By: Daniel Pearce, D.O., FCOI, AAHIVMS
CANNABIS ALLERGIES
Some people report runny nose, eye irritation, asthma, rashes, and life-threatening allergies. Ask your friends if they know of someone who has had a bad reaction to cannabis products.
It is hard to do a review vey well since it is a street/dispensary drug and good data/information is rare.
QUITTING ALCOHOL AND NICOTINE TOGETHER
A study of 400 smokers who also drank alcohol heavily were given Nicotine replacement (patches, lozenges…) or Chantix. The outcome was that both toxic addictions were eliminated or reduced with either of the nicotine addiction medications.
TARGETING THE CAUSE OF DIABETES TYPE 2
Diabetes Type 2 is the common adult type. Diabetes Type 1 usually begins in children and requires insulin right away. Insulin resistance is the cause of Type 2. The fat cells become more and more resistant to insulin so that insulin is less effective and more is needed to drive the processes of controlling sugar. After many years of studying resistance, a new class of drugs is being developed to increase sensitivity of the fat cells and other cells. There is hope! Of course we should eat healthy foods and exercise and sleep well to lower our risks of diabetes.
NEW CALCULATOR TO HELP DIAGNOSE DEMENTIA EARLIER
Researchers at Kaiser used statistics to predict risk for dementia, made a formula, and then tried it on >100,000 comparing it with a firm diagnosis of dementia and found it was accurate. This procedure is called validation.
ABOUT A THIRD OF PATIENTS TAKE THEIR MEDICATIONS INCORRECTLY
A large study in Canada showed that up to 17% of patients did not take their prescribed medications if the condition showed symptoms, e.g. an infection. Up to 30% did not take their medications well if the condition had no symptoms, e.g. osteoporosis, hypertension)—evidently if they felt nothing they thought the medications were less important. The investigators did not speculate why certain patients did not follow instructions, but it wasn’t cost since Canada has universal, single payer health care as do most advanced countries besides the USA.
This study was based on refill gaps. This is more reliable than asking a patient since a patient may not want to disappoint their provider and look bad. Also, we tend to think positively about ourselves and minimize our faults.
83% OF BLOOD DONORS HAVE COVID ANTIBODIES FROM VACCINE AND INFECTION
1.4 million blood donors had their blood analyzed and found this. That means many are partially immune. Many who do not get vaccines also do not donate blood so we don’t know their immune status from this study. Daily Covid deaths are way down, all the way to 440 in the USA. So maximizing your immunity is the best strategy and protecting from infection with a good mask over your nose and mouth.
PAST CORONOAVIRUS INFECTIONS OFFER SOME PROTECTION
These are usually mild, in the form of a cold. It seems that those who have had a past coronavirus infection have a little extra immunity/protection from Covid.
VERY FEW DEATHS, LESS HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, BUT MUCH MORE LONG COVID?
I recently looked at the death numbers for San Bernardino, Riverside, and LA Counties and saw they were way down but the number of positive tests is way up.
Since the best way of not getting Long Covid is not to get Covid, then good masks over the nose and being maximally vaccinated is a good idea. Many are surprised at the fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and body pains of Long Covid. They regret not being careful. They feel they don’t deserve this suffering, as if Covid was fair.
REASONS PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE/SCIENCE
Many people suffer after taking advice from a random person on the web or a person on the news who strikes fear in them. Why don’t they believe the evidence the true experts present?
1. They refuse to believe the Messenger. They feel that anything that comes from a certain news network or certain people are biased, are a conspiracy, or they don’t know what they are talking about. But they don’t have a strong reason to doubt the expert.
2. Pride creates Prejudice. If we create our identity around a label then we see that anything that disagrees with that label’s position is a threat to us and should be rejected. It is healthier to be humble and evaluate the statements by themselves and be smart about what you believe. It is best not to have too much pride so that you have prejudice against a statement or position without being careful.
3. The longer we believe something, the harder it is to correct it, even with good evidence. That is how we are built.
4. Science and evidence are sometimes complicated and people are not trained to understand it. So trust is very important. See #1.
Keep those questions coming and be safe!
dpearce@western.edu
Daniel Pearce, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine and HIV, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine and Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine HIV, Hepatitis B,C, Transgender, Suboxone Specialist, Borrego Health (Riverside, San Bernardino, San Jacinto) Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research Initiative
REFERENCES: Medscape®