Intelligent Medicine

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Mona Morstein, ND, author of "Mastering Your Diabetes: A Comprehensive, Integrative Approach for Both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes."

Obesity today has increased ten-fold compared to the 1970s! Is Big Sugar going the way of Big Tobacco? Is severe belching a symptom of gallbladder disease? Are infrared saunas really helpful for detoxification?

You advise keeping vitamins in the fridge, but wouldn't the moisture be harmful? Is red yeast rice safe to take with CholestePure? Supplements that are helpful for lowering cholesterol. How smartphones have hijacked our brains.

Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright is a physician and a medical management consultant with a keen perspective on the problems facing our health care system today. In her book, "Back to Balance: The Art, Science, and Business of Medicine," she writes: “The art of Medicine is being crowded out by the science of medicine.” Yes, we want more efficiency and precision, but medicine is losing its human touch. Electronic health record (EHR) systems have doctors peering into screens and not connecting with patients; perverse incentives have health professionals ticking off boxes to garner proper reimbursement, achieving “quality metrics” which may have little to do with patient well-being or satisfaction. Doctors are burnt-out and disenchanted, and leaving the profession in droves due to time pressure and overwhelming bureaucratic burdens. Dr. Fischer-Wright discusses strategies for reinvigorating the practice of medicine.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright, author of "Back to Balance: The Art, Science, and Business of Medicine."

Another nail in Big Sugar’s coffin—it causes cancer! Is PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) therapy legit? Harnessing magnetic fields to cure anxiety; Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome; You don’t have to run a marathon to help your bones; In the wake of Harvey Weinstein, does sexual harassment make victims sick? Is “sex addiction” a real medical condition? When you have a high HDL, do you really need a statin drug?

Magnesium’s brain benefits—it helps depression and fends off dementia; Magnesium threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier; Does your nutritionist suffer from an eating disorder? Gastro symptoms in a patient with Sjögren’s syndrome; Should fruit be avoided by someone with atherosclerosis? What to do when you’re told you need statins, but they cause debilitating muscle pain? Ten-fold increase in child and adolescent obesity since 1970s; Overweight Americans now outnumber those with normal weight.

Fennel helps reduce postmenopausal symptoms; Did you know that just having your smartphone within reach diminishes brain power? The new "brain drain."

Studies show that 1.5 million Americans are hurt each year by preventable medicine errors. Many people are unaware that over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics can cause potentially serious adverse effects when used in combination with other common medications. Robert Baker realized there was a problem with people obtaining overall drug information after conducting extensive research. As a pharmacist, Robert has had extensive patient interaction for over the last 30 years. This gave him great insight into what patients need to have – useful at hand knowledge of their medications. Some of the more important issues patients stressed were over-the-counter (OTC) interactions with their current medications, as well as interactions among their prescription medications. The result is MyRxProfile, a convenient patient-friendly app that can help consumers be forewarned about potential drug interactions and side effects. Available from Apple and Android app stores, the app draws on a database of over 30,000 common prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with pharmacist Robert Baker, developer of MyRxProfile, a convenient patient-friendly app that can help consumers be forewarned about potential drug interactions and side effects.

Las Vegas shooter was taking anti-anxiety medication, is this relevant? My nine-year-old has athlete's foot and Lotrimin isn't working, any suggestions? What are your thoughts on ozone therapy, are there significant risks?

Regarding your recent podcast on soy and breast cancer: The late Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez asserts soy destroys the very enzymes needed to prevent/treat cancers, what say you? Is it important to take probiotics every day throughout the year or can I take them less often? I want to buy vitamin C in powder form and make my own capsules, which form of vitamin C is best? What are your thoughts about the new flu shot for those over 65?

"Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It." "Why did I walk into this room?” “Where did I put my car keys?” “What’s my ATM password?” Memory problems are among the most common complaints seen in primary care. Harvard neurologist Dr. Andrew Budson is co-author of this practical guide to memory problems: Are we really experiencing an epidemic of dementia or are people just living longer? Do we have unrealistic expectations of our aging brains? When is memory loss normal and when is it a harbinger of dementia? Is Alzheimer’s the only type of memory loss? Can certain drugs produce memory loss? Are concerns over statin use warranted? Can proper diet defend against memory loss? What about exercise? Does research support the efficacy of “brain games”? What role for sleep optimization? Why is it so hard to come up with medicines for memory that have more than just slight, temporary benefits? When is it dementia and when is it depression? Should we all get tested for ApoE4, the “Alzheimer’s gene”? Why research shows that pulling an “all-nighter” is not the best way to study for a test; Simple habits that support memory.

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Harvard neurologist Dr. Andrew Budson, co-author of "Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It."

Same gut bacteria can trigger varying immune responses--depending on the health of the environment; Protein three times a day to sustain senior strength?