ICYMI: The 10 Best Health Stories from June
The MD Magazine editors rounded up the 10 best stories from June – did you read them all?
Spring is over and summer is officially here! The editors at MD Magazine have been busy covering everyday healthcare news, conducting video interviews with expert physicians, and attending conferences:
- 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Center (CMSC) in National Harbor, Maryland
- American Diabetes Association 76th Scientific Sessions (ADA 2016) in New Orleans, Louisiana
If you have been as busy as us, you might have missed some of the most noteworthy stories from the past month — but have no fear! We rounded up the top 10 health stories that you HAVE to see.
Don’t forget to stay up-to-date by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn!
Country music artist, Clay Walker, is well-known for his hit songs “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” and “Live Until I Die.” But a lesser-known fact about the star is that 20 years ago he was diagnosed with a relapsing form of multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 26. MD Magazine caught up with Walker at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Center (CMSC) in National Harbor, Maryland.
>>> Read the exclusive interview with Clay Walker.
Smoking is associated with a long list of harmful health factors.
The latest negative side effect to be added to the list is poor sperm — the sperm of male smokers have more DNA damage than non-smokers’.
How Two AMA Gay Activist MDs Swayed Delegates on Gun Violence
Often, in the wake of a tragedy, people wonder, “What can I do?”
For two physicians coping with the shock of the June 12 shootings that killed 49 people at an Orlando, FL nightclub, the answers came quickly.
Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Joshua Cohen, MD, formerly of Mount Sinai in NY were at the AMA’s annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago when the horrific news of the shooting hit.
>>> Continue reading this story.
Kidney dialysis can keep patients alive, but at a price.
William Fissell, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, part of a team of researchers working to create an artificial kidney, knows how steep that price can be.
During an undergraduate stint working on an ambulance as an emergency medical technician, Fissell met an unforgettable dialysis patient.
>>> Continue reading this story.
As the treatment of diabetes becomes more complicated with a multitude of options on the market, a longtime member of the medical technology community is taking a big step to fight this epidemic.
Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, chief health officer for IBM Watson Health, discussed the recently announced collaboration between the technology company and the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in New Orleans.
>>> Watch the exclusive interview.
Uncovering the impact of vitamin D deficiency on diabetes has been a full-time job.
Past research has concluded that there is no connection when it comes to type 2 diabetes, but another study showed that children with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of lacking vitamin D. Researchers have taken another crack at understanding the potential link better with a new study.
>>> Continue reading this story.
Over-the-counter diarrhea drug Ioperamide (Imodium/Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.) has recently been in the news because opioid abusers have been using it to self-treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Others abuse it for its euphoric properties.
The alarming growth in the number of people abusing Imodium has led FDA officials to issue a warning that exceeding the recommended doses can mean serious, potentially fatal heart problems.
>>> Continue reading this story.
This probably won’t come as shocking news, but long-acting opioids significantly increase the risk of death compared to other pain therapy options.
>>> Continue reading this story.
Patients with heart rhythm problems likely to develop strokes are often incorrectly prescribed aspirin instead of necessary blood-thinning medications.
Researchers realized that although aspirin can prevent clots, blood thinners are better equipped to prevent strokes in the first place.
>>> Continue reading this story.
In a dramatic show of new-found solidarity, the American Medication Associations House of Delegates on June 14 in Chicago, IL, approved a resolution to take a stand against gun violence and to lobby Congress to repeal a ban on funding research into its causes. The resolution calls gun violence a public health problem.
