Although many Americans remain saddened or exultant by the results of the presidential vote, the November ballot produced key health-related results worth a quick post-mortem: Big Soda lost big after spending big to defeat new taxes aimed a cutting consumption of sugary, fizzy drinks. Big Pharma, which also dropped a lot of money, successfully beat….
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Tired parents shouldn’t stress out about baby’s sleep, SIDS safety advisory
If the nation’s pediatricians panicked already exhausted and stressed out parents with their recent advisory about keeping babies in the same room at night, there’s some sensible counsel from New York Times columnists. Moms and dads need to strike a thoughtful balance between their nighttime needs and those of their infants, Aaron E. Carroll, a….
Continue ReadingStrong emotion, high exertion found to increase risk of first-time heart attack
Has a colleague really gotten under your skin? Has your boss popped off at you in a way that crosses your line? Have your spouse or kids run up big bills, banged up a car, or gotten in trouble in a way that just infuriates you? Go ahead, pull on the running shoes, and exercise….
Continue ReadingSurgeon jailed in Dallas, as details unwind still of his terrible spine surgery spree
Just how difficult can it be to stop a highly credentialed but dangerous doctor from hop-scotching around a metropolitan area to perform brutal spinal surgeries in different hospitals, including a respected academic medical center? Just ask crippled patients, neurosurgeons, medical licensing officials, and prosecutors in Dallas what it took to derail Dr. Christopher Duntsch. As….
Continue ReadingBig Pharma, Big Soda spending big to battle ballot measures
Just some quick updates on some topics that the blog has followed in recent days: Big Soda, Big Pharma spending big to battle ballot measures The Fall 2016 elections that have caused such cconsternation will be done, none too soon. But not before Big Soda and Big Pharma have poured millions of dollars to oppose….
Continue ReadingIn health care, long-lasting “facts” can be open to challenge
Facts line up in some challenging ways: Cranberry juice doesn’t work on urinary tract infections Despite longtime belief in its potency, cranberry juice doesn’t help women with urinary tract infections (UTIs), new research confirms. Experts administered cranberry capsules to 185 female nursing home patients for a year. The standardized doses were equal to drinking 20….
Continue ReadingSouth Dakota high court won’t force hospitals to disclose why they let a bad doctor operate on patients’ spines
South Dakotans will need their state lawmakers’ help now to pry open physicians’ iron grip on secret decisions about which doctors get to practice in hospitals and why. That’s because the state’s Supreme Court ruled this vital information must be kept confidential, even if releasing it would serve a wider good of disclosing possible criminal or fraudulent….
Continue ReadingWorkplace wellness programs are biased, intrusive and abusive, AARP says
They keep burgeoning, even though evidence-based research indicates they’re not working. They’re unfair to employees. They intrude on workers’ privacy. And so AARP, the largest advocacy group for older Americans, is suing a federal agency to try to curb workplace wellness programs. AARP says in its suit that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which oversees….
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