Lifestyle, Medicine, Nutrition
The Philippines Finance Oral Insulin Pill
A Spanish proverb states, “He loses all who loses the right moment.” I had a similar thought a few weeks ago when I wrote that, “a brain that’s full of knowledge has no room left to dream.” Why these philosophical mutterings? Because I was annoyed that Canada had lost a major medical opportunity. Now, the insulin mouth rinse that should have been a “Canadian First”, is a Philippine economic coup. It’s a loss for Canada. But the Philippines had the vision to see that an oral insulin product offers immense medical and financial benefits. I’ve told readers that Eastgate Biotech Corp, using nanotechnology, had developed an oral insulin pill to treat Type 2 diabetes. This is a monumental finding since...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Mediterranean Diet for a Long Life
Leonardo da Vinci once remarked, “Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle.” Trifles can make a huge difference in surgery, when building rockets, in nutrition, or in life generally. For instance, a report in the publication LifeExtension shows that a Mediterranean Diet prolongs life. As we all age, this is no trifle. For years doctors and nutritionists have known the Mediterranean Diet is a “Five Star” one. But no one knew why this diet had such remarkable benefits. Now, researchers have discovered its success is due to polyphenols (a plant based compound). They lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by an amazing 60 percent! This means fewer heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and less inflammation. The author of the report, Michael...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
Medicine
Why Don’t They Read History to Save Lives?
It’s been said that “If you don’t learn from history, you’re destined to relive it”. So today I have to repeat what I’ve said before. It’s apparent that the medical profession, TV anchors, and Medical Officers of Health (MOH), have never read history. So young children, and others, are dying of influenza. Today, rather than believing what I write, go to the internet and read about the history of Dr Klenner. During the great polio epidemic of 1948, Dr. Frederick Klenner, a family doctor in North Carolina, was placed in charge of a ward of 60 patients stricken with this paralyzing disease. Dr. Klenner decided to give massive doses of vitamin C to all 60 patients. None of them developed paralysis! A...Read More
Cardiovascular
A Great View, But Will it Kill You?
What is the greatest threat to having a heart attack, the nation’s number one killer? Ask this question and most people will answer it’s having high blood cholesterol. Or they respond, it’s due to hypertension, obesity, diabetes, or a stressful lifestyle. But suppose you ask what things will improve the chance of surviving coronary attack? I’d predict that after some hesitation the answer will be having someone nearby to administer cardio-pulmonary respiration (CPR). But how many will know it depends on the floor you’re living on in a high rise building? And what should you know about the 26th floor? I’ve now been living for 35 years in a high rise condo in Toronto. But my wife and I never considered that...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
What I Learned Watching My Wife’s Cataract Surgery
As a surgeon, giving medical advice to a family member, particularly to your wife, is a difficult task. Moreover, since she’s also my editor, Susan is well aware of my advice to readers. Namely, that it’s prudent never to agree to surgery for a painful hip or any chronic condition until it affects your quality of life. So, how did I react to her cataract surgery? According to The National Eye Institute, by age 80 half of North Americans have a cataract, or have required the operation to replace a foggy lens. In Canada 250,000 such surgeries are performed each year and an estimated 1.5 million worldwide. Many people are unaware they have cataracts in the early stages of growth. Since cataracts...Read More
Infection, Medicine
The Right Answers about Flu Could Save Your Life
“Get the shot”, is the message now the flu season is here. But how effective is the vaccine? What is the chance of a mismatch? Are there serious complications? Should you get your shot at the local pharmacy? Or treat yourself with over-the-counter products? Should you rely on natural remedies? The right answers could save your life. How Effective is the Vaccine? Australia’s flu season, during its winter and our summer, usually predicts what happens in North America. And during Australia’s past winter, there were 215,280 cases. Dr. Ralph Campbell, reporting in Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, says this increase was most likely due to a vaccine mismatch. In effect, it was the wrong vaccine for the current virus. But suppose researchers achieve a...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Nutrition
The Nitric Oxide Key to Prevent Heart Attack
Ask anyone what causes a sudden coronary attack and they will say it’s the result of high blood cholesterol, lack of exercise, obesity or smoking. Now, a report in the publication “LifeExtension” says doctors must start thinking “endothelium”. I’d bet few readers could even spell this word. So why is it so vital? And what natural remedies make it healthy? The endothelium is the ultra-thin, one cell thick, innermost lining of arteries. It produces nitric oxide. And it’s ironic that just this single layer of cells, if unhealthy, results in decreased blood circulation, hardening of arteries, and is a major cause of the big killers, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. During our early years, a youthful endothelium is due to...Read More
Heroin, Pain, Psychiatry
Readers Say “Cancer Patients Deserve Better”
Several weeks ago I wrote that Canada’s Federal Minister of Health had announced 100 million dollars would be available to fight the opioid crisis. In addition, it would now be easier for addicts in treatment centers to obtain heroin. But I argued there was no such easy access to heroin for terminal cancer patients in agony. I’ve received tons of mail from angry readers. From E.D. “I watched my Father die a horrible death due to cancer. He lost all dignity, begged doctors for heroin, as morphine did not help. A vet of the Korean war should not have suffered this way.” J.F., an English nurse, says, “When I came to Canada I couldn’t believe heroin was not available. I was told...Read More
Diabetes
My Scottish Father Would Roll Over in His Grave
Most people know that obesity is a health issue. But how many know that it’s responsible for 95 percent of Type 2 diabetes? Or that 50 percent of diabetes patients die of heart attack? How many readers know how obesity affects surgery? And what would make my father roll over in his grave? For 60 years I’ve seen obesity in children and adults increasing in North America and most of the world. It’s tragic that few people fully understand how much this epidemic affects their lives and what it’s costing society. My viewpoint about obesity developed over time as a surgeon. I was once asked during an interview if operating on a 300 pound patient compared to a patient half that weight...Read More
Cardiovascular, Vitamins
How “GAADD” Is Slowly Killing North Americans
A wise sage once remarked, “It’s not things you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s the things you know for sure that ain’t so!” Most doctors and patients are convinced cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs) prevent heart attack. I say, it ain’t so. So what may prove me right? And why is GAADD so important? Fact # One Years ago I interviewed Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner. He explained that animals make their own vitamin C and rarely suffer a heart attack. For example, guinea pigs manufacture 13,000 milligrams of C daily, but if infection occurs these animals increase the amount to 100,000 mg daily! It indicates that nature provides vitamin C for health. Unfortunately, humans, due to a...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
Infection
Want a Pet? The Risk and Benefit.
Who doesn’t love the pet who lavishes unconditional affection through thick and thin? President Harry Truman, while coping with the lonely responsibilities of his job, remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog!” But there are risks and responsibilities in pet ownership. It’s a matter worth considering since about 57 percent of North Americans own a pet. In the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Paul Cherniack and Angela Cherniack discuss some of the infectious risks in owning pets. Yet it’s amazing that, in spite of these risks, studies indicate doctors rarely ask patients about pet ownership of dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles and rodents. So what are the main infections to consider? Cats are most likely to infect humans...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
Alcohol, Lifestyle, Nutrition
Our Belly proves we’re not Gods this Holiday Season
This is the season to be jolly, and the last thing I want to do is spoil the holiday festivities. But, unfortunately, the office parties, family dinners, excess wine and fellowship of singing “Auld Lang Syne, all take a toll on one’s stomach. So, can you lessen the damage of hot fire beneath the breastbone? And what are the pitfalls in the treatment of this common discomfort? Heartburn is triggered by several factors. The lower esophageal muscle (LEM) at the end of the food pipe can become weak and inefficient at times. So if you “eat the whole thing”, excess gas is created in the stomach and the laws of physics say something has to give. This results in the LEM...Read More
Cancer, Heroin, Pain
Heroin for Opioid Addicts, None for Cancer Patients
Where is the common sense and compassion in this country for cancer patients who suffer in agony? I write this because drug addicts, who largely seek pleasure from opioid drugs, are now getting better pain control than cancer victims. And these patients and their families should be enraged by what is happening. The Federal Minister of Health (MOH), Ginette P. Taylor, has announced a 100 million dollar fund to fight the opioid crisis. She reports “This situation keeps me up at night.” I should remind her that cancer pain keeps many patients in agony 24 hours a day! What is more galling is that the government wants to reduce barriers that limit access to heroin for addicts in drug-treatment programs. Yet there...Read More
Orthopedics, Sports
Taking Arsenic Would be the Safer Option
Today, there’s almost a crusade taking place to decrease the risk of concussion in hockey, football and other sports. But what is the risk of other injuries? A study, published in the issue of JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, says you do not have to participate in high octane sports to be injured. The report shows that facial fractures among older adults are on the rise. And taking arsenic in some activities would seem to be a safer option for some seniors. Researchers, at Wayne State University in Detroit, evaluated national emergency room statistics and discovered an interesting trend. During a five year period 20,500 adults ages 55 and older suffered facial fractures. In fact, the number of these injuries had increased...Read More
Neurology
A Recipe for Alzheimer’s Disease
What causes Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)? I recently read an article written by Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. I know from my years at Harvard that MIT does not employ dummies. So it’s worthwhile reading her “Recipe for Developing AD.” # Danger One: Be skeptical about current drug therapy. Seneff says the general belief is that amyloid plaques in the brain are associated with AD. But although drugs can decrease the size of plaques, they also accelerate the rate of mental decline! So prevention is currently the only way to treat this dreaded disease. # Danger Two: Seneff reports, “Together with colleagues I published a paper this year on a theory...Read More
Gynecology
Erectile Dysfunction; But What about Female Dysfunction?
How many males would like to see their genitals shrink so it’s impossible to have sex? I bet not many. So today, the term erectile dysfunction (ED) has lost its stigma and become familiar words. Tens of thousands of males now find solace in ED drugs. But what about women in their 40s and later years who suffer from more than a headache when sex is mentioned? This is where equality of the sexes is sadly lacking. Maurice Chevalier used the say, “Vive la difference” about sex. But this difference presents problems at menopause for both sexes. For males menopause is less abrupt, but they can suffer from fatigue, insomnia, grumpiness, problems at work and ED. For females, the onset of hot...Read More
Lifestyle
Hazards of Travel
I’m sure many readers love to travel. I do too! After all, travel is associated with fun, education and happy times. No one intentionally leaves home to have a bad time. But travel can sometimes result in a “pukefest”, be outright dangerous and occasionally fatal. So how can the hazards be avoided? Flying to your Destination Some people have a fear of flying, especially to a destination when newspaper headlines have described a catastrophic airplane accident. But according to the U.S. National Safety Council, there’s a greater chance of dying in a car crash on your way to the airport. For instance, the death rate from cars is 0.47 per 100 million passenger miles. For domestic flights, it’s 0.001 or 500 times...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
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
10 Facts You Should Know About Coenzyme Q10
Mark Twain once remarked, “Get your facts first, then distort them as you please!” Facts are easy to distort in medicine, particularly when talking about coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). So here are 10 vital things to know about this important enzyme. And what unintended consequences occur when humans start playing God. One- What is CoQ10? It’s often referred to as the “sparkplug of our motors.” Cars run on gas. Our 37 trillion cells get their energy from ATP (adenosine triphosphate), but we cannot make ATP without CoQ10. Two- Studies show that our body has the highest amount of CoQ10 during our 20s. But then it starts to decrease. Several medical problems may result, such as fatigue, muscle cramps, weakness, emotional troubles and hypertension....Read More
Gynecology
Women Are Not Just Men with Boobs and Tubes
George Carlin, the American comedian, once remarked when referring to God, “He, and if there is a God, I am convinced He is a He because no woman could or would screw things up this badly.” Karen Jensen, one of the world’s authorities on women’s health would agree. Her new book, “Women’s Health Matters”, reveals how male medical researchers and doctors screw up big time when it comes to women. They forget that women are not “just men with boobs and tubes.” Her main point is that women are different. I say thank God for that, or as Maurice Chevalier remarked “Vive La Difference!” But what is forgotten is the fact that this difference has to be considered in both research...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
I’ve Emerged from the Hearing Loss Closet!
Why is it that we accept the fact that everyone should see their dentist twice a year to detect dental decay? That we should get regular eye examinations and a checkup by our family doctor once a year? But ironically we rarely, if ever, hear that we should do the same for our ears! So why is this? And why am I not going to tell anyone that I can now finally hear? By interviewing a number of experts my research revealed an interesting fact. Even in 2017 large numbers of North Americans continue to hide in the hearing loss closet. And I’m embarrassed to tell readers I’ve also been hiding in the same closet for years. But I’ve had a lot...Read More
Cardiovascular, Medicine
Ten Vital Facts to Know About “Baby Aspirin”
IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A HEART ATTACK One – You’re in your 50s. The Medical Publication, Health After 50, reports that a panel of experts has updated the guidelines for taking Aspirin at various ages. It says you, in your 50s, have a 10 percent or greater risk of coronary attack or stroke in the next 10 years, and a life expectancy of at least 10 years with no increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. If you meet one of these requirements it says you may be a candidate for a daily baby Aspirin (81 milligrams). You can calculate your risk of heart attack at www.cvriskcalculator. Two – You’re in your 60s. In this case, the publication says you have a...Read More
