Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/luevwJ5UWtQ

Excess weight triggers the same degenerative changes in our cells, organs, and entire body as aging.  A new review article from Canada’s Concordia University analyzed more than 200 studies that examined this linkage.

Both obesity and aging trigger cell death in the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.  Both conditions limit our body’s ability to flush away damaged cells leading to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.  Then too, obesity speeds up the aging of our body’s systems including our immune system.  With altered immunity, humans are more susceptible to disease including viral illness such as the flu and CoVid19.

To remain young and alive in so many ways, control your weight. 

Bjorn T. Tam, Jose A. Morais, Sylvia Santosa. Obesity and ageing: Two sides of the same coin. Obesity Reviews, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/obr.12991

#obesity #aging #immunity #cancer #heartdisease #dementia

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/luevwJ5UWtQ

Excess weight triggers the same degenerative changes in our cells, organs, and entire body as aging.  A new review article from Canada’s Concordia University analyzed more than 200 studies that examined this linkage.

Both obesity and aging trigger cell death in the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.  Both conditions limit our body’s ability to flush away damaged cells leading to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.  Then too, obesity speeds up the aging of our body’s systems including our immune system.  With altered immunity, humans are more susceptible to disease including viral illness such as the flu and CoVid19.

To remain young and alive in so many ways, control your weight. 

Bjorn T. Tam, Jose A. Morais, Sylvia Santosa. Obesity and ageing: Two sides of the same coin. Obesity Reviews, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/obr.12991

#obesity #aging #immunity #cancer #heartdisease #dementia

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ZcBAZGaj-5U

Caffeinated drinks help you think faster and focus better, but they can’t help you think outside the box.  University of Arkansas psychologists draw this conclusion following their study of 80 volunteers half of whom received 200 mg of caffeine, the amount in a strong cup of coffee.

Those receiving the caffeine showed improved problem-solving, better focus, and enhanced alertness.  Caffeine did not improve the subject’s creative thinking or memory.

So down that coffee, tea, or energy drink to help you finish your taxes or that math worksheet.  If you’re writing the world’s next great novel, though, caffeine will push you to the finish line but it won’t improve your plot. 

Darya L. Zabelina, Paul J. Silvia. Percolating ideas: The effects of caffeine on creative thinking and problem solving. Consciousness and Cognition, 2020; 79: 102899 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.102899

#caffeine #creativity #problemsolving

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ZcBAZGaj-5U

Caffeinated drinks help you think faster and focus better, but they can’t help you think outside the box.  University of Arkansas psychologists draw this conclusion following their study of 80 volunteers half of whom received 200 mg of caffeine, the amount in a strong cup of coffee.

Those receiving the caffeine showed improved problem-solving, better focus, and enhanced alertness.  Caffeine did not improve the subject’s creative thinking or memory.

So down that coffee, tea, or energy drink to help you finish your taxes or that math worksheet.  If you’re writing the world’s next great novel, though, caffeine will push you to the finish line but it won’t improve your plot. 

Darya L. Zabelina, Paul J. Silvia. Percolating ideas: The effects of caffeine on creative thinking and problem solving. Consciousness and Cognition, 2020; 79: 102899 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.102899

#caffeine #creativity #problemsolving

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NYEsUk9CufM

You’re worried you have CoVid19.  You’re feeling warm.  You have throat soreness.  You have a cough.  What to do?  

Take your temperature follow it daily as you track your symptoms.  If your oral temp is consistently above the normal 98.6˚F and your symptoms are persistent or escalating, call your doctor or the hospital and ask next steps.

When you do, they will have you came to the hospital or an isolation unit for a checkup and testing.  If  CoVid19 is suspected, isolate yourself.  If you’re with others, wear a mask or make one from your scarf.  

Even if an official CDC viral test isn’t available, professionals can test you.  A chest cat scan for pneumonia  has a diagnostic sensitivity of 97% for viral pneumonia.   A white blood count revealing low eosinophils occurs in 79% of CoVid positive pneumonia patients but in only 36% without the virus.

Expect to have a workup and close observation at the facility or at home if you’re well enough.  Studies of patients with severe CoVid19 infections show that the virus not only attacks the lungs but also the heart in 89% of cases, the liver in 78%, and the kidneys in 31%.  Managing these problems requires a well=equipped general hospital. 

Starting now, be aware of how you’re feeling.  Take your temperature daily and record it.  If you see worrisome signs, act!

Chest CT CoVid19 diagnosis: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200226151951.htm

Low eosinophils in CoVid19: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.13.20022830v1.full.pdf

CoVid19 organ damage: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.20028191v1

#covid19 #fever, #cough #pneumonia #epidemic

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NYEsUk9CufM

You’re worried you have CoVid19.  You’re feeling warm.  You have throat soreness.  You have a cough.  What to do?  

Take your temperature follow it daily as you track your symptoms.  If your oral temp is consistently above the normal 98.6˚F and your symptoms are persistent or escalating, call your doctor or the hospital and ask next steps.

When you do, they will have you came to the hospital or an isolation unit for a checkup and testing.  If  CoVid19 is suspected, isolate yourself.  If you’re with others, wear a mask or make one from your scarf.  

Even if an official CDC viral test isn’t available, professionals can test you.  A chest cat scan for pneumonia  has a diagnostic sensitivity of 97% for viral pneumonia.   A white blood count revealing low eosinophils occurs in 79% of CoVid positive pneumonia patients but in only 36% without the virus.

Expect to have a workup and close observation at the facility or at home if you’re well enough.  Studies of patients with severe CoVid19 infections show that the virus not only attacks the lungs but also the heart in 89% of cases, the liver in 78%, and the kidneys in 31%.  Managing these problems requires a well=equipped general hospital. 

Starting now, be aware of how you’re feeling.  Take your temperature daily and record it.  If you see worrisome signs, act!

Chest CT CoVid19 diagnosis: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200226151951.htm

Low eosinophils in CoVid19: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.13.20022830v1.full.pdf

CoVid19 organ damage: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.26.20028191v1

#covid19 #fever, #cough #pneumonia #epidemic

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zhAmBseKJ4w

Here are the latest CDC travels warnings.  None but essential travel to China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy.  None but essential travel for older persons or those with chronic disease to Japan.  

Considering the Chinese epidemic experience, you can predict that these destinations will likely not be suitable recreational travel destinations for another 4-6 months or more.  Should you recover from a verifiable case of CoVid19, you will likely be immune to further infection.  That is, if the virus fails to mutate into other forms capable of reinfecting you, you could then safely travel to these zones earlier.  Stay tuned for information about CoVid19 mutations.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

#covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zhAmBseKJ4w

Here are the latest CDC travels warnings.  None but essential travel to China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy.  None but essential travel for older persons or those with chronic disease to Japan.  

Considering the Chinese epidemic experience, you can predict that these destinations will likely not be suitable recreational travel destinations for another 4-6 months or more.  Should you recover from a verifiable case of CoVid19, you will likely be immune to further infection.  That is, if the virus fails to mutate into other forms capable of reinfecting you, you could then safely travel to these zones earlier.  Stay tuned for information about CoVid19 mutations.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

#covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wc_ai6Ni73Q

Preventing CoVid19 from harming you and your family will involve personal and community efforts.  Personally, you must guard against contracting the virus and passing it on to others.  That involves keeping your fingers and hands from your face, repeated soap and water handwashing or use of alcohol hand sanitizers, avoid touching surfaces likely to harbor contaminated secretions like door handles and your phone, cough and sneeze into tissues, and stay home from work if you feel sick.

Stay away from crowded places if you can, and take special precautions in subway and rail stations as well as airports.  If you can, shop at odd hours.  Walk any walkable distances, and use your automobile for longer travel where feasible.

The Chinese instituted an early warning system for personal infection: a mandatory daily temperature check.  This is easy enough for all of us to do.  There are even electronic thermometers that link to your phone for as little as $11. 

At the first sign of a temperature elevation, get checked and, if necessary, tested.  This is one community effort that can help us all stay healthy

Now that we are seeing community spread throughout the US, expect to see tough city and town measures that combat exponential disease spread for as long as 2 to 4 months.  These may include public transit shutdowns, closure of public venues, and shopping restrictions to meter access and avoid crowds.  Plan ahead!

#covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wc_ai6Ni73Q

Preventing CoVid19 from harming you and your family will involve personal and community efforts.  Personally, you must guard against contracting the virus and passing it on to others.  That involves keeping your fingers and hands from your face, repeated soap and water handwashing or use of alcohol hand sanitizers, avoid touching surfaces likely to harbor contaminated secretions like door handles and your phone, cough and sneeze into tissues, and stay home from work if you feel sick.

Stay away from crowded places if you can, and take special precautions in subway and rail stations as well as airports.  If you can, shop at odd hours.  Walk any walkable distances, and use your automobile for longer travel where feasible.

The Chinese instituted an early warning system for personal infection: a mandatory daily temperature check.  This is easy enough for all of us to do.  There are even electronic thermometers that link to your phone for as little as $11. 

At the first sign of a temperature elevation, get checked and, if necessary, tested.  This is one community effort that can help us all stay healthy

Now that we are seeing community spread throughout the US, expect to see tough city and town measures that combat exponential disease spread for as long as 2 to 4 months.  These may include public transit shutdowns, closure of public venues, and shopping restrictions to meter access and avoid crowds.  Plan ahead!

#covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic