Blog

May 27, 2009

Obese teens show signs of heart disease. What can you do?

Bloomberg News reports that “teenagers and young adults who are obese . . . show signs of damaged heart arteries that may lead to heart attacks, […]

May 25, 2009

I’ll ‘Never Forget’ My Dad, an American Hero – Memorial Day 2009

On this holiday weekend, as a country, we observe Memorial Day Day – which was first known as Decoration Day. It was meant to be a […]

May 25, 2009

A blast from the past – YouTube video shows Dr. Walt’s ‘groundbreaking’ web events of 1999

Speaking of memories (here on Memorial Day), I have fond memories of hosting a live, 5-night-a-week, cable TV show, “Ask the Family Doctor” on America’s Health […]

May 22, 2009

Kava for Anxiety: Is Short-Term Use Safe?

A water-soluble extract of the plant kava was found to be safe and highly effective for the short-term treatment of anxiety in a new study. But […]

May 22, 2009

About one-third of people unwisely don’t wear sunscreen. Should you?

Absolutely! Sun exposure can cause sunburn, wrinkles, age spots, and contribute to skin cancer. But despite that, 31% of Americans say they NEVER wear sunscreen, even […]

May 22, 2009

Supposed ‘miracle drug’ for autism called ‘junk’

Desperate to help their autistic children, hundreds of parents nationwide are turning to an unproven and potentially damaging treatment: multiple high doses of a drug sometimes […]

May 20, 2009

Pacifiers for Babies – What are the Risks and Benefits?

Family physicians and pediatricians are often asked for guidance about pacifier use in babies and children. We’re also asked when to appropriately wean a child from […]

May 20, 2009

Choosing Baby’s Playpen – Safety suggestions to help avoid injury

A playpen can help parents get things done with the knowledge that baby can’t wander off or get into some sort of mischievous. But it’s no […]

April 1, 2011

Could inexpensive heart medicine strengthen bone in women?

Nitrates commonly used for chest pain may also be an inexpensive way to strengthen bone in older women according to a surprising study in the Journal of […]

April 1, 2011

Palliative care may prolong life, reduce suffering

Do you know the difference between “palliative care” and “hospice care”? I must confess that for sometime I did not. Now that I’m more educated on the […]

April 4, 2011

Absolutely Amazing: The Vast Majority of “Locked-In Patients” Satisfied With Life

Many people believe that people with “locked-in syndrome,” a form of nearly complete paralysis, would want to die, commit suicide, or be euthanized. It turns out […]

April 4, 2011

A new use for cranberry … prostate symptoms!

Cranberry is not just for women with urinary tract infections anymore. Men with symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) (including benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH]) might also […]

April 4, 2011

New treatment for colic: Probiotics

Good news for parents with infants that suffer from colic. Lactobacillus and other probiotics are now being successfully used for infantile colic.