Cardiovascular, Surgery
Surgery for Swinging-Door Heart Valves
Mitral valve surgery can best be described by comparison to the swinging saloon door in old western movies. It demonstrates what can go wrong with the heart’s valves. And what surgical procedure is needed to correct mitral valve prolapse (MVP). To get a first-hand view of this procedure, I watched Dr. Tirone David, one the world’s great cardiac surgeons, perform the operation at Toronto General Hospital. The mitral valve separates the two left chambers of the heart. Each time the heart beats the valves swing open, like the doors of a western saloon. But after opening they close firmly again while the heart pumps blood to the body. The problem is that swinging doors of saloons often develop loose rusty hinges that...Read More
Nutrition, Vitamins
The Darkness Hormone
"Do you think melatonin is of any value?" a doctor recently asked me. So if a doctor is wondering about this natural remedy, there must be many patients who are asking the same question. So what do we know about it? Melatonin has been labeled "the darkness hormone" because it's produced at night in contrast to vitamin D, "the sunshine hormone", that's manufactured during sunlight hours. Melatonin is found in some plants such as bananas, cherries and grapes. A report in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed that tart cherry juice, compared to a placebo drink, helped some older people sleep better. But it required 16 ounces a day, (the equivalent of 100 cherries) to have this modest effect. It also added...Read More
Dental, Pediatrics, Radiation
How Necessary Are Dental X-Rays?
What should you do the next time the dentist tells you he or she is going to take full dental X-rays? A new study shows that just as porcupines make love very, very carefully, you should also take care to limit the amount of radiation exposure during your lifetime, particularly the amount children receive. Dr. Elizabeth Claus of Yale University reports in the American Cancer Society Journal Cancer, that there's a link between dental x-rays and the risk of developing a brain tumour called a meningioma. These tumours grow from the meninges, the layers of tissue that cover the brain. Fortunately, most meningiomas are benign. Others are slow growing, but they can become life-threatening when they become as large as a baseball...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
Burnout 101 for Caregivers
Here's a possible Trivial Pursuit question, "What's the fastest growing unpaid profession in North America?" I admit I wouldn't have known the answer. But, according to the "Family Caregiver Alliance", more than 65.7 million Americans, that's 29 percent of the population, provide care to a family member, loved one or friend who is ill disabled or aged. But when does such labour of love trigger burnout anger in the caregiver? A report from Johns Hopkins University states, "The average unpaid, or informal, caregiver is a 46 year old female with a full or part-time job who spends about 20 hours a week catering for her mother". But for those caring for a loved one older than 65 the average age is...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Want to Be a Millionaire?
What would I do if I wanted to be rich? I'd start a class action suit against food companies for their role in creating "the perfect storm", the three major epidemics in this country. After all, a judge has recently created the "perfect guidelines" for a win/win situation. He ruled that smokers can be rewarded for ill health or death. Of course, it's not their fault they ignored health warnings for 50 years about smoking! But since obesity causes more deaths than smoking, why shouldn't food companies also reward us for our ill health? Faced with a class action suit, food companies wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court. Consider the junk they've been selling unsuspecting customers for years....Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Vitamins
Are Calcium Pills Killing us?
Is there anything sacred anymore? For years researchers have stressed that people are not getting sufficient calcium to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis (brittle bones). But now a research report claims that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, a largely unknown vitamin can prevent this tragedy. Dr. Ian Reid and his colleagues at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, studied 14,000 women who were taking 1,000 mg (milligrams) of calcium daily. They report in the British Medical Journal that these women showed a 31 percent increased risk of coronary attack, stroke and death. This means 14 extra heart attacks, 10 more strokes and 13 more deaths over a two to five year period than women not taking...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
Picky Eaters: The Terror of Being Invited To Dinner
What’s the worst fear for some people? It’s not standing before a crowd and giving a major speech. Nor is it the apprehension of being crushed in a crowded elevator, or flying. It’s the terror of having no control of what’s in food. Now, British researchers report there is a way for parents to prevent children from becoming picky eaters. So how picky can you get? The next time you’re at a dinner party do a little detective work and see if you can spot which guest suffers from this phobia. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to spot picky eaters. One clue is to keep your eye on the guest’s dinner plate. For instance,...Read More
Cancer, Gastroenterology, Genitourinary, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Do You Need a CT Scan?
How many people will die from excessive radiation exposure? Today, more patients get CT scans for a variety of problems. So how can patients decrease the risk of excessive exposure? “Consumer Reports on Health” says the number of CT scans in the U.S. in 1980 was under 3 million. Now in 2015 it’s 80 million. Experts claim that about one-third of the scans have little medical value. And the report adds that some doctors and technicians don’t take measures to reduce radiation exposure. In the past it’s been said that the radiation threat is greatest in children. But some research now suggests that certain radiation induced cancers place adults at risk as well, more than previously realized by doctors. So when is a...Read More
Dental
A Small Hole Can Sink a Big Ship
A proverb states that, “For want of a nail, the horseshoe was lost. For want of a horseshoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider. the battle was lost.” All this due to the want of a nail! Napoleon Bonaparte once remarked that trivial things often decide the outcome of a battle. They can also decide the outcome of your health. It’s tragic that one in five North Americans have no teeth after the age of 65. It’s also unfortunate that many people naively believe that poor dental hygiene simply means loss of teeth. Think again, because being toothless could end your life. Mother’s advice was right, that teeth should be brushed...Read More
Philosophy
There’s A Sucker Born Every Minute
It’s been said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” I often think of this remark while watching TV medical commercials, the ones that promote drugs to treat common ailments, then show pictures of someone riding a horse, climbing a hill or hugging their partner. But then the commercial adds, “See your doctor if you notice a rash, skin sores, sudden pain, dizziness, abdominal bloating, fever, chills or coughing up blood. Drug X can be associated with changes in blood pressure, nausea, visual problems, numbness of legs, an increased risk of blood clots and cancer.” The list of hazards continues as long as your arm. My question? Why would any reasonable human consider taking the risks of this medication unless they’re taking their...Read More
Cholesterol
Put Them in Prison to Find Out about Blood Cholesterol
Benjamin Disraeli, the distinguished British Prime Minister, once ridiculed an opposition member of parliament by saying, “He is distinguished by his ignorance for he only had one idea and that was wrong”. Today 99 percent of doctors have one idea that cholesterol-lowering drugs are the be-all-and-end-all to lower blood cholesterol. I believe history will prove them wrong. This week, an old prisoner experiment tells a story, along with a natural remedy to lower blood cholesterol. Dr John Judkin, formerly Emeritus Professor of Physiology at London University, London, England, made headlines years ago when he reported that a high dietary intake of animal fat and the eating of foods containing cholesterol were not the cause of coronary heart disease. Of course he was...Read More
Cancer, Miscellaneous
What Oscar Knows That Doctors Don’t Know
Years ago the family cat, usually aloof, suddenly decided to spend time on my father-in-law’s lap months before he died of pancreatic cancer. Why? Another family reports in a Toronto newspaper that their pet feline recently began a vigil on a loved one’s lap just before he died. So what did the cat know that wasn’t taught to me at The Harvard Medical School? The New England Journal of Medicine, not noted for publishing trivia, surprised doctors several years ago by publishing a photo of Oscar, the cat. This male feline had become famous for his uncanny ability to predict death. Oscar did not have a noble background. Rather, he had been saved as a young kitten, by staff members of a...Read More
Lifestyle
Neo40: A Natural Remedy to Treat E.D.
Ever heard of Stein’s Law? It states that if something can’t go on forever, it will stop. Stein’s law always wins. There’s no better example than erectile dysfunction (ED), when men who have always expected instant gratification, suddenly develop a headache at bedtime! This week, how a natural remedy, Neo40, helps this troubling disorder. And it’s available without a doctor’s prescription. It’s ironic that doctors have no trouble asking male patients if they’re smokers or abuse alcohol. But they’re uncomfortable when asking if they suffer from ED. It’s a problem that shouldn’t be ignored. Studies show that 50 percent of men develop ED during their lifetime, but 75 percent never receive treatment. Who was it that said, “These are the golden years”?...Read More
Gastroenterology
What You Should Know about Crohn’s Disease
How would you feel, at 18 years of age, if suddenly you were diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease (CD)? It would be devastating news. Unlike other well-known diseases, you would probably know nothing about this illness, and even its name sounds ominous. But you would not be alone. Crohn’s Disease is not a household word and, in spite of its importance, receives little in research dollars. Crohn’s Disease affects 600,000 people in North America. Normally, it strikes those between 20 to 35 years of age, with another peak in the 50s, but no age is immune to this disorder. And smokers are three times more likely to develop this disease. It shows no sex bias as it affects both equally. In about 20...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Nutrition
How to Fight The Deadly Trio
What kills more North Americans than anything else? It’s the deadly trio of obesity, diabetes and heart attack. Each is a huge problem by itself. But when lumped together they constitute three raging epidemics completely out of control with catastrophic consequences for patients and our health care system. But there are ways for smart medical consumers to avoid becoming victims of the deadly trio. Consider what’s happened in the last 60 years. When I was a medical student 5 percent of Type 2 diabetes, better labeled as lifestyle diabetes, was due to obesity. Now, numbers have reached a shocking 95 percent. The deadly trio kills by atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries). The resulting decreased blood supply sends patients on their way to the...Read More
Surgery
Why Surgeons Need Cockpit Training
Would you buy an airplane ticket if the pilot refused to check his instrument panel before taking off? You’d probably would run for the woods, choose another airline or decide it’s safer to go by train. But a recent study shows that some surgeons are not following proven surgical guidelines for a potentially fatal operation. What’s needed? A big dose of pilot discipline. A study done at the University of Alberta reviewed carotid endarterectomies done in four western provinces. This study revealed that one in ten of these procedures should not have been performed, and 47 percent were done for dubious reasons. The conclusion? Surgeons needed “cockpit management”. Endarterectomy is a common operation performed to prevent stroke in patients who have partial...Read More
Gastroenterology
How to Escape Dinner Invitations
“Where do most hernias occur?” Ask this question and nearly everyone will reply that a hernia is a mass that occurs in the lower abdomen. But most are unaware there’s another location for the common hernia. It develops in the large intestine and can, at times, be a major problem requiring surgery. And one New Zealand doctor has a novel way to prevent this problem, known as diverticulosis. That is, if you have no desire to be invited to the next dinner party! Diverticulosis is the occurrence of small pouches that penetrate muscle layers of the large bowel. The majority of patients never know they’re present and problems rarely occur before 50 years of age. The most common symptoms are abdominal cramps,...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Waiter, Make Sure My Steak Moos only Once!
I’ve been told it many times, “One of these days you’re going to push your luck too far”. It’s because I stress to waiters I want my steak “blue”. The worst that can happen is it arrives rare. But what is the risk of a blue steak? And can well done steak be bad for the heart? No waiter has ever said to me, “You dummy, didn’t you learn in medical school that ordering a steak rare may cause toxoplasmosis? Go back and read about parasitology.” Toxoplasmosis is not a common household term such as measles. But if the parasite is contacted, it can cause enlarged glands in the neck, fatigue, fever, and an enlarged spleen. In rare...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Do You Want a Shock? High Cholesterol for a Longer Life?
A recent medical tip to readers sparked a quick reaction. It reported a study that those with higher blood cholesterol lived longer! This is contradictory to everything we’ve been told for years. The Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care reported research that will shock millions of North Americans who ingest, faithfully, cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs). Scientists analyzed the cholesterol level of 120,000 Danish adults residing in Denmark. They discovered men age 60 to 70 with high levels of blood cholesterol showed a 32 percent decreased risk of death. Women fared better with a 41 percent reduced risk of death. To add more injury to the cholesterol theory, these researchers also discovered that higher levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, was also associated...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Medicine, Vitamins
Stroke Update: What’s Missing will Cost Lives
Every year 650,000 North Americans suffer a lethal stroke, or one that leads to debilitating mental or physical problems. The American Stroke Association (ASA) has issued an important update on how to prevent this disaster for those who have not had a major stroke or a mini one. But why do prestigious university medical centers continue to make a grievous error that costs lives? Remember, you cannot change your family history of stroke, or your age. But you can change the odds, because 90 percent of the factors that cause stroke are controllable. So here are facts you should be aware of. ANTICOAGULANTS (blood thinners) to treat A Fib, an irregular heart rate, should be used more often, but have a high...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition, Vitamins
Magnesium: Protection from Undertakers
In 1979 Dr. David Chipperfield reported a finding in the British Medical Journal, Lancet. He had discovered that patients suffering from angina pain had low blood levels of magnesium. Equally important, he found that by prescribing this mineral, often referred to as “nature’s natural dilator”, the spasm of the coronary artery could be relieved, preventing a fatal heart attack and ultimately, the need to call an undertaker. Today, doctors are often asked, “Am I taking enough or too much calcium?” But in my days of practicing medicine, I can’t recall a single patient who asked me the same question about magnesium. It’s ironic because studies show that many North Americans are not obtaining sufficient amounts of this vital mineral. This can...Read More
Philosophy
Living Will: Make It a Legal Document
“Eureka!” Finally, in 2015, The Supreme Court of Canada has decided unanimously, what it should have passed years ago. It’s declared that doctor- assisted voluntary euthanasia (DAVE) isn’t an illegal act. But this ruling is already facing opposition from a variety of sources. The perfect solution is to make The Living Will a truly legal document that cannot be contested. It’s been said that war is too dangerous to be left to generals. In this case, the court’s decision is too important to be left to the whims of provincial politicians who have one year to draft new legislation. First, in the interest of humanity, politicians federal and provincial, should quickly draft legislation allowing those who are currently terminally ill to have...Read More
Cancer, Lifestyle, Sex
“Darling, Do I Have Permission to Have Sex With 20 Other Women?”
Hmmm… Why wasn’t this study done 70 years ago when I was young with an abundance of testosterone? This was my first reaction to a report in the journal, Cancer Epidemiology. But for the Don Juans of this world, this news is better late than never. I’m sure they will be ecstatic to learn that frequent sex can decrease the risk of prostate cancer. But what will their bride-to-be say? Marie-Elise Parent is Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Montreal. I have not met her, but she’s been affectionately called, for appropriate reasons, “Madame Prostate”. She also has my congratulations for her unique research. So what’s the good news for Romeos? The Montreal study questioned 3,208 men between 2005 and 2009...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Medicine, Vitamins
A Shocking Finding About Aspirin and Heart Attack
Aspirin has been called the “One Cent Miracle Drug” for good reason. It’s the most widely used medical remedy in the world and available for over a hundred years to treat headaches and other pains. Millions take it to decrease the risk of heart attack and more recently, cancer. But how effective is it? And what is the recent surprise finding? In January 2011, the journal, “The Lancet”, reported data from eight studies involving 25,570 people. It concluded that a daily Aspirin decreased total cancer deaths by 24 percent after five years of use. Moreover, after people stopped Aspirin, death rates were still 20 percent lower for 15 years, largely for cancers of the colon, esophagus and prostate. Researchers also discovered...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Women's Health
Weight Gain Is Contagious? And Snacking Fights it?
How many people in mid-life can fit into their wedding clothes? Not too many, because predictably, most have exchanged muscle tissue for body fat and more pounds. Now, a report from Johns Hopkins University claims there are proven ways to limit and even reverse weight gain in both sexes. Women, as they start into menopause along with decreased activity, develop what’s been labelled the “Menopot”. With lowered estrogen, testosterone begins to transfer fat from the hips and other areas to the belly. It’s not just a cosmetic problem, but one that can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. The Women’s Healthy Lifestyle Project studied 535 women between the ages 44 to 55 for five years. One group received...Read More
