Lifescript

A New Prostate Test Controversy

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test by doctors to screen for prostate cancer. The USPSTF concluded that the harms of testing outweigh the potential benefits. But critics say the recommendation is based on a flawed analysis of two key studies. The decision has generated considerable controversy. Prostate cancer is the most...

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Reducing HIV Risk Leads to New Concerns

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer About 1.2 million Americans are HIV positive and another 50,000 are infected each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medications that suppress – but don’t cure – the disease have been available for several years. But a preventive medication has eluded researchers… until now. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that an existing HIV combination oral medication, Travuda, which...

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Does Tried-and-True Weight-Loss Wisdom Work?

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer Weight loss is big business. A vast array of diet foods, products, pills and programs make up a multi-billion dollar industry. In the absence of a magical pill that can peel off the pounds, the search continues for the ideal weight-loss strategy. But does the old tried-and-true diet advice – eat less, exercise more – still hold water? One third of obese Americans have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Most of those people are...

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A Blog from Haiti’s Health Crisis

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer I’m at the end of a 7-day medical mission to Haiti, spending the night in the capital of Port au Prince before flying home. Two physicians and one dentist were joined by 14 other volunteers to provide health and dental care to impoverished, rural communities in the southwest corner of the island. A 6-hour bus ride from Port au Prince brought us to Port-Salut, an area along the coast of many small villages surrounded by fields and...

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How the Affordable Care Act Affects Cancer Tests

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer Shortly after passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many health-care related industries, such as insurance companies, medical device makers and hospitals all became subject to new regulations and taxes that would happen in the next three years. These cost containment and tax revenue generating strategies were necessary to compensate for the increased cost of expanded coverage and benefits to millions of additional people. However,...

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Massage as Medicine?

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer Most of us indulge in massages because they make us feel great and help relax us. But the massages Americans spend $10 billion a year on are also good for our general health. People who received massage had less pain and were better able to perform daily activities after 10 weeks than those who received usual care, according to a 2011 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Low back pain affects millions of Americans. It...

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New Report Says Autism is on the Rise

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer The number of cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen sharply, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The finding was based on a 2008 survey of 300,000 children 8 years old from 14 communities across the country. The total number of children estimated to carry the diagnosis (ASD prevalence) has increased by 23% since 2006, and 78% since an initial 2002 survey. The numbers...

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