Category Archives: Health

Why did Senator Cassidy, a physician, believe RFK Jr.?

Thanks to Ed M. Answer: Could it possibly have anything to do with $en. Cassidy’s desire to be re-elected? SENATOR BILL CASSIDY: …If you are confirmed, do you commit that you will not work to impound, divert or otherwise reduce … Continue reading

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My Year of Living Blurrily

by Dani Shapiro in the NYT The painting beckoned me from across the room. In a bright, high-ceilinged gallery of the Courtauld, a small museum in London known for its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, I moved past van … Continue reading

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Scientists have found a way to administer shots with dental floss. Could this be the future of vaccines?

From GoodGoodGood (thanks to Pam P.) Getting an annual flu or COVID-19 shot is never a particularly pleasant experience, especially for those who aren’t too keen on getting a jab in the arm. While nasal spray vaccines have been added as an … Continue reading

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‘Old people are capable of more’: meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s

Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age Madeleine Aggeler in The Guardian (thanks to Kate B.) Joan MacDonald is an … Continue reading

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Replacing sugar with allulose

by Peter Attia Ed note: Brandon Auerbach, MD MPH told us about the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate yesterday in his lecture here. He also mentioned the sugar substitute Allulose which appears to be a nearly ideal choice. It can be … Continue reading

Posted in Health, nutrition | 1 Comment

The Tooth Fairy Is Real. She’s a Dentist in Seattle.

For 20 years, Dr. Purva Merchant has been answering letters from gaptoothed children and their parents — roughly 6,000 in all. “Happy growing up,” she typically replies. By Eliza Shapiro in the NYT (thanks to Mary M.) The letter looked like … Continue reading

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Investigating the cost of medications

Below is a documentary video, still up on YouTube, which was removed from Amazon Prime after they were threatened with a lawsuit by United Health Care. It’s an uncovering of control of medication pricing by the large Pharmacy Benefit Managers … Continue reading

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Kennedy touts ultra-processed meals he once called ‘poison’

Health secretary backs company criticized for selling junk-laden meals to Medicaid patients on ‘Make America healthy again’ tour. Jessica Glenza in the Guardian (thanks to Bob P.) Robert F Kennedy Jr, promoted a company whose meals contain ultra-processed ingredients – … Continue reading

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Immigrants and the health care workforce crisis

Posted in Government, Health, Immigration | 1 Comment

This CDC Resignation Should Scare You

by Paul Offit (thanks to Ed M.) Fiona Havers resigned because she feared that RFK Jr. would suppress or manipulate CDC data. “A lot of Americans are going to die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” she warned.  On April 15, 2025, Dr. … Continue reading

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Is There a Least Bad Alcohol?

By Caroline Hopkins Legaspi in the NYT If you’ve heard that red wine is better for you than beer or liquor, or that clear liquor like vodka or gin is less harmful than dark liquor like rum or whiskey, we have bad news. … Continue reading

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Harborview – towers and more are planned in 1.7 billion expansion and renovation project

Thanks to Mary M. “A man stopped by from Harborview yesterday with some handouts for the neighborhood that describe about the first step of their upcoming major construction. Apparently he is part of a group that will be keeping the … Continue reading

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The Irony of RFK Jr.’s Conflicts of Interest Gambit

RFK Jr. purged the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee claiming they were in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry. But who is really conflicted? PAUL OFFIT JUN 24 (thanks to Ed M.) On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the … Continue reading

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The Irony of RFK Jr.’s Conflicts of Interest Gambit

FK Jr. purged the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee claiming they were in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry. But who is really conflicted? PAUL OFFIT JUN 24 (thanks to Ed M.) On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Vaccines | Comments Off on The Irony of RFK Jr.’s Conflicts of Interest Gambit

‘I Feel Like I’ve Been Lied To’: When a Measles Outbreak Hits Home

From a lone clinic in Texas to an entire school district in North Dakota, the virus is upending daily life and revealing a deeper crisis of belief. By Eli Saslow & Visuals by Erin Schaff in the NYT (thanks to Ed M.) … Continue reading

Posted in Government, Health, Vaccines | 1 Comment

Major vaccine decisions are upon us

A big vaccine policy meeting: What to expect, pre-bunking, and some answers to your questions Katelyn Jetelina Jun 20, from Your Local Epidemiologist Next week (June 25-26), ACIP—the external committee that sets vaccine policy in the U.S.—meets. Normally, these meetings … Continue reading

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RFK Jr.’s Letter to Congress

by Paul Offit (thanks to Ed M.) On May 27, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, made a surprise announcement in a video posted on X that he would no longer recommend Covid vaccines for healthy … Continue reading

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Study finds strongest evidence yet that shingles vaccine helps cut dementia risk

Ed note: This is a possible unexpected benefit of the shingles vaccine. Hope you’ve talked to your medical provider to make sure you are up to date with all your vaccinations. Older adults in Wales who had the jab were … Continue reading

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A snapshot into how deportations affect health

Katelyn Jetelina in Your Local Epidemiologist As you may have heard, RFK Jr. has already revealed eight names for the new ACIP committee. As mentioned earlier, there was a spectrum of possibilities on who these names would be, going from “best case” … Continue reading

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Trump Bill’s Caps on Grad School Loans Could Worsen Doctor Shortage

The proposed limits on federal loans fall well below the costs of medical school. Critics say this could deter students from pursuing medicine. By Roni Caryn Rabin in the NYT (thanks to Ed M.) President Trump’s policy agenda would make deep … Continue reading

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Tuesday, June 10 at 2:30pm – Health Care Lecture: Hospice and Palliative Care by Hope Wechkin, MD

Dr. Hope Wechkin is the medical director of Evergreen Health Home Health and Hospice Care, based in Kirkland, WA. A graduate of Yale College, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a family physician by training, she has devoted … Continue reading

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MAHA report on chronic disease in US kids includes fake citations, other errors

thanks to Ed M. A Trump administration report outlining the potential factors related to the rise in chronic diseases in US children cites several studies that don’t exist, according to media reports. The Make Our Children Healthy Again report, issued last … Continue reading

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Waterfront 5K on Saturday – Skyline rocked!

from mutual friend Jody Foster Dear friends, Skyline should be proud!  I don’t have permission [now obtained], but I’m sending this anyway. (hoping she’ll forgive me 🤞) Your very own Barbara Rait (Olympic Tower) was the oldest (94) participant to … Continue reading

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What’s Behind the Gilded Doors of Aegis Senior Living?

Allegations of Labor Violations and Neglect, and the CEO at the Heart of it All Conor Kelley in The Stranger (thanks to Ed M.) Aegis Living in Laurelhurst. Joe Mabel If you’ve seen old folks’ homes with a certain Cheesecake Factory … Continue reading

Posted in Aging Sites, Business, Caregiving, end of life, Health | 2 Comments

Messing with science and COVID degrades public health

Ed note: As we heard from Dr. Paul Pottinger on Tuesday, our nation’s health is being placed at risk because of misguided and harmful directives coming from HHS. New variants of COVID are coming, but instead of tweaking the vaccine … Continue reading

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