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Articles

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Vitamins

The Darkness Hormone

January 4, 2014

"Do you think melatonin is of any value?" a doctor recently asked me. And if a doctor is wondering about this natural remedy, many people must be 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 a modest effect. It also added 250 calories to...Read More

Cardiovascular, Lifestyle

Overweight and Fit?

December 28, 2013

"How much do you think this weighs?", I occasionally ask patients. What I've handed them is a large, fatty, yellow, glob of fake tissue, similar to human tissue. But what surprises patients is that it feels quite heavy, yet only weighs one pound. Suddenly they realize the significance of the 20 pounds they've gained since their last checkup. But can they be overweight and fit at the same time? Dr. Jean-Pierre Despres of Laval Research Centre in Quebec City reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine what is good news for some men, and what should be a wakeup call for others. Despres and his colleagues studied 169 healthy men by comparing their cardiovascular fitness to the amount of belly fat they...Read More

Miscellaneous

How Much Have You Learned?

December 21, 2013

Am I a good teacher or do I get an F for effort during the last year? The best way to find out is to see how much you have learned from this column. Good luck in the Q and A test. Q- 95 percent of patients with Type 2 diabetes are obese. Obesity, diabetes and the complications of these diseases will eventually cripple this nation's health care system. Q- Today 85 percent of seafood used in North America is imported and much of it is farm-raised. Small fish contain the least contaminates. Q – Zona Plus is a computerized device that helps to lower blood pressure without medication. The idea resulted from research on fighter pilots and the medical problems that result...Read More

Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Medicine, Nutrition

Stein’s Law and Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

December 14, 2013

Stein's Law says that if something can't go on forever, it has to stop. It's just a matter of when. Stein's Law always wins. But when will this Law stop the increasing number of North Americans taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs)? Surely enough is enough. Recently the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued new broader guidelines that in one fell swoop have added millions of healthy people to the list of those who will be prescribed CLDs. Dr's. John Abramson at The Harvard Medical School and Dr. Rita F. Redberg, cardiologist at the University of California, report that these guidelines will primarily benefit the pharmaceutical industry, not patients. Abramson and Redberg state this decision would be good news for patients...Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition

Be Careful How Many Friends You Invite For Dinner

December 7, 2013

Who doesn't like the feast of the holiday season? For most it's a time of laughter, revelry and the bounty of food and drink. It's also a time when will-power takes a holiday. Much too much eggnog and other calories are consumed. So do you just give up, or do you decide to be a smart eater? Here's Menu 101 for smart holiday eating. Dr. Susan B. Roberts, Director of Tuft's University Energy Metabolism Laboratory, says, "Faced with a six week never ending onslaught of fattening foods, you know you can't win, so you resign yourself in advance and let yourself go." But what happens to the calorie count on holidays is shocking. For instance, Roberts says between U.S. Thanksgiving and the...Read More

Miscellaneous

What I Learned as a Medical Journalist

November 30, 2013

"Have you ever thought you'd like to be a journalist?" Well, here's the good and the bad. First, I was well trained at the Harvard Medical School, but as a journalist I've had an unprecedented learning experience searching for information I would never have sought before, on all sorts of topics. The bad? The profession requires responsibility, discipline, thick skin and recurring deadlines. So I've written about the experience in a book titled, "What I Learned as a Medical Journalist." I quickly learned that hypocrisy and distortion of the truth can affect doctors and humanitarian organizations. Years ago I urged the government to legalize heroin to ease the agony of terminal cancer patients. I won the battle with great difficulty but...Read More

Vitamins

Vitamin C : What You Don’t Know About Its Multiple Benefits

November 23, 2013

I've previously written about Medi-C Plus, a high concentration of vitamin C and lysine powder, and how it can prevent and reverse atherosclerosis in coronary arteries. The combination is a revolutionary discovery. But vitamin C has many other amazing virtues. Years ago, on long sea voyages up to 90 percent of sailors died from scurvy due to a lack of fruit and its vitamin C content. This vitamin is needed for the production of collagen, the glue that holds cells together. Without C the body disintegrates, blood vessels rupture causing massive hemorrhage and death. Just 10 milligrams (mgs) of C prevents scurvy. But we need several thousand daily for other medical problems. For instance, millions of North Americans suffer from osteoarthritis. Without...Read More

Cancer, Medicine

How Many Readers Know The Right Number?

November 16, 2013

Editors obviously pay me to pass along medical advice to you. But this week I can't answer a fundamental health question. So let's switch roles to see if any reader with the Wisdom of Solomon knows the right number to this dilemma. I'll publish the results, as it's vital that a figure be found. After all, it's going to affect how long you live. Stephen S. Hall writes a fascinating article in the magazine "New York" about the escalating cost of cancer drugs. New cancer medication now costs tens of thousands of dollars, but may extend lives of patients only a matter of days. Dr. Leonard Saltz, a cancer specialist at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, is an outspoken advocate for...Read More

Cardiovascular, Endocrine, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Too Little Salt Or Too Much Salt?

November 9, 2013

Is everything I've written about salt wrong? As well as that of Stephen Havas, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland? He claims that "the number of deaths from excess salt is equivalent to a commuter jet crashing every day in the U.S. And that people should be outraged". Now, a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests instead that low sodium intake can be harmful for some people! IOM analyzed nearly 40 studies and found that high amounts of sodium are associated with increased risk. This has always been the theory of the American Heart Association. But the report proposed that low sodium intake could be risky for those suffering from heart failure. Moreover, the report showed no...Read More

Neurology, Sports

What You Should Know about a Hit on the Head

November 2, 2013

Who doesn't remember Sidney Crosby's head concussion that kept him out of hockey for months? But how many know about the hazards of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)? A report from Johns Hopkins University says it doesn't always take a hockey blow to trigger a brain concussion. The skull normally provides protection against brain injury. But there's a limit to this protection and at times just a bump or a jolt to the head can cause severe damage to brain nerve cells, called neurons. TBIs can be mild, moderate or severe depending on the degree of injury. It's estimated that 1.7 million occur each year in the U.S. and 75 percent are mild concussions. But there's a disturbing trend. The number of cases...Read More

Genitourinary

Pumpkin Seeds for Ultimate Bladder Control

October 26, 2013

There's an old saying, "If you don't go when you gotta go, by the time you get to go, you've already gone!" Millions of North Americans, if they've never heard this expression, know all too well what I'm referring to, urinary incontinence. Now, Japanese researchers claim that pumpkin seeds are the answer to many urinary problems. But who hasn't carved up pumpkins and tossed the seeds away? Urinary troubles come in many ways to both men and women. Many women, following childbirth, suffer from weakened pelvic muscles. The complaint is that coughing, sneezing or even getting up quickly from a chair results in wetting themselves and they fear becoming a social outcast. But more people of both sexes are inflicted with OAB...Read More

Infection, Vitamins

Don’t Ignore This Amazing Video

October 19, 2013

[gp_video_center image_path="https://www.docgiff.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Capture-1.png" youtube_id="pHhLYqF85EA"] I've just sent an e-mail to my children urging them to watch an amazing, informative video and telling them to never, never forget what they've seen. The video was produced in New Zealand for 60 Minutes, the TV show. It demonstrates the incompetence and sheer arrogance of some physicians. A man's life was at stake and close to ending. But fortunately, his son knew more than his doctors. Allan Smith, a 57 year old New Zealand farmer, was stricken with a severe form of the swine flu virus. He was desperately ill, unconscious and near death. His doctors wanted to remove life-support technology. But his son refused. He pleaded that his father be given large amounts of intravenous vitamin...Read More

Cancer

To Treat or Not To Treat Prostate Cancer

October 12, 2013

Autopsy studies show that 50 percent of men over age 59 have prostate malignancy, and three out of four over age 85. One in seven North Americans will also be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Yet only one in every 28 men will die of prostate cancer! Obviously, not all men need to be treated. A report in Nutrition Action says that most prostate cancers are harmless and before the PSA test became available, men never knew the disease was present. And Dr. Lawrence Klotz, chief of Sunnybrook Cancer Centre in Toronto, is concerned that unnecessary surgery or radiation treatment leaves some men with impotence, diarrhea and urinary incontinence. Because of these complications, in 2012 the U.S. Preventive...Read More

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

What I Learned While Being On-The-Road

October 5, 2013

I am travelling across Canada! Come out to my free lecture in North Vancouver on October 16 at 7 pm at the Silver Harbour Senior’s Activity Centre. For all future events, go to ......pno.ca. What's it like to be a medical journalist? It's a combination of hard work, deadlines and loneliness. After all, computers are hardly good company. This is why, for several months, it's been exciting meeting and greeting live humans across Canada. And what was the number one question and worry of readers? I wasn't surprised to find that health consumers today are confused about medical care. Countless numbers of readers handed me a list of prescription drugs they were taking. Most had only a vague knowledge of why they...Read More

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

ThorupGaarden: a Big Hit with Seniors

September 28, 2013

I recently reported the Danish retirement home, Thorupgaarden, allows pornographic movies on Saturday night and even prostitutes on occasion. These have proven to have a calming effect on seniors more powerful than Prozac. So how did readers react to this news? From RS in Winnipeg, "I've always wanted to find a nursing home that allowed cocktails, never mind the pornographic videos and prostitutes. I agree that seniors should be allowed more than just pulling up the covers at bedtime. Bravo to you for writing about the need for sexual satisfaction for us elders." From Vancouver, "Great article in 24 hours. I work with a geriatric population and am tempted to put it up on the bulletin board. Now I know where I'll...Read More

Genetics, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Pain, Vitamins

BioSil : The Natural Way to Prevent and Treat Fragile Bones

September 21, 2013

What causes the holes in Swiss cheese? I'm sure the Swiss know the answer, but I don't. I do know what makes holes in bones, causing osteoporosis. Today millions of North Americans are taking prescription drugs to treat this devastating disease. But there's a safer, natural remedy, BioSil tm, to prevent "holey" bones. The figures are frightening. Studies show that one in four women and one in eight men over age 50 have osteoporosis. And with an aging population we can expect more cases in the years ahead. Who develops this crippling disease depends on several factors. Genetics plays a role in certain families. So does being thin, small boned and of white or Asian ancestry. Smokers, those who take three or...Read More

Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Update on the “Cup of Java”

September 14, 2013

A glowing ad once stated "A very wholesome and physical drink that helpeth indigestion, quickeneth the spirits, maketh the heart lightsome, is good against eye sores, coughs, head-ache, gout and the King's evil". It was the year 1657, when coffee was first introduced into London, England from the Middle East. And what was the King's evil? In recent years people have considered coffee drinking a questionable habit with some refusing coffee for health reasons. So what are the pros and cons for drinking a cup of java? First, the good news. Coffee contains over 1,000 naturally occurring chemicals. Caffeine is actually a natural pesticide that helps to protect coffee plants from predators. Brewed coffee contains between 60 to 120 milligrams of caffeine...Read More

Sex

Do Seniors Indulge in Sex?

September 7, 2013

One University survey recently revealed that 80 per cent of students thought their parents didn't have any "amour". Talk about youthful denial! Society in general seems to believe that seniors just pull up the covers and fall asleep. But sex doesn't fade from the radar at age 60, 80 or even in the nursing home. Besides, the Danes have discovered that sex even decreases the cost of medical care! North Americans should take note. Sure, sexual activity changes with age. You may no longer hang from the chandelier while having sex. But for some couples, slowing down and being less acrobatic enhances the experience. Besides, 50 percent of people over 50 are either widowed or divorced and in need of "tender...Read More

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Pain

Reader Response on Assisted Death

August 31, 2013

I recently applauded the Province of Quebec which is attempting to legalize assisted death. There is no better example of what's wrong with the Charter of Freedoms when it does not allow freedom from pain on the death bed. I did not ask for reader response, but received a ton of it.... From WP, "I enjoy your column in the Kelowna Courier and I couldn't agree more on assisted suicide. I'm a volunteer counsellor at a hospice. The problem is that families will not let go even though the patient is ready for the big trip. I have seen them rescind "do not resuscitate" and have to remind them this decision is not about them, but the wishes of the patient"... From...Read More

Cancer, Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Less Meat in the Diet? Why I Hope that’s Wrong

August 24, 2013

"Yes, waiter, I want my steak blue!" I've found that statement the easiest way to get a rare steak. But should I be eating meat, rare or not? A recent report in Nutrition Action, which often provides sound advice, gives six reasons why a high intake of red meat is associated with coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature death. One In a Harvard study, 120,000 health professionals were followed for 28 years. Those who ate the most meat had a 30 percent higher risk of dying earlier. In another study, the National Institute of Health followed half a million people for 10 years and came to the same conclusion. Two Dr. Adam Bernstein, research director at the Cleveland Clinic's...Read More

Lifestyle, Medicine

Drug Reactions a Leading Cause of Death

August 17, 2013

Napoleon Bonaparte was not only a brilliant military strategist, but he hit the bull's eye when he remarked, "Most men die from their medicine, rather than from their disease". Now, a report published by the Canadian Institute of Health, says that adverse drug reactions send too many seniors to hospital. It's because North Americans have become the most over-drugged society in history. What an ironic situation! In the underdeveloped world people are dying from the lack of medical care. Now, in the developed world, unintended harmful drug reactions are causing thousands of deaths and hospital admissions every year. It appears that all our medical benefits come with a caveat. Too much of anything can often be worse than none at all. The...Read More

Philosophy

Six Things to Know About a Living Will

August 10, 2013

"Why should I have a Living Will?" a skeptical patient recently asked. I replied, "Because no one in this world will care as much about how you die as you will." So don't say "no" to a Living Will because of unfounded myths, such as the following. One "If I sign a Living Will it allows doctors to pull the plug and end my life!" In fact, the very opposite is true. North American doctors today spend much of their time worrying about lawyers when treating all medical dilemmas. But when faced with the decision of whether or not to terminate a life, they avoid it like the plague. They worry that any move to end a life may result in legal...Read More

Miscellaneous, Pain

Assisted Death: Its Time has Come

August 3, 2013

How ironic that Quebec, a Roman Catholic province, should lead the rest of Canada into the realm of dying with dignity and freedom from pain. But it's not shocking since the same province pushed for the liberalization of abortion and same-sex marriage. So, congratulations to La Belle Province for taking a stand on this contentious issue whose time will surely come. But I can hear the howling and irrational fears that will descend on Quebec. In 1984 I presented my view on assisted death to a committee of Canadian senators. It was a waste of my time and taxpayers' money. The outcome was pre-determined as several Roman Catholic senators served on the committee. That's akin to putting the fox...Read More

Surgery

Pros and Cons of Keyhole Surgery

July 27, 2013

What's the most advanced surgery of recent years? I believe most surgeons would quickly respond, "laparoscopic surgery", often referred to as keyhole surgery. But never let the word "keyhole" lead you astray. In 1991 Dr. Joacques Perissat at the University of Bordeau, in France, announced at the World Congress of Surgeons that he had removed a gallbladder (cholecystectomy) using optical instruments through small incisions. Now, a number of more complicated operations are performed by this method. Laparoscopic surgery has been a great boon for patients. Without a large incision there's less pain, speedier healing and shorter hospital stay. But as in any type of surgery there are unexpected pitfalls. One problem is that the term "keyhole surgery" leaves the impression that tiny incisions...Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition, Pain, Vitamins

Have Arthritis? Try Eating Healthy

July 20, 2013

There's nothing good about terminal cancer pain other than the pain finally ending with death. But there's another type of chronic pain, arthritis that goes on and on year after year. It can be a living hell. It's estimated that over 50 million North Americans are afflicted with this disease. Now, a report from Tufts University claims that eating right can help the aching joints of both osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear type, and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Miriam Nelson, an expert on nutrition, says, "You might be surprised how modifying the diet can decrease stiffness and inflammation". Her first suggestion is to start with water. This liquid provides moisture and structural support to joints. It also carries nutrients to where they are needed,...Read More