Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/miGgyaFQSdw If you are having a baby, try to do it during the day on a weekday.  A new study from the Colorado State University reviews data from more than 2 million Texas births over a 5 year period and pinpoints the riskiest times to give birth. Obstetric complications are nearly 30% higher on holidays, about 20% higher during night shifts,  and 9% higher on weekends.  If you deliver in a teaching hospital in July when the new residents first arrive, the complication risk is an average of 28% higher.  Hospitals are sites where medical miracles occur, but, given the nature of human frailty and exhaustion, so too can medical mishaps.  When you or a family member is hospitalized, keep your eyes open and advocate for your own best interests in a friendly way.  Then, if you can, try to avoid those holidays, nights, and weekends. #birthcomplications #obstetriccomplications #nights #weekends #holidays #healthnews Sammy Zahran, David Mushinski, Hsueh-Hsiang Li, Ian Breunig, Sophie Mckee. C

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Wp6JvfrTXrk Keeping your head, hands, and body busy in middle age pays off big later in life.  The latest pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is that your risk of dementia drops by nearly 35 to more than 50 percent.   This finding comes from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg’s study of 800 women who were followed from their mid-forties well into their nineties. The physically active women were 34 % less likely to develop dementia than their inactive peers.  Their activities included intense exercise such as running and swimming but also lighter physical pursuits such as biking, walking, bowling, or gardening. The more intellectually active women enjoyed a 46 percent lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and a 34% lower incidence of any dementia.  Their activities were reading writing, needlework, attending shows and concerts, singing in a choir, and painting. I end each of my news reports with the suggestion that a smile on your face, an active mind, and your body in motion are t

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/HlSz7GuNKNQ Teen hypertension doubles the risk of end stage renal failure later in life.  A study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at more than 1.5 million candidates for Israeli military service.  Of this group, nearly 8000 were found to have elevated blood pressures. Those with hypertension were predominately male and half were overweight or obese.  They were followed for nearly 20 years.  Teen hypertension doubled the risk of eventual kidney failure, a need for dialysis, and a possible kidney transplant even for those who were not overweight. Elevated blood pressures in children have become more common as the rate of childhood and adolescent obesity skyrockets.  Pediatricians now recommend that every child over the age of 3 years should have their blood pressures checked annually.   If their pressures are elevated, they should be measured at every visit and treated aggressively initially with lifestyle changes such as weight reduction, dietary modification, exercise

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nzwEnrwCHOo We all must screen for colon cancer.   New data suggests that  you might be able to use a simple chemical test at home to replace that nasty bowel prep followed by either colonoscopy under anesthesia or a CT scan.   A meta-analysis by Indiana University of some 31 studies testing more than 120,000 persons shows that the so called FIT test, the fecal immunochemical test, is so sensitive and specific that it may be used on an annual basis by many of us in place of the screening colonoscopy. The FIT test may be purchased over the counter online for $10 to $30 and looks specifically for a chemical trace of blood in the stool. You need not follow any special diet or avoid any medications before using the test.   Each FIT test is different.  With some, you simply place a bit of stool on the test surface and cover the zone before dropping on developing liquid or mailing it off to the lab.  With others, you toss an indicator strip into the toilet bowl with the stool and watch for

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Efh0GI3jE1o There is an acute shortage of hearts for transplant, but the University of Pennsylvania’s transplant team is increasing the supply with a treatment that allows use of organs from donors infected with the Hepatitis C virus.   The clinicians treated a group of 10 heart transplant patients who developed positive tests for hepatitis C with a 3 month course of Zepatier, a two drug combo medication.  One of the patients suffered an unrelated rejection crisis, but the other 9 were cured of their hepatitis C and demonstrated excellent cardiac function. As we live longer, more of use suffer from tired hearts, better known as congestive heart failure.  Last year, more than 3000 hearts were transplanted, but more than double that number were left behind on the waiting list.  Innovative programs like Penn’s and the future use of genetically transformed pig hearts may hopefully shorten and eventually eliminate that list. One more thing.  In this day of astronomically high drug prices

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3vS3ihs_e38 Want a mental boost in 20 short minutes?  It’s a simple as getting off your couch and visiting a nearby park.  If you prefer, you don’t even need to exercise to get the benefit. Researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s Department of Occupational Therapy document a significant improvement in emotional well-being for those who choose to visit one of three local parks.  They tabulated the results and found that the benefits would accrue even to those unable to pursue physical activities due to disability. If you think about it, you’ll be surprised to find just how close a green space is to your home or work.  Get over there, clear your mind, and take a 20 minute or longer mental vacation. #greenspace #urbanpark #relaxation #healthnews  Hon K. Yuen, Gavin R. Jenkins. Factors associated with changes in subjective well-being immediately after urban park visit. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2019.1577368

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/5btUv84ceEY Parents who do drugs have kids that use them as well.  This the conclusion of a study from Columbia University’s psychiatry department that looked at 35,000 parent-child pairings. When a either parent is a user, there is a 30 percent chance that one of their children is also hooked.  The risk factor is even higher for mothers alone as 62 percent of drug-using mother’s kids also use drugs.  Additional risk factors for child addiction include smoking, marijuana use, depression, peer pressure, and older age. We are parents are powerful role models, good and bad, for our kids.  If you can’t avoid drug use for yourself, do it for your children. #parenting #parentchild #drugs #healthnews Griesler PC, Hu M, Wall MM, et al. Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use by Parents and Adolescents in the US. Pediatrics. 2019;143(3):e20182354

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/oNGOsHFbQDA The rate of drug overdose deaths in the US is 27 times higher than those in Italy and Japan and twice as high as those for Finland and Sweden who have the highest rates next to ours.   A review from the USC also warns that our 3.5 times higher drug overdose death rate is lowering Americans’ average life expectancy compared with other industrialized and wealthy nations.  At present, Americans live more than 2.5 fewer years on average compared with those in other high-income countries. You no doubt know that there is a national campaign against opioid use.  You can do your part by only requesting and using non-narcotic pain medications after injuries or surgery.  If you do require narcotics or know someone who does, be certain to have a supply of the antidote Narcan on hand in the event an overdose occurs. #drugoverdose #opioids #narcotics #drug deaths #healthnews  Jessica Y. Ho. The Contemporary American Drug Overdose Epidemic in International Perspective. Population and D

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/yeOWPF7rmuE Food with lots of sugar and fat is associated with significant psychologic distress.  This conclusion comes from a study of nearly quarter million Californians participating in the California Health Interview Survey. The study showed that nearly 17 percent of Californians had psychological distress associated with frequently consuming unhealthy foods.  Other factors such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status were less important. This represents more proof that “you are what you eat.”  To maintain your weight and your health, stick with clean foods: fruits and vegetables with the addition of chicken and fish as protein sources. #junkfood #fats #sugars #neurosis #psychologicdistress #healthnews  Jim E. Banta, Gina Segovia-Siapco, Christine Betty Crocker, Danielle Montoya, Noara Alhusseini. Mental health status and dietary intake among California adults: a population-based survey. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2019.157

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/jYta_STVrhg I hate to be a nag, but a new study from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital now adds avoiding arthritis to the already long list of reasons to quit smoking or never start.  The researchers looked at data from nearly a quarter million women participating in the Brigham’s Nurse’s Study and focused in on the nearly 1500 with so-called rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  Compared with non-smokers, smokers were 47% more likely to have developed RA.  The more packs per day that they smoked, the higher the risk. Smokers with RA who quit for good showed a reduction in arthritis risk after 5 years and a substantial 37% risk reduction by 30 years.   The risk improvement was most notable for those with auto-antibodies, so-called seropositive RA. Here’s one more reason to avoid smoking.   The more we learn, the longer the list becomes. #smoking #arthritis #healthnews Xinyi Liu, Sara K. Tedeschi, Medha Barbhaiya, Cianna L. Leatherwood, Cameron B. Speyer, Bing Lu, Karen H. Costenbader, Eliz

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/j39J8Pg4EgQ Your soap or toothpaste, touted to be fortified with antibacterial powers, will ironically arm any bacteria entering your body to resist commonly prescribed antibiotics.   A new study from Washington University-St. Louis shows that the triclosan added to toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics, clothing, baby toys, and even plastic cards in hopes of reducing bacteria growth actually protects the bugs from dying after exposure to common antibiotics like ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin.  Worse yet, triclosan hangs around in the body for long periods of time. The FDA warned against adding triclosan to soap two years ago, but it’s still being added to other products.  This is yet another reason for you to carefully read product labels.   Avoid buying any product containing triclosan.  You’ll find a long list on beyondpesticides.org. #triclosan #cosmetics #toothpaste #antibiotic #healthnews Corey Westfall, Ana Lidia Flores-Mireles, John Isaac Robinson, Aaron J.L. Lynch, Scott Hultgren,

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/QbvCjKTHBag Here’s another reason for you to put down that salt shaker.  Immunologists at the Technical University of Munich report that higher concentrations of sodium chloride, better known as table salt, turbocharges T cells increasing their production of the inflammatory mediators interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 and helping them go rogue. Such rogue T-cells are at the heart of atopic dermatitis, a common allergy-mediated skin condition.  It turns out that atopic dermatitis is also associated with a 30 fold higher concentration of skin salt compared with that in normal skin.  The extra salt turns out to be doubly unhealthy as it not only triggers T-cell overactivity but also growth of that nasty bacterium Staph aureus. There is plenty of natural salt in the food we eat so don’t pile on more.  If you want more flavor, use seasonings and spices that won’t throw your bodies machinery out of whack. #salt #Tcells #atopicdermatitis #healthnews J. Matthias el al., "Sodium is an ionic ch

Vidcast:https://youtu.be/nuCPMtRIhI4 Johns Hopkins investigators, surveying US consumer behaviors, reports that more than half of those questioned had key misconceptions about the date labeling found on food.  As a result, US Agriculture Department estimates nearly one-third of food is wasted at the retail and consumer levels. The latest standards for food labeling use the term “Best if used by” to indicate the date after which food’s quality and taste may decline.  In contrast, the term “Use by” is the date after which it is unsafe to consume the food. The Hopkins study also reveals how likely people are to respond to the date warnings.  Nearly 70% of respondents tossed raw chicken on time, a little over 60% discarded deli meats or prepared foods, and only 49% dumped soft cheese.   These stats are worrisome since deli meats and soft cheeses have a high risk of bacterial contamination with listeria as they sit in the fridge.  On the other hand, raw chicken will be safe even after the expiration date if you th

Vidcast:https://youtu.be/TsI8ZjCiebU Our cells, like our homes, fill up with garbage very fast.  The latest research from Harvard Medical School reveals that vigorous exercise and even some fasting will help our cells with their housekeeping duties of removing damaged, toxic, and unnecessary proteins. Previous studies have shown that the signal for flushing your cells is the messenger molecule cyclic-AMP.  This new discovery that exercise triggers the dumping junk proteins from the cell is almost certainly explained by that fact that exercise bumps up your adrenalin and that, in turn, triggers a burst of cyclic-AMP. Since cell garbage plays a key role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as well as storage diseases like amyloidosis, it may well be that prevention of these dread diseases can be added to the list of exercise’s benefits. #exercise #cellcleansing #cAMP #Alzheimers #Parkinsons #healthnews Jordan J. S. VerPlank, Sudarsanareddy Lokireddy, Jinghui Zhao, Alfred L. Goldberg

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/2qepToTtCWM Our shoulders take a lot of abuse, and the latest statistics reveal a 6-fold increase in shoulder replacement surgery over the past 20 years.  You’re probably thinking...so what.  We can replace any joint at will, and there is already a good track record for hip and knee replacements. The problem is that joint replacements don’t last.  They wear out, like any mechanical device. The latest study from the University of Oxford’s orthopedic surgeons reveals that nearly one in four young men will require ultimately a revision of their shoulder surgery, and the artificial shoulders fail most often during the first 5 years after placement.  Trying to revise shoulder replacements can be complicated and risky.  Living bone and metal replacement parts don’t always play nice with each other. Shoulder replacements aren’t the only artificial joints that fail or wear out.  Hip and knee replacements each only last about 10-20 years.   The overwhelming driver of replacement joint failure

Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.     Here are the headlines: Shoulder Replacement Surgery Needs Repeating Exercise Helps Your Body Take Out The Trash You May Be Throwing Away Good Food Salty Food May Trigger Allergy Common Over-The-Counter Antibacterial Deactivates Antibiotics Junk Food Will Drive You Crazy US Drug Overdoses Higher Than Other Wealthy Nations Parental and Child Illegal Drug Use Linked An Urban Park Will Lift Your Spirits More Hearts For Transplantation Stool Testing Can Replace Colonoscopy Teen High Blood Pressure Leads To Later Kidney Failure Middle Age Activity Reduces Later Dementia Risk Birth Complications Higher Nights, Weekends, and Holidays TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: Savor Throughout Life For more information, you’ll find all the references for the stories and a copy of show notes on my website at:  https://www.drhowardsmith.com/feb-2019-4th-week-health-news  

Vidcast:https://youtu.be/6c2OtDkNREE Exposing autistic children to situations they instinctively avoid in a safe, virtual environment permits at least 45% of them to conquer their fears and phobias.  A study from Newcastle University just published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders utilizes an immersive projection video environment called the Blue Room with images the kids themselves can control. The study tested 32 autistic children from 8 to 14 years of age with various fears including fears of buses, airplanes, and even dogs.  A total of 40% of children showed improvement after two weeks and 45% of them did well after 6 months of treatment with personalized video scenarios.   One dramatic story involves an 8 year old named Harry.  His fear of dogs was so severe that he would hysterically run across a road to avoid one, and he was oblivious to traffic.   After a total of 4 sessions, Harry became so comfortable with dogs that his family bought him his own.  The his fear of canines never re

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/OeVhgDxUB-g Vaginal yeast infections are all too common and during pregnancy are frequently treated with oral fluconazole or the branded Diflucan.  New data from over 400,000 pregnancies in Quebec reviewed at the University of Montreal shows that any dose of oral fluconazole is associated with a higher incidence of miscarriage. Fluconazole is known for its induction of lethal genetic defects including heart defects as well as miscarriage, but most warnings about the drug mention doses of the drug higher than 400-800 mg per day.  The current study shows that congenital cardiac defects arose after exposures to 150 mg per day or above during early pregnancy, and, let me repeat, any dose of oral fluconazole is associated with a higher incidence of miscarriage. Once again, the byword is that any oral medications during pregnancy should be avoided. #yeast #vaginitis #fluconazole #diflucan #miscarriage #cardiacdefects #healthnews #healthtips Anick Bérard, Odile Sheehy, Jin-Ping Zhao, Jessic

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3byI8yHsefY From the “you can’t legislate common sense or morality” department, a study just published in the International Journal of Drug Policy reveals no reduced consumption of marijuana in countries where cannabis use is illegal.  The investigators tabulated World Health Organization data covering more than 100,000 teens living in 38 countries including the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Russia. Those countries with more liberal marijuana policies did not experience higher rates of use.  This study was completed to check the conclusions of a 2015 study that predicted a rise in teen cannabis use with a drop in legal restraints. Marijuana is not innocuous.  If used and overused, it drives cognitive and productivity declines.  This week, other stories demonstrate its negative and lasting effect on the brain and its role in triggering heart attack.   Education and not legislation is the key to insuring responsible drug use. #cannabis #marijuanalegalization #education #healthne

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/HKIK6qwIJo8 One enduring challenge in human organ transplantation is detecting rejection crises early enough to save the transplanted organ with the administration of anti-rejection drugs such as high dose steroids.  Typically, rejection is diagnosed with biopsies. By the time a biopsy shows conclusive changes, much of the organ is often destroyed.  A new technique being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology may change all that. The diagnostic tool employs nanotechnology to build an ingenious probe that acts as an early warning beacon for organ rejection.  It is a nanoball with iron oxide in the middle, a sugar coating of dextran,  and some polyethylene glycol or antifreeze to prevent the body from quickly degrading it.  The ball is covered with amino acid florescent spikes.  These nanoballs are injected into the transplanted organs and remain there. As the transplant patient’s T cells bulk up to mount a rejection of a heart, liver, or kidney, they begin to produce the tox