Physical and Emotional Health of Older Married Couples Tied Cloesly Together
A study of older married couples in the American Psychological Association’s journal Health Psychology, finds strong associations between their physical and emotional health. A study of older married couples in…
Screening and Prevention: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
In the last month, the Obama administration announced programs to reduce racial disparities and increase prevention in health care. Neither program was funded with actual money, so they are about…
Health Care Buzz Today
Quit Smoking Drug Linked to Cardiovascular Risk. Users of the smoking-cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) who had no previous cardiac history had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk…
More Confirmation Stents Overused
Another day, another study showing that invasive cardiologists overuse angioplasty and insert unneeded stents in patients without acute symptoms of coronary artery disease. The latest study, which appeared in today’s Journal of the…
Red Tape and Telehealth for Cost Savings
I read my current issue of Modern Healthcare this weekend and saw a good idea for helping to cut down on the cost of some personal protective equipment (PPE) and…
It’s Official: Teens Prefer Texting to Talking.
A survey in our adolescent clinic (Nov 2010) found 80% of teens preferred to respond to a call via text compared to talking. This data (with smart graphics) from Lab…
Costs Associated with Spinal Disorders and Treatment
One of the most device-intensive areas of medical technology — one with few effective clinical alternatives — is spine surgery. This is one medtech arena that, although not immune to…
Chantix Under Fire
Just a quick sing-out to Marilyn Mann because of the latest news released over the weekend that the anti-smoking drug Chantix by Pfizer may be unsafe. The new evidence comes…
Why I’m Not Having More Children
A man over 40 is almost six times as likely as a man under 30 to father an autistic child … a man’s chances of fathering offspring with schizophrenia double…
To Heal a Heart, Train Harder
Traditionally, heart patients were encouraged to begin slowly and work up to more strenuous activity. New research suggests rigorous workouts benefit heart patients. According to The Wall Street Journal: Traditionally,…