Miscellaneous
How Much Did You Learn in 2019?
Another year has come and gone. I wonder how much readers learned about lifestyle in 2019? Here are 20 statements, true or false. #1 17 million North Americans take a daily heartburn drug, such as Nexium, Prilosec or Prevacid every day. Taking them for a year or longer increases the risk of heart attack and bone fractures. #2 Dr. Sydney Bush, an English optometrist, proved that high doses of vitamin C could prevent and reverse hardening of arteries. #3 The first Gifford-Jones Prize for Service to Humanity was awarded to a seeing eye dog. #4 The risk of a fatal car accident is five times greater with alcohol use and 40 times greater when both alcohol and marijuana are consumed. #5 The U.S Center for...Read More
Lifestyle, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Philosophy
Why It’s Important to Sign Up at docgiff.com
What do newspaper editors do if they don’t agree with what you write? They fire you. I’ve annoyed some editors by expressing an opinion on controversial subjects. Or by stressing that natural remedies can be safer, less expensive, and more effective, than synthetic drugs. Today, drugs kill 100,000 North Americans every year and are responsible for sending hundreds of thousands to emergency departments because of adverse drug interactions. I have often said that in the next life I want to own all the newspapers, as freedom of the written word is only enjoyed by those who control the media. But I’m still alive on this planet and have been fired, basically for fighting the establishment. So editorial truth is under attack. Newspapers,...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
My Final Column for Post Media Newspapers
Life is full of surprises. It's ironic my recent column explained why I still work at 95 – that avoiding retirement is a healthy choice. To keep up with technology, I recently upgraded my computer to Windows10, an exercise that challenged my sanity. But despite my efforts, I was informed last week that Post Media has decided to discontinue my column! So, what can I say to my many readers in Sun newspapers? First, my thanks to Sun Editors for publishing my column for so many years. It’s been a privilege to discuss medical matters with your readers. The column began 45 years ago, and for many years, the Sun papers have helped me reach a wide audience. Although your readers...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Philosophy, Surgery
The Greatest Gift to Give at Any Time of the Year
This holiday season there will be joy, intimacy, and affection around many family dinner tables. But for some families it will be a difficult time with little laughter. They know that next year a family member may be missing. They are waiting for the donation of a kidney, heart or other vital organ to keep a loved one alive. But it may not arrive in time. So here’s a story of compassion from a man who gave the ultimate gift to a perfect stranger. I recently came across an article written by Naazneen Karmali, Asia Wealth Editor and India Editor for Forbes Asia. She relates the story of a wealthy Indian tycoon, Kochouseph Chittilappilly. He acknowledged that, as his 60th birthday...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
Tests That Prevent Severe Disability or Death
It’s been said that if the U.S. Constitution was rewritten afresh, its authors would not stress the pursuit of happiness, but rather the pursuit of health. Today, when people get together, their topic of discussion eventually turns to health concerns, such as losing weight, blood pressure, bone density or other medical issues. Now there are tests to indicate the condition of your health. And if tests show an early abnormality, rule #1 is prevention. Rule #2 is never forget rule #1. Blood Pressure Hypertension is one of the main causes of heart attack, so what number should you try to maintain? Dr. William Dale, spokesperson for the American Geriatric Society, says that “regardless of age, North Americans should shoot for a blood...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Psychiatry
Fighting Insomnia Without Drugs or Doctors
Do you have trouble getting to sleep? Are you counting sheep and getting nowhere? Today, for many people a good night’s sleep is an elusive dream. Now, a report from the Harvard Medical School says that anxiety and stress often cause insomnia. And it’s refreshing to read that its solution doesn’t involve doctors or drugs. A prolonged lack of sleep can have devastating consequences. For instance, the huge oil spill by the Exon Valdez and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster were both believed to be related to sleep deprivation. But chronic insomnia can be life-threatening in other ways. Dr. William Dement, a renowned sleep researcher at Stanford University in California, says there’s compelling evidence that how well and how long we sleep is...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
Shocking figures about falling
Getting older is a very dangerous disease. As we all get older, we’re likely to die from one of the big killers: heart failure, stroke, or cancer. But there’s another threat, falling down! It’s been said, “Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey.” Sounds easy, but the figures of elderly falls would make the dead sit up and take notice. The risk of falling increases with age, and is greater for women than men. Each year, falls are reported by one-third of people over the age of 65 and the leading cause of death. It gets worse. More than half of falls involving people 75 and older are fatal. And 25% of seniors who break...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Miscellaneous
Laughter Is Good Medicine
Years ago I told this story. A Russian member of the Russian Ski patrol arrived home after several months on duty. A TV interviewer asked, “What do you do first after being away so long?” He replied, “I make love to my wife.” “Yes, but what do you do next?” “I make love to my wife again.” Frustrated, the interviewer continued, “But then what do you do?” “Oh, I take off my skis.” Then, another famous skier boasted, “I’m so fast on the ski hill that I could make love on the way down and still win the race.” At this point readers may be saying, “Gifford-Jones, if you plan to change careers and become a comedian, don’t sell the farm!” I...Read More
Miscellaneous
Too High to Drive on Less Than One Joint
Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful investors has sound advice for those who want to become rich. He counsels, “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” This sage advice also applies to many aspects of life. For one, it applies to a recent report in the Canadian Automobile Association Magazine (CAAM), for those who believe they can use marijuana and drive safely. And what should you know about Bill-C 46? Today, every 50 minutes someone in North America dies in a car accident due to alcohol consumption. And in these fatalities, 30 percent of drunk drivers are between 21 and 24 years of age. But this frightening trend could get worse. In Canada, 25 percent of car fatalities are...Read More
Miscellaneous
What Did You Learn in 2018?
How much have you been paying attention in 2018? I hope that during that time you’ve learned to live a better lifestyle, and to circumvent medical hazards that will enable you to live longer. So let’s see how well you do on this true or false test. 1. Heroin is available for addicts at injection sites in Canada. But it is not available at hospitals for terminal cancer patients in pain. 2. Neo40 is a natural remedy that increases the production of nitric oxide by the inner lining of arteries. This dilates arteries decreasing blood pressure and risk of heart attack and stroke. 3. A report from the University of California shows that, in the spring when we lose one hour of sleep...Read More
Miscellaneous, Psychiatry
Prescription for Holiday Loneliness? Call a Friend Who Needs Help
What’s the most important gift you could give this holiday season? The Greek philosopher, Plato, once remarked, “Whoever likes being alone must be either a beast or a God.” I’d say Amen to that statement. Crisis workers tell us that at this time of the year, depression and suicide risk is highest. So what can we all do to decrease holiday melancholy? I’ve never seen it in the index of disease in medical texts, but loneliness should be listed in big print. It’s an illness that sooner or later disrupts the lives of many people. Chopin, the great pianist and composer, must have been deeply depressed. He complained of being, “alone, alone, alone.” Some people deny loneliness. One man who hated mankind...Read More
Miscellaneous, Philosophy
When All This Doesn’t Happen, We’re All Dead
What did I learn at my 68th medical reunion at the Harvard Medical School (HMS)? I learned, from an article written by Stephanie Dutchen, that my brilliant classmate, Melvin Glimcher, physician, engineer and professor, had created the myoelectric elbow. Dubbed “the Boston Arm”, this device is a godsend to upper arm amputees. But I learned that such a great medical achievement, and others, might be allowed to vanish in a split second. And that it’s time for the medical profession to speak up to prevent nuclear disaster. An article authored by Jake Miller, a science writer in the HMS Office of Communications and External Relations, and published in Harvard Medicine, shows how complacent we’ve become about the catastrophic consequences of nuclear...Read More
Miscellaneous
Green Funerals: How We Can Help Green Our Planet
How would you react if you saw people dumping 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance, into the earth every year? Then witness them cutting down four million acres of forests annually? I suspect the environmentalists who fight underground oil pipes would be raising holy hell about formaldehyde and rampant destruction of trees. Yet this is what it takes to bury the U.S dead every year. So why are environmentalists so silent? Now, a film called “Echo Death Takeover: Changing the Funeral Industry” has been produced by The Order of Good Death, founded by funeral owner Catlin Doughty who advocates green funerals. Some readers may wonder why I’m writing about death when I’m trained to keep people alive. But pollution of many...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
We Need Lee Kwan Yew – Not an Opioid Summit
Why don’t we learn from history when the question is a no-brainer? For instance, a recent editorial in a major Canadian newspaper states, “We Need an Opioid Summit.” One could add to this headline, “a Summit that would solve nothing and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.” What we actually need is the perspective of Lee Kwan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore. Unfortunately he’s dead. Saskatoon police recently disclosed publicly the name and telephone number of a known drug dealer. They warned people that cocaine purchased from the dealer might also contain fentanyl. It could kill them. Last year the Canadian government stated that about 4,000 citizens died from drug overdose. More bluntly, they were murdered by poison by drug dealers,...Read More
Miscellaneous
Is There a Doctor On the Plane?
What is it that doctors worry about when they’re flying? It’s not fear of flying. They know that travelling by air is safer than driving a car. Rather, it’s the possibility that they will hear a sudden announcement, “Is there a doctor on the plane?” This is when the brain shifts into high gear. Every time it happens to me, it reminds me of my days of internship at the Montreal General Hospital. Interns took turns riding in the ambulance on emergency calls. We never knew what we might encounter. But at least our feet were on terra firma, and we knew that on returning to the hospital specific expertise would be available. But in the air, this announcement, particularly if it...Read More
Miscellaneous
Insomnia; It’s Shortening Your Life
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author, once remarked, “The worst thing in the world is try to sleep and not to.” I’m sure many readers share Fitzgerald’s problem. But suppose this common trouble kills you? That’s when it’s worthwhile to find out more about insomnia, and why some people suffer from TAT (Tired all the Time). Professor Matthew Walker is founder of the University of California Berkeley’s Center for Human Sleep Science. He’s also author of the book, “Why We Sleep.” Walker says, “The silent sleep loss epidemic is one of the greatest public health challenges we face in the 21st century.” Right now, if you become drowsy while driving, his figures should awaken you. Walker says that one person dies every hour...Read More
Cancer, Cardiovascular, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Neurology, Pain, Vitamins
What Did You Learn From Me in 2017?
I hope my columns during 2017 have helped readers live longer and healthier. So which of the following are true or false? There’s evidence that regular activity lowers the risk of dementia. Also a suggestion that high daily doses of vitamin C can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at The Harvard Medical School report the magical ingredient in fish to decrease the risk of heart disease is omega-3 fatty acids, which like Aspirin, add oil to the blood making it less likely to clot. The survival rate of cancer of the prostate has little to do with the type of treatment. Rather, it’s related to the biological nature of the malignancy. Some cancers are pussy cats, others raging...Read More
Medicine, Miscellaneous
We Need More Love in the Christmas Stocking
What does this world need more than anything else this Christmas? It needs gifts of love, empathy, civility, less hatred, less poverty and less environmental pollution, destruction of guns and missiles before it becomes too late. It needs a mindful civilization that cares about every human being. And it must start with individual families and end with politicians throughout the world who control nuclear weapons. I enjoy the festivities of the Christmas season. For a short time the world looks less likely to blow itself up. But for people who’ve lost loved ones it’s a grim, lonely time. A Christmas surrounded by possessions, but without family and friends who care is the setting for depression. As a doctor I’ve seen much unhappiness...Read More
Dermatology, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
It’s Time to Winterize Skin. It Doesn’t Tear Nylons!
My editor, namely my wife of 62 years, recently said to me, “I’m getting tired of reading about Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular problems, cancer and other dreadful ailments. Why don’t you, for one week, give us a break from depressing disease? I’m sure readers would like to learn how to protect skin during the coming winter season.” One thing I’ve learned over the years is you never say no to an editor, particularly one who is your wife! So I interviewed experts about winterizing skin so it doesn’t look like a dried prune. And are natural remedies available? Rule # one To show I’m not totally controlled by my editor, I’ll start with medical advice that’s good for all seasons. Stop smoking. Years ago...Read More
Alcohol, Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Surgery
Dr. Gifford-Jones’ RX for a Long Life
One : Buy a Scale Obesity is a huge killer and it sets the stage for Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and hypertension. Be a smart consumer. Step on the scale each day so there are no surprises about weight gain. Count calories to live healthier and longer. Two : Buy a Pedometer To Count Steps Ships tied up at a dock too long get barnacles. To avoid medical barnacles, walk 10,000 steps a day. There’s no need to run the four minute mile. Remember, lions don’t buy Nike running shoes. Besides, studies show excessive exercise can cause medical problems. Three : Avoid Needless Radiation. A single CT scan delivers the same radiation as 500 chest X-rays or 1,000 dental ones. Always ask if an...Read More
Miscellaneous
Has the Texas Disaster Taught Us A Lesson?
I recently predicted our planet was doomed due to either nuclear holocaust, viral pandemic or azoospermia (lack of sperm). Biology 101 proves that adding 70 million people a year to our world will result in catastrophic consequences. The Texas flood disaster helps to prove this fact. Here is what readers had to say. JW writes, “For the sake of our planet I pray your prediction is right, namely the gradual reduction in male sperm and returning the world to animals. If that happens, perhaps evolution would reduce the scourge of human curse that we are experiencing today. If only governments had the “balls” to curb population growth like China. But it won’t happen here where religion plays a powerful role.” He continues,...Read More
Medicine, Miscellaneous
Is It Nuclear War, Viral Epidemic or Azoospermia?
It’s been said that “Those who do not remember history are destined to relive it”. Today, the problem is that none of us seem to remember history, so we’re destined to relive it one way or another. So will our civilization end with a nuclear holocaust? A world-wide viral pandemic? Or, will it be due to azoospermia? Then, whatever happens, we can give our planet back to animals who deserve it more than humans. After all, they only kill to eat! While I was in premedical training, rats taught me an important biological lesson. Place two rats in a cage and they enjoy the company. A few more keep them happy. But keep adding them, and they, like humans, start to...Read More
Gastroenterology, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
The Fart Pill: Could It Get The Nobel Prize?
Could a researcher of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the gas that causes the odour of farts, ever receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine? Dr. Rui Wang, an internationally known Canadian researcher, reports that one day we may have a “fart pill” that fights one of our great killers, hypertension. Passing flatus affects Kings, Queens and the rest of us. Who hasn’t been at a dinner party when we’d prefer to be in the Sahara Desert so we could pass flatus? It’s also hard to research how much flatus is normal. After all, no doctor wants to say, “I’m a specialist in farts.” But research reveals that most people fart 15 to 25 times a day. Dr. Wang has been studying hydrogen sulfide for...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
“I Was Married By a Judge, I Should Have Asked For a Jury”
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, remarked, “There are no boy philosophers”. Fortunately, most of us do get wiser as we age. However, it’s never been a top priority of mine to rush into old age so I could be a wise, elderly, medical journalist philosopher. Could I be wrong? Consumer Reports on Health says there are several good things about aging. So I had to read on. It appears I was wrong on one point. I’ve always believed that the elderly suffered from more depression than younger people. After all, they see old friends die, illnesses become more frequent, their wife runs away with the local preacher, and it’s not as much fun to look in the mirror. But according to the...Read More
Lifestyle, Medicine, Miscellaneous
A Damning Verdict; We Are a Nation of Wimps
I recently wrote that our ancestors endured great hardship when they landed in America. They hacked down forests and tried to survive in the new land. Now, they would roll over in their graves if they knew North Americans had become a nation of wimps. Readers of my column confirmed my damning verdict. J.W. from B.C responded, “Thanks for your refreshing honesty, calling a spade a spade. We do take a pill for every damn ache and pain. I don’t think you have ice-water in your veins, hope you keep up the good work, and maybe politicians will deal with drug abuse in an intelligent way instead of pandering to bleeding hearts.” D.M. of Courtenay, B.C. replied, “Your columns are inspirational...Read More
