"This blog was developed to provide medical updates that are important and have my perspective as additional insight."
Peripheral Vascular Disease, also called PAD (peripheral arterial disease), is characterized primarily by issues with bloodflow to the legs, leading to claudication (pain with walking distances that ameliorates with resting), but there are other aspects of this condition which include carotid artery disease and aortic aneurysm. To determine who is at risk we generally look …
I think exercise is the single most important contributor to health, and over 40% of us don’t do it regularly. Whether it is lack of time, motivation, or knowledge, we can find various excuses. I have been looking for a simple exercise program to suggest to my older patients and I’ve just found it. And …
Read More “HERE IS A GREAT SITE FOR A SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM”
An 11 year study has been stopped after the interim analysis showed no benefits of diet and weight loss for diabetic patients in preventing stroke and heart attacks. This surprising result is disappointing, but it emphasizes the benefits of medication for diabetes and cholesterol, because at least these medications seem to have preventive effects. The …
Read More “DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS WE’D HOPED FOR DIABETES & OBESITY”
Dr. Kim provided a wonderful hour of information on skin topics of all sorts, and during the conversation I asked for a list of her recommended products, ones that are excellent and a good value. Here is the link to that information and to the video of her interview. http://doctordoug.com/2012/07/up-coming-presentation-interview-with-a-specialist/
You all know that I’m not a big fan of Vitamins in general as I think the data remains uncertain. So….it’s important that supportive data be promoted, especially by a skeptic. A recent American Medical Journal article showed a small, but significant cancer prevention benefit from multivitamins in middle-aged men. This is good news and …
The headlines about the meningitis outbreak related to tainted steroid injections has revealed concerns about the safety of medications ‘created’ by Compounding Pharmacies. With over 13,000 people affected and already over 100 infected, I anticipate there will be over 100 deaths from this infected product. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443749204578048970933688946.html This has made us all more concerned about medications …
I must talk to 20 people a day about eating better and losing weight. It is so difficult and there are so many different ways to lose weight. Trying to just improve our diet is a great first step and making some simple changes will give us improved health if not the weight we desire. …
The news is full of reports on the Meningitis outbreak caused by tainted steroid injections used for treatment of back pain. Fortunately, none of this is in Arizona. The infection is a fungus (germ) that was present in the steroid material used for epidural steroid injections to relieve back pain and sciatic (nerve pain down …
Read More “INFORMATION ON MENINGITIS OUTBREAK–NONE IN ARIZONA”
I have heard from several patients who are concerned about the recall of generic Wellbutrin XL 300mg tablets. The TEVA generic brand has been recalled because it is ‘weaker’ than the branded version. There is no danger with the medication, but for those patients who require this medication to control mood and who need to …
A recent study in the British Medical Journal connects the use of Valium and similar medications with developing dementia…..but the conclusions are far from clearcut. Valium comes from a class of medications called Benzodiazepines. Other medications in this category are Xanax, Ativan, Restoril, and a slew of other commonplace meds. It works by stimulating the …
I always liked the phrase I wrote as the headline for this article…..but am not really sure what it means. The visual it evokes is a bit disturbing. Nonetheless, an editorial in the NY Times today focuses on concerns about the next epidemic that could become a concern: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/anticipating-the-next-pandemic.html?pagewanted=all It turns out that several of …
The NIH (National Institutes of Health) Hospitals have reported the seventh case of a patient death from a superbug. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nih-superbug-claims-7th-victim/2012/09/14/09b3742e-fe9b-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html This infectious germ, a highly resistant form of Klebsiella pneumonia, has been an ongoing issue for the NIH hospitals for the past year or two, but they had thought they eradicated it. Now, another case …
I just read a NY Times review on a fascinating new book: BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams. The review describes an interesting take on the female (and male) breasts, both historically and medically, but the review makes the claim that ‘the breast cancer incidence continues to rise,’ and this caught my …
Hantavirus is a contagious infection caused by exposure to infected rodents. Recent cases in Yosemite National Park have increased enough to warrant warnings to 230,000 people who have potential exposure. There are only a handful of cases at the present time, but if you’ve been to Yosemite in late July, August, or September, there is …
Read More “FROM ONE TO FIVE WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE OF HANTAVIRUS”
Meta Analysis is a term that refers to a study that develops conclusions by combining the data and results from several studies. By employing statistical methods that are valid, the researchers essentially create new conclusions from a variety of data from different studies. The recent study of Omega-3 Fatty Acids is one such study. This …