Liz Szabo reports for Kaiser Health News about the high proportion of people who get knee replacements and wonder whether they should have. For about one third of people, knee replacements do not...
Diane Archer
Are sugar substitutes bad for you?
The data is clear that too much sugar is not good for your health. But, what about sugar substitutes, artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Sweet ‘N Low and Equal? A new meta-study published in...
Japanese develop tech innovations to help caregivers and enable...
In Japan, nearly a third of the population is over 65, and there is a high demand for elder care. The Wall Street Journal reports on a number of new tech innovations that are making it easier for...
New poll reveals most Democrats are willing to pay Medicare for...
Pundits suggest that one of the biggest challenges to enacting Medicare for All is that the public will object to paying additional public taxes for their health care. But, is that really a...
Pharmaceutical companies use scare tactics to mislead public...
Americans are always being sold, and health care products are no exception. It’s one thing when corporations are pushing the latest snack food or toothbrush, it’s another when they are...
FDA permits doctors to implant untested medical devices at...
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Jeanne Lenzer and Shannon Brownlee describe how the FDA permits doctors to implant untested medical devices at extreme risk to patients. Today, 32 million people...
Expect big drug price increases in 2019
Reuters reports that pharmaceutical companies are hiking up prices on a lot of prescription drugs this year. Why not, if they can? And, what will President Trump do about it given his promise to...
Younger adult companions are now available on-demand
One new “buddy” service for older adults matches older adults with younger adult companions. It’s called Papa. And, it launched in Florida in January 2018. Andrew Parker...
Part D insurers bilk Medicare and taxpayers
The Wall Street Journal reports on a longstanding practice of health insurance companies, which offer Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits, bilking Medicare and taxpayers. As a result, the...
Why you want magnesium in your diet
You rarely hear tell about the need for magnesium in your diet. But magnesium plays an important role. And, according to the National Institutes of Health, most people in the US, including men older...