Articles

Infection, Vitamins

How To Protect Your Family From Ebola Infection

October 25, 2014

If it wasn’t happening I wouldn’t believe it! But night after night I’ve seen Wolf Blitzer on CNN and Peter Mansbridge on CBC news talking about Ebola, interviewing infectious disease experts about it. Yet, to my knowledge, no one in medical circles nor in the media has discussed the fact that there’s a proven way to treat viral diseases successfully, such as Ebola. What astounds me is that intelligent people are totally ignorant of medical history. Their lack of knowledge has doomed Ebola victims in West Africa and may kill others if this disease hits North America with a vengeance. 64 years ago Dr. Frederick Klenner, a small town family doctor treated 60 polio patients with large doses of...Read More

Miscellaneous, Vitamins

Health Canada and CBC Television Distort Medical Facts

October 19, 2014

Do you remember the movie, “Network?” Howard Beale portrays the evening news anchor on national TV and he’s depressed about corruption, crime, unemployment and other societal ills. So angry he decides to speak his mind during the evening broadcast, to everyone’s surprise. Finally, after raving about injustices, he shouts, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”, repeatedly. Then Beale tells listeners to go to their windows and shout, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” This week, like Beale, I’m also mad as hell. Why? Because I was commissioned to do a 30 second commercial on CBC about a product I support. It’s a high combination of vitamin C and lysine...Read More

Lifestyle, Vitamins

Losing Keys May be a Stomach, not a Brain Problem

October 11, 2014

Do you suffer from a sore mouth, fatigue, anemia, constipation, loss of appetite, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, depression, confusion and poor memory? If so, a report from Tufts University School of Nutrition says there’s a possibility you may have a deficiency of vitamin B12 which is essential for neurological function. Moreover, recent studies show this is not just a Senior problem. If a lack of B12 is producing symptoms, the cause may lie in the stomach, not in the brain. As we age, the stomach’s lining becomes thinner and decreases its production of hydrochloric acid. This vitamin firmly attaches to a protein making it hard to pry it loose to allow absorption unless adequate amounts of hydrochloric...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Genetics, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Pain, Vitamins

BioSil: A Natural Remedy Fights Arthritis and Osteoporosis

October 4, 2014

What brings millions of North Americans to their knees late in life? Today, with an aging population many people now end their lives in wheelchairs due to brittle bones (osteoporosis) or are crippled by the pain of osteoarthritis, the wear and tear type. Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, is an inflammatory condition involving the destruction of cartilage. Its gel-like nature normally acts as a shock absorber. Without cartilage, bones rub on bones causing daily pain. Studies show that one in two people will develop osteoarthritis in their latter years, and two in three obese people will suffer from it at some time during their life. Now, studies done at the Netherlands Institute of Rheumatology and other European centers found that a natural remedy,...Read More

Cardiovascular, Nutrition

What’s Red and Protects Cardiovascular Health?

September 27, 2014

For years we've been told that the Mediterranean diet, full of vegetables, is the way to guard against heart attack and stroke. But George H.W. Bush, former president of the U.S., admitted he didn't like broccoli. And angry farmers dumped a load of it on the White House lawn. I share his view. So I'm grateful now that the red tomato is believed to be the main vegetable for decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. So what is the magic ingredient in tomatoes that fights heart attack and stroke? Researchers at Cambridge University say that the lycopene in red tomatoes keeps the endothelial lining of the human artery (the inner part) healthy, decreasing the risk of blockage. We all know what...Read More

Infection, Surgery

How to Stay Safe in Hospital

September 20, 2014

Luckily, I've only been admitted to hospital for surgery on two occasions. But when it happened I had serious concerns. The big one was, will I develop a complication during my hospital stay that I didn't have on arrival? So, what can be done to prevent this from occurring? First, I choose my surgeon like porcupines make love, very, very carefully. This choice can have a major impact on outcome. I realize the best of surgeons can encounter a problem that is largely "an act of God". But chances are slim that an unforeseen event will occur with a first class technical surgeon. So the surgery is the least of my worries. I know some may say, "Yes, but you have the...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Pain

Not All Lunatics Are in the Asylum

September 13, 2014

I'm often asked, "What have you learned as a medical journalist?" In one word "Plenty". After writing a column for 38 years you would have to be an imbecile not to learn something about medicine, human personality and hypocrisy. But above all else I've concluded that common sense is an uncommon commodity, and not all lunatics are in the asylum. Let's start with the Supreme Court of Canada. It's composed of legal experts who, having reached this exalted position, you'd expect to be the "crème de la crème" of this country. But how much horse sense do they possess about medical matters? How much understanding of their fellow men? And why are they so out-of-tune with the wishes of the populace? I'd bet...Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition

From 1600 T0 400 Calories in 40,000 Years!

September 6, 2014

How can we help to improve the health care system in this country? Politicians and others continue to debate this issue. They always conclude that more money is the answer. But this approach is doomed to failure. How can it work when it's taken 40,000 years for humans to get into such horrible shape? How did it happen? And is there a solution? Dr. Barry Bogin is a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan. He says we all envision our Paleolithic ancestors as being short, bent- over people with small brains. Actually, they were a tad taller with brains as large as ours. And if alive today they would not require hospitalization for so much degenerative disease. Admittedly, most stone-age...Read More

Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Medicine, Sex

Mae West Knew When Men Were Men

August 30, 2014

As a male, have you lost the "tiger-in-the-tank"? Possibly you are more irritable, suffer insomnia, have problems at work, lost height, lack energy and lack erections? Now you wonder if testosterone therapy is what’s needed to restore your male vigour? Mae West, the movie sex queen of long ago, knew what made men, men. She greeted them with a sultry voice, "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?" I first became interested in what’s often called "The big T" years ago when I interviewed Dr. Malcolm Carruthers at a Conference on Aging in London, England. Carruthers, a distinguished Harley Street specialist, was one of the early pioneers in testosterone therapy. During the interview with Carruthers,...Read More

Vitamins

Are West Africans Needlessly Dying From The Ebola Virus?

August 23, 2014

"Those who do not remember history are destined to relive it", is an often quoted saying. But the great tragedy is that by failing to read history, researchers and doctors have, in the past, condemned millions to die from viral disease. Now it is happening again in West Africa. So what will happen if a case of Ebola disease occurs in this country? Currently Canada and other nations are scrambling to send untested drugs and vaccines to West Africa. Yet, in all the headlines and media stories surrounding this epidemic, not one word is spoken of the proven intravenous use of vitamin C as a cure. I find it deplorable that, in my travels, I have yet to find one North...Read More

Lifestyle

Death In The Electronic Age

August 16, 2014

Do you want to die at an early age? I doubt that many people would be willing to say "Yes" to this question. But a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says this is going to happen unless North Americans learn about the dangers of the electronic age. Fortunately there is a solution. But are people willing to accept the advice? Dr. Kirsten Patrick, in an editorial in the CMA Journal, paints a dismal picture of what is happening to those who have become addicted to the pleasures of the electronic age. Patrick says the ownership of modern conveniences such as television, computers and cars has dramatically decreased the amount of time that we move. After all, we can now even...Read More

Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat

Is It ADHD, or a Problem With The Eye?

August 9, 2014

“I’ve just seen two images of the same person on the TV screen” my aging Mother complained years ago. She had developed double vision (DV). But what causes DV? And how many children suffering from attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) are being needlessly medicated when the trouble is in their eye? Dr. Patrick Quaid, an expert in double vision, is head of the Guelph Vision Therapy Centre. He says that double vision must be taken seriously as a diagnosis can range from brain tumour, concussion, inflammation of an artery, to simple dysfunction of ocular muscles. Fortunately, when adults notice DV, they know something is wrong that demands quick attention. But Dr. Quaid says children with ADHD often get either a delayed...Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition

Salt: Is Too Much Causing Autoimmune Disease?

August 2, 2014

What comes crashing down with excessive salt? Dr Stephen Havas, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland says, "The number of deaths from excess salt is equivalent to a commuter jet crashing every day in the U.S." During a recent visit to the Harvard Medical School, I also learned that too much salt may be causing autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's Disease and psoriasis. For years doctors have linked excessive amounts of salt to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Dietary guidelines suggest no more than 1,500 milligrams (mgs) of salt daily. But the majority of North Americans consume a whopping 4,000 mgs daily. Studies show that one in two North Americans over the age of...Read More

Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Burnout 101 for Caregivers

July 26, 2014

Here's a possible Trivial Pursuit question, "What's the fastest growing unpaid profession in North America?" I admit I wouldn't have known the answer. But, according to the "Family Caregiver Alliance", more than 65.7 million Americans, that's 29 percent of the population, provide care to a family member, loved one or friend who is ill, disabled or aged. But when does such labour of love trigger burnout anger in the caregiver? A report from Johns Hopkins University states, "The average unpaid, or informal, caregiver is a 46 year old female with a full or part-time job who spends about 20 hours a week catering for her mother. But for those caring for a loved one older than 65 the average age is...Read More

Vitamins

What Critics Won’t Admit About Vitamins and Minerals

July 19, 2014

Are vitamin supplements safe? Do vitamins work? Are they necessary? Do they contain dangerous impurities? And, is what's on the label actually in the vitamin? Lately, newspaper headlines have unleashed a rash of criticism about vitamins. But as England's Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once remarked, "It is easier to be critical than right". What critics don't admit can be very misleading. A recent and valid concern is whether many of the raw products imported from China, Korea and other countries contain toxic plant material or metals such as lead and mercury. But here's what critics don't tell you. I recently spent two days at Natural Factors (NF) manufacturing facilities in Vancouver which produces vitamins and minerals for many North American companies. NF...Read More

Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Medical Tidbits

July 12, 2014

It's summertime and the living is easy" is a favourite expression at this time of year. But health hazards don't care what month it is. You can stub your toe at any time. And, for instance, how many parents worry that their children face a hazard simply by brushing their teeth, summer or winter? Can a roller coaster ride cause more than thrills? Can binge drinking result in more than a hangover? And, in summer, never mess around with 300,000,000 volts. Dr. Jurgen Kuschyk, a cardiologist at University Hospital in Mannheim, Germany, reports that anyone over 14 years of age should get a physical checkup before taking a roller coaster ride. This should include an electrocardiogram and, even better, an echocardiogram. Dr....Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition

Defending Cows

July 5, 2014

"Don't buy any more butter", I told my wife many years ago. I was a naïve young doctor at that time and I believed my cardiologist who advised the use of margarine instead to prevent heart attack. But this dutiful switch did not last long. Later, as a not-so- naïve-medical-journalist, I questioned my cardiologist's reasoning. Now, the cows are having the last laugh. The Annals of Internal Medicine reports 27 clinical trials that involved 600,000 participants. Researchers concluded that the use of margarine, namely a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, did not have any beneficial effect on cardiovascular health. Hence, some nutritionists are saying "Butter is back". But the question is, should butter have ever gone away? So what is the...Read More

Dental

Lasers to Regenerate Teeth?

June 28, 2014

Over 400 years ago, Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, realized the importance of sound teeth. Don Quixote said, "For I would have you know, Sancho, that a mouth without molars is like a mill without a stone, and a tooth is more precious than a diamond." Yet many people today don't appreciate the importance of his message. Today, tooth decay affects 96 percent of the population. Two out of five North Americans over age 19 have lost teeth. And over age 65 one in five have no teeth, often due to gum disease. Dental rust, known as periodontal gum disease (PGD), is an insidious process. In its early stages the gum turns from a natural pink to red. Later, small...Read More

Cancer, Dermatology

For the Right Diagnosis, Consult a Dog

June 21, 2014

Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of malignancy. But according to The Cancer Society, it is also one of the fastest increasing malignancies. For instance, the incidence of new cases is now greater than the combined number of new breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers. Ask most authorities why this is happening and they'll say it's because of too much exposure to the sun. Dr. Allan Halpern, Chief of Dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, warns parents that children who get sunburns at an early age, the severe ones they never forget, are at greater risk. So are those who have worked outdoors for a number of years. Halpern adds that people who have 50...Read More

Cardiovascular

What You Should Know About AF

June 17, 2014

The tick, tick of a Rolex watch is very reliable. The lub-dub, lub- dub, of the heart is also reliable, in early age. But a report from Johns Hopkins University says that over age 40, one in four women and men, are at risk of developing atrial fibrillation, commonly known as Afib or AF. How serious is this problem, and how would I treat it if it happened to me? Currently three million North Americans have AF, and due to an aging population, 50 percent of those over 80 will develop AF. Getting older is always dangerous and AF is one price you pay for longevity. We know that old cars develop trouble when their electrical system falters and the same problem...Read More

Gastroenterology, Infection, Medicine, Miscellaneous

How Many Would Agree To a Fecal Enema?

June 7, 2014

John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber, was once asked why he robbed banks. He replied, "That's where the money is." Today, if you asked infectious disease experts where Clostridium difficile resides, they would reply, "It's in hospitals. It's dangerous and can be lethal." Other experts might warn that many C difficile infections could be avoided if North Americans would stop looking for pills to treat every human complaint. Rather than seeking pills they should be following a healthy dietary lifestyle. In fact, getting smart could even save 40 bowel movements a day, and, at times, a life. We have millions of bacteria living in our large bowels, usually not making war with one another. Studies show that about 3 percent of adults...Read More

Lifestyle

Who Says 10,000 Steps a Day?

May 31, 2014

How many steps do most people take daily, and how many are needed for good health? I had no idea how many I take and thought it would be interesting and prudent to find out. And, who is right about exercise, Mark Twain or the Earl of Derby? My first step was to purchase a pedometer. It's a small battery operated device (the cost about $35.00) that fits on your hip and counts your steps. Mine has more gizmos than I need, but the main button counts steps and another the calories burned up. For years my normal day involved a 25 minute walk to my office and the same route home in late afternoon. During the day I never ran a...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Orthopedics, Vitamins

Boomers Now Know the Pain of Arthritis

May 24, 2014

Psst! Do you want a tip on how to make millions of dollars? Buy a company that sells painkillers. Why? Because the boomer generation is starting to hurt more with each passing year. And they expect effective relief from the agony of arthritis. What boomers want, they expect to get. But how successful will they be? Several years ago, Dr. Nicholas Di Nubile, a Philadelphia orthopedic surgeon, added a new word to the English language, "Boomeritis". He said boomers were the first generation to become obsessed by exercise, and they are paying the price by becoming banged-up boomers. Today, there are 76 million boomers in the U.S and six million in Canada. By pushing their bodies too hard they've developed bursitis, tendonitis,...Read More

Cardiovascular, Genitourinary, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Sex

What You Should Ask Before You Say, “I Do”

May 17, 2014

We've often heard a minister ask, "Mary MacTavish, do you take John MacDuff to be your lawful husband, to love and cherish, till death do you part?" But in 2014, hasn't life become more complicated for such a lifetime vow? Shouldn't Mary ask John, "Do you toss your dirty socks on the floor?" Or, "What is your risk of obesity?" She might demand "Before we go roaming in the gloaming, send me a copy of your sperm count and what you wear underneath your kilt." A report from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, should make every prospective bride, who wants to be a mother, take a second look at her husband-to-be before she says, "I do". Scottish researchers now repeat what we...Read More

Cancer, Cardiovascular, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Genetics, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Tight Collar? It Increases Risk of Glaucoma

May 10, 2014

What's the best way to diagnose disease? Today, as never before, there are many scientific tests such as ultrasound, CT scans, MRIs and more blood and genetics tests available every year. But is it possible to spot a potential disease without using these expensive procedures? Instead, how about the KISS approach (keep it simple, stupid)? Researchers at Britain's Warwick University report in The British Journal of Cancer that prostate cancer kills about 250,000 men every year. But who are the most likely to develop this disease late in life? After studying males with prostate cancer, and those without this disease, researchers discovered an interesting physical finding. Males whose index finger was longer than their ring finger were 33 percent less likely to...Read More