Dr. Read more…

Cymbalta. Abilify. Lunesta, Chantix and that drug for “when the time might be right.” As a consumer and especially as a psychologist, it unsettles me when I see television ads exhorting potential clients to ask a doctor about a specific drug. Even if I do not believe general practitioners or specialists know best, I do not believe consumers should ask for specific drugs. To me, without any science behind my opinion, that seems like patients are being turned into marketing agents for pharmaceutical companies.

Read more…

FOR the first time we have an answer to what Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be doing in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis. RNA from the virus could be triggering the inflammation of nerve tissue characteristic of the disease.

EBV is present in almost all people with MS, and having glandular fever, caused by the virus, is known to increase the risk of developing MS.

To investigate further, Ute-Christiane Meier at Queen Mary University of London and her colleagues performed a post-mortem analysis of the brains of people with and without MS. They detected EBV in damaged areas of the MS brains.

Read more…

SEATTLE – At All Star Fitness in West Seattle, we heard a New Year’s resolution or two. “I’d like to lose ten pounds that’s the hardest part,” said Lori Arnold. We also heard a few theories on what to stay away from to lose those pounds. “I believe wheat has been so genetically modified, it’s just not very good for you, not good for most people,” said David Webber. But the latest news on nutrition comes from a study out of the University of Washington Medicine research facility. What you eat impacts more than your waist line. “If

Read more…