Women’s Health
August 18, 2018
The Valsartan Fiasco
Contaminated valsartan antihypertensive medication was discovered and is being recalled. No one is likely to have been injured by the NDMA contamination, but we intend to switch everyone to irbesartan, a comparable medication in the same ARB class that has not shown any contamination issues.
June 4, 2018
AIMOVIG for Severe Migraines
AIMOVIG is a new monoclonal antibody preventive treatment for chronic and severe episodic migraine that appears to be effective and safe. This is the first new news in a long time in this field.
April 29, 2018
Sweets Are for Treats and Other Nutrition Tips
Many recent articles on nutrition and dieting in various publications echoed what I have advised for several decades. I recap 10 of the major takeaways.
March 5, 2018
Silky Smooth “Almondmilk”? Really?
So-called "almondmilk" is not milk but an emulsion of a few almonds in water combined with chalk and vitamins. Let's look through the marketing haze to find the facts.
February 18, 2018
Fish Oil Supplements Do Not Help Humans
Fish oil supplements do not prevent damage or death from heart disease or strokes, according to a new meta-analysis in JAMA Cardiology. But salmon is tasty.
December 6, 2017
Shingrix: New! Improved! Shingles Vaccine Coming
Shingrix is a new highly effective vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster) infections that has been approved by the FDA and will be available early in 2018. We plan to offer it to everyone over age 50, including those of you who have had Zostavax or had the shingles infection. Shingles is chicken-pox revisited.
May 8, 2017
We Are All Preexisting Conditions
The Republican-passed American Health Care Act reintroduces medical underwriting and preexisting conditions into health care. It will take us back to the dark ages of health care that were even worse than you remember now.
March 6, 2017
Lowering the Bar on Blood Pressure
Recent SPRINT study showed that lowering the goal for treatment of high blood pressure to 120 systolic substantially reduced death from heart disease and stroke compared to older target of 140 systolic in older adults.
February 2, 2015
Salt, More Salt, Yet Again
Another study demonstrates that salt-restricted diets are not needed for most people in their 70's. People with important heart and kidney disease are another story.
January 31, 2015
Benadryl, Amitriptyline May Promote Dementia
Common drugs with anticholinergic properties (such as older antihistamines, many antidepressants, and antispasmodics for the bladder and intestine, may impair memory and promote dementia if used for long periods.
January 11, 2015
Tanning Beds Are Stupid and Dangerous
Tanning salons provide intense UV radiation that ages your skin and induces deadly skin cancers. How stupid to pay to seriously damage yourself.
April 2, 2014
Mammography: More “Guidance” But No Clarity
New review of mammography in JAMA explores our lack of coherent or easily applied decision-making about the benefits and risks of the test and whether and when women should undergo screening mammograms