Are there proteins in the brain that prevent Alzheimer’s? In a recent Causes or Cures episode, I chatted with Dr. Nicholas Seyfried about his research on a protein(s) in the brain that may hold the key to making people resilient to Alzheimer’s Disease, a growing concern in western nations with aging populations and those who have […]
Is there a link between COVID and Type 1 Diabetes in kids? There has been recent reports and concerning articles suggesting that COVID-19 is leading to an uptick of new cases of Type 1 Diabetes in kids but is this potential link something parents and kids have to worry about? Or is this more headline […]
Are there new treatments for multiple sclerosis on the horizon? The answer is maybe. They are currently still in “testing” mode, but things look promising. This is great news for anyone with multiple sclerosis or anyone who knows anyone with this debilitating disease that tends to hit people in their younger years. In a recent […]
NYC is Sinking?!? If you live in NYC, you’re probably like, “Oh, just another thing to worry about.” High taxes, unhoused individuals increasing by the day, the litter, the great “smoke shop” takeover, subway violence and now…sinking?!? Yes, NYC has its issues…mostly because it’s a big city with lots of people, and more people equals […]
What’s the link between meat and UTIs? I dived into this with an expert guest on a recent Causes or Cures Podcast. A lot of people who read this blog, I’m sure, eat meat and have no idea that doing so might be linked to getting a urinary tract infection, or what most of you […]
On Tactical Nuclear Weapons, a guest post by Dr. Andy Karam One of the things we keep seeing and hearing in the news is that Russia has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine…but nobody has really explained what in the world a “tactical” nuclear weapon is. A short way to think about it […]
What are Gene-Drive mosquitoes, sometimes called GDMMs, and how are they different than genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs)? There’s a lot of concern over what genetically modified mosquitoes are and what they can and cannot do. Could they prevent thousands of people from dying of malaria or could they disrupt ecosystems or create “mutant” mosquitoes that […]
What is hypoactive sexual desire disorder, sometimes called HSDD for short? Sometimes people just have low sexual desire from time to time. That is completely normal. But when would one categorize it as a disorder? That, and other questions surrounding HSDD, is the topic of a recent podcast I recorded for Causes or Cures. In […]
Can we extend a dog’s life? Some researchers are working on it. Many of you, myself included, know the pain of losing a dog. In fact I dread thinking about the day my current dog goes, but it is a loss that every dog parent will have to navigate if he or she wants a […]
We hear a lot about the problems with misinformation but is it possible that there is misinformation on misinformation? As it turns out, there is, and I dive into this topic on a recent Causes or Cures Podcast. This topic is important to me, because I do a lot of work in scicomms and the […]
What is the Obesity Paradox? In short, it’s an observation in epidemiological studies that those with BMIs in the “obese category” actually have a lower risk of mortality from certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. Since one would most likely think that obesity does not come with such a health benefit, it’s called […]
ChatGPT passes the USMLE: Not too long ago, the news was filled with stories of how ChatGPT passed the USMLE, or the United States Medical Licensing Exams, which are tests that all medical doctors must take and pass in order to practice medicine in the US. They are long exams and considered some of the […]
Donating a kidney to a stranger…is that something you would ever do? Give one of your kidneys to a perfect stranger? Some people are eager to do it, and others are absolutely against it, even though you can live just fine with one. In a recent episode of Causes or Cures, I have a conversation […]