Much ado has been made about yogurt as a treatment for “irregularity,” so much so that one major vendor of yogurt specifically markets their new blend of bacteria and fermented milk for the improvement of “long intestinal transit time.” It all sounds wonderful, just eat a cup of yogurt and the trains run on time. That’s actually proven to be true in multiple studies, which is great for most people.

For those who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a condition that makes a mockery of regularity, things are always a little more vexing. For them, yogurt induced regularity would be a godsend. Publishing in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers have taken a good look at this very question. Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post

This week, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force came out with new recommendations on the use of daily low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In fact, the recommendations are so new they aren’t on their official website yet as I write this. The short version is that they think fewer people should be taking aspirin daily due to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. However, just last year this same task force said that more people should be taking aspirin daily!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post

Consider these statements:

All I want is to slim my thighs down.

I’m trying to get a flatter stomach. You know, maybe even a nice 6-pack?

My butt is so big! I just hate it!

Will you just look at this flab on the back of my arm??

It’s easy to get caught up in the simple logic of “If I work my legs, I’ll burn fat there.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The truth is that spot reduction does not work. It never has worked, it never will work. All those ab gizmos won’t flatten your tummy. All those stair-climbers and stationary bikes and elliptical machines won’t slim your legs or shrink your butt.

In fact, that might make your problem worse.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post

One of the great things about medicine is that experts tend to gather together into groups, like say: The North American Menopause Society. This organization of nurses, nurse midwifes, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, and psychologists is on a mission. That mission is the best possible management of menopause for women as they age. The new issue of their descriptively titled journal, Menopause, contains their position statement on hormone replacement therapy. When I started medical school every woman who complained of an end to her periods and “hot flashes” got hormone therapy. It’s more complicated now. Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post

New Paper actually says “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”

Why? Because it’s good for your heart! There is a link to a PDF of the paper in the first paragraph of the linked article, and yes, the title really is “Don’t worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease.” In a study of over 1700 adults, Canadian researchers found that people with a positive outlook had a reduced risk of heart disease. This suggests that controlling depression is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

I Can See Clearly Now

Another study of over 600 elderly people shows how important regular vision screening is. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that patients with untreated vision problems were at increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. They point out that “Proper vision is a requirement for many of the activities that previously have been found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These include reading, playing board games, other mentally stimulating activities, social networking, as well as physical activity such as walking and routine exercising. A visual disorder may interfere with normal mobility and may also hinder a person’s ability to participate in such activities.” So remember to include vision screening among your regular check-ups.

Tweet This Post