Sunday House Call, #424, December  16, 2012

Special edition on atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death in athletes

Dr. Michael Gollob is a native of Toronto,Ontario, and obtained an undergraduate degree in molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, graduating as a Gold Medalist.  He then entered the field of medicine and is now a Clinical Electrophysiologist at The University of Ottawa Heart Institute.  His clinical and research interests combine his expertise in both genetics and arrhythmia disorders. He is the Director of The Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic and Arrhythmia Research Laboratory at the Ottawa Heart Institute.

Dr. Gollob’s research focuses on the genetic and physiological basis of cardiac arrhythmia syndromes, including sudden death syndromes and the common arrhythmia of atrial fibrillation. He has Chaired on behalf of the CCS the first document outlining the appropriate use of genetic testing for cardiac diseases associated with a risk of sudden death.

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Sunday House Call, #404, July 8, 2012: Fizzy Sugar Water for the Masses

Last month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his intention to introduce a restriction on soda pop (sugary drinks) cup sizes to no greater than 16 ounces that would affect locales such as city restaurants, stadiums, food carts and movie theatres.

This proposal has generated commentary ranged from total support to outright rejection by some groups. The debate has been framed by some as a health issue and that there must be a starting point to reverse the tide of calorie glut; the opposite of a death by a thousand cuts to better health by a thousand changes.

Others frame it as an assault on the freedom to choose what we want to eat and the government has no place restricting individual food choices.

But we do have a serious problem in society. Our environment is obesogenic, that is, it is designed to promote overconsumption of food: The location of fast food restaurants to the design of food aisles in grocery stores to the fact that in 2009 a study conducted by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that we underestimate the extent of our exposure to junk food advertising and overestimate the degree to which health food is advertised.

The study reported in Timothy Caufield’s  new book,  The Cure for Everything: Untangling The Twisted Messages About Health, Fitness And Happiness that “carbonated beverages, fast food restaurants and breakfast cereals spent 18,182 times as much marketing to youth ($1.2 billion) compared to dairy, fruits and vegetables ($66,000 in total). Survey participants thought the average kid saw one to 3 junk food television advertisements a day. The actual number? Almost 15. That equals approximately 5500 yearly television messages about the yummy qualities of salt, sugar, and fat.

Joining us today is

Dan Gardner, Ottawa Citizen journalist and author of Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear and Future Babble Why Expert Predictions Fail – and Why We Believe Them Anyway

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Medical Director of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa and Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa

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Sunday House Call, #400, June 3, 2012 On May 28, 2012 the Association of Ontario Neurologists (AON) expressed its concern that the McGuinty government’s cuts to payments for certain laboratory tests will result in diminished access to testing for patients suffering from neurological conditions. Joining us today is Dr Ranjit Singh, President of the Association [...]

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On May 28, 2012, the Association of Ontario Neurologists (AON), expressed its concern that the McGuinty government’s unilateral cuts to payments for certain laboratory tests will result in diminished access for patients suffering from neurological conditions.

Joining us today is Dr Ranjit Singh, President of the Association of Ontario Neurologists

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Sunday House Call, #386, February 26, 2012 Special guest: Dr Yoni Freedhoff, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, and Medical Director of the Bariatric Medical Institute

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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for September 2, 2010

Mouse studies indicate that diabetes medication may aid in the treatment of certain cancers Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Source:

Diabetes drug shows potential as a cancer fighter

Since our last interview with Dr. Ben Goldacre in March of this year, he has written many a tale about the ongoing misrepresentations of science through agencies that wish to sell you a product or provide information through media sources.

Given that many applications of common alternative medical treatments are harmless in nature, there are times when the modes of thinking and claims made by the purveyors of these “health products” cause misery and death.

Such is the case of vitamin-pill entrepreneur Matthias Rath who sued Dr. Goldacre, and the Guardian, for libel. Rath lost his case after a long and expensive court battle but the harm that befell the people of South Africa when his products were touted as a treatment for AIDS and supported by the South African Government was severe.

Dr. Goldacre now has published the chapter of his book Bad Science entitled The Doctor will Sue You Now now that he has won the court case. It is a sad illustration and a very serious story about the dangers of pseudoscience.

As Dr. Goldacre states,

Matthias Rath takes us rudely outside the contained, almost academic distance of this book. For the most part we’ve been interested in the intellectual and cultural consequences of bad science, the made-up facts in national newspapers, dubious academic practices in universities, some foolish pill-peddling, and so on. But what happens if we take these sleights of hand, these pill-marketing techniques, and transplant them out of our decadent Western context into a situation where things really matter?

• Dr. Ben Goldacre, physician, award-winning writer, and broadcaster, who has written the weekly Bad Science column in the Guardian since 2003 and is author of the book of the same name.

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Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 18, 2009

Watchful waiting for slow growing prostate cancers Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Source:

Watchful waiting for prostate cancer is safe

Reference:

Clinical Results of Long-Term Follow-Up of a Large, Active Surveillance Cohort With Localized Prostate Cancer

We have discussed on past editions of Sunday House Call how we tend to think of heart attacks and stroke when considering the effects of cardiovascular disease. What should be included as well is peripheral arterial disease or PAD; a serious condition that causes significant morbidity and poor quality of life. Edmonton researchers at the [...]

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It seems as a society we are sleepwalking towards a myriad of preventable diseases. I say this because after reading another of Dr. Richard Béliveau’s masterful books on how our lifestyle, eating habits, and food choices are intricately linked with our physical, emotional and spiritual health, the evidence is compelling. In his new book, Eating [...]

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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 [...]

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Afternoon Edition – H1N1 Special
Rob Snow and Dr Barry Dworkin host a four hour special on H1N1 answering your questions about the virus and the vaccine to protect against it.

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References:

Public Health Agency of Canada – National Advisory Committee On Immunization: Influenza Vaccine
Thimerosal in Vaccines
Thimerosal and Vaccine Safety
Squalene information from FDA site
Information on opposing voices and the methodology employed
An Epidemic of fear
The Cochrane Influenza Resources
Cochrane review of vaccines and autism claim

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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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.

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Original broadcast date: October 4, 2009 As I have stated quite emphatically on recent editions of Sunday House Call, we consume too much salt and most of it is derived from food manufacturers and restaurants. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Canada with three out of four people having a lifetime [...]

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Original broadcast date: October 4, 2009 An excellent illustration of how medical science and science in general continuously questions and evaluates accepted practices and ideas, is exemplified by a study on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recently published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The results demonstrate that people have better chances to survive when [...]

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Original broadcast date: September 27, 2009 The advent of the PAP test in the 1960’s, a screening test to detect abnormal cells of the cervix that might lead to cancerous change, has had a tremendous positive impact on women’s health. There are various recommendations on when to start screening, how often to screen and what [...]

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Original broadcast date: September 20, 2009 Our breadth of understanding of the reams of medical information reported in the media is dependent in part on our understanding of the history of medicine. This history includes our human response to change and our willingness to accept new ideas and engage in healthy debate when conflicts arise. [...]

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Original broadcast date: September 13, 2009 A recent poll commissioned by The Arthritis Society reveals that almost two out of three Canadians struggling with arthritis believe that physical activity poses the risk of aggravating their symptoms. This percentage was considerably higher than the general population who responded at just under 1 in 2, as indicated [...]

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Original broadcast date: September 6, 2009 Acute brain injuries from concussive forces have the potential to cause significant long-term cognitive damage if not recognized and diagnosed early. To date, imaging technology such as CT and MRI has limitations regarding the detection of specific types of brain damage. New findings, reported by researchers at the Albert [...]

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Original broadcast date: July 19, 2009 The understanding of a disease process or pathophysiology is crucial to the development of innovative ways to find effective therapies to treat it. On Sunday House Call we have been following various avenues in cancer research that continue to reveal insights into the protein chemistry, genetics and immune response [...]

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Original broadcast date: July 19, 2009 A recent report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal notes that Lyme disease is being found in regions that were once free from the ticks that spread the disease. They are urging the public and health professionals to be more vigilant and learn to recognize some of the signs [...]

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Original broadcast date: July 19, 2009 In a recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Drs. Tito Fojo of the National Cancer Institute’s medical oncology division and Christine Grady of the NIH’s bioethics department recommended that studies of cancer drugs that provide two months or less of extended survival should be undertaken [...]

Original broadcast date: June 28, 2009 What do cancer cells need to survive? We know that gene mutations contribute to the development of cancer and research continues to identify the aberrant genetic sequences as cataloged in the Cancer Genome Atlas. However, are mutations and the proteins that they code for the principle components that ensure [...]

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Original broadcast date: June 14, 2009 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 [...]

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Original broadcast date: June 7, 2009 We tend to associate rapid developmental changes in cognition, socialization and behaviour with infants, toddlers and children. Parents try to promote positive changes and maximize their child’s potential by avoiding potentially hazardous materials, substances and poor food choices that could have a negative impact on their child’s development. However, [...]

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Original broadcast date: June 7, 2009 It may not be for the squeamish but in our hygiene-centric universe, the thought of parasites contributing to human health seems foreign and for some, repulsive. Recent research presents interesting biological mechanisms within this host-parasite relationship that can regulate or influence our immune system. In the April 22, 2009 [...]

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Original broadcast date: May 31, 2009 How well can cancer specialists, oncologists, assess how well a particular treatment is destroying a tumour? It is true that there are methods to make this determination but it could take weeks of observation before knowing whether the tumour has shrunk. Is it possible to develop a means of [...]

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Original broadcast date: May 31, 2009 How sensitive and specific are blood tests for food allergies? Are children’s diets being overly restricted on the basis of these tests? A study abstract published in the February 2009 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology sought to answer these questions. Dr. David Fleischer, M.D.,  Division [...]

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Original broadcast date: May 31, 2009 How well can cancer specialists, oncologists, assess how well a particular treatment is destroying a tumour? It is true that there are methods to make this determination but it could take weeks of observation before knowing whether the tumour has shrunk. Is it possible to develop a means of [...]

Real time cancer treatment response Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Original broadcast date: May 24, 2009 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 [...]

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Original broadcast date: May 18, 2009 Of great concern to many travelers is the prevention of infectious diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis A and B, malaria, and enterotoxigenic E. coli among others. Another common form of traveler’s diarrhea caused by the bacteria campylobacter jejuni is becoming resistant to antibiotic therapy. A research group from the [...]

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Original broadcast date: May 10, 2009 When we talk of the human nervous system, we tend to think about the brain, spinal cord and the nerves that emanate from it to spread throughout the body. What is becoming clearer is that there is what some call a “second brain” that controls the functions of the [...]

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Original broadcast date: April 26, 2009 Several shows back on Sunday House Call we talked about biofilms with Darla Geores, Research engineer with the Center for Biofilm Engineering and Assistant Research Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering at Montana State University, who is conducting research sponsored by the EPA to develop a protocol to assess the [...]

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Original broadcast date: April 19, 2009 What can we learn from examining the dietary habits of people in other countries? We have seen epidemiological studies elegantly outlined in Dr. Richard Beliveau’s evidenced-based Foods that Fight Cancer series of books that reveal the biochemical and physiological properties of the foods we eat and how they contribute [...]

Foods patterns and heart disease Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Original broadcast date: April 12, 2009 The Ottawa Chapter of the MS Society will be in studio to discuss why you should participate in this month’s walk for MS to be held on April 26th in Ottawa.. We will discuss the progress being made to control this disease. Mark Lloyd, chair of the MS Walk [...]

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Original broadcast date: April 5, 2009 To what extent do our lifestyle choices influence our stroke risk? This question was asked in a study recently published in the British Medical Journal. Dr. Phyo Myint, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Ageing and Stroke Medicine at the University of East Anglia and Consultant Physician in Care of the [...]

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Original broadcast date: March 22, 2009 Many people have heard the message that high blood pressure and diabetes can lead to heart disease and stroke. It is one of the first associations that come to mind. There is another organ that can be severely affected whose functional decline can be gradual and unnoticed. As with [...]

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Original broadcast date: March 8, 2009 Through much of medical history, the approach to treating disease has been akin to using a blunt instrument to carpet bomb an area. The side effects that many treatments create is testament to the fact more than the region of the body we wish to target is being affected. [...]

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Original broadcast date: March 8, 2009 How do you know that the disinfectant that claims to kill over 99 per cent of bacteria actually does just that? What are the mechanisms of action that result in this effect? Today, we are going to learn about biofilms, what they are, what they do, how we are [...]

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Original broadcast date: March 1, 2009 How do older drivers know when to turn in their keys? What are some of the physical factors that contribute to this decision? This life-changing decision is a flashpoint for debate about the impact of health upon the 30 million elderly drivers in the US and three million in [...]

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Original broadcast date: February 22, 2009 You have heard the advertisements ad nauseum. Promises of shedding weight made easy and safely. There are testimonials about the efficacy of the various weight-loss approaches and how it can change your life. It is a multibillion-dollar industry that according to two physicians authoring this week’s Canadian Medical Association [...]

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Original broadcast date: February 15, 2009

What is the state of cancer care in Canada? What are we doing right and what needs more attention? The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada (CACC) released its annual Report Card on Cancer in Canada on Feb 10, 2009. It is authored by oncologists and cancer patients across the country and highlights inadequacies, ills and disconnects within the system, and offers recommendations for improvements.

• Dr. Kong Khoo, MD FRCPC, Kelowna based Medical oncologist, clinical assistant professor, University of British Columbia and Vice Chair, Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada

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Original broadcast date: February 8, 2009 A new McGill University study published on December 24, 2008 in the journal Neurology reports a relationship between people who suffer from a particular sleep disorder that causes them to kick or cry out during their sleep may be at greater risk of developing dementia or Parkinson’s disease. This [...]

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Original broadcast date: January 25, 2009 So you are set to travel south for a winter escape vacation. Since many also book these vacations on a last minute basis, they tend to forget that there are some health issues that need to be considered. One such issue is malaria. Dr. Jay Keystone, MD, MSc (CTM),. [...]

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Original broadcast date: January 25, 2009 One of the areas that have been the focus of Alzheimer’s disease research is early diagnosis. To date, diagnosis is based more on the signs and symptoms of disease. A means of predicting whether someone will develop Alzheimer’s in the future remains problematic. That may change as more evidence [...]

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Original broadcast date: January 18, 2009 Colorectal Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in North America. Screening is essential to catch the disease in its early stages. From a clinical standpoint colonoscopy is considered to be the gold standard for evaluation of the colon. There is a caveat introduced into this interpretation. [...]

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Original broadcast date: January 18, 2009 The number of bariatric surgeries (also known as gastric bypass) performed each year is increasing. There are numerous approaches with the end goal being substantial weight loss for the patient. Some of the surgical approaches are more invasive than others and each has its own set of risks and [...]

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Original broadcast date: January 11, 2009 Recent reports from the Canadian Alzheimer’s Society state that the number of Canadians who will develop Alzheimer Disease will double in 25 years to 1.3 million people. They are urging more funding for research to find a means to treat and perhaps prevent the changes that occur within the [...]

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