A recent New York Times article discusses various initiatives in ‘Virtual Medicine.’ Several companies are exploring online technologies to enable faster and less-costly access to medical care. OptumHealth, a division of UnitedHealth Group, is piloting “NowClinic,” where a patient can videoconference with a doctor and get medical advice and even non-controlled prescriptions, for a nominal … Continue reading Progress for Virtual Medicine – in Public Perception and Policy →

Hydrogen sulphide, the gas responsible for the terrible smell of rotten eggs, has been found to play a role in the biochemical response that leads to an erection.  The discovery may lead to a new medical therapy for Erectile Dysfunction. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Italian researchers showed that hydrogen sulphide is … Continue reading Rotten Eggs and ED →

You can buy Chantix, choose non-smoking friends, join support groups, or be incentivized by cash as all of these have been proven to help smokers quit. While Chantix studies have concluded that 44% of Chantix users quit smoking after 9 to 12 weeks of Chantix treatment, friendships, support groups, and money all play a part in helping smokers quit. … Continue reading Chantix, Friendships, & Money All Help Smokers Quit →

If your cholesterol tests show elevated blood cholesterol levels are you more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with low cholesterol? According to a recent study if you are a man or woman in your early 40’s then this could be the case. Cholesterol values were obtained for 9,752 men and women who were in … Continue reading High-Cholesterol and Alzeimer’s →

The drug dapoxetine should be in pharmacies by April, according to a Johnson and Johnson spokesman.  Unfortunately for the millions of men suffering from premature ejaculation, the medication will only be available in Europe.  For now. Dapoxetine belongs to the category of drugs known as SSRI’s and can be used on demand (similar to erectile … Continue reading Premature Ejaculation Drug Approved…..in Europe →

Millions more Americans should be taking cholesterol-lowering statins than physicians previously believed. The JUPITER study, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, showed that prescribing a statin for patients with a normal cholesterol, but an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), which detects inflammation, could cut in half the risk for heart attack, stroke, and … Continue reading Statin therapy underutilized →

Do you need to take another look at your cholesterol test? A recent study, called JUPITER, showed that giving a cholesterol-lowering statin to older people with normal LDL (less than 130 mg/dl) cut their risk of heart attack and stroke in half. The trial was aimed at determining the importance of lowering C-reactive protein, or CRP, … Continue reading Did Bad Cholesterol Just Get Worse? →

As if there aren’t enough reasons to stop smoking a study was released last year that links smoking and hair loss. A report in the BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers. Researchers found a significant and consistent link between smoking and early graying. Another group studied the link … Continue reading Link Between Smoking and Hair Loss →

Although still in the early stages of research, a promising development in the prevention of herpes type II virus transmission appears to be emerging. The January 22nd edition of Cell Host and Microbe reports that a topically applied cream uses a technique called RNA interference (RNAi) to prevent the virus from infecting an individual coming … Continue reading Promising Research in Genital Herpes Prevention →

  A recent study showed that men and women in their early 40’s with elevated blood cholesterol levels are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with low cholesterol. This study was conducted by Alina Solomon of the University of Kuopio in Finland, Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, and … Continue reading Link Between High-Cholesterol and Alzhemier’s →