New Alzheimer’s drug: Game-changing or underwhelming?
When it comes to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, it appears that anxiety about cognitive decline is driving treatment decisions, rather than evidence. More
When it comes to dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, it appears that anxiety about cognitive decline is driving treatment decisions, rather than evidence. More
n a foreword to Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety’s special issue, “The role of de-prescribing in polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use,” authors Dee Mangin of McMaster University and Doron Garfinkel of Israel Cancer Association, address the insidious and widespread effects of inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy (IMUP). More
Media coverage of a recent study is generating hype about supplemental screening for cancer for women with dense breasts. More
The Lung Health Institute markets to people with COPD and other conditions. More
New research led by Dr. Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School documents five supplement brands for sale in the U.S. that contain various amounts of piracetam, a drug prescribed in European countries for cognitive impairment in dementia but not approved in the U.S. More
Change is hard, especially in medical practice More
The ISCHEMIA trial found that for patients with stable coronary disease, stents and bypass surgery do not improve rates of mortality or heart attacks more than medical therapy. Will this study finally change cardiology practice norms? More
In letters to the FDA and FTC, a nonprofit said it found no evidence that 39 “fertility” supplements increase a woman's chance of conceiving. More
Such a diagnosis shows screening results aren’t quite normal. But possible treatments can come with risks that outweigh benefits. More
Tips on how to help loved ones determine medication excess More
Makena, a drug approved in 2011 to prevent premature birth, didn't work then and doesn't work now. The FDA should remove it from the market. More
In a recent feature article in Healthy Aging magazine, patient advocate Johanna Trimble describes what happened when her mother-in-law, Fervid, was transferred from her residential facility to a nearby health care center. More
Despite the prevalence of multiple medication use, a significant proportion of both older adults and caregivers were unaware that older adults should avoid certain medications. More
When we characterize ED visits as "inappropriate," we are essentially faulting patients for making the decision to go to the ED; however there is a lot more behind that decision than simply a patient's choice. More
A recent study shows the impact of asking "Do you want everything done?" for critically ill patients and their family members. More
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over for another year. But it’s not too late to reflect on, and learn from, one of the most troublesome breast center marketing ideas in recent memory. More
On "The People's Pharmacy" on NPR, Shannon Brownlee and Cynthia Boyd discuss drivers of and solutions for medication overload. More
Privacy isn't the only thing we should be worried about with Facebook's new preventive health tool More
Apps like Flo and Clue are shifting from just tracking your health data to using it to make evaluations about your health risks. Their tools may not always be accurate. More
“Sepsis kills over 52 000 every year—each death a preventable tragedy”, tweeted Matt Hancock, UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in March, 2019. Many other non-contextualised or fictitious claims regularly fill media pages and airwaves, creating a distorted picture of sepsis epidemiology and unrealistic expectations of outcomes. This hype has generated an unhealthy climate of fear and retribution in both the UK and the USA. Patients and families fear the so-called hidden killer and their confidence in health-care providers is undermined. Hospitals are criticised, penalised, and litigated against for failing to give patients antibiotics within 1 h of presumptive diagnosis. Doctors are reported for not giving antibiotics to patients they deem non-infected. It is thus worth summarising available data and providing a more balanced perspective. Without belittling the problem, patient care must be informed by facts. More