Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iPUfYdQswxA

Ten percent of Americans on the verge of qualifying for Medicare and Social Security drink themselves to oblivion on a regular basis.  A new NYU study reports this frightening statistic and adds that the tendency toward binge drinking is higher for men as well as tobacco or weed users.

The investigators studied nearly data from nearly 11,000 adults age 65 and older who responded to the recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  The 10 percent of them who binge drink is up from the 8% number seen a decade earlier.

The golden years bring enough health issues on their own without adding alcohol-related illnesses.  Most authorities recommend limiting alcohol consumption to 3 or fewer drinks a day.

Benjamin H. Han, Alison A. Moore, Rosie Ferris, Joseph J. Palamar. Binge Drinking Among Older Adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16071

#Bingedrinking #seniors #cannabis #tobacco

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iPUfYdQswxA

Ten percent of Americans on the verge of qualifying for Medicare and Social Security drink themselves to oblivion on a regular basis.  A new NYU study reports this frightening statistic and adds that the tendency toward binge drinking is higher for men as well as tobacco or weed users.

The investigators studied nearly data from nearly 11,000 adults age 65 and older who responded to the recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  The 10 percent of them who binge drink is up from the 8% number seen a decade earlier.

The golden years bring enough health issues on their own without adding alcohol-related illnesses.  Most authorities recommend limiting alcohol consumption to 3 or fewer drinks a day.

Benjamin H. Han, Alison A. Moore, Rosie Ferris, Joseph J. Palamar. Binge Drinking Among Older Adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16071

#Bingedrinking #seniors #cannabis #tobacco

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HAp735CbcYk

Packing up and moving to a new home during your first 3 months of pregnancy can harm your developing baby.  Epidemiologists at the University of Washington report an association of such a transition with a heightened risk of pre-term birth and a low birth weight.

Their study of more than 28,000 women revealed a 42% higher risk of birthing a premie and a 37% higher risk of a low birth weight.   Previous studies have shown that acute stress from natural disasters, familial death, and job loss has a negative impact on neonatal health particularly when it occurs during the first trimester.

If you are planning an addition to your family that will necessitate more living space, either move before you conceive or wait until the child is born.  This study once again underscores the sacroscant nature of the fetus’ first 90 days during which time it is most sensitive to the physical and emotional stress of the mother.

Julia C Bond, Amanda L Mancenido, Divya M Patil, Seth S Rowley, Jack Goldberg, Alyson J Littman. Residence change during the first trimester of pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019; jech-2018-211937 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-211937

#Moving #firsttrimester #prematurebirth #lowbirthweight

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HAp735CbcYk

Packing up and moving to a new home during your first 3 months of pregnancy can harm your developing baby.  Epidemiologists at the University of Washington report an association of such a transition with a heightened risk of pre-term birth and a low birth weight.

Their study of more than 28,000 women revealed a 42% higher risk of birthing a premie and a 37% higher risk of a low birth weight.   Previous studies have shown that acute stress from natural disasters, familial death, and job loss has a negative impact on neonatal health particularly when it occurs during the first trimester.

If you are planning an addition to your family that will necessitate more living space, either move before you conceive or wait until the child is born.  This study once again underscores the sacroscant nature of the fetus’ first 90 days during which time it is most sensitive to the physical and emotional stress of the mother.

Julia C Bond, Amanda L Mancenido, Divya M Patil, Seth S Rowley, Jack Goldberg, Alyson J Littman. Residence change during the first trimester of pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2019; jech-2018-211937 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-211937

#Moving #firsttrimester #prematurebirth #lowbirthweight

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7-_1W4qDOjM

Cheating is not driven by necessity.  Behavioral scientists from Texas A&M and economists from  New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute report this conclusion after studying the population of a remote Guatemalan village.

The investigators observed the propensity of participants to cheat on a game of chance with a monetary prize during both periods of economic abundance and scarcity.  The results show that a high rate of cheating goes on whether or not there is a pressing need for it.  Cheating for a friend follows that same pattern but occurs less often than cheating for oneself.  The only light at the end of the tunnel was the willingness of the villagers to cheat and help strangers who were in the most dire straits.

This study once again concludes that greed and dishonesty are basic human traits.  The only light at the end of the tunnel was the willingness of the villagers to cheat and help strangers during tough times.

Billur Aksoy, Marco A. Palma. The effects of scarcity on cheating and in-group favoritism. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.06.024

#Cheating #samaritanism #greed

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7-_1W4qDOjM

Cheating is not driven by necessity.  Behavioral scientists from Texas A&M and economists from  New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute report this conclusion after studying the population of a remote Guatemalan village.

The investigators observed the propensity of participants to cheat on a game of chance with a monetary prize during both periods of economic abundance and scarcity.  The results show that a high rate of cheating goes on whether or not there is a pressing need for it.  Cheating for a friend follows that same pattern but occurs less often than cheating for oneself.  The only light at the end of the tunnel was the willingness of the villagers to cheat and help strangers who were in the most dire straits.

This study once again concludes that greed and dishonesty are basic human traits.  The only light at the end of the tunnel was the willingness of the villagers to cheat and help strangers during tough times.

Billur Aksoy, Marco A. Palma. The effects of scarcity on cheating and in-group favoritism. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.06.024

#Cheating #samaritanism #greed

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JMuULiMuzA0

If you come from a family where overweight or obese members are the rule, a new Chinese study pinpoints the best exercise routines for keeping yourself trim.  Regular jogging is the best overall activity for keeping your Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratios in the healthy range.

Walking, power or otherwise, dancing, extended yoga, and mountain climbing help control BMI, that is weight, but not the other parameters.  Bringing in the rear, surprisingly, are cycling, stretching, and swimming.  Cycling and swimming, though, are the easiest on your joints as they are non-weight bearing forms of aerobic exercise.

If you are fighting your family history of obesity, get into the jogging or intense exercise habit early.

Wan-Yu Lin, Chang-Chuan Chan, Yu-Li Liu, Albert C. Yang, Shih-Jen Tsai, Po-Hsiu Kuo. Performing different kinds of physical exercise differentially attenuates the genetic effects on obesity measures: Evidence from 18,424 Taiwan Biobank participants. PLOS Genetics, 2019; 15 (8): e1008277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008277

#Obesity #jogging #walking

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JMuULiMuzA0

If you come from a family where overweight or obese members are the rule, a new Chinese study pinpoints the best exercise routines for keeping yourself trim.  Regular jogging is the best overall activity for keeping your Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratios in the healthy range.

Walking, power or otherwise, dancing, extended yoga, and mountain climbing help control BMI, that is weight, but not the other parameters.  Bringing in the rear, surprisingly, are cycling, stretching, and swimming.  Cycling and swimming, though, are the easiest on your joints as they are non-weight bearing forms of aerobic exercise.

If you are fighting your family history of obesity, get into the jogging or intense exercise habit early.

Wan-Yu Lin, Chang-Chuan Chan, Yu-Li Liu, Albert C. Yang, Shih-Jen Tsai, Po-Hsiu Kuo. Performing different kinds of physical exercise differentially attenuates the genetic effects on obesity measures: Evidence from 18,424 Taiwan Biobank participants. PLOS Genetics, 2019; 15 (8): e1008277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008277

#Obesity #jogging #walking

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OhjYx7MntcA

Professional baseball players enjoy a 24% lower mortality rate from any cause compared with the average American man.  This observation stems from a Harvard study of more than 10,600 MLB players donning the uniform over the past century.

Compared with men the same age, the players’ were 20% less likely to die from cardiovascular causes and cancer, some 30% less likely to die from injuries, respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary problems, 50% less likely to succumb to diabetes, and 60% less likely to commit suicide.

The players health advantages come from their fitness.  You need not run out of a dugout most summer days to enjoy the same benefits if you exercise regularly.

Nguyen VT, Zafonte RD, Kponee-Shovein KZ, Paganoni S, Weisskopf MG. All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Major League Baseball Players. JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 22, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1218

#Baseball #mortality #fitness #exercise

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OhjYx7MntcA

Professional baseball players enjoy a 24% lower mortality rate from any cause compared with the average American man.  This observation stems from a Harvard study of more than 10,600 MLB players donning the uniform over the past century.

Compared with men the same age, the players’ were 20% less likely to die from cardiovascular causes and cancer, some 30% less likely to die from injuries, respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary problems, 50% less likely to succumb to diabetes, and 60% less likely to commit suicide.

The players health advantages come from their fitness.  You need not run out of a dugout most summer days to enjoy the same benefits if you exercise regularly.

Nguyen VT, Zafonte RD, Kponee-Shovein KZ, Paganoni S, Weisskopf MG. All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Major League Baseball Players. JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 22, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1218

#Baseball #mortality #fitness #exercise