FDA mulls vaping ban
Flavored e-cigs appealing to minors The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on flavored e-cigarettes in response to an “epidemic” of young people using e-cigarettes, the agency’s leader said on Wednesday. In a speech at FDA headquarters, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency would also revisit its compliance policy that extended the dates for manufacturers of flavored e-cigarettes to submit applications for premarket authorization. “We see clear signs that youth use of electronic cigarettes has reached an epidemic proportion,” Gottlieb said. Gottlieb announced a...
Read MoreAddicted to Pot?
America’s Invisible Pot Addicts More and more Americans are reporting near-constant cannabis use, as legalization forges ahead. Public-health experts worry about the increasingly potent options available, and the striking number of constant users. “Cannabis is potentially a real public-health problem,” said Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University. “It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9 percent of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine...
Read MoreWhat’s different?
4 Distinctives of Christ-Centered Healthcare As I travel visiting clinics, students and with folks who hope to start a Christian healthcare ministry, I am often asked, “What distinguishes a Christian clinic from a non-faith-based clinic?” Usually, I respond by asking what they would expect from a Christian clinic. And people typically talk about excellence, compassion, and affordability. Certainly, any clinic that seeks to represent Christ must strive for those qualities. But all clinics, faith-based or not, should be excellent and compassionate. Those are universal qualities, not qualities...
Read MoreVitamin D Deficiency
Lack may increase risks According to a new study, Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk for metabolic syndrome* after menopause. Researchers looked at 463 postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease who weren’t taking vitamin D supplements. More than two thirds of the women had vitamin D levels lower than 30, which was considered insufficient. Of these women, 58% had metabolic syndrome, compared with 40% of women with sufficient vitamin D. When the vitamin D level was below 20, the odds of metabolic syndrome were doubled. This observational design can’t prove causation,...
Read MoreDrinking Too Much?
When to say when: Study says limit alcohol to 1 drink a day This week several news outlets, including the Washington Post, reported that a new international study concludes there are “no overall health benefits from moderate drinking” and the “threshold for low-risk drinking … is about seven beers a week for men and women alike.” The study was published on April 12 in The Lancet and was co-authored by 120 researchers based on “aggregated data from multiple studies of drinking patterns and health outcomes among nearly 600,000 people in 19 high-income countries.” The Post says,...
Read MorePrimary Care is Us
PCPs Are Becoming Rarer As Healthcare Business Models Change. On the front of its Sunday business section yesterday the New York Times reported that “in this new medical age of urgent care centers and retail clinics… primary care” physicians are becoming “increasingly scarce.” The article examined how changes in the healthcare industry have changed how patients receive medical care and interact with physicians. Fortunately, our “business model” is growing and expanding to meet the complex needs of people who need and value more personal and comprehensive care that urgent...
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