Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraKTy_uKS8/

Dr. Smith takes a call from a listener wondering about the safety of heated waterbeds.

#electromagnetic #radiation #waterbeds #electricblankets #Pregnancy #wbznewsradio

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraJSoLtos-/

Dr. Smith interviews pediatrician Betsy Busch MD, Clinical Director for Boston Floating Hospital’s Center for Children with Special Needs.   They discuss the fact that attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are likely inherited.  They mention the presenting symptoms of these disorders.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6477889/

#attentiondeficits #ADHD #hyperactivity #inheritance #genetics #pediatrics #wbznewsradio

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraIdNbPkSe/

The scoop on lies comes to us from a British study published earlier this month.  Investigators surveyed 194 men and women, average age 39, about the lies they tell and hear.

The results:

Men consider themselves good liars twice as often as women.

Liars lie face-to-face followed by texts, phone calls, email, and social media.

A few liars are responsible for most lies.

Liars are articulate and weave stories that deviate only slightly from the truth.

Most lies are told to family and friends; the least to employers and authorities.

We only have a 50:50 chance of detecting a lie.

With that, look out for a barrage of lies in 2020.

Brianna L. Verigin, Ewout H. Meijer, Glynis Bogaard, Aldert Vrij. Lie prevalence, lie characteristics and strategies of self-reported good liars. PLOS ONE, 2019; 14 (12): e0225566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225566

#Lies #liars #politicians #men

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraHnBrJYYi/

Neurobiologists and dermatologists at the University of Miami and Harvard warn that scratching to relieve an itch may be overkill.  They base that recommendation on their analyses of mice with skin itching triggered by injection of chemicals including capsaicin and chloroquine.

The data demonstrate that rubbing and stroking initially increase activity of nerves cells that tell you you’re itchy but nerve activity decreases significantly after you stop the rubbing.  Scratching produces similar neuronal responses but also leads to tissue damage, release of inflammatory mediators, and secondary itchiness.

The lesson to be learned: go gently and rub rather than scratch the itchy site.  More is less.  For instant medicinal relief, rub on over-the-counter Sarna.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2020/09/03/JNEUROSCI.0091-20.2020

#itch #rub #scratch

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraGPqWJj0W/

The FDA warns all pregnant women that use of Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Naprosyn and their generic versions ibuprofen, naproxen and even aspirin after the halfway mark of their gestations can trigger serious fetal kidney disease.

NSAIDs were already a no-no during the last trimester, but that prohibition now begins 3 months earlier.

Other medications should be used for pain relief including acetaminophen, branded as Tylenol.

NSAIDs have been found to trigger fetal kidney malfunction with a subsequent reduction in the amniotic fluid surrounding the developing baby.  If your doctor has prescribed NSAIDs to be taken for more than 2 days, the FDA recommends ultrasound monitoring for amniotic fluid sufficiency. 

https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-nsaids-drug-safety-communication-avoid-use-nsaids-pregnancy-20

#nsaids #kidney #amnioticfluid #advil #motrin #aleve #ibuprofen #naprosyn #aspirin

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraFbHRNQKs/

Consistently satisfying sleep may reduce your chances of dying from a worn out heart by 42%.  Epidemiologists at Tulane University followed a huge UK population of 408,802 patients over a 10 year period looking for correlations between sleep patterns and the development of congestive heart failure.

Over those 10 years, 5221 developed heart failure.  This disease incidence was 34% lower in those with no daytime sleepiness, 17% lower in those without insomnia, 12% lower for those sleeping 7 to 8 hours a day, and 8% reduced for early risers.

Congestive heart failure can be deadlier than cancer.  Its only cure is a heart transplant.  Protect your ticker by sleeping soundly and exercising consistently.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.050792

#sleep #heartfailure

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraErCAOsk9/

Downing cheese and red wine will keep you sharp as you go through life.  Food scientists from Iowa State University report these findings after analyzing data from 12,787 Brits 46 to 77 years of age.

Participants completed Food Frequency Questionnaires and underwent testing of their ability to think on the spot using he Fluid Intelligence test.  Cheese topped the list of “smarts-preserving” foods followed by red wine and lamb but not other red meats.  On the other hand, added salt was counterproductive.

So during the pandemic, arrange virtual happy hours replete with that cheese board and wine carafe.  The food and drink AND the pleasant company will help you fight off those pandemic blues.

https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad201058

#covid #brain #intelligence #cheese #wine

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraD3wav3Gf/

Drinking a 6 ounce cup of coffee during the first trimester will not increase a woman’s risk of gestational diabetes and drinking that same amount during the second trimester actually seems protective lowering the risk of diabetes by 47%.  University of Pennsylvania and NIH epidemiologists just published these conclusions following their study of 2529 women.

In addition to studying the effect of caffeinated beverages on gestational diabetes, the investigators found that consuming these drinks created no increased risk for developing either gestational hypertension or preelampsia.  Caffeine did not significantly change levels of blood sugar while it seemed to lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL while modestly raising HDL.

Remember though, these effects were seen in women moderating their caffeine intake by only consuming one cup of coffee or the equivalent each day.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785784

#pregnancy #womenshealth #caffeine #coffee #diabetes #cholesterol

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/CraC9W2MpZ2/

Ever more frequent heat waves promise deadly heart strain and an epidemic of heart failure.  These warnings come from a  Montreal Heart Institute review of the consequences of extreme heat events.

Even beyond heat stroke with its dangerously high body temperatures, confusion, nausea and vomiting, environmental temperatures in the 100’s put a dangerous strain on your heart.  In a futile attempt to cool the body by superpowering its sweat glands, the heart ramps up its pumping function to dangerously high levels.

Those with pre-existing medical problems, particularly cardiovascular disease, are at particular risk.  The heat-associated heart strain can readily trigger heart attacks and ultimate heart failure.

To prevent these heat-related consequences, Canadian provinces routinely warn the public 18-24 hours before heat events with suggestions about how to beat the heat.  To prevent heat-driven heart damage, we must all seek air conditioning or use fans, remain hydrated, and dunk in comfortably cool water if possible.  

So you say, why worry about this now.  Fact is, many of you may be heading south to beat the cold, and you may just find more heat than you expect or want.  Just saying, when it’s hot, remember your heart.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211118061604.htm

#heat #heart #heartfailure #heartattack #heatwave

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CraCMLiv6HH/

When infection occurs post-operatively, a timely selfie of the operative incision is nearly 4 times more likely to prevent a delayed diagnosis.   University of Edinburgh surgeons proved this point with the study of 233 surgical patients following their operations.

Each patient was contacted on days 3, 7, and 15 post-operatively, questioned about how they were feeling, and asked to take a selfie of their wounds.  A surgeon evaluated each photo.  The patients were again contacted at day 30 postop to find out if they had been diagnosed with an infection.

When compared with a control group of 269 surgical patients who were followed without photos, those in the selfie group had any wound infections diagnosed within 7 days of surgery about 4 times more frequently.  Don’t forget to tell your incision to smile!

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-021-00526-0

#selfie #surgery #infection #incision #delayeddiagnosis