Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Medicine
Inflammation Markers Are Tools in Assessing Cardiac Risk
Inflammation is generally the indication of a health problem. But new research suggests we think differently about inflammation, especially in relation to heart disease and the prevention of atherosclerosis (thickening or hardening of the arteries). It’s prompting debate among doctors about how to determine the risk of coronary attack and how best to treat patients. Inflammation may sometimes be Heaven-sent, alerting us to infection and injury. This comes as no surprise, as acute inflammation is part of the natural immune response to bacterial and viral disasters. Inflammation produces a flow of proteins and hormones during an infection or injury that promotes healing. Sometimes this is obvious, as with a sprained finger. But inflammation may also come from Hell. There are diseases like...Read More
Medicine
Pity the Overworked Family Doctor
Everyone knows, or should know, about the many problems facing your overworked family doctor. In North America, it’s common knowledge that large numbers of individuals and families do not have one. They are a scarce healthcare commodity. Now, on top of the heavy workload these doctors carry, the pharmaceutical industry has placed another burdensome task. So, what is this problem? It happens night after night. You hear the messy and worrying news from around the world. You begin to wonder why humans continue to destroy cities and cause so much needless human suffering. Then come the equally despairing commercials reminding you about all the things that can go wrong with your health – and all the pills that can fix these...Read More
Philosophy
Politicians Have the Brains of Amphioxus
Years ago, about people who were not too bright, we’d say, “They don’t have the brains of Amphioxus.” It’s a tiny fish with no intelligence. Today, more North Americans face the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. But Amphioxus politicians fail to end an asinine law in Canada that keeps victims suffering needless pain and mental distress. They say they need time to consider the issues. But while Canadians have made their wishes clear, politicians have been dithering for years. Part of the problem is that some advocacy groups promoting a minority opinion are doing a good job of helping politicians sit on the issue. Here’s a typical scenario that illustrates the problem. A person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Faced with this...Read More
Nutrition
It’s Mindboggling That Scurvy Is Back
Scurvy is a terrible disease that has been eradicated, right? The disease is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), found in oranges and other fruits and vegetables. But that simple fact was unknown between 1500 and 1747 when it’s estimated two million European sailors died while exploring the oceans. On long voyages, it was accepted that half of the crew would never return. It was a slow, painful death. But James Lind of the British Royal Navy is credited with conducting the first controlled clinical trial recorded in medical science. He compared how sailors fared when given a variety of different remedies, including oranges and lemons. Shockingly, in 2024, scurvy is back in the news. How could this...Read More
Diabetes, Obesity
Poverty and the Failure of Medical Care in North America
Recently, The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, reported on a depressing study about diabetes and it’s costly and horrendous medical complications. Readers of this column would already know it. Fifty years ago, and countless times since, that same newspaper and many others printed my prediction that obesity and diabetes would bring the health care systems of both Canada and the U.S. to their knees. Years ago, when I was in London, England to interview a researcher, I stayed at a hotel close to Westminster Abbey. I attended the Sunday church service there. One thing I’ve never forgotten was the sight of the children in the choir. They had been educated at the best schools, but as they marched down the...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
Cellular Energy is Part of the Formula for Health
Some people just have more energy than others. You can pick them out of a crowd. They are running up the stairs, two at a time. Their toes are constantly tapping. They are ready for more fun and games when everyone else is exhausted. But is this outward show of energy a marker of good health? The fact is everyone needs to have enough fuel in the tank to operate essential life systems. Our bodies need sufficient energy for breathing in and out and keeping organs operating. Beyond these necessary functions, energy might better be considered a lifestyle matter. Yoko Ono once quipped, “if you don’t have it, don’t bother with rock and roll.” But are you wishing you had more of...Read More
Cancer, Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Infection, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Surgery
How to Decrease Risk of Large Bowel Hernias
Mention a hernia to anyone and they immediately think of a bulge in the lower abdomen or groin. But hernias also occur in the large bowel. If constipation or infection results, the individual will experience worsening pain, nausea, and sometimes the urgent need for a major operation. The good news is that a little prevention will decrease the risk of large bowel hernias. What’s the even better news? The same preventative action will also reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, as well as cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases. And this is just the beginning. It might sound like fake news if we were to add that studies show this same simple daily remedy is also proven to increase lifespan! Let’s...Read More
Cancer, Philosophy
When Push Comes to Shove in Healthcare
Many factors determine who gets what care when fighting illness. It makes a difference where you live, what kind of insurance you have, and what health problem you face. But the bottom line is that there are only so many healthcare dollars to spend, and people are making decisions on our behalf about where the money goes. It’s time to ask if we have the balance right. Trade-offs are inevitable. Do we place a priority on reducing wait times for essential surgical treatments? Do we ensure everyone has access to a family doctor? Do we ramp up more support for drug use rehabilitation? These are tough questions with no easy answers. But when push comes to shove for limited resources, there should...Read More
Nutrition
Takeout Meals Are Rarely Healthy
Picking up an order of takeout food is a convenient way to get a meal without doing the cooking. Although there are more options all the time, even in the best of circumstances, meals-to-go have never been considered a nutritional boon. But with the changing lifestyles of each generation, a clear trend continues toward convenience. Sadly, convenience does not go hand in hand with mindfulness about healthy eating by either producers or consumers. With healthcare systems starved for resources to cover so much illness, everyone should be motivated to take a few steps towards better health. That means we need to have a closer look at those takeout menus. Tufts University reported on a large study involving 35,000 adults that found about...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Infection, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Obesity, Philosophy, Vitamins
High-Dose Vitamin C and Lysine
It’s an uncommon gift to reach 100 years of age – and be healthy. But apart from good genes and good luck, there are steps you can take to increase your chances for healthy longevity. Long time readers will know what I’ve said over and over again. Too many people gain excessive weight, eat poorly, neglect exercise, and fall victim to other lifestyle problems. They experience chronic diseases too early in life, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. My message has been, to prevent the onset of heart disease, a top killer, high doses of vitamin C taken over the long term can make a difference. If you hear contrary views, ask about the dose. What doses are used in clinical trials? Peewee...Read More
Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Medicine, Nutrition
Stop Killing the Kidneys with Garbage
Multiple studies have shown that a diet of fruits and vegetables reduces blood pressure. Since hypertension kills millions of people each year, the message seems clear. But this is not the first time consumers have been told that a veggie diet is superior to one of meat. Now there’s another important message that millions of North Americans have not learned. It’s that people of all ages keep killing their kidneys by eating highly processed garbage day after day. Despite the evidence, they embrace this silent killer until the doctor says they need kidney dialysis or a renal transplant to save their life. First, know the basic facts. The kidneys, like the gastrointestinal system, remove waste. These two bean-shaped organs, each the...Read More
Infection
Do We Need to Live with Frequent Pandemics?
A pandemic, the rapid spread of infectious disease worldwide, is supposed to be a rare thing, right? In the 20th Century, we went decades without such problems. But was COVID-19 the beginning of more frequent unwelcome viral visitors? How attentive do we need to be to warnings of new viral diseases with different names? The World Health Organization has declared the latest outbreak of Mpox to be a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” It’s hard to tell if that means “Now listen here, get ready for another wallop,” or if we can safely go about our business with hope all will be well enough. Given the WHO issued the same alert about an Mpox outbreak in July 2022, and then...Read More
Miscellaneous
A Hot Problem in the City
Do you know the new problem that is starting to kill some people? It’s not a viral disease, but it’s spreading in very hot climates. Caring pet owners protect their dogs from it, but some people are not taking the same precautions. What’s the trouble? It’s third-degree burns that result from contact with hot pavement. Our sidewalks are becoming deadly! Climate change is creating environmental extremes. Floods for some. Fires for others. And in some cities, there are growing numbers of people suffering severe burns from contact with excessively hot outdoor surfaces. The statistics show that not only are more such burns occurring each year, but more people are dying from very large and deep burns caused by prolonged contact with...Read More
Vitamins
What Is the Difference Between Vitamins D, D2, and D3?
How many times have we seen people in a pharmacy looking at the D vitamins. They’re standing on one foot and then the other and wondering which one to purchase. They are not alone. Let’s start with D. Vitamin D is very important for human health. One of its prime purposes is the absorption of calcium and phosphorus to keep bones healthy and strong. If we develop a deficiency in these two minerals as we age, our bones lose their strength year after year, and we develop a disease called osteoporosis, meaning week bones. This can result in bone fractures, and it may lead to spending time in a wheelchair. Vitamin D is called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s the sun’s ultraviolet...Read More
Cancer, Radiation
Should the Other Breast Be Removed After Cancer Surgery?
Some patients you never forget. One woman told me she had a breast cancer on one breast removed. But her surgeon refused to remove the remaining breast. I told her then that her doctor may be right. There was little research or clinical data to help in determining if this was a prudent decision. Her surgeon had said, “I can never sleep again if I keep worrying whether or not the cancer will occur in the other breast.” After repeated medical appointments with her, it became evident the continuing anxiety would affect her overall health. So, was I wrong or right 50 years later? Dr. Steven Narod of Women's College Hospital in Toronto is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition, Vitamins
A Lesson in the Body’s Building Blocks
Not everyone needs to have the knowledge of today’s biochemist. What’s important to know is that there have been extraordinary advances in what scientists now understand about the way the human body works. Their discoveries show it’s the little things that matter. Fifty years ago, the focus was at the level of the cell, understanding its properties and functions. In labs, experiments involved poking and prodding cells to see how they behaved in response. Today, advances in technology make it possible to study the building blocks of cells and how they function. Scientists, and now computers, are sequencing DNA at lightening pace. They can study proteins, for example, one at a time, manipulating genetic codes in search of breakthroughs in disease treatments. Among...Read More
Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Obesity, Psychiatry
How To Kill Yourself Slowly with Terrible Complications
This column should make every doctor, nutritionist, health care worker, and anyone else who is sane shake their heads. A Coney Island competition to devour the most hotdogs in ten minutes should be the shame of New York and the promoters who support it! Why would people want to ruin their bodies by participating? Why did reporters covering the event celebrate instead of criticizing such an asinine act of self destruction? Barnum and Bailey were right. There is a sucker born every minute. The winner was a 26-year-old man from Chicago who gulped down 58 hot dogs! After his bizarre triumph of winning, he was so upbeat that he described it as a “life changing” event. That’s for sure. He remarked that...Read More
Philosophy
Restoring Hope Is Job One
It’s happened before, and it was only a matter of time until it happened again. A brutal act of violence against a candidate for political office shatters the hope that reasonable people can exercise the democratic process. As has also happened before, these events cause a surge of short and long-term impacts on the health of society – especially children, teens, and young adults. There’s no escaping the economic cost of violence. Gun violence is just one kind of trauma, costing the U.S. a staggering $557 billion annually according to the National Institute for Health Care Management. What’s behind that gargantuan number? Medical costs are less than $3B. Policing and criminal justice costs add $11B. Employer hits to revenue and productivity...Read More
Medicine, Miscellaneous
The Right Medicine on Hand Could Save a Life
Summer means different things to different people. But a glimpse into the Gifford-Jones archives suggests some things about summer never change. A vintage article from 1977 called on readers to pay heed to problems that can arise at the cottage. And it remains true, summertime is a dangerous season – especially for those escaping into the great outdoors. People get into all sorts of trouble during vacations. Some become critically ill and should be rushed to hospital as soon as possible. But there are other occasions when having the right medicine nearby is lifesaving. It has been said that he who treats himself has a fool for a patient. But if you're on a canoe trip or at a cottage far away...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Medicine
A Call to Care for Parents
On the growing list of health pandemics – COVID-19, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, dementia, heart disease, and stroke – there is another one. It’s called benign neglect, and it is a product of our times. It happens when children don’t make sufficient effort to help aging parents understand and manage their medications. There’s a lot of guilt to go around. But that’s not to say this is easy work. Ask your parents what medications they are taking and why. Better yet, have a close look at the medications in their possession and assess how well they are adhering to prescribed treatments. Congratulations to those who find all is well. For others, it may be a wake-up call. Over the past several decades, detrimental trends...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Miscellaneous, Neurology
How You Breathe Affects Your Health
An old Chinese adage goes, “If you know the art of deep breathing, you have the strength, wisdom, and courage of ten tigers.” When a kung fu master takes a meditative moment before delivering the kiss of the dragon, these powers are summoned, and woe be the opponent! But is this practice of deep breathing also responsible for the seemingly long lives of these great masters? Breathing is something we do naturally and without thought. But ask people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or lung cancer. There’s no taking the lungs for granted, and a great deal of thought goes into the process. Does it matter, how you breathe? Breathe in, breathe out, isn’t that enough? It turns out, you may...Read More
Surgery
Surgical Rule Number One: If It’s Not Broke, Don’t Fix It
The most important lesson is often taught in the first class. This was the case at Harvard Medical School where a professor of surgery gave sound advice to students aspiring to hold the scalpel. He told them, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Another professor echoed this advice when he said, “There is no such thing as minor surgery.” How tragic when this simple message is ignored and the result is death. It should not happen. But it did recently in Canada, twice. Two children died following tonsil and adenoid surgery, shocking the nation with a wake-up call to alert that common procedures are not risk-free. What went wrong is being investigated. But it’s nightmare occurrence for the doctors and families...Read More
Cardiovascular, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Infection, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Obesity, Pain, Surgery, Vitamins
Why C is the Forever Vitamin
There’s an irony about the advertising woman who, in 1948, penned “A Diamond is Forever” to signify the enduring love of two people. Her name was Frances Gerety and she spent the bulk of her life alone. Diamonds do sparkle, but there’s a better “forever” companion. Longtime readers will know I’ll choose vitamin C over diamonds or any other glitzy trend, and definitely over cholesterol lowering drugs. Vitamin C doesn’t have the high cost or glamourous glitter of diamonds, and it makes no one rich. But making high doses of vitamin C a part of my daily routine has allowed me to spend another quarter century with my wife and family after a heart attack that nearly ended things for me...Read More
Alcohol
Are Non-Alcoholic Beverages the Better Choice?
Do we enjoy alcoholic drinks? We do! A relaxing drink before dinner with our loved ones is standard practice. We are supported by a landmark study involving 490,000 people involving the American Cancer Society, World Health Organization, and Oxford University that found one alcoholic drink daily decreased the risk of death by 20 percent. Moreover, moderate drinkers have increased levels of the good cholesterol. Platelets, part of the blood clotting process, are more slippery making them less likely to form a fatal blood clot. Medically, for moderate drinkers, it’s a win-win. But irresponsible and heavy drinkers cause too many road deaths year after year. Excessive alcohol can also lead to family violence and many other societal ills. This is why non-alcoholic...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Neurology, Obesity, Pain, Psychiatry, Sports
Get Fit in Virtual Reality
Lao Tsu, the ancient Chinese philosopher, said, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” Unfortunately, a lot of people are speeding to the wrong destination, each year putting on extra pounds and becoming more sedentary. But people do have choices. Make a change now to be more active, one way or another, or anticipate the inevitable earlier than necessary. What’s a new way to get active that may seem unappealing to those who haven’t tried it yet? New research suggests that virtual reality (VR) might be the ticket, including for older adults. Strapping on a bulky headset and learning to use the technology are the first obstacles, but the benefits for those who get...Read More
