Myths and Realities: Heart and Wine

August 26, 2010

By Aditya Mattoo, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Not too long ago, a patient came to my clinic and said (I’m paraphrasing of course), “I never cared for alcohol, doctor, so I haven’t had much to drink since my college days.  Maybe champagne…

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Posted in Myths and Realities

Myths & Realities: Is Shiftwork Tumorgenic?

June 23, 2010

By David Ecker, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Over the last several decades, Westernized countries have become 24-hour societies.  Approximately 21 million workers in the US are on non-standard work shifts, including almost 4 million on regular overnight shifts.[1]  In 1972, Taylor and Pocock…

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Posted in Clinical Questions, Heme/Onc, Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Cell phones and the risk of brain cancer

November 27, 2009

cell_phonesDaria B. Crittenden

Although children today have never known a world without cell phones, the rest of us remember when these devices were created and have watched their popularity soar. The ability to have constant communication, anytime and anywhere, is now…

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Posted in Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Ginger Ale in Treating Nausea and Vomiting

September 3, 2009

gingeraleChau Che MD

Faculty peer reviewed

Despite the numerous medications available for the treatment of nausea and vomiting, some patients and doctors insist that ginger ale will alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. As early as the first century AD, the Greek physician Dioscorides praised…

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Posted in Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Does holding your breath really cure hiccups?

August 6, 2009

hiccupCindy Mui MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Hiccups, or singultus, are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, which are terminated by abrupt closure of the glottis, producing their characteristic sound. Hiccups serve no known physiologic purpose, and descriptions of their causes and “cures”…

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Posted in Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Colon Cleansing: Healthful or just a load of @$%!

July 16, 2009

colonixChau Che MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

You’ll have increased energy, radiant skin, reduced joint pain, improved asthma symptoms, and best of all…you will lose weight. These are some of the purported benefits of removing “toxins” (otherwise known as undigested material) from the colon…

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Posted in GI, Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day?

June 18, 2009

wheaties1Chau Che MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

In an age when two thirds of adults are either overweight or obese and obesity rates in children continue to rise, would an intervention such as consuming breakfast daily help combat this problem? Skipping breakfast has become…

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Posted in Myths and Realities, Nutrition

Myths and Realities: Do Power Lines Cause Cancer?

May 20, 2009

powerlines

Aditya Mattoo MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Prompted by personal experience, I thought I would explore the alleged causative role of power lines in hematologic malignancies for the next installment of Myths and Realities. In recent years, two close family friends living at…

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Posted in Heme/Onc, Myths and Realities

Myths and Realities: Does the Weather Really Affect Arthritis?

March 19, 2009

storm.jpgWelcome to the first installment of Myths and Realities! With each post we hope to tackle some of the longstanding myths often perpetuated by patients and physicians alike. Through literature reviews we will attempt to validate or debunk these beliefs…

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Posted in Myths and Realities, Rheumatology