It is now generally recognized that the administration of statins (Lipitor, Crestor, etc.) is the cornerstone of contemporary therapy to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (i.e., heart attack, stroke, etc.) in patients…

Prediabetes is an intermediate stage of blood sugar elevation that may precede type II diabetes. It affected approximately 720 million people worldwide in 2021 and is estimated to affect 1 billion by 2045. In the U.S., about 10% of those with…

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic, or inherited, cause of kidney failure. An individual has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease when one parent has it. In about 15% of cases, however, ADPKD arises…

Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that can be harmful to humans. Lead exposure can occur by ingesting water, food, objects, or soil that is contaminated by lead or by breathing air that contains lead dust. Common sources of lead include…

The United States is getting bigger – not the land, the people. There is an epidemic of obesity. A recent study done by the Journal of Obesity found that 20% of U.S. adults have gained one-fifth of their body weight over 10 years. Also, women…

There once was a time when hospitals would “dump” patients, that is, transfer a patient, usually to a city or municipal hospital, when the patient had no insurance, inadequate insurance, or required expensive treatment. That stopped in 1986 when…

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia, affects approximately 200,000 people in the U.S., and represents about 1.1% of all new cancers diagnosed in the U.S. The median age at diagnosis is 70 years, with a slight male…

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that affects the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) of the skin. It accounts for only 1% of skin cancers but causes the majority of deaths from skin cancer, mostly because it is nearly the only skin cancer that…

Coffee is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, yet little is known about its acute health effects. There has always been an assumed relationship between (caffeinated) coffee consumption and cardiac ectopy. The word ectopy refers…

The human brain is a truly amazing organ, albeit two-faced. The right brain and the left brain are very different. Most people are either left or right brain dominant, but a small number of people can combine both sides, and those who can are…