Obama on Health Care Reform, Part I
Though the war in Iraq and the downturn in the economy continue to dominate political conversation among the presidential hopefuls, health care reform remains an enormous and looming issue, one that increasingly demands change away from an unsustainable status quo.   To be sure, informational tools that provide self-empowering information, such as that provided on health websites like this, are growing forces on the health care…

Dark Tan? Don’t Assume Vitamin D is at a Healthy Level
As the days are getting longer and the days getting sunnier, many of us are enjoying increasing the melanin in our skin, otherwise known as a tan. Melanin is the pigment that provides the brownish coloring that grows in intensity as we tan.   You’d think that by sporting a nice “healthy” tan, having a normal vitamin D blood level is guaranteed. Right?   Unfortunately, no. In fact, it is possible to remain severely…

McCain on Health Care: Realistic Solutions or Tweaking the Flawed Status Quo?
Imagine a new health care proposal that does the following: Continues employer-based health insurance. Maintains Medicare and Medicaid in their current form, though reimburses healthcare providers based more on quality measures, not just volume. Maintains individual and familyaccess for purchasing insurance, but allows crossing state lines to take advantage of premium cost differences. Prevents health insurers from dropping their insured…

Google Health: Health Empowerment or Health Intrusion?
Google has just announced the release of its new Google Health service. They join a growing panel of online services (including Microsoft’s HealthVault and America Online founder Steve Case’s Revolution Health) designed to allow users to store and retrieve health information online. The search engine powerhouse brings an impressive pedigree of technological expertise that has engineered the likes of Google Earth, Google Maps, and…

McCain on Health Care: Realistic Solutions or Tweaking the Flawed Status Quo?
Imagine a new health care proposal that does the following: Continues employer-based health insurance. Maintains Medicare and Medicaid in their current form, though reimburses healthcare providers based more on quality measures, not just volume. Maintains individual and familyaccess for purchasing insurance, but allows crossing state lines to take advantage of premium cost differences. Prevents health insurers from dropping their insured…

Obama on Health Care Reform, Part I
Though the war in Iraq and the downturn in the economy continue to dominate political conversation among the presidential hopefuls, health care reform remains an enormous and looming issue, one that increasingly demands change away from an unsustainable status quo.   To be sure, informational tools that provide self-empowering information, such as that provided on health websites like this, are growing forces on the health care…

Correct Heart Disease through Your Thyroid: Learn How
When should low thyroid be considered and when could it be blamed for contributing to risk for heart disease? You’d think the answer would be straightforward: Either it’s normal or it isn’t. But the boundary between “normal” and “low” thyroid has been the focus of vigorous debate over the last decade, a question that has vexed doctors and patients alike, often searching for answers to unexplained fatigue,…

Tim Russert: Did He Receive Adequate Heart Care?
The sudden passing of news giant, Tim Russert, of sudden cardiac death dealt a blow to the American consciousness. Perhaps his hard-hitting interviewing style, while making guests squirm, provided an appearance of invincibility. But, of course, none of us is invincible. We are all vulnerable to this disease. We should not allow Mr. Russert’s tragic death to pass without taking some lessons. Unfortunately, much of the popular media will leap to…

Russert’s Death Deemed Preventable: What You Need to Ask Your Doctor
Mr. Russert had a heart scan in 1998. Score: 210. What does that mean?It means that Mr. Russert’s untimely death was every bit as predictable as knowing when the next football season is likely to begin. Heart scans provide a precise, measurable index of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. They provide a level of confidence in predicting cardiovascular “events” that no other non-invasive screening test can match. If his heart…

Google Health: Health Empowerment or Health Intrusion?
Google has just announced the release of its new Google Health service. They join a growing panel of online services (including Microsoft’s HealthVault and America Online founder Steve Case’s Revolution Health) designed to allow users to store and retrieve health information online. The search engine powerhouse brings an impressive pedigree of technological expertise that has engineered the likes of Google Earth, Google Maps, and…

Beyond Convention: 5 Heart Disease Tips That Could Save Your Life
It is, indeed, easy to second-guess Mr. Russert’s doctors, fumbling their way through explanations of why their popular talk show host died suddenly despite the appearances of receiving good healthcare. The fault doesn’t really lie with Mr. Russert’s doctors. We should point fingers at the system that perpetuates the least-common-denominator level of preventive advice that is usually provided, advice that fails too many…

McCain on Health Care: Realistic Solutions or Tweaking the Flawed Status Quo?
Imagine a new health care proposal that does the following: Continues employer-based health insurance. Maintains Medicare and Medicaid in their current form, though reimburses healthcare providers based more on quality measures, not just volume. Maintains individual and familyaccess for purchasing insurance, but allows crossing state lines to take advantage of premium cost differences. Prevents health insurers from dropping their insured…

Treating High Blood Pressure in the Elderly
If you’re around my age (early 50s), then you are probably old enough to remember the days when standard advice for blood pressure treatment was based on age.   In the 1970s, for instance, the rule for blood pressure treatment was “120 plus age.” A 50-year old, for instance, would have been advised that a blood pressure of 165 (less than the 170 cut-off) would have been just fine. For an 80-year old, the advised cut-off would have…

Heart Scan Mix-Up: What You Need to Know
The New York Times featured an article on June 29th that discussed rapidly expanding use of CT scans for the heart. The article discusses the potential for overuse of this and other diagnostic testing when the physician actually owns the device and profits from the volume generated. It also highlights the very substantial radiation exposure of angiograms performed on CT devices.   However, the article goes on to say that “they expose…

Obama on Health Care Reform, Part I
Though the war in Iraq and the downturn in the economy continue to dominate political conversation among the presidential hopefuls, health care reform remains an enormous and looming issue, one that increasingly demands change away from an unsustainable status quo.   To be sure, informational tools that provide self-empowering information, such as that provided on health websites like this, are growing forces on the health care…

Google Health: Health Empowerment or Health Intrusion?
Google has just announced the release of its new Google Health service. They join a growing panel of online services (including Microsoft’s HealthVault and America Online founder Steve Case’s Revolution Health) designed to allow users to store and retrieve health information online. The search engine powerhouse brings an impressive pedigree of technological expertise that has engineered the likes of Google Earth, Google Maps, and…

Russert’s Death Deemed Preventable: What You Need to Ask Your Doctor
Mr. Russert had a heart scan in 1998. Score: 210. What does that mean?It means that Mr. Russert’s untimely death was every bit as predictable as knowing when the next football season is likely to begin. Heart scans provide a precise, measurable index of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. They provide a level of confidence in predicting cardiovascular “events” that no other non-invasive screening test can match. If his heart…

McCain on Health Care: Realistic Solutions or Tweaking the Flawed Status Quo?
Imagine a new health care proposal that does the following: Continues employer-based health insurance. Maintains Medicare and Medicaid in their current form, though reimburses healthcare providers based more on quality measures, not just volume. Maintains individual and familyaccess for purchasing insurance, but allows crossing state lines to take advantage of premium cost differences. Prevents health insurers from dropping their insured…

Heart Scan Mix-Up: What You Need to Know
The New York Times featured an article on June 29th that discussed rapidly expanding use of CT scans for the heart. The article discusses the potential for overuse of this and other diagnostic testing when the physician actually owns the device and profits from the volume generated. It also highlights the very substantial radiation exposure of angiograms performed on CT devices.   However, the article goes on to say that “they expose…

Dark Tan? Don’t Assume Vitamin D is at a Healthy Level
As the days are getting longer and the days getting sunnier, many of us are enjoying increasing the melanin in our skin, otherwise known as a tan. Melanin is the pigment that provides the brownish coloring that grows in intensity as we tan.   You’d think that by sporting a nice “healthy” tan, having a normal vitamin D blood level is guaranteed. Right?   Unfortunately, no. In fact, it is possible to remain severely…

Heart Scan Mix-Up: What You Need to Know
The New York Times featured an article on June 29th that discussed rapidly expanding use of CT scans for the heart. The article discusses the potential for overuse of this and other diagnostic testing when the physician actually owns the device and profits from the volume generated. It also highlights the very substantial radiation exposure of angiograms performed on CT devices.   However, the article goes on to say that “they expose…

Heart disease and osteoporosis: Same problem, different place?
Several studies over the years have demonstrated a curious paradox: People with more osteoporosis (thin bones) are more likely to have coronary disease and heart attacks. They also tend to have higher heart scan scores (more coronary calcification as an index of atherosclerotic plaque). People with more coronary disease and higher heart scan scores are more likely to have osteoporosis. In other words, regardless of which way you tackle…