MINI robot retriever
In the United States alone, more than 3,500 persons accidentally swallow button batteries, which are used in toys, watches and hearing aids. In most cases, they are passed out with stools but in some cases, the battery is lodged in the esophagus or stomach. This usually requires an endoscopy, where a tube with light and camera is passed down the food pipe and stomach to remove the battery which could corrode and burn the tissues to cause perforation.
Now comes the miniature ingestible “origami robot” from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, as a much less invasive option. The tiny robot, with its four sides (accordion) folded over its center part, is swallowed and unfolds itself to “grab” the button battery and crawls upward and to the mouth, all controlled by a magnetic field outside the body. Newer designs with more sophistication are being developed.
Fish and obesity
“A massive long-term study spanning 11 countries revealed that eating fish more than three times a week during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of childhood obesity,” according to JAMA Pediatrics. Having two to three servings (eight-12 ounces) of fish a week is recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because “fish contains vital nutrients for developing fetuses and should NOT be avoided by pregnant mothers.” The omega 3 from fish goes to the fetus though the placenta and reduces fat deposits.” And fish is healthier for the entire family as well compared to red meats.
Heartburn meds and dementia
Preliminary studies reported in JAMA Neurology suggest an association (not a cause-and-effect link) between the use of stomach acid reducing H2 blockers or PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) for heartburns, as in GE reflux, might increase a senior’s risk of dementia (Alzheimer’s) by 44 percent, compared to those not taking these drugs. PPI includes Prevacid, Nexium, Prilosec, and H2 blockers Zantac, Tagamet and Pepcid. Larger randomized clinical studies are needed for further evaluation of this observation. Discuss any concerns with your attending physician who knows your individual situation best.
Computer and seniors
If you are a senior and want to ward off age-related memory decline and cognitive thinking, try doing computer work, even as little as once a week. Using the computer daily is even better. It does not matter if you are simply surfing the net, emailing, or ordering online, you still gain a 42 percent lower risk of developing MCI (mild cognitive impairment), which is a precursor to dementia. How computer use does it is still not known, according to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a four-year study of 1900 seniors, 70 and older. It is possible that challenging or exercising the mind makes the brain “stronger” much like exercising our muscles.
Aspirin and cancer
For aches and pains and fever, adults usually take two tablets of aspirin (325 mg per tablet, or 650 mg). Studies published in the JAMA Oncology found that taking low-dose aspirin (8 mg) tablet a day could lower the overall risk for cancer, more specifically bowel cancers. This is a reaffirmation of what we have written in this column in 2009 (Aspirin and colon cancer). Low-dose aspirin is also being used for cardiovascular protection. Higher doses are not necessarily better and could even cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
E-cigarettes more dangerous
Clinical studies have found e-cigarettes to be even more harmful than regular cigarettes. The US FDA has banned sales of e-cigarettes to those who are below 18 since use among teenagers has spiraled. The same health hazards, but greater in intensity, have been found among e-cigarette smokers.
Coffee and MS
Swedish and US studies found that “people who drink a lot (around 900 ml) of coffee daily may have a much lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis.” The 2 pieces of research involved 1,620 adults in Sweden with MS and another group of 2,788, matched for age and sex, without MS. In the US, there were 1,159 with MS and 1,172 healthy individuals. In the Swedish study, drinking six cups a day had a 28 percent to 30 percent lower risk of developing MS compared to those who do not drink coffee at all. In the US study, there was a 31 to 36 percent lower risk among those who consumed more than 948 mL daily. A cup is about 250 mL. Caffeine is a known stimulant to the central nervous system and has neuro-protective qualities and can inhibit production of harmful chemicals causing inflammation. The final verdict is out there. More extensive studies are needed to validate these preliminary observations reported in the recent Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Ovarian removal and colon cancer
A large study of 196,000 Swedish women suggested that those who had their ovaries removed (oophorectomies) for the non-cancerous condition may have a higher-than-average risk of developing colon cancer. The risk was found to be 30 percent greater but the link is not a cause-and-effect situation. As a matter of fact, the relevance of the association was not explained.
Anti-diarrhea drug to get high
This is not a joke but I find it funny too. In their attempts to find an option to opioid painkillers, like Oxycontin and Vicodin, addicts have turned to Immodium (loperamide), an anti-diarrhea drug to get high. Apparently, this is a growing trend in the US. While loperamide is a very safe drug at the prescribed dose, it is extremely dangerous in high doses. Deaths among addicts have been reported following Immodium overdose. Five years ago, there was a 10-fold increase in the loperamide abuse. And in constipation too.
Smoking and skin damage
The more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke trigger the destruction of the collagen and elastin in the skin, which are fibers that provide strength and elasticity to the skin. The building blocks of the skin are degraded among smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke. This leads to wrinkles and sagging skin, which could also appear prematurely among young smokers. More serious, of course, are severe shortness of breath from emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, and cancers of other organs.
UV rays thru car side windows
UV rays thru the side windows of your car can hurt your skin and cause cataract. Studies published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that, while the front shield of the car protects the driver and passenger on the front seat from the harmful UV rays, the side windows (less tinting) do not. Skin cancer on the left side of the face and cataract of the left eye have been found to be more predominant. While the UV-B is a shorter wavelength of light and blocked by the glass, the UV-A is longer and goes deeper into the skin. Wearing sun screen has been recommended and also the application of window tinting that is capable of blocking UV-B and UV-A rays.
***
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
