Anil Maheshwari, MD
167 Hespeler Road N1R 3H7 Cambridge, ON, Canada

Two new studies show that fish oil supplements don't offer any protection from several types of heart disease including atrial fibrillation. This is somewhat surprising because many previous studies have found that omega 3 fatty acids offer heart benefits. My take? While there is mixed evidence of supplements helping, there is more consistent evidence that omega 3 rich foods can be beneficial for heart health because of their anti-inflammatory effects.... Instead of taking supplements, aim to eat 1-2 servings per week of fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and anchovies. These types of fish are also high in vitamin D which is necessary for bone health and may play a role in preventing diabetes and increasing immunity. Don't like fish? Try flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts. While they don't contain much vitamin D, you can always supplement with vitamin D supplements as I discussed in my last post. https://www.cnn.com//fish-oil-doesnt-help-heart/index.html

Hope you are enjoying this great weather - it feels like such a gift during this COVID19 pandemic! Just keep in mind that while the sun feels strong, your sun exposure is not going to be enough to produce the 'sunshine vitamin'. Vitamin D has many benefits such as increasing bone strength and may possibly decrease your risk of diabetes and dementia. And, according to a recent study, hospitalized COVID19 patients had lower levels of vitamin D than the general population. While... this doesn't prove that low levels of vitamin D cause a decreased immune system, it is interesting. Since most people living in the northern United States and Canada are deficient in vitamin D during most of the year, make sure you take between 2,000-3,000 IUs of vitamin D per day during the fall, winter and spring. https://www.ctvnews.ca//more-than-80-per-cent-of-hospitali

#Obesity is associated with more serious #COVID19 infections. But it's not close to being the biggest risk factor. Here are the odds ratios for hospital admission: Age >75 - 37.9... Age 65-74 - 8.7 Heart failure - 4.4 Male sex - 2.8 Chronic kidney disease - 2.6 BMI >40 - 2.5 Here are the odds ratios for critical illness: Age >75 - 3.5 Age 65-74 - 2.9 Heart failure - 1.9 Male sex - 1.5 BMI >40 - 1.5 https://apnews.com/160643fbce6ab88d4f6e91eda105bef7

I can’t believe that it has been 19 years since the infamous September 11th attacks. I still remember the day so clearly. I was seeing patients in Metuchen, New Jersey when I heard that the first and then second planes hit. Patients stopped showing up at the office ans soon our entire staff was standing around a TV set. Me and a couple of other doctors decided to drive to Jersey City right across the river from Manhattan. There we joined many other health care providers. The thought was that the New York hospitals would be overwhelmed and survivors would be brought to New Jersey. Unfortunately there weren’t enough survivors and we stood there silently watching the plumes of smoke rising from the World Trade Towers. Nineteen years later I still can’t believe that this happened. Sigh.

We are just a few years away from a blood test that can not only tell you if you already have Alzheimer's Disease, but it can also predict if you are going to develop this type of dementia. The challenge is that we only have limited treatments and no medication available that will keep you from developing this disease. However, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk by as much as 40%: 1) Keep your weight down or lose weight. Increased weight can lead to insuli...n resistance which increases your risk of Alzheimer's Disease. Even 5-10% weight loss can make a huge difference. Luckily we now have medicines that can help you. If you need help, let me know. 2) Exercise. Aim for 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week for a total of 150 minutes per week. It counts as exercise if you raise your heart rate, work up a light sweat and keep at it for at least 10 minutes at a time. 3) Keep your mind active. Do puzzles, learn a new language, take a comedy class, read, play a musical instrument, volunteer, try a new activity or hobby. Do anything that is fun and makes you use your brain. 4) Socialize. This is another great way to keep your mind active. The more active your mind is, the less likely you are to develop dementia. 5) Eat healthy foods. Processed foods are more likely to cause health issues. Minimize prepackaged foods and try to eat a wide variety of natural foods such as vegetables, fruits, low fat meats and fish. https://www.usatoday.com//studies-show-new-blo/5530470002/

Hope you had a great Labour Day (in Canada) and Labor Day (in the United States). This is one of several holidays that we share (other than Christmas and New Year's Day). Stay safe out there and don't let COVID fatigue get to you - keep wearing your masks - we'll get through this together!

I’m seeing babies for their immunizations again this week. Look at this cutie!

Sometimes laughter is the best medicine! I'll be discussing the importance of #humor in #health (especially during this pandemic) with Dr. Cathy Campbell from Cleveland Clinic Canada on Thursday, May 28th at 11 am. If you interested in listening to this free event, register here: https://bit.ly/2YsfhiO

A new study finds a novel way to fight #sittingdisease and get your #exercise without going to the gym. In the study of 8 men and women, lab results were compared between one group that sat for 8 hours and another group that broke up the 8 hours of sitting with intense short bouts of exercise. The exercise group worked out intensely for only 4 seconds bouts five times an hour for a total of 40 times during the day. This adds up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds of exercise a day.... Researchers found that the group that broke up their sitting had 31% lower triglycerides and a 43% increase in fat oxidation. While this is an interesting study, it might be hard to do in the real world. However, forcing yourself to take a one minute break at least once an hour by using a timer is a great way to break up your sitting. Examples of things you can do during that one minute? Start with walking for the full minute. Then try climbing up and down some stairs. Advance to doing push-ups, sit-ups, lunges or jumping jacks. Anything, ANYTHING is better than sitting for hours at a time. Here's a link to the study: https://journals.lww.com//Hourly_4_s_Sprints_Prevent_Impai

We’re not seeing many patients at Grandview Medical Centre during this #COVID19 pandemic but babies need their immunizations! Geared up to keep everyone protected. Stay safe!

Interesting article on the best exercises for people who hate to #exercise. https://www.mdlinx.com/family-medicine/article/7070/

Five ways to stay safe during this #coronavirus (aka #COVID19, #SARSCoV2) outbreak. 1) DON'T drink bleach, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol or any other cleaner. 2) DON'T inhale the fumes from bleach, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol or any other cleaner.... 3) DON'T inject bleach, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol or any other cleaner. 4) DON'T use UV lights to disinfect your skin as it can be harmful. 5) DON'T put UV lights inside your body (or where the sun don't shine). Instead, get your health advice from your doctor. Or check one of these trusted sources: Canadian Government: https://www.canada.ca World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov The Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org

#Alcohol sales are way up as we are all trying to deal with the stress and/or boredom associated with this #COVID19 or #coronavirus #pandemic. Unfortunately alcohol can decrease your immunity. It is important to drink the smallest amount possible since we really need our immune systems right now. The more medical conditions (high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes) and the older we are, the more important it is to try to abstain from alcohol.... Ways to decrease stress: Pay less attention to COVID news. Listen to stand up comedy. Read a book. Watch funny movies. Play board games or do puzzles. Get enough sleep. Learn a new skill on Youtube, Masterclass, Netflix or anyone of a million places online. Exercise. Other ways to decrease boredom: Walk and talk with your family. Talk with friends and extended family via phone or video. Specifically talk about the best parts of your day or what you are grateful for. Or ask each other questions out of a book like "Question of the Day". That should lead to interesting conversation. Stay safe - and remember, although it doesn't feel like it, this will come to an end! https://www.healthline.com//can-alcohol-hurt-your-immune-s

Looking around, it is obvious that we are all under more stress due to the #COVID19 or #coronavirus #pandemic. It is important for us to limit our exposure to the latest numbers and bad news and focus on some of the good things that are happening in the world. While I'm not a regular reader of Elle, I found this article online about "60 Positive News Stories You May Have Missed During The Coronavirus Outbreak" which provides some positivity in this difficult time. Some of m...y favourites are: 6) 99-Year-Old Pensioner Raises 18 million for NHS 14) Doctors Wear Photos Of Themselves Smiling To Ease Patients 17) Victoria Derbyshire Presents News With Important Hand Marking 28) Bride And Groom Donate 400 Wedding Meals To Hospital Staff After Their Reception Was Cancelled Due to the Coronavirus 57) NBA Players Support Arena Staff What about you? https://www.elle.com//g316/coronavirus-covid-19-good-news/

Are you trying to get your #exercise but worried about passing other walkers, bike riders or joggers when out during this #COVID19 (#coronavirus) outbreak? According to several studies, it is probably best to remain quite far behind others so you don't accidentally take in any of the virus from their exhaled breath (if they are infected). While the studies are not definitive, they are our best guess. I would recommend crossing to the other side of the street when people are ...walking/biking/running in front of you. However, if you can't, I would recommend: Staying 4-5 metres behind other people walking. Staying 10 metres behind other people running or cycling slowly. Staying 20 metres behind others cycling quickly. Read more here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-joggers-need-to-/ https://medium.com//belgian-dutch-study-why-in-times-of-co

So good to see this from the #Canadian government appreciating #healthcare workers during this #coronavirus (#COVID19) outbreak! https://www.cbc.ca//covid-19-border-kits-healthcare-worker

Latests #COVID19 (aka #coronavirus) news. By now, you have probably heard that the United States CDC has recommended using face coverings (https://www.cdc.gov//prevent/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html) to slow the spread of #COVID19. This is a significant shift in thinking because originally, this was thought to be a droplet spread disease where washing your hands was the most important way to keep from getting infected.... We now have a significant amount of research that shows that this virus does to stay in the air for short periods of time (up to 3 hours according to this study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973). So, to be on the safe side, I would highly recommend covering your face with a homemade cloth mask when you need to go grocery shopping, use public transit or go to work. You can learn how to make one via a video that the US Surgeon General has made: https://www.cdc.gov//prevent-getting/cloth-face-cover.html I would not recommend paying a lot of money for surgical or N95 masks as they are in short supply and if not worn properly, don't provide the level of protection that they are intended to. Also, all workers in high risk settings (hospitals, long term care homes) should have first access to these masks. If you do wear a cloth face covering, remember to cover both your mouth and nose (make sure you can breathe properly!) and do not touch your face. Continue to maintain social distancing. Finally, I also would not recommend the mask shown in the picture below. :) For more information, this article has a lot of good information and links to studies: https://www.buzzfeednews.com//coronavirus-face-mask-cdc-n9