July 12th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Emergency Medicine, News, Technology
5 Comments »
The New England Journal of Medicine published a letter to the editor about a man who was struck by lightning while wearing his iPod. He was jogging home in a thunderstorm, listening to some energy-boosting music when -whammo- the poor Canadian man got more than he bargained for on the energy front. A nearby tree was struck by a lightning bolt, and the side flash reached him, and followed the wiring to his ear buds. The electrical shock passed from one ear bud to the other, blowing out his ear drums and causing such a violent contraction of all his facial muscles that his jaw snapped under the tension.
So this begs the question: could this happen to you? Does carrying a cell phone or iPod put people at higher risk for being struck by lightning?
Well, because lightning strikes are exceedingly rare there are very few case reports in the literature about folks who have been struck while talking on their cell phone or carrying an electronic device. And best I can tell, this is the bottom line: carrying a cell phone or iPod does not increase your chance of being struck by lightning (there is not enough metal in those items to act as a lightning rod). The lightning is more likely to strike a nearby tree or tall object than it will a human. However – if you are struck (such as the man described above) any metal objects (even ions found in your sweat) that you are in contact with can influence the direction of the current. Normally, lightning passes over the skin externally, but if you are wet or have metal in your ears, it can direct the electricity internally, where it can do more damage.
So if you’re caught in a lightning storm, I’d consider keeping metal out of direct contact with your skin. But the chance of you being struck by lightning in your lifetime is almost one in a million, so I think there is little cause for general alarm. Or to use a bad pun: we can all lighten up about lightning risks.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 9th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Cardiology, Food and Nutrition, International, News
1 Comment »
In a charming news article, the BBC reports that the British Sandwich Association is concerned about high salt levels in national fare. If you have high blood pressure, there is now new evidence that avoiding soup and potato chips will not be sufficient in curbing your salt intake. Yes, even the humble sandwich can be a good hiding place for sodium. But this article is even more whimsical than informative.
First of all, I think it’s terribly funny that the “British Sandwich Association” actually exists – and that its public health warnings are taken very seriously. Second, I think that the contents of common British sandwiches are somewhat disturbing: a “prawn mayonnaise” sandwich lacks a certain appeal in my mind. And the fact that this variety of sandwich was selected as a representative example of a typical sandwich is also amusing.
And finally, the website for the British Sandwich Association is hilarious. Check out part of their mission statement:
“To safeguard the integrity of the sandwich market by setting standards
for sandwich making, by encouraging excellence in sandwich making and
by encouraging the development of the industry in terms of skills,
innovation and overall market development.”
And the BBC includes this very astute quote from the organization’s director:
“Sandwiches involve the assembly of ingredients,” said Jim Winship, director of the organisation. “The fact is that the salt is already in the ingredients…”
Well, I think the take home message here is that if you have high blood pressure or are on a low salt diet, remember that sandwiches often contain very high sodium levels. The message between the lines is that the British are inherently funny and have bizarre taste in food.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 7th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Gastroenterology, News, Weight Loss
2 Comments »
There is a new diet pill undergoing testing in Italy. The pill expands in your stomach, suppressing
appetite by giving you a false sense of fullness, sort of like those dehydrated
sponges that expand dramatically when you get them wet.
On the surface it sounds as if this pill might be a
reasonable approach – but there are 2 big problems:
- This
method (filling the stomach to give a sense of fullness and reduce eating)
has been tried before and has failed to produce the desired result. Back in the 1980’s scientists attempted
to use an inflated stomach balloon (Garren Bubble) to suppress hunger. Unfortunately it didn’t work, and put
people at high risk for gastric ulcers and other dangerous side
effects.
- There
is a serious risk of bowel obstruction with this pill. Once the tablet dissolves in stomach
acid, the cellulose condenses to produce a bezoar (rock like substance)…
the pill’s contents can then become wadded up like a rubber tennis ball
and not pass through the gut safely.
In fact, the pill could cause a fatal obstruction.
So, as we continue on our quest for the magic pill to cure
our obesity epidemic – we must reject yet another valiant effort. Sorry folks, it’s back to good old diet and
exercise for most of us.
*Many thanks to Dr. Brian Fennerty who discussed this pill’s
safety with me in a recent interview.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 2nd, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Allergy And Immunology, Animals, News, Research
1 Comment »
New research suggests that people with allergies to molds, pollen, and dust mites but NOT cat dander, may have heightened asthmatic reactions to their usual triggers in the presence of cats. This is unfortunate news for cat owners or anyone who is fond of kitties but has environmental allergens. Researchers note that :
Avoidance of cat exposure would be beneficial to a much wider
population than previously expected. Furthermore, cat allergen levels
were ubiquitous in cat-owning communities, and their results showed
effects of cat allergen exposure at lower levels than generally
regarded necessary to produce a measurable result.
So basically, if you live in a “cat-owning community,” their airborne fluff will probably make your pollen and mold-induced asthma worse. Aside from declining to pet and/or play with them, I doubt that there’s much you can do to completely avoid their dander. But there is some cause for all allergy sufferers to eye cats with suspicion… time to trade in Tiger for Fido?
[View cat allergy cartoon]This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 1st, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: News, Pharmaceuticals, Research
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There’s a new trend in the pharmaceutical industry: repurposing old drugs for new indications and/or combining current drugs to create brand new effects. Recent studies suggest that two drugs (Lyrica and Neurontin) approved for the treatment of neuropathic (nerve) pain may also be helpful for improving sleep quality. And since disordered sleep is also at the root of conditions like fibromyalgia, there seems to be reason for enthusiasm. Another study suggests that Wellbutrin (an anti-depressant often used as a smoking cessation aid) could be useful for enhancing libido. Again, some cause for celebration – quit smoking AND improve your sex life with one pill? Not bad.
The New York Times describes the new trend in drug combination research – robots combine random drugs to see if together they have stronger effects on tissue cultures than they do alone. Sounds like low-brow trial and error, but companies such as CombinatoRx are betting that this approach will turn up potential therapeutic benefits at a faster rate (and at much lower costs) than the old-fashioned process of original drug research and development.
This should be handled with a healthy dose of skepticism – is combining nexium (a stomach acid reducer) and naproxen (pain medicine that can harm the stomach lining) anything more than a commercial gimmick? What about the chance finding that anticoagulants enhance the effects of inflammation-reducing steroids? Perhaps that is indeed relevant and helpful?
It’s clear that testing drug combinations has the potential to create a financial windfall for pharmaceutical companies – so the FDA will need to make sure that these new combo drugs offer real benefits over taking them separately.
Still, if you asked me where I’d rather put my research dollars – testing unusual drug combinations in Petri dishes or analyzing whether or not water has memory (a foundational principle of homeopathy), I think you know where I’d place my bet.
Go ahead and shuffle and re-deal, Big Pharma. Maybe you and the FDA will uncover something useful after all? We’ll be watching with interest and a critical eye.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
