Minority Mental Health Research Brings Hope to Underserved Communities
One in six US adults lives with some form of mental illness, says the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). But racial and ethnic minorities have less access to mental health care, are less likely to be diagnosed, and have poorer mental health outcomes. Non-Hispanic Blacks are 10 percent more likely, and Hispanic/Latinos are 40... CONTINUE READING→
Men’s Health Is Also a Woman’s Issue
Why should women care about men’s health? Because men’s health affects women directly, says Armin Brott in “Blueprint for Men’s Health: A Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle,” a 76-page book available from Men’s Health Network. Brott, a spokesman for Men’s Health Network and author of the syndicated Healthy Men column, has written about men’s health... CONTINUE READING→
Next Steps Needed to Improve Male Mental Health
More work is necessary to improve mental health for men and boys, says Dr. Sal Giorgianni in an editorial for the American Journal of Men’s Health. The first editorial of six, “The Crisis in Male Mental Health: A Call to Action,” was published in the journal July 7. Giorgianni based the series on the landmark... CONTINUE READING→
Five Key Principles to Sound Prescription Medication Pricing Reform
Congress and policy makers in Washington are intently focused on how to optimally manage the cost of prescription medications. Many proposals have already been released, and it’s likely that this focus will continue well into the 2020 elections and beyond. This is perfectly appropriate, given that access to medications is a cornerstone of the management... CONTINUE READING→
Potential Adverse Impacts of Poorly Designed Medication Pricing Policy
As our country and the world continue to battle the COVID19 pandemic, the need for reliable, safe, effective, and high-quality diagnostic tests and treatment medications becomes more urgent every day. As does the need to maintain a safe and secure supply of technology and raw materials. Our overreliance on non-US sources for critical medical products... CONTINUE READING→
Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure: Telehealth and Home Monitoring Can Help
For most of my career, I’ve focused on cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the biggest factor for overall deaths in the United States. It is also is the most significant changeable risk factor for your health. According to researchers with Johns Hopkins, it can double your risk for a heart attack;... CONTINUE READING→
If the Covid-19 Virus Could Talk, What Would It Say and Will We Listen?
As I said in a recent article, “The Meaning of Covid-19: How to Survive and Thrive in the New Partnership Culture,” An old system is dying and a new one is coming into being. The old system has been around for a while 10,000 years or so and began when environmental change brought about serious drought... CONTINUE READING→
A Patient-Centered Look at Prostate Cancer
For the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the news cycle—especially coverage of health. But as big an issue as COVID is, it’s not the only disease we have to worry about. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are still significant causes of disability and death and will continue to be long after the... CONTINUE READING→
Deaths of Despair: The Other Covid-19 Crisis That is Killing Americans
By now everyone is aware that Covid-19 can cause death, primarily in people who are over fifty or have health problems such as asthma, lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic health problems. To protect ourselves we have been asked to practice physical distancing, wear face masks, avoid large gatherings, and wash our... CONTINUE READING→
Is COVID-19 Our Modern Plague?
It’s hard to believe that something so small can kill us in epidemic numbers, not to mention utterly and completely change life as we know it. The COVID-19 virus is about 50 times smaller than a red blood cell and contains a single strand of RNA with 26,000 base pairs. By way of comparison, the... CONTINUE READING→