Month: February 2014

According to Online Masters in Public Health, “Thanks in part to a debunked study linking vaccines and autism, many parents are refusing to have their children vaccinated against common disease. As the number of children inoculated against serious diseases falls, the risk to public health increases.” You can see the very impressive data and graphics here. (more…)

I have a lot of patients ask my advice for treating colds. And even though they’re common, the list of possible treatments is uncommonly long. Well, here’s what the best research recommends. (more…)

It's cold and flu season, which means many people are reaching for vitamin C, as it may modestly reduce cold symptoms (although it won't prevent a cold).  What they may not know is that taking too much vitamin C may also cause stomach upset and diarrhea and, if used long-term, potentially, other negative effects. (more…)

You can have over two thousand milligrams of this substance each day and still be within a healthy guideline. Yet, most Americans double that. Just a simple reduction could mean fewer deaths from strokes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure. (more…)

The Washington Post reports on a mouse study published in Science Translational Medicine, which “suggests that high doses” of antioxidant supplements “may do more harm than good in patients with certain types of cancer.” (more…)

Just about every celebration involving your kids probably includes balloons. Even many restaurants automatically give one to families with young children. Well I hate to deflate the party, but I have some news that may cause a few balloons to pop. (more…)

A new study finds that many kids who are overweight in kindergarten will end up becoming obese by early adolescence. (more…)

Where do you sit at the great debate—are you a splitter or not? Doctors and pharmacists often take different sides on whether or not splitting pills is safe. So, which side is right? (more…)

USA Today reports that according to a study published PLoS One, “Midwestern firefighters who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet had fewer risk factors for heart disease than those who didn’t eat this type of diet.” (more…)

You want your children to excel in the classroom? Just have them focus on the “Three R’s”: Reading, Writing and … Running? Well, don’t forget arithmetic. But don’t overlook the importance of keeping your child’s body, and not just their brain, fit. (more…)

MedScape News is reporting a study showing that resistance training can increase the production of sex steroids in the muscles of older men. If borne out by further research, the findings could have important implications for a wide range of conditions experienced by many aging individuals and linked to a decline in sex steroid hormones, say Koji Sato, PhD, and colleagues from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan in their report in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. (more…)

New research suggests a link between testosterone supplements and heart attacks. USA Today reports that the study, published in PLOS One, found that “taking testosterone therapy doubled the risk of heart attack among men over age 65 and nearly tripled the risk in younger men with a history of heart disease.” (more…)

The New York Times “Well” blog reports that according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “becoming physically active in middle age, even if someone has been sedentary for years, substantially reduces the likelihood that he or she will become seriously ill or physically disabled in retirement.” (more…)

Here’s a question I get asked a lot: “Which diet is the best to lose weight?” There’s a lot to weigh out when it comes to diets, mainly because there is a buffet of approaches and opinions. And frankly, many are bad ones. But is there a "best one"? (more…)

The Huffington Post reports that a mouse study published in Cancer Research suggests that “disrupted sleep could accelerate cancer growth due to its negative effects on the immune system.” (more…)

The teen years—a time for learning to drive, going to that first prom, and … fighting breast cancer? That may sound far-fetched, but some experts believe breast cancer prevention should start as early as puberty. (more…)

NBC News reports on its website that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that dengue fever is present in parts of the southern US, following its apparent role in the October death of a 63-year-old Texas woman. One of the complications involving this disease in the US is that it is misdiagnosed as the flu or West Nile virus (WNV), as patients carrying flu-like symptoms do not generally receive testing for other diseases. (more…)

It’s been said your body speaks to you, but when it comes to men and their heart, many aren’t listening. Research shows for most men suffering sudden cardiac arrest, the condition wasn’t sudden at all. The men just ignored the early warning signs. (more…)

Significant coverage was given to a study by Consumer Reports on 4-MeI levels in caramel coloring in Pepsi and other soft drinks, highlighting the link between the compound and cancer in animals. (more…)

Laundry packs are a hot trend when it comes to doing that weekly wash. They’re concentrated, convenient, effective, and … are easy to eat. Now, that last part isn’t exactly a benefit, but unfortunately it’s happening in many homes with young children, with hazardous results. (more…)

On its website, NBC News reports that research published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests “that exposure to mild cold temperatures – around 64 to 66 degrees – can help you lose weight.” The researchers “hypothesize that setting the thermostat to a cooler temperature will make our bodies work harder to warm themselves – which means more calories burned.” (more…)

You just wrapped up Valentine’s Day, and chocolate has been the staple food in many diets. That’s good news! Well, sort of. Now I don’t advocate overindulgence, but here are a few reasons you can enjoy the rest of your Valentine’s dark chocolate without guilt. (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports that parents of children with certain seizure disorders are pushing for expanded medicinal use of a marijuana extract named cannabidiol (CBD). (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reports that “though synthetic marijuana has, until recently, triggered relatively few emergency room admissions,” experts say that “a sudden surge in illnesses at hospitals in Denver may presage similar outbreaks in other parts of the country.” (more…)

The CNN “The Chart” blog reports that research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that “hand washing and possibly taking zinc seem to be the best ways to avoid getting sick.” (more…)

A mom asked me, “How can I keep all of us from getting sick once one of us is?” Wow. If you have kids, that’s the eternal question. The spread of colds is not hard to prevent, as there’s plenty you can do to suppress those sniffles. (more…)

USA Today reports that research published in PLOS ONE “found that healthy people who read or send texts while hoofing it show subtle but potentially hazardous changes to their gait.” (more…)

Weakness on one side of the body, droopiness of the facial muscles, or slurred speech—these are classic symptoms of what life-threatening condition? If you said "a stroke," you’re right. But, if you have those symptoms, what should you do? Hopefully more than most of us. (more…)