Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsS2k_HvOL9/ One commonly prescribed, non-narcotic cough medicine is a danger to any family with children under 10.  That drug is benzonatate, previously marketed as Tessalon and Zonatuss, and now sold as the generic.  The drug is indicated for cough suppression in those 10 years or over.   The FDA is now warning all parents and their pediatricians that the ca...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsS1sHQPfWn/ Consuming more than 20% of your daily calories by wolfing down quarter-pounders, pizza, and donuts risks depositing enough fat in your liver to damage it, stop it from its vital detoxification role, and eventually triggering the need for a liver transplant. University of Southern California investigators studied liver fat measurements and dietary...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAvZaTMcPR/ Dr. Smith and WBZ Newsradio anchor Susan Rest discuss the general confusion about sunscreens and SPF (sun protection factor) numbers. https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/spf.htm #sunburn #sunscreen #spf #sunprotectionfactor #melanoma #wbznewsradio

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAtJCNNsK5/ A WBZ Radio caller with a history of coronary artery disease and a coronary artery bypass graft wonders if only the coronary arteries are affected by cholesterol. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases #heartattack #stroke #cholesterol #coronaryarterydisease #carotidarterydisease #highbloodpressu...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAr8tALFwt/ Dr. Smith speaks with a caller about the necessity for completing a given antibiotic course.  They also discuss rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-the-full-course-of-antibiotics-full-of-baloney-2017081712253 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2102074 #antibiotics #rheumaticfever #rheumatich...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsArEFWMb3y/ There’s an epidemic of concussions among college students, and surprisingly most victims are not the football, rugby, and lacrosse players.   A new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder shows that the  $  highest concussion rates occur in non-athletes and in women. Non-athletes were 57% more likely than athletes to sustain concussions a...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAqDrZPfuO/ Runny, stuffy noses may become more welcome since cold viruses have the unexpected benefit of preventing the flu.  Yale laboratory medicine researchers tabulated 3 years of clinical data from some 13,000 patients. Their data show that rhinovirus-infected cells present closed doors to the influenza viruses for about 5 days.  When cold viruses enter...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsApMRHMHe0/ The FDA now issues a warning that the nasal decongestant Benzedrex and its generic propylhexedrine may cause cardiovascular and psychiatric complications which could be fatal. The agent is marketed in a nasal inhalation device to be used for the common cold and nasal allergies.  The proper dosage is 2 inhalations per nostril every 2 hours for adul...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAoSpCrSUR/ Working 55 hours a week or more following a heart attack drives a 67% higher risk of another coronary event including unstable anginal pain, another non-fatal heart attack, or a deadly MI.  Canadian investigators followed 967 first heart attack victims after their return to work. The risk of another often deadly cardiac event was proportional to t...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAnbDhMTRO/ Daily smokers of electronic cigarettes are more than twice as likely as those who never smoked e-cigarettes to report erectile dysfunction or ED.  Epidemiologists at NYU report this finding after analyzing data on 45,971 adults 18 years and older. In the study group, 13,711 males provided information about any problems with ED as well as informati...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAmXlWLMRh/ Teens with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids have longer attention spans and reduced impulsivity.  Spanish epidemiologists measured the levels of fish-based DHA and plant-based ALA score in the red blood cells of 332 teens with a mean age of nearly 14 years. Their data revealed that those with the highest levels of DHA scored best on tests of a...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAldFvNxtA/ Bariatic surgery for obese individuals with non-alcoholic liver disease cuts their risk of heart attacks and strokes by nearly 50%.  Ohio State University informatics researchers along with gastroenterologists and surgeons completed a cohort study of 86,964 morbidly obese persons. Compared with those who were treated medically, bariatric surgical...

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAkRM2JJdb/ Fifteen minutes of structured yoga added to a half-hour aerobic exercise program more effectively tones your cardiovascular system than 15 minutes of stretching added to vigorous exercise.  Researchers at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute demonstrated this phenomenon  in 60 individuals with high blood pressure over a 3 month period. Those with yo...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CsAjYmrPUMD/ Following a diet rich in fish, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and olive oil reduces the risk of preeclampsia by 28%.  Columbia University epidemiologists led a multi center cohort study of 7798 first time mothers with single pregnancies and complete dietary data. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 21% lower ri...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cruy-DXMX26/ Dr. Smith takes an on-air call from a woman with a late menstrual period.  They discuss signs of pregnancy, home and in-office pregnancy testing, and reasons for late periods. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-is-my-period-late/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/menstrual-cycle/art-20047186 #lateperiod #pregn...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Crux4fxtl9s/ Dr. Smith speaks with a male caller with a unilateral throat tickle.  They discuss the fact that a tickle is the mildest form of pain.  Dr. Smith also cautions about the danger of one-sided throat pain. https://www.healthline.com/health/sore-throat-on-one-side#swollen-lymph-nodes #throatpain #unilateral #tonsillitis #peritonsillarabscess #neckabsc...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cruw-_FNaY1/ Exercising regularly not only tones your muscles but also the executive control center in your brain.  This is the conclusion of a study by Columbia University neurologists. They studied 132 couch potatos of all ages and split them into two groups each with an identical age profile, gender distribution, educational background, and test scores on c...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cruv-nQr_q3/ Contrary to urban legend, the best-liked kids are not always the best-looking, athletic, or smartest.  They are the most fun!  Psychologists at the Florida Atlantic University and Montreal’s Concordia University performed a longitudinal study on 1273 pre-teens 9-12 years of age. The data reveal that being fun, stimulating other kids with upbeat cr...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CruvLBYOSKW/ Consistent consumption of mushrooms may reduce your risk of cancer by as much as 34%.  Penn State public health and food scientists report this observation after their meta-analysis of 17 observational studies published between 1966 and 2020 with data for more than 19,500 cancer patients. The beneficial effect of mushrooms was particularly strong...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CruuNGOPgQB/ Drinking a flavanol-enriched cocoa beverage can protect your blood vessels during times of mental stress.  This the conclusion of a tightly controlled British study involving 30 male subjects from the University of Birmingham. Each subject’s arm blood flow and a full battery of cardiovascular tests were performed at baseline and after drinking dif...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CrutXOxNY9b/ Taking extra testosterone can double a man’s risk of dangerous leg blood clots, and that risk is tripled if he is younger than 65.  A study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine studied use of the supplement in nearly 40,000 men over a 7 year period. Leg blood clots can travel up into the lungs and trigger a pulmonary embolism.  This blockage o...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CrusmYdPV_s/ Forty-one weeks of gestation appears to be the safe upper limit for pregnancies.  This the conclusion of a Swedish multisite study of more than 2700 women with post-mature babies. Half the group were randomized to be induced at 41 weeks,  The remainder were followed for up to another 7 days with mandatory induction at 42 weeks.  The study was abru...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Crurw7iPl1b/ Fruit-flavored gummy candies containing nicotine, marketing to help smokers kick the habit, pose a danger to young children and teenagers.  The FDA has sent a warning letter to VPR Brands, the marketer of these nicotine candies, giving the company 15 days to remove the product or prevent its distribution to younger Americans.  These gummy cubes, n...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CruqxpotqvA/ Those wearing reusable contact lenses were nearly 4 times more likely to develop microbial keratitis, a corneal infection, in comparison to those using disposable lenses.  Ophthalmologists at University College London reviewed the cases of 205 contact lens wearers. Compared with those using disposable lenses, the risk of amoeba-driven keratitis wa...

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Crup2lUMqfO/ Consuming a so-called green Mediterranean diet enriched with plant-based polyphenols and reduced red and processed meats more than triples the loss of intra-abdominal, visceral adipose tissue compared with merely following health dietary guidelines.  The green Med diet doubles the belly fat loss compared with a standard Mediterranean diet. These f...