Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/_Ea_jZxu15Q

There’s plenty of “Fake News” out there, and some of it is bogus medical, health, and wellness news.  Just how do you know if your sources of health news are legit?  

The Health News You Should Use that I present here comes from what I consider to be gold standard outlets.  However, even though true, much of the news out there isn’t useful for most of us.  I sift though the material from the best sources and pick stories that I think you will find useful..

For your interest, convenience, and safety, I’m sharing with you my 5 go-to resources with industrial strength reliability in each of 5 categories.  When news from these sources comes your way, you can believe it!

1. Newspapers of record.  Here are the best large national broadsheet newspapers that employ excellent medical and health journalists.  Their staff writers, many with impressive research and clinical credentials, know how to read and interpret the medical literature.  Here are my top 5:

• The New York Times;
• The Washington Post;
• The Chicago Tribune;
• The Los Angeles Times;
• The Wall Street Journal.

1. Health News Aggregators.  These online sources constantly review medical journals and press releases from research institutions and present the most important developments in a timely fashion.  These are my 5 favorites:

• ScienceDaily;
• MDLinx;
• Medscape;
• Medical News Today;
• Reuters.

1. Medical Journals.  These print and online publications employ large panels of notable research and clinical scientists to rigorously review submitted studies and review articles.  I don’t expect that you’ll read these directly, but you can believe the developments that are published by them.  The following five are generally recognized to be at the top of the list:

• New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). 
• The Lancet.
• Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and its publication family.
• British Medical Journal (BMJ);
• Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM).

1. Medical Schools and Hospitals Noted For Research.  These five medical schools and their affiliated hospitals attract the best medical investigators and the most research grants.  By the way, if you live near any of them, you won’t go wrong seeking care there.  Realize though, that they are teaching institutions.  If you become a patient at any teaching hospital, don’t be bashful about asserting your rights.  The following are simply the cream of the crop:

• Harvard Medical School - Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mass. General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana Farber Ca

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/_Ea_jZxu15Q

There’s plenty of “Fake News” out there, and some of it is bogus medical, health, and wellness news.  Just how do you know if your sources of health news are legit?  

The Health News You Should Use that I present here comes from what I consider to be gold standard outlets.  However, even though true, much of the news out there isn’t useful for most of us.  I sift though the material from the best sources and pick stories that I think you will find useful..

For your interest, convenience, and safety, I’m sharing with you my 5 go-to resources with industrial strength reliability in each of 5 categories.  When news from these sources comes your way, you can believe it!

1. Newspapers of record.  Here are the best large national broadsheet newspapers that employ excellent medical and health journalists.  Their staff writers, many with impressive research and clinical credentials, know how to read and interpret the medical literature.  Here are my top 5:

• The New York Times;
• The Washington Post;
• The Chicago Tribune;
• The Los Angeles Times;
• The Wall Street Journal.

1. Health News Aggregators.  These online sources constantly review medical journals and press releases from research institutions and present the most important developments in a timely fashion.  These are my 5 favorites:

• ScienceDaily;
• MDLinx;
• Medscape;
• Medical News Today;
• Reuters.

1. Medical Journals.  These print and online publications employ large panels of notable research and clinical scientists to rigorously review submitted studies and review articles.  I don’t expect that you’ll read these directly, but you can believe the developments that are published by them.  The following five are generally recognized to be at the top of the list:

• New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). 
• The Lancet.
• Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and its publication family.
• British Medical Journal (BMJ);
• Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM).

1. Medical Schools and Hospitals Noted For Research.  These five medical schools and their affiliated hospitals attract the best medical investigators and the most research grants.  By the way, if you live near any of them, you won’t go wrong seeking care there.  Realize though, that they are teaching institutions.  If you become a patient at any teaching hospital, don’t be bashful about asserting your rights.  The following are simply the cream of the crop:

• Harvard Medical School - Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mass. General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital, Joslin Diabetes Center;
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine - Johns Hopkins Hospital with Childrens and Cancer Units, Bayview Medical Center, Howard County General Hospital;
• Stanford University School of Medicine - Stanford University Hospital, Packard Children’s Hospital;
• Mayo Clinic School of Medicine - Mayo Clinic in MN, AZ, FL;
• University of Pennsylvania - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

1. Government Sources.  These 5 government agencies orchestrate the U.S. public health and medical research initiatives.  Although they are indirectly affected by political pressure, their staff members are world-class scientific and clinical civil servant with only the best interests of the public uppermost in their minds:

• Centers For Disease Control (CDC).
• National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS).
• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).

When you read, hear, or see medical, health, and wellness information from any of these sources, believe that you are receiving industrial strength truth from beacons of legitimacy on the web or on the airwaves.  Take their recommendations and warnings to heart.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ct13uGTrFlA

Recreational cannabis use is on the rise as more and more states make it legal.  We can learn a thing or two from our neighbors to the north as weed for fun is completely legal throughout Canada and medicinal marijuana has been in widespread use for years.

A just published report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology reminds us that the new cannabis can be risky.  The case report recounts the story of a older man with stable coronary artery disease who decided to try a THC lollipop to relieve some pain and insomnia.  It contained 90 mg of THC and triggered a serious heart attack and reduced cardiac function.  Compared that dose to the 7 mg in a joint or the usual 2.5 mg dose of THC used for nausea in cancer and AIDS patients.

Cannabis heart toxicity can be due to: 1. directed effects of THC on cardiac muscle; 2. effects of the various inhaled and toxic gases released when marijuana burn, and 3. the cardiac effects of weed-induced anxiety and hallucinations.  

Over the past 20 years, the THC in marijuana plants seized by authorities has risen from nearly 4% to over 13%.  As marijuana use increases in the general population, any and all users must be careful of overdosing due to potent new edible as well as smokeable weed and the possible adverse interactions of cannabis with current medications and existing cardiac problems.

#marijuana #THC #heartattack #CVtoxicity #edibles #cannabis #healthnews #healthtips

Alexandra Saunders, Robert S. Stevenson. Marijuana Lollipop-Induced Myocardial Infarction. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2019; 35 (2): 229.e1 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.11.033

Neal L. Benowitz. Managing Cannabis Use in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2019; 35 (2): 138 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.12.033

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ct13uGTrFlA

Recreational cannabis use is on the rise as more and more states make it legal.  We can learn a thing or two from our neighbors to the north as weed for fun is completely legal throughout Canada and medicinal marijuana has been in widespread use for years.

A just published report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology reminds us that the new cannabis can be risky.  The case report recounts the story of a older man with stable coronary artery disease who decided to try a THC lollipop to relieve some pain and insomnia.  It contained 90 mg of THC and triggered a serious heart attack and reduced cardiac function.  Compared that dose to the 7 mg in a joint or the usual 2.5 mg dose of THC used for nausea in cancer and AIDS patients.

Cannabis heart toxicity can be due to: 1. directed effects of THC on cardiac muscle; 2. effects of the various inhaled and toxic gases released when marijuana burn, and 3. the cardiac effects of weed-induced anxiety and hallucinations.  

Over the past 20 years, the THC in marijuana plants seized by authorities has risen from nearly 4% to over 13%.  As marijuana use increases in the general population, any and all users must be careful of overdosing due to potent new edible as well as smokeable weed and the possible adverse interactions of cannabis with current medications and existing cardiac problems.

#marijuana #THC #heartattack #CVtoxicity #edibles #cannabis #healthnews #healthtips

Alexandra Saunders, Robert S. Stevenson. Marijuana Lollipop-Induced Myocardial Infarction. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2019; 35 (2): 229.e1 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.11.033

Neal L. Benowitz. Managing Cannabis Use in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2019; 35 (2): 138 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2018.12.033

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ogsYU-IDW14

Those feminine hormones that help to bestow the miracle of reproduction on women may ironically make them more susceptible to addiction.  

The latest entry in a series of studies from Vanderbilt University’s pharmacology department shows that, when a female’s estrogen is peaking, she learns faster, craves adventure and novel experiences, is more likely to seek romance whether good or bad, and is more prone to seek rewards.  That makes her more likely to fall prey to addiction.

The investigators had previously demonstrated that higher estrogen levels intensify the brain’s dopamine reward release following cocaine use.  These latest experiments employed a rat model to show that females, in the presence of a light trigger, were more motivated than males to do what it takes to repeatedly get a dose of cocaine.  Female hormones facilitate repeated drug ingestion.

Those of us who applaud the #metoo movement see this type of information as a tool for liberating women from the restrictions of their biology.  Knowing that women may become addicted to drugs more readily mid-cycle, their doctors should be particularly careful to avoid narcotic use during these times and probably anytime.

Women themselves should also use this intelligence about the impact of their hormonal cycles to plan their work and play schedules to take advantage of the benefits of their estrogen peaks while avoiding its pitfalls.

#estrogens #addiction #menstrualcycle #healthnews #healthtips

Amy R. Johnson, Kimberly C. Thibeault, Alberto J. Lopez, Emily G. Peck, L. Paul Sands, Christina M. Sanders, Munir Gunes Kutlu, Erin S. Calipari. Cues play a critical role in estrous cycle-dependent enhancement of cocaine reinforcement. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0320-0

https://www.myhormonology.com/learn/female-hormone-cycle/

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/ogsYU-IDW14

Those feminine hormones that help to bestow the miracle of reproduction on women may ironically make them more susceptible to addiction.  

The latest entry in a series of studies from Vanderbilt University’s pharmacology department shows that, when a female’s estrogen is peaking, she learns faster, craves adventure and novel experiences, is more likely to seek romance whether good or bad, and is more prone to seek rewards.  That makes her more likely to fall prey to addiction.

The investigators had previously demonstrated that higher estrogen levels intensify the brain’s dopamine reward release following cocaine use.  These latest experiments employed a rat model to show that females, in the presence of a light trigger, were more motivated than males to do what it takes to repeatedly get a dose of cocaine.  Female hormones facilitate repeated drug ingestion.

Those of us who applaud the #metoo movement see this type of information as a tool for liberating women from the restrictions of their biology.  Knowing that women may become addicted to drugs more readily mid-cycle, their doctors should be particularly careful to avoid narcotic use during these times and probably anytime.

Women themselves should also use this intelligence about the impact of their hormonal cycles to plan their work and play schedules to take advantage of the benefits of their estrogen peaks while avoiding its pitfalls.

#estrogens #addiction #menstrualcycle #healthnews #healthtips

Amy R. Johnson, Kimberly C. Thibeault, Alberto J. Lopez, Emily G. Peck, L. Paul Sands, Christina M. Sanders, Munir Gunes Kutlu, Erin S. Calipari. Cues play a critical role in estrous cycle-dependent enhancement of cocaine reinforcement. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0320-0

https://www.myhormonology.com/learn/female-hormone-cycle/

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/QIl0mnUlt9A

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

Here are the headlines:

Women’s Hormones Drive Them To Addiction 

New Weed More Powerful and Dangerous Than The Classic

Five For Five Ways To Avoid Fake Health News

Advil With or Without Tylenol Controls Post-op Pain Like Opioids

Sleep Enhances Your Immunity

Is Bottle Feeding With Pumped Breast Milk Equal To Breastfeeding?

Firstborn Children Bully Their Sibs

Can You Tell If Your Kids Had A Good Night’s Sleep?

Diet Drinks Unhealthy For Women

Smoking May Kill Your Color Vision

Acupuncture Damps Hot Flashes

FUTUREMed: Glowing Urine Signals Transplant Rejection

Tough Laws Don’t Lower Teen Weed Use

Women’s Yeast Infection Therapy Can Drive Miscarriages

TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: Immersive Virtual Reality Reassures Autistic Children

For more information, you’ll find all the references for the stories and a copy of show notes on my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/feb-2019-3rd-week-health-news

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/QIl0mnUlt9A

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

Here are the headlines:

Women’s Hormones Drive Them To Addiction 

New Weed More Powerful and Dangerous Than The Classic

Five For Five Ways To Avoid Fake Health News

Advil With or Without Tylenol Controls Post-op Pain Like Opioids

Sleep Enhances Your Immunity

Is Bottle Feeding With Pumped Breast Milk Equal To Breastfeeding?

Firstborn Children Bully Their Sibs

Can You Tell If Your Kids Had A Good Night’s Sleep?

Diet Drinks Unhealthy For Women

Smoking May Kill Your Color Vision

Acupuncture Damps Hot Flashes

FUTUREMed: Glowing Urine Signals Transplant Rejection

Tough Laws Don’t Lower Teen Weed Use

Women’s Yeast Infection Therapy Can Drive Miscarriages

TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: Immersive Virtual Reality Reassures Autistic Children

For more information, you’ll find all the references for the stories and a copy of show notes on my website at: https://www.drhowardsmith.com/feb-2019-3rd-week-health-news

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/JnWj56Fbfdw

Here’s some good climate news for a change.  It comes from my the goodnewsnetwork.org.

NASA satellite pictures prove that our home planet is significantly greener than it was 20 years ago.  For this we can thank two coutries with the largest populations, India and China.

The greening didn’t happen by accident either.  It occurred as the result of aggressive tree planting programs in both countries.

The extra greenspace, more than 2 million square miles of it, is equivalent to the area covered by the Amazon rainforests.  This represents a net increase of 5% for the entire Earth over the past 2 decades.

Additional good news: by employing efficient farming strategies, food production in China and India has increased by 35-40% since 2000.  These countries, recognizing their own growing populations, have been able to successfully address their impeding food supply shortage head on.

This success shows that human ingenuity can tackle huge problems and come out on top.  It provides much needed reassurance that if we work together we will reverse our climate change downward spiral.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/nasa-says-earth-is-greener-than-ever-thanks-to-china-and-india/

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/JnWj56Fbfdw

Here’s some good climate news for a change.  It comes from my the goodnewsnetwork.org.

NASA satellite pictures prove that our home planet is significantly greener than it was 20 years ago.  For this we can thank two coutries with the largest populations, India and China.

The greening didn’t happen by accident either.  It occurred as the result of aggressive tree planting programs in both countries.

The extra greenspace, more than 2 million square miles of it, is equivalent to the area covered by the Amazon rainforests.  This represents a net increase of 5% for the entire Earth over the past 2 decades.

Additional good news: by employing efficient farming strategies, food production in China and India has increased by 35-40% since 2000.  These countries, recognizing their own growing populations, have been able to successfully address their impeding food supply shortage head on.

This success shows that human ingenuity can tackle huge problems and come out on top.  It provides much needed reassurance that if we work together we will reverse our climate change downward spiral.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/nasa-says-earth-is-greener-than-ever-thanks-to-china-and-india/