Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/vFrH1uoQW_4   Firefighters and police officers who heroically respond to calamities such as 9/11 are at least 30-40 percent more likely to suffer serious cardiovascular disease.  Epidemiologists at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine draw this conclusion from their 16 year study of nearly 9800 firefighters who served at Ground Zero.   Early arriving first responders were 44% more likely than those arriving later to suffer a heart attack, unstable heart pains, that is angina, or a stroke.  Rescue and recovery workers who spent 6 or more months at Ground Zero had a 30% higher risk of the same fate compared with those serving less time.   9/11 was a monumental tragedy, but first responders across the US and around the world likely face similar risks from the toxins released by burning building materials.  If you or someone you know works as a first responder, know that cardiovascular surveillance is a must.   Cohen HW, Zeig-Owens R, Joe C, et al. Long-term Cardiovascular Dis

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ZXcrXdzH5lg   Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries that you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy.  Here are this weeks stories : Too Much Sleep Or Too Little May Trigger Heart Attacks A Pregnant Woman’s Activities & Eating Impact Her Child’s Blood Pressure Later Lifestyle Outweighs Family History Of Premature Heart Disease Plant-Based Meat Substitutes Endanger Your Thinking Eat Nuts And Have A Heart How To Stay Safe Riding An E-Scooter All Menopausal Hormonal Therapy Risks Breast Cancer Second-Hand Vaping A Risk For Teens Protein Shakes Not The Best Post-Exercise Drink Under Tongue Peanut Allergy Therapy Is Safe and Effective Healthy Foods Out-Perform Fad Diets For Maintaining Healthy Hearts Marijuana Users More Likely To Father Autistic Kids Mouthwash After Exercise Blunts Beneficial Blood Pressure Lowering Congenital Seizures Respond To Ketogenic Diet High Potency Weed Infiltrating High Schools   For show notes and references to for the storie

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UbFatjmobmk   Marijuana concentrate, a form that contains 3 times higher levels of the psychoactive agent THC, is flooding high schools.  This form of weed is associated with more addiction, cognitive problems, and psychiatric disease.   A study from Arizona State University looking at 50,000 high school students finds that one in every three used some form of marijuana and some 24% tried the concentrate.  Those teens using the concentrate showed significantly more addiction risk factors including peer substance abuse, drug-using parents, and academic failure.   Marijuana concentrate users are also likely e-cigarette users, and this route delivers ever higher concentrations of the drug to young lungs and brains increasing the chances for psychosis and addiction.  If your children are using cannabis, be certain that they are aware of the currently circulating and freakishly powerful forms of the drug that must be avoided in order to prevent disaster.   Madeline H. Meier et al. Cannab

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7sj8kkq1vQk   Nearly 40% of children whose seizures cannot be controlled with any medications will respond to the ketogenic diet.  This is the finding of a study from Northwestern’s Lurie Children’s Hospital.   Pediatric neurologists there studied 109 patients with seizure disorders persisting despite conventional medication management.   After going on the high fat, low carb, and protein-restricted diet that is the ketogenic diet, 42 patients enjoyed more than 50% seizure reduction and nearly half of those 42 achieved complete seizure control.  The seizure disorders most responsive to the ketogenic diet had a genetic etiology.   This excellent pediatric hospital’s successful 10 year experience with the ketogenic diet proves its medical effectiveness.  Implementing this diet isn’t easy for many parents, and success requires much support from a multi-disciplinary team including nutritionists and counselors.   Se Hee Kim, Alexandra Shaw, Robyn Blackford, Wesley Lowman, Linda C. Laux,

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/8MDyrS9WZAQ   Using a mouthwash following your exercise session may prevent the beneficial lowering of your blood pressure that physical activity typically triggers.  This observation was just published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.   A group of 23 healthy adults ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes during two separate sessions.  At 30 minute intervals following the exercise, they rinsed out their mouths with either an antibacterial mouthwash or mint-flavored water.  Blood pressure measurements revealed that the antibacterial mouthwash reduced the typical blood pressure reductions by one-half.   The researchers found that the antibacterial mouthwash prevented a bacteria-triggered synthesis of the nitrites and nitrates that open blood vessels and reduce blood pressures.  This piece of the puzzle suggests that those suffering from elevated blood pressures should avoid anti-bacterial mouthwashes.   C. Cutler, M. Kiernan, J.R. Willis, L. Gallardo-Alfaro, P. Casas-Agus

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/O9AFSVfPvnM   Cannabis use mutates a gene in sperm that is associated with autism.  Duke University investigators compared the sperm of weed users with those of non-users.   The cannabis users’ sperm showed widespread DNA methylation changes including reduced methylation of the DLGAP2 gene.  Modifications of this gene are associated with a number of neurological and psychiatric problems including autism spectrum disorder.   Men and women considering becoming parents should abstain from cannabis use as early as possible, since studies do show that marijuana affects stem cells in the testis.  That being the case, it is likely that all sperm produced from these affected testicular cells will be flawed.   Rose Schrott, Kelly Acharya, Nilda Itchon-Ramos, Andrew B. Hawkey, Erica Pippen, John T. Mitchell, Scott H. Kollins, Edward D. Levin, Susan K. Murphy. Cannabis use is associated with potentially heritable widespread changes in autism candidate gene DLGAP2 DNA methylation in sperm. Epig

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/vuHcKOXJzhM   Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is more critical for preventing cardiovascular disease than consuming a particular fad diet that emphasizes either unsaturated fats, proteins, or carbohydrates.   This nutritional commandment comes from researchers at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.   Their study focused on 150 participants, 54 years of age on average, with as yet untreated elevated blood pressures.   Each person was sequentially fed three diets emphasizing either protein, fat, or carbohydrate.  All diets included fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fiber while avoiding saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  Participants showed immediate improvement with reduced signs of cardiac damage no matter which of the diets they followed.     You can enjoy the same benefits if you regularly consume 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate your intake of other foods.  Make’s controlling your weight easy, doesn’t it?   Lara C. Kovell, Edwina H. Yeu

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/uNabJxQaMAo   When it comes to preventing the spread of the flu, a paper surgical mask works just as well as the N95 respirator mask costing 14 times more.  Both masks are readily available from Amazon.com.   A multi-site study, organized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the CDC, reviewed the spread of influenza when more than 2800 participants wore either the N95 respirator or the paper mask.  There were no significant differences when wearing either mask type during confirmed influenza occurrences.   The paper masks cost as little as 9 cents a piece, and can easily be worn if you are at high risk for the flu or if you have the flu and don’t want to infect others with whom you live or work.  They are available in decorator colors and designs.   Lewis J. Radonovich, Michael S. Simberkoff, Mary T. Bessesen, etal. N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Personnel. JAMA, 2019; 322 (9): 824 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2019.11645

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/FedQyWPCnNM   To induce tolerance to peanuts in those allergic to them, tiny amounts of peanut protein under the tongue, so called Sublingual Immunotherapy or SLIT, work better with fewer dangerous side effects than swallowing the peanuts or wearing a peanut patch.  Allergists at The University of North Carolina announce this conclusion from their ongoing study of 48 patients treated with daily tongue immunizations and followed over the past 8 years.   Two-thirds of the patients were successfully immunized so that they tolerated a reasonable peanut exposure without serious consequences.  The goal of peanut allergy therapy is to prevent a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction rather than to permit kids to safely ingest a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.   SLIT therapy for peanut allergy appears to be effective, safe, and cheap.  It will permit more kids to participate in more activities more freely without fear of impending disaster.   Edwin H. Kim et al. Long-term sublin

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/acnKKOtHZRc   It’s exercise doctrine that strength-boosting sessions should be followed by a protein shake to permit muscle recovery and reduce aches and pains.  Now a study from Britain’s University of Lincoln suggests that these shakes are no better than plain old carbohydrate drinks.   University exercise physiologists provided 30 male subjects with one of three drinks, a whey protein shake, a milk-based shake, or a carbohydrate drink.  The liquids looked and tasted the same.  When the results were decoded, all 3 drinks were associated with the same degree of muscle soreness and functional muscle recovery.   The researchers and other exercise nutritionists recommend foregoing post-exercise protein shakes in favor or eating real food that provides needed proteins, amino acids, and carbs.  They suggest eggs, oily fish such as tuna, meat, and soy.  Many of these are portable and can easily replace the shakes in your gym bag.   Thomas I Gee, Thomas J Woolrich, Mark F Smith. Effectiven

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/h7tCnOJJpvM   One-third of middle school and high school students are exposed to the lung-sickening toxins that spew from electronic cigarettes smoked by their peers.  This warning comes from Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the analysis of data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey for 2018.   The numbers of students who report inhaling the fumes generated by their friends’ vaping devices has risen by 30% compared with reports from the 3 previous years.  These second-hand aerosols contain addicting nicotine, toxic heavy metals, carcinogenic aldehydes, irritating glycerol, and the antifreeze propylene glycol.   Vaping damages lungs, and it is producing a generation of pulmonary cripples.  If a teen won’t stop vaping to save themselves, they should do it for their friends.   Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "Exposure to second-hand e-cigarettes increasing among young people: A national survey shows one-third of middle and high-school students exposed to second-hand e-cigarett

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/S9WDXawVQMQ   Systemic therapy with estrogens, progesterones, or a combination of both can more than double a post-menopausal woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.  This frightening warning comes from a collaborative study just published in The Lancet.   The research focused on nearly 107,000 postmenopausal breast cancer patients half of whom had received hormonal therapy.  The more hormones a woman receives and the longer she receives them will drive up the risk of cancer from a low of 17% for a 1-4 year course of estrogen alone up to 230% for estrogen-progestin combo therapy taken for 5-14 years.  The only hormonal therapy that did not increase cancer risk was topical vaginal therapy.     This sobering study is proof positive that menopausal systemic hormonal therapy is dangerous.  Women suffering from severe menopausal symptoms have found significant relief from moisturizing topical agents, counseling, anti-depressants, Vitamin E, and acupuncture.   Raja Dhar et al. Type and

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JAh9odm_68c   Electric scooters are all the rage, but their use in the US and around the world has fostered an epidemic of injuries.  A study by surgeons at UC-San Diego shows that most scooter disasters occur when their users drink alcohol, use drugs, and fail to wear helmets.   The investigators tabulated eScooter-related admissions to their emergency department over just one year.  The 103 patients with an average age of 37 years were two-thirds male.  Only 2% of them were wearing helmets, half of them were legally drunk, and at least 30% had a positive drug screen.  One-third of the patients admitted went to the operating room for treatment of intracranial bleeding, severe extremity fractures, or facial fractures.     EScooters provide convenient, alternative transportation, but their use on urban streets requires intense vigilance, a choice of quiet streets, a clear mind, and a helmet-protected brain.   Leslie M Kobayashi, Elliot Williams, Carlos V Brown, Brent J Emigh, Vishal

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wbftavTqh_w   Eat nuts, virtually any type of nuts, twice a week, and you’ll cut your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 17%.  That’s the bottom line from an Iranian study just presented to the World Congress of Cardiology.   Nearly 5500 participants 35 years or older who were disease-free at study onset were followed for 12 years.  Their consumption of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, and seeds as well as their incidence of fatal and non-fatal heart disease and stroke were tabulated.   Nuts are a great source of unsaturated, healthy fat, but they also contain lots of protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  The recommended nut consumption is 30 grams of unsalted, raw nuts a day, and that’s one-quarter cup.   European Society of Cardiology. "Eating nuts linked with lower risk of fatal heart attack and stroke." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 August 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190831155847.htm   #Nuts #cardiovasculardisease #stroke  

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/-I3_f7U00RU   The Impossible Burger, Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage, and Tyson’s Raised and Rooted Chicken Nuggets are all the rage.  Besides the debate about the taste and the genetically-engineered content of these plant-based products compared with the meats they replace, a UK nutritionist sounds the alarm in the British Medical Journal that exclusive use of meatless foods threatens a choline deficiency that could cause brain damage.   Choline is an essential brain-building nutrient that our bodies cannot synthesize in sufficient quantities, and most of us obtain it from meat and fish.  It is necessary for brain health and particularly critical for the developing fetal brain.  The minimum daily intake is 425 mg for women, 550 mg for men, and 450-550 mg for pregnant and breastfeeding women.   Pregnant women should avoid plant-based meat and fish fakes in order to maintain a healthy choline intake.  They and those of us who do use the plant-based products can boost our choline in

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/BTotDqF8O1U   Even if your parents suffered a heart attack at a young age, you can avoid that fate.  Lack of exercise, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes are more important than genetic factors when it comes to the early development of cardiovascular disease.     This conclusion stems from a Portuguese study just presented to the European Society of Cardiology.  The researchers analyzed data from just over 1,000 mostly male patients under the age of 50 half of whom had developed premature coronary artery disease.  The tabulated results showed that 73% of those who did fall ill had at least 3 of the 5 risk factors versus only 31% of the healthy controls.  The probability that a young person will fall victim to heart disease rises even higher by a factor of 3 with the addition of 1 more risk factor, escalates 7 fold with two more factors,, and soars 24 times higher with 3 additional factors.   Since lifestyle factors far outweigh any genetically-controlled family histo

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/RU0P15Rlw1M   Women who are walkers, live near green spaces in temperate to warm climates, eat only moderate amounts of fish, and avoid BPA-containing plastic water bottles are more likely to have kids with normal blood pressures during mid to late childhood.  Spanish researchers just published these finding in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.   The investigators studied nearly 1300 mother-child pairs from across Europe for whom data was available from their gestational periods through 6-11 years of age.  Their findings confirm and extend previous work that emphasizes the value of exercise, dietary moderation, avoidance of known toxins, and time spent outdoors in the clean air of green spaces.   Normal blood pressure during childhood, like normal body weight, normal cholesterol and lipid levels, and frequent exercise, is critically important for preventing mid-life heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and early death.   Charline Warembourg, Léa Maitre, Ibon Tama

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/uhyKeeSPw4o   Here comes another loud cheer for sleep moderation from the Harvard-MIT Broad Biomedical Institute, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the UK’s University of Manchester.  Those sleeping fewer than 6 hours a night had a 20% higher heart attack risk, but sleeping longer than 9 hours was even more dangerous elevating the risk of heart attack by 34%.   The researchers studied more than 460,000 subjects 40-69 years of age with sleep, cardiovascular, genetic as well as 27 other categories of data in Britain’s huge Biobank The large size of the study group permitted the investigators to isolate the impact of sleep on cardiovascular disease.  Sleep is such a powerful body rejuvenator that the proper amount of it can even help to neutralize those genetic factors that predispose many to heart attacks.    Hours of sleep is another of those health numbers to track regularly.  Add it to weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and calories burned in order to keep the machine that

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5H_y0xIrTgo Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries that you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy.   Here are this weeks stories : Listening Equal To Reading For Comprehending Information Dogs Help Your Heart Smartphone Use Not Driving Our Teens Crazy After All Polluted Air Kills You Faster Any Physical Activity Cuts Risk of Early Death A Your Partner IS An Excellent Pain Killer Heavy Drinking Curbs Immunity To HIV Don’t Sugar-coat Your Cancer Risk Zinc Boosts Resistance To Bacterial Pneumonia Women Do Have Typical Heart Attack Symptoms Simpler Parental Speech Speeds Baby’s Language Development Pomegranate Juice During Pregnancy Yields Healthier Neonate Brains Cannabis Flower The Most Effective Pain Reliever Green-space Drives Happiness Even Nicotine-Free, Flavor-Free Vaping Is Toxic   For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/aug-2019-4th-week-health-news #Reading #listening #comprehension

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/T3LMa31YJEk   It’s all over the news: currently more than 200 mostly young people have been hospitalized with life-threatening respiratory illness.  At least one of them has died.     A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that even vaping once without any nicotine leads to significant blood vessel lining damage.   The study analyzed 31 healthy non-smoking adults before and after vaping a single e-cigarette that did not contain nicotine but only the usual propylene glycol-glycerol base with tobacco flavoring added. Each participant took only 16-3-second puffs.   Even this limited exposure drove a 34% reduction in major arterial dilatation, a 17% reduction in peak blood flow, a 20% reduction in venous oxygenation, and a 26% reduction in blood acceleration.  The electric heating and vaporization process converts the e-cigarette liquids into toxic substances that damage blood vessels.   Don’t use these devices.  If you want to quit smoking and need to withdraw from nicot