November 30, 2024 — Spirulina is a dietary supplement with a history that keeps rolling over us in waves. Back in the 1970s, it captured the popular imagination with its use on moon missions by NASA. Its hard to imagine a better way to conjure hype for a dietary supplement. But now this venerable supplement is making its way […]
November 29, 2024 — “Taxes on sweetened beverages have become a litmus test in public health: if you are concerned about rapidly increasing global rates of obesity, you should favor them.” This truth telling comes from a new commentary in JAMA Pediatrics. So we are happy to acknowledge the radiant sincerity of those who believe in taxing soda. But […]
November 28, 2024 — Nope. We didn’t get our way on everything this year. But it’s not too hard to count up reasons for feeling grateful as we start this day of Thanksgiving. Of course, we have personal reasons for feeling gratitude – health, happiness, friends, family, and the privilege of serving a purpose beyond ourselves. More specifically, though, […]
November 27, 2024 — Yesterday, Amgen released topline data on their remarkable monthly obesity medicine – MariTide or maridebart cafraglutide. To us, the results are impressive, albeit preliminary. In 52 weeks of study, patients with obesity or overweight lost approximately 20% of their initial body weight and even after a year, they appeared to still be losing weight. For […]
November 26, 2024 — Well, this is exciting. The news just flashed across our screen that the outgoing Biden administration is proposing to open up Medicare and Medicaid to coverage for obesity meds. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services, said: “We don’t want to see people having to wait until they have these additional diseases […]
November 26, 2024 — For the second time this year, we have a meta-analysis of RCTs with GLP-1 medicines that affirms cardiorenal benefits in outcome studies. This latest study appears in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. Lead author Sunil Badve described the importance of his analysis: “This is the first study to show a clear benefit of GLP-1 receptor agonists […]
November 25, 2024 — A new study presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Gastroenterology tells us receiving a GLP-1 for diabetes with or without obesity is associated with a halving of pancreatic cancer risk. Is this too good to be true? Observational, of Course The first thing to note is that the finding comes […]
November 24, 2024 — FDA is in a quandary about compounding of the new obesity drugs, semaglutide and tirzepatide. The U.S. President-Elect has a nominee to lead FDA with a connection to this compounding kerfuffle. Marty Makary is a surgeon and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is also Chief Medical Officer for the telehealth company […]
November 23, 2024 — The claim is both straightforward and absurd. “An additional hour’s walk could add 376.3 min of life expectancy.” This is a near perfect reduction of “Exercise Is Medicine” to absurdity. Yes exercise is an excellent tonic and the benefits of physical activity for health are well documented. As a metaphor, exercise is medicine is not […]
November 22, 2024 — FDA told a Federal judge yesterday that the agency isn’t yet sure whether there’s still a shortage of tirzepatide in the U.S. The agency needs more time to think about this. So for now, we have a stalemate on compounding of both semaglutide and tirzepatide. They are still on the FDA shortage list and compounders […]
