Genitourinary
Mind Your Bike Seat Before Romancing Your Lady
Mountain bikers are an athletic macho group. But are they good lovers? And how many have trouble getting their wives pregnant? Recent studies show that mountain bikers get more than exercise when they travel over the Swiss Alps. Dr. Ferdinand Frauscher, head of the department of radiology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, recently reported interesting findings about mountain bikers to the Radiological Society of North America meeting. Frauscher and his colleagues studied 40 male mountain bikers ranging from 18 to 44 years of age. The bikers road two hours per day for six days a week covering a distance of over 5,000 kilometers a year. They were compared with 35 healthy non-bikers with an age range from 17 to 42 years The...Read More
Neurology, Orthopedics, Pain
Course 101 In Back Pain
Ask me about Economics 101 and I'll flunk the question. But what about course 101 in back pain? In this case I have some answers. Ones that will help readers who ask "What is the best treatment for my aching back?" Many years ago while in Hawaii I suddenly coughed and an excruciating pain shot down my leg. There was no doubt about the diagnosis, a ruptured spinal disk, and the pain was so severe I desperately needed a place to lie down. Fortunately I was near an old historic church on a quiet back street. I walked in, in agony and stretched out on a not-so-comfortable wooden pew. But fate was not kind. Five minutes later a group of tourists entered...Read More
Cancer, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Surgery
A Scotch and Soda And an Alarming Surgical Dilemma – Cancer of the Tongue
"Stick out your tongue", my dentist invariably requests during my regular dental checkup. I know that shortly he'll examine my teeth. But for the moment he's looking for any sign of cancer of either the tongue or the rest of the oral cavity. But what happens if your dentist or doctor detects a malignancy? What I learned over a scotch and soda should alarm all of us. Cancer of the tongue is one of the more common and serious types of mouth cancer. Every year 30,000 North Americans are diagnosed with this malignancy and it's curable in about 80 per cent of cases when diagnosed early. Malignancies of the tongue start as a small lump or a thick white patch. Over time...Read More
Vitamins
The “Red” Power of Tomatoes
Thank God I don't have to eat broccoli! Thank God that I love tomatoes. Red tomatoes contain lycopene, a natural pigment and powerful antioxidant. And recent research indicates that loving tomatoes fights prostate cancer and other malignancies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that during 2004 over 340,000 North American males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. 45,000 will die from it. Dr. Omer Kucuk, Professor of Medicine and Oncology at Wayne State University of Michigan, is an authority on the "Red power" of tomatoes. He studied 26 patients who were scheduled to undergo surgery for cancer of the prostate. Some of these patients were prescribed a lycopene supplement, 15 milligrams (mg) twice daily, (the equivalent of three large tomatoes) prior...Read More
Medicine
New Help For Diabetic Patients But What About Bears?
"My god", I thought, "why are we doing this to bears?" For the human population the statistics of diabetes are staggering and they will eventually destroy our health care system. Every 45 seconds a new diabetic is diagnosed in North America. But it's only those who have to take insulin day after day who know the magnitude of this disease. Now a unique device is available that won't cure diabetes, but it will make life easier and safer for patients. Unfortunately, it won't help bears. A recent report in the Journal of Zoology states that black bears are becoming obese. Like humans they've developed slothful habits. Jon Beckman, a bear expert, says urban bears are one-third less active and 30 per cent heavier...Read More
Philosophy
Sir Isaac Newton’s Boob Lifter
How do I remember Niagara Falls? I'm standing at the brink of the falls on a cold, snowy, night with no one else around. Years ago when I practiced medicine in that city I often stopped on my way home to see this awe-inspiring sight. For others its image is the "Honeymoon Capital of the World". But I hope it won't be soon known as "Boob City". And I imagine how his law is being used wouldn't impress the great English physicist Sir Isaac Newton. Botulism toxin , historically one of the world's deadly killers, has been approved by Canada and the U.S. to treat cosmetic conditions. The result? Thousands of aging baby boomers, TV stars and others have lined up...Read More
Gynecology, Philosophy
A Cesarean Section On A Lucky Day?
Should pregnant women have the right to demand a Cesarean section even if there's no bone-fide reason for the operation? Or be allowed to have the C-section on a lucky day? Today more women are asking for this right. But is this request utter madness? Years ago it would have been sheer folly to perform a C-section unless there was a serious emergency. Women would have died from either uncontrollable bleeding or infection. Now it's a different story with improved surgical techniques and antibiotics. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics claims that since there's no evidence that a patient choice Cesarean has no benefits it's not ethically justified. The World Health Organization adds that a Cesarean section rate above 15 per cent...Read More
Nutrition
How Naturegg Omega Pro Liquid Eggs Help The Heart
Why can't you make up your mind about eggs?" my wife asked me. "A few weeks ago you told me to buy Omega-3 eggs. You said they were good for the heart. The refrigerator's full of them! Now you want Naturegg Omega Pro liquid eggs. Just how many eggs do you want? I may as well open a grocery store," my usually calm wife remarked. That's when I realized I was in deep doo-doo. Unfortunately I had forgotten to explain the benefits of another super egg. Without some fast explanation it was obvious I'd soon to doing the shopping. Several weeks ago I explained that Naturegg Omega-3 eggs are produced by feeding chickens flaxeed containing Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids...Read More
Dermatology
Reversing Aging Skin With Reversa
G.P.R. James wrote in 1829, "Age is the most terrible misfortune that can happen to any man. Other evils will mend, but this is every day getting worse." Why he left out women I have no idea! Today, one could utter the same lament. After all, who wants to get old? But although we still haven't found the secret for eternal youth it is now possible to remove some of the wrinkles of aging. Today "Cosmeceuticals" are available to help restore aging skin. Baby boomers are lining up for plastic surgery, a radical way to treat aging. Others, even young women, are flocking to get Botox injections. But injecting Botox every few months to temporarily smooth out wrinkles is to me...Read More
Cardiovascular, Pediatrics
Grandchildren, The Long Visit Can Be Lethal
"Would you like to look after the grandchildren for us?" is an often heard request these days. Sometimes it's a request for a few hours of baby-sitting to allow parents a quiet evening on their own. But today with both parents working, caring for grandchildren can result in months or years of reliving earlier days. Some grandparents thrive on this routine. But a report in the American Journal of Public Health shows that caring for grandkids can trigger more than a headache. It can also cause increased risk of heart attack. Dr Sunmin Lee, of Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, studied 544,412 registered nurses ages 41 to 71 between 1992 and 1996 who cared for grandchildren at least nine hours...Read More
Medicine
How Hypoglycemia Can End a Tennis Game
Moments before meeting a friend for a tennis game, all hell suddenly broke out. Firemen began arriving at my friend's home, and police sirens were getting closer and closer. To my dismay they were racing to my friend's side. A sad way to put an abrupt end to our game. I arrived to find my friend pale, perspiring and incoherent. The police and firemen questioned whether he had suffered a heart attack. I suspected another possibility, but it wasn't due to any diagnostic brilliance on my part. I had the advantage of knowing that my friend had type 2 diabetes. Like many others with this disease he was experiencing a severe attack of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Low blood sugar can result...Read More
Medicine
How Chickens Decrease the Risk of Macular Degeneration
Today seven million North Americans suffer from a devastating disease, macular degeneration. No longer can they enjoy the simple pleasures of reading or watching TV. These unfortunate people have lost their central vision. And although there's no cure for macular degeneration there are ways to reduce the risk of developing this disabling problem. The retina acts like the film of a camera conveying images to the brain. The big picture is sent by detectors present throughout the retina. The small picture, central vision, is sent by the macula. It's situated directly behind the lens, about the size of this "o". Stare someone in the eye at a distance of 20 feet and your looking at the macula. All the rest is peripheral...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Vitamins
Lutein For Healthy Eyes
Today seven million North Americans Suffer from a devastating disease, macular degeneration. No longer can they enjoy the simple pleasures of reading or watching TV. These unfortunate people have lost their central vision. But there is a way to reduce the risk of this disabling problem. The retina acts like the film of a camera conveying images to the brain. The big picture is sent by sensitive detectors present throughout the retina. The small picture, namely central vision is sent by the macula. It's situated directly behind the lens, densely packed with visual detectors about the size of the "o". Stare someone in the eye at a distance of 20 feet and your looking at the macula. All the rest is peripheral...Read More
Nutrition
10 Health Benefits Of Dairy Products
Benjamin Disraeli, in a speech to the House of Commons in 1860, rebuked his critics by saying , "It is much easier to be critical than to be correct". Today, for reasons that are hard to understand, some organizations try to dissuade Canadians from consuming milk products. Another example of it being easier to be critical than right. Here are 10 ways that milk products help to maintain health. One - Calcium (and milk is the best source) Can Keep You Trim A study of adolescent girls showed that those who consumed the most calcium were also the leanest. Researchers have found that calcium at the cellular level causes fat to be broken down in the cell and speeds up the rate...Read More
Orthopedics
How Much Sarcopenia Do You Have?
"What in the devil is Sarcopenia?" I wondered. But this ignorance didn't bother my psyche. After all, I knew I wasn't a whiz kid in Latin. So I asked my literate wife who loved Latin what it meant. She just shook her head and replied, "Dummy, it's not Latin. It's Greek." This gaffe did scar my psyche a bit. But it didn't stop me from learning more about this common condition. And why even joggers are not immune to developing sarcopenia. A report from Tufts University claims we must all start thinking about sarcopenia. It states that everyone is concerned about heart attack, cancer and Alzheimer's Disease as we age. But the one disease that robs many elderly people of their...Read More
Neurology
The Restless Leg Syndrome
A 25 year old university student from Winnipeg writes, "My legs are driving me crazy. I have the feeling there are thousands of ants marching in them. It's a creepy-crawling sensation that keeps me from sleeping and it's affecting my studies, not to mention my social life. What can I do?" The restless leg syndrome (RLS), as this letter indicates, is not just an old age problem. In fact, it's a common disorder affecting about 10 per cent of the population, slightly more common in women and tends to increase with age. It also has a genetic component tending to run in families. People suffering from RLS complain of a persistent, overwhelming and distressing urge to move the legs. This usually begins...Read More
Medicine
Do Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Cause Heart Failure? – Coenzyme Q10
What is causing the epidemic of heart failure in North America? The usual answer is an aging population. Old hearts eventually get tired and stop beating. But at a meeting in London, England, several researchers suggested a surprising new reason for heart failure, cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs). Ironically, the very medication prescribed to prevent heart disease may in fact be causing it! And 12 million Japanese may have the answer to this dilemma, coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10). There's no doubt that high blood cholesterol is a proven risk factor for heart disease. It's also known that CLDs such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor and others are effective in lowering cholesterol. But, as always, there's a price to pay for medication. CLDs work by inhibiting...Read More
Gynecology, Medicine
Canadian Cancer Society Wrong Again
Why would The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) make such an asinine statement? And why wait nearly two years to worry women once again about hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? The logic escapes me, but doesn't surprise me. Years ago, when I fought for the legalization of heroin to fight terminal cancer pain, CCS publicly fought me and continually made illogical statements. CCS has now urged women not to take HRT for menopausal symptoms except in rare instances, because it says, the health risks outweigh the benefits. Dr. Andre Lalonde, vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), on reading the report remarked, "What's this nonsense? This isn't based on science. They are leaving women with the impression that if...Read More
Cardiovascular
The Triple A Disease That Can Kill – Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
A healthy 60 year old man played two sets of tennis and later in the day developed low back pain. He surmised he had simply strained his back. But by evening he experienced severe abdominal pain, lost consciousness and was dead on arrival at the hospital. A 50 year old woman complained of chest pain after a heavy dinner and believed it was just heartburn. But when pain increased she paid a visit to the hospital emergency. Doctors there suspected coronary attack, but blood tests and an electrocardiogram were normal. Doctors then concluded that the pain was the result of severe indigestion and prescribed Pepcid and a painkiller. But as the patient was leaving the hospital she collapsed and became unconscious....Read More
Psychiatry
Depression, Brutus Right or Wrong?
In 2004, how much depression will be due to the perilous times in which we live? How much due to genetics? A reader recently asked this interesting question. Julius Caesar once counseled Brutus that "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves." Others would argue that today's complex environment triggers increased depression in society. Who is right? Since 9-11 the world is threatened with the constant fear of another major terrorist attack. Add to this the possibility of another SARS outbreak, Mad Cow Disease and the fast pace of our society .It's hardly conducive to relaxed living. So the argument is valid that some depression today is the result of all these tensions. But there's a colossal difference between...Read More
Medicine
The Night The Cat Died
How many readers can make this diagnosis? A dentist and his wife became ill after eating at a restaurant and at 2 a.m. they were in the hospital's emergency department. A doctor diagnosed food poisoning and sent them home on anti-nausea medication. Arriving home, the dentist's wife soon developed a headache and increased nausea. Then she became hysterical when she found the cat had suddenly died. At this point the worried dentist called Dr. Marvin Lipman, now Clinical Professor of Medicine Emeritus at New York Medical College. His speedy diagnosis saved their lives. Even at 4 a.m. awakened from his sleep, Dr. Lipman's analytical mind realized what had occurred. The cat was dead from carbon monoxide poisoning (CO). He reported this...Read More
Neurology, Pediatrics, Sports
Protect Children From Catastrophic Hockey Injuries
What should parents know about concussions in hockey? To find out I recently attended a seminar on this problem at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Today there's a huge debate raging over whether body checking should be allowed in players under 17 years of age. Unfortunately, the "big hit" does more to the brain than meets the eye. Today our national sport has become a violent past time. During the meeting we were shown videos of devastating NHL body checks. It's a reality check to see superbly conditioned players lying unconscious on the ice. Then, Ken Dryden, former goal tender for the Montreal Canadians, pointed out that we forget the game has changed drastically. Today NHL players are 27 pounds heavier,...Read More
Philosophy
Readers Want a Singapore Solution for Canada
It wasn't the usual Christmas column, I agree. But I was tired of reading about brain damaged babies born to mothers on crack cocaine, safe injection sites for addicts, gun deaths in shopping malls and drug traffickers flaunting the law in broad daylight. How the billions of dollars it costs this country could be better used to treat patients. So I asked readers what they thought about Singapore's tough laws for criminals. I've received a ton of letters and E-mails, many asking for a summary of the response. From Halifax; "Any person with a half-brain could see that their law is not as harsh as a law that allows drug dealers to continue to destroy human beings. It was good to...Read More
Miscellaneous
Can You Keep These 10 New Year’s Resolutions?
Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing to Gaspard Gourgaud, his artillery officer, on the island of St Helena, remarked, "If you want to get on in this world, make many promises but don't keep them". Every New Year millions of people make promises which few keep, to their regret. But if you're steel-minded here are 10 resolutions that will help you attain a long and healthy life. Get an Annual Flu Shot Readers have written asking if I get an annual flu shot. The answer is yes. Even in a good year, without a 1918 type epidemic, 20,000 North Americans die from influenza. I prefer not to be one of them. It's not late for a flu shot and 75,000 deaths are predicted this year. Count...Read More
Philosophy
Medical Madness Christmas 2003
It's often said that 'Lunatics are in charge of the asylum". Now I'm convinced they're also in charge of medical care. This holiday season I wish I had a good medical news for readers. But there are times when I wonder how politicians, lawyers and medical ethicists can be so void of common sense. Case # 1 Horacio Alberto Reyes-Camarena, a convicted murderer, is currently on Oregon's death row. His crime? He's convicted of stabbing an 18 year old girl to death and leaving her older sister scarred for life. So when will he go to the great beyond? Not soon. Appeals by lawyers against the death penalty can take up to 10 years in Oregon. In the meantime Reyes-Camarena has developed...Read More
