2 Docs Talk: The podcast about healthcare, the science of medicine and everything in between.

A BMJ report earlier this year declared that 1 in 3 hospital deaths were the result of medical errors. A flurry of headlines about the dangers of hospitals soon followed.

Just what is a medical error? What are the dangers of being in a hospital? And what can we do about it? We talk about these questions in today's episode. 

Resources:

BMJ on medical error

KATZ scale

To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System

Hospital at Home

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If you've ever felt like you had a handle on the evidence about a certain medical topic only to read a headline telling you science now says the opposite, you aren't alone. 

But science isn't about headlines. It's about evaluating the evidence to decide what's real, and it doesn't always conform to what we want. But that doesn't stop the media, (and maybe some journals), from selectively reporting the research that will generate the most buzz.

Today we talk about this issue and ideas that are being discussed to help be sure all the evidence, including the unremarkable evidence, is adequately reported.

Resources:

Nurse's Health Study

Women's Health Initiative

Calcium and Heart Disease Risk

Results-Blind Study

PLOS on Data

2 Docs Talk about Hormone Replacement Therapy

2 Docs Talk about Supplements

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These days you can buy e-Books  for your e-Reader and participate in e-Commerce. You can send your friends Evites, e-file your taxes, and meet the love of your life on eHarmony. 

So it's really no surpise that e-Cigarettes have become as popular as they are. Hats off to whoever named them, since they are actually physical items that you can hold in your hands, unlike most e-products.

The question, of course, is if there are any health advantages to e-Cigarettes. Do they really help you stop smoking?

And, do they create their own set of health problems? 

That's what we're talking about this week.

Resources:

E-Cigs and Poison Control

Southern California Children's Health Study

USPSTF on Smoking Cessation

Aphthous Ulcers and Nicotine

If there is a hot button issue in politics these days, it's abortion. But abortion is the result of a long line of issues that are being inadequately addressed in this country. Today we take a look at contraception - what it is, how it works, its history and its future. 

We also offer a look at an innovative program that has the potential to help both pro-choice and pro-life groups happy. 

Resources:

Details on various types of birth control

The Choice Project

Use of LARCs in Colorado

Slang for using a condom (adult humor - you've been warned)

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In a country (the U.S.) where people drink, on average, 44.7 gallons of soda per person, it's smart to think about what we are putting into our bodies. 

Most of us have figured out that all that sugar is a bad idea, but what about sugar substitutes? Diet sodas make up a big portion of that 44.7 gallons. But is it really any better than plain old sugar?

Resources:

Generally Recognized as Safe

San Antonio Heart Study

Fueling the obesity epidemic: Artificially sweetened beverage use and long term weight gain

Artificial Sweeteners and Gut Microbiota in Rats

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Thousands of people die each year from influenza. The CDC recommends that almost all people (with a few rare exceptions) receive the flu vaccine every year. But the disease and the vaccine are poorly understood. In this episode, we discuss the flu, its treatment and its prevention.

Resources:

Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing outpatient, inpatient, and severe cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza

Oseltamivir treatment for influenza in adults: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

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�America has a weight problem. A full one third of us are classified as obese, and other third are obese. This has implications for individuals, families and society that cut across social and economic factors. 

We take a look at a handful of studies that take a look at the weight problem from a variety of angles. 

Metabolic rate, BMI, whole grain intake,physical inactivity, and more. 

Resources:

CDC Info on Obesity

"The Biggest Loser" Study

BMI study

Whole Grain Study

Exercise to Offset Sitting

Cost of Physical Inactivity

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Everyone thinks of the sun in a different way. Some people crave it and some avoid it. And it turns out there are good health reasons for both.

Today on 2 Docs Talk, we'll be covering how the sun affects your health and how to maximize its benefits while minimizing its damage. We'll talk about:

• UVA vs. UVB rays
• The UV Index
• Sunscreen
• Skin cancer
• Vitamin D 
• and more.

Take a listen and get a little info to help you stay sun healthy.

EPA UV Index Database

Swedish Studyon Sun Exposure and Smoking

American Academy of Dermatology Sunscreen FAQ

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Our understanding of what sleep is and why it is important grows daily. It's clear that poor sleep plays a role in all sorts of disease states. Sadly, more and more people report sleep disturbances to their doctors. 

Is this a new epidemic we are facing, or is it just our awareness of the issue that makes it seem so?

In this episode, we take a look at the role sleep plays in our health, what happens when sleep is disturbed, and how insomnia can be treated. Take a listen and see what you think. We try not to put you to sleep, but you might want to grab a cup of coffee whiel you listen anyway.

Resources:

Arianna Huffington's story

Sleep and Chronic Disease

Sleep loss and inflammation

Sleep, ghrelin, leptin and weight gain

Meta analyis of melatoning and sleep duration

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia

Because individuals with high cholesterol levels often develop heart disease, we've come to accept that high cholesterol - especially "bad" cholesterol, or LDL - causes heart disease.

But it can't be said often enough that correlation does not equal causation, and it is beginning to look more and more like a causal realtionship between cholesterol and heart disease just isn't there. 

In this episode we talk about the status of treating cholesterol to prevent heart disease and about a drug trial that punctuates the whole process with a giant question mark. 

Take a listen and see what you think.

Resources:

Number Needed to Treat with Statins for Primary Prevention

Number Needed to Treat with Statins for Secondary Prevention

Evacitrapib Study Stopped Because of Clinical Futility

American Heart Association Guidelines for Prevention with Statins