THis JAMA Internal Medicine article concludes that states that have medical marijuana have lower opiate overdose death rates. It is no secret that the number of patients with noncancer pain who receive opiate prescriptions has nearly doubled in the past decade. As this has occurred, the number of opiate overdoses and deaths has similarly peaked. … Read More
This JAMA Viewpoint article discusses the cognitive processes that inform clinical judgment and suggests that video games training might improve cognitive abilities and reshape clinical intuition, promote self-efficacy, and improve clinical decision making among physicians. Serious games, which attempt to transform behavior deliberately, are being adopted in several arenas. The military has spent hundreds of… Read More
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends use of low- to moderate-dose statins for primary prevention in adults aged 40 to 75 years who have 1 or more CVD risk factors (dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, or smoking) and a calculated 10-year CVD event risk of 10% or greater (B recommendation). The USPSTF also recommends that clinicians… Read More
This November 10, 2016 NEJM article reviews 4 large studies and concludes that exercise and a healthy diet and reduction of unhealthy habits like smoking can counteract genetic predispositions. A new analysis of data from more than 55,000 people provides an answer. It finds that by living right — by not smoking, by exercising moderately… Read More
This Kaiser Health News article from November 16, 2016 examines one of the Modesto California demonstration projects uses alternative destination for psychiatric patients Training these first responders to identify people who are suffering from mental illness and connect them with treatment other than the emergency room could be part of the solution to gaps in the… Read More
This article in Sleep Health found an association between sleeping less then 5 hours a night and consumption of caffeinated beverages containing sugar such as energy drinks and sodas. Interestingly there was no association sound between sleep duration and consumption of teas, fruit juices or diet soft drinks. It is unclear if the consumption of… Read More
Trump shocked pollsters, pundits, and much of the population with his victory. But perhaps it should not have been a surprise to Americans or anyone else in the world as 2016 is likely the rise of the populist movement. Populists are considered the “ordinary people.” And this wave that elected Trump is not limited to… Read More
From November 11, 2016 Modern Healthcare Sources say President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team for HHS will be led by Andrew Bremberg, who worked at the agency under President George W. Bush administration and more recently has been an adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s fleeting presidential bid. Bremberg was… Read More
This PlosOne article examined patients enrolled in the Health eHeart Study looked at demographics, health information and sleep quality. The objective was to test the hypothesis that increased screen-time is associated with poor sleep Total screen-time over 30 days was a median 38.4 hours (IQR 21.4 to 61.3) and average screen-time over 30 days was… Read More
