Cancer, Endocrine
You’ve Discovered a Thyroid Lump, What Does It Mean?
Waking in the morning, the last thing you want is a health shock before you begin the day. If you are like most people, feeling a lump for the first time at the Adam’s apple, the thyroid gland, you will immediately jump to one conclusion, “I have a cancer.” But is this the right conclusion? So, let’s report some good news that will decrease anxiety while you have your morning coffee. Fortunately, the majority of thyroid nodules are not cancers. Besides, the majority don’t even require removal. Thyroid nodules are common in elderly people. In fact, a report from the University of California states that if you’re over the age of 60, there’s a 25-to-50 percent chance of developing a thyroid lump. The...Read More
Cardiovascular, Endocrine, Lifestyle, Nutrition
Too Little Salt Or Too Much Salt?
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
Endocrine, Miscellaneous
Can a Fart Kill ?
Ig Nobel prizes are prestigious awards given each year at Harvard University to those engaged in strange scientific research. For instance, Canadian researchers received the award for showing that small farts, known as fast repetitive ticks (FRTs), can be lethal. But why would the Vatican receive one? Rectal gas (flatus) happens to kings and the rest of us, and is a constant reminder that we’re all human. And when the urge to pass flatus happens in delicate situations, we would all prefer to be in the middle of the Sahara Desert. It’s never been easy to obtain medical information on flatus. After all, what doctor wants to be known as a specialist on farts? But my research reveals that most people pass...Read More
Endocrine, Genetics
Boy Frogs To Girl Frogs; But What About Us?
Where is “peace on earth” this holiday season? Problems continue in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senseless killings occur almost daily in our major cities. Women continue to be raped and physically abused all over the world. Daily newspapers and TV news shows repeat the indisputable fact underlying this trend. Most of these crimes are committed by men. So could a frog experiment help to end these senseless acts? Maurice Chevalier used to say “Vive La Difference” when talking about males and females. And the often quoted phrase that “girls are sugar and spice and everything nice” is, with rare exception, true. Like Chevalier, I too, have always been happy with “La Difference”. And pleased that, with some exceptions, females do not possess the...Read More
Endocrine
Why Muhammad Ali Couldn’t Sting Like A Bee – Thyroid Problems
A patient of mine recently asked, "Why can't you prescribe thyroid hormone to help me lose weight? It's not the first time I've heard this question. In the past I've always asked these patients whether they think it's safer to drive at the normal 100 kilometers an hour (60 miles and hour) or faster. Now I'm going to tell them, "Why don't you ask Muhammad Ali whether it's a good idea?" The thyroid sits like a bow-tie, just below the Adam's apple in the neck. Its purpose is to extract iodine from the blood to produce the principle thyroid hormone, thyroxin. Thyroxin acts like the accelerator on a car. Normally it's in cruise control going along at a constant speed resulting in...Read More
Endocrine
Creatine – I Can’t Get Off the Toilet Seat?
Getting older, as one wise sage commented, is invariably fatal. But is there a sound recipe to maintain to at least maintain our vigor and avoid institutional care? Several seniors have questioned if the use of creatine and conjugated linoleic acid will shred pounds and build stronger muscles. Or is this advice just the latest "flavour of the month" suggestion. In the 1970s Soviet Scientists reported that oral creatine supplements improved athletic performance for brief, intense activities such as the short sprint. Since that time it has been promoted as a "natural" way to enhance athletic performance and build lean body mass. And studies show that the use of creatine increases the creatine content of skeletal muscle. Reports suggest that 25 %...Read More
Endocrine
What You Should Know About DHEA
"Should I take DHEA to help me lose weight?" Or "Does DHEA slow down aging and increase bone strength". These are two of the many questions I've received from readers about this hormone. So what is fact and what s fiction about dehydroepiandrosterone? Little wonder it's known by its initials! DHEA is one of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands perched on top of the kidneys. The body converts DHEA into the female hormone estrogen and the male hormone testosterone and many other less known ones. DHEA reaches peak production around 25 years of age and then decreases every year. By age 70 there's little or none produced. DHEA has had a checkered past. For years it was marketed in the...Read More
Diabetes, Endocrine, Neurology
The Twin Epidemics – Diabetes & Alzheimer’s Disease
I experienced a terrible tragedy upon visiting an old friend. He failed to recognize me. All the past history of our years together vanished into the night. And as I drove home the question recurred; what had caused this mental disaster. Could he be victim to what's been called the "Twin Epidemic"? Had his long-standing diabetes played a factor in this condition? Marilyn Albert, an expert on Alzheimer's Disease at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says that "when it comes to keeping the brain healthy adding extra pounds may be a double-edged sword. That it's not only a risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes, but also a trigger for Alzheimer's Disease." Dr Zoe Arvanitakis, a neurologist at Rush University Medical...Read More
