Memories fade. Like looking through a fogged mirror…or scope
How quickly fades from our minds the delightful memories of our adventures in dreamy Colonoscopyland. Continue reading
Housing as Health Care
If a pharmaceutical representative walked into your office with a new drug that would reduce mortality by 15% and saved society $20,000 per year, would you start to use it in your practice? Continue reading
Influenza 2015
Flu season is here once again and flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older in the United States. Continue reading
The e-cigarette gateway may be a highway
I remain mystified by the debate over whether electronic cigarettes and vaping are more safe than harmful. Especially when this debate involves medical professionals. In July, one of my favorite journals, Annals of Internal Medicine, carried pro and con opinion Continue reading
You are the wind beneath my wings
You may be surprised to find out that normal people pass gas an average of 13.6 times a day (the normal range is between 6 to 20 times a day). We produce and rectally pass between 500 to 2000 ml of flatus per day with the average man passing Continue reading
Prevalence of diabetes: the cup is half empty and half full
In the Sept 8, 2015, issue of JAMA, investigators present new data on the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in U.S. adults as of 2012. A quick scan of the article is an alarming experience, though the authors point out there is some reason for optimism. Continue reading
Not all placebos are created equal
The placebo effect is a very powerful tool, and an intriguing window into the power of the human brain. This blog offered an illuminating post in the past on the power of placebos. We also carried a post on how placebos can mimic the immunosuppressive effect of cyclosporine. Attempting to use placebos in clinical practice is clearly skating out into the Continue reading
The siren call of testosterone supplementation
Testosterone supplementation is a booming business. Direct-to-consumer marketing is expanding, touting the many benefits of testosterone supplements for aging men. If you’re male, over the age of 40, and have experienced tiredness, decreased muscle mass, lower Continue reading
StairWELL to Better Health
The title of this post is the lead-in on an existing CDC program, Healthier Worksite Initiative, that goes hand in hand with the Active Design movement (pun intended) to promote physical activity and to fight obesity. A previous PHC blog pointed out the high Continue reading
Post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use
Traumatic stress is common in American life. 80% of adult Americans will experience one or more traumatic events in their lifetimes. Of these, 13% of women and 6% of men will develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Think of trauma as any event where one is Continue reading