Medical Curiosities and News

Zika: US medical authorities recommend postponing maternity plans if possible until the Zika epidemic improves or passes.
Migraine: Women who suffer from migraines have higher coronary and cardiovascular risk according to a 2016 article in the British Medical Journal. Therefore, if you have or know someone who has migraines, be aware that it is a cardiac risk and needs to be treated to prevent future problems.
Be aware that a new (transdermal) medication for migraines was rejected this year by the FDA due to skin burns. It is called Zecuity, a Sumatriptan to be used on the skin. The tablet form of Sumatriptan has nothing to do with Zecuity.
Cholera: The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved the first vaccine in the United States for the prevention of cholera (Vaxchora, PaxVax Bermuda Ltd) caused by serogroup 01 for adults aged 18 to 64 traveling to countries where cholera is prevalent. The World Health Organization recognizes this serogroup 01 as the main cause of cholera worldwide.
It is a vaccine administered in liquid form, orally, in a single dose ten days before travel. The only other vaccine must be taken in two doses. Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera and is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water. The disease causes diarrhea that can become quite serious with vomiting, dehydration, and can sometimes be fatal. If afflicted with the disease, antibiotics and rehydration solutions must be taken quickly.
Heart Attack: The consumption of Omega-3 reduces the risk of death from myocardial infarction (heart attack) by 9%, according to an analysis of 50 studies published in June 2016 by JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association – Internal Medicine).
Omega-3 in this study comes from seafood – eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – and from seeds, nuts, and plants – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
Researchers also found that DPA, but not EPA or DHA, was associated with a significantly reduced risk of coronary disease.
Memory: A substance used for over a century, which has been used as a dye in addition to treating diseases like methemoglobinemia, may increase activity in certain regions of the brain related to attention and recent memory as demonstrated using dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A single dose of methylene blue increased brain activity in the bilateral insular cortex, prefrontal cortex, as well as in the parietal and occipital lobes. This was compared to a placebo. This dye used in other diseases is non-toxic and quite safe. We hope that this indication for activating memory and attention can be approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US so we can prescribe it safely.
Flu: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the body in the US that recommends or not vaccines, voted in June not to use the nasal flu vaccine this upcoming fall and winter 2016-2017.
This is the live attenuated virus vaccine as it has not proven effective in previous years.
The injectable flu vaccine (Flu vaccine) continues to be recommended for everyone, especially pregnant women, children, people over 60, and all those with a clinical condition such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and other chronic illnesses.
About red wine: It is proven that Resveratrol (produced by plants and found in grape skins and red wine) prolongs the life of non-mammalian organisms and improves the metabolic profile of mice fed high-fat diets.
The concentration of Resveratrol in red wine is 1.5 to 3mg per liter. A person weighing 70kg would need to consume 1000 (one thousand) liters of red wine per day to reach a satisfactory level of Resveratrol.
Resveratrol in supplement capsules has no quality or milligram control, and the side effects are unknown; therefore, at this point, they are not recommended.