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There was a famous commercial that asked the question, “Where’s the Beef?” This can be applied to the rolling wave of stories in local media about toxic PFAS contamination of drinking water. In these cases, there is no beef.

For most of us, the closest we get to special treatment is boarding a plane using our frequent flyer miles. Concierge medicine provides the undivided attention of your primary care physician. With the Boomers needing more care coupled with a growing physician shortage, here’s the big question: Is concierge medicine the golden ticket it promises to be?

Recent research suggested that our lungs contain tiny (micro- and nano-sized) plastic particles, courtesy of our widespread use plastic consumer products. Let's take a deeper look at the study to determine how serious of a health risk we're up against. As always, the media didn't tell you the whole story.

There's yet another adulterant showing up in illicit fentanyl in cities across North America: medetomidine, a drug used for sedation, analgesia, and muscle relaxation, typically in veterinary settings. How dangerous is the drug, and what can be done to stop its recreational use? Let's take a look.

In a world where our love for meat and dairy is anathema to environmental activists, why do we cling to our beef and dairy habits? Forget saving the Earth; as long as it tastes good and doesn't break the bank, toss it in the shopping cart.

It's one thing for the government and other busybodies to restrict opioid use to minimize addiction, even though this premise is dead wrong. But a similar intrusion has metastasized; doctors are disincentivized from writing scripts for any controlled drug, for example, sleep aids and sedatives. Who suffers? Patients, for example, my dying friend, who just wanted a good night's sleep. And was denied it.

The polar thaw, slows the Earth's spin;
Ozempic's whispers, calorie's tale;
Challenger's fate, faith in systems misplaced;
IVF's journey and an embryos' fate

KSCJ radio host Mark Hahn and I discussed a range of topics, starting with the controversy surrounding "Gain of Function" laboratory research, which I explained is often misunderstood and not inherently dangerous if proper biosafety measures are followed. Then we turned to medical issues: a new medical technology to measure bone health and a new vaccine to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections.

Coral bleaching is a serious global problem that is getting worse with increasing ocean temperatures. While there is some bleaching in the reefs surrounding Bermuda, there is also plenty of healthy coral; the water does not get as warm as in more traditional snorkeling/diving sites. The beaches are gorgeous, and much of the sand consists of parrotfish poop. That and more.

Gone are the days when weather updates were simple forecasts. Now, every hot day is a full-blown crisis. We used to just sweat through heatwaves, but now we’re at risk of death. Yes, it’s hot, but do we need the melodrama?

Two cases now before the Supreme Court threaten to narrow or even eviscerate traditional judicial deference to agency expertise. Soon, we may see this deference afforded under the decades-old Chevron doctrine dismantled entirely - even regarding technical or scientific determinations. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, for one, isn’t pleased.

Noise is the second most common complaint among restaurant-goers. From the clinking of cutlery to the relentless chatter, restaurants have become veritable sound factories, making it challenging for patrons to hold a conversation, turning dining out into a shouting match. Striking the right balance in the soundscape is critical for a restaurant's success.

The guidelines on what we should eat - science speaks but politics reign,
Procedural tricks, the lobbyist's way.
New York's subways crime, AI scan not so intelligent
A Roman pandemic teaches in hindsight.

Lars Larson and I discussed the recent ban on an important and widely used class of insecticides in New York and the potential for Vermont to follow suit, despite historical evidence from places like Sri Lanka showing that such bans can harm farmers and devastate food production.
(Since this segment aired, Phil Scott, the Republican Governor of Vermont, vetoed the bill that would have banned neonicotinoid pesticides in the state.)

Remember when doctors looked you in the eye, to build a connection beyond mere transactions? With the rise of ever-present screens, physicians are more engaged with pixels than patients. For those struggling with the digital shift, medical scribes have stepped in. But has this tech-driven change improved healthcare?

Roughly 40 years ago, the Supreme Court created what is known as the "Chevron doctrine,” requiring judicial deference to reasonable agency decision-making, where a statute is ambiguous or is invoked in ambiguous situations. But things may be about to change, and the FDA, for one, isn’t happy.

The Bay State passed a bill that raises the legal age from 18 to purchase tobacco products and cigarettes. When the law takes effect on Dec. 31, Massachusetts will become the sixth state in the U.S. to raise the age restriction to 21, and the first to prohibit the sale of tobacco products from pharmacies that offer health services.

E. coli. Salmonella. Campylobacter. Norovirus. When somebody gets sick eating at a restaurant, these are often the culprits. But McDonald's has been hit by an outbreak of Cyclospora. Our PhD microbiologist – who has taken two classes in medical microbiology – had never heard of that. So what is it?

So-called "snowbirds" – humans migrating from North to South as winter approaches – seem to use health care resources in the same way, irrespective of where they may be. 

When health insurers keep trying to practice medicine without a license, we all lose. 

Unless it's a strategic resource, like food, energy, or science, we're all for letting the free market find the best solution. If supplement hucksters can have an easier time in a dictatorship like China, this is one time we should have no problem letting communism win.

Maintaining blood sugar within a normal range is part of the work of the pancreas – and humans with diabetes just do not do it as well. An advanced technology mimics the function of the pancreas far better and it's entering clinical trials. We are witnessing a tremendous advance in treatment.

Simply removing "identifiers" from our data does not ensure privacy. We willingly give information through our phones and transactions, which can be used to re-identify our information.

A new study found that smokers consumed around 200 more calories per day than both non-smokers or former smokers. And that's despite eating smaller food portions. And what that means is that they engage in more snacking, and treating treats like meals.

Greater patient volumes result in more experience and better outcomes. But for rural and underserved areas, there may not be enough volume to maintain a clinically-safe practice. The trade-off of access and outcome is at the heart of a discussion of TAVR, or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a replacement for open surgery.