September 26, 2023
INFLUENZA VACCINE We have the high dose influenza vaccine for adults over the age of 65. We also have the standard dose vaccine for those under the age of 65. The CDC recommends influenza vaccine for all people over the age of 6 months. This is available on a walk-in basis in our office. The month of October is the ideal time to get this vaccine. COVID 19 VACCINE, a new formulation as of September 2023 based on the current OMICRON XBB sub-variant. It is recommended for all people over the age of 6 months. I recommend it specifically for […]
December 17, 2022
BAD NEWS:There is a confluence of all three viruses occurring now. This means you can get COVID and the RSV virusand the flu virus all at the same time. The hospital emergency rooms tell us this. Apparently, since theonset of the pandemic in 2020 with the lockdowns and school closures, there has been very little flu andRSV. Now that community gatherings are again happening such as weddings, reunions, Thanksgivingand Christmas; COVID and other viral diseases are more easily spread. In addition, community immunityis down in the absence of these diseases. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is typically a pediatric disease but […]
November 14, 2018
Your friend just turned 50 and after seeing his doctor was told his physical exam was fine and he appeared to be in good health. Two days later he was in the hospital with a heart attack. This is a nightmare scenario for doctors as well as the patient with the heart attack. So how do we do better in predicting and preventing heart attacks and stroke? Causes of Heart Attacks Heart attacks and strokes are caused by blockages in coronary arteries (heart) or cerebral arteries (stroke). These are caused by a build up of cholesterol plaque that eventually deprives […]
August 8, 2018
So you just got back from your doctor where you were told that you are at high risk for a heart attack and need to start a statin medication to lower your cholesterol. You then tell your wife who refers you to her best friend Jane. Jane says her brother was put on a statin and had all kinds of problems. Jane then refers you to the internet site where people report problems with medications. You read about muscle aches and something unpronounceable called rhabdomyolysis. You think to yourself “holy sh**” I’m not going to take this stuff. Your doctor […]
April 15, 2018
The Paleo diet, low carb diet, protein and produce diet, keto diet and Miami Beach diet are all very similar. There are many advocates of the Paleo diet because it is the way humans ate before agriculture. Humans have been around for at least 300,000 years. Some upright form of us, called homids, have been around for about 1,000,000 years. In these early years we were hunter gatherers and foragers. This means that we did not have agriculture. We ate a lot of meat, killing the bear, Woolly mammoth, saber toothed tiger or other animals for food, and in between, […]
February 21, 2018
February is National Heart Month Contrary to popular belief it is heart disease that kills most of us, not cancer. The pain associated with a heart attack is called angina. In men it is manifested as a heaviness or pressure in the chest, neck and jaw or left arm. Women many times experience only fatigue, shortness of breath, or a sense of doom. Men experience heart attacks at a younger age but are more likely to survive a heart attack because of their larger coronary arteries. We now have the tools and medications to largely prevent coronary artery disease. Risk […]