Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/EoNbGsjDUns   A visit to your favorite park can give you a happiness boost equivalent to Christmas.  In a first-of-its-kind-study, a University of Vermont study analyzed the word contents of tweets from nearly 4700 users as a function of their publicly identified geolocation.   Those users in the largest green spaces with the most vegetation used the happiest words in their tweets.   They also tended show less narcissism dropping the use of first person pronouns such as “I” and “me.”    Their burst of happiness on Twitter was statistically equivalent to that coming from users over the traditional winter holiday.  The park visit even showed a positive tail, since tweets following the visit used fewer negative words.   The researchers caution that the “twitter-addicted” may not always be representative of the population at large.  I’d take that chance, and get yourself out into the great outdoors.  So many other studies have demonstrated the benefits of frequent visits with good ol’ M

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/luh_-YXmVT8   Cannabis does relieve pain, the most effective pain relief comes from whole cannabis flower, and the products most likely to help with pain are those with the highest THC rather than CBD content.  These are the conclusions from a University of New Mexico study that analyzed data contributed by nearly 3000 users of the ReleafApp.     This Releaf app contains the largest available database of outcomes from patient self-directed cannabis administration.  It captures information about the product used, the beneficial effects, and any side effects and complications.   The researchers looked at more than 20,000 cannabis administrations.  The average pain reduction recorded was 3 on a 10 point scale, and cannabis containing THC worked well for musculoskeletal, headache, nerve, and gastrointestinal pain.  The bad news is that the psychoactive THC products did drive more temporary cognitive and functional impairment along with a longer-term addiction risk.   If you do suffer fr

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/z6pAYo_JlkU   Babies at risk for abnormal brain development showed improved tissue microstructure and better functional connectivity when their pregnant mothers consumed pomegranate juice on a daily basis.  These startling results of a preliminary study are being rushed into publication by neonatologists at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.   The team there conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blind study of 78 pregnant women whose developing babies were diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction at 24-34 weeks.  These growth issues are associated with placental malfunction.     Half the group received a 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily while the controls were served a placebo with an identical taste and color.  Pomegranate juice’s anti-oxidant polyphenols are known to cross both the placenta and the blood-brain barrier.   When the neonate brains were analyzed with MRIs at 36-41 weeks, those babies whose mothers received the pomegranate juice were spared some nega

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/qpSt1Nj92lM   When parents simply their speech by using single word replies, shorter sentences, and fewer new words, infants develop language faster.  This observation comes from a Cornell University study just published in the Journal of Child Language.   Pediatric behavioral specialists there studied the vocalizations of 30 infant-mother pairs on two consecutive days.  They discovered that when many parents responded to their baby’s babbling, they tended to simply their language output.  Those infants whose parents did streamline their speech showed accelerated vocal maturation even in the short run.   The study shows that babies actually cue their parents to present language to them in a form they can easily digest.  If you want your own infant’s language skills to soar, follow their lead by responding to their babbling and consistently serving up bite sized language “snacks.”   Steven L. Elmlinger, Jennifer A. Schwade, Michael H. Goldstein. The ecology of prelinguistic vocal lea

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ippJoLK0hZU   I learned in med school and then read over and over again that women have different and more subtle heart attack symptoms compared with men.  Cardiologists often warn not to expect the crushing left-sided chest and arm pains if you want to make a clinical diagnosis in women.   A Scottish study, just published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, now labels this medical orthodoxy a medical myth.  Researchers at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary studied the presenting symptoms of 274 heart attack victims diagnosed by the gold standard cardiac muscle protein troponin test.  Ninety-three percent of both men and women had chest pain and 48-49 percent of each gender had pain radiating to the left.  Women did have more pain traveling to the jaw and back as well as nausea, but men also had the gastrointestinal symptom heartburn and also reported back pain.   The assumption that women only have atypical heart attack symptoms has led to delayed diagnoses and over 8,000

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Z2X7Kvrpd9U   Zinc boosts the body’s immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium that causes  most community-acquired pneumonia.  A just-published Australian study used a mouse model to find out just how zinc works its magic.   Finding that zinc-deficient animals fell victim to Pneumococcal pneumonia 3 times faster than normal mice, the researchers were able to show that serum zinc stresses the bacteria permitting the body’s immune cells to kill them effectively.   Nearly 2 billion people around the world suffer from a zinc deficiency.  Although we now have very effective vaccines against the pneumococcus, Prevnar 13 and 23, zinc also plays a role in our immunity to other bacteria.  You can boost your own zinc by eating beans, mushrooms, dark chocolate, nuts, oysters, beef, lamb, shrimp and scallops.   Bart A. Eijkelkamp, Jacqueline R. Morey, Stephanie L. Neville, etal. Dietary zinc and the control of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. PLOS Pathogens, 2019; 15 (8): e

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/aOaBxMvc6dE   Gobbling sugar may trigger diabetes but also cancer.  A study from California’s City of Hope Medical Center, investigating the link between type 2 diabetes and cancer, discovered that the high blood sugar levels seen in diabetics can trigger DNA damage and prevent repair.   The studies of both diabetic mice and human type 2 diabetics showed not only markers of DNA damage but also lower than normal levels of reparative proteins that can eliminate the cancer-triggering DNA damage.      Diabetics, as a matter of course, try to maintain normal blood sugar levels.   The drug metformin, used by type 2 diabetics to lower blood sugar, has the added benefit of restoring those DNA reparative proteins.   This study suggests yet another reason why all of us should put a damper on our own sugar intakes by soft-peddling those desserts and candy bars.   American Chemical Society. "How diabetes can increase cancer risk: DNA damaged by high blood sugar." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Wuw8pTzG7KA   Men and women infected with HIV should avoid drinking to excess.  This recommendation comes from immunologic studies completed at the Boston University School of Medicine.   The researchers there tested a group of HIV-positive subjects and determined their immune competence by assessing 3 individual processes: systemic inflammation, monocyte activation, and atypical coagulation..  Their levels of alcohol consumption were quantitated by a phosphatidyl-ethanol determination that quantitates alcohol consumption episodes for 21 days afterwards.   Those men and women with more alcohol in their blood showed more significantly altered immune function.  The drinking upper limit for women was 3/drinks a day and for men was 3-4 drinks a day.  Keep in mind also that a 2015 Yale study did show that HIV-infected men are more sensitive to the negative effects of alcohol than the uninflected.   These and other studies indicate the need for those with HIV to be ultra-careful about the

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/fRevpx6l9UQ   In the search for pain control in light of the current opioid epidemic, you need look no further than your significant other.  A small study just published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain shows that even the passive presence of your partner will help you better cope with pain.   The researchers studied 48 heterosexual couples and assessed the response of each partner to a painful pressure stimulus when alone or in the presence of the other.  The data reveals that both men and women demonstrated higher pain thresholds, better pain tolerance, and lower pain perception when in the presence of their partners than when alone.  This was true even in the absence of physical contact or verbal communication.   The next time you’re about to reach for that Tylenol, Advil, or aspirin, instead try reaching for your lover’s hand.   Stefan Duschek, Lena Nassauer, Casandra I. Montoro, Angela Bair, Pedro Montoya. Dispositional empathy is associated with experimental pain reduction

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Fo8xdLfLWwE   Moving your body regularly, even slowly and casually, will double your chances of avoiding early death.  This good news comes from a Norwegian meta-analysis of 8 studies covering more than 36,000 subjects.   Compared with those who reported negligible extra physical activity, those with some, say routine walking enjoyed a mortality reduction of 52%,  those with more activity, say regular brisk walking, a reduction of 66%, and those following a more vigorous exercise routine a reduction of 73%.  In contrast, the confirmed sedentary couch potatoes more than doubled their risk of premature death.   Once again, we see proof that exercise is THE best medicine for your body.  It keeps your weight in line without starving yourself, it tones your muscles, it strengthens your bones, and it increases blood flow to your vital organs in turn improving your brain, heart, and digestive functions.   Ulf Ekelund, Jakob Tarp, Jostein Steene-Johannessen, Bjørge H Hansen, etal. Dose-resp

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/bGmAxYkLFr4   In the largest study of its kind just published in The New England Journal of Medicine, multinational public health researchers prove that even short term exposures to inhaled pollutants is associated with higher mortality rates.   The study looked some 652 urban areas in 24 countries and regions evaluating their air quality data and 30 year death rates due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and all-causes.  The results conclusively prove that higher concentrations of air pollutants is associated with elevated death rates in all categories.     How can you use this information?  When you look at the weather info on your phone, watch, or computer, focus on the air quality as well as the temperatures and rain probability.  On days where air quality is poor,  do avoid spending time outdoors. Spending more time in clean country air won’t kill you either.   Cong Liu, Renjie Chen, Francesco Sera, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, etal. Ambient Particulate Air Pollution an

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ypwilC6A8ec   A number of studies indict smartphone use for triggering an adolescent mental health decline.  Not so fast say a group of university psychologists in a study just published by the journal Clinical Psychological Science.   The investigators closely followed a group of 388 kids 10-15 years of age, both socioeconomically and racially diverse, who attended North Carolina public schools.  They collected data on mental health symptoms as well as personal tech usage at baseline and over a 2 week period.  Their data set included more than 13,000 total observations over nearly 5300 study days.   The tabulated results demonstrated no short-term correlation between intensity of smartphone use and feelings of isolation or depression.  Even those with a greater risk for mental health issues did not experience them on days of higher phone use.   The psychologists conclude that parents should stop trying to limit smartphone or tablet use and instead support their teens online and off

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/VT_6z3ohyks   Dog owners are more likely than owners of other pets or non-pet owners to have a healthy heart and to keep it that way.  This conclusion comes from a study just published by the Mayo Clinic’s Division Of Preventive Cardiology.   Looking at nearly 1800 subjects without a history of heart problems, the investigators tabulated their cardiac risk factors including physical activity, body mass index, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status.  Those with the best overall cardiovascular health profiles were dog owners though owners of other pets scored higher than non-pet owners.   Dog owners scored highest in large part due to their greater level of physical activity walking and playing with their pets.  The exercise tends to keep their weight and other factors in line.  Other studies have shown that dog ownership is associated with less social isolation and optimal mental health.   So, if you can, add a dog to your life.  That life may just be longer and more fu

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nXAsJvs5q4k   You’ll absorb just as much information from listening to a book as reading it.  This is the conclusion from a UC-Berkeley in which researchers used MRI scans of participants to create so-called 3D semantic maps that represented the brain’s processing of word-based information.   When the captured data was decoded, the investigators were surprised to find that the semantic maps of those listening to stories were almost identical to the maps generated by the brains of those reading the same story.  Those of you who love audio books and podcasts will now have some scientific evidence to back up your intuition.   Semantic mapping techniques will soon be used to study those with dyslexia and auditory processing impairment.  Hopefully the data will lead to more effective therapy for these problems as well as for victims of stroke, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.   Ana F. Palenciano, Carlos González-García, Juan E. Arco, Luiz Pessoa and María Ruz.  Representational orga

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Lpgg9Nl5I10   I’m Dr. Howard Smith, PENTA Medical Network, reporting from NYC with the Health News Roundup for the 3rd week of AUGUST, 2019.   This is 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 : Medicate Mildly Asthmatic Kids Only When Needed Those With Sleepless Nights May Suffer Heart Attacks and Strokes Binge Drinking More Dangerous To Females A Cellphone Break Is No Break At All Does Bossing Around Alexa and Siri Makes Us Rude To Each Other? Virtual Reality Can Curb Pain American Stroke Care Is Substandard Nordic Walking Aids Breast Cancer Surgery Rehab Obesity-Related Cancers Strike Younger People Marijuana Legalization Drives More Poisonings Bullying Is Deadly Surgery May Impair Your Thinking Half Of Patients Lie To Their Doctors Kids Having Tonsillectomies Are Prescribed Unnecessary Narcotics Marijuana Use Contributes To Alcoholism For show notes and references to for the

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/LNri2WQPAnQ   Cannabis users who also use alcohol are more likely to drink heavily and more frequently.  This is the conclusion from Penn State researchers who surveyed more than 1,000 subjects between the ages of 18 and 25 years about their use of alcohol, marijuana, and the two together.   Those who used the two drugs simultaneously, so-called SAM users, consumed nearly 3.5 times more alcohol, drank 2.4 times more often, drank for 1.7 times more hours, and consumed twice as many drinks on days when they were drinking.  SAM users were predominately younger, male, White, college students past or present, and not living at home.  Nearly two-thirds of SAM users drank and used 2-4 times a week.   One of the chief rationales for legalizing recreational marijuana is that it is safer than alcohol.  It may be safer but not healthier according to some recent studies I’ve reported.  In any event, overusing both together is a recipe for disaster and a premature descent into addictive multi-su

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7PXOk2UMWz0   Sixty percent of children having their tonsils removed are prescribed opioids for 6 to 10 days following the surgery.  This fact comes from study by University of Michigan of nearly 16,000 children ages 1 to 18 years who underwent surgery from 2016 until 2018.   This prescribing pattern flies in the face of American Academy of Otolaryngology guidelines that suggest using NSAIDS such as ibuprofen in place of narcotics.  The study confirms that use of these addicting pain killers does not reduce post-operative hospital visits for pain or dehydration.  The data instead show that narcotics do cause painful constipation and sometimes tragic overdoses.   Having performed thousands of tonsillectomies myself during my 40 years practicing pediatric otolaryngology, I know that narcotic pain medicine can be avoided with the appropriate use of  the T&T plan: Tylenol and Twinkies, a sugar and carb-laden postoperative diet.  I also reject the use of blood-thinning NSAIDs which s

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/M8KGl6VRPSk   A whopping 48% of persons who are victims of the big four, domestic violence, sexual assault, depression, or suicidal thoughts refuse to reveal this fact and ask for help.  A collaborative study of some 4500 subjects questioned in two online surveys was just published in JAMA Open Network.   Digging deeper into the data, the investigators showed that 70% of those concealing these vital pieces of information did so due to embarrassment and fear of being judged.  Then, about half of those avoiding disclosure did so because they didn’t want to commit to follow-up therapy such as counseling sessions or anti-depression medications or they fearing having such information in their medical records.   These findings show the need for better sensitivity and communication skill training for clinicians so that patients feel comfortable sharing their intimate secrets.  Beyond that, there must be iron-clad guarantees of confidentiality.  The clinician-patient privilege must become a

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/j0AMNiPTals   One in every 14 persons over the age of 65 who undergoes even seemingly risk-free elective surgery may suffer a silent or covert stroke that can permanently impair their cognitive powers or worse.  This warning comes from a Canadian study just published in The Lancet.   Covert strokes are those without obvious symptoms including paralysis, weakness, speech degradation, or visual problems.   Population health scientists at McMaster University studied more than 1100 patients treated in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand.  All patients underwent brain MRI scanning within 9 days of their surgery and were followed for a year to determine their cognitive abilities.  Of the 7% of patients that sustained silent strokes, 42% demonstrated a cognitive decline.  Even worse, 29% of those who didn’t suffer a stroke also developed impaired brain function.   Adding it all up, nearly 30% of the elders undergoing elective surgery developed post-operative mental decline.  If you

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/MatgZ2Jd0-U   Teens who have been bullied are 3 times more likely to have attempted suicide than those who have not be victimized.  This fact is true for adolescents around the world according to a recently published data analysis culled from more than 130,000 adolescents 12 through 15 years by the World Health Organizations Student Health Survey.   The risk of suicide increases with the numbers of bullying incidents a child has sustained.  In the most extreme cases, being bullied on the majority of school days drives up the suicide risk more than 5 times.   This study shows that bullying can be a death sentence for the victims.  Its findings will serve as a basis for convicting bullies of felony murder thereby ruining the lives of at least two teens and their families.    If you are aware that your child is a bully, put an immediate stop to their behavior before they too become victim of their own bad acts.   Ai Koyanagi, Hans Oh, Andre F. Carvalho, Lee Smith, Josep Maria Haro, Dav