Saturday, March 16, 2024

The Power of Fecal Transplants

This is a funny remedy to talk about in polite company. It’s using fecal transplants to stop a virulent bacteria infection that leads to inflammation of the colon and severe diarrhea. I call this the “poop solution.” 

This infection sickens up to a half a million Americans and kills nearly 30,000 each year. The thing that makes the condition so dangerous is that it tends to strike more than once as it comes back in 30% of the people who get it.

The way docs treat it is with antibiotics like Vancomycin and Dificid. 

There’s now a proven better way to stop C. diff infections and it’s using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). The research is showing that FMT has a better cure rate and a lower recurrence rate than antibiotics. This study was reported in the journal EClinicalMedicine.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK found that FMT is both more effective and less costly than antibiotics. 

The problem is not the treatment but that professional guidelines still recommend antibiotics as the first-line treatment for C. diff.

Also, don’t be concerned as the donor is screened for any health conditions that could be spread through the feces. The donor’s stool is emulsified, filtered and sometimes frozen to preserve healthy gut bacteria. 

While this study didn’t look at the effectiveness of oral capsules or enemas, they did compare having the FMT administered by colonoscopy or by a nasogastric tube. The researchers found that the nasogastric tube method was the least expensive treatment, and it was more effective than antibiotics.

So…if C. diff hits, you may have to educate your doc that there’s an alternative that’s better and cheaper than the usual use of antibiotics!
(Reported Bottom Line Health 2022)


Saturday, March 9, 2024

Experiencing Hospital-Acquired Illnesses: My Personal Journey

This is a personal story about my experience with hospital caused illnesses that just happened to me.

This story starts when I noticed I was having heart palpations. I went to my doc in the beginning of November 2023 and she had me wear a heart monitor for 15 days. 

The results did show that I had 40 episodes of heart palpitations and that I was only aware of 4 of them. The palpations tended to last less than 10 minutes whether I was aware of them or not.

I was in the process of scheduling an appointment with a Cardiologist when on December 21 I started having palpations and they didn’t want to stop. I went to the emergency room at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. 

They decided to admit me and would run a stress test and other tests the next day.

It turns out that evening the hospital was overwhelmed with patients. They had double their normal capacity of patients. Patients and beds were everywhere. 

I wound up being put in a room that was usually a storage area which they sort of converted into a makeshift room for patients. There were 3 other patients in the room. The room was so cold, I kept my clothes on and was covered with 3 blankets. I even had my winter coat over the top of everything.

Several of the other patients in the room had sleep apnea and were snoring on and off during the night. We were all wired up to monitors that kept beeping and ringing all night long. 

I barely slept that night.

The next day, while I was waiting to start taking the tests, I was bored so I was walking around the entire emergency room department to get some exercise. 

After the stress test, when I saw the Cardiologist the next day, he said my heart was “pristine.” I don’t think you can get better than that.

It took another day for me to be discharged.

A few days later, I went to an Electro Cardiologist, and he said I had some frayed wires, and it was not life threatening. He said I could live with it or have a procedure done if I wanted to stop the palpitations. He also said that my heart was in great shape. 

Now we fast forward to February 5, 2024. I had a fever for 3 days. I went to the Emergency Room, and I was admitted as they found that I had pneumonia, flu, and liquid in my left lung.

I was put in isolation, and they began treatments with lots of antibiotic IVs and pills. They also drained a half liter of fluid out of the left lung.

I was discharged 5 days later. 

On February 12, I had heart palpations again that won’t stop, so I went back to the emergency room where they were able to stop the palpations. (later, I found out from my Electro Cardiologist that my heart was so strong that I could experience palpations for days without experiencing any damage to my heart. I didn’t know this at this time).

The docs also found that I still had pneumonia, flu, and I still had more liquid in my left lung.

After 8 days, I was released again and needed to do 3 weeks of at home antibiotic IVs every 6 hours, day and night, which I will be finishing this coming Tuesday – what fun.

Now the point of all of this is how and where did I get exposed to pneumonia and the flu since up until this point, all the blood tests my regular doc had been taking have been perfect with everything in the normal range. 

I also don’t have contact with a lot of people as I have my office in my home. We have friends we get together with on weekends and no one has reported any kinds of illnesses like this.

My answer is when I was in the hospital the first time for the palpations, I must have been exposed to all these things when I was in the emergency room and was not aware of it. I assume my body attempted to fight this off between the time of my exposure in December and the first hospital visit in February. 

So…my bottom line is if you have to go to the hospital be careful who you are exposed to when you are there as you don’t know who has what!


Friday, February 16, 2024

Harnessing Highways: Revolutionizing Solar Panel Placement for Sustainable Energy

Solar panels stand as vital components in our quest for alternative energy sources, which is essential for mitigating the impending threats of climate change. However, the conventional placement of solar farms often raises concerns, as they encroach upon ecologically sensitive lands or compete with agricultural needs. 

Fortunately, a pioneering solution exists: the utilization of highway exit and unused highway lands for solar panel installation.

Consider the implications: rather than displacing ecosystems or agricultural activities, we can repurpose otherwise idle highway spaces to host solar panels. Take, for instance, the initiative undertaken near an exit off I-95 in Georgia, where solar panels will be able to supply electricity to more than 300 homes. 

The potential extends far beyond small individual projects. 

In Southern California alone, just three of its largest counties—Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Diego—boast over 4,000 acres of highway land suitable for solar panel deployment. The sheer magnitude of available space suggests a transformative opportunity: these highway expanses could collectively power upwards of 270,000 homes annually, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels and advancing the transition towards renewable energy.

The beauty of this concept lies in its scalability. Imagine replicating this model across every state, where highway exit ramps and unused land become bustling hubs of solar energy production. The cumulative effect would be nothing short of revolutionary, offering an additional sustainable solution to our energy needs while preserving precious natural resources.

So, solar panels by your exit ramps anyone? 
(Original article reported by Meteor Blades for Daily Kos, October 8, 2023)


Saturday, February 3, 2024

In the vast landscape of pharmaceutical research, a troubling trend persists: women are shockingly underrepresented or outright excluded from crucial health studies. This exclusion has led to disastrous consequences, revealing a systemic flaw that demands immediate attention.
Consider this: in the evaluation of a drug aimed at treating female sexual dysfunction, one would expect women to be most of the study’s participants...and you’d be wrong! The reality was far diferent. Shockingly, the study comprised a mere two women among 23 men, a stark illustration of the gender bias prevalent in pharmaceutical research.
Moreover, the safety standards of everyday products, like cars, disproportionately favor men. Designed and tested predominantly on male dummies, cars are 71% less safe for women. Similarly, voice recognition software, a hallmark of modern technology, falls short in understanding women's voices accurately due to the overwhelming male dominance among its developers.
Even the term "human" often inadvertently excludes women, perpetuating a narrative that predominantly centers on men. With the advent of artificial intelligence, addressing gender identity bias assumes paramount importance. Algorithms marred by discrimination against women risk consigning 72% of people’s applications for jobs in the US to digital oblivion, underscoring the urgent need for reform.
In the realm of medical diagnosis, the data chasm looms large, leaving women 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed with a heart attack. 
However, amid the bleak landscape, glimmers of hope emerge. A groundbreaking study by the University of Washington unveiled a promising strategy: leaving gender-associated language in the copy resulted in a remarkable 47.5% reduction in gender type casting errors.
The time to confront and rectify the pervasive gender bias in health studies is now. It's imperative to foster inclusivity, ensuring that women's voices and experiences are not only acknowledged but also embraced in the quest for equitable healthcare solutions. Only through collective action and a steadfast commitment to equality can we forge a future where health studies truly serve all members of society.
So…using the Superman analogy – It’s bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman, let’s change it to…It’s a woman and be proud of that addition!

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Revolutionizing Alzheimer's Treatment: The Power of Niacinamide

Alzheimer's disease presents a significant challenge, not only to patients and their families but also to the healthcare system burdened with expensive treatment options. Enter Leqembi, the new Alzheimer's drug promising relief, albeit at a staggering cost. With an annual price tag of $26,500, the financial strain on patients and taxpayers looms large, with estimates suggesting an even higher expenditure of around $82,000 per patient per year for genetic tests and frequent brain scans, safety monitoring, and other care that might be necessary.

However, amidst the sea of costly medications, a beacon of hope emerges: niacinamide, a humble supplement with the potential to revolutionize Alzheimer's treatment. Unlike its pricey counterparts, niacinamide costs mere pennies a day while boasting remarkable efficacy.

In groundbreaking research, researchers discovered niacinamide's ability to combat Alzheimer's. One study revealed a remarkable 60 percent reduction in tau protein, which is a key marker of the disease, among patients supplemented with niacinamide. Moreover, niacinamide stops another hallmark of Alzheimer's by stabilizing microtubules which are in every cell and are the cellular highways crucial for intracellular transport. This stabilization prevents the cognitive breakdown observed in Alzheimer's patients, offering a tangible pathway to improved mental function.

The evidence doesn't end there. Mice studies further underscore niacinamide's potential, with some of the mice exhibiting cognitive restoration which one of the researchers said that it meant that the mice were "cognitively cured." 

Remarkably, niacinamide's safety profile spans six decades of human use, with minimal adverse effects reported, primarily limited to mild nausea in a minority of cases. Adjusting dosage alleviated these concerns, affirming niacinamide's safety and tolerability.

Beyond Alzheimer's treatment, niacinamide presents a compelling case for enhancing overall brain function. Personal testimonials echo this sentiment, with individuals reporting improved memory and cognitive abilities from taking niacinamide.

As we navigate the expensive landscape of Alzheimer's treatments, niacinamide emerges as a beacon of hope, offering a cost-effective, safe, and potent alternative to conventional medications. 

So…consider incorporating niacinamide into your daily regimen.  I started with taking 1,000 mg once a day and I’m moving up to the recommended three times a day doses. If you have nausea, cut the dose down to 500 mg three times a day.

The outcome is you may impress everyone with how sharp your memory is!

(Reported by Jonathan Wright, MD, Nutrition & Healing, 2011)


Saturday, January 20, 2024

There’s Now a Critical Caution About Weightlifting: Finding the Right Balance for Optimal Health

In the pursuit of fitness, it's essential to acknowledge a new major cautionary note regarding weightlifting, as pushing beyond a certain threshold may have a major adverse effects on your health. 

Yes, you read it correctly.

A recent study, in the March-April 2023 issue of Missouri Medicine, conducted a comprehensive review of various studies on resistance training. The researchers uncovered a potential downside to weightlifting that requires your attention. While lifting weights still yields benefits, the key lies in the amount of time dedicated to this activity each week.

Several studies concluded that engaging in weightlifting for 30 to 60 minutes weekly proved advantageous. However, as you begin to approach the 60-minute mark, the benefits begin to wane. What's truly mind blowing is that surpassing 130 minutes per week can result in a person having a life expectancy similar to that of a sedentary individual.

A 2019 review also compared no exercise to resistance training, and it found a 21% reduction in overall mortality for those incorporating resistance training. Introducing aerobic exercise into the mix further decreased the mortality rate by 40%.

To strike the right balance, the researchers recommended limiting weightlifting to 20 minutes two or three times a week on non-consecutive days or opting for a 40 to 60-minute session once a week. This ensures that the positive effects of resistance training are maximized without compromising the person’s health.

Keep in mind that it's still crucial to continue incorporating resistance work into your routine as it aids in your maintaining muscle mass and strength in both muscles and bones. 

So…exercising just became more manageable. You can seamlessly integrate weight work into your routine, alongside activities like walking, to find your exercise sweet spot.(Reported by Mercola.com on January 19, 2024)


Saturday, January 13, 2024

Relating to People Who Are Different in the Workplace

Have you ever met someone who is different from you? By that I mean a person who is autistic, or has ADHD or dyslexic? You might be uncomfortable and not know how to relate to that person.

Now, think of that person applying for a job and the discomfort you might have interviewed the person. Now, think of how that person feels and their level of discomfort. Congratulations, you are experiencing the proverbial 2 ships passing in the night.

There is now a term for these people and it’s Neurodiverse.

These Neurodiverse people may actually be very smart and can get the work done, but they might do it all differently. There’s an organization at Stanford University called the Neurodiversity Project. Its purpose is to help these neurodiverse individuals looking for work and show companies how they can create a more accessible workplace.

The program is aimed at developing strengths in these people so that an organization’s managers and employees are equipped with the skills to work with neurodiverse individuals.

How important is this? As an example, 80% of the people on the autism spectrum are unemployed or underemployed. This number is so high because they don’t know how to maneuver in a social setting or people don’t understand how to work with them.

There can be tremendous value in having a neurodiverse person on staff because they may conceptualize things differently and can bring in new ideas and ways of solving problems.

Companies such as Google, Amazon, Dell, Facebook and the United Nations are working with them and developing best practices in recruitment. 

An example of a simple change in a recruiting situation would be if the neurodiverse person has anxiety in an interview situation, then have them do some of the things they would be doing on the job to demonstrate their competency, or you can give the person the interview questions in advance of the interview so that the person will have time to prepare their answers.

Finally, an interviewer needs to realize that the neurodiverse person may not make eye contact, they may not do the “usual greetings” and they may not express enthusiasm. What the Neurodiversity Project is doing is teaching companies to not look at these kinds of criteria when judging a neurodiverse person for a job.

As an example, I have a friend who is great with computers (he actually works at Langley doing top secret computer work), but he is poor with relating socially. So…I and others changed our expectations which allows him to flourish around people.
(Reported PCMA.ORG, September/October 2021)