Dr. Howard Smith Reports

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 #prostatecancer 

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 #prostatecancer 

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 September 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905161410.htm.

#Hypertension #heat #hotyoga #heatingpad

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 September 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905161410.htm.

#Hypertension #heat #hotyoga #heatingpad

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/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/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 Disease Risk Among Firefighters After the World Trade Center Disaster. JAMA Netw Open. Published online September 06, 20192(9):e199775. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9775

#Firefighter #police, heartdisease #stroke

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 Disease Risk Among Firefighters After the World Trade Center Disaster. JAMA Netw Open. Published online September 06, 20192(9):e199775. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9775

#Firefighter #police, heartdisease #stroke