Health Care Buzz Today
Quit Smoking Drug Linked to Cardiovascular Risk. Users of the smoking-cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) who had no previous cardiac history had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk…
More Confirmation Stents Overused
Another day, another study showing that invasive cardiologists overuse angioplasty and insert unneeded stents in patients without acute symptoms of coronary artery disease. The latest study, which appeared in today’s Journal of the…
Red Tape and Telehealth for Cost Savings
I read my current issue of Modern Healthcare this weekend and saw a good idea for helping to cut down on the cost of some personal protective equipment (PPE) and…
It’s Official: Teens Prefer Texting to Talking.
A survey in our adolescent clinic (Nov 2010) found 80% of teens preferred to respond to a call via text compared to talking. This data (with smart graphics) from Lab…
Costs Associated with Spinal Disorders and Treatment
One of the most device-intensive areas of medical technology — one with few effective clinical alternatives — is spine surgery. This is one medtech arena that, although not immune to…
Chantix Under Fire
Just a quick sing-out to Marilyn Mann because of the latest news released over the weekend that the anti-smoking drug Chantix by Pfizer may be unsafe. The new evidence comes…
Why I’m Not Having More Children
A man over 40 is almost six times as likely as a man under 30 to father an autistic child … a man’s chances of fathering offspring with schizophrenia double…
To Heal a Heart, Train Harder
Traditionally, heart patients were encouraged to begin slowly and work up to more strenuous activity. New research suggests rigorous workouts benefit heart patients. According to The Wall Street Journal: Traditionally,…
Health Care Buzz Today
Patients Pick Hospitals for their Social Media Presence. In a survey, 57% of consumers said that a hospital’s social media connections would strongly affect their decision to receive treatment at…
Jumping into Health Care Social Media
The legendary bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked, “Why do you rob banks?” answered “That's where the money is.” For the same reason, we cannot ignore social media – that's…
