In the News

December 20, 2024

The pace of spending on health care keeps going up at an ever faster rate

The rate of growth in health care spending is accelerating.  It increased by 4.3% in 2022 but by 7.5% in 2023.  We spent $14,570 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. on health care in 2023.  According to the Labor Department, overall spending on health care over the last few decades has increased roughly 40% faster than the rate of inflation in general.  This is not sustainable.

December 18, 2024

Endocrinology deserts

Many articles have been written about “maternity deserts,” areas of the country where there is no maternity care available.  Turns out there are other care “deserts” as well.  One is an “endocrinology desert”.  70% of U.S. counties do not have a single practicing endocrinologist.  This is bad news for the millions of diabetic patients who would benefit greatly from visiting an endocrinologist.

December 17, 2024

People with jobs requiring frequent spatial and navigational processing have lower risk of Alzheimer’s death

Want to reduce your risk for death due to Alzheimer’s, get a job driving a taxi or an ambulance.  For people who died of Alzheimer’s and for whom there was occupational data, the overall rate of death due to Alzheimer’s was almost 4%.  For taxi drivers and ambulance drivers, the rates were 1% and .75% respectively.  The researchers believe that jobs which require frequent spatial and navigational processing confer some protection on the brain against Alzheimer’s.  Other types of dementia did not show the same relationship and other transportation jobs that did not require frequent spatial and navigational processing did not have the same protections either.  Use the brain or lose it.

December 16, 2024

Insurance companies are controlling the care doctors provide to their patients

Here is a good article on the many ways in which health insurance companies control the care patients receive and the decisions doctors make.  Under the guise of preventing wasteful spending, insurance companies indirectly force doctors and patients to reduce care so as to save money for the insurance companies.  For example, by setting unrealistically low reimbursement rates for certain treatments, insurance companies discourage doctors from providing that treatment.  It is time for the insurance companies to get out of the way and let doctors provide the care their patients need.

December 11, 2024

Climate change is bringing more cases of Dengue fever to the Americas

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne, viral illness that causes high fevers and flu-like symptoms.  In severe cases it can cause shock and death.  As a result of climate change it has been becoming increasingly common in the Americas.  There have been 12.6 million reported cases so far in 2024, three times the number as last year.  21,000 of those cases have been severe and there have been 7,700 deaths.  Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia account for 90% of the cases, but some are being reported in Florida and other warm, humid states.

December 10, 2024

Although trending in the right direction, many people still cannot afford their asthma medication

One of the most common chronic diseases is asthma.  It afflicts 8% of the population of the United States.  It requires a regular regimen of medication to keep it under control yet one in six adults with asthma report that they skipped or delayed doses of their asthma medication in the last year because of cost issues.  These people were at substantially greater risk of asthma attacks and emergency room visits.  The “near poor”, who had incomes just above the federal poverty level, were most likely to skip or delay asthma medications due to cost issues.

December 9, 2024

Eight percent of Americans lack health insurance

Eight percent of Americans do not have any health insurance.  Expect that number to rise significantly if incoming President Trump keeps his campaign promises.  An additional 23% had insurance but it was of such poor quality that it did not provide affordable access to health care.  Of those who do not have insurance, 60% of them reported foregoing needed medical care because of the lack of insurance.

December 6, 2024

U.S. life expectancies will increase but lag behind the rest of the world

Life expectancies in the United States are predicted to increase slightly over the next 25 years, but to lag behind increases in the rest of the world.

December 5, 2024

Blood test in pregnancy may help detect occult cancer in women

cfDNA testing is often done during pregnancy to test for fetal chromosomal abnormalities.  It is a non-invasive test that examines DNA fragments from the placenta that circulate in the mother’s blood.  Now researchers have found that abnormal results may indicate the presence of unknown cancer in the mother.  In a recent study, nearly half of women with abnormal results were found to have occult cancers.

December 4, 2024

Medicare Advantage plans make big money off veterans

Medicare Advantage plans are at it again.  They are heavily recruiting veterans as members.  Why you ask?  Because many of these veterans choose to receive their care from the VA.  This means that the Medicare Advantage plan gets to collect its fee from Medicare for enrolling the veteran but does not need to pay for any of his care.  This is a loophole Medicare needs to close.

December 3, 2024

Medicare Advantage insurers excited for new Trump administration

The election of former President Trump likely has Medicare Advantage insurers turning cartwheels.  His last administration was very favorable for them and they are hoping for more of the same this time.  He approved a large raise in reimbursements for them last time and this time has appointed Dr. Oz, a former Medicare Advantage pitchman, to oversee the Medicare programs.  The plans are hoping not only for another large reimbursement but also less scrutiny of their denials of care.  Good for them but not so good for those in their plans.

December 2, 2024

New Mexico man awarded $412M in damages in medical malpractice case

A 66 year old New Mexico man received what may be the largest medical malpractice verdict ever in the United States.  The jury awarded him $412,000,000 in damages for injuries suffered when he was persuaded to undergo penile injections that destroyed his penis.  The injured man’s lawyers argued that he had been misdiagnosed and tricked into receiving unneeded injections.  Over $375 million of the damages were punitive damages intended to punish the defendant clinic for fraud.

November 27, 2024

Soccer players are at risk for CTE

By now pretty much everyone is aware of the link between the head trauma of tackle football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a serious neurodegenerative disease.  New research is finding similar damage in soccer players as a result of the practice of heading the ball.  White matter abnormalities were found in the brains of soccer players, even though many of them had never suffered a concussion or been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.  Scary stuff.

November 26, 2024

Contaminated food outbreaks just keep on coming

Just as we are getting past the Listeria outbreak caused by contaminated deli meats, over 167,000 pounds of ground beef is being recalled because of contamination with E Coli.  None of the recalled ground beef was distributed to grocery stores; it all went to restaurants.  While we should be glad for the watchful eyes of the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, these recalls usually only take place after people have become sick due to the contaminated food.  The Centers for Disease Control recommend that those in at risk groups (pregnant, over 65, or with weakened immune systems) either avoid deli meats altogether or heat them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees before eating.

November 21, 2024

Two doctors sentenced for their crimes against patients

Two doctors were recently sentenced for crimes against their patients.  A Texas anesthesiologist was sentenced to 190 years in prison for tampering with IV saline bags.  Several patients suffered cardiac emergencies as a result and a colleague, who used one of the bags to rehydrate herself, died.  In the other case, a New York City urologist was sentenced to life in prison for sexual assaults of men and boys over a period of many years.

November 20, 2024

Using ChatGPT did not significantly improve doctors’ diagnostic skills

In a test of diagnostic skills using simulated patients, doctors who used ChatGPT did not do significantly better at diagnosing the simulated illness than doctors who used traditional resources.  This was much to the surprise of the researchers running the test.  Both the AI assisted doctors and the doctors using traditional resources scored about 75% accuracy.  Interestingly, when ChatGPT was tested on its own without a human doctor, it scored at 90% accuracy.

November 18, 2024

4.5% of Americans have undiagnosed diabetes

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control, there are a lot of adults who have Type 2 diabetes and do not know it.  If they do not know it, they cannot treat it and untreated diabetes can cause serious health problems, including blindness, nerve damage, amputation, and even death.  The overall percentage of people in the United States with undiagnosed diabetes is 4.5%.  The likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes increases with age and with the amount of weight a person carries.  If you are over 60, the chances you have undiagnosed diabetes increases to 6.8%.  Overweight people have an 8% chance of having undiagnosed diabetes.  Moral of the story is to monitor your blood sugars.

November 15, 2024

Targeted magnetic brain stimulation slows Alzheimer’s progression in clinical study

Researchers in Italy have reported promising results in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease through the use of targeted, non-invasive, magnetic stimulation of the brain.  After a two week starter program, the test subjects only received one stimulation per week for the remainder of the year.  On a number of test measures, there was no progression of the disease for these patients by the end of the year.  This is very encouraging news.

November 14, 2024

Anti-vaxxer sentiment threatens our children

Childhood immunizations have saved countless children from death or serious illness due to preventable diseases.  We are facing a potential crisis, however, with more vaccine hesititancy and outright refusal to vaccinate.  As a society, we depend on mass vaccinations to protect our children.  The more people who refuse to vaccinate their children, the more likely is a return to the bad old days of mass outbreaks of highly communicable diseases.  Those most at risk are those who, for one reason or another, cannot be vaccinated and who must depend on the existence of herd immunity.

November 13, 2024

Even a small change in some habits can improve your chances of avoiding stroke, dementia and depression.

Some people have a genetic predisposition to dementia, stroke and depression.  Even these people can benefit from some modest behavioral changes in areas such as diet, exercise, sleep, blood pressure and cholesterol.  Calculate your Brain Care Score.  Even a small increase in the score can reduce your risk of developing these dreaded diseases.

November 12, 2024

Men are still being overtreated for prostate cancer

Over the last decade, there has been a trend toward active surveillance of men with prostate cancer as a way to reduce the incidence of overtreatment among this population.  A new study has found that there is still a long way to go to reduce overtreatment.  Even at the VA, which does not charge for its treatment and therefore has no profit motive, men with a limited life expectancy have been given aggressive treatment for prostate cancer.  The likelihood that such aggressive treatment will increase their life expectancy is low and the side effects of the treatment are significant.  There is no good reason to treat these men aggressively.

November 8, 2024

Even a little additional exercise helps reduce blood pressure

Although the reduction was minor a recent study showed that even as little as 5 additional minutes of exercise a day can have a beneficial effect on your blood pressure.  The study involved people from western Europe and Australia.  About 27 minutes a day of exercise was needed to achieve a clinically significant improvement, but this study showed that every little bit helps to defeat the “silent killer.”

November 7, 2024

Reduced sugar consumption in utero and infancy reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension in later life

Using data from post-WWII Britain when sugar was rationed, researchers have been able to determine that reducing sugar exposure in utero and through the early years both reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension and delays the onset of these two conditions for those who do develop it.  Children who were exposed to sugar rationing both in utero and up to their third birthdays had a 31% reduced likelihood of becoming obese in later life.  The bottom line is that we consume too much sugar with significant health consequences.

November 6, 2024

Phony nurse gave injections of fake Botox and fillers

The owner of a Massachusetts’ spa falsely claimed to be a nurse and administered smuggled medications to her clients that she passed off as Botox and cosmetic fillers.  She collected nearly $1M for the fake injections.  The CDC has warned of health consequences from fake Botox.  She has been arrested and charged with illegally importing the drugs and with administration of a counterfeit substance.

November 5, 2024

Whooping cough cases on the rise

Cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, are up as much as five times over last year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The CDC thinks these figures may be underreporting the magnitude of the increase.  Pertussis can be successfully treated with antibiotics but responds best when they are administered early in the disease process.  By the time the patient has the persistent cough which characterizes the illness, it may be too late to treat it.

November 4, 2024

Staffing company which staffs emergency departments is having “temporary” financial problems

A staffing company, which staffs the emergency departments of 35 hospitals across the country, has informed its emergency department doctors that, due to income shortfalls, it will not be able to pay them this month.  It is going to pay them in part and promises it will make it up to them and that this is temporary.  Doctors are concerned, however.  Two other physician staffing firms declared bankruptcy and went out of business last year.  It would seriously disrupt emergency department services, if this company goes under and abandons its doctor employees.

November 1, 2024

AI program can detect hidden heart disease

The FDA has given special approval to the developer of an AI program that can look at CT scans of the chest and detect enlarged heart chambers that are invisible to the naked eye.  Enlarged chambers can be caused by a number of heart diseases.  This use of AI will enable doctors to identify patients with hidden heart disease earlier and to provide more effective treatment.

October 31, 2024

Autism diagnoses on the rise

Over the 10 years from 2011 to 2022, autism diagnoses increased by 175% according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA.

October 30, 2024

The hidden industry for denying prior approval requests

Many insurance companies that require prior approval for some treatments or procedures outsource the review process to specialty companies.  One of these specialty companies is EviCore.  There is concern that EviCore is not giving insureds a fair shake in recommending denials of care.  According to ProPublica, a consumer protection organization, EviCore markets itself to insurers as able to save them money on prior approval decisions.  They allegedly promise the companies that for every dollar spent on EviCore, the company can save $3 on care that EviCore recommended be denied.  It is also alleged that EviCore gets paid on the basis of how many claims it recommends be denied and that when EviCore is brought in, the rate of denials goes up.  If any of these allegations are true, they show a conflict of interest in which EviCore is pitted against the patient whose doctor recommended a certain treatment.

October 29, 2024

Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to neurocognitive problems in children

Add this to the list of things you should avoid, if you are pregnant:  Cannabis.  Because cannabis use has been increasing and because the cannabis available today is more potent than in the past, researchers wondered if its use by pregnant women was causing any damage to their babies.  Researchers studied 250 children at age 5, who had been exposed to cannabis while in utero.  The children were more likely to display aggressive behavior and to have poorer attention spans and less inhibitory control than children with no cannabis exposure.  The study was a retrospective one, which means that there may have been other factors at play in causing these effects on neurocognitive behavior.

October 28, 2024

Patients prefer AI answers to answers from real doctors

Maybe this should not come as a surprise, but patients prefer answers to questions generated by AI to answers from their actual doctor.  When researchers looked at the reasons, they found that doctors’ answers were typically short and to the point while AI answers were longer and showed more empathy.  The conclusion was that medicine needs to give more thought to the ways in which it can use AI to improve the quality of care.

October 26, 2024

Nevada bottled water company hit with largest ever jury verdict

A company in Nevada that sold bottled water, which it claimed offered health benefits, has been the subject of numerous suits since it was discovered the water contained hydrazine, a chemical component of rocket fuel.  The presence of hydrazine caused liver damage in many customers.  There have already been a number of very large verdicts against the company and it has sought bankruptcy protection from them.  The most recent verdict was a whopping $5.2 billion, of which $5 billion was punitive damages.  The company unsuccessfully argued to the jury that it did not know about the presence of hydrazine and was only negligent in selling the product.

October 24, 2024

Medicare Advantage company pressured doctors to drive in more income

According to emails obtained by a watchdog company, during the height of the pandemic, United Healthcare, one of the largest of the Medicare Advantage plans, pressured doctors to schedule more patient visits and to add additional diagnoses to the charts of those patients.  Additional diagnoses would make these patients sicker in the eyes of Medicare and entitle the company to the additional compensation that goes to Medicare Advantage companies that accept sicker patients.

October 22, 2024

Home test for STI is highly accurate

Sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) are widespread among young women and can cause serious problems, including infertility, if not treated.  Having a test that a woman can administer to herself at home has the potential to make detection of these infections easy and greatly increase the chances of early and successful treatment.  The accuracy of the home test compared very favorably to lab tests for the same infections.

October 21, 2024

Medicare Advantage Plans are taking advantage of seniors again

According to a recent report issued by a Senate investigating committee, Medicare Advantage Plans are increasing the use of prior authorization requirements, especially for costly care needed by many patients following a acute medical incident.  The requirement for prior authorization is being used as a vehicle for denying the request for care.  This puts seniors in an impossible position, according to the report.  They need the care but will either have to do without or pay for it themselves while they pursue an appeal.

October 18, 2024

Many Emergency Departments are unprepared for pediatric emergencies

This has been an important problem for some time and apparently remains one.  According to studies, 80% of emergency departments are unprepared for pediatric emergencies.  Children are not miniature adults.  Their bodies are different and they need specialized instruments, which may not always be available.  Parents who have a child with an emergent condition should not have to guess about whether the nearest emergency department is prepared to help their child.  Once you get there, it is too late to change.  According to studies, it would not cost that much to bring all of the emergency departments in the United States up to standard.

October 17, 2024

MD or DO makes no difference

A recent study on surgical outcomes in Medicare patients found no difference in 30 day mortality between patients of MD surgeons versus patients of DO surgeons.  This confirms the findings of an earlier study which found no difference between outcomes between MD hospitalists and DO hospitalists.  The conclusion is that both types of training programs are producing doctors of equal quality.

October 16, 2024

 Covid increases cardiac risks

A very thorough study from Great Britain found that any Covid infection increased the risk of a major adverse coronary event.  Furthermore, the more severe the infection, the greater the risk.  The study involved over 10,000 Covid patients and over 200,000 controls.  This is the first known instance of a gene-pathogen interaction causing thrombotic events.

October 2, 2024

FDA studying new sunscreen ingredient

A sunscreen ingredient that is widely used in Europe and Asia is under study by the FDA for approval as an over-the-counter product.  Many Americans purchase the product when they travel overseas as it goes on more smoothly, is less pasty, and looks better on people of color.  The FDA is demanding manufacturers of existing sunscreen products do more research as safety questions have arisen over many current products.  The current review process is expected to be completed by March of 2026.

October 1, 2024

Study shows breast milk reduces asthma risk in newborns

A study of 10,000 newborns showed that infants who were fed only breast milk during their post-birth hospital stay had a 42% smaller risk of developing asthma during childhood. More proof that Mother Nature knows best.

September 19, 2024

Big Pharma claims inflation reduction act reduces innovation

In what should come as a surprise to no one, Big Pharma is claiming that the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which gives the federal government the right to negotiate with the drug manufacturers on prices, are already driving down innovation. This battle is not over yet.

September 16, 2024

Hospitals failing to comply with EMTALA regulations

EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment And Labor Act, requires hospitals with emergency departments to stabilize emergency patients, including women in labor, who come to their doors before transferring them. It has sometimes been referred to as an anti-dumping statute as it was intended to prevent hospitals from sending uninsured emergency patients down the road to another hospital. In any event, the federal government is supposed to enforce EMTALA, but apparently doesn’t do much, if anything, to violators. Hospitals which violate the law are supposed to be fined, but an Associated Press investigation has found that investigations into violations are slow and no one seems to ever get fined. We deserve better from our hospitals and from the government which is supposed to make sure they comply with the law.

September 12, 2024

Working long hours increases risk of stroke and heart attack

It is often said that work can kill you. Now there is scientific proof. According to the Government Accountability Office, people working more than 55 hours a week are at higher risk of stroke and heart attack. Take it easy today.

September 11, 2024

HHS drops appeal on hospital tracking technology

The Department of Health and Human Services has dropped an appeal of a Texas judge’s order that HHS could not prevent hospitals from using tracking technology when patients or others accessed their websites. Privacy advocates contend that the information collected by these tracking devices would allow persons who purchase that information from the hospitals to determine the identity of patients and at least some of their protected medical information. This is concerning, if true.

September 10, 2024

AI advances in surgery eliminate the need for multiple scans

Story on CBS News about AI advances in surgery. In this instance, a surgeon preparing to operate on a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (a weak and bulging major blood vessel in the abdomen) used AI to display a picture of the patient’s abdominal anatomy. The use of AI avoided the need to do multiple x-rays and CTs of the abdomen and allowed the surgeon to see exactly where the problem was that he was going to address. The image of the abdominal anatomy was displayed on video screens in the operating room. Lots of potential here for stunning advances in medical treatment.

September 3, 2024

Three biological markers predict women’s heart disease risk

When it comes to coronary artery disease, women are both underdiagnosed and undertreated. Here is a report about three biological markers that can predict a woman’s risk of heart disease long before any evidence of it can be detected. This affords the woman plenty of time to change her modifiable risk factors and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Read and act.

August 28, 2024

Stem Cell Transplant for Diabetes Treatment Faces Immune System Challenges

Advances continue to be made in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. The latest is the transplantation of stem cells to allow the body to resume production of insulin. The transplanted stem cells are subject to the same immune system attacks that killed the insulin-producing cells in the first place, so patients receiving these transplants must take drugs to suppress the immune system. This, of course, presents its own set of problems. Researchers continue to work on other approaches and on ways to protect the transplanted stem cells without the use of immunosuppressant therapy.

August 27, 2024

Heat-Related Deaths in the U.S. Have Doubled in 25 Years

Yearly heat-related deaths in the United States have more than doubled in the last 25 years, with the most pronounced acceleration having occurred in the last 7 years. And it is likely to only get worse.

August 26, 2024

Covid Infections Rising, But Hospitalizations Remain Low

As you may have noticed, there is a lot of Covid circulating now. The surge in Covid infections is not translating into a surge in hospitalizations, fortunately. This is probably due to a combination of factors including a less virulent virus, prior exposure to Covid, and immunizations. Speaking of immunizations, the CDC is urging eligible persons to get updated with the new Covid vaccines, which target some of the newest variants that are circulating now. The CDC is also recommending that you get the flu shot at the same time. September and October are the best months, according to the CDC, to get these two immunizations.

August 23, 2024

California Hospital Faces Lawsuit Over Deceased Patient’s Disappearance

A California hospital is being sued by the family of a deceased patient. The primary allegation of the suit is that the hospital told the family the patient had been discharged, when in fact she had died in the hospital and was in its cold storage unit. It took a year from the alleged discharge before the woman’s body was discovered and returned to her family. You must be kidding me.

August 19, 2024

Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia Identified by Researchers

Researchers have identified a number of modifiable risk factors for dementia. Among them are vascular damage due to smoking and high blood pressure, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, social isolation, vision loss, and hearing loss. The brain is a “use it or lose it” organ. Don’t let it get away from you. Take care of yourself and give yourself the best chance for your later years to be good years.

August 13, 2024

The Impact of Private Business Decisions on Life Expectancy

Here is a link to a thought-provoking story about the extent to which the decisions of private businesses affect our life expectancy. I hadn’t thought about this before, but it is a very big deal and it is everywhere.

August 6, 2024

Moderate Coffee and Tea Consumption Linked to Lower Cognitive Decline

Good news for you coffee and tea drinkers. There is fresh evidence that moderate consumption of coffee and tea (2 or 3 cups a day) has a protective effect against long-term cognitive decline. Researchers know this effect exists, but are not sure of the reason. They think caffeine may be the underlying cause.

August 5, 2024

Small Businesses Struggling with Rising Health Insurance Premiums

According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, many small businesses are being squeezed hard by large increases in the premiums for the health insurance they provide to their employees. This is not new, but the size of the current increases is larger than expected. This is all another downstream effect of the fact that the United States does not offer universal healthcare, like all the other major industrialized countries. Every day businesses and people suffer because of this, and every day big insurance companies, big drug companies, and hospital chains reap huge profits from our broken system.

July 23, 2024

Listeria Outbreak from Deli Meats Causes Deaths and Hospitalizations

A listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli cold cuts has killed two and hospitalized 28. The cases are mostly in the eastern United States but encompass a large geographic area. The CDC has not yet been able to determine what meats are the source of the outbreak of this bacterial infection. Older adults and pregnant women are at greatest risk of developing a serious illness or having the illness affect their pregnancies. Researchers recommend heating meats to 165 degrees before eating to kill any pathogens.

July 22, 2024

Uncertainty Over Health Impact of Sugar Substitutes

There remains a great deal of uncertainty about sugar substitutes. Americans consume too much sugar and that leads to numerous problems with blood pressure, obesity, and blood glucose levels. There are a number of substitutes for sugar that are widely sold and widely used as additives to food products in place of sugar. All are approved for human consumption by the FDA. The problem is that there have been no good studies of their effects on the human body. Are they better for us than the sugar they are replacing? Most existing studies are observational, which means that they have a lot of variables which may affect the results. There are some good studies underway now and this issue should have more clarity in the next couple of years. In the meantime, avoid highly processed foods.

July 19, 2024

Ancient Virus Fragments in DNA May Aid Cancer Survival

There is a lot of junk in our DNA, some of it left over from viruses that infected our mammalian ancestors millions of years ago. These virus fragments were thought to be harmless relics, but new research has shown that some of them may be helping modern cancers to survive inside us. When researchers used gene splicing therapy to remove one of these virus fragments, they found that it shut down gene expression by the cancer cells and made treatment more effective. Lots more to learn about this.

July 18, 2024

Taylor Swift’s Positive Influence on Body Image and Eating Disorders

I am not a big Taylor Swift fan although I admire her talent and business acumen. While I may not be a big fan, she has millions of them and they hang on her every word. They study her song lyrics for messages. Social scientists have been studying her effect on her fans and have concluded that she has improved their attitudes about body positivity and eating disorders. Good for her.

July 17, 2024

Cord Blood Banking Deemed a Waste of Money by Study

For years new parents have been offered the opportunity to have their newborn’s cord blood saved. The service is costly but is pitched as a safeguard in the event of a number of potential future illnesses, which might be treated with the stem cells contained in the cord blood. According to a study by the New York Times, banking cord blood is essentially an expensive waste of time. There have been only a handful of recorded stem cell transfusions of cord blood over the past 15 years. There have also been many reports of the cord blood becoming contaminated or otherwise useless when parents went back to check on its status. Almost certainly not worth doing.

July 16, 2024

Rural Hospitals Closing Labor and Delivery Services Amid Population Shifts

In the 1950’s and 60’s, America experienced a baby boom. Many rural hospitals were built and opened labor and delivery facilities. Today, many of those hospitals have closed altogether or have discontinued labor and delivery services. The changes are the result of many people moving away from rural areas, the increasing use of machinery in farming, and the fact that American families are having fewer and fewer children. The combination of these trends is making it harder and harder to have access to good health care in rural areas.

July 15, 2024

Mediterranean Diet Shown to Benefit Children and Teens

There should be no surprise to the latest study showing that the Mediterranean Diet is good for kids and teens as well as for adults. There were improvements in blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and cholesterol levels. As one of the doctors involved in the study observed, “It is never too early to begin to prevent cardiovascular disease.”

July 5, 2024

Seattle Plastic Surgeon Faces Backlash Over Social Media Posts

A Seattle plastic surgeon is facing public and medical community backlash for posts he made on social media. The doctor in question had posted videos of patient surgeries without their consent, and some of his posts contained derogatory comments. Many are calling for his license to be revoked, and multiple lawsuits have been filed against him.

June 27, 2024

Long-term daily use of a multivitamin did not reduce the risk of death

Long-term daily use of a multivitamin did not result in a reduced risk of death over a 20-year period. The three observational studies reaching that conclusion involved hundreds of thousands of patients.

June 26, 2024

Lawmakers concerned about AI misuse by Medicare Advantage plans

A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives has asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to more closely supervise the use of Artificial Intelligence tools by Medicare Advantage plans. The plans are using AI tools to make prior approval decisions, often denying the treatment recommended by the patient’s doctor. There is little oversight by CMS at this time of this application of AI tools, and the lawmakers are concerned they are being misused. This is a potent mix of AI, Medicare Advantage plans, and prior approval requirements, all of which are hot-button issues right now.

June 24, 2024

Congress may finally act on prior approval abuse by Medicare Advantage plans

Congress may finally take action on a bill to rein in the abuse of prior approval requirements by Medicare Advantage plans. The legislation would, among other things, require the use of electronic forms, set time frames for approval or disapproval, and mandate reports on the number of times prior approval is required and how often it is used to deny care.

June 21, 2024

Wegovy weight-loss treatment impacting insulin supply

The rush to Wegovy and other Type 2 diabetes drugs for use in weight loss treatment has begun to affect the supply of insulin. South Africa reports that it cannot procure insulin pens because of the diversion of resources to Wegovy and similar drugs.

June 20, 2024

Dollar Tree sold recalled fruit puree pouches months after lead contamination discovery

Last October, state and federal food safety regulators discovered that some apple-cinnamon fruit puree pouches contained dangerous amounts of lead and ordered a national recall. Despite being informed of the recall, Dollar Tree stores kept selling the pouches for a period of months. No respect for the safety of its customers, most of whom for this product were small children.

June 19, 2024

Midwife pleads guilty to fraud for issuing fake Covid vaccination cards

The culture wars surrounding Covid vaccinations have not gone away. A New York midwife, who worked at a practice that gave Covid vaccinations, pled guilty to fraud charges in federal court the other day. She and her co-conspirators destroyed 2,600 doses of vaccine and gave out the same number of immunization cards falsely attesting that the holder had been vaccinated. This occurred at a time when many employers were requiring their employees to be vaccinated. It appears that most of those who received the fake cards were in on the scheme and were trying to avoid vaccination while pretending to have received the vaccine.

June 18, 2024

Military families facing health care challenges due to off-base services

Most military families these days are required to get their health care off base. This is a big problem, which is hurting recruitment and retention, as half of all our military bases are in areas where there are shortages of primary health care providers or other important medical services are unavailable, so-called health care deserts. More proof, if any was needed, that living in a rural area can be hazardous to your health.

June 14, 2024

Norovirus-like illness strikes hikers at Havasu Falls

Dozens of hikers have become sick with what sounds like norovirus symptoms after having trekked down to Havasu Falls on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It is unclear the exact nature of their illnesses or how the hikers became infected. Investigations are underway.

June 13, 2024

New autoimmune treatment shows promise in early trials

There is a new therapy that is being used to treat some patients with rheumatological diseases with an autoimmune basis. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakes some of the body’s own cells for invaders and attacks them. This treatment involves removing some cells from the patient, treating them to attach to the rogue cells attacking the body, and then reintroducing them to the patient. Once inside the patient again, the cells multiply and attach themselves to the rogue cells and destroy them. In early trials, it has proved very successful with no apparent adverse effects. Keep your fingers crossed. This approach may turn out to be very effective and with wide application.

June 12, 2024

Senate bill targets private equity looting of medical practices

A bill has been introduced in the United States Senate to prohibit private equity from purchasing and then looting medical practices. It provides for jail time for executives found guilty of violating its provisions and clawbacks to force them to return money they have taken out of the medical practices. Sadly, it is not likely to pass, but it is a good start to addressing the problem of private equity participation in health care delivery.

June 11, 2024

Highly processed plant-based foods may increase cardiovascular risk

Everyone knows eating a plant-based diet is good for your cardiovascular health, except when it isn’t. Generally speaking, the more plants in your diet, the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death due to CVD. The exception is when the food-based product is highly processed. Then the numbers run the other way. The more highly processed plant-based food you eat, the higher your chances of developing CVD and dying from it. The clear message here is to stay away as much as possible from highly processed foods of all kinds.

June 10, 2024

Rural pharmacies closing due to lack of revenue

More news of our broken health care delivery system. Rural pharmacies, both chain and independent, are closing and leaving residents without good access to medications and medical supplies they may need when illness strikes or for chronic health conditions. The reason is that there is just not enough money being generated to keep these important institutions open. That is not the way this should work. Health care and access to medications and medical supplies are an important right that should not depend on where you live or how much money the pharmacy makes. Once again, rural living shows that it can be hazardous to your health.

June 7, 2024

Energy drinks linked to sudden cardiac arrest

Be careful with energy drinks that contain high levels of caffeine. They have been associated with sudden cardiac arrest, especially in people with underlying genetic heart diseases. Since we often don’t know about underlying genetic conditions until something happens to bring them to our attention, it makes sense to be careful with drinks with high caffeine levels.

June 6, 2024

Global heat poses risks for pregnant women, newborns, and the elderly

According to a series of studies by the World Health Organization, the effects of increasing global heat will be felt most acutely by pregnant women, newborns, adolescents, and the elderly. In other words, generally the most vulnerable among us. Not good.

June 5, 2024

Private equity’s impact on medical practices comes under scrutiny

Private equity is now under substantial scrutiny for its purchases of medical practices and the effects those purchases are having on the cost and availability of medical care. As a result of the scrutiny, private equity has slowed the pace at which it is buying up practices. Its purchases in the first five months of 2024 are about half of what they were at the same point last year. In my view, the presence of private equity in health care is not good for consumers, so this is a good sign.

May 16, 2024

Hospitals charge private insurers 254% more than Medicare

Somebody is getting overcharged. According to a recent RAND corporation study, in 2022 hospitals charged private insurers 254% more than they charged Medicare for the same services. I can understand some difference, but this is ridiculous.

May 13, 2024

FTC targets pharmacy benefit managers over drug costs

The Federal Trade Commission is looking into the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM’s) that may be making drugs more expensive for patients. PBM’s negotiate prices with drug manufacturers on behalf of health insurance companies. Theoretically, the PBM’s get the manufacturer to agree to discount a drug and, if the manufacturer agrees, put the drug on a list of drugs approved by that health insurance company. The list is called a formulary. If an insured gets a drug listed on the formulary, she pays less than if she is prescribed

May 10, 2024

Infection in Medical Tourism

More news on the Mexican medical tourism front. Three patients from the southwestern United States, who traveled to Baja California for stem cell treatments, have been infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium. The injections of stem cells were performed in clinics almost 200 miles apart, but doctors treating the patients in the United States found that the bacteria were identical clones. This suggests that perhaps equipment in use across Mexico has somehow been contaminated. Medical tourism – What could go wrong? Plenty.

May 9, 2024

Processed Foods and Mortality

A 30-year study reached the surprising conclusion that increased intake of highly processed foods is not good for you. It was associated with a 4% increase in all-cause mortality. Not surprising at all, of course. Eat healthily and live longer.

May 8, 2024

License Reinstated for Anti-Vax Doctor

An Ohio doctor who told anyone who would listen that a Covid vaccination would magnetize you has had her license reinstated. When she was called by the Ohio Medical Board about her vaccine disinformation, she refused to answer questions from the Board or to cooperate in its investigation. The refusal to cooperate, as much as the anti-vax disinformation, was the cause of her license suspension.

May 7, 2024

Olive Oil and Dementia Risk

By now, everyone knows about the health benefits that flow from the Mediterranean Diet and that olive oil is a major part of that diet. New research has shown that, regardless of what else you eat, consuming a half tablespoon of olive oil a day reduces the risk of death due to dementia by 28% – but only for women. Still so much to learn, but know this: olive oil is good for you.

May 2, 2024

The Dangers of Anger

Get angry, get dead. Not always, of course, but research shows that anger causes temporary changes in the walls of the arteries, and that such changes can and do trigger heart attacks. So just take it easy and calm down. You may just live longer.

May 1, 2024

Rural Mortality Rates Rising

In 1999, you were 7% more likely to die of any cause if you lived in a rural area as opposed to an urban area or near-urban area. Today that number is 20%. The causes are mostly preventable. Obesity, smoking, drinking to excess, inactivity, and lack of access to good health care are the most cited causes for the disparity in mortality rates.

April 30, 2024

Drug Price Negotiations

The federal government is requiring drug companies to begin to negotiate prices with Medicare, and Big Pharma is resisting mightily. Yesterday, a federal judge in New Jersey turned away a suit by two drug companies seeking to overturn the rule. More on this to come as the drug companies are not going to accept this without a fight.

April 29, 2024

Risks of Raw Milk

Drinking raw, unpasteurized milk exposes you to the risk of contracting salmonella and E. coli. The FDA forbids the interstate transport of raw milk, but various states allow it to be sold to consumers inside their borders. To the other risks, add the risk of contracting H5N1 bird flu. As you may have read, bird flu is circulating in dairy herds and has been found in cows in 9 states so far. Live virus has been found in raw milk from these herds. You have been warned.

April 26, 2024

Counterfeit Botox Risks

Be careful about getting medical treatment at spas or other unlicensed facilities. There have been numerous reports across the United States about counterfeit Botox being administered to women at unlicensed facilities. At least one Arizona woman was infected with botulism as a result. There are also documented reports out of New Mexico of women becoming infected with HIV after undergoing a spa procedure in which some of their own blood is injected into the skin of the face to encourage growth of new skin cells. Just be careful.

April 24, 2024

Brachytherapy and Cancer Risk

Brachytherapy, which involves the placement of small, radioactive pellets, is one of the three main treatments for aggressive prostate cancer. The other two are prostatectomy, which involves removal of the prostate, and direct beam radiation. Of the three, recent studies have shown that brachytherapy presents a significantly higher risk of a second malignancy in the pelvic area. Researchers say this should be a consideration in making treatment decisions for patients with a longer life expectancy.

April 23, 2024

Nassar Settlement

Dr. Larry Nassar is the doctor who preyed upon hundreds of young gymnasts both at Michigan State and at the Olympic gymnastics team. Members of the Olympic team sued the FBI for its failure to investigate information it received concerning his abusive activities. A settlement of the claim was just announced. The federal government will pay the plaintiffs 138.7 million dollars to the young women injured after the FBI dropped the ball. This will bring the total settlements arising out of the abuse by Dr. Nassar to $1B.

April 19, 2024

Antibiotic Resistance in Treatment

I have written often about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Medicine has developed some new drugs to address some of these resistant, hard-to-treat infections. New research shows that not all patients who are sick with the resistant infections are receiving the newer, more effective drugs. Many patients are receiving older, less effective, less safe drugs and the question is why. Cost may be a factor as the new drugs are close to 10 times as expensive as the old drugs. Lack of good information about the effectiveness of the new drugs may be inhibiting doctors from ordering them. Statistically, if you are hospitalized in a rural hospital or a smaller urban hospital, you are less likely to get the newer drugs.

April 17, 2024

Shingrix Vaccine Efficacy

Good news for those who received the Shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles. The vaccine has been found to be 82% effective 11 years after administration.

April 16, 2024

Counterfeit Drugs and Healthcare

Going to have to stuff two important news stories in today’s post. The first is that fraudsters are selling counterfeit Botox and weight loss drugs. People are ending up in the emergency department. As usual, where there is a dishonest dollar to be made, fraudsters will flock to the opportunity.

The second is that 75% of doctors in the United States are now employees of hospital groups or health systems. That is startling and does not bode well for the future of good health care.

April 15, 2024

Rise in Sterilization Procedures

I guess it should not be a surprise, but there was a sharp increase in the number of younger adults undergoing permanent sterilization procedures following the Supreme Court’s decision to remove Constitutional protections for abortion access. The increase was twice as high among women as men. In an era of declining population, this is probably not a good thing.

April 11, 2024

Medicare Advantage Plans Under Scrutiny

A day of reckoning may be coming for Medicare Advantage plans. Although they are popular with many Medicare-eligible patients, the methods by which they save themselves money are very unpopular with hospitals and doctors. The plans save money by often requiring plan approval before treatment. The approval may never come or it may take a while to get, both of which affect the ability of a provider to deliver good and timely care. Payments to providers are slow to arrive as well, and sometimes the plan refuses to pay for one reason or another. Finally, the rates paid by some plans are too low for the provider to make a fair profit. For all of these reasons, some hospitals and doctors have already refused to provide care to patients who are in certain Medicare Advantage plans. Wall Street analysts predict that more and more hospitals and doctors will follow suit, which will make getting the care they need progressively more difficult for patients enrolled in these plans. The plans will have to change their ways or run the risk that so many providers will dump them that they won’t be able to offer their enrollees access to care.

April 10, 2024

New LDL Treatment

The latest on the battle to reduce LDL, aka the bad cholesterol, levels comes from South Africa where researchers have developed a small, once-a-month shot, which reduces LDL levels by 50%. The convenience and efficacy of the shot make it likely to be used by cardiologists to control LDL levels.

April 9, 2024

FDA’s Accelerated Approval Concerns

The FDA has a program to grant accelerated approval for drugs that demonstrate early promise of saving lives. Originally developed for AIDS drugs, the program today is used mostly for cancer drugs. In an interesting finding on review of cancer drugs given accelerated approval, researchers found that less than half of them were found to be effective in confirmatory trials conducted over the years following approval. Some of the drugs went on to obtain regular approval, some were withdrawn and some continue to be studied for overall effectiveness.

April 5, 2024

Jury Verdict Against Mental Health Facility

A mental health facility in Illinois was just hit with a $535M jury verdict. The allegation was that the facility did not adequately protect its patients and, as a result, a 13 year old girl was raped by another patient. The award was $60M in compensatory damages to the girl and her mother and $475M in punitive damages. No surprise, the defendant intends to appeal the verdict.

April 4, 2024

AI in Sepsis Detection

Sepsis is a life-threatening body wide blood infection. Of the patients who die in a hospital, one in three has sepsis. It is critically important for doctors to recognize the onset of sepsis and also to recognize patients whose condition makes them more likely to develop sepsis. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI). The FDA has just approved an AI program that automatically considers 22 separate biomarkers from a patient’s electronic medical record to develop a risk score for possible sepsis development. This is a significant and welcome development.

April 2, 2024

Senate Investigation on Venture Capital in Healthcare

The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security is investigating whether the increasing presence of venture capital in the field of health care is affecting the quality of services being provided in emergency departments. Recent estimates are that 40% of emergency departments are staffed by companies owned by private equity. The committee has received numerous complaints from emergency department physicians that patient safety and quality of care are being affected by aggressive tactics of private equity owners. Stay tuned.

April 1, 2024

Rise in Tuberculosis Cases

No joke. The number of tuberculosis cases diagnosed in the United States was up again this past year. TB is infectious and is usually spread by the coughing of an infected person. It was a prime killer before the advent of antibiotics. Most of the cases were diagnosed in people who were born outside the United States and were probably people who had been exposed years ago and in whom the disease had remained latent until something disrupted the patient’s immune system. It is unclear what disruptions to the immune system trigger TB to reactivate, but researchers are pretty sure a bout of Covid can do it.

March 29, 2024

Alcohol and Cardiovascular Risk in Women

One drink a day is all it takes to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women.

March 28, 2024

Breastfeeding and Childhood Leukemia

Add another benefit to the list of benefits that have been determined to flow from exclusively breastfeeding a child for more than three months. It significantly reduces the risk of childhood leukemia. Doctors believe that the risk is reduced by the creation of a healthy gut biome as the result of exclusive breastfeeding. The impact of the gut biome appears to be greater than we ever thought and new effects are being discovered almost every day.

March 27, 2024

Dementia Risk Factors

Big new study finds that, while there are a number of modifiable risk factors for dementia, the three biggest are diabetes, air pollution and alcohol consumption. The impact of these three on the risk of developing dementia was twice as much as the next leading risk factor.

March 22, 2024

Starbucks Mug Recall

Starbucks is recalling 440,000 ceramic coffee mugs sold during the last Christmas season. The ceramic mugs are coated with metal. Some have broken when filled with very hot liquid or when microwaved and have caused burns and lacerations. Be careful, if you purchased or received one of these as a gift.

March 21, 2024

Prostate Cancer Gene Discovery

New research on prostate cancer shows an unexpected role for a gene in determining the lethality of the cancer once it has metastasized. The gene, HSD3B1, appears to act only after the initiation of hormonal therapy and to hasten the point at which the therapy is no longer effective. The presence of the gene more than doubles the risk of death due to metastatic prostate cancer. The results are considered to be a major leap forward in understanding the pathways by which prostate cancer develops.

March 20, 2024

Covid Vaccines and Stroke Risk

Some months ago, there was concern that the Covid vaccines might be increasing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. After studying larger data sets, however, medical researchers believe there is no association and no increased risk. The increased incidence was occurring among those older people who were getting both the Covid vaccine and a high dose flu shot at the same time. The high dose flu shot creates some increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke but the addition of the Covid vaccination did not add to it. Vaccines are still good for you, folks.

March 18, 2024

Cow’s Milk Benefits

Cow’s milk is not bad for you, as some health faddists would have you believe. It is a dense combination of necessary proteins and nutrients. Low fat milk is good for you as long as you don’t have an allergy to it or a problem digesting it. That said, nutritionists would like to get away from calling foods “healthy” or “unhealthy” as they don’t think that sends the right message or gives people enough information. Their best current recommendation is to look at diet as a whole and not focus on the individual parts so much. The question is whether your overall diet is a healthy one or not as opposed to whether one particular part of it is better for you than an alternative. Eat healthy and take care of that microbiome.

March 14, 2024

Colorectal Cancer Screening Advances

Colorectal cancer is on the rise, especially among young people. The increased incidence is thought to be due at least in part to low fiber, highly processed food diets. Help is on the way. Nobody likes a colonoscopy, but there are non-invasive tests that can detect the presence of colon cancer and they are getting better all the time. The newest generation uses DNA technology and is highly effective at detecting the presence of cancers and neoplasms. Colonoscopy is still the gold standard for colorectal cancer detection, but, as one prominent researcher noted, the best cancer test is the one the patient completes. If people are reluctant to have a colonoscopy, one of these non-invasive stool sample tests is a great second choice.

March 13, 2024

Big Pharma’s Response to Price Negotiation

Although it should come as no surprise, Big Pharma is pulling out all the stops in its efforts to prevent the Biden administration from forcing them to negotiate prices with Medicare for drugs prescribed for seniors. Got to protect those profits, even if it forces some seniors to choose between food and medicine.

March 12, 2024

Pulse Oximeter Accuracy Concerns

A few months ago, when my wife and I came down with Covid, I purchased a pulse oximeter from Walgreens to monitor our blood/oxygen levels. If they dropped too low, we were heading for the hospital. New reporting on the accuracy of the most commonly available pulse oximeters indicates that some of them are not as accurate as they need to be. The problems are mostly associated with accurate measurements in people with darker skin. The Nonin Vantage 9590 and Masimo Mightysat were ultimately deemed to have the best performance, while the Biolight and Roscoe performed the most poorly. My Walgreens pulse oximeter was somewhere in the middle.

March 8, 2024

Advancements in Pain Management

Good news on the pain reduction front. Researchers looking for ways to reduce patients’ post-operative reliance on opioid pain medications have found that a three drug cocktail of over-the-counter pain medications, including ibuprofen and acetaminophen, provided adequate pain control to most patients undergoing hip replacement surgery. Opioids were used for breakthrough pain but were not used as the primary method of pain control. Another advance in medicine’s attempt to reduce reliance on pain medications with the potential for addiction.

March 6, 2024

Healthcare Access Disparities

I have posted on our blog about the downside of rural living from a healthcare perspective. A recent study has added more data on the issue. Those people who lived in an area that had few primary care providers had a higher rate of emergency surgery than those who had better access to primary care. Of course, emergency surgery patients very often have worse outcomes than patients whose surgery is not performed on an emergency basis so it is really important to avoid the necessity for emergency surgery. The surgeries included in the study involved conditions which could be expected to show symptoms long before emergency surgery was necessary. That means that, had the patients had access to primary care and used it, their conditions would likely have been diagnosed earlier and they could have had their surgeries scheduled on a routine basis. The study also found that poorer locations were more likely to be underserved than wealthier ones. No surprise there.

February 27, 2024

Eye Ointment Recalls

Four more eye ointments have been recalled due to concerns about whether they are sterile or not. No infections have been reported as a result of the use of these products but they reflect a growing scrutiny of eye products in light of eye infections reported to have resulted from contaminated products. Here is a helpful link to the recall with a list of products involved.

February 26, 2024

Viagra and Alzheimer’s Risk

There seems to be an association between the use of Viagra and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Although the association appears to be clear, the reasons for it remain murky. One hypothesis is that people who are healthy enough to want to engage in sex are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s in the first place. A second is that those who care enough about sex to take pills for it may be more likely to take care of their bodies in the first place. Last is the theory that Viagra’s action of expanding blood vessels in the body to promote more blood flow works in the brain as well and the more blood that flows to the brain, the lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. They will probably figure it out eventually.

February 23, 2024

Air Pollution and Alzheimer’s

Recent studies are showing that people exposed to fine particle air pollution from automobile traffic have higher amounts of amyloid plaques in their brains. Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease usually have elevated levels of amyloid plaques in their brains. These recent studies do not show that fine particle automobile pollution causes Alzheimer’s, just that there is an association. Time will tell.

February 22, 2024

E-Bike Accident Increase

Unsurprisingly, as the popularity of e-bikes has soared, so have emergency department visits resulting from e-bike accidents. Studies show that most of those visiting the emergency department following an e-bike accident were not wearing helmets at the time. Given the speeds at which these bikes can travel, this equates to a lot more head injuries.

February 21, 2024

Breast Cancer Screening Benefits

Studies of mortality due to breast cancer showed a 41% decline when women underwent annual screening between the ages of 40 and 79.

February 20, 2024

Covid’s Lingering Threat

Covid’s latest adaptation may be its most successful. It has lulled us to sleep. No one seems to worry about Covid any more. Very few people wear masks. Almost no one observes social distancing. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, lots of people do not get the shot. Covid is not gone and has not lost all its punch. It was the third leading cause of death among Americans last year, after heart disease and cancer. We don’t have to go back to the bad old days of complete social isolation, but we need to be smarter.

February 16, 2024

Generic Drug Shortages

There have been persistent shortages of generic drugs in the United States. This has led to some patients not being able to obtain the drugs they need or not being able to afford the brand name drug that the generic copies. The Federal Trade Commission is beginning an investigation into the role pharmacy middlemen are playing in these shortages. Hopefully, the investigation will bear fruit. We need these generics.

February 15, 2024

The Bubonic Plague: A Persistent Threat

The bubonic plague, the infamous Black Death of the Middle Ages, is still with us. Over the last 110 years, there have been a little over 1,000 suspected or confirmed cases in the United States. There was a case recently reported in Oregon in which it is believed the female patient contracted it from her cat. The plague is spread by a bacteria, Yersinia pestis, that can infect small mammals and humans. Humans most often get it from the bites of fleas that have previously bitten an infected animal. There are good treatments for the plague, but it continues to cause deaths in less developed parts of the world. Fever, headache, chills, and painful, swollen lymph nodes are classic signs of the disease. If not treated, the bacteria builds up in the lymph nodes and then enters the bloodstream. Once it enters the bloodstream or the lungs, it becomes more severe and more difficult to treat.

February 14, 2024

FDA Approves New Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

The FDA has approved a new drug regimen to treat metastatic pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers primarily because it is rarely discovered until it has progressed to the metastatic stage, which is quite late in the process. Survival rates are dismal. Patients usually don’t last over a year after diagnosis. The new medicines offer some improvement in survival rates, but it is small. The hope, however, is that these new medicines will open the door to additional effective therapies that may produce longer survival times.

February 13, 2024

Blood Proteins Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk

A lengthy study in Great Britain has shown that about 10 years before signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia first appear, there are changes in certain blood proteins. Two of the proteins are associated with a substantially higher risk of Alzheimer’s, while the other two are virtually diagnostic for the later onset of dementia. All of which brings up the question, “Do you really want this test, if it cannot lead to avoiding the onset of dementia?” Frankly, I don’t want to know.

February 12, 2024

Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme Uncovered

I have reported from time to time about schemes to defraud Medicare. I have made fun of the fraudsters who only took the system for a few million dollars. More commonly, the haul is in the hundreds of millions before the investigators descend and send everyone involved off to jail. This definitely takes the cake, however. A months-long investigation has uncovered a scheme that is believed to have defrauded Medicare to the tune of $2 billion. That’s billion with a B. Almost like a drone attack, a number of related companies simultaneously billed Medicare for low-cost urinary catheters for a large number of actual Medicare beneficiaries. A high volume of low dollar claims is harder to detect. Nowadays, criminals can use computer networks to do the huge amounts of paperwork necessary to process billings of this magnitude. Keep tuned. This is not likely to be the only scheme of this size.

February 9, 2024

Erectile Dysfunction Medications and Alzheimer’s Risk

Win, win? Researchers have found that taking erectile dysfunction medications is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. It is thought that the increase in blood flow caused by the drugs is good for the brain and confers some limited protective effect.

February 7, 2024

Nurses Facing Violence at Work

According to a survey of members of one of the largest nurses’ unions in the country, over 80% of nurses experienced at least one type of violence at work in 2023. About 2/3’s of nurses were either physically attacked or were subjected to threats of physical violence. Only 4% of the nurses surveyed reported that incidents of violence had decreased at their workplace over the past year. Not a good situation for them or for us.

February 5, 2024

Fermented Foods and Brain Health

Researchers have known for some time that eating fermented foods is good for your gut microbiome. It promotes the health and diversity of these organisms that live inside us. Now, evidence is mounting that eating fermented foods improves brain function through the function of the microbiome. Among fermented foods are yogurt, kimchi, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, and kefir. Eat away and be healthy.

January 31, 2024

Lifestyle Factors and Brain Health

More evidence that living right is good for your brain. Recent studies, which need to be confirmed, suggest that regular exercise, strong relationships, and a passion for something are good for the brain and help stave off the loss of brain volume that accompanies aging. The bottom line is you should walk over to your friend’s house and discuss your hobbies. Live long and prosper.

January 30, 2024

Private Equity and Healthcare Costs

“Private equity ownership . . . can lead to higher costs for patients, as well as lower quality care.” So states an article from KFF News, a non-profit health news organization devoted to health care issues. The observation arose in connection with the experience of a married couple who underwent what were supposed to be free colonoscopies, but who were presented after the fact with bills for “surgical trays” used in the procedure at $300 each. The gastroenterology group, which was owned by private equity, was attempting to exploit a billing loophole with the couple’s insurance company so it could receive more money for the colonoscopies by billing separately for various parts of the procedure and supplies. Ultimately, the insurance company was forced to make good on the “free colonoscopy” obligation and paid the surgical tray charge itself. Morale of the story: Watch your medical bills. Don’t let them get away with sneak charges.

January 29, 2024

New Prostate Cancer Test: Stockholm 3

There is a new test coming for prostate cancer. It is called Stockholm 3. It has just completed wide testing on a number of diverse patient groups and has been found to be at least as accurate or more accurate than the standard PSA test. It is estimated that its increased ability to distinguish between aggressive and benign cancers will reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies. Look for the test to be in general use later this year.

January 25, 2024

Toilet Hygiene: Lid Up or Down?

Toilet lid up or down when you flush? Turns out it makes some difference but not that much and the best advice is to disinfect the toilet and surrounding surfaces often. Research has shown that lowering the toilet lid before flushing does reduce the amount of bacteria in the vicinity of the toilet but does not do much to reduce the presence of viruses, which are smaller. In both cases, there is a plume of small, aerosolized particles which escapes the toilet during flushing, even when the lid is down. These particles settle on the walls, floor, and counters in the vicinity of the toilet. You should use disinfectant to remove the bacteria and viruses from these surfaces.

January 24, 2024

Exercise Alone Can’t Combat Bad Habits

When it comes to good health, you cannot exercise away your other bad habits. This was one of the main conclusions of a recent Finnish study involving twins. Exercise is important, but, in the Finnish study, it was most effective when it was coupled with other healthy behaviors, as it most often was. Bottom line is that longevity depends on some factors we cannot change but many we can. Good diet, good sleep habits, no smoking, being active, and keeping your weight and blood pressure under control are all factors we can control that will likely not only lengthen our lives but make them more enjoyable as well.

January 22, 2024

Multivitamins and Cognitive Decline

The evidence is adding up that taking a daily multivitamin slows the onset of cognitive decline in older adults and improves memory. The average advantage ranged between two and five years over those who did not take the multivitamin. Given the low cost of a daily multivitamin and the absence of any side effects, why not add this to your daily health regimen?

January 16, 2024

The Aging Crisis in America

Here is the latest sign that the Apocalypse is upon us. America is aging rapidly and we have no system in place to care for all the elderly who are going to desperately need care. What care there is available is expensive and the people who need it don’t have the resources to afford it. Here is a good article on the subject from Kaiser Healthcare.

January 8, 2024

Exercise and Brain Function

Doctors have known for a long time that exercise was good for the brain but have never been able to pin down exactly the mechanism at work. While there is still much to learn, they have determined that one factor is the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine, also known as the feel-good hormone, is produced by the body during exercise. Recent studies have shown that the presence of dopamine improves mental functioning. Whatever it is exactly, all you need to know is to keep exercising.