by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jul 10, 2019 | Boston, Environment, Outdoors, Public Health, Weather
(Image: Algae on Scarborough Pond at Franklin Park on July 5, 2019) Sewage and runoff This year may be the largest algae bloom in the history of the Charles River. 2018 was the rainiest winter in New England history. It created huge runoff of fertilizer and animal...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | May 29, 2019 | Disease, Environment, Infectious Disease, Lyme Disease, Outdoors, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health, Seasonal, Testing
This year there will be over 400,000 cases of Lyme disease in the US civilian population, an increase of 300% over 20 years. At the same time, there has been a decreased incidence of 95% in our deployed military. Welcome to the Lyme War. These contrasting outcomes...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | May 28, 2019 | Disease, Environment, Infectious Disease, Outdoors, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health, Seasonal
“I love everything in the world … except for ticks.” – The Dalai Lama American medicine has failed to prevent and treat Lyme disease in the US civilian population, and you can now get Lyme disease in all 50 states. A 10-year-old playing in his...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | May 26, 2019 | Cholesterol, Circulatory System, Heart Health, Medications, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health
Statin Non-Compliance: The Emperor Needs New Clothes Compliance with cholesterol-lowering drugs, outside of clinical studies, is terrible. 50% of patients who receive a prescription are not taking the medication within 6 months. This falls to 60% after 12 months and...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Apr 13, 2019 | Age Management, Disease, Healthy Aging, Pain Management, Public Health
Post Herpetic Neuralgia can be like a Spear in the Chest It Can Be Prevented – But at a Price Shingles is a virus that resides in nerve roots near the spinal cord. It is activated by aging, most commonly over age 60. A shingles episode lasts approximately three weeks....
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Mar 12, 2019 | Food, Health and Diet, nutrition, Public Health
“Just the Flax and nothing but the Flax” — Officer Joe Friday The benefits of flaxseed have been described for decades. If you eat flaxseeds whole, they will pass through undigested. In practice, the seed is crushed, and the oil is harvested. The most important...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jan 30, 2019 | Aging, Alzheimer's, Dementia, Depression, Exercise, Fitness, Food, Health and Diet, Healthy Aging, nutrition, Preventative Medicine, Public Health, Sleep
The Relationship between Alzheimer’s, Dementia and the Aging Brain New research reveals the best way to survive from 75 to 90 years old: eat, drink, be merry, and exercise. Those who made it to 75, benefited from Consuming wine rather than abstinence Consuming coffee...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jan 18, 2019 | Disease, Food, Health Supplements, nutrition, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health
I am a supporter of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon on State University. In their most recent research newsletter for the fall-winter 2018 publication, they summarize the most Frequently Asked Questions about Vitamin C. Q: What brand of vitamin C should I take?...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jan 2, 2019 | Aging, Dementia, Depression, Men's Health, nutrition, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Testing, Testosterone
And It is Preventable Medical records reveal that Ernest Hemingway had untreated Hemochromatosis, which may have contributed to his depression and suicide. Notice how pale he appears as a young man. The glowing skin of later life is partially suntan and partially the...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Dec 1, 2018 | Age Management, Aging, Alzheimer's, Food, Health and Diet, Health Supplements, Heart Health, nutrition, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health
The answer might be your refrigerator… Approximately one out of every three American adults consume some form of omega-3 oil regularly. The majority is from eating fish, while fish oil pills provide most of the rest. Consumption of fish is advocated by the American...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Aug 14, 2018 | Boston, Environment, Infectious Disease, Outdoors, Preventative Medicine, Public Health, Weather
Around the world, global warming damages our planet more each year, and Boston is not immune. In Japan, hundreds die of heatstroke. In California, firestorms gut canyons and mountains. Greenland ice is melting at unprecedented rates, forcing polar bears into...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jul 29, 2018 | Disease, Environment, Infectious Disease, Outdoors, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health, Seasonal
“I live on Martha’s Vineyard and work outdoors. I always find a few ticks when I come back indoors. Last year I had Lyme disease, so this year I started wearing permethrin-treated clothing. I have yet to see one tick on me this year.” — Kevin C. The mainstream media...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jul 7, 2018 | Circulatory System, Insurance, Medications, Men's Health, Public Health, Sexual Health, Testosterone, Uncategorized
Viagra lost patent protection this year, and in a feeding frenzy, firms selling its generic equivalent (sildenafil citrate) are angling for a slice of Pfizer’s 2 billion dollar per year pie. There are a dizzying assortment of prices, from Pfizer’s list price of $65...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | May 27, 2018 | Boston, Disease, Environment, Fitness Gear, Infectious Disease, Outdoors, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Public Health, Seasonal, Uncategorized
“I love everything in the world … except for ticks.” – The Dalai Lama New England has the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the world, with Martha’s Vineyard and Westchester, NY leading the way. This summer we will have another difficult season with Lyme and...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Apr 14, 2018 | Allergies, Boston, Environment, Outdoors, Seasonal, Weather
The pollen count in Atlanta Georgia on April 11 was as high as any date since 2015. Georgia has been subject to the same sort of weather that we’ve experienced here – colder and wetter than usual. The first wave of tree pollen will be triggered by the transition...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Apr 9, 2018 | Alzheimer's, Circulatory System, Dementia, Heart Health, Hypertension, Medicare, Preventative Medicine, Public Health, Weight Loss
A Hypertension Solution In my last newsletter, I explained how the new American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines will fail to reverse our growing high blood pressure problem. Milton Packer, MD, cardiologist and provocative blogger on Medpage, has labeled it...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jan 31, 2018 | Alzheimer's, Circulatory System, Dementia, Heart Health, Hypertension, Medications, Patient Care, Preventative Medicine, Public Health, Sleep
There is a Way to Fix the Hypertension Crisis. New Guidelines Won’t Do It. In a famous psychology experiment, subjects watch a video of students, moving in circles, pass two basketballs around. The task is to count the number of passes that are made. At the end...
by James Edward Katz, M.D. | Jan 6, 2018 | Boston, Environment, Exercise, Preventative Medicine, Preventive, Uncategorized, Weather
Predictions for this weekend are for windchills of -20 degrees in cities, -30 degrees in the suburbs. You have a significant risk of rapid hypothermic injury. Hypothermia is a nasty, subtle, and potentially fatal condition. The sequence of hypothermia is: You can get...
