Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yoga. Ohhhhmmmmm…

Can yoga reduce symptoms of depression and/or anxiety?  Yes! Multiple randomized controlled trials used various yoga interventions in diverse study populations.  It was found that yoga improves overall symptom scores of both depression and anxiety by 40%! How great!  No … Continue reading

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Teething medications to avoid…

Teething medication .  It sounds like a good idea. . . to make the mouth numb.  But, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the topical pain relievers are not effective because they wash out of the child’s … Continue reading

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Cervical cancer screening. Who gets them? How often?

Cervical cancer screening is easily done with a pap smear.  The pap smear has successfully reduced mortality from cervical cancer since it was introduced in mid 20th century.  We now know that nearly 100% of cervical cancer specimens will test … Continue reading

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Measles.

I wish measles were a disease of the past.  I have been a practicing physician for 19 years and I have never seen measles outside of a journal.  But, I am on the lookout! The CDC reports that the U.S. … Continue reading

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Obesity is the enemy.

Yes!  Severely obese individuals may lose as many as 14 years off their life. 20 previous studies were pooled and it was found that a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 raised the odds of dying early from heart … Continue reading

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Mom was right! Eat your veggies.

Want to decrease your risk of dying? Eat your fruits and vegetables. The following information was garnered from a British study of 65,000 people for 12 years. Eating seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables daily decreased risk of … Continue reading

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Measles outbreak?!

Oh no!  The Centers for disease control and Prevention (CDC) is warning us physicians to remain alert for symptoms of measles. Yes, this was once considered an “eliminated” infection.  But, as of May 30, 2014, a total of 334 confirmed … Continue reading

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Tattoos? Think before you ink.

As of 2012, 1 in 5 adults had a tattoo.  This is up from 14% in 2008.  Truthfully, tattoos are usually trouble-free.  But tattoos can pose health risks… Unsterilized tools. Contaminated ink. Scarring. Blood-borne diseases (HIV and hepatitis). Toxins in … Continue reading

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Patients don’t fill their prescriptions?!

What?  Actually, 1/3 of prescriptions go UNfilled.  The fancy word for this is “nonadherence.” A Canadian study followed nearly 16,000 patients.  The results: nonadherence most often this occurs due to prescribing expensive drugs and preventive therapies for chronic conditions. Also, … Continue reading

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Aspirin is not needed if you do not have a history of heart attack or stroke

Again,  aspirin is not needed if you do not have a history of heart attack or stroke. There ARE benefits to taking an aspirin per day if you have a history of cardiovascular disease, but there is increased risk of bleeding … Continue reading

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