By Natalie Smith, MD
Faculty Peer Reviewed
A few weeks ago I received an email from a friend I grew up with containing a link to an article she had seen online and a question as to its implications. The email was directed to me, the medical student, but was also sent to eight of our other closest friends. I clicked on the link and found a short article titled, “What drugs are known to cause memory loss?” My friend’s particular concern was based on…
By Gloria Lan, MD
Faculty Peer Reviewed
This week, Angelina Jolie surprised the world with her confession of having had a prophylactic double mastectomy because of a BRCA-1 mutation. This led to an outpouring of support from breast cancer organizations and celebrities and has landed her on the cover of next month’s Time Magazine entitled “The Angelina Jolie Effect.” Many have predicted that because of Angelina’s brave story, more women will investigate their own family histories and probe further into the issue of genetic testing.…
By Jenna Piccininni
Faculty Peer Reviewed
Bisphosphonates are a relatively new medication having only been approved to treat osteoporosis in the US since 1995 . In addition, large placebo controlled trials have, at most, 10 years of follow-up data. Thus, there are still questions regarding the long-term use of these agents. There are a few well-established side effects of bisphosphonates including rare osteonecrosis of the jaw and more common esophageal irritation. However, several more recent case reports suggest a correlation between prolonged bisphosphonate use and…
By Ellie Hammer, MD
Faculty Peer Reviewed
This week NBA basketball player Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay athlete playing on a major American sports team. Fighting continued in Syria and law enforcement officers continued to investigate the Boston Marathon bombers and their motivations. Finally, the cannibalized remains of a young settler at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, were discovered. This finding furthers our understanding of the harsh reality our forefathers endured to establish a permanent presence…
By Jessica Billig
Faculty Peer Reviewed
Although millions of dollars are spent towards cancer research every year, progress toward a cure is less than ideal. Last year the New York Times posted a piece about the burgeoning improvements on the genomic front that could lead to a new approach to cancer treatment. “The promise is that low-cost gene sequencing will lead to a new era of personalized medicine, yielding new approaches for treating cancers and other serious diseases” . Through genomic technology, physicians will be able…
By Jerome Lowenstein, MD
Faculty Peer Reviewed
Two questions that often arise concerning the administration of radio-contrast in patients with advanced renal disease, receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, reveal what appear to be widespread and important misconceptions.
The first misconception is that in end-stage renal disease, glomerular filtration is absent or minimal and the removal of wastes (“uremic toxins”) is accomplished only by peritoneal or hemodialysis Most patients who reach the advanced stages of renal disease requiring hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis are not oliguric and…
By Anish Parikh, MD
Faculty Peer Reviewed
This week, the nation continues to heal in the aftermath of the tragic bombings that took place during the Boston Marathon on April 15. While one of the two brothers behind the attacks was killed in a dramatic shootout with Boston police last week, the other escaped and was not found until a day-long search that effectively shut down the entire city was completed. As interrogations have begun, new developments in the case are already emerging. It has…
By Emma Gorynski
Faculty Peer Reviewed
The power that celebrities have over Americans is undeniable. We look to them for guidance on what to listen to, what to wear, and even what to name our children. Celebrities even affect the decisions we make about our own health care. With the increasing popularity of direct-to-consumer advertising, celebrities are promoting pharmaceuticals and other health-related products.
Is there a role for celebrities in health advocacy? On one hand, celebrities can increase public awareness of medical conditions and encourage…
