A Bump on the Head

Even a minor blow to the head can lead to serious trouble. A close relative of mine is an active, sharp guy in his 80's. He was hospitalized a few weeks ago with an infection and like many older folks, he wasn't aware of how weak he was and he tried to get out of the hospital bed and go to the bathroom and "whoops", he slipped and fell. Hospitals all have procedures in place to prevent falls and

Update from the Medical Journals

This should be welcome news for all those parents who have been saying "Stop playing those video games...you'll never amount to anything...." Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons Surgeons in the 21st century need to have different skills than in the past. Laparoscopic surgery requires a different hand/eye coordination that is similar to the equipment maneuvers and screens that kids use in

EverythingHealth Depends Upon a Clean Environment

I took these photos last year in Alaska. We saw the melting icebergs up close.It is so great to hear someone like Lee Iacocca admit that Vice-President Al Gore had a major impact on him and he is now hip to the reality of global warming and the fact that American needs a real energy/environmental policy. If the former chairman of Chrysler Corporation, the origin of America's love of gas guzzling

The Supreme Court-against medical opinion

The U.S. Supreme Court has put the health of women at risk with their 5 to 4 decision to uphold a congressional decision banning intact dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion this week. Despite the fact that there is clear medical consensus that intact D&E is safer than alternative procedures for the mother in certain circumstances, the Supreme Court overruled six Federal courts that said the

Chondroitin for Arthritis - save your money

I'll give you the take away summary first: A new study from the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that chondroitin sulfate does not work to relieve arthritis pain. Before you fire off a comment that mentions how much it helped Aunt Tilly....the postscript is that there were no frequent or severe adverse affects so go ahead and take it if you think it helps you.Osteoarthritis affects millions of

When Boss Lives Large - time to sell stock

I was on vacation this week and catching up on reading some non-medical journal news. I came across one piece in the Wall Street Journal that I wanted to share. It ties into EverytingHealth because losing hard earned money is usually not good for one's mental health.It seems that when a CEO of a publicly traded company buys a trophy home, investors should use that as a clue to sell their stock.

Recall Mouthwash

Just a quick note to let readers know that Johnsons and Johnsons has recalled 4 million bottles of Listerine Agent Cool Blue Glacier Mint and Bubble Blast (for kids) mouth rinse. Both show contamination with bacteria.

The Uninsured - Don't think it won't be you!

Today I got a copy of a letter a daughter of a friend sent to Blue Cross of California Insurance: "Today I was notified that my healthy, young, family of four was denied further health coverage on our current plan because we went to the doctor for routine health appointments. We are not sick. We have no history of sickness. We work, we exercise, and we eat right. We pay our premiums on time. We

Calcium and Your Bones - Mini Medical School

One of my patients said she heard calcium supplements are not that important in post menopausal women. She couldn't be more wrong. Read this and you will be as informed as most physicians about calcium and bone health.2/3 of our bone mass is made up of the mineral calcium phosphate. Because bone is alive, there is constant removal and replacement of calcium, called bone remodeling. The

Cost of The War - wouldn't you rather have health care?

It is hard to get my head around the figures that are published about how much the War in Iraq is costing. At the end of 2006, BEFORE the surge, the total cost to America was somewhere between $750 billion (conservative estimate) and $1.2 trillion. I don't know what a trillion is. It's like counting grains of sand or stars in the sky. But I do know what treating disease costs and the comparisons

High Blood Pressure - The Silent Killer

So much has been written about hypertension (high blood pressure) that we physicians think patients already know all there is to know. We forget that of the 50 million Americans that have hypertension, 1/3 don't even know they have it. Also, it is human nature to pay attention to something only when it has a direct connection to our lives. As we age, high blood pressure becomes more of an issue.

Life after Katrina - The Disaster Continues

It has been 18 months since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and Mississippi. Within a few days of the flooding, as the city was being evacuated, I went to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to offer medical help. It was a life changing experience to be in the heart of such a disaster and I am keenly interested in how the people are getting their lives back.Katrina took a terrible toll. Fifteen hundred

Journal Update

It's been a confusing week with two different studies on breast MRI. I have already had a number of patients call, trying to figure out what it means.MRI for ScreeningThe American Cancer Society released new guidelines for use of MRI breast screening. They recommend screening for women who have been tested and are positive for the genotype BRCA 1 or 2 or for those that are first degree relatives