Month: September 2012

As I mentioned in this morning's blog, What if your son asks, "Am I gay?", I wrote two chapters on the topic of homosexuality for my book The Ultimate Guys' Body Book: Not-so-stupid questions about your body. The book was written for boys heading toward and through puberty and their parents. The two chapters I submitted were not printed in the book, as the publisher felt the material was a bit "too mature" for young boys. See if you agree or disagree. (more…)

This is the first of two chapters I wrote for boys on the topic of homosexuality for my book The Ultimate Guys' Body Book: Not-so-stupid questions about your body. The book was written for boys heading toward and through puberty and their parents. The two chapters I submitted were not printed in the book, as the publisher felt the material was a bit "too mature" for young boys. See if you agree or disagree. (more…)

The New York Times reports, "Technology aimed at preventing the deaths of children in hot vehicles is no substitute for careful caregiving, federal officials said, describing some products being sold as 'unreliable.'" (more…)

ABC World News reported that emergency departments (EDs) "are seeing four times the number of parents injured while walking while distracted." (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports that although some doctors who treat obesity patients hailed the FDA's recent approval of Qsymia and Belviq – the agency's first diet-drug approvals in more than a decade – as an advancement in weight-loss treatment, many weight-loss specialists have been prescribing variations of the two drugs off-label for the past 10 years. (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced that individuals who face a low risk of cardiovascular disease should NOT undergo routine screening with electrocardiography (ECG). This makes sense to me. In over 30 years of practice, I can think of NO routine EKG in a low-risk patient, at least during an annual health-maintenence or preventive medicine exam, that has changed my treatment plan or therapy. (more…)

Reuters reports that research suggests that a 2008 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation discouraging prostate cancer testing in older men has led to a decline in the rate of early-stage prostate cancer in this group. (more…)

The Washington Post reports that although "vertigo can be frightening and lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches and other symptoms," the "solution is more simple than you might think." (more…)

Not only did the ibuprofen work for preventing altitude or mountain sickness, it was as effective as the prescription medications acetazolamide or dexamethasone. (more…)

Clinical question:
Do leg stretching exercises immediately before bedtime reduce the frequency and severity of nocturnal leg cramps in older adults? Bottom line:
Exercises for stretching calf and hamstrings muscles immediately before bedtime significantly reduce both the frequency and severity of nocturnal leg cramps in older adults. (more…)

Outcomes for tinnitus are better when cognitive-behavioral therapy is added to audiological therapies. Tinnitus is common and potentially debilitating; treatment is not standardized and often is fragmented and poorly coordinated. (more…)

Reuters  reported that non-anemic women with persistent, unexplained fatigue and lower-than-usual iron levels may benefit by taking iron supplements, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. (more…)

The AP eports, "With nearly 18,000 cases" of whooping cough "so far this year, health officials say this is shaping up to be the worst national epidemic in more than 50 years for the highly contagious disease." The article offers advice to the public, including: "make sure your child is up-to-date on vaccination against whooping cough, or pertussis." The CDC also "advises parents to see a doctor if they or their children develop prolonged or severe coughing fits, vomiting and exhaustion."  (more…)

The AP reports that physicians "are still debating" whether all kids should undergo cholesterol screening, "months after a government-appointed panel recommended widespread screening that would lead to prescribing medicine for some" children. (more…)

In the New York Times "Well" blog, Jane E. Brody writes, "Concern is mounting that the 'breast is best' dogma is creating undeserved guilt and serious hardships for a growing number of new mothers.” (more…)

I came across this article recently, from ABC News, and thought you might enjoy it: (more…)

I came across this article recently, from ABC News, and thought you might enjoy it: (more…)

The Boston Globe reports, "Two HIV-positive patients in Boston who underwent bone marrow transplants for cancer were later found to have undetectable blood levels of HIV, according to research presented at the 2012 International AIDS Conference." (more…)

On its website, ABC News reports that shift workers may face an increased "risk of heart attack and stroke," according to research published in the British Medical Journal. Investigators "analyzed the findings of 34 studies that included more than two million people who had work schedules including anything other than regular daytime hours." (more…)

My second interview with Dr. James Dobson about "Boys and Puberty," and my book, The Ultimate Guys' Body Book: Not-so-studid questions about your body, is airing nationally on the radio program, "Family Talk," today. I hope you'll listen in! (more…)

The Time "Healthland" blog reports, "A Dutch study finds that high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar are the norm, not the exception, among severely overweight children and adolescents." (more…)

My interviews with Dr. James Dobson about "Boys and Puberty," and my book, The Ultimate Guys' Body Book: Not-so-studid questions about your body, are airing nationally on the radio program, "Family Talk," today (Part 1) and tomorrow (Part 2). I hope you'll listen in! (more…)

Bloomberg News reports, "A South Dakota law requiring doctors to advise prospective abortion patients that they will face an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts as a result of the procedure is lawful and can be enforced, a US appeals court ruled." (more…)

News that the US is experiencing an unusually high number of pertussis cases this year received extensive coverage, particularly online, as well as on network news broadcasts, where it received more than six minutes of coverage. Most sources point to the role of vaccines in preventing the spread of pertussis. (more…)

On its website, ABC News reports that "researchers at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London tested a polypill consisting of three blood pressure medications – amlodipine, losartan, and hydrochlorothiazide – along with simvastatin, a cholesterol-busting drug," and "found that during a three-month period, a single polypill significantly lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels in 84 study participants who were age 50 and older and had no history of cardiovascular disease." (more…)

The AP reports, "Doctors have reversed allergies in some children and teens by giving them tiny daily doses of problem foods, gradually training their immune systems to accept them." In one case, "about a dozen kids were able to overcome allergies to eggs," while "some of the same doctors used a similar approach on several kids with peanut allergies a few years ago." For the effort to work, "it takes special products, a year or more and close supervision because severe reactions remain a risk" according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (more…)

Prepping for a "virtual colonoscopy" at the Mayo Clinic now only involves swallowing four cleansing tablets, rather than the large amounts of liquid laxative typically required, researchers report. This summer, Mayo embraced the tablet bowel prep as its standard of care for patients undergoing noninvasive colonography, which relies on a CT scan to generate a 3-D snapshot of the patient's colon and rectum. (more…)

The Los Angeles Times "Science Now" blog reported that, "The Food and Drug Administration...approved a new drug for cleansing the colon before colonoscopy exams that requires drinking only 10 ounces of the product, not the two liters required with some current products such as Go Lightly.” (more…)

The Boston Globe reports in its "Daily Dose" blog, "The approval this week of a new weight loss pill called Qsymia (phentermine/topirimate) means that doctors will soon be able to prescribe two new drugs to help overweight people shed pounds." (more…)

Coverage of the FDA's approval of Vivus' Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) was extensive with a focus on adding to the options available to physicians and patients for treating obesity. All stories noted previous problems with weight loss medications and the FDA's previous rejection of it, as well as the other weight loss medication approved earlier this year. Stories also mentioned dangers of birth defects and worries about heart attacks. (more…)