It’s easy to be overwhelmed with medical information in the media.
It is often written with the intent of being big on headlines but short on important details. We present that information in a reliable manner so you can be well-informed. We also summarize medical conference news
We hope all the pearls we will be gathering will help you on your journey to good health and happiness!
Coffee – More Anti-Oxidants To Go With My Chocolate
For those of you who read my blog on chocolate, you may be starting to wonder about my dietary habits. Coffee and chocolate are daily staples and I suspect that…
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Pollen Vortex — Part 1 of 2
Have you heard that this winter’s polar vortex is turning into the spring’s pollen vortex? It’s true! In my office, every spring we gear up for the high pollen count…
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A Break from Myanmar’s Diary…More April Health Pearls…
1. Is smoking marijuana harmful to the brain function of young people? In what way might it harm their brain? A collaborative study between Northwestern University’s medical school, Massachusetts General…
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Safe Sleeping – The Latest in Newborn Positioning and More
When speaking to a new parent, it usually takes less than two minutes before conversation turns to the topic of sleep. Not surprising, given the many issues surrounding sleep (or…
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What’s New in the Brain: Update in Neurology from the American College of Physicians Annual Meeting 2014
Last week I had the privilege of attending the ACP Annual Meeting where 10,000 internists from the United States and the international community meet to attend talks on the state…
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Gluten Or Gluten-Free — That Is The Question
Lately, there has been a lot of press about gluten, which is a wheat protein. To look at the proliferation of gluten-free products on the supermarket shelves, one would think…
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April pearls – Penicillin Allergy, Testosterone Therapy and The Elbow Sign in Sleep Apnea
Penicillin – Real allergy or not? Ten percent of the US population reports having an allergy to penicillin. It turns out that when they are tested, less than a tenth of…
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Thyroid Myths Dispelled: It Doesn’t Have To Be a Pain in the Neck
As an endocrinologist, I see patients with a wide variety of hormonal issues including thyroid disease. From talking with my patients and reading mainstream media, I have noticed that there…
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March 2014 Health Pearls
1. Did you know that if you’re taking St John’s Wort and hormonal contraception (birth control pills, implantable contraceptives…), you might be at a higher risk for an unplanned pregnancy? …
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Is There an Ideal Dose of Alcohol?
As part of an annual physical, among the questions I ask patients are, “Do you smoke?”, “Do you drink?”. Several times in the past few months, patients have mentioned drinking…
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