Infection
Don’t Read This Column With Your Morning Coffee
Would you consent to have another person's fecal matter inserted into your body? It's a repugnant thought, particularly if you've decided to read this column at breakfast. But this procedure is being done and it's curing patients who suffer from Clostridium difficile infection, a troublesome recurrent bowel problem. So where do you pick up this infection and how is fecal material transplanted? John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber, was once asked why he robbed banks. He replied, "It's where the money is." Today if I asked infectious disease specialists where C. difficile is they would reply, "It's in the hospitals." So don't forget this fact if you need hospital care. C difficile is not a rare problem. A report in the Journal...Read More
Cancer, Genitourinary
Cooking The Prostate Gland
How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? No one knows. Nor has anyone, to this point, found the answer to treating prostate cancer. Now, a treatment called high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is available. So could this procedure be the ultimate way to cure prostate cancer? In North America, every three minutes, a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer and every 15 minutes a man dies from it. The major problem has always been, which men should be treated, and when should doctors follow a wait-and-see policy? Waiting to see what will happen has never been a logical move anytime cancer is diagnosed. The result is normally the spreading of the malignancy and eventually death. But prostate malignancy, unlike...Read More
Alcohol
The Vodka Epidemic In England
Last week, I wrote about being stranded in England for nine days due to Iceland's volcanic eruption. How this provided time to do some interesting research; why it's dangerous to drive after a blazing row with your partner, the possible hazards of mobile phones and other medical concerns. This week, the topic is a tragic epidemic, not due to a deadly viral agent. During a visit to St. Thomas's Hospital in London and later in Cardiff, Wales, emergency room doctors told me about the "Vodka Epidemic". They reported that thousands of middle-class teenage girls were drinking themselves senseless on neat vodka, sometimes with deadly results. I obviously asked, "Why is this happening? Professor Roger Williams, England's foremost expert on liver disease, says,...Read More
Vitamins
Vitamin D and Boston’s Floating Hospital
In the 19th century how were children treated who suffered from rickets due to a lack of vitamin D? If they were fortunate to live in New England, they were taken for long trips on Boston's Floating Hospital. This hospital ship exposed them to prolonged periods of sun, nature's way of producing vitamin D. Today not many people develop rickets. But how much D do you need, when should you take it, and can it protect you from a variety of problems? Here are some facts you should know. Does Vitamin D Prevent Cancer? Dr. Jo Ann Manson, Professor of Medicine at The Harvard Medical School, reports strong evidence that higher blood levels of vitamin D help to protect against colon cancer....Read More
Psychiatry
Tiger And The Camel Should Have Said “No”
How much straw should you agree to carry each day? I'm not talking about spending time on a farm. But recently the problems of several patients reminded me of the famous story about "The Camel and the Straw", of the merchant who kept insisting his camel carry another straw. Finally one straw broke the camel's back and he slumped to the desert sand. These are several ways to prevent the same fate. One Some people never learn to say "no". But like the camel we have only so much energy and time to do our daily tasks. The obedient camel never complained or tried to strike a compromise with his master. People who always say "Yes" to every family, social and business...Read More
Infection, Vitamins
The Case Of The Dilated Pupil
What causes the most problems for patients? Ask Dr.Jerome Groopman, Chief of Experimental Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He's author of the book "How Doctors Think" which outlines a study of 100 incorrect diagnoses. Dr. Groupman was interviewed by Dialogue, a publication of The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He says that the wrong diagnosis isn't usually due to the doctors' ignorance, but by failing to ask the right questions. For instance, Dr. Groopman relates the story of a 80 year old man who had been seen by four specialists. The man had only one complaint? He said he suffered from "poor stamina". During several months specialists carried out cardiovascular, pulmonary function tests along with an...Read More
Genitourinary
Circumcision : Does This Brutal Procedure Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Why did my loving parents do this to me many years ago? I'm sure their doctor told them it was the hygienic thing to do. But I'm equally sure I must have been screaming like hell while it was being done. Today, millions of circumcisions are still performed. But it's time to stop this shocking brutality and the complications associated with it. Dr. Guy Madder, a surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, reports in the Annals of Family Medicine that there is no convincing evidence that circumcision decreases the risk of sexually transmitted disease, urinary track infections or penile cancer. The rituals of some religious faiths require circumcision. But, apart from these circumstances, it's hard to justify this procedure. In...Read More
Miscellaneous
Is it Safer to Sleep with a Cow or a Bat?
"I'm sure something is flying around my room" I complained to my parents one night many years ago. But when bedroom nights went on, neither I nor my parents could find any flying monster. They told me I had been dreaming and to go back to sleep. Two nights later, my Mother switched on a lamp in the living room and screamed as a bat flew out of it. I felt vindicated. But now the task was to catch the bat, and it was not easy. How many people have the questionable privilege of sleeping with a bat? Dr's Bryna Warshawsky and Shalini Desai report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that such encounters occur to about 10 per 10,000 people each...Read More
Sex
Darling, A Prostitute Saved My Life
What a way to leave this planet! A recent report reveals that an elderly pensioner, having taken an erectile dysfunction drug (ED), died in a brothel in Lugano, Switzerland, after a night with a prostitute. This is great promotion for the makers of ED drugs. But not so good if their effectiveness puts your name in the obituary column! And the owner of a sex club remarked, "Having customers die on us isn't exactly good publicity." The answer was obvious. Lugano's 38 sex clubs and brothels will now install cardiac defibrillators. Defibrillators work by delivering a controlled electric shock to restore the normal heart beat. In this case the shock won't be delivered by paramedics, but by a "Lady of the Night."...Read More
Philosophy
Reader Response to Sterilization Of Mothers Who Have FAS Children
I recently posed this question, "Should women who repeatedly deliver fetal alcoholic syndrome (FAS) brain damaged babies be sterilized.? I received a ton of e-mails and readers requested a follow-up column. From Lethbridge, "What a tough topic to tackle. While human rights are important law makers have gone to the extreme allowing this injustice to continue. Thanks for raising awareness and brave enough to tell it like it is." ED in Sault Ste Marie says, "Totally agree, but it will be tough to legislate. Trudeau was only half right when he drafted the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He should have added Responsibility." From Windsor, "It's hard to read your abusive column. Last year the Canadian Psychiatric Association had a campaign targeting the...Read More
Genitourinary, Philosophy, Women's Health
Should Women Who Deliver Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Children Be Sterilized?
Destroying yourself with alcohol is one thing. Destroying an innocent fetus by excessive use of alcohol is maternal madness. Yet every year alcohol-riddled babies are born in this country suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation and birth defects in North America. In 1976 the Journal of the American Medical Association reported a study of 41 infants born with FAS, having both physical and mental defects. Since that time studies show that nine in every 1,000 babies born in this country have some form of FAS. One in three will have the severe form with wide-set eyes, thin upper lips, low birth weight and small head circumference. We now know that FAS occurs in about...Read More
Orthopedics
Natural Ways To Prevent And Treat Bone Loss
A reader asks, "Is it necessary to take drugs to prevent broken bones, or are there natural ways to treat this problem? Studies show I have osteopenia and I'm afraid this will lead to osteoporosis (brittle bones)" Today, with doctors ordering more tests to determine bone mineral density (BMD), it's prudent to know what it means when a doctor says, "You have osteopenia." One wise sage remarked, 'Getting older is invariably fatal". But one could also add that, getting older is invariably associated with wrinkles, fatigue, varicose veins, having difficulty reading fine print and osteopenia Some bone loss is as sure as night follows day as we age, much like getting gray hair. So there's no need to go into a major...Read More
Gynecology, Women's Health
The Doctors Didn’t Even Examine Me
"Time To End Pelvic Examinations Done Without Consent", was a recent headline in one of Canada's national newspapers. But there should be another headline, "Why Are So Many Tests Being Done Without An Examination?" Dr. Sara Wainberg reports in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that pelvic examinations being done by students without a patient's permission. They were performed after patients were anesthetized prior to hysterectomy or other pelvic procedures. This gynecological learning process has been utilized for years in teaching hospitals without newspaper headlines. The criticism is that the procedure is done without informed consent. This is a valid ethical complaint and is easily corrected by obtaining a patient's consent. But this teaching technique, to my knowledge, has never resulted in...Read More
Cardiovascular
Cardiologists Say This Research is “Hog Wash” – Vitamin C
What are the pleasures and frustrations of writing a medical column? The best reward is the response from readers whose health has been helped by a column. The greatest frustration is when a new medical topic triggers a negative response from doctors. But who provide no scientific explanation for their opinion. Several weeks ago I presented evidence that vitamin C in large doses, along with amino acids, could prevent heart attack. The response from one of the leading cardiologists in this country, "It's hog wash". And not one cardiologist has urged that a study be done to prove this theory right or wrong. The Canadian Medical Association Journal, having published previously my opinion on controversial matters, refused to publish this article. Their...Read More
Cardiovascular
CRP Predicts Heart Disease Better Than Cholesterol
How much trust would you put in a test when it's results are 50 percent wrong? It would do little to ease the psyche. Yet for years millions of people have shown blind faith in the cholesterol blood test as the prime predictor of heart disease. This year another one-and-a-half million North Americans will experience the crushing chest pain of coronary attack. But half of these patients will show normal blood cholesterol levels. Now a study from The Harvard Medical School may make another blood test a household word. Dr. Paul Ridker has followed the fate of 28,000 women for eight years. He found that women with high levels of C- Reactive Protein (CRP) were twice as likely to have a...Read More
Infection
They Said I Was Dreaming
"I'm sure something is flying around my room" I complained to my parents one night many years ago. But when bedroom nights went on, neither I nor my parents could find any flying monster. They told me I had been dreaming and to go back to sleep. Two nights later, my Mother switched on a lamp in the living room and screamed as a bat flew out of it. I felt vindicated. But now the task was to catch the bat, and it was not easy. How many people have the questionable privilege of sleeping with a bat? Dr's Bryna Warshawsky and Shalini Desai report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that such encounters occur to about 10 per 10,000 people each...Read More
Cardiovascular
Excess Salt: It’s Like a Commuter Jet Crashing Every Day
Suppose you were given this choice, early death from heart attack or stroke or decreasing the amount of salt in your diet. It would be an easy decision for most people. But decreasing the amount of salt is easier said than done. Today, most packaged foods are loaded with salt. This situation won't change as long as companies believe consumers are dumb bunnies and can't read labels. Why do North Americans consume so much salt? Food manufacturers recently told a government committee the public is to blame. They claim we crave salt and won't compromise on taste by accepting lesser amounts. But this is nonsense. In 2004 The English Standards Agency launched a major health campaign, called "Know Your Numbers". It was...Read More
Miscellaneous
Sorry Uncle Sam, I Refuse To Be Ionized
"Don't even think of agreeing to it", I recently said to a friend who is a frequent flyer to the U.S. I was referring to the recent announcement that Canadians travelling to the our friendly neighbour will be subjected to full body scans. It's the latest attempt to ensure aviation safety, but how safe is this ionizing procedure to the passenger? 30 years ago I reported in this column a shocking discovery. Some X-ray machines were exposing patients up to 60 X the amount of radiation needed for some procedures. X-ray equipment was often old, rarely calculated for radiation exposure, and some technologists were incompetent. The column resulted in a big crackdown by government health authorities. Now Transport Canada reports that over...Read More
Neurology, Philosophy
What if I Get Alzheimer’s Disease?
Is it possible to suffer a worse tragedy? Lately I've had first-hand experience witnessing a friend struck by Alzheimer's Disease. A frightful malady, it's progress is as sure as night follows day. My friend has entered a mental state where he no longer knows me. Day after day he stares at blank walls, is incontinent of urine and feces. Since there's no cure for this disease, which has been labelled the "Grey Tsunami", it has huge implications for both families and our healt0h care system. Getting older is, of course, dangerous. Every 70 seconds a new case of Alzheimer's Disease is diagnosed in North America. T0his means that one in 11 seniors will develop this disease. Currently 5.3 Americans and 500,000...Read More
Psychiatry
Suppose I Get Alzheimer’s Disease?
Is it possible to have a worse tragedy? Lately I've had first-hand experience of witnessing a friend struck by Alzheimer's Disease, a frightful malady. Just as sure as night follows day he has entered a mental state he no longer knows me. Day after day he stares at blank walls and is incontinence of urine and feces. Since there's no cure, this disease has huge implications for both families and our health care system. The statistics are staggering. The average 65 year old person is expected to live to 85 years of age or older. So it won't be long before the baby boomers enter what's been called the "Grey Tsunami". Statistics Canada reports there were 3.9 million seniors in 2001...Read More
Psychiatry
Buy A Cat To Treat Winter Blues
What happens when days get shorter, colder and summer holidays are over? Some people go into a slump, the "winter blues". But 11 million North Americans develop a severe nosedive called "seasonal affective disorder" (SAD). So if you've started to feel tired, don't want to get out of bed, or even see friends, here's Rx 101 to shake SAD? Dr. June Nicholas, a psychologist at Haywards Heath in England, carried out a five year study during each January and February to evaluate whether cats have a soothing effect on physical and mental health. Dr. Nicholas reported that cat lovers were less likely to get that down-in-the-dumps feeling than those who didn't have "Whiskers" sitting on their lap. Cat owners had 60 percent...Read More
Cardiovascular
Vitamin C Fights Heart Attack
Several years ago I interviewed Linus Pauling, two-time Noble Prize winner. He told me there was one major difference between humans and animals. Humans, in the process of evolution, had developed a genetic defect and lost the enzyme 1-gulonolactone oxidase required to manufacture vitamin C. This is why in earlier centuries the cat lived while sailors died of scurvy during long sea voyages. But it's ironic that doctors accept the fact that other genetic defects such as pernicious anemia can be controlled by diet and supplements, yet refuse to agree that Vitamin C is needed for this genetic loss. For years Pauling stressed that it was this lack of vitamin C that caused coronary attack. But why is vitamin C so...Read More
Gastroenterology
What You Should Know About Crohn’s Disease
How would you feel at 18 years of age if suddenly diagnosed with Crohn's Disease (CD)? It would be devastating news. Unlike other well-known diseases you would know nothing about this trouble and even the name sounds ominous. But you would not be alone. Crohn's Disease is not a household word and in spite of its importance receives little research dollars. Crohn's Disease affects 600,000 people in North America. Normally it strikes those between 20 to 35 years of age, with another peak in the 50s but no age is immune to this disorder. Smokers are three times more likely to develop this disease. There's no sex bias as it affects both equally. In about 20 percent of cases a blood relative...Read More
Miscellaneous
Keep Out Of These Traps in 2010
Year after year people get careless and tragedy strikes. So as we enter 2010 here are several tips to prevent some common hazards during this year. Trap # 1 It's amazing that every year about 6,000 people are admitted to hospital in North America due to snow-blower injuries to the hands. 600 will have fingers amputated for failing to turn off the motor when clearing a blockage in the discharge chute with their hands. A few will be strangled when a loose scarf gets caught in the moving parts. Others will die from carbon monoxide poisoning for starting a snow blower in an enclosed space. And you will have less chance of becoming a statistic, if you don't pour gas into a...Read More
Miscellaneous
Have I Been a Good Teacher?
Over the past year I've covered many medical topics in this column. Let's see how much you've learned. A quiz helps to keep the brain in shape for the coming year. One - Studies show that the more time teenagers spend watching sexually explicit TV increases the risk of pregnancy before age 20. Two - Zona Plus is a hand-held device that fights hypertension without pills. Three - Experts say that even if you eat junk food there's no need for regular colon irrigation with herbal supplements to cleanse the bowel. Four - The American Heart Association recommends that those with a faulty heart valve no longer require antibiotics before dental procedures. Five - A wallet full of cash and credit cards in a man's...Read More
