What has long been observed by physicians, statin-induced fatigue, is now being demonstrated in proper randomized controlled studies. Researchers took 1016 adults with elevated LDL cholesterol, and gave them simvastatin, pravastatin or placebo. At 6 months, those taking the statin medications were more likely to be fatigued both at rest and with exertion. It makes sense to only use statin …
How Psychedelic Drugs Can Help Patients Face Death via @nytimes
Can psychedelics ease the suffering of those with terminal illness? A growing number of medical studies, and a recent article in the New York Times, say “yes.” Research into the use of psychedelic and entheogenic drugs, such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms, LSD and MDMA, to treat medical and psychiatric problems was actively pursued in the 1950s and 1960s. Recently, after a …
Study Shows Shocking Disparities in Hospital Bills for Appendicitis Treatment #costsofcare
“Mommy, my tummy hurts.” It’s 4am. Your 8-year-old son is shaking you awake. Â After you confirm that in fact, he is having abdominal pain and not just a bad dream, you head down to the local hospital emergency department to have him checked out. Little did you suspect, a variety of factors beyond your control in the next 2 hours, …
Why You Should Still Be Thinking About Bisphenol A (#BPA)
The concerning news about ongoing Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in the US population continues to come from a variety of sources, including an editorial in the Huffington Post (1). BPA is an organic compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, and has been used in a wide variety of consumer products, from baby bottles to cash register receipt …
Integrative approaches to sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis
Andrew Weil, M.D. interviewed Dr. Abramson for an article on drweil.com on 10/14/2011. Question: “My husband has been diagnosted with sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis. What supplements or nutritional approaches could help him?” Answer:
The Quant Doctor’s Nightstand
The latest post from my self-tracking blog: The Quantified Doctor, describing some of the devices we’re testing to see how they can empower patients take control of their own health. These include BodyTrack, Zeo, Bodymedia, Withings, Emwave, and others.
Remote Medical Care for International #Travel? Can I have a physician on call?
I was interviewed for an article on Dr. Andrew Weil’s drweil.com: “Yes, it is possible to arrange remote medical consultation while you’re traveling abroad. I discussed your question with Paul Abramson MD., an integrative medical doctor and travel medicine specialist in San Francisco who is a graduate Senior Fellow of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. He told me that …
Why I book flights with Dr. in front of my name – NYT interview featuring Paul Abramson MD
Exerpt from “When Doctors are Called to the Rescue in Midflight” in the New York Times, May 24, 2011, by Katie Hafner: Since the earliest days of commercial aviation, airlines have coped with medical emergencies in flight by calling on physicians who happen to be passengers. And as more people travel by air, the number of emergencies has risen accordingly. …
How to stay healthy when traveling abroad; via @drweil #travel #health
I was interviewed for an article on Dr. Andrew Weil’s drweil.com: I am planning a trip to sub-Saharan Africa next year. I understand I will need to get some vaccines. How do I find out which ones? Do I really have to have the shots? What other health risks should I be concerned about? And what medications apart from my …
Anatomy of a hospital ‘bounce-back’ #preventreadmissions
Published at Fierce Healthcare on March 5, 2010 As a physician who works as a hospitalist and a primary-care doctor, I understand the complexity of discharging a patient from the hospital, and all the moving pieces that must come together to successfully transition a patient back to the outpatient setting. If even one link in the chain fails, a patient …