General Health

September 21, 2022

Nightly sleep duration associated with overweight and obesity among adolescents

Healio reported, “Adolescents who sleep fewer hours at night had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared with those who slept for the guideline-recommended eight hours […]
September 20, 2022

Tuesday Patient Stories – Kissimmee Tales Chapter 5 – Back to Nature

For the next few months, I’m excerpting chapters from the first of two books about my early years in family medicine in Kissimmee, Florida – The […]
September 19, 2022

Two studies, one finding: Keep walking to prolong life

The UPI reported that walking and physical activity can dramatically reduce the risk of premature death.
September 17, 2022

Saturday Book Report – “At First Light” named FINALIST in FIVE Page Turner Book Award Categories

The Page Turner Awards’ judges considered almost 1,000 nominations for their International Book Awards. My WWII book, At First Light , was nominated. So, what happened?
September 16, 2022

Breastfeeding beneficial for heart health of mom and baby

A statement by the American Heart Association (AHA) highlighted that breastfeeding provides many heart-healthy benefits for babies AND mothers.
September 15, 2022

Thursday Ask Dr. Walt – Keeping Nail Care Safe

Dear Dr. Walt, what are the health risks of getting a manicure or pedicure? I’ve heard they can spread fungal diseases. Is that true? — Wanting a […]
September 14, 2022

Two or more cups of tea a day may reduce premature death risk

MedPage Today reported, “Drinking two or more cups of black tea daily was associated with a 9% to 13% lower risk for all-cause mortality, compared with not […]
September 13, 2022

Tuesday Patient Stories – Kissimmee Tales Chapter 4 – Different Drummers

For the next few months, I’m excerpting chapters from the first of two books about my early years in family medicine in Kissimmee, Florida – The […]
February 21, 2011

Physical activity helps improve walking speed in those with osteoarthritis

MedPage Today reported that, according to a paper in Arthritis & Rheumatism, “increasing physical activity over two years can improve function and even walking speed among […]
February 21, 2011

Study warns that splitting pills can be dangerous

Physicians frequently recommend that caregivers split pills to give patients smaller doses than are available by prescription, but that process can produce wide variation in dosages, […]
February 25, 2011

Shingles vaccine dramatically reduces risk of outbreaks

Readers of this blog know of my fondness for immunizations. For my patients, I recommended the shingles vaccine for people 60 years of age or older […]
February 28, 2011

Are full-body airport scanners safe?

Air travel has not been the same since September 11, 2001, when 3 commercial airplanes were hijacked and transformed into lethal weapons. Air passengers have since […]
March 2, 2011

Health officials urging adolescents, adults to get whooping cough booster shot

The Chicago Tribune reports that “whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory infection marked by violent coughing, has made a comeback in Chicago and in other parts of […]
March 11, 2011

ATTENTION: Daylight savings starts tomorrow — don’t let it disturb your sleep pattern

Well, technically this year’s DST (or what some countries call “Summertime”) begins on Sunday, Mar. 13, 2011, at 2 am. And while it may be time […]