Disease

Chronic pain is a growing problem for many Americans, especially musculoskeletal pain. “Plant-derived” non-opioid alternatives [1] have been proposed to lessen the adverse impacts of long-term opioid use.

Quick fun facts on salt and hypertension to provide a little context.

Post-marketing surveillance of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID vaccination has identified a possible association between its use and subsequent episodes of myocarditis and pericarditis – two forms of heart inflammation.

You can find Dr. Billaeur’s excellent article here.

Temporal trends There are large swings in case rates (up to 100-fold) but smaller swings for deaths (~15-fold). There are two major peaks in cases and deaths but many more in case fatality ratios (CFRs). [1]

Somehow we pulled it off. More or less.

The decision by the FDA to require lower nicotine levels in cigarettes is predicated on the idea that by lowering the dose sufficiently, a non-addictive cigarette could be created.

Among the many changes as we age are a loss of flexibility, muscle mass and strength, balance, and weight gain. All these factors are found among the frail and not-so-frail in varying measures.

It’s a small world

I have written previously about what mortality is not always the best metric when considering the care we provide.