Unlike many colleagues, I did not come from a “medical” family. In my formative years, my father sold appliances and later real estate – he was flipping homes long before it became fashionable or lucrative. In any event, I think watching him sell and going for our Saturday outing to an open house gave me a slightly different view of communication with patients. Like those presidential candidates making the rounds in Iowa, medical communication is all about retail sales.
Disease
Most respiratory viral diseases, like influenza, take their greatest toll on the ends of the lifespan, the frail elderly, and the not-quite-as-frail infants and toddlers. But COVID was different and had little impact on the mortality of the very young. A new study sheds some light on why.
Overindulging during holiday festivities can cause more than heartburn. You could end up in the emergency room. Prevention is the best course.
Jerry Rogers, the editor of both RealClearHealth.com and RealClearPolicy.com, moderated a discussion with several experts [1], including me, on various aspects of vaccines.
I spoke recently with John Batchelor (CBS Eye on the World) and Mark Hahn (Drive Time Live, CSCJ Radio) about the recent therapeutic breakthrough in treating Sickle Cell Disease.
The New York Times recently summarized an article from the prestigious journal Science, claiming that 460,000 fewer Medicare deaths since 1999 could be attributed to reduced emissions from 138 coal-fired power plants.
The level of respiratory illnesses in the U.S. is high and increasing. We are again experiencing a "tripledemic" of COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). As the peak incidence of those infections approaches, we should be vigilant and take appropriate precautions.
The wellness world loves science washing. By using technical-sounding jargon, it’s easy to add a sheen of legitimacy to an otherwise nonsensical product or offering. One of the most recent examples is Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis, or FBCA.
Winter is here, which means a barrage of pathogens is patiently waiting to make our lives miserable. Influenza, colds, and the "stomach bug" are the top three nasties likely to get you, but can you prevent this by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based disinfectant? Or maybe neither?
Bioaerosols generated by infected patients constitute a significant source of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious agents. COVID-19 epidemiology has been limited to large populations in which varying behavior, living conditions, and life views may influence exposures. As a result, it's difficult to distinguish personal characteristics from concomitant levels of viral exposure.
Congestive heart failure refers to the inability of the heart to perform its basic function, which is pumping blood throughout the body. It comes in various forms, causing swelling of the legs and shortness of breath. It is a very debilitating condition that few outside medicine are aware of. A new study offers a unique treatment, but more importantly for our discussion, it sheds light on how “science” advances and looks at an infrequently used term, hormesis.
Sickle Cell Disease is an awful genetic disease that disproportionally affects black people. It's caused by a single-point mutation in DNA, which results in a modified hemoglobin protein, differing by only one amino acid. While this may sound insignificant, it's anything but. Simple organic chemistry explains why this change profoundly affects those unfortunate enough to inherit the disease, which is characterized by abnormal hemoglobin.