Gut Bacteria and Colon Cancer Risk Factors
A review of 45 prospective studies found that risk for suffering colon cancer is increased by drinking alcohol and eating red meat, and decreased by eating more fiber and yogurt. More than 1.3 million North Americans have had colorectal cancer, a disease associated with lifestyle factors that cause bad bacteria to thrive in your colon.
People Who Have Had COVID-19 Are Protected for Three Months, Probably More
Two studies suggest that you can get long-term immunity after being infected with COVID-19. People who previously had COVID-19 have high protective antibody titers for at least three months, and at six months still had persistent parts of the COVID-19 virus in their intestines that continued to cause high protection antibodies.
Messenger RNA May Help to Beat Cancer
The two currently-approved COVID-19 vaccines use a technique called messenger RNA (mRNA) that could lead to cures for cancer and many other diseases.
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine is Coming
The soon to be approved vaccine for COVID-19 from Johnson & Johnson requires just one injection, instead of the two required for the previously-approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The J&J vaccine can be stored with ordinary refrigeration and does not need the extremely cold storage required for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Can Be Delayed if Necessary
Many people are worried that they may not receive their second dose of the vaccine on schedule because of delayed deliveries of the vaccine, or because of suggestions that the scheduled second doses of the vaccines should be given as a first dose to others so that more people can be immunized.
Two New COVID-19 Vaccines Coming Soon
The Pfizer\BioNTech and Moderna messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are already available for some people. They require two injections and look better all the time, with very few serious reactions so far and good antibody response for prevention of COVID-19. Two more vaccines appear ready to be available soon for public immunization.
Many Cases of COVID-19 Come from People with No Symptoms
People with no symptoms transmit more than half of all cases of COVID-19, according to a model developed by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This reinforces the importance of following the CDC's basic guidelines: wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay socially distant.
Safety of the Messenger RNA Vaccines for COVID-19 (Pfizer and Moderna)
Results from clinical trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines showed about 95 percent effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 infections, and they were given Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 13 and December 20, 2020. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says...
Long COVID-19 Syndrome
Most people who develop COVID-19 recover in 2-6 weeks, but between 10 and 70 percent of recovered COVID-19 patients develop “Long COVID-19 Syndrome,” suffering at least one symptom for many weeks or months after their initial infection.
Many Common Drugs Linked to Risk for Dementia
The American Geriatrics Society strongly recommends avoiding the use of anticholinergic medications in older adults, because seniors may be more likely to experience unwanted side effects than younger people. One out of every three drugs prescribed for men and women over 65 are anticholinergic drugs, which are associated with increased risk for dementia.
Should You Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
Are you concerned about getting one of the new COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are approved? We have no long-term safety information because no one has more than 10 months of experience with this disease. However, we do have decades of experience with other vaccines.
Three Effective COVID-19 Vaccines Should Be Available Soon
We now have three apparently safe and effective vaccines to help stop the current COVID-19 pandemic. The latest estimates are that the pandemic will not end until 70 to 90 percent of the North American population has some degree of immunity.
Pfizer Vaccine 90 Percent Effective in Early Data
Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, have announced that their COVID-19 vaccine appears to be more than 90 percent effective against the disease. Early data from their 44,000-person trial analyzed the first 94 cases of symptomatic COVID-19 among the participants who received either the two-dose vaccine or a saline placebo.
Exercise Should Be Part of the Treatment for Cancer
A study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that repeated bouts of exercise slow the growth of, and help to prevent recurrences of, cancers. The authors showed, in both mice and humans, that exercising muscles release into the bloodstream chemicals that increase production of CD8+ cells that an individual's own immune system uses to kill cancer cells.
Colon Cancer Risk and Neu5Gc Antibodies
Researchers have suggested a method to measure antibodies in humans after they eat the foods that contain Neu5Gc (BMC Medicine, Oct 23, 2020;18(262)). The more meat and dairy a person eats, the higher the rise in antibodies against Neu5Gc.
Herd Immunity With Vaccines
The only way that the pandemic will end is when a sufficient percentage of people become immune to COVID-19, most by being vaccinated plus a lesser number of people who have been infected with the virus and recovered. This is called herd immunity. Researchers tell us that in the U.S., the pandemic will not end until about 40 to 70 percent of the population is immune.
Drugs Given to President Trump for COVID-19
As reported by the White House medical team, the drugs given to President Trump to treat COVID-19 included Regeneron's antibody cocktail (monoclonal antibodies), Gilead Sciences' remdesivir (brand name Veklury), and dexamethasone.
Colon Cancer, a Preventable Disease?
One in 20 North Americans can expect to develop colon cancer, with more than 100,000 new cases each year. A recent review of 80 studies found that most cases of colon cancer are linked to poor lifestyle choices.
Do Not Overdose on Vitamin D
You cannot be poisoned by vitamin D through sun exposure or diet alone, but vitamin D poisoning can occur when people take high-dose supplements for an extended time. Excess vitamin D can cause blood calcium levels to rise and after several months of having high blood calcium levels and having no symptoms at all, you can develop kidney failure and not even know it.
Inhaled COVID-19 Vaccine Being Tested
Oxford University researchers have started testing inhaled versions of their COVID-19 vaccines compared to those given by intramuscular injection (Associated Press, Sept 14, 2020). An inhaled vaccine could be more effective than those given by injection because it may cause a stronger local immunity in the throat and nose, which are the primary entryways for the virus.
Low Vitamin D Can Increase Risk for and Severity of COVID-19
Vitamin D deficiency increases risk for becoming infected with COVID-19, and for complications and death from the disease.
A study of 500 patients showed that those who had low blood levels of hydroxy vitamin D were twice as likely as those with normal levels to develop COVID-19.
How Would I Treat Myself If I Got COVID-19?
If I had COVID-19 and was not very sick, I do not know if I would take anything. Today there are no drugs or treatments proven to prevent or cure COVID-19, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not licensed any treatment specifically for the virus.
Avoid Ultra Violet Lamps for COVID-19
Don't put your faith in the many advertisements for ultraviolet light machines making claims that they destroy SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. They have not been shown to be effective, and UV rays strong enough to kill a virus may also damage your skin and eyes.
What We Have Learned So Far from Eight Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Infection with COVID-19 comes primarily from breathing air in indoor spaces where people with the coronavirus have been, and the more virus you breathe in, the more likely you are to become infected.
Making Vaccines to Stop the COVID-19 Pandemic
The only way that scientists are going to end this current pandemic is to develop vaccines and immunize enough people to reach immunity in about 40 percent of the population from the vaccines or by having been infected with the disease.
High Blood Sugar Increases Risk for Complications in COVID-19
A study from Wuhan, China showed that non-diabetic COVID-19 patients with high blood sugar levels on admission to the hospital were more than twice as likely to die within a month and four times more likely to suffer the most serious complications caused by that disease.
Brain Health Supplements Are a Waste of Money
The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) reports that supplements sold to improve your memory and to prevent dementia are a waste of your money. There is no good evidence that any over-the-counter or prescription supplement can delay the onset of dementia, or prevent, treat or reverse Alzheimer’s disease.
Some Cases of Dementia Have Effective Treatments
More than six million North Americans suffer from dementia, which affects three percent of people age 65-74, 17 percent of age 75-84, and 32 percent of those age 85 and older. Anything that damages brain cells can cause dementia and many of the causes are treatable.
Protecting Yourself from COVID-19
As businesses and activities are re-opening, many people have decided to relax their precautions to avoid infection with COVID-19. If you are a person who is at high risk for complications from this virus, I believe that you should continue to be on guard.
Healthful Lifestyles to Prevent Cancer
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults age 20 years or older are overweight or obese. Being overweight markedly increases cancer risk.
