Tag Archives: family physician

A syphilis resurgence!

Las Vegas is experiencing the highest rate of syphilis in the Western United States.   Other sites with a significant increase in cases are Kansas, Pennsylvania and Hawaii. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that has been around since the Roman … Continue reading →

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Asthma increases women’s heart disease risk

A history of asthma was independently associated with a 24% increase in the risk of new-onset heart disease (meaning strokes and heart attacks) among postmenopausal women. The Women’s Health Initiative study including 90,168 women between ages 50 – 79 showed … Continue reading →

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How long does the shingles vaccine stay effective?

… that depends on your health history. If you have an autoimmune disease, the protection against the shingles infection wanes about 5 years after receiving the shingles vaccine.  The most common autoimmune diseases in this research project was rheumatoid arthritis … Continue reading →

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Homemade meals even better!

Another reason to cook a homemade meal… lower risk of type 2 diabetes!  How fantastic is that?! A long-term prospective study of nearly 100,000 health care professionals showed that those who ate an average of 11-14 home-prepared lunches and dinners … Continue reading →

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Prophylactic medicine for HIV

Did you know that there is a daily prophylactic medication that can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV by 90% and drug needle transmission of the virus by 70%?  There is! Only 1/3 of primary care doctors are aware … Continue reading →

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Cough medicine used as a drink?

We are mid “the coughing months” where as a provider I have patients with a cough that may benefit from a codeine cough syrup.  I am growing weary of prescribing promethazine with codeine as this can be doctored into a drink.  … Continue reading →

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Feeling buggy? …learn about scabies.

Scabies is  infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei.  I normally tell patients that “good people get this” as EVERYONE who gets this feels icky (that’s my medical term for it). Where does this infect your skin?  Most commonly in the skin folds, fingers, … Continue reading →

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This is Nevada Influenza Vaccination Week!

Why should you get the flu vaccine?  There are scores of people yearly who are ill due to the flu AND there are thousands (or sometimes TENS of thousands) of people who die each year from influenza. Do I get … Continue reading →

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When should you take your high blood pressure medicine? Does timing matter?

Maybe so!  If you take blood pressure medication, you may receive more benefit if you take at least one of the pills  at bedtime. Taking the medication at bedtime was associated with lower diabetes risk.  This was based on a … Continue reading →

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Should doctors write prescriptions for non-patients?

I recently was asked to write a prescription a controlled substance (like pain pill/ sleeping pill) for a non-patient.  This was my first time in 20 years of doctoring to address this.  I said “no” gently, but firmly.   This decision was not taken well and there … Continue reading →

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