Genitourinary
What Men and Their Wives Don’t Know About Andropause
Has your husband become grumpy, sad, lacking in energy, falling asleep after dinner and finding less enjoyment in life? You may even have noticed that his pants are longer than they used to be. And that for the first time he's having sexual problems. If so, he may be suffering from the male change of life, known as Andropause. And a wee dab of AndroGel may be all that he needs. Dr. Jean Mailhot, endocrinologist and Director, Laval Andropause Center, says that one million Canadian men suffer from testosterone insufficiency. And that in the U.S. as few as five per cent of American men with low testosterone are being treated. It's not surprising. In 2002 a national survey showed, that of Canadians...Read More
Psychiatry
Stress You Get Paid For
It appears there are epidemics and there are epidemics. Few of us will forget the anxiety and economic loss this country suffered during the SARS outbreak. Now reports indicate we face another one. It's a disease that strikes the brain with profound effects on some and leaves others unscathed. Recent reports say that thousands of ex-soldiers, some of whom haven't even been in conflict zones, are receiving disability pensions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Soldiers claim they suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia and have nightmares when they relive traumatic events. And often they seek refuge in alcohol and drugs. Since Canada doesn't have a large army, the fact that 9,000 Canadian veterans are receiving tax-free pensions for psychiatric problems is alarming. Last...Read More
Miscellaneous
Insomnia – How “Sleep Debt” Affects Your Health
William Shakespeare, in his play Julius Cesar, referred to sleep as "the honey-heavy dew of slumber". Just reading this makes me drowsy. But for millions of people a good night's sleep is elusive. And new research shows that insomnia may lead to several chronic diseases. A report from Tufts University reminds us that the greatest disasters in recent history, the explosion on the Challenger space shuttle, the crash and spill of oil by the Exon Valdez and Chernobyl nuclear disaster were related to sleep deprivation and fatigue. And that thousands of car accidents share the same cause. Dr. William Dement, a renowned sleep researcher at Stanford University in California, says there is compelling evidence that how well and how long you sleep...Read More
Cancer, Genitourinary, Psychiatry
The Prostate Dilemma In Treating Cancer
What should I do? I've been diagnosed with cancer of the prostate gland and my doctor has suggested a radical prostatectomy. He claims that a new report shows that surgery is the best way to ensure a cure. Of all the letters I receive this question is always the hardest one to answer. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study from Sweden in which doctors followed men with an average age of 65 years with prostate cancer for 10 years. 695 men with prostate cancer were treated with radical surgery. In radical prostatectomy surgeons remove the prostate, as well as surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. Another group of 347 men with the same problem were treated by watchful waiting. At...Read More
Gastroenterology
Alcoholic Cirrhosis From Eating?
I'd bet a thousand to one that 99.9 per cent of readers have never heard of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Yet a recent report from Johns Hopkins University claims that 25 per cent of North Americans suffer from this disorder. What is it and how can it be prevented and treated? Today you would have to be living on Mars not to know that obesity is often related to heart disease and diabetes. Now excessive pounds are also causing liver disease. We all tend to forget that whether we're dealing with war, love or medicine one problem often leads to a greater one. In 1640 George Herbert hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "For want of a nail...Read More
Surgery
A Surgical Assembly Line to Repair Hernias
To ask what goes on at The Shouldice Hospital is like asking, "Is the Pope Catholic?" This hospital situated in Thornhill, near Toronto, is a world-famous center for the repair of hernias. But is its reputation as good as they say? If so, why? And why is it possible for surgeons to repair an obvious hernia and miss another one? To find the answers I observed Dr Casim Degani, chief of surgery at Shouldice, perform one hernia operation after another. A hernia is a protrusion of bowel through the abdominal wall. There are various types of hernias and 90 percent occur in men. The Shouldice success rate is outstanding, virtually 100 percent if there's been no previous surgery and 98 percent if...Read More
Surgery
The Benefits and Risk of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
In 1991 Dr. Joacques Perissat at the University of Bordeau, in France, announced to the World Congress of Surgeons that he had removed a gallbladder (cholecystectomy), using optical instruments inserted through a few small incisions. Now, 90 percent of of gallbladder operations are done by fiber-optics. What are the advantages and what is its most devastating complication? And the crematorium is the cure for some gallstones. An emergency cholecystectomy is required when a stone blocks the common bile duct (CBD) resulting in an acute inflammation of the gallbladder. To prevent this from happening, patients are often advised to have a cholecystectomy before this complication occurs. It's technically easier and safer to remove a gallbladder when the organ isn't inflamed. In the past it...Read More
Cardiovascular
Osler’s “Defective Rubber” Kills Us – Hypertension and Aspirin
We all know that serious consequences can result when a tire blows. But today most people have little knowledge of human blow-outs. The fatal strokes that kill or paralyze people with little or no warning. Moreover, many people at high risk are not taking Aspirin that can often prevent this tragedy. A recent survey showed that 50 percent of Canadians 35 and older were unable to describe a stroke. 48 percent could not identify a symptom of stroke, 19 percent did not know that high blood pressure was the most critical factor and only 36 percent would seek emergency help if they were experiencing symptoms. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. The upper figure, the systolic pressure is the force at which blood...Read More
Neurology
Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Caused Memory Loss in Astronaut
What had happened to Dr. Duane Graveline former astronaut, medical researcher and aerospace scientist? His wife found him walking aimlessly about their property. When she spoke to him he didn't recognize her. He was rushed to a neurologist and six hours later his senses returned. The diagnosis? Global transient amnesia (GLA). His only medication, Lipitor? But doctors refused to believe this cholesterol-lowering drug (CLD) was the cause of this incident. A year later Dr. Graveline was urged to retry half the dose of Lipitor. Six weeks later his entire life was eradicated from memory. He had no recall of his children, medical school, years as a flight surgeon or his time as an astronaut. This black pit of amnesia lasted 12...Read More
Genitourinary
Operation Helps Men Urinate Like Teenagers – Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
What should men and their wives know about the New Gold Standard? No, not the one associated with the London England Gold Market. Rather, the new gold standard of treating benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) in men. A report from The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is good news for hundreds of thousands of males who every year require surgery for this condition. And worry that it may affect their sexual health. Normally during male urination the size of the stream is about one-quarter of an inch. But as men age the prostate gland enlarges and squeezes the urinary tube, its size may decrease to one-sixteenth of an inch. And if it reaches zero it obviously requires emergency surgery. For years the gold...Read More
Lifestyle, Philosophy
Eight Good Reasons to Make Love
Are you fed up reading about war, our failing health care system and crooked CEOs? If so, let's discuss a more pleasant topic, the way to ensure a long and healthy life. Some are convinced that jogging, a variety of diets or a daily glass of red wine is the answer. But what about sex? The fact is that making love is downright good for you. Here are eight reasons why you should put more amore into your life. It's Good Exercise Since making love involves some interesting acrobatics having sex three times a week burns about 7,500 calories in a year. This is the equivalent of jogging 75 miles! And vigorous sex consumes up to 200 calories each time. At three...Read More
Genitourinary
The Testicles Top Song: “It’s Too Darn Hot”
There's a story that should have made headlines around the world, but somehow it collected dust. In 2002, the British Journal Lancet, reported that a scientist had suffered burns to his penis and scrotum while using a laptop computer. You might quickly conclude that he was naked and had fallen asleep with his laptop on his lap, but that was not the case. Rather, he was working with his trousers and underpants on. For want of a better word he had simply been "lap-scorched". The report doesn't mention how long it required for his burned parts to heal. But being lap-scorched is one thing. Now, another report says it's also possible to be "fertility-scorched" by prolonged exposure to laptop computers. Dr. Yefim...Read More
Neurology
Shake Martinis but Not the Baby
What do I know about babies? Not much, and that's why I rarely write about babies. But I recently learned a devastating fact about them. James Bond always insisted that his martinis had to be shaken. But a report in The Medical Post shows that shaking a crying baby can be lethal. But who caused the brain damage? The parents or the baby sitter? Dr. Ron Barr, a British Columbia pediatrician, is Director of the British Columbia Research Institute for Children's and Women's Health, in Vancouver. He recently presented shocking evidence on the extent of injury to shaken babies at a medical meeting in Montreal. Barr told doctors that studies show the incidence of shaken babies is 30 per 100,000 per year....Read More
Philosophy
Why we Should Allow Sterilization of a Mentally Retarded Person
If these people cannot care for themselves how can they care for a child? Would you employ them as a baby-sitter to look after your own child? If we assume that abortion should not be a method of contraception then it is morally wrong to refuse these people a sterilzation procedure The fact they cannot provide informed consent is not a valid point. Neither can they give informed consent to any other procedure such as an appendectomy or the need for an antibiotic. If there is no law it cannot be an illegal act until such a law is passed Those opposed to sterilization should take a retarded child into their home for a few weeks. They would soon change their mind. There s nothing more...Read More
Cardiovascular
Why Cholesterol-Free Foods Can Be Dangerous
Today the word "cholesterol" has become as familiar to Americans as motherhood and apple pie. But unlike these two it's unloved and meant to be avoided. So if you're a marketing whiz kid, would you try to increase sales with a red label stating your product is "cholesterol free"? Unfortunately, life is never so simple and there are several marketing conundrums for both promoters and unsuspecting consumers. And do cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs) exchange one devil for another? Dr. Khhursheed Jeejeebhoy, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, reported in The Medical Post that consumers don't realize that many cholesterol-free foods contain large amounts of sugar and trans-fatty acids . This is not a healthy combination. Too much sugar and excess calories...Read More
Cardiovascular
Aspirin to Prolong Life
How long does it take for good news to reach the public? It appears a long, long time. For several years the medical community has known of the multiple benefits of Aspirin. Yet, I still see patients whose lives could be extended by Aspirin who are not taking it. This is tragic when it can also help patients escape several deadly diseases. The most recent example was a 55 year old woman who had been suffering from diabetes for 35 years. In addition, she was overweight, a bad combination for a heart attack. Yet, no one had told her she could decrease the risk of a coronary event by taking Aspirin. It's estimated that six million diabetics in North America are headed...Read More
Gynecology
New Technique Prevents Needless Hysterectomies
Why would a woman agree to surgical removal of the uterus when a hysterectomy-saving procedure, "endometrial ablation", is available? Given this choice the answer is obvious. But today thousands of women have never heard of this less invasive procedure due to political bureaucracy, short-sighted financing and a lack of trained doctors. So what should female patients and their families do to correct this situation? After all, good sense indicates it's madness to cut off an arm when amputating a finger will do. Today one woman in five over the age of 35 will have a hysterectomy. This requires several days of hospitalization, is more risky than endometrial ablation and requires several weeks of convalescence. But following endometrial ablation patients are back...Read More
Lungs, Surgery
Reduction Surgery to Treat Emphysema
"Damn those cigarettes," an angry Johnny Carson repeated over and over as he slowly died from emphysema. Unfortunately, Carson should have said "damn those cigarettes" years ago. The former star of the Tonight Show could have stopped destroying his lungs. But Carson, like so many others, failed to realize that once damage has occurred nothing can restore lung tissue. However, a new surgical operation, lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), can help to improve the quality of life for some patients suffering from emphysema. Emphysema has always been frustrating to treat. Sir William Osler, one of North America's most famous physicians, was once asked how he treated emphysema. He facetiously replied, "I send them to Egypt." "For the climate?" a young doctor...Read More
Genitourinary
ED drugs + Testosterone = End of ED – Levitra
"Sex is not only for Valentines Day" was the message awaiting me when I arrived in London, England. And to drive home the point, the fearless British racing car driver Sir Stirling Moss had just announced that he used erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. And urged others to seek treatment. So the timing for the 4th International Meeting of the Andropause Society to discuss ED and testosterone couldn't have been better. Moss had two brushes with ED, the condition that men fear. His first followed a racing car accident in 1962. He refused to see a doctor about it, but met a cute nurse who said, "Don't worry, it will be all right." And it was. But following an operation for prostate cancer...Read More
Gastroenterology
The Do’s And Don’ts of Rectal Bleeding – Anurex
General Douglas MacArthur on his retirement from the U.S army reminisced, "old soldiers never die they just fade away." I've now written over 1,500 newspaper columns and some never seem to die. For instance, a previous article dealing with a unique way of treating hemorrhoids and anusitis continues to trigger letters from readers every year. Readers who say they remember the column but can't recall the cure. But these letters also show that many people have failed to learn a basic rule; never, never, ignore rectal bleeding. Anurex is one of the best-kept secrets to treat these conditions. It's a reusable probe containing a gel that's gently inserted into the rectum after being cooled in the freezer for a minimum of...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet: A Diet for All Ages
What is the most prudent diet to follow today? Some swear it's the Atkin's high protein diet. Others believe the low fat Ornish diet is the answer. And I've often stressed that a high fiber diet promotes health. But what about The Anti-Inflammatory Diet? A report from Tufts University in Boston has an entirely new twist on nutrition and health. It claims that if we can decrease inflammation in our body we can also decrease the progression of disease. We all know that something is amiss when we have an inflamed throat. But no one would give inflammation a second thought as the cause if the doctor diagnosed high blood pressure, heart disease or arthritis. Yet inflammation may be the culprit. Today hypertension...Read More
Lifestyle
Who Says 10,000 Steps a Day?
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? The first step was to purchase a pedometer. It's a small battery operated device (the cost $30.00) that fits on the hip and counts your steps. Mine has more gizmos than I need. But the main button counts steps and another the calories burned up. My normal day involves a 25 minute walk to my office and the same route home in late afternoon. During the day I don't run a marathon in the...Read More
Nutrition
What You Should Know About the “Difficult Infection” – Clostiridium Difficile
John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber, was asked why he robbed banks. He logically replied, "It's where the money is". Today if you asked infection control specialists where many infections are, they would say, "It's in the hospitals". Hospitals can be dangerous places. You can occasionally, be given the wrong medication or have the wrong leg amputated. But more commonly, patients acquire a debilitating and sometimes serious hospital infection called Clostridium difficile. How do you become infected and how can it be prevented? A report in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association states that C. difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) is now the leading cause of diarrhea in hospital patients. It suggests that CDAD infection should be suspected if patients with...Read More
Neurology, Psychiatry
REMEMBER-fX : The Smart Pill
Will a pill make you less befuddled next time you try to master the control panel of your new digital movie camera? Will it make you as intelligent computer-wise as your 10 year old child? Are you continually losing your keys and glasses, feel less alert and concerned about Alzheimer's Disease? A U.S study involving 750 average people showed that memory impairment affects the majority of people over 40 years of age. Now Canadian scientists say they've developed a super ginseng pill called "Remember-fX" that prevents us all from "losing it". Today there are many ginseng products available, but they've always been hampered by a complication. Ginseng in stores isn't just ginseng. Rather, it contains many other active ingredients. Therein lies the...Read More
Lifestyle, Psychiatry
10 Ways To Beat Stress In 2005
Voltaire was right when he wrote, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation". As we enter another year the desperation seems to be getting worse. There's the escalating violence in Iraq, the concerns about our economy and more headlines warn us of another prescription drug that causes heart attack and stroke. So here are 10 non-prescription ways to help you relax in 2005. One The laying-on-of-hands cures more stress and sore muscles than a cartload of pills. In fact, this message has not been lost on industry where anything to help the bottom-line becomes top priority. Some companies are now using massage as a form of stress management to decrease fatigue, headache and back strain in their employees. This results in greater...Read More
