I was delighted when my friend, Dr Kevin Pho, accepted my recent post on statin drugs. As a ‘student’ writer, I was also happy to read more than a couple ‘robust’ comments. No worries here, bike racers and heart docs have thick skin. I penned six responses on the KevinMD post. The gist of the […]
Category: General Medicine
There was important news this month on statin drugs. As one of the world’s most effective and commonly used medications, statins provide great writing topics. Lots of people have high cholesterol–including cyclists. Lots of people are interested in avoiding our mostly deadly disease. I’d like to tell you about a recently-published (Lancet) landmark study that […]
Vitamins were in the news this week. It turns out that older woman (in the Iowa women’s study) who reported taking vitamins had a slightly higher chance of dying. The authors concluded: “In older women, several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality risk; this association is strongest […]
I recently wrote about the incredible sensations that come with vigorous exercise. Perhaps it was the post ride cannabinoid flurry, but it’s possible that I went too far in suggesting that ‘we’ (doctors, patients, the whole of Western Society) default first to pills before healthy living. Two commentors called me out on this snark. They […]
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Grand Rounds is up…
This week’s edition of Medical Grand Rounds is now posted on the blog of Dr Ramona Bates, Suture for a Living. “Grand Rounds” is a collection of the medical blogosphere’s best writing. At least I try to submit my top-shelf stuff. Rotating medical bloggers take turns being the curator of submitted posts. I’ve done this […]
Today I would like to say thanks to a group of colleagues that too often go un-thanked. These would be my hospital-based internal medicine friends: hospitalists are what they are called. This idea came to me after reading Dr Robert Centor’s post on KevinMD. In his usual concise manner, he laments the lack of respect […]
Reports documenting the dangers of Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) continue to generate headlines. It’s a steady stream of bad news for patients who take these widely-available pain relievers. Sorry about the repetition folks, but it’s hard to ignore my daily email updates from the American College of Cardiology when they so directly pertain to endurance athletes. […]
The unrelenting epidemic of inactivity and excessive eating wreaks havoc on more than just the heart and blood vessels. Lugging around extra weight also breaks down the joints and back. For evidence, look no further than the waiting room of any orthopedist; the people waiting for joint replacements look the same as those waiting to […]
When cyclists find out that I am a heart doctor, they most frequently ask about cholesterol numbers. “…My cholesterol is this…What do you think?†“…My doctor wants me to take a statin…But I read that these drugs might lower my functional threshold power 2.014 watts/40km.” All this focus on numbers saddens me. Remember, I am […]
Your knee hurts. Your back aches. Your muscles are soooo sore the day after trying that new exercise. I get this; I race bikes. Yet I urge you to avoid seeking relief in the form of the pain-relievers called Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs. You have heard the names before: ibuprofen (Advil), naprosyn (Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren), […]
I have become an AF-doctor. That means my most exciting aspect of medicine is terminating AF with watts delivered through a catheter. “Got it.” In that beautiful moment, the take-the-fun-out-of-medicine people seem far away. Huge grin! Though all that high-tech stuff is exhilarating, it’s fair to say that the most remarkable thing in AF medicine […]