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In a world where we're 99.5% genetically identical, somehow skin color still decides who gets a spot on the kidney transplant list. (Because why fix something when it's clearly broken?) My conversation with Dr. Kevin Pho, discussing "Medicine’s Struggle with Genetic and Social Realities."

Ah yes, the age-old medical mantra: "The solution to pollution is dilution." Apparently, a few squirts of hypertonic saline in your kid’s nose can cut down cold symptoms and keep you from catching their next snot-filled surprise.

Despite a decade of people eyeing their phones like potential death traps, recent studies have put the final nail in the cell-phones-cause-cancer coffin. So, feel free to call, text, or scroll — your brain’s not going anywhere.

Lars Larson began our most recent conversation by noting the increase in life expectancy in the U.S., largely due to advances in drug development. However, he quickly pivoted to criticize current drug shortages, which was the subject of a recent article of mine.

For those aching for a do-over on First Amendment rights and censuring COVID (mis)information on social media, your wish has been granted. Last month, the Ninth Circuit ruled on Facebook’s alleged censoring of anti-vaxx postings by RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense.

While Congress twiddles its thumbs, pharmaceutical giants like Lilly, Pfizer, and Nova Nordisk are revolutionizing healthcare by slashing prices and tossing medical responsibility around like a hot potato. With their new direct-to-consumer model, they’re not just cutting out the middleman but slicing through the fabric of the physician-patient relationship. Who needs accountability when you’ve got savings and convenience?

This week’s reading is a mix of innovation, brainy body connections, and a dash of debunking. Apple engineers are turning AirPods into hearing aids—why stop at music when you can reinvent healthcare? Meanwhile, the vagus nerve is doing its mysterious thing, linking brain and body. And it turns out, that in the Blue Zones, living forever might just be creative bookkeeping.

Calley Means, co-founder of TruMed, recently raised concerns about conflicts of interest within the FDA and the influence of corporate funding on public health guidelines. Thereby, he joined the ranks of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr and his newfound friend, former President Trump, who argued for "a special Presidential Commission of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma."

Ukraine has recently begun deploying drones that drop burning thermite on Russian positions. Thermite, a 130-year-old invention, has proven to be a highly destructive weapon rooted in simple chemistry. However, while the science behind thermite is straightforward, its devastating consequences are far from it.

Ever wonder what it's like to participate in a medical study? When I signed up for a research study, I thought I’d learn something new about diet and health. It turns out that the real learning came from navigating blood tests, stool samples, and questionable food diaries — all while pretending that this was somehow a fun way to spend my time. At least I got a front-row seat to the unglamorous world of clinical research, where the hurdles are real, and the “patients” get a crash course in patience.

Some patients taking weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic, are beginning to report slower or no weight loss as their bodies build up a tolerance to the medication. Does this spell trouble for obese people looking to slim down long-term? Dr. Chuck Dinerstein reports his personal experience with the so-called Ozempic plateau.

Scientists often think they're smarter than they are because of their narrow academic expertise, according to a new study. Recent history is littered with corroborating examples in which experts made false declarations about COVID-19 and refused to acknowledge their errors. What drives this hubris, and how should the public respond to it?

Health is a complex equation with multiple variables: genetics, socioeconomic status, birthplace, luck, and more. The presence or absence of disease is not the only consideration for leading a healthy life. This has shifted how people seek medical care and guidance.

A long-time family friend had to decide whether to undergo five years of antiestrogen therapy following surgery and radiation for her breast cancer. The odds were high that she would be OK without the treatment and only slightly higher with it. Seven years ago, Elle Macpherson had to make the same decision. The right answer? There really isn't one.

Social media is about 27 years old. Since its creation, it has developed almost demonic abilities to addict the young, luring them into harm by cyberbullying, enticing them to self-immolate via tantalizing and dangerous dares, provocative challenges, or other forms of psychological manipulation. If any of us had acted this way, we would be aptly labeled psychopathic – and likely prosecuted. Until recently, however, legal challenges against the Satans of Cyberspace have mainly been stymied. Last week, the Third Circuit inflicted another chink in their armor, Section 230 of the Communication Law.

While it's true that “racism” has left its fingerprints over medicine, STAT recently began a new investigative series looking at racial bias baked into the clinical algorithms used by physicians. As with all journalism, I believe they got some of the story right, and in other instances, nuances were lost in translation resulting in getting some things wrong. I encourage you to read their reporting, but here is my take.

Here's a great (albeit a bit complex) example of how organic chemistry can improve medical applications. If you dare to read this, you'll see some clever chemistry that was used to improve the properties of Crazy Glue in healing wounds. Cool stuff.

From Disney vacations that break the bank, Amazon's eerie ability to recommend prescription drugs based on your grocery cart, the root of placebo trials or discovering how much stronger weed is these days, there's something fascinating, and a little unsettling this week.

As a consumer, you often look to various reviews and Best-Of lists to help you choose between competing products. Education is no different. Fortune Recommends is in the business of reviews and Best-Of lists, so it's essential to understand more about those lists that are marketed as tools to help you, the consumer, make financial choices. Its recently released Best-Of list for health coaching programs exemplifies why you should be wary.

New research reveals that fibrin, a key component of blood clots, may be the secret culprit behind the devastating neurological and inflammatory aftermath of the virus, including long COVID. From dense, stubborn clots to brain fog, the interaction of COVID’s spike protein with fibrin could be the missing link — and a potential target for life-saving therapies.

When it comes to inhalers for respiratory diseases, we’re not just talking about puffing your way to easier breathing; apparently, we’re also blowing up the planet with greenhouse gases. The device keeping your lungs happy is perturbing Mother Earth. A new study suggests your prescription might come with climate guilt.

What do you do when internet answers to a scientific question are contradictory? Experiments reveal the truth, and sometimes – if they involve onions – these tests can be carried out in the kitchen. No need to weep.

Chemicals that contain fluorine have perpetually been in the news for two primary reasons. One is the controversy surrounding the fluoridation of drinking water. The other is the latest chemical scare over fluorinated "forever" chemicals. Fluorine, fluoride, fluorinated. Confusing? You bet. Maybe this will help.

When Lars Larson asked me during our on-air conversation whether black-robed judges, instead of white-coated scientists and physicians, should be trusted with healthcare decisions, I couldn’t help but wonder whether they or Congress are experts in gene therapy – or for that matter, air pollution or the siting of nuclear power plants. (Spoiler alert: They're not.)

In my recent radio conversation with John Batchelor (CBS Eye on the World), we delved into the sad saga of Golden Rice — a revolutionary crop engineered to combat Vitamin A deficiency, a condition that claims the sight and lives of hundreds of thousands of children in poor countries each year.