Welcome to Dr. Paz’s Newsletter #3 This newsletter will focus on timely topics that can have a direct impact on your health. If you are interested in sending a question, you can send it to drpaz@drpaz.com. Please remember, your questions should be of general medical interest and should not include any patient-specific information since this is not a HIPAA compliant email. |
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COVID-19 NEWS Shot #2 Update. I recieived my second Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on January11. I had a bit of a sore arm at the beginning, but nothing special. Approximately 10 hours later, I started to develop a fever. It ultimately went to 101°. I also had muscle aches and pains and a mild headache. This lasted for approximately 12 hours, and then seemed to disappear completely. I have not had any symptoms since. While not pleasant, the side-effects were tolerable. I think my experience is rather typical. You can expect more significant symptoms with your second shot, compared to the first. Take a look at the chart below which lists the typical symptoms and their frequency: |
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If the above table is giving you second thoughts about the vaccine, you might want to consider the following study: Yet to be published research by Leicester University, England, found a potentially devastating long-term toll on survivors of severe coronavirus. Out of 47,780 people who were discharged from the hospital, 29.4% were readmitted to the hospital within 140 days and 12.3% of the total died. This data has not yet been peer-reviewed, but it would suggest that in patients who had severe coronavirus, the rate of potential long-term complications are quite high. So, maybe the side effects listed above are a small price to pay to avoid long-term complications. Do we really need to close restaurants, stores and schools? I am not convinced that we are "following the science" when it comes to closing businesses. A recent study seems to support my belief. A study published in the Wily Online Library on January 5 compared Covid cases in England, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United States, all of which instituted mandatory stay at home orders and business closures- to South Korea and Sweden which only implemented voluntary personal precautions such as social distancing, good handwashing and wearing a mask. After comparing countries with the most restrictive measures to those with least restrictive measures, the researchers felt that there was "no clear, significant beneficial effect of [more restrictive measures] on case growth in any country". This would suggest that mandatory lockdowns do not significantly stop the spread more than personal measures like social distancing, handwashing and mask wearing. |
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Hey, what about the flu? You have not heard much about the flu season this year, have you? That is because influenza is down as much is 98% this flu season. As a matter-of-fact, I have not seen a single case of influenza A or B in the office. It would seem that while our measures to combat Covid have not been as successful as we would hope, wearing a mask and social distancing certainly seems to work for influenza. My guess is that mask wearing during the flu season will be here to stay. Flu Shot- High dose "senior" vaccine may be of little benefit. We have been told for quite some time now that people over the age of 65 should get the high-dose or "senior flu shot" since this will protect them better against influenza. Doctors have certainly bought into this recommendation. The senior flu vaccine is 4 times the strength of the regular flu vaccine. As a result it is more expensive and does tend to have greater side effects. A recent study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) looked at over 5000 patients, half of which were given the standard vaccine and half were given the high-dose vaccine. Statistically, there were no differences in heart or lung related deaths. The following chart summarizes the data. |
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Bottom Line. This does not mean that the flu vaccine is not successful in preventing serious illness and death. However, the high dose flu vaccine may not be any more beneficial than the standard shot, while increasing cost and side effects. |
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GLUCOSAMINE for Heart Disease. GLUCOSAMINE and CHONDROITIN SULFATE have been used for quite some time to help with the pain of arthritis. New data suggests that the same products may significantly reduce the risk of heart disease when taken regularly. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine[JABFM November–December 2020 Vol. 33 No. 6], looked at data from 16,686 participants in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2010. This study showed that use of GLUCOSAMINE/CHONDROITIN on a regular basis was associated with a 39% reduction in all-cause mortality (dying for any reason) and a 65% reduction in heart disease mortality. The magnitude of these results is really quite startling. For patients at high risk of heart disease who also have some arthritis, the addition of GLUCOSAMINE as a supplement may make sense. |
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CBD Oil and Driving.I am an advocate for the use of CBD oil for pain, anxiety and sleep. There has always been some concern, since this is a derivative of marijuana, that it might affect the ability to operate machinery such as a motor vehicle and could potentially impair performance and judgment. A recent study provides some reassurance that this is not the case. A study published in JAMA[ 2020;324(21):2177-2186. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.21218] looked at 26 healthy participants who underwent on-road driving tests. The study measured lane weaving, swerving, and overcorrecting (the SDLP) at 40 to 100 minutes following vaporized consumption of a fixed dose of CBD(cannabadiol). This was compared with placebo. There was no difference in driver performance. While this is a rather small study, it is encouraging to know that CBD may not have any effect on focus, concentration and driving performance. |
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IT’S JUST MY OPINION. The opinions in my newsletter are based on my interpretation of the literature and my personal experience from tens of thousands of medical visits over the last 37 years. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. The information I share in this newsletter is meant for general medical information purposes and is not specific to your medical care. Before you initiate any therapy you should discuss it with your doctor. If your doctor is not open to discussing nutritional therapies, maybe it is time to find a new doctor….. |
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