Medical myths die hard. Maybe that’s because there’s no agreement on whether a common belief is indeed a myth. For example, there’s the longstanding belief that weather affects arthritis pain. Many of my patients notice a clear connection; some are so convinced of the...

There is a mountain of high-quality research supporting a Mediterranean-style diet as the best diet for our cardiovascular health. But what does this diet actually look like, why does it work, and how can we adopt it into our real lives? What is a Mediterranean diet?...

I can often hear it coming. One need spend only a few minutes with someone coping with infertility before encountering a cascade of regret. “If only we hadn’t waited so long.” “If only I had frozen my eggs.” “If only we had changed doctors sooner.” “If only I hadn’t...

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity...

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity...

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity...

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity...

Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to many touted health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. These claims are often backed by celebrity...

In a class of kindergarteners, a child born in August is about 30% more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 25% more likely to be treated for it, than a child born in September — if you have to be 5 years old by September...

In a class of kindergarteners, a child born in August is about 30% more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 25% more likely to be treated for it, than a child born in September — if you have to be 5 years old by September...

As the new year begins, sports fans rejoice! You’ve had the excitement of the college football bowl games and the national championship, the NFL playoff games are winnowing teams down to the Super Bowl contestants, and basketball and hockey seasons are in full swing....

As the new year begins, sports fans rejoice! You’ve had the excitement of the college football bowl games and the national championship, the NFL playoff games are winnowing teams down to the Super Bowl contestants, and basketball and hockey seasons are in full swing....

As the new year begins, sports fans rejoice! You’ve had the excitement of the college football bowl games and the national championship, the NFL playoff games are winnowing teams down to the Super Bowl contestants, and basketball and hockey seasons are in full swing....

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition of extra fat buildup in the liver, is on the rise — it now affects roughly 20% to 40% of the US population. It usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, and is often first detected by accident when an imaging study...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition of extra fat buildup in the liver, is on the rise — it now affects roughly 20% to 40% of the US population. It usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, and is often first detected by accident when an imaging study...

I remember when my best friend in fifth grade couldn’t make our much-anticipated end-of-the-school-year camping trip because he had just undergone surgery for appendicitis. Now I prevent kids from participating in their school activities for four to six weeks after I...

Very often I encounter women who are far more worried about breast cancer than they are about heart disease. But women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than from all cancers combined. This is true for women of all races and ethnicities. Yet only about...

Very often I encounter women who are far more worried about breast cancer than they are about heart disease. But women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than from all cancers combined. This is true for women of all races and ethnicities. Yet only about...

Very often I encounter women who are far more worried about breast cancer than they are about heart disease. But women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than from all cancers combined. This is true for women of all races and ethnicities. Yet only about...

Statins and other drugs that lessen cardiovascular disease risk by lowering blood lipids rank among the world’s most prescribed medications. And for the men who take them, accumulating evidence has for years pointed to another added benefit: a lower risk of developing...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly referred to as NSAIDs, are one of the most common medications used to treat pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and other NSAIDs are effective across a variety of common conditions, from acute...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly referred to as NSAIDs, are one of the most common medications used to treat pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and other NSAIDs are effective across a variety of common conditions, from acute...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly referred to as NSAIDs, are one of the most common medications used to treat pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and other NSAIDs are effective across a variety of common conditions, from acute...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly referred to as NSAIDs, are one of the most common medications used to treat pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and other NSAIDs are effective across a variety of common conditions, from acute...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly referred to as NSAIDs, are one of the most common medications used to treat pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, and other NSAIDs are effective across a variety of common conditions, from acute...

A decade ago, I was completing my master’s degree in environmental science and policy, and preparing to embark on a multi-decade career in advocacy and public policy that would have required not only long hours during the workweek, but frequent travel and overtime....

A decade ago, I was completing my master’s degree in environmental science and policy, and preparing to embark on a multi-decade career in advocacy and public policy that would have required not only long hours during the workweek, but frequent travel and overtime....

Nothing quite prepares you for the heartache of profound loss. It settles in like a gloomy thrum — sometimes louder, sometimes softer — with a volume switch you can’t entirely shut off. For me, that heartbreak arrived this past October, when my mother died after a...

Nothing quite prepares you for the heartache of profound loss. It settles in like a gloomy thrum — sometimes louder, sometimes softer — with a volume switch you can’t entirely shut off. For me, that heartbreak arrived this past October, when my mother died after a...

When the teenage years arrive, they often come with those annoying, distinctive pimples on the face, and often on the chest and back too. These little skin imperfections tend to go away as we get older, but for some of us, the painful, red and sometimes yellow “zits”...

When the teenage years arrive, they often come with those annoying, distinctive pimples on the face, and often on the chest and back too. These little skin imperfections tend to go away as we get older, but for some of us, the painful, red and sometimes yellow “zits”...

A new drug for the treatment of influenza was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2018, just in time for the 2018–19 flu season. Baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) works against the two types of influenza virus that cause disease in humans,...

A new drug for the treatment of influenza was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2018, just in time for the 2018–19 flu season. Baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) works against the two types of influenza virus that cause disease in humans,...

A new drug for the treatment of influenza was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2018, just in time for the 2018–19 flu season. Baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) works against the two types of influenza virus that cause disease in humans,...

A new drug for the treatment of influenza was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2018, just in time for the 2018–19 flu season. Baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) works against the two types of influenza virus that cause disease in humans,...

A new drug for the treatment of influenza was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2018, just in time for the 2018–19 flu season. Baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) works against the two types of influenza virus that cause disease in humans,...

It may be the toughest part of parenting: learning how to discipline children. As all parents know, or figure out, raising children isn’t just about feeding, changing diapers, sleepless nights, hemorrhaging bank accounts, or general chaos. It’s about raising them to...

Here we are at the end of December, and some of us are contemplating another chance for a fresh reboot. The infamous New Year’s resolutions are a common topic. Last year I wrote a blog post about an overall view of how to be successful when thinking about reaching a...

I understand why people embrace New Year’s resolutions: it’s a chance to wipe the slate clean and set annual goals with new focus and enthusiasm. But are they focusing on the right areas of their lives? Instead of setting resolutions, a better approach may be to...

I understand why people embrace New Year’s resolutions: it’s a chance to wipe the slate clean and set annual goals with new focus and enthusiasm. But are they focusing on the right areas of their lives? Instead of setting resolutions, a better approach may be to...

When knee arthroscopy became widely available in the 1980s, it represented a major advance. Today orthopedists evaluating and treating common knee problems often recommend arthroscopy, during which they insert an instrument into the joint and, with a light and camera...

When knee arthroscopy became widely available in the 1980s, it represented a major advance. Today orthopedists evaluating and treating common knee problems often recommend arthroscopy, during which they insert an instrument into the joint and, with a light and camera...