News

Do I Need Maximum Dose Statin?

Maybe you do and maybe you don’t! As a primary care physician I often get asked the question of whether a patient really needs to be on statin therapy and if so, do they actually need the highest dose. Recently, a friend told me he stopped his maximum dose statin because he read an article that said statins were bad. He offered to send me the article and thought after I read it, I too would believe statins are bad.

Will my PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) cause dementia?

Over the past year, this has been a common question among patients taking PPIs like nexium or prilosec on a long-term basis. The short answer is, No. In 2016 there were media reports stating that the chronic use of PPIs can cause dementia. The problem with these reports was that they were based on flawed studies. These studies showed a possible correlation, but did not show a causal relationship between PPIs and dementia. In 2017, three different studies also did

Artificial sweeteners and your Gut Microbiome

Do you use saccharine, aspartame, sucralose or other artificial sweeteners? Do you reach for the blue, pink or yellow packet to sweeten your coffee?  Do yourself a favor and STOP! Many people substitute non-caloric sweeteners for real sugar products because they think it will help them loose weight and avoid developing diabetes. This is actually not true. Interestingly, a recent article in the journal, Nature, pointed out that the diabetes and obesity epidemic coincided with the introduction of these non-caloric

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!! July 4th is a great time for celebration, but it also a time where serious injuries can occur. Below are 10 easy steps to staying safe around fireworks! Do not let children play with or ignite fireworks. Have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Sparklers burn at approximately 2,000 degrees – supervise their use. Do not place any body part over the fireworks when lighting the fuse. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

Dark chocolate that is! Dark chocolate is known to be associated with a variety of health benefits. Who knew something so decadent could be good for you? What exactly can dark chocolate do? It can: lower your blood pressure be a potent anti-oxidant lower Body Mass Index (BMI) provide a quick, short boost of brain power help with cholesterol Some studies have also suggested that dark chocolate can help prevent cancer; however, this evidence is limited and more robust studies need