola Nijm, Julia Jäderquist, Johanna Sandborg, Eva Flinke, Rashmi Ramesh, Lovisa Örkenby, Filip Appelkvist, Thomas Lingg, Nicola Guzzi, Cristian Bellodi, Marie Löf, Tanya Vavouri, Anita Öst. Human sperm displays rapid responses to diet. PLOS Biology, 2019; 1

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/10NdkjxKigc   If you rang in the New Year enjoying some weed and noticed ringing in your ear, so-called tinnitus, it isn’t a coincidence.  Ear researchers from Stanford now show that annoying tinnitus is associated with marijuana use.   The study looked at 2160 adults tabulating use of marijuana, alcohol, and more dangerous, addicting drugs.  Marijuana use, even once a month, was a significant risk for distracting ear ringing.  No other drugs had this effect, and the frequency and quantity of weed used did not impact the severity of ringing.   If you already notice tinnitus, an early sign of inner ear hearing loss, you might want to skip marijuana smokinq or eating.   Z.J. Qian, J.C. Alyono. An association between marijuana use and tinnitus.  Am. J. Otolaryngology 41: 1-2/2020.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2019.102314   #Tinnitus #ringing #marijuana  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/2rDWQ_5Cen8   Does sugar really turbocharge you and improve your mood?  A study by British and German psychologists just published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews says absolutely not.   The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 31 studies covering nearly 1300 adults.  The investigations looked at how the quantity and type of sugar ingested affected alertness, fatigue, mood, anger, and depression.   When the numbers were crunched, the conclusions reached were: Sugar does not elevate your mood. Sugar makes most people less alert. Sugar makes you more tired and fatigued.   So if you are looking for a way to energize yourself in order to complete that project, thesis, term paper, or your review for that exam, forget about sugaring up.  Instead, you might try that cocoa-caffeine cocktail I described awhile back.   Konstantinos Mantantzis, Friederike Schlaghecken, Sandra I. Sünram-Lea, Elizabeth A. Maylor. Sugar Rush or Sugar Crash? A Meta-Analysis of Carbohydrate Effects on M

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/CGVcV0EKQpw   Since we just learned that sugar will not sweeten your mood, we look to psychologists from the Iowa State University to provide an alternative to a Hershey bar or a glass of sangria.  They just published a study in the Journal of Happiness Studies that suggests a very good alternative.   The researchers had groups of college students test 3 potentially mood-elevating techniques as they walked around campus eyeballing passersby for 12 minute sessions.  A loving-kindness group made wishes to themselves that the people they saw would be happy.  A second interconnectedness group looked at others and tried to imaging how they might be interconnected in some way.  The third group made downward social comparisons thinking how much better off they were than those they saw.  A control group merely looked at the passersby objectively noting what they were wearing.   Twelve minutes of thinking kind thoughts about people had a therapeutic effect, even on those with narcissistic

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/VLMP7UqntR8   The FDA has just issued a special warning that some e-cigarette users have developed seizures.  Nicotine toxicity can lower a persons seizure threshold.   Seizures have previously only been reported in cases of accidental e-cigarette liquid ingestion.  Now case reports are coming in where seizures are occurring in those vaping for the first time but also in more experienced users.  Convulsions may occur after only a few puffs but may also be delayed up to one day.   If you or someone you know has experienced a seizure in association with e-cigarette use, report the details immediately to both your doctor and to the FDA through their safety reporting portal: safetyreporting.hhs.gov.    https://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm635133.htm   #vaping #ecigarettes #seizure #nicotine