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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

May 26, 2021

 

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dkFX9GP8U34

 

Just one glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail doubles the chances of an atrial fibrillation episode sometime during the following 4 hours.  Cardiologists at UC-San Francisco report this finding following their study of 100 patients with intermittent bouts of atrial fibrillation.

 

Each participant was fitted with a wearable cardiac monitor and a data box that clocked their self-reported alcohol consumption.  The accuracy of the self-reporting was testing using finger-stick blood alcohol level determinations.

 

Two or more drinks in one sitting tripled the risk of afib.  For every 0.1% increase in blood alcohol levels there was about a 40% increased risk of an afib episode.

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210517124943.htm

 

#alcohol #atrialfibrillation