Howard G. Smith, MD, AM
PENTA Medical Network
+1617-488-9699
If the top menu is not working correctly on your phone's or tablet's mobile browser, touch the tab at the middle of the bottom to reveal an alternative menu, a one-touch phone button, and a one-touch email button.
Roundup - 2nd Week of Feb 2025
==========================
HEALTH NEWS
==========================
Meaty Treats Could Lead To Dementia
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_AxX3RDOw/
Regularly consuming hot dogs and bacon could increase your chances of developing dementia by 13%. Eating those steaks consistently leads to a 16% higher risk of cognitive decline. A new study by researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 133,000 (133,771) individuals for up to 43 years.
As few as two slices of bacon consumed regularly accelerates your cognitive aging by 1.6 years and triggers a cognitive decline that is an early marker of dementia. Why? Saturated fats, salt, and a gut-derived compound called TMAO, trimethylamine N-oxide, are the brain-damaging culprits.
The good news. Substituting fish, nuts, or legumes for the franks, bacon, and t-bones could reduce your dementia risk by 19%.
https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210286
#dementia #redmeat #bacon #hotdogs #tmao
dementia, redmeat, bacon, hotdogs, tmao
Avoid STDs On Your Dates
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_BqxIPSwa/
Those in the hot-and-heavy dating scene should know that post-exposure prophylaxis with the antibiotic doxycycline, called, Doxy-PEP, cuts the STD incidence rates by 70-80%. Infectious disease investigators in Boston and San Francisco studied data from 11,551 participants mean age 40 and 95% male with a high risk for contracting sexually transmitted disease.
The Doxy-PEP cut the risk of a chlamydia infection by 79% and the risk of syphilis by 80%, but the risk of gonorrhea by only 12%. The Doxy-PEP failed to better protect against gonorrhea due to causative bacterial resistance to the antibiotic.
While Doxy-PEP is currently highly effective, that could rapidly change. Antibiotic resistance to the prevalent bacteria that cause these diseases could increase at any time.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2828994
#std #chlamydia #syphilis #gonorrhea
std, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea
The Optimal Plant-based Foods
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_CRJDsZo4/
While Impossible and Beyond Burgers are all the rage, a study from University College London and the University of Oxford, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests better alternatives. Unprocessed legumes like beans, peas, and soybeans make the best meat and milk alternatives besting processed options like the veggie burgers, plant milks, and lab-grown meat. Beans, peas, and soybeans are minimally processed foods and are optimal choices for nutrition, health, environmental impact, and cost.
The study data reveals that substituting beans and peas for meat and dairy cuts diet-related disease mortality by 10%, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than half, and lowers food costs by a third.
While veggie burgers and plant milks had health benefits, they produced more emissions and were more expensive. Lab grown meat, generated from tissue cultures of animal cells, was the worst with few health benefits, creation of high emissions, and very expensive.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2319010121
#vegetarian #plantbased #impossible #beyond #labgrown
vegetarian, plantbased, impossible, beyond #labgrown
Natural Alternatives To Diet Drugs
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_DDtFg0EK/
With GLP-1 diet drugs costing more than $1000 a month, know that you can derive some of the same benefits from the foods you eat for a tiny fraction of that cost.
Those foods are those high in fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats as they naturally stimulate the release of GLP-1 in your body. Find fiber in beans, lentils, fruits including berries and prunes, and grains including oats and barley. Get your protein from fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, peanut butter, almonds, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, quinoa. Healthy unsaturated fats, both mono- and poly-unsaturated are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and corn.
Besides saving a bundle, you avoid the unpleasant side effects of the diet drugs including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
You can lose those extra pounds and then maintain your healthy weight with dietary and lifestyle habits including regular exercise. You’ll save loads of money, much discomfort, and a disappointing weight gain when you stop those expensive prescription drugs.
#glp1 #dieting #semaglutide #tirzepatide #fiber #protein #unsaturatedfats #obesity
glp1, dieting, semaglutide, tirzepatide, fiber, protein, unsaturatedfats, obesity
Your Eyeballs Predict Your Stroke Risk
Vidcast: Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_Do23geGi/
The pattern of blood vessels at the back of your eyes, in your retinas, could be an early warning sign that your risk of stroke may be up to 20% higher than normal. So say research ophthalmologists at Australia’s Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital working with colleagues at Harvard’s Mass.Eye and Ear Infirmary.
The eye’s retina is the only part of the body offering a direct view of your blood vessels. Observing vascular patterns in the eyes of some 45,161 subjects followed over 12.5 years, the investigators discovered 29 indicators linked to increased stroke risk. Significant changes in these indicators predicted an increased risk of stroke from 9.8 to 19%.
This retinal vascular analysis appears to more predictive of strokes than more conventional non-invasive methods. With further refinement, it can only improve.
https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/03/heartjnl-2024-324705
#retina #stroke #screeing #noninvasive #australia #boston
retina, stroke, screeing, noninvasive, australia, boston
Head Trauma-Activated Viruses Lead To Dementia
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_ERAiufqD/
Repetitive head trauma activates latent viruses that, in turn, create the neurologic damage characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s dementia. This the conclusion from studies by Boston’s Tuft’s University bioengineers just published in the journal ScienceSignaling.
Using a 3D in vitro human brain model, their studies show that latent or sleeping herpes simplex virus type 1 in brain tissue is reactivated into life by repeated brain trauma. This now active virus then creates neuroinflammation with accumulation of the debris found in cases of Alzheimer’s dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, namely beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau.
The takeaway: repeat blows to your head or to the heads of your children during sports contests like football, trigger a herpes virus induced degeneration of brain tissue and dementia. Avoid head trauma and, when you can’t, wear protective head gear.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.ado6430
#dementia #headtrauma #herpesvirus #alzheimers #cte #football
dementia, headtrauma, herpesvirus, alzheimers, cte, football
==========================
FUTURE MED
==========================
Ultrasound Powers Up Killer T cells Against Cancer
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/
Ultrasonic vibrations, transmitted to killer T cells via micro bubbles, trigger a 3.6 fold greater release of tumor killing proteins from the T cells. This the report from Canadian biophysicists in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
The vibrations, transmitted to tumors from the surface via microbubbles, make the T cell membranes more permeable, more leaky. These cells then release cytokines, signaling molecules that recruit additional immune cells in the battle against the cancer cells.
This technique is non-invasive and could become a valuable adjunctive weapon in the battle to control all cancers….. someday soon.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1486744/full
#ultrasound #cancer #microbuttles #tcells #cytokines
ultrasound, cancer, microbuttles, tcells, cytokines
============================
WARNINGS
============================
Some Epinephrine Nasal Solutions Pose Dangers
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_FqVntI0m/
The FDA now warns healthcare professionals and the general public about unapproved epinephrine nasal solutions manufactured by BPI Labs and Endo USA. These products may be mistakenly used rather than FDA-approved injectable epinephrine. These products look similar due to similar packaging and containers/. These nasal solutions are not sterile, and injections of non-sterile solutions can trigger serious and life-threatening infections.
Due to FDA warnings, Endo USA recalled its unapproved nasal product in December 2024. To date and despite repeated notifications, BPI Labs has not complied with the FDA’s ordered recall.
Healthcare professionals and you, the consumer, should be aware of the potential dangers of these products.
#epinephrine #nasal #injectable #endousa #bpilabs
epinephrine, nasal, injectable, endousa, bpilabs
Ketamine Abuse Is A Rising Drug Problem
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_GpbXgONF/
Recreational ketamine use has surged: it rose 82% over 4 years from 2015 to 2019 and another 40% over a single year from 2021 to 2022. Those in their mid-20s to mid-30s are 66% more likely to abuse it compared with those in their early 20s. Its in greater use by those with college educations compared with those who completed their formal education with high school.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and a valuable therapeutic agent for pain relief in the hospital and a useful tool for managing drug-resistant depression. Used irresponsibly including use with alcohol, ketamine can cause dangerous hallucinations, unconsciousness, seizures, coma, respiratory depression, dangerously low blood pressures, cardiac arrest, and death.
This is not a drug to play with. Besides these acute complications, its repeated use leads to psychological dependence and addiction.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724020962?via=ihub
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/ketamine-abuse/overdose-dangers
#ketamine #anesthesia #depression #addiction #alcohol #death
ketamine, anesthesia, depression, addiction, alcohol, death
==========================
CPSC Recalls
==========================
Pearhead Infant Learning Toy Sets, model number 87150, have a wooden egg-shaped rattle that is a choking hazard.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_HS17JeJg/
About 2,700 of these sets were sold in the United States and 288 were sold in Canada. These products were sold at Kohl’s stores nationwide, as well as online at Kohls.com, Oyaco.com, Faire.com, Pearhead.com, and Amazon.com from August 2024 through October 2024.
Stop allowing your baby to use the wooden egg shaker rattle and contact Pearhead at 1-888-308-4928 for instructions on returning the product to receive a free replacement and a refund.
#pearhead #toysets #rattles #choking #recall
pearhead, toysets, rattles, choking, recall
AMX Global Portable Folding Stadium Seats collapse.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_I2LJPaO-/
They are sold under the BJ’s Wholesale or the Berkley Jensen and Black Sierra Equipment brands, have security hooks that can crack and break leading to falls and injuries. Affected are seats with date codes 04/2022, 05/2022, and 11/2022.
About 22,500 seats were sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club and Big 5 Corp stores nationwide as well as online at Amazon.com, from July 2022 through January 2024.
Stop using these recalled seats. For a full refund, destroy the seat by cutting through the fabric of the seat and backrest, take a photo of the destroyed seat including your initials and the date, and email the photo to AMX Global at support@stadiumseatrecall.com. For additional information, call 1-888-439-5139 or email.
#amxglobal #bjs #stadiumseats #cracking #falls #injuries #recalls
amxglobal , bjs, stadiumseats, cracking, falls, injuries, recalls
Tupop’s Cozchique, Tebbis, and Beeziac Girls Pajama Sets fail to meet federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_JmyZsTs-/
This creates a risk for burn injuries. Affected are batch numbers 20240415TTL, 20240501TTL, and 20240509TTL, printed on the second sewn-in label.
About 6,050 units were sold exclusively online at Amazon.com from May 2024 through September 2024.
Stop allowing your kids to wear the recalled pajamas. For a full refund, destroy the garments by cutting both the top and bottom in half, email a photo to Tupop at bzzservice@hotmail.com. Same email for more info.
#tupop #children #pajamas #flammable #fires #burns #recall
tupop, children, pajamas, flammable, fires, burns, recall
Greater Goods Digital Kitchen Scales violate federal safety regulations as they contain a lithium coin battery easily accessed by children.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_KIEOMu03/
Also, the included spare battery is not in child-resistant packaging. Affected are models 0480, 0455, 0456, 0458, 0473, 0479, 0481, 0747, 0748, 0749, 0751, 0752, and 0754.
About 349,500 scales were sold online at Amazon, Walmart, and Greater Goods' website from May 2023 through September 2024.
Immediately remove the battery from the scale and store it out of reach of children. Contact Greater Goods at 1-866-991-0397 or email the company at recall@greatergoods.com for a free recall kit. That includes a new, secure battery door, required safety labels, and an updated instruction manual.
#greatergoods #kitchen #scale #buttonbatteries #ingestion #recall
greatergoods, kitchen, scale, buttonbatteries, ingestion, recall
Cabinet Health 4 oz. Refillable Medicine Bottles have plastic lids that degrade over time.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_KnkYMJkE/
This reduces its child-resistant effectiveness and creating a poisoning risk. The recall includes both empty bottles and bottles containing over-the-counter medications including headache, pain, allergy, and sleep medications.
About 65,000 bottles were sold online at CabinetHealth.com, Amazon.com, and Grove.co, as well as at CVS stores, from March 2023 through July 2024.
Immediately store these recalled bottles out of children’s reach. Contact Cabinet Health at 1-908-242-6108 or email recall@wearecabinet.com for a free replacement lid after emailing a photo showing the destroyed recalled lid.
#cabinethealth #medicine #bottles #lids #children #poisoning #recall
cabinethealth, medicine, bottles, lids, children, poisoning, recall
Johnson Health Tech Matrix-brand Training Cycles have faulty seats.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_LNKNtv_4/
They suddenly lower creating fall and injury risks. The recall affects models CXP-03, CXC-02, CXM-03, CXV, and CXM-02 with serial prefixes FC32, ZFC32B, FC33, FC36, FC29D, and FC27.
About 12,885 bikes were sold in the United States and 140 were sold in Canada to commercial fitness facilities between January 2021 and October 2024.
Stop using these recalled cycles. Contact Johnson Health Tech North America at 1-866-218-3674 or via the email cxrecall@matrixfitness.com to schedule a free repair service.
#johnsonhealth #cycles #seats #falls #injuries #recall
johnsonhealth, cycles, seats, falls, injuries, recall
==========================
FDA Recalls
==========================
Gerber Soothe N Chew Teething Sticks are a choking hazard for babies and young children.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGBbjxFxewq/
The sticks come in Strawberry Apple and Banana flavors. Millions of these Gerber teething sticks were sold nationwide.
Do not give these Gerber Teething Sticks to your children. Return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For additional information, call Gerber at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).
#gerber #teethingsticks #infants #toddlers #choking #recall
gerber, teethingsticks, infants, toddlers, choking, recall
Blue Ridge Beef Natural Mix pet food has Salmonella contamination.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGBcMOvNnCS/
Affected is lot number N25/12/31. Salmonella poses a serious risk of infection to pets who eat it and humans who handle it.
About 5,700 pounds were sold between January 3 and 24, 2025 in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, and Rhode Island.
Stop feeding this contaminated food to your pets and return it to the place of purchase. Remember too that food bowls, utensils, and storage containers should be thoroughly washed and sanitized after handling. For more information, contact Blue Ridge Beef at 1-704-873-2072 or via email at blueridgebeefnc@yahoo.com.
#blueridgebeef #pets #petfood #salmonella #infection #recall
blueridgebeef, pets, petfood, salmonella, infection, recall
Fresh Direct Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels have undeclared milk.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGBcvmZPigZ/
Affected product is labeled with lot number 24353 and best by date of June 30, 2025, and UPC 811102026276.
These recalled pretzels were sold by Fresh Direct in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
If you bought these pretzels and you, a family member, or household visitors have a milk allergy, discard the product. To obtain a refund, retain your online receipts, packaging with lot numbers, or other proofs of purchase. For more information and the refund, contact United Natural Trading LLC at 1-732-650-9905.
#freshdirect #pretzels #milk #allergy #recall
freshdirect, pretzels, milk, allergy, recall
La Fiesta Unseasoned and Seasoned Bread Crumbs have undeclared sesame.
Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGBdN8UvDFE/
Affected are lot codes include 26032, 26073, 26082, 26092, 26094, and 26123.
About 26,400 packages of Unseasoned Bread Crumbs and 6,240 units of Seasoned Bread Crumbs were sold nationwide from April 10, 2024 to January 22, 2025.
If you or those in your household have a sesame allergy, return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more info, contact La Fiesta Food Products at 1-408-326-0487.
#lafiesta #breadcrumbs #sesame #allergy #recall
lafiesta, breadcrumbs, sesame, allergy, recall