Dr. Howard Smith Reports

The FDA has just approved the newest vaccine for kids combining the 6 most common immunizations for childhood illnesses: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis or whooping cough, hemophilus influenza type B, hepatitis B, and polio.   In the past, children would receive the DTaP vaccine, but then separate vaccines for polio, hemophilus influenza, and hepatitis.   Called Vaxelis , the vaccine is a 3 dose se...

Food scientists at the University of Georgia report that cottonseed oil outperforms olive oil in terms of blood lipid normalization during a 5 day trial diet of each.   The scientists studied 15 men using a crossover design study in which each subject followed a diet rich in one oil or the other for 5 days, enjoyed a break, and then followed a diet with the other oil. When the data was tabulated,...

It’s no blarney when I tell you that ancient Irish soil may contain the key to more powerful antibiotics in the future.   Folk medicine has identified regions of Ireland, the Boho Highlands, where the soil is known to have medicinal properties.     Microbiologists from Swansea University, Wales, have identified a novel strain of bacteria in that soil that produces secretions which effectively kill...

At least one in 5 new mothers experience postpartum depression, but, wait, new fathers may experience it too.   A study from University of Cambridge sampling more than 3000 British families just published in JAMA Psychiatry shows that one in 20 fathers may suffer from it too.   Most interesting was the finding that 18 year old girls whose father did have confirmed postpartum depression were themse...

If you want to be more approachable, you might try tilting your head slightly.   Psychologists at UC-Santa Cruz studied this phenomenon using eye tracking equipment.   They found that a head tilt of as little as 11 degrees makes your eyes less threatening.   Their studies show that the tilt makes your conversational companion focus only on the upper eye, and a single eye tends to be more inviting...

With the dark days of winter ahead for all of us, here’s a way to beat the boredom.   Try doing the things that you normally do but in a different way.   For example: Eat popcorn with chopsticks. Drink water in a champagne glass, a shipping envelope, or lapping it out of a bowl like a dog. Write and draw with your “other” hand. Watch a video with finger goggles. Do a random walk: at each intersect...

A dramatic and shocking demonstation posted on Twitter by Isu-Isu Semasa and his mechanical smoking machine.   Here is Semasa’s time-lapse photography that shows you what is left in your throat and lungs after smoking 600 cigarettes. YouTube:  https://youtu.be/vHXq99BU--I https://mobile.twitter.com/homopoliticoos #Smoking   #tar   #lungcancer   #copd   #quitsmoking   #radionews    

On the subject of moderating alcohol intake, let’s review a study from the University of Oregon that looked at heavy drinkers and smokers who were trying to moderate both habits.   They studied a group of 22 smoking and drinking subjects who reduced their alcohol consumption from an average of 29 down to 7 drinks per week.   As drinking diminished, their nicotine metabolite ratios dropped as well....

Every year since 2014, Great Britain has hosted a campaign called “Dry January.”   For at least this month, participants abstain from alcohol for 30 days.   Psychologists at the University of Sussex now report findings from a study of over 800 persons participating in last year's annual post-holidays drying out fest.   The month off alcohol has lasting effects: less drinking over many months, weig...

Stories and features: Britain's “Dry January.” Less drinking helps stop smoking efforts. VIDEO: What smoking 30 packs of cigarettes looks like. HELP: Beat winter boredom. A head tilt makes you more approachable. FUTUREMED: Irish bogs may yield stronger antibiotics. Cottonseed oil better lipid chaser than olive oil. New comprehensive child vaccine. HEALTHTECH: heart attack risk calculator from Mayo...

Today’s topics: A trick for comforting babies. Marijuana damages sperm DNA. Exercise is better than medication for reducing blood pressure. Milk cereal drinks will make your child fat. There is no such thing as a harmless concussion. Alcohol triggers migraine headaches. Then some SHORT SHORTS......... Compression stocking may turbocharge you. Marijuana could hurt your eyes. Supermarket impulse buy...

This is Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.   Let’s run down a list of today’s topics:   Obesity breeds cancer. Eye blinks are conversational cues. Your doctor’s stethoscopes are filthy. Teen bullying produces brain damage. Subway travel triggers colds and flu. Your body weight through life predict...

Scoped broadcast of Dr. Howard Smith hosting David Hubel, MD, Harvard Medical School Professor and Nobel Laureate in Medicine/Physiology and Neil Barnard, MD, Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Today's topics include: PREGNANT WOMEN’S COSMETICS SKEW DAUGHTERS DEVELOPMENT; PICTURES OF YOUR ROTTING BLOOD VESSELS DRIVES HEALTHIER BEHAVIOR; VAPING MARIJUANA MAY BE DANGEROUS; TEAM CHEMISTRY OUTFLANKS STAR PLAYERS; LIVING IN GREEN SPACES REDUCES HEART DISEASE; STOMACH ANTACIDS REDUCE BLEEDING FROM BLOOD THINNERS; IBD MAY PREDISPOSE TO PROSTATE CANCER; HOW THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET PREVENTS HEART...

Dr. Howard Smith sifts through mounds of medical news to bring you Health News Should Should Use including: Height and cancer, Dad fitness impact on offspring, Pancreatic cancer early warning, biofeedback therapy for constipation, maternal hypothyroidism impacts child intelligence, grow new spinal disks, last resort for migraines, organic food benefits, macular degeneration treatment simplified, o...

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Health capsules from the first part of October, 2018 including: flu shots; prevention of non-fatal injuries; FDA approvals of Gardasil 9 and a Bose hearing aid, a drug to prevent diabetes, prevention of macular degeneration, how to avoid raising a bratty child, danger of gastric reflux medications, pediatricians boot unvaccinated kids, sports and bone density, pre-eclampsia association with dement...

Excepts from WBZ Radio evening talk program with discussion about dealing with the IRS and personal finance.

Program inviting call-ins for ANY problem: health, legal, home maintenance.

Demo covering Health Capsules and morning show on WBZ Radio.

Creating see-saw weight loss-gain and fluctuations of your other body numbers by yo-yo dieting can lead to disaster. Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/ZL-pqiWi9uA ________ Mee Kyoung Kim , Kyungdo Han , Yong-Moon Park , etal. Associations of Variability in Blood Pressure, Glucose and Cholesterol Concentrations, and Body Mass Index With Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in the General Population. Cir...

The hospital ratings on social media are inaccurate. Learn where you can get the most accurate information before you or your family must be admitted. VidCast:  https://youtu.be/kIgB1-w-7lg ___________ Victoria Perez, Seth Freedman. Do Crowdsourced Hospital Ratings Coincide with Hospital Compare Measures of Clinical and Nonclinical Quality? Health Services Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13...

Fraudulent products, procedures, and people abound on the web. Here are some ready strategies that will help prevent you from being taken. VidCast:  https://youtu.be/8zG96y1wniw ____________ Bernie Garrett, Sue Murphy, Shahin Jamal, etal. Internet health scams-Developing a taxonomy and risk-of-deception assessment tool. Health & Social Care in the Community, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12643