Vidcast: https://youtu.be/0e6_N7YbgPg

Thousands of young women are having unnecessary radiation exposure via mammograms prior to surgery to right-size their breasts.  A just published University of Michigan study of more than 52,000 women candidates for this surgery shows that one-third of them had mammography prior to the procedure.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons stated 5 years ago that such routine pre-op imaging should be stopped.  Such procedures in women who otherwise have no indications for breast imaging are economically wasteful and unnecessarily expose patients to radiation.

If your surgeon is recommending this preop imaging, pass on the reference I’m providing and challenge the suggestion.  It’s always good to speak up and take a role in planning your healthcare.

#breast reduction #mammography #preoperative imaging #health news #health tips

Erika D. Sears, Yu-Ting Lu, Peter R. Swiatek, Ting-Ting Chung, Eve A. Kerr, Kevin C. Chung. Use of Preoperative Mammography During Evaluation for Nononcologic Breast Reduction Surgery. JAMA Surgery, 2018; DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2018.4875

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/z_dp6Ogts8c

An effective but reversible male contraceptive has been an elusive goal for the past century since Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger coined the term “birth control.”  Chinese bioengineers using the latest nanotechnology report a unique sperm tube blocking parfait that may just do the trick.  They tested the concept in a rat model.

To prevent sperm from traveling down from the testes, the researchers injected four layers into the vas deferens, the sperm tube.  A layer of hydrogel formed a barrier to sperm travel, a layer of gold nanoparticles which heat up and will dissolve the hydrogel when exposed to near infrared light, EDTA, a chemical that helps to break down the hydrogel but also kills sperm, and finally another layer of gold nanoparticles.

This blocking parfait prevented sperm passage for about 2 months, but application of near infrared light can immediately opened the vas deferens tubes to permit sperm flow when desired.  More work will need to be done before this method hits the men’s clinic.   The blockage will need to last longer, and the injected materials must be proven safe for humans.

Parts of this method are not new.  Gel injections to produce vas deferens tube blockage have been proposed before, but a second injection of a flushing chemical was needed to clear the tube.  The gold nanoparticles do the job on command without another needle.

#malecontraception #spermacide #vasblockage #nanotechnology #nanoparticles #hydrogel #healthnews #healthtips

Weiwei Bao, Lin Xie, Xuhui Zeng, Hang Kang, Shiqi Wen, Ben Cui, Wenting Li, Yisong Qian, Jie Wu, Ting Li, Keyu Deng, Hong-Bo Xin, Xiaolei Wang. A Cocktail-Inspired Male Birth Control Strategy with Physical/Chemical Dual Contraceptive Effects and Remote Self-Cleared Properties. ACS Nano, 2019; DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b06683

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/gnwupAEH4h8

A new Brazilian study shows that Vitamin D is key in promoting insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose.  Normal blood sugar levels prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the type controllable by diet and medication rather than insulin.

Now here’s the “rest of the story” as the great Paul Harvey once intoned.  Although the US Preventive Services counsels against routine Vitamin D testing, a review from the University of Michigan published this year shows that Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are epidemic in the US population.  

The latest estimate reveals that at least 30% of Americans have an outright Vitamin D deficiency while 40% have a vitamin D insufficiency.  Vitamin D deficiency is brought on by: eating few fruits and veggies; bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease; physical inactivity; excessive alcohol consumption; lack of dairy product ingestion; and, most importantly, by lack of sun exposure.

If you fall into one or more of these categories, ask your doctor to determine your Vitamin D level.  If you are deficient, get into the sun more or consider taking a daily maintenance dose of 2,000 IU using supplements.

#Vitamin D #vitamin D deficiency #diabetes #glucose #sugar #obesity #IBD #ulcerative colitis #Crohn’s #celiac #health news #health tips

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). "Vitamin D could lower the risk of developing diabetes: Study demonstrates role of vitamin D in controlling glycemia." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 January 2019. .

https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/RecommendationStatementFinal/vitamin-d-deficiency-screening

Liu X, Baylin A, Levy PD. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among US adults: prevalence, predictors and clinical implications.  Br J Nutr. 2018 Apr;119(8):928-936. doi: 10.1017/S0007114518000491.

Vitamin D Supplementation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 17, 2015.

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/OPm5-Fb5wRU

Exercising regularly not only tones your muscles but also the executive control center in your brain.  This is the conclusion of a study by Columbia University neurologists.

They studied 132 couch potatos of all ages and split them into two groups each with an identical age profile, gender distribution, educational background, and test scores on cognitive exams.  One group started regular aerobic exercise while the other group pursued non-strenuous stretching and toning.

The subjects who were aerobically exercising by either treadmill walking, stationery cycling, or using an ellipical machine scored twice as high on problem-solving tests as those only stretching.  Those aerobic exercisers who were middle-aged tested as though they had the executive brain powers of those 10 years younger while elder exercisers performed as though they were a whopping 20 years younger.

Aerobic exercise is good at any age, but it really pays off as you get older.

#aerobics #executivefunction #cognitiveimprovement #healthnews #healthtips

Yaakov Stern, Anna MacKay-Brandt, Seonjoo Lee, Paula McKinley, Kathleen McIntyre, Qolamreza Razlighi, Emil Agarunov, Matthew Bartels, Richard P. Sloan. Effect of aerobic exercise on cognition in younger adults A randomized clinical trial. Neurology, 2019 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007003

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/V0dPokY1Bxs

If you get a rotten night’s sleep, your brain will be primed for a painful day after.  Neuroscientists from UC-Berkeley now prove this fact with two studies: one in the laboratory with sophisticated studies of the next day’s brain electrical activity and the other via crowdsourcing with subjects reporting their feelings after a restless night.

In the first study, the young adults kept awake in the lab showed greater than normal brainwave activity in the somatosensory pain-sensing part of the brain while experiencing a painful stimulus.  In the second experiment, the online crowdsource participants rated their pain significantly greater after each had a terrible night’s sleep.

Knowing this fact can help you, a work-obsessed student or a young professional swamped with projects, prepare for the day after an all-nighter.  To those of us in the healthcare professions, it’s also a call to keep hospital rooms quiet and to minimize patient’ sleep interruptions.  After all, a good night’s sleep for a patient will mean fewer pain medications the next day.

#sleep #pain #hospitalnoise #painmedication #healthnews #healthtips

Adam J. Krause, Aric A. Prather, Tor D. Wager, Martin A. Lindquist, Matthew P. Walker. The pain of sleep loss: A brain characterization in humans. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2019; 2408-18 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2408-18.2018

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3nvp1LiIzso

Looking for a little warmth this winter.  Finnish and British scientists urge you to spend some time in the sauna and not only warm up but enjoy substantial health benefits.

Their report in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings demonstrates that regular sauna use reduces your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, improves lung function, energizes your immune system, helps control skin problems and arthritis, reduces headache, relaxes you, and improves your overall quality of life.

During these dark days of winter, seek out a nice cozy sauna, and visit it often.  A surprisingly large number of health clubs have them.

#sauna #warmth #heartdisease #highbloodpressure #immunity #lungfunction #arthritis #headache #relaxation #healthnews #healthtips

Jari A. Laukkanen, Tanjaniina Laukkanen, Setor K. Kunutsor. Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018; 93 (8): 1111 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/KU4orDr9WjM

The time is here when many are toning their bodies looking ahead to those warm summer days on the beach. When you join a group to lose weight, know that the information you receive about how your group is doing can encourage or discourage your efforts.

Yale and McGill University psychologists studied data from an anonymous US-based weight loss company with close to 2 million clients.  I think we can guess which one.  The company’s program is based on a daily calorie budget system.

The researchers conclude that group leaders announcing only the weight lost by top performers inspires others in the group to keep trying harder.  Announcing the average weight lost by the group, definitely a lower number, tends to be discouraging.

If you’re in one of these “buddy” weight loss program, ask your leaders to announce only info from the Biggest Losers.  That way, more of your group will be winners.

#dieting #weightloss #buddysystem #biggestloser #healthnews #healthtips

Kosuke Uetake, Nathan Yang. Inspiration from the “Biggest Loser”: Social Interactions in a Weight Loss Program. Marketing Science, 2019; DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2018.1116

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/qleohPgM234

If you smoked or ate some weed over the weekend, will you flunk that pop drug test your boss springs on you Monday morning?  The answer depends on how much you consumed and the type of test you must take.  Either way, be forewarned that marijuana’s psychoactive agent, THC, is fat-soluble and definitely hangs around in your body longer than alcohol.

Smoking one isolated marijuana cigarette yields a positive test for 3 days.  If you smoke 3 or 4 times a week, you’ll fail a test up to a week later.  If you smoke everyday for awhile, you will test positive for at least a month after quitting.

The most sensitive marijuana test is hair analysis, and with it THC detection can occur up to 3 months after stopping any use.  Next sensitive is the urine test that detects use 3 to 30 days after cessation.   Saliva tests may be positive for 24 hours.  Blood tests only pick up THC for 3-4 hours after use.

If your job depends on a negative unannounced drug test, you’d better think twice about regular weed use.

#marijuana #weed #hash #drugtest #salivatest #hairanalysis #health news #health tips

Michelle Taylor, 1 , 2 Rosie Lees, 2 Graeme Henderson, 3 Anne Lingford‐Hughes, 4 John Macleod, 2 John Sullivan, 5 and Matthew Hickman Comparison of cannabinoids in hair with self‐reported cannabis consumption in heavy, light and non‐cannabis users.  Drug Alcohol Rev. 2017 Mar; 36(2): 220–226.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324315.php

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/LmzLL69mBUI

Repetition is the key to controlling your brain, forming positive habits, and erasing self-destructive behaviors.  Psychologists from Britain’s University of Warwick collaborated with colleagues at Princeton and Brown Universities to create and study a digital mouse model that reveals the secrets of our brains’ habitual and goal-directed controllers.

In the experiment, the mice were first taught to trigger their goal-directed controller by pulling one of two levers that gave them a food reward.  When the reward lever was switched after only a few trials, the mice adapted and pulled the new lever in response to the goal-directed controller.  But when the reward lever was switched after many trials, their brain’s habitual controller became dominant and they continued to pull the same lever despite the lack of a reward.If you want to train your brain with a good habit or if you want to erase a bad habit, repeat the desired action over and over again.  With experience you will learn how often you must repeat an action to permit your habitual controller to achieve permanent dominance.

#habits #smoking #drinking #overeating #healthtips #health news

University of Warwick. "Train the brain to form good habits through repetition." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 January 2019. .

Health News RoundUp-1st Week of February, 2019

2/7/19

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/YpmA6bS43IM

I’m Dr. Howard Smith, PENTA Medical Network,  reporting from NYC with the Health News Roundup for the FIRST 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:

How To Hack Your Brain

How Long Does Weed Show Up On A Drug Test

How Losing Weight In A Group Can Fail

HELPful Hint: Saunas Are Good For All That Ails

Poor Sleep Can Be A Pain The Next Day

Exercise For Better Executive Brain Skills

Vitamin D Prevents Diabetes and More

FUTUREMed: Parfait Male Contraceptive

Skip Mammogram Before Breast Reduction Surgery

Teen Concussion Recovery Faster With Aerobic Exercise

Mindfulness An Antidote for Exhaustion

Pain Relief Triggers Most Medical Marijuana Use

TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS: Grateful Seagull Thanks A Kind Man Every Day

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-2019-1st-week-health-news