MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'dr david'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:16:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570547&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbehavior-vs-disease-a-new-way-to-look-at-health%2F2011.03.10 What is the leading cause of death in the United States? Heart disease? Cancer? No, it’s smoking. Smoking? Yes, depending on how you ask the question. In the early 90s, McGinnis and Foege turned the age-old question of what people die of on its head by asking not what diseases people die of but rather what the causes of these are. Instead of chalking up the death of an older man to say lung cancer, they sought to understand the proximate cause of death, which in the case of lung cancer is largely smoking. Using published data, the researchers performed a simple but profound calculation — they multiplied the mortality rates of leading diseases by the cause-attributable fraction, that proportion of a disease that can be attributed to a particular cause (for example, in lung can... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570547 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:00:06 +0100 4570547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544971&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-and-science-based-medicine-skepticism-vs-nihilism%2F2011.03.03 Last Friday, Mark Crislip posted an excellent deconstruction of a very disappointing article that appeared in the most recent issue of Skeptical Inquirer (SI), the flagship publication of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). I say “disappointing,” because I was disappointed to see SI publish such a biased, poorly thought out article, apparently for the sake of controversy. I’m a subscriber myself, and in general enjoy reading the magazine, although of late I must admit that I don’t always read each issue cover to cover the way I used to do. Between work, grant writing, blogging, and other activities, my outside reading, even of publications I like, has declined. Perhaps SI will soon find itself off my reading list. Be that as it may, I couldn’t miss the article that so irr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544971 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:00:03 +0100 4544971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498276&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibm-watson-could-revolutionize-healthcare%2F2011.02.19 If you’ve been watching Jeopardy! over the past couple days, you probably know that IBM’s highly-advanced artificial intelligence software, Watson, has been competing against Jeopardy!’s most successful contestants (and as of Tuesday night, took a commanding lead over the humans, despite having some trouble with United States geography). Besides the amazing ability to power through “Daily Doubles” and answer random trivia in the form of a question, IBM researchers believe that Watson could revolutionize the healthcare industry. From diagnostics to informatics, Watson could quickly search through medical records, clinical documents, and research information for precise answers that would benefit both doctors and patients. Check out the video below to see physic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498276 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:00:16 +0100 4498276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429019&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-dietary-guidelines-offer-little-new-guidance%2F2011.02.02 There isn’t much new in the latest iteration of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Three years in the making, the 2010 guidelines (released a tad late, on January 31, 2011) offer the usual advice about eating less of the bad stuff (salt; saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol; and refined grains) and more of the good stuff (fruits and vegetables; whole grains; seafood, beans, and other lean protein; and unsaturated fats). I’ve listed the 23 main recommendations below. You can also find them on the “Dietary Guidelines” website. The guidelines do break some new ground. They state loudly and clearly that overweight and obesity are a leading nutrition problem in the United States, and that a healthy diet can help people achieve a healthy weight. They also r... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429019 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:00:27 +0100 4429019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197063&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-doctors-should-be-less-like-chuck-yeager-and-more-like-captain-sullenberger%2F2010.11.24 A recent medical error of a wrong-site surgery that occurred in one of the country’s best hospitals, Massachusetts General, reminded me why doctors need to be less like Chuck Yeager and more like Captain Sullenberger. Growing up, I always wanted to be a fighter pilot, years before the movie “Top Gun” became a part of the American lexicon. My hero was World War II pilot Chuck Yeager, who later became one of the country’s premier test pilots flying experimental jet and rocket propelled planes in a time when they were dangerous, unpredictable, and unreliable. Much like the astronauts in the movie “The Right Stuff,” Yeager and his colleagues literally flew by the seat of their pants, made it up as they went along, and never really knew if their maiden flight... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197063 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:00:00 +0100 4197063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197068&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-low-can-oprah-winfrey-go-promoting-faith-healer-john-of-god-to-the-masses%2F2010.11.23 Several of the bloggers on Science-Based Medicine have been — shall we say? — rather critical of Oprah Winfrey. The reason, of course, is quite obvious. Oprah is so famous that if you mention her first name nearly everyone will know exactly of whom you speak. For the last quarter century, Oprah’s daytime TV talk show has been a ratings juggernaut, leading to the building of a media behemoth and making her one of the richest and most famous women in the world. Unfortunately, part of Oprah’s equation for success has involved the promotion of quackery and New Age woo, so much so that last year I lamented about the Oprah-fication of medicine, which scored me a writing gig in the Toronto Star. Whether it be promoting bio-identical hormones, The Secret (complete with a testimonial ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197068 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4197068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179322&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhomeopathy-fibromyalgia-a-woo-magnet%2F2010.11.18 Over the weekend, my wife and I happened to be in the pharmacy section of our local Target store. We happened to be looking for one of our favorite cold remedies, because both of us have been suffering from rather annoying colds, which have plagued both of us for the last week or two. As we perused the Cold and Flu section of the pharmacy, we were struck at how much shelf space was taken up by Airborne (which was “invented by a schoolteacher.“) Nearly three years ago Airborne had to settle a case brought against it alleging false advertising to the tune of $23 million. Despite that, Airborne is still being sold, and there are even a whole bunch of knock-off products copying it. Then, as we continued to look for our favored cold remedy, we noted that, sitting right next to the extensive... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179322 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:00:11 +0100 4179322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175692&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-make-mistakes-about-humanness-and-perfection%2F2010.11.17 The best part of doctoring is its humanness. Machines can’t do it — not even Apple products. But that’s the worst part, too. Since humans practice medicine, there will be “medical errors.” And when doctors err, people — not spreadsheets or profits — are hurt. That’s the rub. Like any endeavor, the greater the reward the greater the risk.  Those cards were put on the table in medical school. “Don’t want mistakes? Don’t do anything. Don’t make any decisions. Don’t do any procedures. Then, there will be no errors,”  the grey-haired, Swiss-born cardiac surgeon counseled me many years ago after an imperfect ablation. The headline was about a doctor’s error. It was a doozy. But for me, the story belies t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175692 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4175692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142939&cid=t_249205_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F0mzv1i8V2aI%2Fdo-not-give-up-hope.php I recently attended a local 'Adults With Type One' meeting. A couple of volunteers from the JDRF have been organizing this group for the last 18 months, though this was only my second meeting.  I'm making it a priority to get to more of these because the two I have attended have been really valuable.  The guests were Tom & Patty Cartier. Their son, Cory, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 18 years ago.  As parents, they are giving all they have to make sure he is cured and no longer has to wrestle with diabetes.  We will all benefit from their hard work and dedication to their son. Tom & Patty are the people behind the Spring Point Project, a nonprofit organization providing medical grade porcine islet cells to the University of Minnesota's Schulze Diabetes Inst... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142939 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100 4142939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133711&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-does-anti-vaccine-really-mean%2F2010.11.04 We write a lot about vaccines here at Science-Based Medicine. Indeed, as I write this, I note that there are 155 posts under the Vaccines category, with this post to make it 156. This is third only to Science and Medicine (which is such a vague, generic category that I’ve been seriously tempted to get rid of it, anyway) and Science and the Media. There is no doubt that vaccines represent one of the most common topics that we cover here on SBM, and with good reason. That good reason is that, compared to virtually any other modality used in the world of SBM, vaccines are under the most persistent attack from a vocal group of people, who, either because they mistakenly believe that vaccines caused their children’s autism, because they don’t like being told what to do by The Man, because... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133711 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:04 +0100 4133711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965412&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-drug-companies-pay-attention-to-herbal-medicine%2F2010.09.13 I’m only a monthly contributor here, but between being a Science Based Medicine (SBM) reader and having my own blogs, I often grow weary of the blind criticism that researchers and drug companies couldn’t care less about traditional folk medicines as drug products. My laboratory spends every single day working on natural product extracts in the search for compounds that may have selective effectiveness against cancer. So this is a bit of a sore spot for me. Two [recent] papers from Cancer Prevention Research on the potential anticancer effects of a diabetes drug (see Nathan Seppa’s story here) remind me to tell the story of a Middle Ages European herbal medicine used to treat polyuria that gave rise to one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, metformin (Glucophage ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965412 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:00:21 +0100 3965412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3935912&cid=t_249205_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fpsychiatrist-breaks-free-no-free.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3935912 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:30:00 +0100 3935912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3813032&cid=t_249205_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F02%2Ftired-on-mondays-sleep-more-on-weekends%2F If you’re feeling especially tired today — and it’s Monday — it may be because you didn’t get your normal recharge of sleep this past weekend. So says a new study published in the journal Sleep by David Dinges and his colleagues. Researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing the results of a sleep deprivation study on 159 healthy, middle-aged adults. A group of 142 participants were sleep-deprived by allowing them only four hours of sleep for 5 consecutive nights. But before the sleep deprivation, these subjects were first given two nights of 10-hour sleep periods, to ensure all participants started at similar sleep levels. They were then allowed randomized doses of recovery sleep ranging from zero hours to 10 hours for per night. The other 17 partici... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3813032 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:18:23 +0100 3813032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767077&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmeaningful-use-does-what-you-do-qualify%2F2010.07.19 One doesn’t usually look to the Federal Register to define meaning or purpose (philosophers, yes, but bureaucrats?), but the federal government has officially ruled on what constitutes “meaningful use” — for the purposes of distributing dollars to clinicians for electronic health records. The Wall Street Journal’s health blog has an excellent synopsis of the rule and the reaction from different interest groups and experts, and the New England Journal of Medicine has a very clear explanation and summary of its key elements by David Blumenthal, M.D., F.A.C.P., the federal government’s coordinator of health information technology. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767077 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0100 3767077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750283&cid=t_249205_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCanadianMedicine%2F%7E3%2Fb-hoeZkp6qg%2Fend-in-sight-for-avandia.html Health Canada waits to see which way FDA will jumpThe diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) may shortly become the latest high-profile pill to meet an early demise after serious side effects emerged in real-world use.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be meeting next week to consider the fate of the insulin sensitizer, whose cardiac safety has been called into question by several studies. Elevated risk of heart attack and other cardiac events has been documented by several studies.An FDA advisory committee has already reviewed the evidence once in 2007. They concluded that rosiglitazone caused more ischemic events than placebo, but not more than metformin or a sulfonylurea.The latest research, however, seems likely to drive a stake into rosiglitazone's heart [JAMA, June 2010;304(4)... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750283 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:02:00 +0100 3750283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665969&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-you-should-still-see-your-doctor-when-youre-not-sick%2F2010.06.16 Experts say over 100,000 lives a year could be saved in the United States if patients focused more on preventive medicine. What is preventive medicine? What can you do in your everyday life that may make a long-term difference? On this Patient Power program, you will hear from two board certified internists from the UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics in Western Washington. They will discuss how having an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician who you check in with regularly –- even when you’re well –- gives you the best chance at staying healthy. (more…) (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665969 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:00:13 +0100 3665969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3645076&cid=t_249205_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F09%2Ffood-for-your-whole-life-nutrition-today-for-a-healthy-tomorrow%2F By: Carlene Helble-Elite Nutrition Intern It’s no secret; nutrition can affect your health at every stage of life. California Walnuts held an amazing symposium and webinar, Food for your Whole Life, that brought experts like Dr. David Katz, from across the country to focus on each life stage. The panel of specialists included a representative from the USDA, who gave us a sneak peek at what is being worked on for the new food pyramid that is being released this fall. Look for a new view on the calories obtained from fat and carbohydrate sources as well as more information on trans fats. The children’s specialist talked about one of our favorite topics, school lunches. He described studies that he and his team members were working on to increase healthy choices in students. Small changes... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3645076 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:25:37 +0100 3645076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3611880&cid=t_249205_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fdeputy-surgeon-general-dr-david-rutstein-tours-illegal-immigrant-detention-facility%2F Acting deputy Surgeon General Dr. David Rutstein recently toured the Otay Mesa detention center outside of San Diego to investigate complaints that illegal immigrant detainees are not receiving topflight medical care while being held at the facility. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3611880 Sat, 29 May 2010 20:30:50 +0100 3611880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=602386&cid=t_249205_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F10%2Fdr-dean-ornish-on-genes-and-health%2F Filed under: Diet, Family history, Prevention, Research, Obesity, ExerciseWhile I was surfing the 'net the other day, I followed a link to A Fat Rant. It's basically a monologue by a woman who's overweight and tired of feeling bad about it. While I applaud her sentiment that we should feel good about the skin we're in and cheer her refusal to go on a "diet," there was something she said that I didn't agree with: "The secret to staying thin? Choose two thin parents. Ideally, choose four thin grandparents, as well." There's been a lot of talk lately about the connection between genetics and good health. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity have all been found to have a family connection. A recent study found that 20% of Caucasians carry a gene variation that puts them at greater risk of de... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=602386 Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 602386