High blood pressure affects one out of every three adults. About 70 million people in the United States have high blood pressure, but only half have their blood pressure under control. High blood pressure has been called the silent killer,…
What many people have learned about cholesterol is summarized by the following: High cholesterol will clog up your arteries and cause a heart attack. There are two main types of cholesterol. Good cholesterol or HDL for high density lipoprotein that…
Many Generics Are No Bargain Generic drugs have been considered bargains. Unfortunately, prices of many generic drugs have skyrocketed. An example in the news is the generic medication albendazole used to treat parasitic infections. In 2008, the average cost per…
Ignorance and Profit: Margarine and the Heart “Avoid butter, use margarine” was standard medical advice in the 1970s to reduce the risk of heart attack. This advice was based on ignorance of the dangers from margarine made from hydrogenated vegetable…
New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Answers to 10 Questions? In October, the American Cancer Society recommended women get fewer mammograms to screen for breast cancer. Many people were alarmed. Isn’t testing more often better? There are no simple answers, as…
For many people struggling to lose weight, weight loss medications seem to be a simple way to “melt off” the pounds. Unfortunately, the evidence shows this is not the case. Current diet medications reduce appetite, but do not eliminate the…
Why Are So Many People Obese? There is an obesity epidemic in this country. The percent of people who are overweight and obese has doubled since 1992. Now one-third of adults in the United States are obese. What has happened…
Prediabetes is a major problem, affecting one-third of all adults in the United States. A preventive program can cut the risk of developing diabetes by half. Although medications can help some people with prediabetes, they are not recommended for most…
SHOULD I USE ASPARTAME? Most people like sweet foods. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame can sweeten foods without the extra calories and glucose-raising sugar. Is aspartame safe? Can it help you lose weight? Could it help you control your diabetes? Aspartame…
Smoke billows from a coal fired power plant. Does this pose a danger to your health? The evidence is yes. A terawatt of power generated by burning coal is estimated to produce 24.5 deaths, 225 serious illnesses and 13,288 minor…
