The dark psychology of medical con-men

Conditions
August 28, 2024

Paolo Macchiarini, MD, is a thoracic surgeon and regenerative medicine researcher who gained international fame for pioneering surgeries that involved implanting synthetic tracheas seeded with the patient’s own stem cells. However, Macchiarini’s career came to a halt when allegations of scientific misconduct, ethical breaches, and fraudulent practices surfaced. Several of his patients experienced severe complications, and some died as a result of his experimental surgeries. Investigations revealed that Macchiarini …

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Why surgeons are superstitious [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 27, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of rituals and superstitions in surgery with Carmen Fong, a colorectal surgeon. Discover how these seemingly irrational practices impact surgeon performance, confidence, and patient …

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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 …

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How lifestyle medicine can change your life

Physician
August 27, 2024

You read many articles and watch countless videos online where life coaches offer advice on how to fix your life. This might seem like one of those boring articles. Well—I hope not! Maybe just a little … but stick with me.

Today, I want to discuss a relatively new branch of medicine called lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle medicine focuses on everyday practices that can both prevent and cure many chronic illnesses, sparing …

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Why we need to stop blaming people for their diabetes

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 …

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A doctor’s guide to healing from within [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 26, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Scott Abramson, a retired neurologist with over 40 years of experience, to discuss the pervasive issue of physician burnout and moral injury. Scott shares his insights on the external …

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

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 …

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

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 …

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

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 …

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A medical student’s transformative encounter with end-of-life care [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 25, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Ellie Qian, a medical student, to discuss the profound experiences that shape the journey of becoming a compassionate health care professional. Ellie shares a transformative encounter from her first …

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A strategic approach for leveraging Lyapunov functions in health care artificial intelligence

Physician
August 25, 2024

When it comes to science and medicine, knowing where you are and where you want to go is only part of the problem. That’s because no matter how strictly you try to control your system, chaos theory dictates that there will be perturbations which, if not corrected for, will lead you far astray. Trying to stay on course in a dynamic environment has been a problem since humanity began traveling …

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How these doctors overcame ethnic conflict to unite in medicine

Physician
August 25, 2024

In 2024, I met a Tamil doctor at an event. We spoke of memories from our childhood in Sri Lanka. We had one stark memory to share: burning bodies in stacks of tires, with beheaded human beings nearby. This was life in the Sinhalese-Tamil ethnic war in the eighties, nineties, and beyond, coupled with a Marxist-Leninist insurrection in the country.

Yet, there we were, two doctors, one born a Tamil and …

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Pelvic floor dysfunction: the overlooked health crisis [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 24, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Carine Carmy, a health care executive, to explore the often overlooked world of pelvic floor health. Carine shares her personal journey and sheds light on why many women, like …

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

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 …

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Clinicians should not overlook the benefits of botanicals and dietary supplements

Meds
August 24, 2024

A patient recently came to my office seeking antibiotics for her viral URI symptoms. After a shared decision-making discussion on using Echinacea (an immunostimulant with antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects) instead, we were able to forgo the unnecessary antibiotic. Approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults report concurrently taking a dietary supplement with a prescription medicine. As a resident physician in primary care, I regularly receive questions from patients regarding …

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An inspirational journey through chemotherapy and immunotherapy [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 23, 2024
YouTube video

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Join Deborah C. Smith, a nurse who shares her courageous battle with T-cell lymphocytic leukemia and aplastic anemia. Diagnosed in 2017, Deborah navigated extreme fatigue, frequent transfusions, and challenging chemotherapy regimens before finding …

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How a doctor transformed grief into personal growth

Physician
August 23, 2024

This season, I’m living even more fully into who I am behind the scrubs and stethoscope. I’m deepening my understanding of whether I’m operating in my highest energy versus operating from stress and fear.

When my mother passed away months ago, I was thrust into unbelievable grief. I looked to family and friends who had lost a parent and wondered how they got through it. I wanted the pain to stop. …

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From plant milk to human milk: the untapped climate solution

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 …

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