Conditions

Are e-cigarettes harming your reproductive health?

Conditions

August 27, 2024

In recent years, e-cigarettes have emerged as a popular alternative to traditional cigarettes, often marketed as a safer choice. However, accumulating evidence reveals that e-cigarettes pose significant risks, particularly to reproductive health. This concern is especially urgent given the ongoing decline in fertility rates across the United States, which have reached historic lows in recent years. As a reproductive specialist, I find it crucial to address these risks and emphasize …

Why we need to stop blaming people for their diabetes

Sonia Yung

Conditions

August 27, 2024

“You brought this on yourself with poor eating habits and bad lifestyle choices.”

If you or someone you know has diabetes, you have likely heard this harmful misconception or even thought it yourself.

While the federal government’s proposed pharmacare legislation has spotlighted diabetes—with diabetes medications to be among the first prescriptions included in a new national pharmacare plan—erroneous assumptions and negative judgments about the condition persist.

It is time that we erased the …

Closing the colorectal cancer screening gap: the need for clear guidance on the use of new screening options

Dominique E. Howard, MD

Conditions

August 26, 2024

As a practicing gastroenterologist, I never want to say to a patient: “You have advanced colon cancer.” Just last week, I discovered an early colon cancer in an asymptomatic patient who was referred to me after a positive result on a non-invasive multi-target stool DNA test. The patient was grateful we caught it and recognized that if it was not for that positive test, she was hesitant to have a …

Is skin really the largest organ? The truth might surprise you.

Richard D. Sontheimer, MD

Conditions

August 26, 2024

While driving to work one morning, I heard a radio commercial for a men’s fragrance product. In that commercial, the male actor boldly stated that “the skin is the largest organ.” Additionally, I had heard or read this same statement several times earlier that same week.

Dictionaries define dictum (synonyms: saying, proverb, maxim, aphorism) as a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source or a short, pithy expression identified with a particular …

Latest advancements in inflatable penile implants: a men’s health urologist’s perspective

Justin Houman, MD

Conditions

August 26, 2024

As a man, the idea of worsening erectile function as we age is quite daunting. Although Viagra and Cialis provide relief for many, there are many more who do not respond well to these medications. In these situations, the inflatable penile implant is a valuable option for addressing erectile dysfunction.

As a urologist dedicated to improving the quality of life for men dealing with erectile dysfunction (ED), I have witnessed remarkable …

Many kids benefit from GLP-1s. What happens when they have to stop taking them?

Natalie Muth, MD, MPH

Conditions

August 24, 2024

At the November 2022 Obesity Week in San Diego, it was clear something big was happening. A late-breaking session released results of the STEP TEENS phase IIIa trial, showing 16 percent weight loss in adolescents with obesity treated with once-weekly semaglutide (Wegovy) for 68 weeks. The side effects were manageable and similar to those experienced in adults: nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

A month later, semaglutide received FDA approval for weight management …

From plant milk to human milk: the untapped climate solution

Emily Little, PhD

Conditions

August 23, 2024

Did you know? August 22nd marks World Plant Milk Day. Get ready for a creamy, non-dairy cheers! Once just reserved for soy, the list of alternate milk options now includes everything from macadamia to hemp to flax to rice milk.

But has anyone stopped to wonder why our milk craze, first ignited with the glass bottle deliveries of 1878 and now perpetuated with the bougiest …

The hidden impact of pharmacy benefit companies on fertility treatments

Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, MD

Conditions

August 22, 2024

Fertility treatments are a challenging journey filled with emotional highs and lows. For many, these treatments represent the hope of starting or growing a family. However, one of the less obvious but critical aspects of this journey involves pharmacy benefit companies (PBCs). These companies play a significant role in determining access to fertility medications, and their influence can create unexpected barriers for patients and health care providers alike.

Pharmacy benefit companies …

Renal denervation: a solution for hypertension patients worldwide

Jeremy Bock, MD

Conditions

August 22, 2024

Hypertension, known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a global epidemic. It impacts a staggering 1.28 billion people, more than a third of the adult population, and is the leading cause of death globally.

The most frightening part?

More than 75 percent of people with HBP don’t have it under control – current treatments, like lifestyle changes and medications, aren’t working for many patients. Millions of Americans, including many of …

President Biden: a closer look at leadership, dignity, and aging

Kevin Haselhorst, MD

Conditions

August 21, 2024

The fatal blow to President Biden’s reelection bid came during the debate when he appeared to have a stroke. The insult of being “too old” haunted and hounded him ever since. How quickly did Biden need to end his campaign to save face?

Dignity grants the certainty of whether three seconds, three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks, or three months is reasonable to pull the plug on sustainability and …

Spinal revolution: Navigating a digital future in surgical precision

Steven D. Glassman, MD

Conditions

August 21, 2024

With an expected 80 percent increase in demand for spinal surgery by 2060, particularly among older patients, the need for advanced technology driving personalized treatment is clear. Achieving optimal spine outcomes while deriving critical data that facilitates continuous improvement is limited in the current state by operating room technology narrowly focused on optimizing safe screw placement. While this is a valuable capability, integrating more advanced surgical navigation and artificial intelligence …

Compassion in medicine: How palliative care changes lives

Emina Begovic, PA-C

Conditions

August 20, 2024

Health care providers dedicate years to rigorous education and training to optimize medical care, aiming to heal and treat illness. However, historically, there has been a significant gap in training regarding the transition from a treatment-focused approach to focusing on providing comfort in the face of serious illness and death. This leaves health care professionals unprepared to navigate the complexities of end-of-life care. Despite their good intentions, health are providers …

Your baby is fine; her lips aren’t blue

Tomi Mitchell, MD

Conditions

August 20, 2024

I remember these words as if it were yesterday. Those memories are etched into my mind forever. I can’t forget them, nor do I want to, because I know that these experiences are not unique to me but happen all too often.

When my second child was four days old, I had her home with me, surrounded by family. It had been a busy few weeks because, for this pregnancy, I …

Read more…

Your baby is fine; her lips aren’t blue

The hidden connection between dementia and PTSD

Scott Janssen, MSW, LCSW

Conditions

August 20, 2024

Health care professionals working with dementia patients should be aware that a higher-than-average percentage of their patients are likely to have PTSD.

Research has found that people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to have a higher likelihood of developing dementia than those who do not. A meta-analysis of evidence on PTSD and dementia risk, for example, found that people diagnosed with PTSD are up to twice as likely to …

How compassionate communities can transform the lives of schizophrenia patients

Dr. Farees Ahmad Khan & Dr. Sarah Alnaher

Conditions

August 19, 2024

While working as psychiatrists, we have the pleasure of working very closely with our patients as well as their friends and family. During these interactions, we get to know a lot about their struggles. In this blog, I want to focus on what we as a community can do to help patients as well as their families dealing with schizophrenia.

I saw an elderly lady admitted to the inpatient psychiatry unit …

Unlock your child’s potential: the power of nurturing hidden talents

Dr. Farees Ahmad Khan

Conditions

August 16, 2024

What do you do to make your child confident? Do you tell them that they are amazing? Do you say that they are smart? Do they believe you?

Today, I am going to share the story of an autistic child who was brought to the doctor after a severe mental breakdown at school. His school had completely given up on him; they asked his parents to transfer him to another school …

The surprising truth about where intimacy really begins

Diana Londoño, MD

Conditions

August 16, 2024

Intimacy starts outside the bedroom. Most people think intimacy occurs inside, but it seems to me this could not be farther from the truth.

Intimacy is a taboo topic in our society. I am not referring to only physical intimacy but also emotional and spiritual. For some reason, it makes us uncomfortable; it rattles us.

Intimacy is about honesty, love, and connection. It starts with connection, but the other pillars are essential.

Our …

From devotion to despair: a teacher’s fight against glioblastoma

Dr. Damane Zehra

Conditions

August 15, 2024

He was only 31 years old. He had a beard and was a very tall and incredibly handsome man. He was a teacher who used to teach the Holy Quran to young children in a faraway village in Punjab. He used to offer his prayers regularly. He did not go to school or college but was a productive member of society. He worked at a tailor shop and used to …

How to rewire your brain with positive language

Faust Ruggiero

Conditions

August 15, 2024

Language is a powerful internal influencer. You use language to communicate with yourself, just as you do with others. Language is the byproduct of what you think and helps create, define, and redefine the way you think. An angry person is more likely to have negative thoughts. If your internal language is negative about yourself, the people in your life, or your environment, you may come to believe what you …

Mediterranean diet boosts teen academic success

Marc Arginteanu, MD

Conditions

August 14, 2024

In 2024, Chilean scientists reported their findings on interesting research. They investigated the correlation between adolescent academic achievement and eating style. The researchers studied over a thousand kids between the ages of ten and fourteen.

A portion of the kids enjoyed a balanced and healthy Mediterranean diet. When they used oil, it was most likely extra-virgin olive oil. They packed their plates with boatloads of vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, and …

Conditions

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