Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/4R0XogusZx0

I’m Dr. Howard Smith, PENTA Medical Network, reporting from NYC with the Health News Roundup for the 3rd week of JULY, 2019.  This is Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries and commonsense advice that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.  

Here are this weeks stories :

To Prevent Dementia Bank Your Brainpower

Cutting Calories Is Always Healthy

Helping Those In Need Depends On Imagination

Air Pollution Blocks Your Arteries

Time In Green Spaces Erases Unhealthy Lusts

Preterm Babies Suffer Adult Relationship Issues

Punishing Football Practices Trigger More Injuries Than Actual Games

Surgery For Young Women Linked To Addicted Babies

Rejecting A Needed Hearing Aid Risks Dementia

Pets Relieve Stress

Eating Healthy Pampers Your Gut Bacteria

New Treatment For Weed Dependency

Rugby Tackling Safer Than Football Tackling

Toss Tampons And Try The Menstrual Cup

Heroin Addicts Hate The Term

For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/july-2019-3rd-week-health-news

#CognitiveReserve #dementia #Alzheimers #education #socialization #Caloriereduction #exercise #inflammation #heart #Altruism #imagination #rescue #Airpollution #coronaryarterydamage #calcification #heartattack #Outdoors #greenspace #overeating #drugs #alcohol #Preterm #lowbirthweight # love #sex #parenthood #Football #nontraumaticdeaths #heatexhaustion #sicklecell #Womenshealth #surgery #pregnancy #neonatalabstinence #Hearingaid #Hearingloss #memory #dementia #Stress #pets #college #work #Fruits #vegetables #gutmicrobiome #Cannabis #nabiximols #addiction #Rugby #football #tackling #concussion #CTE #Menstrualcap #tampon

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/4R0XogusZx0

I’m Dr. Howard Smith, PENTA Medical Network, reporting from NYC with the Health News Roundup for the 3rd week of JULY, 2019.  This is Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries and commonsense advice that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.  

Here are this weeks stories :

To Prevent Dementia Bank Your Brainpower

Cutting Calories Is Always Healthy

Helping Those In Need Depends On Imagination

Air Pollution Blocks Your Arteries

Time In Green Spaces Erases Unhealthy Lusts

Preterm Babies Suffer Adult Relationship Issues

Punishing Football Practices Trigger More Injuries Than Actual Games

Surgery For Young Women Linked To Addicted Babies

Rejecting A Needed Hearing Aid Risks Dementia

Pets Relieve Stress

Eating Healthy Pampers Your Gut Bacteria

New Treatment For Weed Dependency

Rugby Tackling Safer Than Football Tackling

Toss Tampons And Try The Menstrual Cup

Heroin Addicts Hate The Term

For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/july-2019-3rd-week-health-news

#CognitiveReserve #dementia #Alzheimers #education #socialization #Caloriereduction #exercise #inflammation #heart #Altruism #imagination #rescue #Airpollution #coronaryarterydamage #calcification #heartattack #Outdoors #greenspace #overeating #drugs #alcohol #Preterm #lowbirthweight # love #sex #parenthood #Football #nontraumaticdeaths #heatexhaustion #sicklecell #Womenshealth #surgery #pregnancy #neonatalabstinence #Hearingaid #Hearingloss #memory #dementia #Stress #pets #college #work #Fruits #vegetables #gutmicrobiome #Cannabis #nabiximols #addiction #Rugby #football #tackling #concussion #CTE #Menstrualcap #tampon

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/k1bHDtP93Zw

Our friends and neighbors sadly dependent on heroin call themselves “addicts,” but they would prefer we call them “people who use drugs.”   This finding comes from a first-of-its-kind study by psychiatrists and health law experts at UMass and Boston University.

The study polled participants embarking on an inpatient heroin withdrawal program.  While 70% of the patients referred to themselves as “addicts,” fewer than 15% preferred terms such as “users” or “junkies.”  The most hated designations were “heroin misuser”  or “heroin-dependent.”

The preferred “people who use drugs” begins with the word “people” emphasizing that those on heroin or any other substance are first and foremost people.  As they work to break their habits, they deserve our love, respect, and support.

Ekaterina Pivovarova, Michael D. Stein. In their own words: language preferences of individuals who use heroin. Addiction, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/add.14699

#Heroin #addict #druguser

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/k1bHDtP93Zw

Our friends and neighbors sadly dependent on heroin call themselves “addicts,” but they would prefer we call them “people who use drugs.”   This finding comes from a first-of-its-kind study by psychiatrists and health law experts at UMass and Boston University.

The study polled participants embarking on an inpatient heroin withdrawal program.  While 70% of the patients referred to themselves as “addicts,” fewer than 15% preferred terms such as “users” or “junkies.”  The most hated designations were “heroin misuser”  or “heroin-dependent.”

The preferred “people who use drugs” begins with the word “people” emphasizing that those on heroin or any other substance are first and foremost people.  As they work to break their habits, they deserve our love, respect, and support.

Ekaterina Pivovarova, Michael D. Stein. In their own words: language preferences of individuals who use heroin. Addiction, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/add.14699

#Heroin #addict #druguser

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Xk6ebT6Hchw

Women looking for a cheaper alternative to tampons need look no further than the Menstrual Cup.  Now this is not a new invention and it’s been around since the 1930’s, but a new meta-analysis just published in The Lancet reviewed the experiences of some 3300 women using the cup to determine its utility and safety.

The majority of menstrual cups are placed in the vagina to trap and hold menstrual flow.  There is an alternative menstrual disc that fits over the cervix, but it may be more difficult to insert and remove.  Even inserting the vaginal cup takes a little practice, but after 2 cycles it seemed easy to most users. 

The study showed that nearly three-quarters of women trying the cups planned to continue their use.  The incidence of leakage and infection was no different than for other menstrual products.  The cup did not damage linings, but there were a few cases of allergy to the cup materials.

Multi-use menstrual cups are convenient and cheap.  If you aren’t squeamish about their insertion and if you don’t have an IUD, you might want to explore using the cup on a regular basis.  Costwise, they are 95% cheaper than tampons or pads.

Anna Maria van Eijk, PhD, Garazi Zulaika, MPH, Madeline Lenchner, MSc, Linda Mason, PhD
et al. Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  The Lancet Public Health. Published:July 16, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30111-2

https://putacupinit.com

#Menstrualcap #tampon

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Xk6ebT6Hchw

Women looking for a cheaper alternative to tampons need look no further than the Menstrual Cup.  Now this is not a new invention and it’s been around since the 1930’s, but a new meta-analysis just published in The Lancet reviewed the experiences of some 3300 women using the cup to determine its utility and safety.

The majority of menstrual cups are placed in the vagina to trap and hold menstrual flow.  There is an alternative menstrual disc that fits over the cervix, but it may be more difficult to insert and remove.  Even inserting the vaginal cup takes a little practice, but after 2 cycles it seemed easy to most users. 

The study showed that nearly three-quarters of women trying the cups planned to continue their use.  The incidence of leakage and infection was no different than for other menstrual products.  The cup did not damage linings, but there were a few cases of allergy to the cup materials.

Multi-use menstrual cups are convenient and cheap.  If you aren’t squeamish about their insertion and if you don’t have an IUD, you might want to explore using the cup on a regular basis.  Costwise, they are 95% cheaper than tampons or pads.

Anna Maria van Eijk, PhD, Garazi Zulaika, MPH, Madeline Lenchner, MSc, Linda Mason, PhD
et al. Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  The Lancet Public Health. Published:July 16, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30111-2

https://putacupinit.com

#Menstrualcap #tampon

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tLIrv6XIfMg

Players who tackle their opponents by leading with the shoulders rugby-style rather than with the head football-style sustain fewer and less forceful impacts.  This is the conclusion of a sports medicine study at West Virginia’s Marshall University to be presented next week to the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Concussion conference.

The study focused on 20 football players and 10 rugby players during practice season play.  The serious impacts they sustained and the impact forces were quantitated by helmet and mouthguard sensors.

The shoulder-first rugby tacklers sustained significantly fewer impacts with significantly lower impact forces compared with the head-first football tacklers.  The average football-associated impact force was 63 X g, 3 times greater than the average rugby-associated force at 21X g.

If brain-damaging tackling continues to be permitted in high school and college sports at all, mandating shoulder-first tackling may be a first step toward stopping mind- and life-threatening chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

American Academy of Neurology. "Rugby-style tackling may have lower force of impact than football-style tackling." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 July 2019.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716174114.htm

#Rugby #football #tackling #concussion #CTE

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tLIrv6XIfMg

Players who tackle their opponents by leading with the shoulders rugby-style rather than with the head football-style sustain fewer and less forceful impacts.  This is the conclusion of a sports medicine study at West Virginia’s Marshall University to be presented next week to the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Concussion conference.

The study focused on 20 football players and 10 rugby players during practice season play.  The serious impacts they sustained and the impact forces were quantitated by helmet and mouthguard sensors.

The shoulder-first rugby tacklers sustained significantly fewer impacts with significantly lower impact forces compared with the head-first football tacklers.  The average football-associated impact force was 63 X g, 3 times greater than the average rugby-associated force at 21X g.

If brain-damaging tackling continues to be permitted in high school and college sports at all, mandating shoulder-first tackling may be a first step toward stopping mind- and life-threatening chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

American Academy of Neurology. "Rugby-style tackling may have lower force of impact than football-style tackling." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 July 2019.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716174114.htm

#Rugby #football #tackling #concussion #CTE

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tjCw6J7GYZk

A new cannabis-based drug can effectively treat those addicted to marijuana.  An Australian study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that nabiximols, a CBD-THC combo medication marketed as Sativex™, can not only help weed users quit by reducing withdrawal symptoms, but also diminish their chances of relapse.

The University of Sydney’s Drug & Alcohol Services followed 128 patients taking Sativex over a 12 week period.  This drug is administered by spraying it under the tongue once every waking hour.  Those using the active drug versus a control inactive liquid spray consumed significantly less cannabis, were not bothered by withdrawal cravings, and maintained a reduced using pattern over a longer period of time.

Sativex is the first cannabis-based drug that effectively helps users off marijuana.  The fact that such a drug is necessary in the first place should be a wake-up call to those who proclaim weed to be completely harmless.

Nicholas Lintzeris, Anjali Bhardwaj, Llewellyn Mills, etal. Nabiximols for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1993

#Cannabis #nabiximols #addiction

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tjCw6J7GYZk

A new cannabis-based drug can effectively treat those addicted to marijuana.  An Australian study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that nabiximols, a CBD-THC combo medication marketed as Sativex™, can not only help weed users quit by reducing withdrawal symptoms, but also diminish their chances of relapse.

The University of Sydney’s Drug & Alcohol Services followed 128 patients taking Sativex over a 12 week period.  This drug is administered by spraying it under the tongue once every waking hour.  Those using the active drug versus a control inactive liquid spray consumed significantly less cannabis, were not bothered by withdrawal cravings, and maintained a reduced using pattern over a longer period of time.

Sativex is the first cannabis-based drug that effectively helps users off marijuana.  The fact that such a drug is necessary in the first place should be a wake-up call to those who proclaim weed to be completely harmless.

Nicholas Lintzeris, Anjali Bhardwaj, Llewellyn Mills, etal. Nabiximols for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1993

#Cannabis #nabiximols #addiction