Month: December 2014

Here's a listing of the most viewed blogs of ALL TIME on my "Medical News You Can Use" blog (with the number of readers, rounded off) ... (more…)

Here's a listing of the most viewed blogs THIS YEAR on my "Medical News You Can Use" blog (with the number of readers, rounded off) ... (more…)

The Washington Times reports that Senate Republicans voted “to abide by Obamacare by requiring all their staffers to sign up for insurance on the health care exchanges, a move designed to take the moral high ground when the GOP takes control of the chamber next year and moves to repeal the health care law altogether.” (more…)

If you're thinking of trying zinc to help curb a cold, make sure you choose one that provides a dose shown to work!  (more…)

USA Today reports on the annual America’s Health Rankings, which found that “Americans got fatter last year and were more slothful too” which was a return to a “steady increase in obesity” found over the state rankings’ 25 year history, from “encouraging improvement in last year’s report.” (more…)

Fox News reports that an American Cancer Society-sponsored study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, found that “cigarettes continue to cause about three in 10 cancer deaths in the United States.” The data come from the National Health Interview Survey and “epidemiologic studies.” (more…)

Some of Focus on the Family's most popular broadcast guests (including Dr. Walt Larimore) share their favorite Christmas memories (Part 1 of 2) on today's Focus on the Family radio program. (more…)

Harry Bagley was the father of my friend Rick, both of whom are well known in western North Carolina. Harry's book, "Listening to the Grass Grow," is a favorite of mine ... as is this wonderful story of his about a Christmas long, long ago. I hope it's a blessing for you. (more…)

Christmas can be a special day of reflecting on your faith, enjoying loved ones, and exchanging gifts. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, here’s a gift you can give to impact your entire family’s health. Give yourself. (more…)

The risk of burns increases over the holiday season because people are cooking more, putting up potentially flammable decorations and using fireplaces and candles.  What can you do to reduce your family's risk? (more…)

It’s the day before Christmas, and panic’s begun—because the in-laws drove up, and the doorbell has rung. (more…)

Imagine your living room filled with family, great food, and holiday cheer. You dim the lights, start a fire … and talk about diabetes, cancer, and other medical conditions. (more…)

A new study in the British Medical Journal has made official something many have argued for a long time: the advice Dr. Oz and The Doctors give on their television shows is not only wrong more times than not, it may even be dangerous to follow.  (more…)

On the front of its Personal Journal section, the Wall Street Journal reports in “The Informed Patient” that an increasing number of US physicians are writing prescriptions for exercise as part of patient treatment plans. (more…)

On its “Morning Edition” program and in its “Shots” blog, NPR reported that “according to a poll conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, 81 percent of parents say they believe all children in day care should be required to be up to date on vaccines.” (more…)

MedPage Today reports that a study of 75 men with erectile dysfunction based on self-reporting and cardiac ultrasound suggests that men whose diets are least like the Mediterranean diet “showed significantly more impaired ventricular and vascular structure and performance.” (more…)

The CDC announced that the strain of influenza virus chosen as the basis of this year’s vaccine does not match the common strains of flu virus now circulating. However, the CDC is also warning us about the severity of the upcoming flu season. (more…)

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reports that according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), approximately “one in 13 (about 8% of) Americans was suffering from depression at some point between 2009 and 2012, yet only 35% of people with severe depression and 20% of those with moderate depression said they had sought help from a mental health professional.” (more…)

With the holidays at hand, the potential for unwanted weight gain is high. What can you and your family do to eat in a healthy manner when tempting sugarplums and cheeseballs abound? Here are some tips from Focus on the Family: (more…)

Bloomberg News reported that according to the results of an ongoing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study presented at the RSNA 2014 meeting, “a single high-school football season of heavy hits, even without a concussion, led to observable brain abnormalities” in a study involving 24 high-school athletes. (more…)

The New York Times “Well” blog reports that a study suggests that “running may reverse aging in certain ways while walking does not.” (more…)

ABC World News reported that a study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics has found “a spike in toy-related injuries, up 40 percent in the last 24 years,” with one US child having to go to the emergency department “every three minutes.” (more…)

Christmas trees may be bright and merry, but they can pose a fire hazard if you're not careful. The National Fire Protection Association offers these suggestions to help prevent holiday tree fires: (more…)

This is our last prayer letter. No, we don’t know anything about “the end of times” (and, after all, according to Matthew 24:36, no one but The Father does) or of some coming disaster or the end of the world or any premature deaths. But nevertheless, we sense it's time for the season of this prayer to end. (more…)

We're closing down our online bookstore and have a limited number of my autographed books available for you at no charge, other than a mailing and handling fee of $4.99 per book. Or, look at it as $4.99 per book plus FREE shipping -- a savings of 67% to 80% off the retail price. Here's what's available: Workplace Grace: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work The Ultimate Girls' Body Book: Not-so-silly questions about your body Sugar Fork: A Novel Bryson City Seasons: More Tales of a Doctor's Practice in the Smoky Mountains Bryson City Secrets: Even More Tales of a Small-Town Doctor in the Smoky Mountains (more…)

NBC Nightly News provided “a very serious warning to parents and grandparents ... about SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome] and how easily the risk can be controlled.” (more…)

Which dark chocolates provide the most cocoa flavanols, which are the natural antioxidants associated with better blood flow and memory? According to recent tests by ConsumerLab.com the product labels are not always accurate. (more…)

Fox News reported that a new study from San Diego State University found that smoking hookah “doubles exposure to the dangerous carcinogen benzene,” and could increase the risk of leukemia and other cancers. (more…)

The New York Daily News reported  that a new study by Consumer Reports indicated that a “majority of Americans think that going gluten-free will boost their health.” (more…)

The Washington Post reported that a new study by researchers at the University of Leeds found that using hand dryers in public restrooms “could end up spreading bacteria.” (more…)