Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Z2X7Kvrpd9U

Zinc boosts the body’s immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium that causes  most community-acquired pneumonia.  A just-published Australian study used a mouse model to find out just how zinc works its magic.

Finding that zinc-deficient animals fell victim to Pneumococcal pneumonia 3 times faster than normal mice, the researchers were able to show that serum zinc stresses the bacteria permitting the body’s immune cells to kill them effectively.

Nearly 2 billion people around the world suffer from a zinc deficiency.  Although we now have very effective vaccines against the pneumococcus, Prevnar 13 and 23, zinc also plays a role in our immunity to other bacteria.  You can boost your own zinc by eating beans, mushrooms, dark chocolate, nuts, oysters, beef, lamb, shrimp and scallops.

Bart A. Eijkelkamp, Jacqueline R. Morey, Stephanie L. Neville, etal. Dietary zinc and the control of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. PLOS Pathogens, 2019; 15 (8): e1007957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007957

#Zinc #immunity #pneumonia

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/aOaBxMvc6dE

Gobbling sugar may trigger diabetes but also cancer.  A study from California’s City of Hope Medical Center, investigating the link between type 2 diabetes and cancer, discovered that the high blood sugar levels seen in diabetics can trigger DNA damage and prevent repair.

The studies of both diabetic mice and human type 2 diabetics showed not only markers of DNA damage but also lower than normal levels of reparative proteins that can eliminate the cancer-triggering DNA damage.   

Diabetics, as a matter of course, try to maintain normal blood sugar levels.   The drug metformin, used by type 2 diabetics to lower blood sugar, has the added benefit of restoring those DNA reparative proteins.

This study suggests yet another reason why all of us should put a damper on our own sugar intakes by soft-peddling those desserts and candy bars.

American Chemical Society. "How diabetes can increase cancer risk: DNA damaged by high blood sugar." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 August 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/19

#Sugar #cancer #diabetes

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Wuw8pTzG7KA

Men and women infected with HIV should avoid drinking to excess.  This recommendation comes from immunologic studies completed at the Boston University School of Medicine.

The researchers there tested a group of HIV-positive subjects and determined their immune competence by assessing 3 individual processes: systemic inflammation, monocyte activation, and atypical coagulation..  Their levels of alcohol consumption were quantitated by a phosphatidyl-ethanol determination that quantitates alcohol consumption episodes for 21 days afterwards.

Those men and women with more alcohol in their blood showed more significantly altered immune function.  The drinking upper limit for women was 3/drinks a day and for men was 3-4 drinks a day.  Keep in mind also that a 2015 Yale study did show that HIV-infected men are more sensitive to the negative effects of alcohol than the uninflected.

These and other studies indicate the need for those with HIV to be ultra-careful about their drinking in order not to upset the delicate balance in their bodies that is keeping their HIV load low or undetectable.

Boston University School of Medicine. "Heavy drinking and HIV don't mix, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 August 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190822141905.htm.

https://news.yale.edu/2015/04/20/bad-buzz-men-hiv-need-fewer-drinks-feel-effects

#Immunity #HIV #alcohol

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/fRevpx6l9UQ

In the search for pain control in light of the current opioid epidemic, you need look no further than your significant other.  A small study just published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain shows that even the passive presence of your partner will help you better cope with pain.

The researchers studied 48 heterosexual couples and assessed the response of each partner to a painful pressure stimulus when alone or in the presence of the other.  The data reveals that both men and women demonstrated higher pain thresholds, better pain tolerance, and lower pain perception when in the presence of their partners than when alone.  This was true even in the absence of physical contact or verbal communication.

The next time you’re about to reach for that Tylenol, Advil, or aspirin, instead try reaching for your lover’s hand.

Stefan Duschek, Lena Nassauer, Casandra I. Montoro, Angela Bair, Pedro Montoya. Dispositional empathy is associated with experimental pain reduction during provision of social support by romantic partners. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 2019; 0 (0) DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2019-0025

#Pain #analgesic #lover #significantother

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Fo8xdLfLWwE

Moving your body regularly, even slowly and casually, will double your chances of avoiding early death.  This good news comes from a Norwegian meta-analysis of 8 studies covering more than 36,000 subjects.

Compared with those who reported negligible extra physical activity, those with some, say routine walking enjoyed a mortality reduction of 52%,  those with more activity, say regular brisk walking, a reduction of 66%, and those following a more vigorous exercise routine a reduction of 73%.  In contrast, the confirmed sedentary couch potatoes more than doubled their risk of premature death.

Once again, we see proof that exercise is THE best medicine for your body.  It keeps your weight in line without starving yourself, it tones your muscles, it strengthens your bones, and it increases blood flow to your vital organs in turn improving your brain, heart, and digestive functions.

Ulf Ekelund, Jakob Tarp, Jostein Steene-Johannessen, Bjørge H Hansen, etal. Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality: systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis. BMJ, 2019; l4570 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l4570

#Moving #exercise #prematuredeath

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/bGmAxYkLFr4

In the largest study of its kind just published in The New England Journal of Medicine, multinational public health researchers prove that even short term exposures to inhaled pollutants is associated with higher mortality rates.

The study looked some 652 urban areas in 24 countries and regions evaluating their air quality data and 30 year death rates due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and all-causes.  The results conclusively prove that higher concentrations of air pollutants is associated with elevated death rates in all categories.  

How can you use this information?  When you look at the weather info on your phone, watch, or computer, focus on the air quality as well as the temperatures and rain probability.  On days where air quality is poor,  do avoid spending time outdoors.

Spending more time in clean country air won’t kill you either.

Cong Liu, Renjie Chen, Francesco Sera, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, etal. Ambient Particulate Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in 652 Cities. New England Journal of Medicine, 2019; 381 (8): 705 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1817364

#Airpollution #mortalityrates 

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ypwilC6A8ec

A number of studies indict smartphone use for triggering an adolescent mental health decline.  Not so fast say a group of university psychologists in a study just published by the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

The investigators closely followed a group of 388 kids 10-15 years of age, both socioeconomically and racially diverse, who attended North Carolina public schools.  They collected data on mental health symptoms as well as personal tech usage at baseline and over a 2 week period.  Their data set included more than 13,000 total observations over nearly 5300 study days.

The tabulated results demonstrated no short-term correlation between intensity of smartphone use and feelings of isolation or depression.  Even those with a greater risk for mental health issues did not experience them on days of higher phone use.

The psychologists conclude that parents should stop trying to limit smartphone or tablet use and instead support their teens online and offline lives by personally communicating with them more often.

Michaeline Jensen, Madeleine J. George, Michael R. Russell, Candice L. Odgers. Young Adolescents’ Digital Technology Use and Adolescents’ Mental Health Symptoms: Little Evidence of Longitudinal or Daily Linkages. Clinical Psychological Science, 2019; 216770261985933 DOI: 10.1177/2167702619859336

#Smartphone #teen #mentalhealth

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/VT_6z3ohyks

Dog owners are more likely than owners of other pets or non-pet owners to have a healthy heart and to keep it that way.  This conclusion comes from a study just published by the Mayo Clinic’s Division Of Preventive Cardiology.

Looking at nearly 1800 subjects without a history of heart problems, the investigators tabulated their cardiac risk factors including physical activity, body mass index, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status.  Those with the best overall cardiovascular health profiles were dog owners though owners of other pets scored higher than non-pet owners.

Dog owners scored highest in large part due to their greater level of physical activity walking and playing with their pets.  The exercise tends to keep their weight and other factors in line.  Other studies have shown that dog ownership is associated with less social isolation and optimal mental health.

So, if you can, add a dog to your life.  That life may just be longer and more fulfilling if you do.

Andrea Maugeri, Jose R. Medina-Inojosa, Sarka Kunzova, Martina Barchitta, Antonella Agodi, Manlio Vinciguerra, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez. Dog Ownership and Cardiovascular Health: Results From the Kardiovize 2030 Project. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 2019; 3 (3): 268 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.07.007

#Dogs #heartdisease #exercise

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nXAsJvs5q4k

You’ll absorb just as much information from listening to a book as reading it.  This is the conclusion from a UC-Berkeley in which researchers used MRI scans of participants to create so-called 3D semantic maps that represented the brain’s processing of word-based information.

When the captured data was decoded, the investigators were surprised to find that the semantic maps of those listening to stories were almost identical to the maps generated by the brains of those reading the same story.  Those of you who love audio books and podcasts will now have some scientific evidence to back up your intuition.

Semantic mapping techniques will soon be used to study those with dyslexia and auditory processing impairment.  Hopefully the data will lead to more effective therapy for these problems as well as for victims of stroke, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

Ana F. Palenciano, Carlos González-García, Juan E. Arco, Luiz Pessoa and María Ruz. 

Representational organization of novel task sets during proactive encoding

Journal of Neuroscience 19 August 2019, 0725-19; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0725-19.2019

Reading, listening, comprehension, semanticmaps

#Reading #listening #comprehension #semanticmaps

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Lpgg9Nl5I10

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

Here are this weeks stories :

Medicate Mildly Asthmatic Kids Only When Needed

Those With Sleepless Nights May Suffer Heart Attacks and Strokes

Binge Drinking More Dangerous To Females

A Cellphone Break Is No Break At All

Does Bossing Around Alexa and Siri Makes Us Rude To Each Other?

Virtual Reality Can Curb Pain

American Stroke Care Is Substandard

Nordic Walking Aids Breast Cancer Surgery Rehab

Obesity-Related Cancers Strike Younger People

Marijuana Legalization Drives More Poisonings

Bullying Is Deadly

Surgery May Impair Your Thinking

Half Of Patients Lie To Their Doctors

Kids Having Tonsillectomies Are Prescribed Unnecessary Narcotics

Marijuana Use Contributes To Alcoholism

For show notes and references to for the stories, check out my website at:

https://www.drhowardsmith.com/aug-2019-3rd-week-health-news

#Asthma #inhalers #steroid #bronchodilator #Insomnia #cardiovasculardisease #stroke #Bingedrinking #female #alcoholliverdisease #Cellphone #mentalrefresh #cognitivepower #Alexa #Siri #rudeness #parenting #VR #virtualreality #pain #Stroke #thrombectomy #Breastcancer #Nordicwalking #lymphedema #rehabilitation #Obesity #cancer #middleage #Cannabis #poisonings #parenting #Suicide, bullying, teens #Surgery #anesthesia #stroke #mentaldecline #Violence #abuse #depression #suicide #HIPAA #Tonsillectomy #analgesics #opioids #Tylenol #NSAIDS #Alcohol #marijuana #alcoholism #substanceabuse