"This blog was developed to provide medical updates that are important and have my perspective as additional insight."
More Olive Oil Please! A new report in the NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine), out of Spain, demonstrates great heart advantage to the Mediteranean diet. A 30% reduction in risk for heart attack was noted, for patients eating 1 liter of olive oil per week, along with additions of good oils from nuts (1 …
Dear Dr. Lakin, In this morning’s NY Times (Science section), there was an article reporting the results of “… a Swedish study that followed 61,433 women born between 1914 and 1948 for an average of 19 years. After controlling for physical activity, education, smoking, alcohol and other dietary factors, they found that women who consumed 1,400 …
Read More “A PATIENT WONDERS: WHAT ABOUT THE DANGERS OF CALCIUM? ….. HERE’S MY ANSWER”
In the New York Times this Sunday there was an Editorial on the topic of chemicals in our environment, organic chemicals found in many common objects and bottles, that we use every day, and the potential unknown risks they may pose. Most interesting was the connection between these chemicals and obesity. Yes….it’s possible that your …
Pap testing is a superb method for screening for cancer of the cervix (the opening of the uterus), but there is potential promise for the pap smear as a screening test for ovarian and uterine cancer, and in a recent scientific article from Johns Hopkins, research have performed initial innovative research showing ‘proof of concept’ …
Read More “EXCITING NEW RESEARCH FROM HOPKINS …MAKING THE PAP TEST BETTER”
Aspirin may be among the topics most discussed in these pages and today there is another study on aspirin, this time looking at coated aspirin and perhaps it’s reduced effectiveness compared to plain aspirin. I think most people use coated aspirin now as it is the type most advertised, and it does provide some benefit …
A new study from England shows that a routine physical exam does not benefit patients as regards their longevity, or in appreciably reducing risk of heart disease or cancer. This is not a surprise and is good news really. Why? Because just doing an examination will have little benefit if people don’t head the warnings …
A large Danish study demonstrates a reduced cancer risk in people on statin medications like Lipitor. This good news should be interpreted with some caution as study does have some limitations, but the fact that the medication did not show an increase risk of cancer issues is great news for those millions of us on …
Reclast is an IV form of bone-builder that we use in women for osteoporosis. It has been proven effective and safe and is particularly good for patients who cannot tolerate Fosamax or Boniva pills, due to GI distress. This latest study shows benefits at one year, in men with documented osteoporosis, with a substantial reduction …
Read More “TREATMENT FOR BONES IS GOOD FOR MEN, BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN”
We’ve all heard that the words OMEGA 3 FATTY acids….and they are invoked as having magical properties to heal us. Specifically, supplements of Omega 3’s, a healthy polyunsaturated fat, are thought to protect the blood vessels in the heart and brain, thus preventing heart attacks and strokes. A recent study out of England compiled data …
Read More “EATING FISH IS HEALTHY, TAKING OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS….MAYBE NOT”
When I was a kid I used to read a series of books called the Destroyer. In it, a super-spy, Remo Williams, would use ancient martial arts to protect the United States as part of a secret organization called CURE. Sure….sounds like something a kid would enjoy, but I was remembering one of the names …
Aspirin is just over 100 years old. Developed by Bayer Chemical, the same year as they developed Heroin, they would both go on to have famous careers. Actually, Bayer thought Heroin would be much more popular….little did they know. Aspirin remains a great medication for a whole host of issues, but among the most important …
That was Jackie Gleason’s tag line…and it could substitute for the controversy these days in the Department of Agriculture. Just as the controversy over sugar consumption is heating up, the Dept. of Ag now claims their estimates of sugar consumption are 20% lower than previously stated. There are a variety of reasons for the adjustment, …
Peripheral Vascular Disease, also called PAD (peripheral arterial disease), is characterized primarily by issues with bloodflow to the legs, leading to claudication (pain with walking distances that ameliorates with resting), but there are other aspects of this condition which include carotid artery disease and aortic aneurysm. To determine who is at risk we generally look …
I think exercise is the single most important contributor to health, and over 40% of us don’t do it regularly. Whether it is lack of time, motivation, or knowledge, we can find various excuses. I have been looking for a simple exercise program to suggest to my older patients and I’ve just found it. And …
Read More “HERE IS A GREAT SITE FOR A SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM”
You all know that I’m not a big fan of Vitamins in general as I think the data remains uncertain. So….it’s important that supportive data be promoted, especially by a skeptic. A recent American Medical Journal article showed a small, but significant cancer prevention benefit from multivitamins in middle-aged men. This is good news and …