Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call January 18, 2012 Dr Barry Dworkin joins Rob Snow to take calls on medical matters from the CFRA Nation. Today: Numbness in the feet, tiny skin bumps on the arms, SPECT scans, medication side effects in the elderly, Trillium drug plan, pain in the back of the head, and [...]
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Archive
Category: ArticlesMadely Health Headlines Commentary for December 16, 2011
Lung cancer breath test is not designed for screening healthy people Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadSource:
Breath Test for Lung Cancer Shows Promise in New Study
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Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call November 16, 2011 Dr Barry Dworkin joins Rob Snow to take calls on medical matters from the CFRA Nation. Today: possible osteonecrosis of the knee, rheumatoid factor test, supraspinatus tear and repair, hoarse voice from inhaled steroid use, and treatments for macular degeneration are expensive
Sunday House Call, #375, November 13, 2011 Topics include the frustrations of practising with one hand behind your back, the pitfalls of doing tests without a clear indication, elevated calcium levels, restless leg syndrome, and disc herniation.
Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call May 4, 2011 Dr Barry Dworkin joins Rob Snow to take calls on medical matters from the CFRA Nation. Today:Pediatric surgery wait times, sugar content in foods, bariatric surgery referrals, pediatric gastroenterology and respirology access, Epipen availability to the general public in case of emergency, tingling hand, and why [...]
Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call February 23, 2011 Dr Barry Dworkin joins Rob Snow to take calls on medical matters from the CFRA Nation. Today: The patient of the week: when a heart attack is not a heart attack, diabetic neuropathy, and cocygeal pain among other questions.
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 3, 2011
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Stroke history of moms can predict risk for daughters
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Familial History of Stroke Is Associated with Acute Coronary Syndromes in Women
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 11, 2011
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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 27, 2010
Hypothermic therapy after cardiac arrest can reduce brain damage Play Now | Play in Popup | Downloadftp://awfulbarry@ftp.thejohnrobson.com/Full_Shows/10/100516.mp3
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 11, 2010
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Delay revealing gender of fetus to curb sex selection: experts
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 9, 2010
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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 8, 2010
Mouse model indicates that a higher fat breakfast may control daily food intake and weight Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadDr. Yoni Freedhoff outlines in an article written in this month’s CMAJ how Health Canada is pushing a policy that will allow fortification of foods with vitamins and minerals without any evidence that it will improve public health. Moreover, there is a real risk of overconsumption of said additions to our food supply that can [...]
Ottawa Citizen journalist Dan Gardner castigates, and rightly so, how Olympic athletes sell out to corporations for oodles of cash without any consideration for the potential harm to public health outcomes. His column can be read here.
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 4, 2010
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Chemical imbalance may explain crib death: study
Low Serotonin Eyed as Mechanism for SIDS
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Brainstem Serotonergic Deficiency in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 3, 2010
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This is a story that we have covered extensively over the years on Sunday House Call. An excellent synopsis can be heard in our interview with Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre here.
I hold the some of the media just as responsible as Dr. Wakefield for this fiasco by sensationalizing news, promoting fear, and misrepresenting risk to peddle their stories. They are thus complicit in this MMR hoax. To see them react with such gusto against Wakefield and his research now that this paper has been completely retracted from publication epitomizes hypocrisy. They have learned nothing from their shameless behaviour and poor science reporting.
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Lancet retracts study linking vaccine to autism
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The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 2 February 2010
Retraction—Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children
Following the judgment of the UK General Medical Council’s Fitness to Practise Panel on Jan 28, 2010, it has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al1 are incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation.2 In particular, the claims in the original paper that children were “consecutively referred” and that investigations were “approved” by the local ethics committee have been proven to be false. Therefore we fully retract this paper from the published record.
References
a The Lancet, London NW1 7BY, UK
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for January 29, 2010
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Flu activity ‘significantly below’ normal for January, agency says
ftp://awfulbarry@ftp.thejohnrobson.com/McLarty/Alexi.QDF
An interview on CTV’s Canada AM on December 29, 2009.
Here are the stories.
1) Obseity surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes for some
One of the wonders of science is how an action based on initial assumptions, hypotheses and theories can lead, at times, to unexpected and indeed beneficial consequences. When these consequences have the potential to affect the lives of millions of people, the research obviously takes on added significance.
The treatment of obesity via bariatric or gastric bypass surgery does help many to lose significant weight. Many of these people have type 2 diabetes. They have been either using insulin or a combination of oral medications to control the disease. However, the earlier the disease is diagnosed in a person’s life, the more likely they will suffer the myriad of cardiovascular and kidney complications among others. They believe that diabetes is a chronic, progressive incurable disease.
According to surgeon Dr. Richard Stubbs, this belief is wrong. He hypothesizes that type 2 diabetes is a disease of the gut and has evidence to substantiate the claim. Moreover, in diabetic patients who undergo gastric bypass, their type 2 diabetes disappears, in 6 days and never returns
- Dr. Richard Stubbs, Upper GI Surgeon and Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Director of the Wakefield Biomedical Research Unit at the University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
2) Nanosuturing using light to stitch a wound
I am reminded of a scene from the science fiction movie Logan’s Run where a plastic surgeon uses a laser to cut the skin, makes the cosmetic change, and then seals the wound with a laser leaving no scar. Although this seemed an impossible feat of technology at the time, real science has edged closer to it.
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital are using light to “stitch” surface wound openings back together. The process is called nanosuturing or photochemical tissue bonding.
- Dr. Irene Kochevar, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Dermatology at the Harvard Medical School Wellman Center for Photomedicine and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
3) Protein responsible for brain cell death after stroke
There are many branches of stroke research from prevention, emergency treatment, to rehabilitation technologies and therapies. When a person suffers a stroke, it is a race to try to minimize the death of brain cells that follow the initial damage and oxygen deprivation.
Scientists at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, located at Toronto Western Hospital part of University Health Network, have learned in laboratory-based experiments, how to prevent the death of brain cells which would normally die within a few days after the brain is deprived of oxygen (stroke).
The findings were published in the September 8, 2009 online edition in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
- Dr. Mike Tymianski, MD PhD FRCSC, Medical Director of the Neurovascular Therapeutics Program at the University Health Network. Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Physiology at University of Toronto and Senior Scientist at Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute
4) Bacteriophages kill resistant bacterial infections
Pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria want to survive. To that end, they have complex mechanisms that will allow them, over time, to adapt and resist antibiotic treatments. The pace of new antibiotics being introduced into the market is slowing and other approaches are needed to help fighting difficult to treat infections.
A study by researchers at University College London Ear Institute to be published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology uses a virus that destroys bacteria. These viruses are called bacteriophages.
- Dr. Anthony (Tony) Wright, Emeritus Professor of Otolaryngology, UCL Ear Institute
5) The Zamboni theory on MS and the Liberation Treatment
CTV’s W5 and medical specialist Avis Favaro reported on this finding earlier this year.. This theory contends that multiple sclerosis patients suffer from blockages in the veins in their necks or the azygous vein down their spine that cause blood to reflux back into the brain and leave the deposits of iron that mark MS.
Zamboni has also found that angioplasty to open these clogged veins can lead to remissions in MS symptoms in some patients.
References and news stories UPDATE: Healthy kids need only one dose of H1N1 vaccine Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 – update 74 – November 13, 2009 Cochrane review of vaccines and autism claim Experts advise WHO on pandemic vaccine policies and strategies – Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 14 Ottawa Public Health H1N1 website Public Health Agency [...]
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 17, 2009
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Swine Flu May Mean Seasonal Strain Won’t Emerge in U.S. Winter
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 16, 2009
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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 9, 2009
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 30, 2009
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 12, 2009
Source: Cost of vaccinating the nation hits $1.5-billion and climbing
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 11, 2009
I just received this email forwarded to me by a chiropractic colleague and friend. He has been steamed about the misinformation and advice being broadcast to the public by certain Ottawa chiropractors. Below, from the Ontario Chiropractic Association is their policy statement on this issue that in short states that vaccine science and recommendations are [...]
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 3, 2009
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 2, 2009
Why the H1N1 vaccine program is focusing on high-risk groups first Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMadely Health Headlines Commentary for October 29, 2009
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 28, 2009
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 26, 2009
Answers to listeners questions.
I will be on a special two-hour listener phone in show on H1N1 to be broadcast on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 3 PM EDT on Rob Snow’s Afternoon Edition on 580 CFRA in Ottawa.
As the focus of attention turns to the H1N1 outbreak that is now occurring across the country, the public faces an array of information sources that will influence their opinion about vaccination. There have been many claims and critiques about the H1N1 vaccine and it has become a springboard to envelop other vaccines and vaccination [...]
With the H1N1 flu season upon us, the need to provide credible evidenced-based information to the public is an essential in order to answer questions and concerns. Dr. Isra Levy, the City of Ottawa’s Chief Medical Offer of Health and Dr. Nadine Sicard, Associate Medical Offer of Health and member of the National Advisory Committee [...]
This article, written by Dr. Noni MacDonald and Dr. Francoise Baylis , answers many of the question you may have about the vaccine. I believe that credible evidenced-based information provided to the public respects what I have witnessed and experienced on my radio show; that no topic is difficult to understand if it is explained cogently and rationally. It also counters fear-mongering and misrepresentation of facts for personal gain.
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 22, 2009
Article:
First H1N1 clinic opens Oct. 26
Addendum: In the interview I did not have the opportunity to mention that Guillain Barré Syndrome does not occur in children.
Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 19, 2009
I am not a fan of how newspapers use headlines to misrepresent stories to provke unwarranted fear, and heightened risk perception. Today, the Ottawa Citizen published two stories about seasonal and H1N1 vaccine. The first story, For Guillain-Barre survivors, flu shot stirs up unwelcome memories, emblazoned on the front page has all the elements of [...]
Original broadcast date: February 15, 2009 It may seem counterintuitive to some who are protecting themselves or their children from allergic reactions to foods, but researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in conjunction with Duke University have determined that giving children with milk allergies increasingly higher doses of milk over time may ease, and even [...]
What are some of the means at our disposal to assess how well our hearts are functioning? What new technologies are available and what are some of the promising avenues in imagiing research and development. Dr. Robert Beanlands will also be presenting at the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons conference and the title of his [...]
The word colic is enough to jar parents’ memories of sleepless nights and hours of frustration and angst trying to soothe their newborn. This particular newborn stage has no definitive treatment, hence there are myriad home remedies and suggestions to treat it.
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 05, 2005 The omega-3 (linolenic) and omega-6 (linoleic) fatty acids discussed in detail last week are the focus of many clinical trials. Have the clinical studies supported the health claims? Several well-designed cardiovascular health studies support the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decosahexanoic [...]
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen September 28, 2005 Our diet has radically changed over the past century, and with it the balance between two essential omega fatty acids, omega-3 (linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid). An essential nutrient is one that the body cannot make for itself or cannot manufacture enough of on its [...]
What have we learned about the cardiovascular risk of Vioxx, with so much media attention lately? Health Canada set up a 13-member expert panel to review and critique the scientific evidence for the Cox-2 painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra. The panel recommended in its July report that Merck could resubmit Vioxx for approval.
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen, August 6, 2005 Original Title: Sounds Like a Good Idea New ultrasound technologies offer valuable diagnostic tools The application of new technologies and research has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostic imaging, diagnosis and treatment. My last column looked at the amazing progress being made to restore lost sight. [...]
Four exciting good-news medical stories warrant more exposure. Two of the stories report research into restoring the sight of visually impaired people. The other two stories demonstrate ultrasound technology advances to treat prostate cancer and improve medical diagnostic imaging.
With summer approaching, an understanding of summer heat upon the human body can help prevent heat-related illnesses.
Although many people are aware of the effects of alcohol abuse on family and friends, missing from this equation is a child’s reaction to a parent who drinks too much.
Many diseases can alter the appearance of our fingernails and toenails. Curvature changes, discolourations, lines and pits are clues used to diagnose various conditions.
