The history of medical research is filled with studies of dubious ethical merit. In fact, some past studies were based on protocols that would be considered abhorrent today. Studies based on animal experiments are still performed today, as are studies on disease cures that use control subjects. By that I mean that volunteers with the same disease are separated into two groups—one group is given the experimental cure and the other group is given a placebo. This type of study is usually

Anyone who runs marathons should know the history of the event. In 490 B.C., Pheidippides ran across the Plains of Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of the Persian army. Once he arrived at the Atheneum, he informed the crowd about the great victory, then he collapsed and died. To quote Robert Browning: “Unforseeing one! Yes, he fought on Marathon day: so, when Persia was dust, all cried, ‘To Acropolis! Run, Pheidippides, one race more.’ Till in Athens, he broke: 'Rejoice, we conquer!'

Leptospirosis, an infection caused by bacteria called Leptospira, is an infectious disease spread by contaminated water and soil. It is a zoonotic infection, which means it spreads from animals to people. Many mammals may carry it however the most common source of human infection is rats. Leptospirosis causes disease in humans around the world, especially in warmer climates and developing countries with poor housing and sanitation. It is also seen in developed countries in outdoor athletes

The enthusiasm by advocates of the legalization of marijuana is diverting attention from the drug’s many adverse health effects. Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated that chronic marijuana use is associated with long-term damaging effects on cognition. Many studies have additionally shown that when compared to non-users, regular use of marijuana diminishes the brain’s executive functions, attention, learning, memory, and motor skills. In addition, these altered brain functions may

Last November, the 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol was released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. It replaced the 2013 Guideline. Lipid-lowering strategies are designed to lower the risk of Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, or ASCVD, which includes heart disease, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. In the 2018 Guideline, strategies to lower not just total cholesterol but also “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, were revised. It

There are some people who have elevated nitpicking to an art form. You probably know one or two. Take, for example, some Star Trek fans. There is actually a guide for them called, "The Nitpicker’s Guide for Classic Trekkers." In an episode that aired on March 2, 1967 called, "This Side of Paradise," Spock and Leila Kalomi, an old friend of his, are searching for spores. She comments, “It’s not much further.” According to the Guide, it should have been, “It’s not much farther.” Further and