empowereddoctor.com - internalmedicine

Doctors Give Placebo Treatments Often

2008-11-04

Some 50 percent of physicians in America provide their patients with placebo medications without informing them, according to a recent investigation. "It's a disturbing finding," said Franklin G. Miller, director of the research ethics program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and one of the authors of the paper, published in the British Medical Journal. "There is an element of deception here which is contrary to the principle of informed consent."

Risk Factors for Erosive Esophagitis

2008-05-02

Video: Dr. Jonathan Cohen of the Concorde Medical Group discusses Risk Factors for GERD. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a common disorder with a high incidence rate in adults of 10 to 38%. Diagnosis and treatment of GERD are important because the disease, in addition to the problematic typical symptoms, has numerous known consequences. GERD can affect a patients' quality of life, decrease functional activity, and increase the risk of esophageal carcinoma.

What is the Polypill?

2008-03-10

Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the Polypill. The Polypill is being developed in response to an important reality surrounding cardiovascular disease. There are three important drugs that can help prevent heart disease (statins, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin). These drugs are not taken for two major reasons. First, the drugs are simply too expensive for much of the world, including countries as developed as Russia. And secondly, in developed nations where the drugs are affordable patients too often fail to comply - after three years 70% of patients do not take the medications as prescribed.

Crohn's Disease and Cow's Milk

2007-12-26

Crohn's disease is a condition associated with chronic intestinal inflammation that causes pain, bleeding, and diarrhea, affecting 400,000 to 600,000 people in North America. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that a bacteria present in cow's milk called Mycobacterium paratubuerculosis releases a molecule that prevents a type of white blood cell from killing E.coli bacteria found in the body. E.coli is known to be present in increased numbers within tissue affected by Crohn's disease. It is believed that Mycobacteria are introduced into the body via cows' milk and other dairy products. Until recently, it has been unclear how this bacterium could trigger intestinal inflammation in humans.

Worried Sick? There Might Be Some Truth There

2007-11-19

A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people constantly worry about numerous things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago. Half of the people surveyed this year, which is 6% more than in 2006, claimed they were more worried about their health and their family's health than about other concerning issues such as climate change or terrorist attacks. The survey finds that almost three quarters of people worry, but around 19% admit to worrying all the time or about a number of things.

Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women

2007-10-25

Research conducted by The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition finds that women who eat yogurt frequently are less likely to be overweight and more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of important nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. The fourteen day study followed the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older. Thirteen percent of these women ate three or more servings of yogurt over a two week period. In this group, the women on average had a 15% lower body mass index compared with women who consumed no yogurt.

What is Renal Stenosis?

2007-10-09

It is very interesting that a lot of people don't know that blocking the arteries of the kidney can be a cause for hypertension. Particularly someone who is young and becomes hypertensive suddenly, one should make sure there is no blockage in the renal arteries. There are millions of people with hypertension, so it's easy to think that we should simply give them medications. But it's important to understand that there is a very small segment of the population, who develop hypertension at a young age, particularly in their twenties, thirties, forties. They need to be looked into. All we need to do is a scan of their kidneys. What is called a duplex scan or an ultrasound of their arteries. With this methodology we can actually pick up a narrowing of the arteries.

What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?

2007-10-05

Dr. Sattesh Babu of Vascular Associates of Westchester discusses Peripheral Arterial Disease, who is at risk, why it is important to be screened and current treatments.

Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems

2007-09-21

A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events."

Mortality Rates Drop for Diabetic Men But Not Women

2007-06-29

A recent analysis of the mortality rates of men and women with diabetes from 1971- 2001 found that while death rates for men have dropped, women's have remained static. This study, to be published in the August issue of the Annals of Medicine, uncovers the disparities, but doesn't attempt to look at causes.