December 21st, 2009 by Joseph Scherger, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
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You would expect that diet sodas would help you lose weight since they have no or minimal calories. Drinking a diet soda rather than a regular soda saves you all that sugar, right? Many people develop diet soda drinking habits due to several factors, the caffeine, the sweetness or just wanting to drink something without the calories.
The link between diet sodas and weight is not what you might expect. Reviewed recently in the medical journal JAMA (Dec. 9, 2009), a major heart study showed that people who drank more than 21 diet sodas per week had twice the risk of becoming overweight or obese compared with people who don’t drink diet soda. In another major study, daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 67% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (cause by excess weight). Drinking diet sodas gives you the same “sweet tooth” behavior as other sweets and actually results in people eating more calories than if they stayed away from sweets in general. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at eDocAmerica*
December 18th, 2009 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Opinion
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The advent of the internet, combined with social media, has made everyone experts and has increased the disdain for authority.
No where is that more apparent than the firestorm that surrounds vaccines and its detractors.
The Los Angeles Times’ James Rainey writes a column on the phenomenon, observing the backlash against a well-written, nuanced piece debunking the link between vaccines and autism.
But as we know, those who already believe there is a connection are unlikely to be swayed. And on the web, it’s easy to find data and studies that fits an already established mindset. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
December 16th, 2009 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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The current generation of medical students are not choosing primary care and instead are flocking to specialty care medicine in droves. Unlike decades ago when the best and brightest often went into internal medicine, the vast majority of students opt for dermatology, radiology, anesthesiology, and ophthalmology. Reasons for doing so include better predictable schedules, work-life balance, and compensation.
While I understand that proponents for more primary care doctors use other reasons to increase the primary care workforce, namely decrease the healthcare cost curve and improve health outcomes, medical students today need more compelling and practical reasons to do primary care.
I’ll give three. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
December 16th, 2009 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Opinion
3 Comments »
Are gifts for doctors appropriate in the physician-patient relationship? Or should doctors refuse all offerings of gratitude that come their way?
Patients often give gifts to doctors as an appreciative sign of great thanks for for the care they provide. Some years I may go unappreciated for my efforts. Some years I get thanked for a job well done for spending time with the patient and their family. Some years I have patients that hate me. Some years I even I have patients that hate me and love me. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist Blog*
December 16th, 2009 by DrCharles in Better Health Network, Health Tips
1 Comment »
With all the controversy about the utility of mammography, optimal Pap smear intervals, and risks of prostate cancer screening, you have to ask yourself – what are the most beneficial and cost effective preventive services we should be focusing on?
Here are the top 10 preventive services. These items were chosen by the National Commission on Prevention Priorities, and highlight those preventive services including immunizations, screenings, preventive medications, and counseling that give “the most bang for the buck.” For an in depth discussion of methods and results, read Am J Prev Med 2006;31(1):52–61
Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles*
