Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/qzPedk35i7g

Eating red meat and fatty foods will more than triple your risk of going blind over time. So says a collaborative University of Buffalo-University of Wisconsin study just published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The investigators reviewed the dietary preferences of 144 patients with various stages of macular degeneration.  Those consuming a typical western diet of red meat, fried foods, refined grains, and high-fat dairy were 3.4 times more likely to develop advanced eye disease with the inability to continue driving.

 A poor diet not only damages your heart and blood vessels but also critical sense organs like eyes on which you depend for a quality life.  Begin eating healthy today.

Shruti Dighe, Jiwei Zhao, Lyn Steffen, J A Mares, Stacy M Meuer, Barbara E K Klein, Ronald Klein, Amy E Millen. Diet patterns and the incidence of age-related macular degeneration in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2019; bjophthalmol-2019-314813 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314813

#blindness #maculardegeneration #meat #fats #mediterraneandiet

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/qzPedk35i7g

Eating red meat and fatty foods will more than triple your risk of going blind over time. So says a collaborative University of Buffalo-University of Wisconsin study just published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The investigators reviewed the dietary preferences of 144 patients with various stages of macular degeneration.  Those consuming a typical western diet of red meat, fried foods, refined grains, and high-fat dairy were 3.4 times more likely to develop advanced eye disease with the inability to continue driving.

 A poor diet not only damages your heart and blood vessels but also critical sense organs like eyes on which you depend for a quality life.  Begin eating healthy today.

Shruti Dighe, Jiwei Zhao, Lyn Steffen, J A Mares, Stacy M Meuer, Barbara E K Klein, Ronald Klein, Amy E Millen. Diet patterns and the incidence of age-related macular degeneration in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2019; bjophthalmol-2019-314813 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314813

#blindness #maculardegeneration #meat #fats #mediterraneandiet

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tBJw-6SRtGk

Drummers develop simplified connections between the two halves of their brain and more efficiently organized motor control zones.  A German study just published in the journal Brain and Behavior draws these conclusions from their MRI studies of 20 professional drummers with close to 177,000 hours of drumming under their sticks.

The drummers compared with non-musicians had fewer but thicker fibers in the corpus callosum that connects both sides of the brain. The drummer’s brains displayed less electrical activity while playing due to better wiring efficiency.

It would appear that time with a drum kit might be excellent training for anyone aspiring to perform complicated hand motions.  Aspiring painters, sculptors and surgeons take note.

Lara Schlaffke, Sarah Friedrich, Martin Tegenthoff, Onur Güntürkün, Erhan Genç, Sebastian Ocklenburg. Boom Chack Boom—A multimethod investigation of motor inhibition in professional drummers. Brain and Behavior, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1490

#Drummers #motorcortex #corpuscallosum #artist #surgeon

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tBJw-6SRtGk

Drummers develop simplified connections between the two halves of their brain and more efficiently organized motor control zones.  A German study just published in the journal Brain and Behavior draws these conclusions from their MRI studies of 20 professional drummers with close to 177,000 hours of drumming under their sticks.

The drummers compared with non-musicians had fewer but thicker fibers in the corpus callosum that connects both sides of the brain. The drummer’s brains displayed less electrical activity while playing due to better wiring efficiency.

It would appear that time with a drum kit might be excellent training for anyone aspiring to perform complicated hand motions.  Aspiring painters, sculptors and surgeons take note.

Lara Schlaffke, Sarah Friedrich, Martin Tegenthoff, Onur Güntürkün, Erhan Genç, Sebastian Ocklenburg. Boom Chack Boom—A multimethod investigation of motor inhibition in professional drummers. Brain and Behavior, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1490

#Drummers #motorcortex #corpuscallosum #artist #surgeon

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/p1I6x7NGREA

Midwife-directed childbirth in a warm water-filled bathtub instead of a bed are just as safe and result in fewer vaginal tears and episiotomies.  University of Michigan obstetric nurses derive these conclusions from their comparison of 397 water births with over 2000 land births.

Those infants born in water were no more likely to require NICU admissions.  Post-delivery bleeding rates were the same for both groups.

Despite widespread use abroad, few American facilities support water birthing.  The woman may labor in a bathtub, but she is moved to a bed for delivery.  

The Michigan nurses hope water birthing will spread.  It is safe, effective, and studies are underway to assess maternal satisfaction.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191210111659.htm

#Waterbirthing #episiotomy #vaginaltears.

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/p1I6x7NGREA

Midwife-directed childbirth in a warm water-filled bathtub instead of a bed are just as safe and result in fewer vaginal tears and episiotomies.  University of Michigan obstetric nurses derive these conclusions from their comparison of 397 water births with over 2000 land births.

Those infants born in water were no more likely to require NICU admissions.  Post-delivery bleeding rates were the same for both groups.

Despite widespread use abroad, few American facilities support water birthing.  The woman may labor in a bathtub, but she is moved to a bed for delivery.  

The Michigan nurses hope water birthing will spread.  It is safe, effective, and studies are underway to assess maternal satisfaction.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191210111659.htm

#Waterbirthing #episiotomy #vaginaltears.

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dwCg-YKSBuk

Different brain regions activate when you see justifiable assaults versus gratuitous brutality.  University of Pennsylvania neuroscientists recruited 26 college students to view 90 second movie scenes depicting defensible violence from Taken and White House Down but also unwarranted strong-arming from Skyfall, and Jack Reacher.  Brain activity was studied by MRI.

Forceful actions in defense of family and friends trigger activity in the brain’s prefrontal center that labels such activity moral.  Violence without redeeming qualities stimulates the lateral frontal cortex and labels the actions unacceptable.

Our brains know right from wrong due to family guidance.  Sadly many in high federal office never experienced such discipline.  We but also they will suffer the consequences.

Azeez Adebimpe, Danielle S. Bassett, Patrick E. Jamieson, Daniel Romer. Intersubject Synchronization of Late Adolescent Brain Responses to Violent Movies: A Virtue-Ethics Approach. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2019; 13 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00260

#Violence #morality #frontalcortex #brain

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dwCg-YKSBuk

Different brain regions activate when you see justifiable assaults versus gratuitous brutality.  University of Pennsylvania neuroscientists recruited 26 college students to view 90 second movie scenes depicting defensible violence from Taken and White House Down but also unwarranted strong-arming from Skyfall, and Jack Reacher.  Brain activity was studied by MRI.

Forceful actions in defense of family and friends trigger activity in the brain’s prefrontal center that labels such activity moral.  Violence without redeeming qualities stimulates the lateral frontal cortex and labels the actions unacceptable.

Our brains know right from wrong due to family guidance.  Sadly many in high federal office never experienced such discipline.  We but also they will suffer the consequences.

Azeez Adebimpe, Danielle S. Bassett, Patrick E. Jamieson, Daniel Romer. Intersubject Synchronization of Late Adolescent Brain Responses to Violent Movies: A Virtue-Ethics Approach. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2019; 13 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00260

#Violence #morality #frontalcortex #brain

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/prrcksSUdOU

Viral colds can’t be cured.  Nose blowing makes them worse, but my ABCDE program can keep them under a week without triggering bacterial sinus or chest infections.

A stands for taking an Anti-inflammatory such as Advil or aspirin that reduces pain and congestion.  B is for achieving Bacterial control and eliminating crusts with nasal application of triple antibiotic ointment,.  C stands for nasal Cleansing with saline aerosol spray to improve breathing by clearing mucus and bacteria.  Do each 4 times a day: 8a-12n-4p-8p.

If needed, add a D for Decongestant up to twice a day.  Use oral Sudafed or Afrin nasal spray but only up to 5 days.  E is for exit using Mucinex DM to curb that hacking cough and Flonase nasal spray to stop lingering nasal drip.

Don’t suffer....use your ABCDEs for that cold.

https://www.drhowardsmith.com/treating-colds

#Colds #sinusitis #bronchitis #advil #aspirin  #saline #Flonase #MucinexDM

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/prrcksSUdOU

Viral colds can’t be cured.  Nose blowing makes them worse, but my ABCDE program can keep them under a week without triggering bacterial sinus or chest infections.

A stands for taking an Anti-inflammatory such as Advil or aspirin that reduces pain and congestion.  B is for achieving Bacterial control and eliminating crusts with nasal application of triple antibiotic ointment,.  C stands for nasal Cleansing with saline aerosol spray to improve breathing by clearing mucus and bacteria.  Do each 4 times a day: 8a-12n-4p-8p.

If needed, add a D for Decongestant up to twice a day.  Use oral Sudafed or Afrin nasal spray but only up to 5 days.  E is for exit using Mucinex DM to curb that hacking cough and Flonase nasal spray to stop lingering nasal drip.

Don’t suffer....use your ABCDEs for that cold.

https://www.drhowardsmith.com/treating-colds

#Colds #sinusitis #bronchitis #advil #aspirin  #saline #Flonase #MucinexDM