Going to the dentist has always been one of my least favorite things to do.  It seems people generally fall into 2 camps when it comes to dental hygiene – Some are like me.  They have problems with cavities, gum disease or both and dental visits are long, painful and somewhat shaming – “Do you floss? You should waterpick, etc, etc”. Others who have been blessed by genetics or disciplined maintenance with pristine teeth and gums are rewarded with short, simple and affirming visits. Certainly, for appearances, we don’t want our teeth falling out, but how important is this for overall healthspan?

The evolutionary basis for hypercholesterolmia. The Bayesian model of brain function. mRNA Cancer vaccine. A wristband hearing aid.

Are Rapamycin and Metformin safe (and effective) longevity drugs? Do the the new class of weight loss medications - Mounjaro and Wegovy, promote muscle loss? Where are we at with Covid and vaccines? Should we be worries about bird flu now?

We can’t fool ourselves any longer.  It’s becoming clear there are NO net health benefits to drinking alcohol. We’re generally all aware of the downsides of alcohol consumption: liver damage, impaired activities such as driving, risk of addiction, excess calories, hangovers and poor sleep quality.  But when we thought people who imbibed moderately lived longer than teetotalers, we could rationalize drinking as beneficial – as long as it was “moderate” – 2 drinks/day for men and 1 for woman. A new meta-study puts the final nail in “alcohol helps you live longer” coffin.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…”    Pete Seeger

The song became a hit in late 1965 when it was adapted by the American folk group, the Byrds  The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes in the King James Bible.  What does this have to do with health?  Well - maybe we can use the concept of aligning times in our lives with our health goals to produce better results.

In both Western and Eastern philosophy, craving has been considered a source of suffering and unhappiness. While craving is an important feature of substance use disorders, eating disorders, and other psychiatric conditions, it is also a general aspect of human experience. Identifying the neurobiological basis of this driver of human behavior is thus an important step in mapping brain circuits to fundamental thought processes.

In 2011 Marc Andreessen, the founder of Netscape and the A16Z VC firm, famously wrote “software is eating the world”.  Meaning, software companies would significantly disrupt traditional industries.  And, we’ve seen that happen – almost every company needs an IT person or department.  Now, we’re hearing AI will eat the world.  And, there are some incredible things happening in AI.  Healthcare, since it’s huge and important and somewhat broke, seems like a great AI target and there have already been some interesting developments.

We’re taking a look back at the major health stories of the past year.  Yes, COVID is still a big issue but the flu and RSV are on the rise too.  The Dr is annoyed and frustrated about a number of things having to to with vaccines, new weight loss drugs, abortion rights and more. 

There are three “macro” nutrients – Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein.  We generally consume fats and carbs for energy to fuel our bodies.  Protein is different.  While it can be converted to fuel if needed, or if consumed in greater quantities than is required by the body, our protein consumption drives the processes that build lean mass and the creation of a host of protein dependent metabolic processes.  So, how much protein do we need? Does it matter if it’s from animals or plants?