I read the medical journals, so you donāt have to.
Especially the news that affects the diseases most of us actually face.
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There have been many journal articles this week, and I have picked ten stories that I think are most important.
š· 1ļøā£ Alcohol and Health: Time to Rethink the Glass
A PLOS Global Public Health study found that alcohol-induced deaths nearly doubled in the U.S. between 1999 and 2024 ā up 89 percent.
Most were from alcoholic liver disease, with the sharpest rise among young women ( +255 %) and men ( +188 %) aged 25 ā 34.
Every major study agrees: more than 3 drinks per day increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline.
Those idyllic older Sardinians sipping wine? Thatās survivor bias ā we see who lived long, not who didnāt.
If you drink 3ā4 drinks a day or more, get professional help before quitting; cold-turkey withdrawal can be dangerous.
I love the Mediterranean diet ā but remember: olive oil yes, red wine not required. If you do not drink, you get one Mediterranean diet point - could be your best point.
š©ŗ If you need help reducing alcohol use, talk with your primary care clinicianor addiction specialist ā itās one of the best health decisions you can make.
āļø 2ļøā£ Obesity & Metabolic Health ā The GLP-1 Effect
JAMA Network Open reports that a new body-fat-based definition of obesity could raise the U.S. rate from 40 to nearly 70 percent. Yes, while BMI gives us a height-weight ratio, BMI does not tell us how much is fat. Sedentary life, and ultra processed diets, give us marbling for muscle. That is nice for steak, bad for people.
Yet CDC data show the first decline in state-level obesity rates in a decade ā down to 19 states ā„ 35 %.
So, how can both be true? Welcome to the GLP-1 effect.
Medications like Ozempic and Zepbound are changing metabolic health: lower weight, lower glucose, better outcomes.
But letās be clear: weāre being gouged by Big Pharma.
Even after āprice cuts,ā U.S. patients pay ā $500 per month ā five times the cost in Canada, Germany, or the UK.
Compounded versions exist, but carry risks. We need fair pricing.
Menopause adds another insight: premenopausal women gain weight faster than postmenopausal women. Yes, your metabolism will slow down at the age of 60, but most of the excess weight people have in older life comes from years earlier.
Bottom line: definitions evolve, drugs advance, but prevention ā and access ā still win.
š¦µ 3ļøā£ Movement Matters: How You Walk Affects Your Joints
The Lancet Rheumatology found that patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent gait retraining had less pain and slower cartilage loss.
Many of us never learned to walk properly.
Runway models practice a walk that looks elegant, but is terrible for knees ā and most peopleās daily stride isnāt much better.
Visit a sports-medicine doctor, orthopedic specialist, physical therapist, or sports-trained podiatrist who can analyze your gait.
And ignore shoe ads: the sneaker that fits a marathon runner can hurt you.
Get advice from a professional, not the shoe store.
Itās one of the best small investments you can make to extend your mobility and quality of life.
ā¤ļø 4ļøā£ Heart Health & Medications ā An Update on Cholesterol Therapy
The FDA has updated labels on fenofibrates (Tricor, Lofibra) that reduce triglycerides, but do not prevent heart attacks or strokes.
If youāre on one, itās time to see a preventive cardiologist and review newer options.
Statins remain the foundation ā and theyāre inexpensive.
I take rosuvastatin (crestor) - not an endorsement, just transparency.
With a strong family history of heart disease, diet alone couldnāt fix my LDL. Crestor did and for less than $1 a month.
It reduced my LDL, reduced dementia risk by 20% and I have no side effects.
I also take ezetimibe (Zetia) to block cholesterol absorption in the gut.
There are also newer injectables, which are highly effective for those who need them. Repatha, and others area PCSK9 inhibitors. They are more expensive but very effective.
If youāre still on older drugs, ask about an update.
Theyāre safer, stronger, and dramatically less expensive than any ānaturalā alternative.
š§¬ 5ļøā£ Cancer & Care Systems
JNCI: Chemical hair straighteners linked to higher cancer risk.
JNCCN: Even late-stage patients live ~ 1 year longer if they quit smoking.
Cancer Discovery: Medicaid-expansion states show higher five-year survival.
ASCO Quality Care Symposium: Half of patients must fight insurers for treatment approval.
My friend Simon Majumdar (from Food Network) developed a rare brain cancer, oligodendroglioma.
It began with a seizure, and his wife spent two months finding an in-network surgeon.
This is why I support universal health care.
Having cancer is hard enough, no one should fight their insurance company to find the āin networkā doctor.
Simonās doing well and continues to advocate for brain-cancer awareness. And he still gives me a hard time when I try to pronounce Worschester.
š¦ 6ļøā£ Infectious Disease Update
Bird flu surging again with migratory birds; over 4 million poultry culled.
Measles cases hit 1,500 ā highest since elimination in 2000.
JAMA Network Open: COVID mRNA vaccines in pregnancy safe ā no birth-defect risk.
Infection: SSRIs may reduce long-term COVID symptoms.
Vaccines work. Viruses evolve. Science adapts.
š 7ļøā£ Global Health & Longevity
A new Lancet analysis shows that global life expectancy is up 20 years since 1950 ā 76 for women, 71 for men ā but deaths among young adults are rising.
Carnivore fans point to Hong Kong as proof that meat equals longevity, but they forget to ask: what did the older generation eat?
Answer: fruits, vegetables, and fish.
Today's younger, wealthier generation, more meat, less fiber, sees more cancer and a shorter healthy lifespan.
Longevity is not just a lifespan, but also what we have termed āhealth span.ā Or how many years you can live without some major illness impacting your daily activity.
Your plate today shapes your tomorrow.
š©ŗ Final Thought
It's your week in medicine, concise, evidence-based and (mostly) hopeful,