Drugs & Medications
    7 hours ago

    WHAT MEDS WORK BEST FOR FIBROMYALGIA?

    The first thing important for this blogpost is an understanding of fibromyalgia. This disorder is fairly common, but often is…
    A Day in the Life Scenarios
    3 days ago

    EMPATHY: THE PATH TO BETTER OUTCOMES

    Sympathy is a word we can all define and use correctly in a sentence. It’s an expression of the feelings…
    A Day in the Life Scenarios
    5 days ago

    RURAL HEALTHCARE SUFFERING PHYSICIAN DRAIN

    We’ve all heard stories or read articles about small towns and rural communities who have such serious need for medical…
    Drugs & Medications
    6 days ago

    STOP GLP-1’S, STOP WEIGHT LOSS

    The list the functions associated with Glucagon Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists ie. GLP-1’s. (Zepbound, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.) is seemingly…
    Human Interest
    1 week ago

    TRUSTING YOUR PATIENTS

    The doctor-patient relationship has much deeper meaning than just confidentiality. Most people see this interaction as a communication issue. The…
    Aging
    2 weeks ago

    AGING IS HARD ON PEOPLE! GLP-1’S IMPACT

    We don’t need any more reasons for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists to be called the “Drugs of the Century,” but…
    Drugs & Medications
    2 weeks ago

    FLU VACCINE MAY MISS THE MARK!

    This flu season may be a bad one. Why? Because the flu vaccine produced and already  administered to millions may…
    Pediatrics
    2 weeks ago

    NEW CPR GUIDELINES FOR INFANTS, CHILDREN

    Have you ever imagined what it would be like to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on an infant or small child?…
    Human Interest
    2 weeks ago

    GETTING “A FEEL” FOR INDIANA BASKETBALL

    The last two Indiana University basketball games haven’t been very reassuring about our team. After averaging 99.6 points a game…
    Diabetes
    2 weeks ago

    GLP-1’S REQUIRE PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS

    If you don’t know what a prior authorization is, you’re a lucky person. However, if you do, you know they…
    Cancer
    3 weeks ago

    A TEST TO SCREEN FOR PANCREATIC CANCER

    For people with the unenviable family history of cancer of the pancreas, this article is good news. Researchers at the…
    Healthcare Policy
    3 weeks ago

    NEW BLOOD PRESSURE GUIDELINES

    In the healthcare realm, policies and guidelines for just about everything are constantly being re-evaluated. One such re-evaluation occurred recently…
    Drugs & Medications
    3 weeks ago

    BEFORE, WITH, OR AFTER

    In most cases, there are four times when medication can be taken: before a meal (ac-ante cibum), with a meal,…
    Diabetes
    3 weeks ago

    TYPE 2 DIABETES, CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE, AND GLP-1’S

    As I have said many times in past articles, Diabetes Mellitus is a multi-system disease. By that I mean, despite…
    Human Interest
    3 weeks ago

    A NEW ATTITUDE IN BLOOMINGTON

    In the past 60 years, fans of Indiana University athletics have had very little to cheer about. Yes, we had…
    Drugs & Medications
    4 weeks ago

    OBESITY: AN AMERICAN EPIDEMIC

    Obesity is an all-too-common metabolic disease that is the substrate/foundation of so many other illnesses. Diseases such as diabetes, heart…
    Preventive Medicine
    4 weeks ago

    ESTROGEN OR NO ESTROGEN; THAT’S THE MENOPAUSAL QUESTION!

    The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) probably had the most profound effect on the treatment of menopause than any other single…
    Preventive Medicine
    4 weeks ago

    NOW THERE’S PROOF STEPS HELP

    Last month, I wrote an article about the proposal to make daily step-counting the 5th vital sign. The number of…
    Human Interest
    4 weeks ago

    PHYSICIANS LEAVING PRACTICE AT ALARMING RATE

    It’s no secret that physicians are leaving practice at a rate that should concern us all. Articles are published nearly…
    Drugs & Medications
    November 7, 2025

    CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chemical substance found in industrial cleaners and degreasers. It is also found in consumer products such…
    Drugs & Medications
    November 6, 2025

    POST-MI BETA BLOCKER USE SHOULD CEASE

    On August 6, 2025, DrGOpines.com posted an article titled “Post-MI Beta Blockers Questioned.” In it, the routine prescribing of Beta…
    Gastrointestinal Diseases
    November 5, 2025

    NOW EVEN CHICKEN IS BAD FOR YOU!

    Poultry, particularly chicken, has been, up until recently, the healthy food choice. It has had the  blessing of nutritionists as…
    Healthcare Policy
    November 4, 2025

    MEDICARE “ROBS PETER TO PAY PAUL”

    Medicare is really good at using smoke and mirrors to convince doctors they’re getting paid more when they really aren’t.…
    Drugs & Medications
    November 3, 2025

    LYRICA INCREASES RISK OF HEART FAILURE

    This article pertains only to patients who take Lyrica (pregabalin) and are over age 65. If you don’t fall in…
    Healthcare Policy
    October 31, 2025

    DOCTORS RANK MEDICAL SCHOOLS

    Medical schools have traditionally commanded a great deal of respect and appreciation. Few accomplishments garner attention more than being accepted…

      COVID-19
      October 27, 2025

      MEDICAL “MISINFORMATION”

      I fear I may be “wading into shark-infested waters” when I approach the subject in the title of this article.…
      COVID-19
      September 23, 2025

      LONG COVID STILL AFFECTING DOCTORS, NURSES

      The serious, deadly phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended along with the frequency of acute cases. It’s been over…
      COVID-19
      September 3, 2025

      VACCINES PROTECT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

      COVID-19 and the vaccines developed to combat it did more to erode trust in old, well-established, standard vaccines than any…
      Cancer
      July 27, 2025

      COVID-19, VITAMIN D, CANCER, GLP-1’S, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

      MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS #29 COVID-19 has a greater effect on kidneys than pneumonia: Natural aging causes a gradual decline in…
      COVID-19
      September 16, 2023

      CDC RECOMMENDS ALL AMERICANS 6 MONTHS AND OLDER RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINE

      The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved “reformulated” COVID vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. That prompted a CDC Advisory…
      COVID-19
      March 18, 2023

      MOST COVID-19 DEATHS WORLDWIDE WERE AMONG OLDER PEOPLE.

      The high mortality rate from COVID-19 among the elderly was a fact everyone knew, but a lot of people ignored.…
      Preventive Medicine
      January 18, 2023

      STROKE AND PFIZER VACCINE

      Have you heard the latest about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster? There’s always something, you know! This time, there are serious…
      Healthcare Policy
      December 26, 2022

      LIFE EXPECTANCY LOWERED—AGAIN!

      The CDC just announced the life expectancy of Americans recently dropped to a 25-year low. People born in 2021 have…
      COVID-19
      May 27, 2022

      mRNA VACCINE EFFICACY

      Who really knows how effective mRNA vaccines are for COVID-19. All degrees of outrageous claims about them are made back…
      COVID-19
      February 4, 2022

      MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES: What are they? What do they do?

      This is a difficult subject to write about. Difficult because to understand it, you must possess basic knowledge of the…
      COVID-19
      January 23, 2022

      “COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTERS SAVE LIVES”

      Yes, they really do! And The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is proud to report that fact. Two…
      COVID-19
      January 5, 2022

      COVID-19 VACCINE-MYOCARDITIS LINK INSIGNIFICANT

      Last summer, there was a lot of fuss about a link between mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and the occurrence of…
      COVID-19
      October 11, 2021

      NATURAL IMMUNITY TO COVID-19: IS IT A REALITY?

      Why can’t today’s viruses play fair? Why can’t viruses like SARS-CoV-2 behave like the viruses of old—the varicella-zoster virus or…
      COVID-19
      September 28, 2021

      PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE AND MYOCARDITIS

      In July, I wrote a blog about the incidence of myocarditis in young males after vaccination with Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.…
      COVID-19
      September 17, 2021

      COVID-19 VACCINATION AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

      I’m having a bit of trouble with the current attitude of a lot of people. I’m referring to the 80…
      COVID-19
      August 15, 2021

      VACCINE HESITANCY: WHY PEOPLE REFUSE COVID-19 VACCINE

      I’m old enough to remember what life was like before vaccines. As a child I had measles, mumps, and chicken…
      COVID-19
      July 12, 2021

      MYOCARDITIS AFTER COVID-19 VACCINE

      Much ado has been made on cable news programs about the adverse effects attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, there…
      COVID-19
      March 6, 2021

      SIX COVID-19 VACCINES IN PHASE III TRIALS

      We’ve heard repeatedly about the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19. Those are the two vaccines in use locally; if…
      COVID-19
      March 5, 2021

      ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO PFIZER-BIONTECH VACCINE

      Today’s media seems to have difficulty reporting the good news that comes from developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. Such is…
      COVID-19
      January 12, 2021

      COVID-19 VACCINE: MY EXPERIENCE

      The Maricopa County (Arizona) Health Department began administering COVID-19 vaccine in late December. Maricopa County has the bulk of the…
      COVID-19
      December 5, 2020

      AT-HOME COVID-19 TESTING

      These days news travels fast so you may already know the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the…
      COVID-19
      November 21, 2020

      PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE 90% (95%) EFFECTIVE!

      By now you’ve surely heard the good news about the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company in collaboration…
      COVID-19
      July 5, 2020

      HERD IMMUNITY? What’s That?

      Lately, there have been many references to the term HERD IMMUNITY. Public health officials use it in their communications about…

      CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

        Preventive Medicine
        May 25, 2022

        CLINICAL PEARLS FROM “AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN” JOURNAL

        JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS DIABETES: What is the preferred medication in diabetics on dialysis?      …
        Heart Disease
        July 5, 2023

        AN AD WORTH WATCHING!

        I never thought I would say this, but there’s an ad on TV I think everyone over age 50 should…
        Heart Disease
        January 2, 2021

        HYPERTENSION AFFECTS COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

        An article I read today had some disturbing information about hypertension and the effect it has on memory, verbal expression,…
        Heart Disease
        May 6, 2019

        CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT GUIDELINES: Latest Info

        AHA vs. USPSTF Both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issue guidelines…
        Heart Disease
        February 19, 2024

        SCREENING FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

        Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke…
        Drugs & Medications
        January 2, 2025

        MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS #26

        Losing weight does not improve health. Really? Yes. Losing weight via GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs will improve your BMI (Body…
        Drugs & Medications
        March 28, 2022

        TYLENOL AND BLOOD PRESSURE: THERE’S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!

        Most people think of Tylenol (acetaminophen) as a safe drug. They substitute if for aspirin because they are continually reminded…
        Drugs & Medications
        April 3, 2025

        ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR CHOLESTEROL MANAGEMENT

        If you are unfortunate enough to be on the maximum dose of a statin drug and still not have your…
        Heart Disease
        August 15, 2023

        SHORTNESS OF BREATH

        Doctors call shortness of breath a single, much shorter name—Dyspnea. The Greek and Latin derivatives of dyspnea are “dys” which…
        Heart Disease
        August 11, 2022

        SWOLLEN LEGS: NO SIMPLE ANSWER!

        It’s fairly common for a person over age 65 to, at some time, experience swelling of one or both legs.…
        Heart Disease
        July 28, 2023

        POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN BEWARE!

        After menopause, women have a lot of health problems to worry about. Besides hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and…
        Heart Disease
        March 20, 2020

        BLOOD THINNERS AND ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: Who Should Take What?

        Since 2014, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society have recommended a set…
        Heart Disease
        October 10, 2025

        HEART ATTACKS: WHAT’S NEW?

        In the simpler, unenlightened world of the past, a heart attack was just a heart attack. It was a serious…
        Drugs & Medications
        November 6, 2025

        POST-MI BETA BLOCKER USE SHOULD CEASE

        On August 6, 2025, DrGOpines.com posted an article titled “Post-MI Beta Blockers Questioned.” In it, the routine prescribing of Beta…
        Preventive Medicine
        April 24, 2021

        EXERCISING TO PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

        Ever since I can remember, moderate intensity Aerobic exercise has been recommended by the American Heart Association and the American…
        Preventive Medicine
        September 5, 2022

        DIABETES, MUSCLE PAIN, ANTIBIOTICS, HEART & INTESTINAL DISEASE

        AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS RESEARCH ARTICLES 2021 Many practicing physicians and family medicine residents in training are interested in…
        Drugs & Medications
        June 5, 2024

        SALT SUBSTITUTE REDUCES CHANCES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

        Substituting regular table salt (100% sodium chloride) with salt substitute (62% sodium chloride, 25% potassium chloride, 12.5% flavorings) reduced the…
        Preventive Medicine
        June 22, 2022

        CAROTID STENOSIS AND STROKE

        Carotid stenosis is a narrowing of the artery in the neck that sends blood to the brain. When blood flow…
        Heart Disease
        August 21, 2020

        ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: Does it affect Length of life?

        That question and several others were answered recently by information reported in a study reported in the British Medical Journal…
        Drugs & Medications
        October 16, 2022

        STATINS ARE “MIRACLE DRUGS!”

        I’m going to beat the statins drum once again! Very few drugs have had the impact on cardiovascular disease than…
        Diabetes
        July 30, 2023

        MORE ABOUT SUGAR IN OUR DIET

        Recently, I reported information that certain amounts of sugar in our diet were tied directly to increased risk of a…
        Preventive Medicine
        September 6, 2022

        LET’S PUT STATINS IN THE WATER!

        I have written 7 blogs about statins, and I suspect you’re beginning to tire of my persistence. I love statins!…
        Preventive Medicine
        May 27, 2021

        COMMON SENSE TREATMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

        Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a very common problem. I treated patients with high blood pressure every day, and many…
        Heart Disease
        August 8, 2021

        DRUG OPTIONS FOR TREATING CHOLESTEROL AND REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

        A subject I’ve blogged about several times is cholesterol. The biochemistry of cholesterol, it’s clinical significance, and guidelines for treatment…
        Heart Disease
        August 5, 2023

        MORE ABOUT SUGAR IN OUR DIET

        Recently, I reported information that certain amounts of sugar in our diet were tied directly to increased risk of a…

        DAY-IN-THE-LIFE SCENARIOS

          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          3 days ago

          EMPATHY: THE PATH TO BETTER OUTCOMES

          Sympathy is a word we can all define and use correctly in a sentence. It’s an expression of the feelings…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          5 days ago

          RURAL HEALTHCARE SUFFERING PHYSICIAN DRAIN

          We’ve all heard stories or read articles about small towns and rural communities who have such serious need for medical…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          April 7, 2025

          WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT PHYSICIAN INCOME?

          In addition to physician happiness, the Medscape survey quoted previously also questioned participants about lifestyle. Within this category were inquiries…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          April 5, 2025

          PHYSICIAN LIFESTYLE AND HAPPINESS SURVEY

          For some reason, professional organizations are overly concerned about physicians’ lifestyles and whether they are a happy lot. Surveys on…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          December 10, 2024

          DOES YOUR DOCTOR TALK TO YOU?

          Does your doctor talk to you? Oh, sure he asks you why you came to see him and how long…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          September 2, 2024

          ANNUAL PHYSICIAN SURVEY

          In the current issue of Medical Economics magazine, the editors present their “95th” annual “Physicians Report.” Every year, they conduct…

          YOUR WELLNESS MATTERS

            August 8, 2025

            FASTING FOR BLOODWORK IS OUTDATED

            Here’s something that might brighten your day. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re stomach is empty” [when you have blood…
            July 5, 2024

            PRIORITIES IN GERIATRIC CARE

            In spite of statistics that show the average life expectancy of Americans has been declining over the past 5-10 years,…
            January 9, 2024

            WHITE TEETH

            Many people today have a significant focus on personal appearance. You might not think so from the way segments of…
            September 1, 2023

            MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS NO. 5

            Cancer Among Younger Americans is Increasing    A study published on JAMA Network Open using data from the National Cancer…
            August 25, 2023

            WATER FLUORIDATION, CREST TOOTHPASTE

            There’s little or no disagreement with the statement that fluoridation of community drinking water supplies has been one of public…
            August 5, 2023

            MORE ABOUT SUGAR IN OUR DIET

            Recently, I reported information that certain amounts of sugar in our diet were tied directly to increased risk of a…
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