• Many limitations in cohort study that suggests, at least for white Finnish public sector workers, that ‘People on blood pressure, cholesterol meds often let healthy habits slip’

    Medical Mythbusting Commentary for February 6, 2020 Source:People on blood pressure, cholesterol meds often let healthy habits slip Reference:Lifestyle Changes in Relation to Initiation of Antihypertensive and Lipid‐Lowering Medication: A Cohort Study

  • Two stories that underlie importance of risk and benefit of using medications

    Health Headlines Commentary for January 20, 2016 Source: Eagles manager Irving Azoff: ‘Medications partly to blame for Glenn Frey’s death’ Anesthesiologists warn assisted death not simple: convulsions and ‘awakenings’ possible complications  

  • Medication delivered by implanted microchip technology

    Madely Health Headlines Commentary for February 16, 2012     Source: Under-the-skin microchip delivers doses of medicine  

  • The grey zone of medication use during pregnancy

    Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 1, 2011 [display_podcast] Source: Can Mom’s Medicine Hurt the Baby?: Few Studies Detail Prescription Drugs’ Risk to Pregnant, Breast-Feeding Women

  • Birth defects caused by medications avoidable: study

    Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 19, 2009 [display_podcast]   Source: Birth defects caused by medications avoidable: study   Reference:   Prescriptions filled during pregnancy for drugs with the potential of fetal harm

  • Patients not compliant with medications after heart attack

    Original broadcast date: March 23, 2008 We are repeatedly reminded that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Canada. Yet, why is it that even after a heart attack, many people do not get around to filling that doctor-ordered prescription? A new study published in the journal Circulation from Ontario’s Institute for Clinical…

  • Safety of medication use during pregnancy

    What do we know about the safety and efficacy of medications when they are used during pregnancy and breastfeeding? What measures do we have in place today and are improvements needed? A new Alliance of health professionals, academia, patients, health care policy experts and industry individuals has been formed to address these issues The Canadian…

  • Great variety of drugs helps treatment of diabetics

    Last week’s column outlined how type 2 diabetes develops and causes harm: the liver produces too much sugar, the muscle, liver and fat cells poorly absorb sugar because they are less responsive to insulin and the insulin producing beta-cells of the pancreas eventually burn out.

  • Lower cholesterol to prevent stroke, heart disease

    Many people are aware of the effects of elevated cholesterol upon their health. Indeed, the rates of heart disease and stroke continue to rise. Concomitant risk factors for heart disease like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and family history of heart disease and stroke complicate the picture. Those with some or all these conditions use cholesterol-lowering…