Atrial fibrillation affects many Americans and it can result in debilitating strokes. Risk calculators help physicians identify those patients at risk for stroke. However, the calculation can be improved by remembering that risk isn't static, but instead a fluid factor.
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Enough already! Please stop with the avocado stories. The darn things contain plenty of folic acid, which may or may not cause or prevent cancer, or keep your hair from turning gray, and may be contributing to the demise of the English language. And it's all about the biochemistry of endogenous formaldehyde. Prepare to be confused.
Conventional wisdom suggests that occupations associated with low socioeconomic status – such as construction, extraction and maintenance jobs – would be linked to the greatest number of ALS and Parkinson's deaths because of workers' environmental exposures to chemicals. But the CDC found the opposite to be true.
Healthcare has cultural roots. Chicken soup as “Jewish penicillin” exemplifies one culture’s role in signifying quality, remedy and affective connotations like comfort. Meanwhile, many choose traditional Chinese medicine over its Western counterpart, a decision that provides insight but leaves us with some questions.
Walmart apparently has some big plans for its pharmacies and it will involve you. A whistleblower document from the company reveals what steps it will take to (wrongly) address the overuse of painkillers. You will be graded on your probability of misusing not just opiate drugs, but also sedatives and stimulants. Since when does Walmart tell our doctors what they can or cannot give to their patients?
1. The BBC was into poop - the still-ongoing trend of public serial poopers - and linked to work by Dr. Jamie Wells on it. That wasn't the only place this fad was noted.
Whether you drink or not, alcohol has many effects on your health. One of those that's underappreciated has been revealed: It's the first comparison of bacteria found in the mouths of drinkers versus teetotalers. So if you're a frequent drinker, you may want to pour yourself a tall one before reading these results.
Ever wonder why baby wipes contain chemicals and preservatives? There is a very good reason.
Sunburn is not only painful, but can be a precursor to skin cancer, and thus is to be avoided as much as possible. But if you're unable to avoid too much exposure, a preliminary study suggests that vitamin D just might be able to help.
Our northern neighbor is considering public payment for nearly all pharmaceutical costs. The model makes its assumptions known, its cost and benefit analysis clear, and provides a blend of new taxes to support the plan. If it was not for some academic hand-waving over special needs and interests it might actually be feasible.
As the highest quality of care continues not to be the emphasis in the health care debate — let alone be on par with discussions around access – Canadian health systems remain in the spotlight. This time multiple hospitals in southern Ontario shut their doors to the sickest of babies.
Sulphoraphane, found in broccoli and other vegetables of that group, has been touted as an anti-oxidant for years – but without much evidence that it has a real beneficial health effect. However, recent research suggests that it might actually be useful to help people with type 2 diabetes maintain normal levels of blood glucose.
Some species of bugs in our intestine may contribute to weight gain more than others. And these may become more prevalent when competitors are reduced by antibiotics.
Bundled payment for health care is being presented as a fix to rising costs. What makes up the bundle of services provided, and can they really save us money? A new study in JAMA Surgery sheds some light.
Jacob Thompson, a 9-year-old suffering from cancer, whose request to help him celebrate his last Christmas went viral – and was met with a global outpouring of love – has died. His death was due to neuroblastoma. What exactly is it?
While BPA hysteria has been going on for many years, for just as long we've been writing that the chemical is safe. As it turns out, we've been right all along (while, as usual, the Joe Mercolas and NRDCs of the world were not).
William Shubb, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, has put a halt to the champagne wishes and caviar dreams of California trial lawyers, a U.N. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group participant, and organic industry front groups hoping to profit from a bizarre determination on glyphosate by IARC that weirdly bucked the science consensus.
Hollywood will make no sequel to Erin Brockovich, nor will Pacific Gas & Electric be reimbursed $333 million. However, after nearly 20 years the truth about hexavalent chromium has finally been revealed by California regulators.
Recently, a crazy story went viral, which called into question the media's ability to separate fact from fiction. When confronted with claims that some folks don't eat, but sustain themselves on the energy of the universe, some in the media failed to challenge this nonsense. Letting this slide can produce dangerous consequences for those who fall for it.
Gasoline additives ensure that a car's engine runs properly. Otherwise, the engine will knock – and you'll be knocking on your mechanic's door holding a whole bunch of your favorite dollars. But researchers have figured out how to make isobutanol, an excellent gas additive, from beer. Here's the heady chemistry – and it goes down smooth.
Researchers at the University of Toronto published a ranking of businesses they believe could move the needle to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.
1. Friday was the premiere of "Food Evolution", a documentary about the many beneficial advances in agricultural science we have had, in New York City and Los Angeles. I had seen it before, two weeks ago, at the University of Guelph when they flew me in to give a talk. Guelph is an agriculture town, everyone knows a scientist or a farmer, they see the benefits of science and farming, and I wanted to see how that compared to New York City, where anti-science beliefs about food are the norm.
Shaming and blaming isn't part of improving patient safety or resolving the opioid crisis. Healthcare workers and Congress frequently blame others and rarely take personal responsibility, and that's not a culture that fosters reflection and meaningful improvement.
Do physicians act differently when their patient outcomes are reported publicly? Some studies say yes and others no. Now, a new study adds to the confusion.
Using patient safety as a bargaining chip, and a tactic of delay, is unseemly at best and immoral at worst.
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