Articles

Alternate Treatments, Neurology

I receive a lot of questionable mail. One says I can invest one thousand dollars and make an easy million. Another, that a simple lifestyle change will cure anything that ails me. Still another arrives that I initially believe is rubbish until I read on. It’s a report from The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. It states that researchers from the University of South Florida claim that coffee could decrease the risk of this mind-robbing disease. But is this possible? Or just another hoax? Previous studies in humans have suggested that daily coffee intake during middle and older years has decreased the risk of this frightening disease. They credit caffeine with lowering the production of beta amyloid, a protein that has been...Read More

Cancer, Lifestyle, Obesity

What’s a great medical tragedy?  It’s being diagnosed with a disease for which there is no cure. Possibly an even greater tragedy is dying from what’s been called the “Stupidity Factor”. These cases occur because patients ignore symptoms which indicate cancer may be present. But due to either fear or the hope it won’t happen again, they do nothing, thereby signing their own death warrant. This folly occurs in both sexes, resulting in failure to get a test done. The   prime example is colonoscopy, which detects polyps in the large bowel that can be removed. This procedure can save people from premature death. Another major folly is to ignore rectal bleeding. I recall a friend who confided he had noticed rectal bleeding....Read More

Genitourinary

Sir William Osler, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, remarked, “The one thing that separates man from animals is man’s desire to take pills.” Now, a report from the University of California, says 30 million North Americans, largely due to what I’ve labelled, “Pillitis”, suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 95 percent don’t know they have it. Kidneys are the master chemists in our body. They control water balance, keep the blood neither too acidic nor alkaline, help to control blood pressure, and filter every drop of blood in our body every 3 minutes. Unfortunately humans do not learn from history. Years ago Australians began to use mixtures of powders containing Aspirin and phenacetin to ease pain. By the 1970s,...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Psychiatry

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

Cardiovascular, Nutrition

How would you like to decrease the chance of life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart attack? Also lower blood cholesterol at the same time without the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs)? If you don’t have a peanut allergy, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report that eating peanuts every day is not a nutty idea. Today, there’s a worldwide epidemic of Type 2 diabetes. Every 40 seconds a new case of diabetes is diagnosed in North America. Even before the development of Type 2 diabetes, a dangerous lull before the storm, called “insulin resistance” occurs. Insulin resistance, or pre-diabetes, begins when the body’s cells that normally accept insulin to lower blood sugar, get tired of doing so. This means the pancreas has...Read More

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

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

Last week, I discussed a tragedy that never gets the attention it deserves. That children born into a competitive world, are not born equal, and do not receive justice. They’re newborns with damaged brains, born to mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Angry readers of the column replied saying, “Thank you for reporting this matter.” A problem not familiar to many. An angry reader from Lethbridge, Alta., writes, “This is one issue I cannot be silent on as it’s the highest level of child abuse. It must be viewed as criminal behaviour as these babies do not have a voice and enter this world with a huge developmental disadvantage due to the sins of their mother. I’m amazed that some of these women...Read More

Alcohol, Women's Health

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that all Canadians receive justice. The U.S. Constitution states that “All men are created Equal”. But some children are born who do not receive justice. Nor will they ever be equal. It’s because they have damaged brains at birth, due to mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy. Recently, in Canada, there was an outpouring of public anger when police removed a newborn baby from her indigenous mother. I have no knowledge of whether this action was justified. Authorities claim that the woman was drunk when admitted to hospital. Others deny this. But regardless of who is right or wrong, there are startling facts about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disease (FASD) that may make your hair stand...Read More

Pain

He preaches patience that never knew pain.” These sage words were published in the Handbook of Proverbs in 1855. Or, as Shakespeare wrote, “They breathe the truth that breathe their words in pain.” Today, pain is the most common medical symptom that plagues humankind. But when does it kill? The number of people suffering from pain depends on the source of data. Some reports claim 25 to 100 million have some level of pain, and over 10 million suffer from considerable pain every day. Dr. Emiko Petrosky, at the U.S. Center for Injury Prevention and Control, analyzed data on 123,000 suicides. His report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that one in 10 patients with sizable pain decided to end...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Pain

Can stretching spinal vertebrae ease lower back and neck pain? Can it circumvent surgery? It’s a question I’ve researched for several years as I suffer from spinal pain. The first spinal clinic I sought looked at my neck MRI’s and concluded that stretching the spine was too dangerous at my age. But recently another doctor agreed to treatment. So, was this therapy more successful than a 5 o’clock rum, or glass of Chardonnay? After the cold and flu, spinal pain is the number one cause of work absence. Studies show that up to 85 percent of the North American population will suffer from back or neck pain at some time during their lives. Often it’s due to a ruptured spinal disc...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Miscellaneous

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

Medicine

How much will artificial intelligence (AI) play in the future when you require medical care? Today, millions are being spent to produce cars that drive by themselves. Will the same be spent on Dr. AI, your family doctor? Ironically, this column wasn’t triggered by reading a medical report. Rather, it originates from an article written by Matt Harrison, Contributing Editor of the Park Avenue Digest, an economic news publication. Harrison writes that we’re getting closer to seeing a robotic doctor than one would think. For instance, the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York already has a robot able to pick up pneumonia in chest X-rays, with the final diagnosis made by a human doctor. But I wonder how...Read More

Nutrition, Sex

Hmm, should I order flowers, maybe consider a romantic candlelight dinner, or a box of chocolates? This year, chocolate wins after reading an article from the highly respected Nutrition department at Tuft’s University. So, what’s good and what’s questionable about chocolate on Valentine’s day? I believe readers will agree that we need a lot more love in this troubled world. The Aztec Indians thought so too. They considered chocolate an aphrodisiac.  The story goes that Montezuma consumed a huge chocolate drink before visiting his harem. Alas, this is more fiction than science. A chemical called phenylethylamine is present in chocolate and does play a small part in emotional arousal. But studies show that eating chocolate does not increase the level of this...Read More

Miscellaneous

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

Philosophy

Readers may ask why I chose to award a Service Dog the first W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity. And wonder why human achievement was ignored. There were plenty of reasons and it required only moments for me to choose a seeing-eye dog. It’s been aptly said that “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself!” Harry S. Truman, former President of the U.S., an astute observer of the political scene in Washington, once remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” Truman knew a dog would provide unconditional love regardless of what happened during his Presidency. The prize winner, Ulysses, will devote his entire life to the welfare of one person with...Read More

Philosophy

For 44 years I’ve been writing this medical column. It’s been a privilege, but also a huge responsibility. Now, in my 95th year, my time on this planet is limited. Consequently, I’d like to establish The W. Gifford-Jones Prize for Humanity to honour somebody or something that personifies the importance of common sense, a healthy lifestyle and innovative medical thinking that I have been preaching for years. Years ago I wrote that “The problems of society are caused by supposedly intelligent people who are largely fools.” I haven’t changed my mind as it’s the lack of good sense and faulty lifestyle that are the root cause of many of today’s medical and societal problems. To emphasize this point I proposed that we could...Read More

Vitamins

Death from influenza is always tragic. But it is particularly so when it occurs at a young age. This year an increasing number of influenza cases is being seen in emergency centers. And, as usual, thousands of North Americans will die from this seasonal disease. But are some dying needlessly? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. reports that, for the first time in 13 years, every state reports an increase in influenza caused by an aggressive virus. Authorities stress that the best way to decrease the number of cases of influenza and deaths has always been to get a flu shot. As Dr. Shobhit Maruti, officer of Health in Edmonton, Alberta, where deaths have occurred, stresses, “It’s never...Read More

Neurology

Ask anyone what causes a heart attack and most will say it’s high blood cholesterol, too much dietary fat, excessive stress, obesity or a lack of exercise. But how many would answer, it’s sugar? And how many would reply excessive amounts of sugar are also responsible for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Dr John Yudkin, former professor of Nutrition at London University, made headlines years ago when his book, “Pure White and Deadly”, was published. He claimed that sugar, not fat, was causing the increase in heart disease. Yudkin showed that as sugar consumption increased in several countries so did the increase in heart disease. The sugar industry was not amused and made life difficult for Yudkin. Since then other studies have linked an...Read More

Vitamins

What a sad day for me! I should also add, for the world. I have just learned that Dr. Sydney Bush has died. During my 43 years of writing this column, I have never devoted a memoriam to a colleague. But one is needed for Dr. Sydney Bush. In part, I’ll miss his presence. But more important, his scientific discovery should have been awarded the Nobel Prize. And it could yet save millions of lives from cardiovascular disease. Ten years ago I learned that Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, claimed he had made a huge scientific discovery. But I questioned its validity. So I travelled to England to interview him and spent several days at his laboratory. Bush, an optometrist, knew...Read More

Medicine

What will be your 2019 New Year’s resolution? Losing weight? Finally deciding to get off the couch and get more exercise? Hopefully to convince yourself smoking means 20 years less life? These are all healthy ways to start the year. But I’d like to add another New Year’s Resolution. Many North Americans are taking medicines for the long run when they’re only intended for the short run. This can have a huge impact on well-being. The January Reports on Health claims that one-third of Americans over the age of 55 take too many medications. Michael Steinman, an expert on aging and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says, “Some medicine are more effective and safest when you...Read More

Miscellaneous

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

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

Alternate Treatments

How far have we come since Egyptians drilled holes in the skull in an attempt to cure a variety of diseases? We’ve seen tremendous advances in brain surgery. But relatively little progress in how to treat concussion. Basically, medical advice has been to rest while waiting for the brain to recover. But research now shows Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) can dramatically speed up the healing of bruised brains. So why isn’t it used more by doctors, and for more conditions? To learn about this therapy I interviewed Dr. Fred Kahn, founder of Meditech International. Last year, his Toronto clinic treated over 800 concussion patients, those who have been in a car accident, suffered a fall, or who years ago had...Read More

Vitamins

Ask anyone about AAA and they will immediately think of the American Automobile Association. But in this case it stands for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Sir William Osler once remarked, “There is no disease more conducive to clinical humility than aneurysm of the aorta.” He could have added that it’s a lethal disease, so prevention is better than cure. Every year over 20,000 North Americans die from a ruptured aorta. Albert Einstein, the physicist who expounded the Theory of Relativity, and Lucille Ball, the TV star that made us laugh, both died of AAA. So, what causes the aorta, about the size of a garden hose, the largest artery in the body, to rupture? Getting a little stiff in various parts of our body...Read More

Vitamins

Winter’s coming, so how much vitamin D do we need? How much time do you have to spend in the sunlight to obtain adequate amounts? How does obesity affect the dosage? How many diseases can be prevented by adequate amounts of this vitamin? And what can a psychiatrist tell us about this vital vitamin? Years ago I reported that Dr. Catherine Gordon, a professor of pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School, tested the vitamin D levels of teenagers 11 to 18 years of age. She found that 14% of these adolescents were deficient in vitamin D. Today about 30% of adults are low in D. Dr. Glenn Braunstein, professor of medicine at the University of California, said her research was a wake-up call....Read More