Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nu3KJdwFFJw

Nearly 20% of fatal strokes occurring in younger persons are due to illicit drug use and abuse.  This is the conclusion of a new study from Australia’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Center.

The investigators studied 279 persons aged 15 to 44 years who died of stroke.  The most frequent drug implicated was methamphetamine.  None of the stroke victims were taking the typical psychostimulants prescribed for attention deficits.

Notable was the fact that the levels of circulating methamphetamine in the stroke victims were less than half of that found in those dying from methamphetamine overdoses indicating that even lower doses of methamphetamine may be deadly by triggering a hyper-metabolic state and intracranial bleeding.

Psychostimulant drug use, both legal and illicit, is on the rise, and about 76 million people are now using them.  Given this fact, it is not surprising that the only group in which the incidence of stroke is markedly increasing is the 25 to 44 year old cohort with a 44% rise.  In contrast, older persons 65 to 84 years of age have a 29% lower incidence of stroke.

These facts should remind you, particularly those of us in the younger and middle-aged groups, that use of psychostimulants and disregard of tendencies toward high blood pressure can place you on the road to a deadly or debilitating stroke.

Shane Darke, Johan Duflou, Sharlene Kaye, Michael Farrell, Julia Lappin. Psychostimulant Use and Fatal Stroke in Young Adults. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14056

Rising Stroke Incidence in Young Adults: More Epidemiological Evidence, More Questions to Be Answered.  https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.003661

#Psychostimulants #stroke #hypertension #methamphetamine 

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nu3KJdwFFJw

Nearly 20% of fatal strokes occurring in younger persons are due to illicit drug use and abuse.  This is the conclusion of a new study from Australia’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Center.

The investigators studied 279 persons aged 15 to 44 years who died of stroke.  The most frequent drug implicated was methamphetamine.  None of the stroke victims were taking the typical psychostimulants prescribed for attention deficits.

Notable was the fact that the levels of circulating methamphetamine in the stroke victims were less than half of that found in those dying from methamphetamine overdoses indicating that even lower doses of methamphetamine may be deadly by triggering a hyper-metabolic state and intracranial bleeding.

Psychostimulant drug use, both legal and illicit, is on the rise, and about 76 million people are now using them.  Given this fact, it is not surprising that the only group in which the incidence of stroke is markedly increasing is the 25 to 44 year old cohort with a 44% rise.  In contrast, older persons 65 to 84 years of age have a 29% lower incidence of stroke.

These facts should remind you, particularly those of us in the younger and middle-aged groups, that use of psychostimulants and disregard of tendencies toward high blood pressure can place you on the road to a deadly or debilitating stroke.

Shane Darke, Johan Duflou, Sharlene Kaye, Michael Farrell, Julia Lappin. Psychostimulant Use and Fatal Stroke in Young Adults. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14056

Rising Stroke Incidence in Young Adults: More Epidemiological Evidence, More Questions to Be Answered.  https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.003661

#Psychostimulants #stroke #hypertension #methamphetamine 

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/_EiQgYiu9d0

Since we just learned that sugar will not sweeten your mood, we look to psychologists from the Iowa State University to provide an alternative to a Hershey bar or a glass of sangria.  They just published a study in the Journal of Happiness Studies that suggests a very good alternative.

The researchers had groups of college students test 3 potentially mood-elevating techniques as they walked around campus eyeballing passersby for 12 minute sessions.  A loving-kindness group made wishes to themselves that the people they saw would be happy.  A second interconnectedness group looked at others and tried to imaging how they might be interconnected in some way.  The third group made downward social comparisons thinking how much better off they were than those they saw.  A control group merely looked at the passersby objectively noting what they were wearing.

Twelve minutes of thinking kind thoughts about people had a therapeutic effect, even on those with narcissistic tendencies.   Expressing concerns for others, even only internally, increases happiness, reduces anxiety, and generates feels of positive social connections.

Douglas A. Gentile, Dawn M. Sweet, Lanmiao He. Caring for Others Cares for the Self: An Experimental Test of Brief Downward Social Comparison, Loving-Kindness, and Interconnectedness Contemplations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00100-2

#Mood #happiness #loving kindness #psychology #anxiety

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/_EiQgYiu9d0

Since we just learned that sugar will not sweeten your mood, we look to psychologists from the Iowa State University to provide an alternative to a Hershey bar or a glass of sangria.  They just published a study in the Journal of Happiness Studies that suggests a very good alternative.

The researchers had groups of college students test 3 potentially mood-elevating techniques as they walked around campus eyeballing passersby for 12 minute sessions.  A loving-kindness group made wishes to themselves that the people they saw would be happy.  A second interconnectedness group looked at others and tried to imaging how they might be interconnected in some way.  The third group made downward social comparisons thinking how much better off they were than those they saw.  A control group merely looked at the passersby objectively noting what they were wearing.

Twelve minutes of thinking kind thoughts about people had a therapeutic effect, even on those with narcissistic tendencies.   Expressing concerns for others, even only internally, increases happiness, reduces anxiety, and generates feels of positive social connections.

Douglas A. Gentile, Dawn M. Sweet, Lanmiao He. Caring for Others Cares for the Self: An Experimental Test of Brief Downward Social Comparison, Loving-Kindness, and Interconnectedness Contemplations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00100-2

#Mood #happiness #loving kindness #psychology #anxiety

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ZNIoRMpE1Po

Does sugar really turbocharge you and improve your mood?  A study by British and German psychologists just published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews says absolutely not.

The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 31 studies covering nearly 1300 adults.  The investigations looked at how the quantity and type of sugar ingested affected alertness, fatigue, mood, anger, and depression.

When the numbers were crunched, the conclusions reached were:

• Sugar does not elevate your mood.
• Sugar makes most people less alert.
• Sugar makes you more tired and fatigued.

So if you are looking for a way to energize yourself in order to complete that project, thesis, term paper, or your review for that exam, forget about sugaring up.  Instead, you might try that cocoa-caffeine cocktail I described awhile back.

Konstantinos Mantantzis, Friederike Schlaghecken, Sandra I. Sünram-Lea, Elizabeth A. Maylor. Sugar Rush or Sugar Crash? A Meta-Analysis of Carbohydrate Effects on Mood. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.016

http://drhowardsmith.libsyn.com/cocoa-caffeine-cocktail-helps-thinking-and-memory-reprise

#Sugar #mood #energy #fatigue #alertness

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ZNIoRMpE1Po

Does sugar really turbocharge you and improve your mood?  A study by British and German psychologists just published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews says absolutely not.

The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 31 studies covering nearly 1300 adults.  The investigations looked at how the quantity and type of sugar ingested affected alertness, fatigue, mood, anger, and depression.

When the numbers were crunched, the conclusions reached were:

• Sugar does not elevate your mood.
• Sugar makes most people less alert.
• Sugar makes you more tired and fatigued.

So if you are looking for a way to energize yourself in order to complete that project, thesis, term paper, or your review for that exam, forget about sugaring up.  Instead, you might try that cocoa-caffeine cocktail I described awhile back.

Konstantinos Mantantzis, Friederike Schlaghecken, Sandra I. Sünram-Lea, Elizabeth A. Maylor. Sugar Rush or Sugar Crash? A Meta-Analysis of Carbohydrate Effects on Mood. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.016

http://drhowardsmith.libsyn.com/cocoa-caffeine-cocktail-helps-thinking-and-memory-reprise

#Sugar #mood #energy #fatigue #alertness

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/CXEY8458XWQ

Kids whose parents read 5 books a day to them enter school with exposure to 1.4 million more words more than those children who parents did not read to them.  Even reading one book a day to your child will give them almost 300,000 more words as they begin kindergarten.

This data comes from Ohio State’s Center For Early Childhood Research and Policy.  With the info that board books contain about 140 words and picture books an average of 228 words, they calculated that kids never read to would be exposed to 4662 words, those read to 1-2 times a week 63,570 words, 3-5 times a week 169,520 words, one book a day 296,660 words, and 5 books a day 1,483,300 words.

The researchers emphasize that these extra words translate into faster development of better reading skills.  They also add that the words in books tend to be more complex than conversational words, especially since our society’s verbal discourse has begun to deteriorate into a chain of “likes” and run-on sentences.

Reading to your kids is not only good for their vocabulary, but the mommy or daddy and me time with books drives even better parent and child bonding.  By the way, a study just published from the University of Michigan concludes that reading from real books rather than from electronic devices is significantly more effective.

Jessica A. R. Logan, Laura M. Justice, Melike Yumuş, Leydi Johana Chaparro-Moreno. When Children Are Not Read to at Home. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000657

Tiffany G. Munzer, Alison L. Miller, Heidi M. Weeks, Niko Kaciroti, Jenny Radesky. Differences in Parent-Toddler Interactions With Electronic Versus Print Books. Pediatrics, 2019; e20182012 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2012

#Reading #vocabulary #parenting #education #headstart #earlychildhood

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/CXEY8458XWQ

Kids whose parents read 5 books a day to them enter school with exposure to 1.4 million more words more than those children who parents did not read to them.  Even reading one book a day to your child will give them almost 300,000 more words as they begin kindergarten.

This data comes from Ohio State’s Center For Early Childhood Research and Policy.  With the info that board books contain about 140 words and picture books an average of 228 words, they calculated that kids never read to would be exposed to 4662 words, those read to 1-2 times a week 63,570 words, 3-5 times a week 169,520 words, one book a day 296,660 words, and 5 books a day 1,483,300 words.

The researchers emphasize that these extra words translate into faster development of better reading skills.  They also add that the words in books tend to be more complex than conversational words, especially since our society’s verbal discourse has begun to deteriorate into a chain of “likes” and run-on sentences.

Reading to your kids is not only good for their vocabulary, but the mommy or daddy and me time with books drives even better parent and child bonding.  By the way, a study just published from the University of Michigan concludes that reading from real books rather than from electronic devices is significantly more effective.

Jessica A. R. Logan, Laura M. Justice, Melike Yumuş, Leydi Johana Chaparro-Moreno. When Children Are Not Read to at Home. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000657

Tiffany G. Munzer, Alison L. Miller, Heidi M. Weeks, Niko Kaciroti, Jenny Radesky. Differences in Parent-Toddler Interactions With Electronic Versus Print Books. Pediatrics, 2019; e20182012 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2012

#Reading #vocabulary #parenting #education #headstart #earlychildhood

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/5GktQvHI9Lc

It’s no secret that the USA has the most expensive healthcare in the world, but a new commentary by clinicians at Cornell and the University of Texas-San Antonio suggests our specialty-driven clinical practice guidelines may be at fault.  This perspective comes from a panel of doctors who have practiced in other wealthy countries before coming to the US to live.  

When they moved to the US, they were surprised to find that the recommendations for bowel cancer screening here differed so radically from those in their native countries.  Then, they looked at the panels making the recommendations.  

In the US, the American College of Gastroenterology panel, composed entirely of, guess who, gastroenterologists, universally recommends colonoscopies.  In Europe, the European Society of Medical Oncology panel with six medical oncologists, one gastrointestinal surgeon, and no gastroenterologists states that colonoscopy has a limited role and recommends stool biochemical screening instead.

The authors further comment that one reason for the difference is our US fee-for-service model, and our docs get in the habit of recommending services they perform.  When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail since there is a financial incentive to view it that way.

So how is this costly care working out for us.  Not well! On the list of healthiest countries, the US ranked #35 trailing all of the European nations.  On the list of least healthy countries, we are tied with Lithuania at #10.  The number one least healthy country is the Czech Republic followed by Russia.

For you as a patient, the bottom line is to be a good consumer of healthcare.  Question your doctors about responsible alternatives to costly screening techniques and do check the internet to read reliable and balanced sources of information.

Ismail Jatoi, Sunita Sah. Clinical practice guidelines and the overuse of health care services: need for reform. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2019; 191 (11): E297 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.181496

Worlds healthiest countries: https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/article/3613

Healthcare spending: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-start

#Colonoscopy #health #healthcosts #feeforservice #universalhealthcare

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/5GktQvHI9Lc

It’s no secret that the USA has the most expensive healthcare in the world, but a new commentary by clinicians at Cornell and the University of Texas-San Antonio suggests our specialty-driven clinical practice guidelines may be at fault.  This perspective comes from a panel of doctors who have practiced in other wealthy countries before coming to the US to live.  

When they moved to the US, they were surprised to find that the recommendations for bowel cancer screening here differed so radically from those in their native countries.  Then, they looked at the panels making the recommendations.  

In the US, the American College of Gastroenterology panel, composed entirely of, guess who, gastroenterologists, universally recommends colonoscopies.  In Europe, the European Society of Medical Oncology panel with six medical oncologists, one gastrointestinal surgeon, and no gastroenterologists states that colonoscopy has a limited role and recommends stool biochemical screening instead.

The authors further comment that one reason for the difference is our US fee-for-service model, and our docs get in the habit of recommending services they perform.  When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail since there is a financial incentive to view it that way.

So how is this costly care working out for us.  Not well! On the list of healthiest countries, the US ranked #35 trailing all of the European nations.  On the list of least healthy countries, we are tied with Lithuania at #10.  The number one least healthy country is the Czech Republic followed by Russia.

For you as a patient, the bottom line is to be a good consumer of healthcare.  Question your doctors about responsible alternatives to costly screening techniques and do check the internet to read reliable and balanced sources of information.

Ismail Jatoi, Sunita Sah. Clinical practice guidelines and the overuse of health care services: need for reform. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2019; 191 (11): E297 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.181496

Worlds healthiest countries: https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/article/3613

Healthcare spending: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-start

#Colonoscopy #health #healthcosts #feeforservice #universalhealthcare