Category Archives: Health

Do microbes play an important role in Alzheimer’s?

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Huge sums of money are being spent on developing drugs to prevent, delay or treat Alzheimer’s. The ones so far have very little if any benefit. So could this disease be linked to an infectious source? It took a long … Continue reading →

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Rejection of the President’s 2019 budget proposal

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Summary from AgingKingCounty: “The American Society on Aging (ASA) leadership firmly rejected President Trump’s 2019 budget proposal today, denouncing the bleak vision of the future envisioned by a budget that would mean even further erosion in standards of living for … Continue reading →

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Fall prevention when on BP medications

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Recently, you may have received an important message about the risk of falls and fractures  when adding new anti-hypertension medications. It importantly stresses the risk of falls and fractures in the first two weeks after adding additional anti-hypertensive therapy: see Antihypertension … Continue reading →

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The end of sleep?

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Jim deMaine

If we live to be 90, we may well have slept for 30 years. We really don’t know why we have to sleep, but we do know that sleep deprivation can cause all kinds of problems. Coffee and amphetamines can … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Science and Technology | 1 Comment

Would you encourage a kid to play football? Mike Ditka wouldn’t.

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Jim deMaine

The Super Bowl today was a great game, no doubt about it. But 25 years from now, we might see this violent sport remembered as interesting but sad – an historical cultural oddity. “Mike Ditka, the head coach of the … Continue reading →

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How (not) to talk to someone with advanced cancer

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Kate Bowler is an assistant professor at Duke Divinity School, the author of “Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved.” She has been “terminal” (what does that mean any more?) with stage IV cancer but  her life … Continue reading →

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“Doomsday Machine” by Daniel Ellsberg

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Daniel Ellsberg narrowly escaped life imprisonment as a consequence of copying and leaking McNamara’s secret analysis of our long and failed efforts in Vietnam (as dramatized in “The Post” showing in theaters now). At 86, he’s still an activist – this time … Continue reading →

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Is your CPAP on the shelf?

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Jim deMaine

CPAP for moderate to severe sleep apnea can be life saving. You may need some help and coaching to make it work well. The biggest problem is the interface – how to connect the machine to your nose or mouth. … Continue reading →

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Grief

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Just as loss becomes more acute with aging, grief tags along affecting us all in waves varying over time depending on the circumstances. The New York Times has a worthwhile article stating: “Although many of us are able to speak … Continue reading →

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“WeCroak”

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Jim deMaine

I’m somewhat shocked about this one, an app for your phone reminding us 5 times a day that we’re going to die. Wow. I felt like death was my constant companion when I was in Critical Care Medicine where mortality was … Continue reading →

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Note from American Society on Aging (ASA)

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Jim deMaine

“ASA cheers last night’s passage in the U.S. Senate of the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act, which aims to examine new strategies for supporting family caregivers throughout the country, where they make it possible for … Continue reading →

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Skyline presentation: “Genetic Engineering – from virus to people”

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Jim deMaine

 

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The Family That Built an Empire of Pain

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Jim deMaine

The New Yorker has a lengthy feature article about the Sackler family. You might say, “Who are they?” Staying definitely under the radar, this wealthy dynasty (with fortunes greater than the Rockefellers) own and operate Purdue Pharma, the company largely responsible … Continue reading →

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‘Sometimes inspiration for big ideas comes from really unexpected places’

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Jim deMaine

 

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The Ethics of the DNR Tatoo

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jim deMaine

LINDSEY BEVER, THE WASHINGTON POST 1 DEC 2017 Doctors in Miami faced an unusual ethical dilemma when an unconscious, deteriorating patient was brought into the emergency room with the words “Do Not Resuscitate” across his chest. The 70-year-old man was taken earlier this … Continue reading →

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When the cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are complete

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Jim deMaine
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“Alexa – call Skyline”

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Jim deMaine

When my techie son gave me an echo dot (now on sale at Amazon for $29.99), I felt the last thing I needed was another gadget. But this one turns out to do some amazing things. Today I tried something new … Continue reading →

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Upcoming media programs on addiction

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Jim deMaine

From Jim Sanders: “Dr. Lynn Hankes, one of our past speakers here at Skyline (Addiction – April 2017) will be appearing on the CBS Sunday Morning show this coming week.  There were a number of residents who attended his presentation and … Continue reading →

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Too many skin biopsies? Too many treatments?

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Jim deMaine

A few years ago I had a small basal cell carcinoma scraped off my lower leg, band-aid applied and that was that. This year I had a different dermatologist and a similar lesion. This time it was scraped off and … Continue reading →

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“Why We Sleep”

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Do you get 8 hours of sleep? Matthew Walker says we should and tells us why. He was recently  interviewed on NPR – click here for the link. Or perhaps you have insomnia or a medical problem which keeps you … Continue reading →

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A therapeutic “crapsule?”

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Jim deMaine

My sister ruptured her bowel and almost died while taking antibiotics for Lime Disease. C Difficile was the culprit. It appears that our “intestinal flora” is a lot more complicated than we know. Manipulating it may harmful, but also may … Continue reading →

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Progress on cancer survival, but a long way to go

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Data: Journal of the National Cancer Institute; Chart: Chris Canipe / Axios Ed note: One thing that might falsely improve survival is the early diagnosis bias. In other words, the earlier a disease is diagnosed the longer the survival. Men still … Continue reading →

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Chopin’s heart revisited

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Seattle author, pianist and physician Steve Lagerberg has written a book Chopin’s Heart: The Quest to Identify the Mysterious Illness of the World’s Most Beloved Composer. Chopin’s body rests in Paris, but his heart in Poland. The heart was recently secretly exhumed … Continue reading →

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Choosing Wisely

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Jim deMaine

Consumer Reports and the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation sponsor a free web site called Choosing Wisely. There is a wealth of information and guidance on a host of medical questions. They use evidence based reasoning in their articles: … Continue reading →

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AgeWise King County – November 17 Bulletin

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Jim deMaine

IN THIS ISSUE: The Chair’s Corner Expanded Services for Unpaid Family Caregivers 10 Must-Read Books to Guide and Support the Dementia Family Caregiver Medicare Open Enrollment Has Begun–Review Your Plan Now Survey Says! Seattle’s Older Residents Rank the City on … Continue reading →

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