Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/LXahZTaYegs   Your child is more likely to suffer a head injury biking or skate boarding than playing team sports like soccer, rugby, or basketball.  So says a Australian-New Zealand study of  20,000 plus kids presenting to emergency departments with head injuries.   Bike riding, skateboarding, and golf are 20 times more likely than rugby to produce a head injury.  Of the team sports, surprisingly only baseball and softball were the most dangerous accounting for 8% of the total head injuries.   Only you can instill your children with a 6th sense of impending danger.  Encourage them to play safely and use headgear.   Nitaa Eapen, Gavin A Davis, Meredith L Borland, Natalie Phillips, Ed Oakley, Stephen Hearps, Amit Kochar, Sarah Dalton, John Cheek, Jeremy Furyk, Mark D Lyttle, Silvia Bressan, Louise Crowe, Stuart Dalziel, Emma Tavender, Franz E Babl. Clinically important sport‐related traumatic brain injuries in children. Medical Journal of Australia, 2019; DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50311   #h

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/pTL7gMnka1s   Feeding your infant to excess triggers undesirable genetic changes that could condemn the child to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  Pediatricians and molecular geneticists at Texas’ Baylor College of Medicine now report that overfed mouse neonates develop lifelong DNA methylation abnormalities.   These genetic changes led to premature aging patterns of the pancreas.  That, in turn, produces less robust insulin production with diabetes and all its dire consequences.   Parental responsibility for good child nutrition begins at birth.  This study adds to other than emphasize that the effects of an unbalanced diet are difficult if not impossible to correct.   Ge Li, Tihomira D Petkova, Eleonora Laritsky, Noah Kessler, Maria S Baker, Shaoyu Zhu, Robert A Waterland. Early postnatal overnutrition accelerates aging-associated epigenetic drift in pancreatic islets. Environmental Epigenetics, 2019; 5 (3) DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz015   #Overfeeding #diabetes #DNAmethylation

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nt8CnzUfzIE   Protect your brains guys if you value your virility and sex lives.  The Harvard Football Players Study reports that repeated head trauma is associated with testosterone reductions and a risk of erectile problems or ED.   Included in the study were 3400 former football players.  Those with the highest concussion scores were 2.4 times more likely to have low testosterone and 1.7 times more likely to report ED.   If you played high school, college, or pro ball, don’t be shy about getting testosterone testing.   If you are counseling your sons about football, hockey, rugby, or soccer heading, have them pick a safer sport.   Grashow R, Weisskopf MG, Miller KK, et al. Association of Concussion Symptoms With Testosterone Levels and Erectile Dysfunction in Former Professional US-Style Football Players. JAMA Neurol. Published online August 26, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.2664   #Concussion #headtrauma #testosterone #erectivedysfunction

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/LVHpX2FdrEA   Ladies with post-traumatic stress should so inform their ob-gyns and seek close surveillance for ovarian cancer. The Harvard School of Public Health just reported that young women with past traumatic experiences and PTSD symptoms have up to a 3 fold higher risk of this deadly disease.   The study of nearly 55,000 nurses showed that women with the most PTSD symptoms including flashbacks, social isolation, nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, and anger issues had a average 2 fold greater cancer risk. The subset of young, pre-menopausal women suffered the highest 3 fold risk.   Stress and its hormones stymie your immune system and its fight against cancer.  If you have PTSD, neutralize its symptoms and maintain a watchful eye for its dire consequences.   Andrea L. Roberts, Tianyi Huang, Karestan C. Koenen, Yongjoo Kim, Laura D. Kubzansky, Shelley S. Tworoger. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: a prospective and retrospectiv

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/4waXXk7vFG4   Growing up with an older brother slows a young child’s language emergence.  French developmental linguists observed this phenomenon after observing more than 1100 children from birth to 5 and a half years.   Children of either gender with older brothers had a 2 month language delay compared with those having a sister.   The investigators suggest that this gap may be the result of more language stimulation from the sister as girls tend to develop verbal language faster than boys.   Young parents whose growing families have an oldest male child should give special time and provide more language stimulation for that younger sib.   Naomi Havron, Franck Ramus, Barbara Heude, etal. The Effect of Older Siblings on Language Development as a Function of Age Difference and Sex. Psychological Science, 2019; 095679761986143 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619861436   #Languagedevelopment #siblings

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/kR-yJ1SX370   Positive thinking fuels a longer, happier life.  A collaborative study from Boston University, the Boston VA Medical Center, and Harvard’s School of Public Health now shows that optimistic men and women live 11 to 15% longer and have a 50-70% greater chance of living to 85 years.   The study looked at more than 70,000 participants.  Surveys quantitated their optimism, and medical records provided their health status.   Researchers speculate that optimism neutralizes stress and its nasty associated hormones.  A smile on your face and a positive half-full philosophy will not only brighten but also lengthen your life.   Lewina O. Lee, Peter James, Emily S. Zevon, Eric S. Kim, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Avron Spiro III, Francine Grodstein, and Laura D. Kubzansky. Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epidemiologic cohorts of men and women. PNAS, 2019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900712116   #Optimism #longevity #stress

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UvP-dhmAPs0 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 : First Responders At Greater Risk For Heart Attack And Stroke Roasting High Blood Pressure Mushrooms Lower Prostate Cancer Risk Soft Drinks May Kill You PTSD Risks Ovarian Cancer Older Brother Delays Sibs’ Language High Fat Pregnancy Diet May Thwart Offspring Alzheimer’s  Overfeeding Babies Triggers Life-long Health Woes Optimists Live Longer Space Age Mosquito Protection Sleep Apnea Ages You Don’t Get The Flu Shot Too Early Concussions Lower Testosterone, Trigger Erectile Dysfunction Children’s Team Sports Safer Than Recreational Sports  Premies Placed In The Wrong School Grade   For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at: Www.drhowardsmith.com #Firefighter #police, heartdisease #stroke #Hypertension #heat #hotyoga #heatingpad #Mushrooms #prostatecancer #Soda #pop #death #sugar #artificialsweete

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/71TKGvmUViM   Expectant mothers should increase the fat content of their diet to shield their baby from Alzheimer’s dementia later.  Molecular biologists from Temple University draw this conclusion from studying mice prone to developing this tragic and ever more common disease.   Researchers fed group A pregnant mice a high fat diet and the control group B mice normal mouse chow. This strategy protected the litters of Group A mothers from memory decline and accumulation of amyloid and tau protein deposits typical of Alzheimer’s.   Pregnant human moms might just want to consume healthy unsaturated fats in avocado, nuts, and olive oil.  Their dietary choices might just gift their kids agile minds throughout life.   Antonio Di Meco, Jaroslav Jelinek, Elisabetta Lauretti, Mary Elizabeth Curtis, Jean-Pierre J. Issa, Domenico Praticό. Gestational high fat diet protects 3xTg offspring from memory impairments, synaptic dysfunction, and brain pathology. Molecular Psychiatry, 2019; DOI: 10.10

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/5NnTQvjlIjs   More than 2 glasses a day of any soda pop will increase your chances of dying from any cause by 17%.  This startling conclusion stems from a multi-national study of more than 450,000 participants just published in JAMA Network.   Those downing the sugar-sweetened fizzies suffered an 8% higher death risk but artificially-sweetened soda had more than 3 times higher risk at 26%.  The sugary drinks bumped the death risk from gastrointestinal disease up 59%, while drinks with fake sugar drove death from circulatory disease up some 52%.   If you’re looking for a long, healthy life, you should take all soda pop off the menu.   Mullee A, Romaguera D, Pearson-Stuttard J, et al. Association Between Soft Drink Consumption and Mortality in 10 European Countries. JAMA Intern Med. Published online September 03, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2478   #Soda #pop #death #sugar #artificialsweetener

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/CYnOr9jNWa0   Gentlemen...listen up!  The more mushrooms you eat the better, and enjoying them 3 times a week or more will drop your prostate cancer risk at least 17%.     Japanese epidemiologists studied about 36,500 men 40-79 years of age who are in the Miyagi (no relation to Mr. Miyagi of Cobra Kai fame) and Ohsaki Cohorts,  They followed the men for 13 years.   Those eating mushrooms twice a week saw an 8% benefit demonstrating a dose response effect.  The researchers did not capture info about the mushroom species eaten.  Although the mechanism of this protective effect is not yet known, you can still take advantage by eating ‘shrooms often.   Shu Zhang, Yumi Sugawara, Shiuan Chen, Robert B. Beelman, Tsuyoshi Tsuduki, Yasutake Tomata, Sanae Matsuyama, Ichiro Tsuji. Mushroom consumption and incident risk of prostate cancer in Japan: A pooled analysis of the Miyagi Cohort Study and the Ohsaki Cohort Study. International Journal of Cancer, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32591   #Mushrooms

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/MEdGDfCBryw   Heat can lower your blood pressure according to 2 studies just presented to this year’s American Heart Association’s Hypertension meeting.  One study from Vanderbilt University employed heating pads while the second, from Texas State University-San Marcos used hot yoga.   The heating pad study showed that torso heating pads at 100 degrees for 4 hours could reduce systolic pressure up to 30 mm Hg.  Hot yoga for an hour 3 times weekly for 12 weeks reduced systolic BP 5 mmHg and diastolic BP 3 mmHg.   If efforts to get your pressure under control with diet, weight loss, exercise, and even medications have been challenging, add a little heat.   American Heart Association. "Heating pads may lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure when lying down." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 September 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/0190906172515.htm   American Heart Association. "Temps up, blood pressures down in hot yoga study." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/XI6Hk8owIM8   Brown University engineers report that clothing made of the nanomaterial graphene can prevent mosquito bites.  The researchers tested brave volunteers willing to reach into a mosquito-infested box protected only by a single layer of fabric.   Graphene is a lattice of carbon atoms formed into sheets, and it may be complexed with other material to create clothing.  The Brown tests indicate that graphene works by blocking the mosquitos’ awareness of human skin rather than by preventing insect penetration.   Although more testing is in the offing, graphene clothing is available online.  You already can buy graphene hoodies and pants.  They may not be exactly like the graphene tested, but do let me know if they protect you from the mosquitos.   Castilho CJ, Li D, Liu M, Liu Y, Gao H, Hurt RH. Mosquito Bite Prevention through Graphene Barrier Layers. PNAS, 2019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1906612116   #Mosquito #graphene

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/KfCUKNwDFWc   All of us over 6 months of age need the flu vaccine before the winter.  Most of us only require one dose.    Get the shot in the last half of October.  The CDC warms that, if you vaccinate too early, your immunity may not last through the season.  If you vaccinate too late in later November or December, your immunity won’t be there when you need it.     Some children require two doses of vaccine.  They should begin getting them now.   There are two versions of this year’s flu vaccine.  The trivalent type has two strains of Influenza A and one of B.  The quadrivalent has two As and two Bs.  Be in the know.  Unless you need a high dose shot or have an egg allergy, ask for the Quad version and get extra protection.   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/rr/rr6803a1.htm?s_cid=rr6803a1_w   #Influenza #fluvaccine #trivalentvaccine #quadrivalentvaccine

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