Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Campaigns by Medicare to reduce patient readmissions to a hospital within a month following discharge, the so-called Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, is associated with more patient deaths from heart failure and pneumonia rather than improvement in care quality.  This is the conclusion of a study of some 8 million hospitalizations over a decade beginning in 2005 was completed and recently published by Harvard cardiologists at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Mass. General Hospital.   They compared post-hospital mortality statistics before and after announcement and implementation of new financial penalties for hospitals to discourage readmission within a month after discharge.  Their findings suggested that this penny pinching resulted in some 8,000 deaths from heart failure and some 12,000 deaths from pneumonia that could have possibly been avoided.   In addition, many sick persons who did return to the hospital were not formally readmitted as inpatients as their condition demanded, but they

Celiac disease may be initiated by an agent used to improve food texture and to literally glue together meat fragments into a more substantial, steak-like product.  The agent is microbial transglutaminase, and a review of data about the causation of celiac diease just published in Frontiers in Pediatrics suggests that the increasing amounts of this substance that are finding their way into our food supply may be at fault.   Over 3 million American have celiac disease.  It is an inherited autoimmune disorder, and you are 6 times more likely to have it if a close member member is affected.    It is characterized by an attack of a person’s own immune system on their gut lining, and it’s triggered by the presence of the gluten protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.  Other factors such as stress, infection, or antibiotic use seem to initiate or exacerbate the process.   Although our own systems make transglutaminase, they do so in very small quantities compared with what we can ingest in processed foods.  The ex

Women’s who suffer from chronic peri- and post-menopausal hot flashes and night sweats, so called vasomotor symptoms or VMS, lasting close to 10 years or longer have a 13% higher risk of developing breast cancer.  This the conclusion of a Women’s Health Initiative analysis of more than 25,000 women 50 years of age and older who never had any menopausal hormone therapy and who were followed for a median of 18 years.   The good news is that, despite the higher incidence of breast cancer, those with persisting VMS did not have a less favorable outcome when treated for their cancers.  They were just as likely to become breast cancer survivors as women free of enduring hot flashes and night sweats.   If you or yours are suffering from these persisting menopausal VMS symptoms, increase your surveillence for breast cancer.  Don’t miss an opportunity for breast self-examination and be certain to follow a consistent mammography schedule. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/LwGqm2BPGBg   hotflashes #nightsweats #menopause #vms #

Ever hear of prescription digital medicine?  Who ever heard of doctors and other therapists prescribing the playing of therapeutic video games? Well that is now a reality for children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and it may soon be used for other patients as well.   Pediatricians at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Autism Research collaborated with the prescription digital medicine company Akili Interactive to study the effectiveness of  the company’s AKL-T02 instrument via an action video game experience designed to improve the childrens’ attention, task completion, and memory.   The so-called Project: EVO studied a group of 19 children age 9-13 years diagnosed with both autism and attention deficit and exposed them to both the digital medicine and control therapy.  This group was selected since children with both autism and ADHD tend to respond poorly to conventional drug therapy used for ADHD alone.   Not suprisingly, the kids embraced the v

Metabolic syndrome is a nasty group of problems that might kill you but certainly will make your life miserable.  If you have any 3 of these 5 issues, namely central obesity or a body like a pear, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high blood triglycerides, or low high density lipoproteins, then you’ve got metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic syndrome is accompanied by excess body oxidation and it puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and mental dullness deteriorating into dementia.   Researchers at Oregon State University now show that the type of overeating and fat consumption that triggers metabolic syndrome also causes a body depletion of Vitamin C since less is absorbed.  This critical anti-oxidant works in tandem with another anti-oxidant, Vitamin E, to put a lid on tissue inflammation.  If your Vitamin C levels are low, your Vitamin E stores then begin to drain as your body makes hopeless efforts to prevent oxidative inflammation.  At this point, the sickening cons

Vitamin C prevents Metabolic Syndrome HEALTHtech: DIGITAL MEDICINE HELPS KIDS WITH AUTISM/ADHD  PERSISTENT HOT FLASHES ASSOCIATED WITH RISK OF BREAST CANCER A common FOOD ADDITIVE MAY TRIGGER CELIAC DISEASE HOSPITAL READMISSION REDUCTION CAMPAIGNS KILL PATIENTS OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE TEENS LIKELY HAVE MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS REPEAT MISCARRIAGES MAY BE DUE TO DEFECTIVE SPERM FLUCTUATING INCOME ASSOCIATED WITH HEART ATTACK, STROKE, AND DEATH FDA: FLOXACIN Named ANTIBIOTICS CAN BE DANGEROUS FAKE SUGAR WON’T HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: a brave child partners with the media to save a life.   If you want to dig in deeper, you’ll find all the references for the stories and a copy of show notes on my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/jan-2019-2nd-week-health-news Vidcast:https://youtu.be/X60Oxe1hXms #vitamin C #digitalprescriptionmedicine #autism #hotflashes #breastcancer #celiacdisease #hospitalreadmissions #obsessivecompulsiveteens #repeatmiscarriage, #gigeconomy, fluoroquinoloneantibiotics

Meet Travis Trent, a brand new father in Tacoma Washington.  He’s just going to the parking lot after the birth of his baby.  Opening the vehicle, he notices a burning smell and sees smoke wafting out of the dashboard.   Thinking quickly and knowing that most would have advised him to abandon the car and get out of the garage before the car lights up, he instead quickly drives it out of the garage and away from the hospital structures.  Leaving the car and looking back, he sees it ignite and a fireball destroy it. The local fire captain later lauds his bravery and the fact that he saved the parking structure, other cars, and the adjacent hospital.  It happens, though, that Trent’s brother works as a car salesman for a local dealership, and he recounts the story to his manager.  The dealership, recognizing Trent’s bravery, decides to replace Trent’s car in a surprise presentation. Trent, baby, and mother are shocked, delighted, grateful, and able to start the new year with a new car. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/

Hopefully you or someone you love will never require a limb amputation.  One of the chief side effects of losing an arm or leg is so-called phantom limb pain, and it occurs in some 75% of amputees.  This is a painful sensation that seems to be coming from the portion of the limb that is no longer there.   Reconstructive surgeons at Ohio State now announce a fix for this problem, and its called targeted muscle reinnervation or TMR.  This procedure involves rerouting the cut nerve ends into surrounding muscle, and it was first used to enhance use of prosthetic limbs, but patients also noticed an absence of any limb pain. A study of 22 patients with below the knee amputations shows that, after nerve rerouting, only 13% rather than 75% had any pain sensations.  At Ohio State, this procedure is now done at the time of amputation in all patients, but it is possible to perform it after the fact with beneficial results. If you or yours have phantom limb pain or are facing an amputation, ask the surgeon about TMR. Vid

The FDA has just approved the newest vaccine for kids combining the 6 most common immunizations for childhood illnesses: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis or whooping cough, hemophilus influenza type B, hepatitis B, and polio.  In the past, children would receive the DTaP vaccine, but then separate vaccines for polio, hemophilus influenza, and hepatitis.  Called Vaxelis, the vaccine is a 3 dose series to be given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age.  An additional booster shot for pertussis must be given to complete the immunization against that disease. The addition of this vaccine should improve immunization rates by simplifying the schedule of shots for any given child.  It will be only somewhat simpler.  In addition to the Vaxelis series, children will still require separate shots for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), chickenpox (varicella), pneumococcal disease (Prevnar 13 and 23), human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis A (HepA), rotavirus (Rotarix), and the flu. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/qVQd9e7Un_g https://www.fda

Food scientists at the University of Georgia report that cottonseed oil outperforms olive oil in terms of blood lipid normalization during a 5 day trial diet of each.  The scientists studied 15 men using a crossover design study in which each subject followed a diet rich in one oil or the other for 5 days, enjoyed a break, and then followed a diet with the other oil. When the data was tabulated, those eating the cottonseed oil-rich diet had higher HDL cholesterol values but lower total cholesterols, LDL cholesterols, and triglycerides than when eating the olive oil-rich diet.  It appears that cottonseed oil will be the new oil of choice in your diet. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/j1WI4x9lSI8 Kristine R.PolleyaNatalie J.OswellbRonald B.PeggbChad M.PatonabJamie A.Cooper.   A 5-day high-fat diet rich in cottonseed oil improves cholesterol profiles and triglycerides compared to olive oil in healthy menhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2018.09.001 #Cottonseedoil #oliveoil #cholesterol #HDL #LDL  #triglycerides  #radion

It’s no blarney when I tell you that ancient Irish soil may contain the key to more powerful antibiotics in the future.  Folk medicine has identified regions of Ireland, the Boho Highlands, where the soil is known to have medicinal properties.     Microbiologists from Swansea University, Wales, have identified a novel strain of bacteria in that soil that produces secretions which effectively kill 4 of the 6 most common currently antibiotic-resistant bacteria including MRSA, enterococci, klebsiella, and acinetobacter.  This new strain of Strepomyces bacterium is unique since it kills a wide variety of pathogens, both gram positive and gram negative. Work is now ongoing to identify and purify the chemical byproducts of this bacterium that can be artificially synthesized and repurposed as prescription antibiotics. Luciana Terra, Paul J. Dyson, Matthew D. Hitchings, Liam Thomas, Alyaa Abdelhameed, Ibrahim M. Banat, Salvatore A. Gazze, Dušica Vujaklija, Paul D. Facey, Lewis W. Francis, Gerry A. Quinn. A Novel Alka

At least one in 5 new mothers experience postpartum depression, but, wait, new fathers may experience it too.  A study from University of Cambridge sampling more than 3000 British families just published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that one in 20 fathers may suffer from it too.  Most interesting was the finding that 18 year old girls whose father did have confirmed postpartum depression were themselves at a greater risk for depression.  This was not the case for male offspring. Studies continue to ferret out the causes for this observation.  Meanwhile, though, it is important that new fathers as well as new mothers be monitored for the signs of depression.  If found, all should be aggressively treated in an effort to prevent untoward effects of their emotional challenges on their mates and offspring.  Girls with a family history of maternal or paternal postpartum depression should themselves be watched and treated.  Leticia Gutierrez-Galve, Alan Stein, Lucy Hanington, Jon Heron, Glyn Lewis, Christine O’Farrelly,

If you want to be more approachable, you might try tilting your head slightly.  Psychologists at UC-Santa Cruz studied this phenomenon using eye tracking equipment.  They found that a head tilt of as little as 11 degrees makes your eyes less threatening.  Their studies show that the tilt makes your conversational companion focus only on the upper eye, and a single eye tends to be more inviting than both eyes. The researchers plan to extend their studies, and they have a particular interest in whether head-tilting will enhance communications with autistic persons.  If a family member or someone you know is autistic or on the spectrum or if you just want to try having smoother communications, try tilting your head just a tiny bit when speaking with them.  It might just aid in breaking a barrier. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/cGa4ob4THog Nicolas Davidenko, Hema Kopalle, Bruce Bridgeman. The Upper Eye Bias: Rotated Faces Draw Fixations to the Upper Eye. Perception, 2018; 030100661881962 DOI: 10.1177/0301006618819628

With the dark days of winter ahead for all of us, here’s a way to beat the boredom.  Try doing the things that you normally do but in a different way.  For example: Eat popcorn with chopsticks. Drink water in a champagne glass, a shipping envelope, or lapping it out of a bowl like a dog. Write and draw with your “other” hand. Watch a video with finger goggles. Do a random walk: at each intersection, flip a coin to decide whether to go left or right. Eat a slice of pizza in different ways: fold it over, eat the crust first, eat from the sides, make pizza into different shapes. Bet you can think of a slew of other things to try.  If you come up with really great ideas, email me at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com, and I’ll pass them along to everyone. By the way, a study done at Ohio State University shows that these novel ways of doing things are most enjoyable the first time. VidCast: https://youtu.be/ijv5aY8jxr8 #Boredom  #winter  #variety  #wronghand  #popcorn  #walking  #pizza  #radionews

A dramatic and shocking demonstation posted on Twitter by Isu-Isu Semasa and his mechanical smoking machine.  Here is Semasa’s time-lapse photography that shows you what is left in your throat and lungs after smoking 600 cigarettes. YouTube: https://youtu.be/vHXq99BU--I https://mobile.twitter.com/homopoliticoos #Smoking  #tar  #lungcancer  #copd  #quitsmoking  #radionews    

On the subject of moderating alcohol intake, let’s review a study from the University of Oregon that looked at heavy drinkers and smokers who were trying to moderate both habits.  They studied a group of 22 smoking and drinking subjects who reduced their alcohol consumption from an average of 29 down to 7 drinks per week.   As drinking diminished, their nicotine metabolite ratios dropped as well.  Those with lower nicotine metabolite ratios had an easier time kicking the smoking habit.  Unfortunately, this phenomenon only occurred in men. Vidcast: https://youtu.be/o8HyOBhmurc  #Smoking  #drinking   #smokers #cigarettes #tobacco #vaping  #healthnews  #radionews Sarah S Dermody, Christian S Hendershot, Allyson K Andrade, Maria Novalen, Rachel F Tyndale. Changes in Nicotine Metabolite Ratio among Daily Smokers receiving Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty265  

Every year since 2014, Great Britain has hosted a campaign called “Dry January.”   For at least this month, participants abstain from alcohol for 30 days.  Psychologists at the University of Sussex now report findings from a study of over 800 persons participating in last year's annual post-holidays drying out fest.  The month off alcohol has lasting effects: less drinking over many months, weight loss, better sleep, an energy burst, and healthier appearing skin.  Six months after the month off alcohol, 80% were in better control of their drinking, 70% were enjoying better health and sleeping better, 67% had more energy, 58% lost weight, and 54% had better skin.  A national survey showed that one in every ten British drinkers plan to do Dry January, 2019 this month. Anyone anywhere can participate.  There is a smartphone app you can download to help you through the month and encourage you to control your drinking from then on. #smoking  #quitting #annuals #alcohol #booze #healthier #healthnews  #radionews Uni

Stories and features: Britain's “Dry January.” Less drinking helps stop smoking efforts. VIDEO: What smoking 30 packs of cigarettes looks like. HELP: Beat winter boredom. A head tilt makes you more approachable. FUTUREMED: Irish bogs may yield stronger antibiotics. Cottonseed oil better lipid chaser than olive oil. New comprehensive child vaccine. HEALTHTECH: heart attack risk calculator from Mayo Clinic. Surgery to stop phantom limb pain. TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: a brave driver is rewarded. References and show notes: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/jan-2019-health-news-roundup VidCast:https://youtu.be/Di_LcSE03Xk  

Today’s topics: A trick for comforting babies. Marijuana damages sperm DNA. Exercise is better than medication for reducing blood pressure. Milk cereal drinks will make your child fat. There is no such thing as a harmless concussion. Alcohol triggers migraine headaches. Then some SHORT SHORTS......... Compression stocking may turbocharge you. Marijuana could hurt your eyes. Supermarket impulse buying will fatten your family. New FDA guidelines for preventing narcotic overdoses. Getting the most from spinach. VidCast:https://youtu.be/iLXuDV-ppdk    

This is Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.  Let’s run down a list of today’s topics:  Obesity breeds cancer. Eye blinks are conversational cues. Your doctor’s stethoscopes are filthy. Teen bullying produces brain damage. Subway travel triggers colds and flu. Your body weight through life predicts chances of heart failure. A better way to manage teen stress. Evening exercise doesn’t harm sleep. Timely physical therapy prevents need for narcotics. In addition: special features: HELP to sharpen your brain activity; FUTURISTIC ways of finding new antibiotics, and a LITTLE KINDNESS in the form of a heart-warming story for this holiday season. You’ll find all the references to that I discuss as well as a copy of show notes on my website at www.drhowardsmith.com Vidcast:https://youtu.be/mTsy8qi8koo