The People's Pharmacy

Heated disagreements about whether or not Americans all need to reduce their salt intake have reached the Wall Street Journal. Many public health agencies recommend that we cut back on salt to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But how well does that approach work? We talk with contrarian […]

An amazing number of American youngsters is considered to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In some states, CDC data show that more than 10 percent of school children carries this diagnosis. You will find a thorough discussion of the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and potential consequences of ADHD here. Alternatives to Ritalin The usual treatments for […]

A recent investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office provoked scandalized headlines. They indicated that important herbal supplements from four major retailers did not actually contain the herbs they purported to provide. What was detected by the DNA barcode test was rice, soy or wheat, possibly used as fillers. But was the DNA barcode […]

Americans tend to equate more tests and more aggressive treatment with better quality care. This approach does result in more expensive care. The US spends more on health care per capita than any other country in the world. But we lag behind other industrialized nations on important measures of public health. Challenging Assumptions Many of […]

Antidepressant medications have become part of popular culture ever since Prozac came on the market in the mid-1980s. Only those who have weathered a suicidal crisis themselves or watched a loved one face such an emergency may truly appreciate how inadequate our current antidepressants are in such circumstances. Ketamine An old drug, ketamine, is now […]

Many people currently carry around tiny but powerful computers in their hip pockets or pocketbooks. We use our smart phones to check our bank accounts, keep up with our friends or get a weather report. Apps are also proving as good as dedicated fitness trackers at telling us how much we are moving. Before long, […]

For decades, the diet dictocrats have warned us to back away from the butter, minimize the meat and skimp on the salt. The recommended menu might not taste terrific, but it was supposed to prevent heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. Unfortunately, the evidence to back these dietary policies up has never been supported […]

Taking medications that affect brain chemicals can alter our risk of developing dementia. Find out which prescription and over-the-counter drugs are associated with a greater risk of an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. There is a list of common anticholinergic drugs here. Stroke Treatment A Dutch study last month showed that using a special device to reach […]

We often take our sight for granted, and wrongly assume that there is nothing that can be done to keep vision problems from occurring. Our guest has combed the medical literature to find ways to prevent or even reverse conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma with natural approaches. Myopic Youngsters Around the world, […]

The flu season started early this year and is now in full swing. What do you need to know about influenza to keep from becoming a sad statistic? Anti-Anxiety Medicines and the Alternatives Doctors prescribe anti-anxiety drugs in huge numbers. When does anxiety need treatment, and what can be done besides take a pill? What […]

Television ads warning men of the dangers of “low T” (inadequate testosterone) have become commonplace, but they rarely explore the risks of taking testosterone replacement medications. That may be partly because, like hormone replacement therapy for women years ago that supplied estrogen and progesterone, testosterone treatment has not been fully studied. It isn’t necessary to […]

We often think of vulnerability as a weakness, but being open and vulnerable with those we care about actually requires courage and strength. When we manage it, vulnerability also strengthens our most precious human connections. Dr. Brené Brown has inspired millions of people with her TED talks on the power of vulnerability. Learn why striving […]

Living in the modern world means being exposed to a great many chemical compounds, from those in our shampoo to the ones that make up that unforgettable new-car smell. The safety of many of these compounds is unknown, but others have recognized toxicity. And simple actions, like eating soup from a can, could raise our […]

The FDA has insisted for years that generic drugs are identical to their brand-name counterparts. Physician and medical historian Jeremy Greene writes: “Generic drugs never were–and still are not–exactly the same as their brand-name counterparts, but they are similar in ways we deem to be important.” We discuss the value of generic drugs and the […]

At some point during our lives, most of us will have at least one episode of back pain. Sharp or dull, the pain can come on at an unexpected moment and dominate our lives for days or weeks, until it disappears as mysteriously as it came. When Pain Becomes Chronic For some people, however, low […]

Is rest a waste of time? Many of us think so, but burning the candle at both ends has its costs. Eventually, the result is burnout along with physical and emotional exhaustion. Balancing Rest and Activity While sleep is crucial for good health, sleep alone may not suffice to restore health. Dr. Matthew Edlund believes […]

According to a new global survey, older adults in the United States take more drugs for more chronic health problems than seniors in ten other countries. Why do so many people suffer with chronic illnesses as they age? The diseases that afflict them are due in part to genetic susceptibility for heart disease, diabetes or […]

Hydrocodone Painkillers Last month, the Drug Enforcement Administration changed its classification of hydrocodone containing pain relievers. The new rules will make it more difficult for some patients to get their medications. What will they mean for you? Movember By now, everyone is pretty well aware that October is colored pink to draw attention to breast […]

Are you deficient in magnesium? Chances are you’ve never thought about it. Magnesium is a fascinating mineral that every cell in the body uses for a variety of activities. Yet very little attention is paid to this nutrient. Learn why magnesium is so vital and how to tell if your levels might be low. Which […]

Many couples struggle to conceive. Even healthy young couples may be less likely to have success with conception than is commonly believed. Without using protection of any kind, such a couple might expect to conceive in one cycle out of five. While most healthy couples do manage a pregnancy over the course of a year, […]

More than 30 million Americans have trouble hearing as well as they would like. Some assume there is nothing that can be done to help them, while others imagine that their hearing loss is not so great that it needs to be addressed. Are they mistaken? Hearing aids are expensive and somewhat mysterious. Technological Advances […]

For decades, Americans have been warned to step away from the cheese and leave the butter untouched. Saturated fat was believed to clog the arteries and lead to heart attacks and early death. But what was the basis for those admonitions? Where’s the science? The science of the popular prescriptions for a low-fat diet is […]

Dishonesty in Health Care Health care, it seems, is not immune to the dishonesty that prevails in many other parts of society, whether it is the polite lie that someone looks good (despite a hospital pallor) or a more serious deception or omission, such as a provider’s financial relationship with a drug or device manufacturer. […]

Gluten has become a household name in the last few years, with many crackers, cereals and other food products advertised as gluten free. What Is Gluten, and Should You Be Avoiding It? In the past, the only people who paid much attention to gluten were those with celiac disease. This condition was thought to be […]

Playing a sport, leading an active lifestyle or taking an unexpected tumble can lead to joint injuries such as a sprained ankle or a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder. Sometimes joints just start complaining because of accumulated wear and tear. Sports medicine specialists often need to evaluate the best methods for overcoming pain and […]

More than a million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are usually considered autoimmune conditions, although it is not necessarily clear what may trigger the immune system to attack the lining of the digestive tract. Find out about the symptoms of IBD and how it is distinguished from IBS, […]

Most of us have experienced the frustration of a phone tree that seems designed to keep us from speaking to the person who could actually do what needs to be done. Have you ever considered the impact of an insurance pre-authorization requirement on a physician’s work day? We speak with Dr. Danielle Ofri about a […]

Most people are familiar with tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme disease. But other diseases transmitted by ticks and fleas and biting flies may be flying under the radar. One such organism is called Bartonella. More Than Cat Scratch Fever Bartonella is known as the cause of cat scratch fever, but […]

People often hold fast to their favorite dietary dogma and get annoyed if it is challenged. But lately there has been a great deal of controversy about the best diet for good health, especially for people with diabetes or heart disease. One sign of a possible paradigm shift is the publication of three different articles […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. What does a diagnosis of ALS mean, and how do doctors and patients work together to improve […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: Hot summer temperatures can be uncomfortable for anybody, but for some folks they may be downright dangerous. Which drugs require extra caution because they make a person more […]

What can we learn from people who have experienced spontaneous remissions of serious cancers? Doctors recognize that such remissions sometimes occur, but they rarely study them. The problem is that remissions are uncommon and unpredictable, and consequently difficult to study. The Research Psychotherapist Kelly Turner interviewed more than a thousand people who had undergone a […]

Do you take antibiotics for granted? Many of us do. After all, these drugs have been saving lives for decades, serving as magic bullets against deadly infections such as pneumonia, gangrene or blood poisoning since the middle of the 20th century. Superbugs Sneer at Antibiotics: Unfortunately, the bacteria that cause infections have been evolving and […]

Susannah Meadows’s son was only three years old when he developed terrifying symptoms of a disabling disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis. His parents were frantic to help him feel better, but conventional medicine was slow to go into effect. Could a Leaky Gut Have Activated His Immune System? They decided to explore an alternative approach as well. […]

Over the last several months a number of studies have found that multivitamins are not an effective way to prevent Alzheimer’s or heart disease. But are they really a waste of money, as one editorial suggests? We talk with Dr. Tieraona Low Dog about the evidence base for vitamin use. How Scary Is Aspirin? Similar doubts have […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: The new guidelines brought forth by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology call for a large proportion of senior citizens to take statin-type cholesterol-lowering […]

Tinnitus, often referred to as ringing in the ears, can be a terrible problem. The sufferer hears a sound that no one else perceives, whether it is hissing, booming, buzzing, chirping or clicking. Treating tinnitus effectively is very difficult. People are rarely able to get the sound to stop and some victims find it is […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: Worldwide attention has been riveted on the fate of a Malaysian Airlines jet with 239 people on board. Since flight 370 disappeared on March 8, more than 16,000 […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: A number of foreign drug firms have been cited by the FDA for poor quality control (and in some cases data manipulation). Perhaps in response, the agency has […]

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: We rarely hear about bladder cancer, but it is the fourth most common cancer of men in the U.S., and the toll it takes is underappreciated. We hear […]

Summer vacation is right around the corner. We hope you have delightful travel plans, whether they will take you across the country, around the world, or just beyond the back yard. What can you do to stay healthy while on vacation? Pack Your First-Aid Kit: What are the best first-aid items to tuck in your […]

How do you handle the fever of flu? Many people turn to OTC flu remedies for symptom relief, but nearly all of them contain a fever reducing medication such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. While these may help you feel better temporarily, such medicines may prolong the infection or help it spread. The Benefits of […]

Summertime offers great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but sometimes there are risks that might be hard to avoid. Chiggers, ticks and mosquitos can make you miserable. What can you do to avoid them or manage the itch that results? Summertime Remedies: This summer has broken heat records in many places. Is your medication putting […]

Sugar for Wounds: Sugar seems like an improbable treatment for hard-to-heal wounds. But the ancient Egyptians used honey and animal fat for battle scars. How does that treatment hold up under modern scrutiny? Holiday Remedies: When friends and family gather for the holidays, little mishaps may happen. What home remedies can help ease minor problems […]

One American man in every six is diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, so it is not surprising that proposed changes to prostate cancer screening have created controversy. When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended dropping the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test as a routine measure, many urologists and their patients protested. The […]

For years, women have been admonished to drink milk and eat yogurt so that they will have enough calcium to keep their bones strong. Calcium supplements have become big business, and foods like orange juice have been fortified with calcium. How good is the science supporting all this calcium to fight bone loss? We talk […]

Dr. Ruth Westheimer is America’s most renowned sex expert. She shares her decades of experience answering questions on sex. What are the most common concerns facing couples? Is there hope for sex after 50? Can Female Sexual Dysfunction Be Overcome? The husband and wife team of Irwin and Sue Goldstein have blazed a trail for […]