• A roughly 43% chance (Part II)

    Updated: 2012-04-26 22:08:52
    The first change I would like to discuss is the MCAT or Medical College Admission Test.  As discussed in an article in the New York Times by Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal on April 13, 2012, this rite of passage is again being updated to reflect what the authors believe to be a flaw in current students. [...]

  • 7 ‘Heart Healthy’ Factors Reduce Risk of Death

    Updated: 2012-04-25 15:44:19
    TweetIn recent years an increasing emphasis has been placed on the need for improved primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.  To this end, using evidence from clinical trials and epidemiological studies, the American Heart Association (AHA) has suggested seven ideal cardiovascular health behaviours (metrics), including: not smoking; being physically active; having normal blood pressure, blood glucose and [...]

  • 2-year PARTNER data published

    Updated: 2012-04-25 15:42:37
    TweetWhile the last 5 years have seen an incredible expansion in the use of transcatheter aortic-vlave replacement (TAVR) for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not considered suitable for surgery, long-term outcomes data remain scant.  The randomised Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) trial found that, as compared with standard therapy, TAVR reduced symptoms [...]

  • A roughly 43% chance (Part I)

    Updated: 2012-04-24 19:38:24
    If you apply to medical school, your chance of being accepted is around 43%.  Can we “make” better doctors?  Will the doctors of tomorrow be prepared for the challenges of today? Tip O’Neil, the former speaker of the house from 1977-1987, was from Massachusetts.  He once famously said that “all politics is local.”  What he [...]

  • The next frontier: Gene-based therapy (Part II)

    Updated: 2012-04-19 19:03:36
    A study was published in Lancet recently and can be found at Lancet 2012; DOI:10.1016/S0146736(12)60161-5. This study is titled “Point-of-care genetic testing for personalization of antiplatelet treatment (RAPID GENE): A prospective, randomized, proof-of-concept trial” (it’s a real page-turner). What this study did was identify carriers of the CYP2C19*2 allele with a bedside test that uses [...]

  • The next frontier: Gene-based therapy (Part I)

    Updated: 2012-04-17 22:10:59
    One of the lures of becoming a physician is the intersection of science and humanity. Everyday I am allowed to bring science to my patients in an attempt to impact upon their problems or attempt to improve their health conditions. This is a constantly changing environment and one which seems to be accelerating everyday. These [...]

  • Shaking up the Salt Myth: The Human Need for Salt

    Updated: 2012-04-13 16:00:50
    In the first part of my series on salt, I discussed the historical significance of salt and its role in the evolution of humanity. Salt has been a highly prized substance for thousands of years across all cultures and continents. Yet over the past few decades, excess salt and sodium intake has been blamed for [...]

  • Even if they pay us, it doesn’t matter

    Updated: 2012-04-12 21:58:05
    Medicine is changing.  Everyday in the media there is another story as to the problems in medical care and the multiple ways that it is going to be fixed.  What doesn’t get a lot of coverage or discussion is that none of the proposals currently being promoted to “fix” our healthcare system actually work.  I [...]

  • Interleukin-6 and heart disease

    Updated: 2012-04-11 09:46:33
    TweetKnown vascular risk factors can explain only about half of all cardiovascular disease, leaving much to be discovered about other causes of stroke and heart attack. Persistent inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, but causality has not been established for any specific inflammatory mediator. In The Lancet, two genetics consortia [...]

  • Just say no to EKGs for regular check-ups

    Updated: 2012-04-10 22:01:00
    Should an electrocardiogram be a regular part of your annual exam? A study out today in the Journal of the American Association says maybe, if you're 70 or older. But we don't think so, and an accompanying editorial agrees—and even...

  • Despite negative findings, fish oil still benefits many

    Updated: 2012-04-10 20:45:00
    If you have heart disease, a study out yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine might make you think twice about taking fish-oil pills to prevent a second heart attack. But the American Heart Association is sticking to its longstanding...

  • What you need to know about radiation (Part III)

    Updated: 2012-04-10 19:14:23
    Clearly, the most important aspect of this discussion centers around you.  Patients must learn to ask questions.  Emergencies are one area that must, by circumstance, be decision-making by the physician.  In most elective or hospital settings when doctors mention that they want to radiate you, the question should be, “What information are you going to [...]

  • What you need to know about radiation (Part II)

    Updated: 2012-04-05 21:43:26
    The problem of radiation exposure is being attacked on many levels, but at the present time, much of what is being done is talk.  Talk is good, but it will need some stimulus to move forward.  This stimulus usually comes from the government in various forms.  Two of the strongest are CMS or the Centers [...]

  • What you need to know about radiation (Part I)

    Updated: 2012-04-03 21:41:59
    Technology has enhanced physicians’ ability to define and identify illness with ever-increasing precision.  Improvements in radiation are an important part of this progress.  Treatment is also uniquely benefited by radiation that is available to us as treating physicians.  What happens when the diagnosis and treatments become part of the problem?  Can we as physicians do [...]

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