When I first saw those helicopter shots of red oil plumes staining the ocean, my only thought was: How could any animal survive in that? As a person who loves animals, this tragedy is too awful to think about. But as a doctor concerned with the prevention of human illness, I can’t help thinking about it. I can’t help but wonder: If the entire Gulf ecosystem is trashed, how will that affect us? It’s impossible to measure, let alone predict, the long-term human health effects that emerge from a major environmental catastrophe like the one we are now witnessing in…
After relocating to New Hampshire I'm finally bidding farewell, officially, to beloved Kauai. It was a wonderful 10 years of living in paradise, enjoying beautiful scenery, weather, fresh local foods and of course the company of so many wonderful people that make up this very special island community. Thanks to Malama Kauai, Unity Church, Borders Books and Music, and to everyone I befriended during a decade of aloha—and especially to West Kauai Medical Centers who have been so good to me and to now (semi-) retired Drs. Robert and Linda Weiner who first hired me way back in Sept 2000!…
A new study suggests Dr. Atkins was right: A high carb diet is not a healthy diet, and cutting carbs trims more than just your waistline. While both low-carb and low-fat diets can help you loose weight, Duke University's well-designed study makes it pretty clear that if you want to reduce your weight and your pressure, a low-carb diet is a better choice. From Today's Medscape Family Medicine: "January 25, 2010 (Durham, North Carolina) — A new randomized trial comparing a low-carbohydrate diet with a low-fat diet in combination with the weight-loss drug orlistat has found that both strategies produced meaningful weight…
Imagine a world where everyone is on powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs. Not just sick people. Everyone. Astra Zeneca has imagined it, and now they're going to see their dream come true. On December 16, the FDA announced their approval of Astra Zeneca's cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor for use in people without high cholesterol despite the fact that a new study showed conclusively that the drug causes diabetes. By a vote of 12 to 4, the panel judged that even people at very low risk of heart disease should take the cholesterol medication anyway. "I do think the diabetes problem is real, but…
