Common Medical Questions

Patients often ask common and straight forward questions,and physicians try to give answers that are sound. But often we don't have scientific evidence for answering questions. I always look for studies and proof that what I am doing and saying to patients, has basis in up-to-date facts. Here are some common questions where we DO have science to back up the answers.Q: Are Statin drugs safe for

Recall on Contact Lens Solution

Advanced Medical Optics has recalled its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution because of an association with Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). (This is an amoeba infection!)The Center for Disease Control (CDC) described two case-control analyses showing an elevated risk for AK among users of the solution. AK, which is caused by a common waterborne amoeba, can result in vision loss or

Old age - it happens

The physician writer, Atul Gawande, has written a great article on how we age in The New Yorker. Let's face it, we are all going in the same direction..every one of us! Here are a few tidbits from Dr. Gawande's article:* The average life span in developed countries is 80 years. (At the time of the Roman Empire, the life expectancy was 28 years!)* Only six percent of longevity is inherited from

Obesity - all in the genes?

A new article published in Science has pointed to a common variant of a gene that may predispose some individuals to obesity. There is one particular position in the human DNA sequence that was found to increase an individuals risk of obesity by 67%. This variant is present in over half of the population and one sixth of the population has 2 copies of the gene....which explains why some

For Everythinghealth- we need better leaders

The most inspiring article from The New York Times shows us that true leadership is what the world needs to get us back on track. Each of us has a responsibility to be our own leader, as well as make sure we stay informed and hold business accountable for doing the right thing. Read about this corporate giant. He leads the pack!

Jack London---the cure worse than the disease?

I love medical history and marvel at the fact that future generations will look back on our medical treatments and see them as backward and primitive. America's famous author Jack London (Call of the Wild, White Fang,The Seawolf) died at age 40 in 1916. A writer, explorer,rancher and social activist, he traveled extensively and visited the South Pacific in 1907. It was there that he contracted a

Aspirin- the Wonder Drug

Despite the new pharmacologic and technologic discoveries that are being introduced to treat disease, the humble aspirin (acetylsalicytic acid) remains the true wonder drug. If I were stuck on a desert island with one drug, I would want it to be aspirin. It works for fever, pain, inflammation and topically as a wart remover!More than 50 million Americans take aspirin daily to prevent heart attack

What is Torture? Archives of General Psychiatry weighs in

Following all the reports of human rights abuses by the US military in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, a report in Archives of General Psychiatry has studied various forms of ill treatment during captivity in terms of their relative psychological impact. They found that psychological manipulations, humiliating treatment and forced stress positions cause the same severity of mental

Motherhood

They say the only time your child is really all yours is when they are in the womb. At the time of birth, they begin their own life journey and you are there as a guide. For a few years you are guiding all the time and their journey is mapped out by you. It doesn't take long to realize that you can set the course but the child will take their own path that has nothing to do with where you thought

Oral Contraceptive Use and Ability to Get Pregnant

There is a common thought among women that use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills) might affect the ability to get pregnant in the future. Now a definitive study has shown that use of oral contraceptives has no affect on a woman's ability to conceive after she stops the pill.A large study reported in Obstet gynecol looked at 60,000 new pill users. They followed the women who stopped the

More Omega 3 FFA's

A few days ago I wrote about the benefits of Omega 3 supplements and I now find YET ANOTHER study that supports this cheap and amazing supplement. The Lancet reported on a large study of 19,000 Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia. The patients who were given 1800mg/day of Omega 3(EPA) capsules in addition to low dose Statins (Pravachol and Mevacor,) had a 19% lower incidence of non-fatal

Patient Safety - Our New Focus

I attended a conference today that dealt with a good trend that is sweeping U.S. Healthcare- called the Patient Safety movement. The Institute of Medicine published a shocking report in 1999 that showed as many as 98,000 people die from serious hospital medical errors each year. It is the equivalent of a full jumbo jet crashing each day! That made everyone sit up and take notice and started us

Omega 3 - Why we need 'em

The medical journals are filled with study after study touting the proven health benefits of Omega 3 Free Fatty Acids (Omega 3 FFA)in our diet. These fatty acids are called "essential" because they cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained through diet or supplements. There are three types of Omega 3 FFA: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), alpha-linolenic acid (AHA) and eicosapentaenoic