December 27th, 2010 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: AF, Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiac Implants, CardioBrief, CardioExchange, Cardiology, Cardiology News, Cardiology Predictions, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Stent, Dabigatran, Dr. John Mandrola, Dr. Mark Midei, Heart Health, ICDs, Larry Husten, NEJM, New England Journal of Medicine, Obesity, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Pradaxa, TAVI, The Partner Trial, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation, Valvular Heart Disease, Warfarin
No Comments »
The end of the year marks a time for list-intensive posts. Recently Larry Husten from CardioExchange and CardioBrief asked for my opinion on the three most important cardiology-related news stories of 2010. Additionally, he wanted three predictions for 2011. Here goes:
Top Cardiology Stories Of 2010:
1. By far, the #1 heart story of 2010 was the release of the novel blood-thinning drug dabigatran (Pradaxa) for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. Until this October, the only way to reduce stroke risk in AF was warfarin, the active ingredient in rat poison. Assuming that there aren’t any post-market surprises, Pradaxa figures to be a true blockbuster. Doctors and patients have waited a long time to say goodbye to warfarin.
2. The Dr. Mark Midei stent story: Whether Dr. Midei is guilty or innocent of implanting hundreds of unnecessary stents isn’t really the big story. The real impact of this well-chronicled saga is the attention that it brings to the therapeutic misconceptions of coronary stenting. The problem with squishing and stenting is that although they improve the physics (of bloodflow), they do not change the biology of arterial disease — a hard concept to grasp when staring at a picture of a partial blockage. The vast press coverage of Dr. Midei’s alleged transgressions has served to educate many about heart disease, the nation’s #1 killer. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
December 27th, 2010 by Peggy Polaneczky, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
Tags: CAM, Chai-Yok, Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Douche, Douching, Dr. Peggy Polaneczky, Female Reproductive Cycle, Fertility Aid, Folk Remedies, Folklore Medicine, Getting Pregnant, Herbal Remedy, Infertility, Korea, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Disorders, Mugwort, Natural Remedies, Naturopathy, OB/GYN, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Pelvic Infections, Reproductive Health, Spa Medicine, TBTAM, The Blog That Ate Manhattan, Urinary Tract Infection, UTI, V-Steam, Vaginal Infections, Vaginal Steam Baths, Women's Health, Yeast Infection
2 Comments »
A spa in California is offering vaginal steam baths, in which spa-goers squat or sit on open stools over a tub of hot steam, as a cure-all for menstrual, digestion, and mood disorders:
The V-Steam: Inspired by an ancient ritual practiced for many years in Korea. The steam from the herbal tea rises and absorbs into your skin & orifice. This steaming treatment stimulates the production of hormones to maintain uterine health, aids regular menstrual cycles, helps correct digestive disorders while soothing the nervous system. The natural antibiotic and anti-fungal properties are said to help maintain internal health as well as keeping your skin looking young. (30 min: $50. Series of 6: $180.)
It’s a douche, folks. A $50 douche made with mugwort and 13 other herbs and having a fancy Korean name: Chai-Yok. True, the water gets up there as steam, and if you don’t squat just right over the steam bath, I imagine it may not get up there at all. But in the end, it’s a douche.
We docs strongly advise against douching since we know that women who do it have higher rates of vaginal and pelvic infections. Not to mention that the vaginal mucosa is highly-absorptive surface, meaning anything you put in there is likely to end up in the rest of your body. And so I ask: What herbs are they using, at what doses, and what side effects might they have? Not to mention what might be growing in those wooden tubs they have you squatting over? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at tbtam*
December 27th, 2010 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
Tags: Cosmetic Products, Dermatology, Dr. John Di Saia, False Claims, Healthcare Consumerism, Medical Product Claims, Medical Product Effectiveness, Misleading Healthcare Consumers, OTC, Over-The-Counter Medications, Plastic Surgery, Scar Formation, Scar Prevention, Scarguard, Truth in Cosmetic Surgery
No Comments »
I saw a Scarguard product on sale at a drugstore locally. The claims on the packaging were over the top as usual:
1. “Guards against new scars forming” – Difficult to prove.
2. “Flattens and shrinks old scars” – Not really.
3. “Scarguard is the #1 choice of plastic surgeons” – Really? Nobody asked me.
Scar treatment is pretty simple. Avoid wounding if you can. If you have plastic surgery, seek a skilled surgeon who will spend the time to do the best. After surgery avoid sunlight and smoking, and consider scar massage as directed by your surgeon. This “Scarguard” product is not going to make a bad scar much better unless it is applied early, and even then the results are debatable.
– John Di Saia, M.D.
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
December 26th, 2010 by Elaine Schattner, M.D. in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Aging, Being Content With Life, Being Happy, Contentedness, Dr. Elaine Schattner, Economist, Emotional Health, Emotional Well-Being, Getting Old, GNH, Gross National Happiness, Health Economics, Medical Lessons, Old Age, Older Adults, Pete Townshend, Psychiatry and Psychology, Satisfaction In Life, Socioeconomics, The Joy of Growing Old, The Who
No Comments »
This evening, when I finished cleaning up the kitchen after our family dinner, I glanced at the current issue of the Economist. The cover features this headline: the Joy of Growing Old (or why life begins at 46). It’s a light read, as this so-influential magazine goes, but nice to contemplate if you’re, say, 50 years old and wondering about the future.
The article’s thesis is this: Although as people move towards old age they lose things they treasure — vitality, mental sharpness and looks — they also gain what people spend their lives pursuing: Happiness.
Fig. 1 (above): “A snapshot of the age distribution of psychological well-being in the United States,” Stone, et al: PNAS, May 2010 (y-axis: “WB” stands for well-being.)
Young adults are generally cheerful, according to the Economist’s mysterious author or authors. Things go downhill until midlife, and then they pick up again. There’s a long discussion in the article on possible reasons for the U-shaped curve of self-reported well-being. Most plausible among the explanations offered, which might be kind of sad except that in reality (as opposed to ideals) I think it’s generally a good thing, is the “death of ambition, birth of acceptance.” The concept is explained: “Maybe people come to accept their strengths and weaknesses, give up hoping to become chief executive or have a picture shown in the royal Academy…” And this yields contentedness. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medical Lessons*
December 24th, 2010 by DrRob in Better Health Network, Opinion
Tags: Basic Comforts, Basic Human Needs, Caregivers, Caregiving, Christmas, Despair, Dr. Rob Lamberts, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Global Health, Healthcare Providers, Helping Others, Helping People, Holiday Season, Hopelessness, Human Affliction, Human Compassion, Humanism, Humanity, Meaning in Life, Medical Professionals, Medicine and Humanism, Moral Thought, Musings of a Distractible Mind, Our Society, Pain, Pain and Suffering, Primary Care, Prosperity, Real Meaning, The Poor, World Suffering
No Comments »
Every day I go to work and spend time with suffering people. They come to me for help and for comfort. They open up to me with problems that they would not tell anyone else. They put trust in me — even if I am not able to fix their problems. I serve as a source of healing, but I also am a source of hope.
Christmas is a moving season for many of the same reasons. No, I am not talking about the giving of gifts or the time spent with family. I am not talking about traditions, church services, or singing carols. I am not even talking about what many see as thereal meaning of Christmas: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, and baby Jesus. The Christmas story most of us see in pictures or read about in story books is a far cry from the Biblical account. The story we see and hear is sanctified, clean, and safe.
Before I go on, I want to assure my readers that I am in no way trying to persuade them to become Christians. I am a Christian, but whether or not you believe the actual truth of the story, there is much to be learned from it. I find it terribly hard to see the real Christmas story here in a country where the season is filled with so much else — much of it very good. It is far easier to just be happy with family, friends, giving gifts, singing songs, and maybe even going to church, than it is to contemplate the Christmas story. I think the Christians in our culture have gotten way off base on this — much to our shame.
Christmas is not about prosperity and comfort. It is about help to the hopeless. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
