Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/55poyxu_SAc

Premature infants who listen to music enjoy enhanced neural development.  Swiss neuroscientists at the University of Geneva report the positive effects of specially composed and performed music on developing neural networks of premies.

The musical selections varied with time of day and were designed to lend an auditory structure to the infant’s first days out of the womb.  The instruments that produced the most consistent reactions from the babies were the snake charmer’s flute, the harp, and bells.

The   double blind study used MRI imaging before and after the musical exposure to assess the effect.  The group of premies treated to the music showed stronger connections between the parts of their brains that perform cognitive tasks, manage social relationships, and manage emotions.

If a premie has recently joined your family, consider adding lilting flute, harp, and orchestral bell music to their environments.

Lara Lordier, Djalel-Eddine Meskaldji, Frédéric Grouiller, Marie P. Pittet, Andreas Vollenweider, Lana Vasung, Cristina Borradori-Tolsa, François Lazeyras, Didier Grandjean, Dimitri Van De Ville, Petra S. Hüppi. Music in premature infants enhances high-level cognitive brain networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019; 201817536 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817536116

#Premies #music #flute #harp #bells #neuraldevelopment

Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/55poyxu_SAc

Premature infants who listen to music enjoy enhanced neural development.  Swiss neuroscientists at the University of Geneva report the positive effects of specially composed and performed music on developing neural networks of premies.

The musical selections varied with time of day and were designed to lend an auditory structure to the infant’s first days out of the womb.  The instruments that produced the most consistent reactions from the babies were the snake charmer’s flute, the harp, and bells.

The   double blind study used MRI imaging before and after the musical exposure to assess the effect.  The group of premies treated to the music showed stronger connections between the parts of their brains that perform cognitive tasks, manage social relationships, and manage emotions.

If a premie has recently joined your family, consider adding lilting flute, harp, and orchestral bell music to their environments.

Lara Lordier, Djalel-Eddine Meskaldji, Frédéric Grouiller, Marie P. Pittet, Andreas Vollenweider, Lana Vasung, Cristina Borradori-Tolsa, François Lazeyras, Didier Grandjean, Dimitri Van De Ville, Petra S. Hüppi. Music in premature infants enhances high-level cognitive brain networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019; 201817536 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817536116

#Premies #music #flute #harp #bells #neuraldevelopment

Fainting While Pregnant Signals Impending Complications - Reprise

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/TqkKrrK7FJA

Urban legend has it that fainting while pregnant is no big deal.  A study just published by Canadian cardiologists and epidemiologists finds that fainting, the common term for syncope, while pregnant is a bad prognostic sign for both the mother and her developing baby.

The researchers studied more than 480,000 babies and their mothers.   Though fainting is uncommon affecting only 1% of pregnant women, it tends to occur most often during the first trimester.  

When fainting does occur, it is associated with an increase in maternal cardiac problems and higher rates of prematurity.  Carrying and nourishing a fetus is an acknowledged strain on the mother’s cardiovascular system.

If a pregnant woman you know faints, be certain that she reports the event to her medical doctors as well as to her OBGYN.  She should then be followed more carefully throughout her pregnancy for the potential development of cardiovascular disease and fetal developmental issues.

Safia Chatur, Sunjidatul Islam, Linn E. Moore, Roopinder K. Sandhu, Robert S. Sheldon, Padma Kaul. Incidence of Syncope During Pregnancy: Temporal Trends and Outcomes. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2019; 8 (10) DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.118.011608

#Fainting #syncope #pregnancy #heartdisease #prematurity

Fainting While Pregnant Signals Impending Complications - Reprise

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/TqkKrrK7FJA

Urban legend has it that fainting while pregnant is no big deal.  A study just published by Canadian cardiologists and epidemiologists finds that fainting, the common term for syncope, while pregnant is a bad prognostic sign for both the mother and her developing baby.

The researchers studied more than 480,000 babies and their mothers.   Though fainting is uncommon affecting only 1% of pregnant women, it tends to occur most often during the first trimester.  

When fainting does occur, it is associated with an increase in maternal cardiac problems and higher rates of prematurity.  Carrying and nourishing a fetus is an acknowledged strain on the mother’s cardiovascular system.

If a pregnant woman you know faints, be certain that she reports the event to her medical doctors as well as to her OBGYN.  She should then be followed more carefully throughout her pregnancy for the potential development of cardiovascular disease and fetal developmental issues.

Safia Chatur, Sunjidatul Islam, Linn E. Moore, Roopinder K. Sandhu, Robert S. Sheldon, Padma Kaul. Incidence of Syncope During Pregnancy: Temporal Trends and Outcomes. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2019; 8 (10) DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.118.011608

#Fainting #syncope #pregnancy #heartdisease #prematurity

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dZ_q5BJtlzQ

Women who use assisted reproduction techniques including in-vitro fertilization and intracystoplasmic sperm injection are 5 times more likely to suffer pregnancy-associated heart failure.  This conclusion comes from a study at Germany’s Hannover Medical School presented last week to the European Society of Cardiology.

This pregnancy-associated heart failure is due to so-called peripartum cardiomyopathy or PPCM, and this condition affects one in every 1000 pregnant women around the world.  It threatens the life of mother and baby alike.  Assisted reproduction is now added to known risk factors including twin pregnancy, many past pregnancies, very young or very old mothers, obesity, and substance abuse.

PPCM is heralded by shortness of breath, leg edema and swelling, and excessive nighttime urination.  Since these same symptoms are all too common during the late third trimester, the study authors suggest that all women who conceive with medical help have a cardiology consultation and an echocardiogram shortly before their due date or just after delivery.

European Society of Cardiology. "In vitro fertilization linked to deadly heart disease in pregnancy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 May 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190525132201.htm

#IVF #assistedreproduction #heartfailure #peripartumcardiomyopathy #obstetrics #womenshealth

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dZ_q5BJtlzQ

Women who use assisted reproduction techniques including in-vitro fertilization and intracystoplasmic sperm injection are 5 times more likely to suffer pregnancy-associated heart failure.  This conclusion comes from a study at Germany’s Hannover Medical School presented last week to the European Society of Cardiology.

This pregnancy-associated heart failure is due to so-called peripartum cardiomyopathy or PPCM, and this condition affects one in every 1000 pregnant women around the world.  It threatens the life of mother and baby alike.  Assisted reproduction is now added to known risk factors including twin pregnancy, many past pregnancies, very young or very old mothers, obesity, and substance abuse.

PPCM is heralded by shortness of breath, leg edema and swelling, and excessive nighttime urination.  Since these same symptoms are all too common during the late third trimester, the study authors suggest that all women who conceive with medical help have a cardiology consultation and an echocardiogram shortly before their due date or just after delivery.

European Society of Cardiology. "In vitro fertilization linked to deadly heart disease in pregnancy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 May 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190525132201.htm

#IVF #assistedreproduction #heartfailure #peripartumcardiomyopathy #obstetrics #womenshealth

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/GYPIGUKq8v8

If you’re suffering stomach and esophageal ache from enjoying Buffalo wings or accidentally swallowing that red pepper hidden in your Szechuan chicken , the food scientists at Penn State have some first aid for you.  It turns out that the best liquid for neutralizing pepper burn is good old milk.

The study looked at 72 subjects each using 7 different liquids as rescues after drinking a hot Bloody Mary mix containing Scoville-rich red peppers.  Milk, regular and skim, followed by Kool Aid were best at relieving the pepper pain.  Carbonated beverages such as cola, seltzer, and beer helped the least.  Plain old water was in-between.

So if you find yourself the victim of some hot sauce at a barbecue or elsewhere, quickly swig some milk.  In the pinch, I’ll bet that ice cream would also do the trick.

Penn State. "Milk: Best drink to reduce burn from chili peppers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 June 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190625133526.htm.

#Hotsauce #pepper #milk

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/GYPIGUKq8v8

If you’re suffering stomach and esophageal ache from enjoying Buffalo wings or accidentally swallowing that red pepper hidden in your Szechuan chicken , the food scientists at Penn State have some first aid for you.  It turns out that the best liquid for neutralizing pepper burn is good old milk.

The study looked at 72 subjects each using 7 different liquids as rescues after drinking a hot Bloody Mary mix containing Scoville-rich red peppers.  Milk, regular and skim, followed by Kool Aid were best at relieving the pepper pain.  Carbonated beverages such as cola, seltzer, and beer helped the least.  Plain old water was in-between.

So if you find yourself the victim of some hot sauce at a barbecue or elsewhere, quickly swig some milk.  In the pinch, I’ll bet that ice cream would also do the trick.

Penn State. "Milk: Best drink to reduce burn from chili peppers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 June 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190625133526.htm.

#Hotsauce #pepper #milk

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/a1-x6b-tNyc

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may cause you to overdose on many popular prescription drugs.  The FDA now repeats its 2017 warning to us and asks us to carefully read the label on any drug you are taking to see if grapefruit can interfere with its function.

Grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme in the small intestine that normally breaks down drugs causing you to absorb too much of a drug into your system.  And, as always, too much of a good thing isn’t good.

The list of affected drugs includes:

some statin drugs that lower cholesterol: Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin);

blood pressure medications such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat CC);

transplant rejection drugs: cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);

Anxiety drugs: buspirone;

steroids: budesonide for IBD (Entocort EC, Uceris);

cardiac rhythm controllers: amiodarone (Pacerone, Nexterone).

Do speak with your doctor and pharmacist about your medications and grapefruit juice as well as checking the labels and online information.

https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/top-medical-news/article/2019/06/17/7569842/

#grapefruit #overdose #statins #antihypertensives #transplant #steroids

grapefruit, overdose, statins, antihypertensives, transplant, steroids

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/a1-x6b-tNyc

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may cause you to overdose on many popular prescription drugs.  The FDA now repeats its 2017 warning to us and asks us to carefully read the label on any drug you are taking to see if grapefruit can interfere with its function.

Grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme in the small intestine that normally breaks down drugs causing you to absorb too much of a drug into your system.  And, as always, too much of a good thing isn’t good.

The list of affected drugs includes:

some statin drugs that lower cholesterol: Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin);

blood pressure medications such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat CC);

transplant rejection drugs: cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);

Anxiety drugs: buspirone;

steroids: budesonide for IBD (Entocort EC, Uceris);

cardiac rhythm controllers: amiodarone (Pacerone, Nexterone).

Do speak with your doctor and pharmacist about your medications and grapefruit juice as well as checking the labels and online information.

https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/top-medical-news/article/2019/06/17/7569842/

#grapefruit #overdose #statins #antihypertensives #transplant #steroids

grapefruit, overdose, statins, antihypertensives, transplant, steroids