Better to Give than to Receive

For the last couple of years I’ve made a commitment to donate blood every month or two at Cedars-Sinai.  Though I must admit the first few times I was scared by the whole experience, I almost look forward to it now.  The nurses treat the regulars like old friends, and the donors are treated to a mandatory break from their busy lives.  Since we can’t be productive, we listen to music, or watch TV, or pick a movie from their eclectic selection.  (Oddly enough, I’ve found that gory horror movies ar...
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Get Your Flu Shots

The first day of fall is three days away.  The kids are back in school, temperatures are dipping lower and the leaves on the trees in LA are doing nothing.  In this magical season a doctor’s thoughts turn to flu shots. The flu shot is recommended for the following groups:
  • Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
  • Pregnant women,
  • People 50 years of age and older,
  • People of any age with certain chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or ...
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Arthroscopic Surgery Ineffective for Knee Arthritis

Arthroscopic surgery is a common treatment for moderate to severe knee arthritis.  Through scopes inserted through small incisions the knee is irrigated and irregularities in the cartilage are shaved off. In fact, no study has ever demonstrated that this surgery is effective for arthritis.  Even worse, in a study in 2002 that randomized patients with knee arthritis to either arthroscopic surgery or sham surgery (in which skin incisions are made but nothing is done to the joint), the surgery gro...
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Gamma Rays are Good for Your Veggies

Last month the Food and Drug Administration allowed food manufacturers to irradiate fresh lettuce and spinach to kill bacteria.  The decision resulted in some controversy and much press coverage.  (See link to LA Times article, below.)  The process involves shooting gamma rays through the produce in an amount enough to kill most bacteria but not enough to wilt the leaves or affect the taste. Though food safety advocates have been recommending food irradiation for many ...
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