In medicine, there is a long tradition of starting case presentations with a three-part description of the patient’s age, sex, and race. “This 53-year-old White woman presented to the ER with abdominal pain.” “The patient is a 50-year-old Black man with chest pain.” In December 2021 two doctors wrote a Perspective article in The New
Adora Winquist offers advice about neuroplasticity, but hers is not the language of science or reality. Neuroplasticity is real and is being used in rehabilitation. We have learned that the adult brain can grow new neurons and the brain can be re-wired to function in new ways. In a recent email I was offered an interview
The Joovv Go is a handheld device for red light therapy. Red light therapy remains controversial: most of the claims are not supported by credible scientific evidence. I recently received an email urging me to try the Joovv Go, a small handheld device designed to provide red light therapy while travelling, to treat pain, relax
If marketers want to persuade me to take a dietary supplement, they are going about it the wrong way. A typical recent email said I could fight aging, boost immunity, and feel energized with doctor-endorsed NMN supplement Elevant. They even offered to send me free samples. Probably worth the price! 🙂 The claims: “For today’s
The old adage says, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”. On the Science-based Medicine home page, at the top, are 5 tabs. One is “How to submit a guest post”. Clicking on that tab brings up a detailed article explaining the guidelines for guest submissions. Apparently, many readers either don’t
The polypill is effective for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. By combining drugs in a single pill, it improves convenience and compliance. The polypill, not polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications by a single patient, which is sometimes appropriate and necessary, but can be ill-advised and result in medication interactions and complications. The
Along with very talented British illustrator Kevin Howell, I recently published a children’s book called There’s No Such Thing as a Tooth Fairy. (If you’re interested, it’s available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and BookBaby.com.) That book idea had been percolating in my mind on and off for several years. The germination of the idea
A new study published in The BMJ suggests vitamin D might prevent autoimmune disease, but there are reasons to be cautious. Up to 75% of American teens and adults are said to be deficient in vitamin D, but there is no agreement on what level constitutes deficiency. Claims for the health benefits of vitamin D supplements abound,
Lindsey Fitzharris’ book describes the amazing innovations in plastic surgery brought about because of the horrors of World War I. War is hell, but often it leads to advances in medical technique that translate to peacetime. In The Facemaker, Lindsey Fitzharris tells the inspiring story of Harold Gillies, a visionary surgeon who battled to mend the
Two pills and an injection are FDA-approved to prevent HIV infection. Not enough patients and providers know about them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes guidelines and updates for preventing HIV infection. They call it Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP. People at risk for HIV infection can be “PrEP-ared” to avoid infection. FDA-approved medications for
