I majored in Biochemistry in college and spent a year before Medical School working in the lab of Dr. Daniel Koshland. He was a great scientist and a wonderful man. After a 3 month trip to India, I was telling him and the group about my adventures, and how I had gotten sick at each [...]
06/10/2013
Acupuncture Works for High Blood Pressure
Acupunct Electrother Res. 2013;38(1-2):1-15. The effect of acupuncture on high blood pressure of patients using antihypertensive drugs.Cevik C, Iseri SO. Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Director of The Acupuncture Clinic & The Coordinator of The Acupuncture Certificate Courses, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara/Turkey. Abstract Blood pressure control is an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention. Despite [...]
05/31/2013
A Lone Researcher Casts Doubt on Lucrative Diabetes Drug
One of the key researchers who worked on Januvia, a new diabetes drug, is convinced that it can lead to pancreatic cancer. This article describes the increible pressure the doctor is under. Be careful out there. Too bad they can’t invest in exercise spaces and good food instead. A Lone Voice Raises Alarms on Lucrative [...]
05/27/2013
Statins Interfere with Exercise Fitness?
This post on a study showing that statins, for some reason, can undercut the fitness benefits of an exercise regimen. They have no idea why, but it underscores the hazards of taking medications with far reaching effects. As readers of this blog know, I worry about statins for that very reason. What can it say [...]
05/12/2013
Depression AND Antidepressants Associated with Gut Infection
It only seems logical that drugs with such broad reaching effects as antidepressants would have an effect on the gut. In this study, the correlation was with Prozac, Remeron, and Trazodone. Why they might lead to Clostridium difficile, is the question. But it may be because the antidepressants effect the “normal” bacteria that live in [...]
04/04/2013
Progess. Hazard Warning for Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A, chemical endocrine disruptor might get a hazard warning. We’ve been discussing this on the blog for a few years now. (Here, here and here.) (“A flurry of research”, showing it to be harmful may cause “flurries of lawsuits.” Funny.) By now, many environmentally conscious consumers are wary of bisphenol A, a [...]
03/26/2013
Hazards of Robotic $urgery
I’m getting quite crabby posting on the “Follow the Money” theme. Who would have guessed that these expensive robots not only are no better, but can be dangerous? First, Do No Harm. I got a bit of snarky satisfaction from the NYTimes title, “Salesmen in the Surgical Suite.” Click through for the whole thing, I [...]
03/21/2013
Hazards of sleeping medications
Informative article on insomnia and ways to mitigate it. Even I was surprised at the following facts. (We’ve discussed insomnia on the blog often since it is a common presenting symptom in my clinic. This newsletter edition last year would be a good starting place). Recent studies, moreover, associate more serious and even deadly outcomes [...]
