"This blog was developed to provide medical updates that are important and have my perspective as additional insight."
Glucosmaine Chondroitin has had inconsistent results in my experience, and sometimes I have wondered if it’s even worth the try. A recent study showed effectiveness of 800mg of Glucosamine Chondroitin in helping symptoms with osteoarthritis of the hands. So……if you are interested, give it a try and see what you think. You need to give …
As many of you are aware, I am not a strong proponent of vitamin supplements. It’s not that I have anything in particular against them; it’s just that I’m a skeptic. Data on vitamins contained in healthy foods is legion, but two recent studies published in respected journals currently calls into question the benefits of …
PSA testing has become more and more controversial over time. Back in the 1990’s, when it was invented, it was hailed as a panacea; the first legitimate blood test to screen for a common cancer. At that time, in an unscreening population, the test appeared to be very accurate and allowed me to diagnosis several …
A recent study of ‘monitored’ MRI, shows that people with pacemakers can safely have MRI. Over 440 patients were studied and had MRI safely. Pacemakers were implanted after 1998…..AICD (shocking devices) after 2000. If this data is consistently reproduced then MRI for patients with Pacemakers will be done more regularly. Great news.
A new article questions the effectiveness of anti-depressants in patients with Alzheimer’s Dementia, indicating that they are ineffective, or at least no more effective that placebo. Now…given that placebo works in about 1/3 of patients…perhaps that’s not too bad, but really it’s getting at the point that the medications aren’t really doing anything. I have …
Although Gonorrhea is not tops on the list of patients in my practice (I’ve not seen an identified case in 10 years) it is still important to know about another ‘superbug’ that has been created by overuse of antibiotics. In this case, the last line treatment, Ceftriaxone, has failed to treat Gonorrhea in a number …
A recent analysis of data from several studies suggests an increased risk in heart attack for patients quitting smoking using Chantix. This data was published in a respected Canadian medical journal and does appear valid. Risk is not great with the medication (absolute risk is 1.06 in 100 vs. baseline of .82 per 100), but …
Concerns have been raised about high-dose Zocor (80mg) due to concerns about increased risk of interactions with other medications at this dose. I agree. There are only a few patients in my practice on this dose and all of them are on it for very specific reasons. High dose Zocor offers little benefit over the …
Electricity has magnetic fields associated with it, and it is felt that this connection is the cause behind the link with brain tumors of various sorts. Certainly, there are connections in work field, such as electrical linemen, who work around ‘high tension’ wires. This connection is clear-cut and I’ve witnessed it myself in patients with …
Statins are proven workhorses. They have been shown to reduce risks of heart attack, stroke, and to prevent recurrences of both. Niacin has been show to prevent heart attack as well, but in this combination study, the addition of Niacin to a statin did not appear to provide additional benefits. This was an unexpected finding …
Read More “BENEFITS OF NIACIN CALLED INTO QUESTION WHEN ADDED TO STATIN”
There will always be new comments and criticisms related to hormone therapy in women, but in the past few weeks several positive issues have developed with hormone therapy. First, a large study of pre-term labor (early delivery) has shown definite benefits of topical progesterone hormone therapy in women with short cervix who are at risk …
Statin medications like Lipitor & Crestor have been studied extensively. Recently a very large study looking at many drug trials has suggested an slight increase risk in diabetes on these medications, with risk going up as the dose is increased. This study in JACC: http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/57/14/1535 shows that there is a very slight increase risk in …
Read More “LIPITOR AND OTHER STATINS CAUSE SLIGHT INCREASE IN DIABETES RISK”
Yervoy, a new medication approved for advanced stages of melanoma, is being released by Bristol-Myer-Squibb. It has a very dramatic effect on patients with advanced disease, nearly doubling their survival time, with some patients achieving remarkable results. The medication is just approved, but will be available very soon. It works by boosting the body’s immune …
Recent recommendations about the safety and effectiveness of the shingles vaccine (Zostavax) www.Zostavax.com show benefits and cost effectiveness Now, in addition to that safety information, the age recommendation for Zostavax has been lowered to 50 years old. Although Shingles tends to be more severe the older a person is when they contract it, it still …
A large study published out of UCLA Medical School looked at outcomes in more than 500,000 surgeries. The study was designed to see if surgeons-in-training assisting at surgery resulted in a worse surgical outcome and danger to the patients. The study showed that although the patients who had surgery in training hospitals had a minimal …
Read More “SURGEONS-IN-TRAINING CAN SAFELY ASSIST IN YOUR CARE”