Howard G. Smith, MD, AM
PENTA Medical Network
617-488-9699
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HealthNews RoundUp - 1st Week of March 2022
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REPORTS
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Pfizer Vaccine Effectiveness For Children and Adolescents
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/9XfhDAQtQP8
The early reports from NY State show that the Pfizer vaccine works better and longer for teens than for the elementary school crew. The NY State Public Health Department in collaboration with the University of Albany now report the vaccine efficiencies for 852,384 fully vaccinated adolescents 12-17 years and 365,502 children 5-11 years during the 6 weeks from mid-December, 2021 to the end of January, 2022 during the rise of the Omicron variant.
For the teens, the vaccine prevented cases in 66% and hospitalization in 85%. For the younger kids, the vax efficiencies were 68% for infection and 100% for hospitalization. Over the 6 week observation period, the Pfizer vaccine effectiveness in teens declined 23% for infections and 14% for hospitalization. The vaccine’s effectiveness for the younger children declined significantly more than for the teens: 82% for infections and 52% for hospitalization.
The vaccine clearly works, but teens and younger children will require 3rd doses to fully complete an initial vaccination course. The younger children may require a higher dose since their dose is one-third that given to teens and adults.
The ultimate solution to this apparent vaccine shortfall will be new vaccines better able to neutralize the newer CoVid variants. Let’s go Pfizer and Moderna. Quit milking your legacy vaccines and develop new versions that neutralize the latest variants.
#CoVid #vaccination #pfizer #children #adolescents
CoVid, vaccination, pfizer, children, adolescents
Women With Migraines Face Higher Pregnancy Complications
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/yIo1uEg9sVM
The young women who experience migraines and become pregnant are more likely to suffer sometimes dire complications. Investigators at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital issue this warning after analyzing more than 30,000 pregnancies in about 19,000 women over a 20 year period.
The data shows that pregnant women with migraine headaches are 17% more likely to have a pre-term delivery, 28% more likely to suffer elevation blood pressures, and 40% more likely to develop pre-eclampsia. A closer look at the numbers indicates that the presence or absence of aura with the migraine affects the risk of preeclampsia, since those women with aura had a 51% risk while those with migraines and no aura had a 29% risk.
About 20% of women of childbearing age suffer from migraines. It is important for any pregnant woman or any woman contemplating pregnancy who also has migraines to be on the lookout for these potential complications during their pregnancies.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220225123447.htm
#pregnancy #migraines #preeclampsia #preterm #hypertension
pregnancy, migraines, preeclampsia, preterm, hypertension
The CDC Modifies CoVid Vaccination Schedule
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/iR1H6epMhGI
The CDC announced on 2/25/22 a recommended extension in the interval between the first and second shots of mRNA vaccine from 3-4 weeks to 8 weeks. They explained that this longer interval drives an improvement in CoVid immunity generation and a reduction in the incidence of complications including myocarditis.
Let’s look at the specifics for vaccination. The extension only applies for those 12 years through 64 years of age. Those who are 5 through 11 years, 65 years or older, or immunocompromised should continue to receive their second shot 3 to 4 weeks after the first. Furthermore, as part of their vaccination, they should receive a 3rd shot 4 weeks later. For those immunocompromised who are 12 years or older, they should receive a booster, a 4th shot, 3 months after the 3rd shot.
For those not immunocompromised 12 years and older, they should receive a 3rd shot as a booster 5 months after the second shot. Boosters are not recommended for any children 5 through 11 years of age.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/COVID-19-immunization-schedule-ages-5yrs-older.pdf
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/97361
#cdc #CoVid #vaccination #boosters #immunosuppressed
cdc, CoVid, vaccination, boosters, immunosuppressed
Those with ADHD Tend To Hoard
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/hnkLtoEJjIA
Individuals with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at least 6 times more likely to evidence a hoarding disorder (HD) that significantly interferes with the conduct of their lives. So say psychologists at the UK’s Anglia Ruskin University following their study of 88 patients in an ADHD clinic, a matched control group of 90 persons, and an online sample of 220 UK residents.
The 19% of ADHD patients with severe and life-inhibiting hoarding behaviors were surprisingly in their 30’s with an equal number of males and females impacted. Even among the remaining 81 of ADHD patients, there was a measurable tendency toward hoarding.
Previous studies of those with hoarding disorder concentrated on older females who self-identified and sought help with their tendencies to fill their living spaces with a suffocating quantity of items. The new information this study reveals is that younger adults are similarly afflicted.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395621007263?via%3Dihub#!
#adhd #hoarding
adhd, hoarding
Children’s Food Preferences Are Driven More by Dislike
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/N3pVudLSzLQ
A child’s level of dislike for a given food rather than how much the child likes that food is a better predictor of consumption at any given meal. Penn State nutritionists studied 61 children 4 to 6 years of age who were asked to rate the 7 foods presented to them on a meal tray: chicken nuggets, grapes, potato chips, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, ketchup, and cookies.
After the children consumed the available foods they wished, the researchers weighed the remaining foods and mathematically compared the food consumed with the child’s expressed preferences. The results showed that the correlation between liking a food and the amount consumed was poor while the relationship between disliking a given food and the amount that remained uneaten was statistically significant.
Interesting enough, other studies have shown the same trend for adults.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019566632200037X?via%3Dihub
#children #foodpreferences #foodconsumption
children, foodpreferences, foodconsumption
Maternal Smoking Stunts Fetal Growth
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/uuaSQbFb33E
Women who smoke consistently from 14 weeks before conception to 10 weeks after it carry fetuses that are consistently underweight and are born with a notable weight deficit. Dutch researchers studied 689 pregnant women between 2010 and 2018 and compared the babies carried by the smokers with the non-smokers.
Those who smoked a half-pack a day or more were already carrying smaller fetuses by week 10 of their pregnancies. Their 20 week ultrasounds revealed significantly smaller babies and no growth catchup during the second trimester. Over their gestational periods, the weight deficits persisted and theses babies of smoking mothers were more likely to be born small for gestational age. Furthermore, the fetal growth deficits were directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
If you are a woman who smokes and you want to have the healthiest baby possible, stop smoking or cut it way down by 4 months before you try to conceive and don’t resume until after your baby is born if ever.
https://academic.oup.com/humrep/advance-article/doi/10.1093/humrep/deac018/6533372
#pregnancy #smoking #underweight #fetalgrowthretardation
pregnancy, smoking, underweight, fetalgrowthretardation
Celiac Disease Drug Helps Kids with CoVid Inflammatory Disease
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/mq9ov3lJ1fI
Children with CoVid-induced multiple inflammatory syndrome, MIS-C, recovered more quickly when larazotide, a drug developed and approved for treatment of celiac disease, was added to the usual regimen of steroids and intravenous immune globulins. Pediatric gastroenterologists at Harvard’s Mass. General Hospital and pathologists at the Brigham & Women’s who originally developed the drug received an FDA compassionate use waiver to use larazotide in severely ill children with MIS-C.
Their initial trial compared the clinical courses of 4 children receiving the enhanced regimen with those who were treated conventionally. The treated kids resolved this gastrointestinal inflammatory symptoms faster, enjoyed a 10 fold faster decline of their circulating inflammatory proteins, and, most importantly, were able to be discharged home sooner.
These results were so promising that the FDA gave clearance for a now ongoing phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study testing a larger group of children. How does it work? Larazotide reduces the ability of CoVid to remain in a child’s intestinal linings and trigger inflammatory molecule production.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220223111247.htm
#CoVid #misc #larazotide #celiac
CoVid, misc, larazotide, celiac
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SHORT SHORTS
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Short Short Medical Reports are the cutting edge medical and healthcare discoveries not quite ready for the clinic, but I want you to know about them now.
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/7wKrhWX2MUM
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Cleaning surfaces at home using common commercial disinfectants may release dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds into the air you breathe. Engineers at Indiana University remind you to ventilate the rooms where you use these compounds.
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.abj9156
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Pharmaceutical companies and diabetes researchers are taking human stem cells and, in effect, training them to produce insulin as do our own pancreatic islet cells. These home-grown islet cells can be infused into the body, protected with immunosuppression, and produce insulin on demand. One Ohio diabetic is now living with these cells and no longer requires insulin injections.
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/158305
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Ketamine, the drug commonly used for general anesthesia, is being repurposed for other neuropsychiatric treatments. British researchers report that ketamine in conjunction with psychotherapy successfully treats alcohol use disorder. French and Canadian psychiatrists show that ketamine can help prevent suicide by eliminating thoughts of deadly self-harm in twice as many persons as conventional therapy alone. And finally, Swedish clinicians show that ketamine helps to resolve severe depression in nearly half of the patients receiving it eliminating the need for electroshock therapy.
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21030277
https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067194
https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ijnp/pyab088/6451171
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Harvard researchers report that half of patients who developed diabetes in conjunction with CoVid infections returned to normal after one year. Only 8% continued to require insulin injections after that time.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056872722000253?via%3Dihub
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Statin drugs, commonly used to normalize circulating cholesterol, may also prevent cancers from spreading, from metastasizing. German investigators report that statins suppress the expression of a metastasis promoting gene MACC1 which is associated with spread of colon, stomach, liver, and breast cancers. They also note clinical studies showing that patients taking statins had half the incidence of cancer compared with those not on statins.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ctm2.726
•. Our blood pressure are rising during the pandemic. University of Texas Southwestern cardiologists, looking at blood pressures of 72,706 patients nationwide, found that rates of uncontrolled high blood pressure increased 4% from 15 to 19%. This doesn’t seem like much but it’s likely an underestimate with the number of people having systolic pressures above 160 mmHg and a ticking time bomb in their bodies much higher. Be certain to check your own pressures regularly!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002870321004701?via%3Dihub
I’ll be covering these stories as we know more details. Do stay tuned.
#disinfectants #diabetes #stemcells #ketamine #psychiatry #statins #cancer #hypertension
disinfectants, diabetes, stemcells, ketamine, psychiatry, statins , cancer, hypertension
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CPSC Recalls
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Ski-Doo Snowmobiles May Flame Out
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nXLuHZwqorI
The CPSC and BRP are recalling Ski-Doo Expedition SE, LE, and SWT 900 ACE Turbo snowmobiles from the model years 2020 through 2022. Fuel may leak from the tank onto superheated components if the vehicle is on a tilt or flips over, and this will create fire and burn hazards. About 700 of these snowmobiles were sold in the US and about 3900 were sold in Canada. If you own one of these snowmobiles, stop using it and contact your nearest Ski-Doo dealer to arrange for a free repair. This repair modifies the routing and exit location of the fuel tank vent and installation of a protective plate.
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/BRP-Recalls-Snowmobiles-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Recall-Alert
#skidoo #snowmobiles #fuelleakage #fire #burns #recall
skidoo, snowmobiles, fuelleakage, fire, burns, recall
Recall on PIRANA Descender Canyoneering Devices
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/BGYm7dKKqVE
The CPSC and Petzl are recalling the PIRANA Descender Canyoneering Devices. The climber’s rope may become caught or wedged in the device’s blocking slot preventing the individual from moving up or down. If the climber is suspended in a waterfall or in a pool, there is a risk of drowning. About 3450 of these devices were sold in the US and 177 were sold in Canada at REI, Karst Sports, Backcountry.com, petzl.com, and other websites and outdoor stores. Immediately stop using these descender devices and contact Petzl by phone at 1-877-807-3805 or via email at Returns@petzl.com to arrange for a full refund and a pre-paid shipping label.
#pirana #descender #locking #injury #drowning #recall
pirana, descender, locking, injury, drowning, recall
Aldi’s Bee Happy 12 Days of Craft Advent Calendars Are Heavy on Lead
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/1yclIEv_3d4
The CPSC and Aldi are recalling the Bee Happy 12 Days of Craft Advent Calendars. The paint used on the Day 10 brown bell contains lead levels that exceed federal safety standards and create a risk of lead poisoning for young children should the paint be ingested. About 13 of these units were sold at Aldi stores in Laguna Woods, CA and West Madison, AL. If you bought one of these calendars, do not allow children to play with it. Contact Aldi by phone at 1-833-460-2092 to arrange for a full refund.
#aldi #calendar #leadpaint #poisoning #recall
aldi, calendar, leadpaint, poisoning, recall
Fitbit Ionic Smartwatches Could Burn Your Wrist
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/GkWRi67LDME
The CPSC and Fitbit are recalling the Fitbit Ionic smartwatches. The lithium ion batteries in these watches may overheat leading to burn injuries. About 1 million of these watches were sold in the US and about 693 thousand were sold worldwide at Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Fitbit.com. This model was discontinued, and the last inventory was sold in December, 2021. Immediately stop using this smartwatch and contact Fitbit by phone at 1-888-925-1764 to receive pre-paid packaging to return the device. Upon receipt of the device, you will be issued a refund of $299.
#fitbit #ionicsmartwatch #overheating #burn #recall
fitbit, ionicsmartwatch, overheating, burn, recall
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FDA Recalls
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Recalls on Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery Coffee Cakes and Paczkis Varieties
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/b9HfeIvhA1Q
The FDA and the Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery have recalled Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery Coffee Cakes and Paczkis Varieties. By the way, paczkis are Polish donuts and they look delicious. These pastries have undeclared egg, milk, and wheat. Anyone with egg, milk, or wheat allergies could develop a serious of life-threatening allergic reaction after consuming these products. The pasties were sold at retail outlets in Illinois and Wisconsin. If you bought any of them and have egg, milk, or wheat allergies, don’t consume them but do contact the Chicago Sweet Connection Baker company by phone at 1-773- 283-4430 to arrange a refund.
#chicagosweetconnectionbaker #coffeecake #paczkis #egg #milk #wheat #allergy #recall
chicagosweetconnectionbaker, coffeecake, paczkis, egg, milk, wheat, allergy, recall
Sprouts Farmers Market Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries have Nuts
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/QnAjZyUHtCc
The FDA and Torn & Glasser announce the recall of Sprouts Farmers Market Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries. These candies contain the undeclared allergen almond. Those who are allergic to almonds and tree nuts could develop a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction after ingesting these chocolate covered cherries. This product was sold at t Sprouts Farmer Market stores in the following 6 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah. If you bought this product, return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or destroy it. For more information, call Torn & Glasser at 1-(213) 627-6496.
#sprouts #chocolatecherries #almonds #treenuts #allergy #recall
sprouts, chocolatecherries, almonds, treenuts, allergy, recall
Another Recall on Golden Medal Enoki Mushrooms
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/hLIHxAYMVK8
The FDA and Golden Medal Mushroom Inc. are again recalling its Golden Medal Mushroom Enoki Mushrooms. These mushroom are contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that may cause severe or fatal infections in the very young, elders, and those with weakened immune systems. These mushrooms were sold in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Return these mushrooms to the place of purchase for a refund or toss them. In. You require more information about this recall, call Golden Medal Mushroom at 1-323-720-9126.
#enokimushrooms #goldenmedal #listeria #infection #recall
enokimushrooms, goldenmedal, listeria, infection, recall
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