By: Terry Graedon December 11, 2024 1 Comments
    Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Carry Serious Cardiova…

    Most people are aware that consuming too much sugar is not good for our health. A new study from Sweden suggests that not all sweet foods are equivalent, though. Occasional sweet treats like pastries …

    By: Joe Graedon November 28, 2024 19 Comments
    Should Prescribers Discuss FDA’s Drug Warnings…

    Physicians, nurse practitioners and physician associates can all prescribe medications. But they are admonished to “do no harm.” That puts them in a double bind. Every single drug that they recomm…

    By: Joe Graedon November 20, 2024 14 Comments
    Beware Mixing Xarelto or Eliquis and OTC Pain Re…

    Anticoagulant medications are frequently prescribed to people with atrial fibrillation (AFib). This arrhythmia can cause blood clots that might lead to a stroke. AFib used to be treated primarily with…

    By: Terry Graedon November 11, 2024 34 Comments
    Will Certo and Grape Juice Help Your Sore Knees?

    People with sore joints face a terrible dilemma. Pain interferes with quality of life. On the other hand, medications like diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make p…

    By: Joe Graedon November 7, 2024 124 Comments
    Patients Walk a Dangerous Tightrope on Blood Thi…

    Do you remember the classic tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? When it came to the porridge, the soup had to be just right...not too hot or too cold. The same can be said for anticoagulant medica…

    By: Joe Graedon October 7, 2024 16 Comments
    What Can You Do If Ibuprofen Triggers Atrial Fib…

    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam or naproxen are extremely popular pain relievers. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) are even availab…

    By: Joe Graedon September 18, 2024 64 Comments
    Is Your Medicine Triggering Scary Atrial Fibrill…

    Atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF) is a big hairy heart deal. For decades, doctors believed it affected more than 3 million American Adults. Then the CDC suggested that as many as six million Americans …

    By: Joe Graedon August 29, 2024 24 Comments
    How Are Home Tests and Devices Revolutionizing H…

    The FDA announced on March 5, 2024 that it approved "...the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM)." Many people with type 2 diabetes already use such devices, but they require …

    By: Joe Graedon August 26, 2024 28 Comments
    Insider Blows Whistle on Mail Order Med Deliveri…

    My grandfather Joseph was a pharmacist who practiced around the beginning of the 20th century. I still have his scale and the glass beaker he used to accurately measure liquids. There was a time when …

    By: Terry Graedon June 26, 2024 19 Comments
    Does Chocolate Really Help Your Heart?

    Most people think of chocolate as a sinful indulgence. We may be prepared to pay the price of the extra calories, but we don't expect it to have any health benefits. Might we be wrong, though? Could c…

    By: Joe Graedon June 19, 2024 5 Comments
    Does Your Medicine Have a Boxed Warning? Why You…

    When people are poised to participate in risky activities, they are supposed to follow safety protocols. For example, sky divers exercise proper precautions and procedures before each jump. No commerc…

    By: Joe Graedon May 23, 2024 47 Comments
    Is Fish Oil Linked to Heart Rhythm Changes?

    Could a supplement that people take for heart health actually lead to worrisome heart rhythm changes? Most people take fish oil with the expectation that it will lower their likelihood of a heart atta…

    By: Joe Graedon May 2, 2024 63 Comments
    What’s the Best Way to Treat Atrial Fibrillati…

    Atrial fibrillation (AFib or A-fib or AF) is the most common serious irregular heart rhythm. Some experts are calling this arrhythmia an epidemic (Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, March, 2017). That…

    By: Joe Graedon January 14, 2024 18 Comments
    Can You Save Money by Importing Drugs from Canad…

    The Trump administration made headlines when it announced a plan to allow the importation of drugs from Canada. The stated goal was to save patients money. Alex Azar, then head of Health and Human Ser…

    By: Joe Graedon January 1, 2024 13 Comments
    Is Low Vitamin D a Risk for Atrial Fibrillation?

    Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) are cause for concern. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) can lead to fatigue, dizzy spells, shortness of breath and a heart flopping feeling. If uncontrolled, AFib can l…

    By: Terry Graedon December 24, 2023 23 Comments
    Magnesium Supplement for Irregular Heart Rhythm

    Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Even premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) that are not believed to be dangerous can be disconcerting. A person is justified in becoming alarmed over more se…

    By: Terry Graedon November 30, 2023 5 Comments
    Show 1365: Revealing the Secrets of Sudden Cardi…

    This week’s interview is on an underappreciated killer, sudden cardiac death. This is not the same thing as a heart attack. Our guest, Dr. Zian Tseng, has been studying cardiac arrest for years to l…

    By: Joe Graedon November 30, 2023 22 Comments
    Long COVID Triggers Heart Problems Like AFib Tha…

    Many people assume that once they get over COVID they are done! Get on with life and don’t look back seems to be an evolving message that we hear from many visitors to our website. They maintain tha…

    By: Joe Graedon October 23, 2023 6 Comments
    How Can You Find a Legitimate Canadian Pharmacy?

    The cost of brand name drugs has skyrocketed in the U.S. Many people are finding it hard to afford their medicines. That's especially true if the copay is very high or if an insurance program does not…

    By: Terry Graedon October 1, 2023 3 Comments
    Can You Stay in the Sweet Spot for Your Warfarin…

    Warfarin is a classic anticoagulant that is used to prevent strokes and deep vein blood clots. Doctors know a lot about this old inexpensive drug, but they also know getting the warfarin dose just rig…

    By: Terry Graedon November 3, 2022 6 Comments
    High-Intensity Interval Training Improves Qualit…

    Many people with the heart rhythm disturbance called atrial fibrillation (Afib) report poor quality of life and limitations on their activity. the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly, often v…

    By: Terry Graedon December 1, 2021 24 Comments
    What Is It About Coffee That Protects Your Brain…

    Java lovers appear to enjoy a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Most recently, Australian scientists discovered that coffee dri…

    By: Terry Graedon September 2, 2021 2 Comments
    Getting Systolic Blood Pressure Under 130 Makes …

    How important is strict blood pressure control to prevent strokes, heart attacks and other adverse cardiac events? A large randomized, controlled trial from China confirms that getting systolic blood …

    By: Terry Graedon December 2, 2019 3 Comments
    Should You Take CoQ10 for Atrial Fibrillation?

    The use of supplements has been controversial for years. Could supplements slow aging and prevent heart disease? Are supplements useless for promoting health? To get an answer, we need to examine the …

    By: Joe Graedon June 24, 2019 16 Comments
    Is the FDA’s Definition of Safe a Lie?

    The Food and Drug Administration insists that its focus is on making sure all drugs are “safe and effective. For example, this headline from the FDA’s website says it all:  “The FDA's Drug …

    By: Joe Graedon September 5, 2018 159 Comments
    The Dangers of Diclofenac and Other NSAID Pain R…

    Doctors love NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). That’s largely because they don’t have a lot of other tools in the toolkit when it comes to treating pain and inflammation. Opioids have…

    By: Terry Graedon April 23, 2018 18 Comments
    No Study Support for Fish Oil Soothing Dry Eyes

    Fish oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have anti-inflammatory activity, and doctors have hoped that fish oil supplements would prove useful against a wide range of…

    By: Terry Graedon April 19, 2018 13 Comments
    Will Nuts Protect You from Afib?

    Nut lovers are less prone to the heart rhythm abnormality known as atrial fibrillation. In this condition, the upper chambers of the heart don’t pump blood rhythmically and efficiently. As a result,…

    By: Joe Graedon October 23, 2017 115 Comments
    Some Eliquis and Xarelto Side Effects NOT in the…

    Many health professionals (physicians, PAs, Nurse Practitioners and pharmacists) rely upon the officially FDA sanctioned prescribing information to learn about drug side effects. Electronic drug datab…

    By: Terry Graedon February 13, 2017 19 Comments
    Could Your Pain Reliever Harm Your Heart?

    Sometimes a health professional takes us to task for something we have said. We appreciate being corrected when we are wrong, but this time we have the research that backs up our warning: NSAIDs ar…

    By: Joe Graedon January 16, 2017 30 Comments
    Do Ibuprofen Side Effects Include Scary High Blo…

    We have heard ibuprofen referred to as vitamin I. That's because a lot of weekend warriors rely on ibuprofen and other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve inflammation and pain. …

    By: Terry Graedon February 18, 2016 7 Comments
    Could Digoxin Protect Your Heart Two Ways?

    A very old drug derived from the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea) may turn out to be surprisingly effective against heart disease. (How old? you may ask. Its first mention in medical literature dat…

    By: Terry Graedon January 11, 2016 5 Comments
    Could a Do-It-Yourself ECG Save Your Life?

    Atrial fibrillation is a common change in heart rhythm that can increase a person's risk of developing a blood clot in the upper chamber of the heart that then travels to the brain. This is a recipe …

    By: Terry Graedon December 7, 2015 6 Comments
    Is There an Antidote to Pradaxa?

    The human heart pushes blood out through the body to all the organs by beating rhythmically. When that rhythm falters, as it does in the condition termed atrial fibrillation, blood is still pumped but…

    By: Terry Graedon October 1, 2014 5 Comments
    Fish Oil Fizzled Against Atrial Fib

    Although epidemiological studies show that people who eat fish are less prone to death from heart disease, trials of fish oil have been less promising. The latest, a Canadian study published in the Jo…

    By: Terry Graedon June 26, 2014 1 Comments
    BPA Substitute May Throw Heart Rhythm Out of Syn…

    Negative publicity about the hormone disrupting chemical BPA has encouraged chemical companies to look for substitutes for bisphenol A. One such compound, bisphenol S, is often used in BPA-free consum…

    By: Terry Graedon April 10, 2014 23 Comments
    Are Popular Pain Relievers Really Killing People…

    Every day millions of people swallow pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, etc) or prescription medications such as celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Catafl…

    By: Terry Graedon December 5, 2013 15 Comments
    New Study Fails to Clarify Which Blood Thinner I…

    Using anticoagulants is a bit like walking a tightrope. If the dose is too high, there is a danger of hemorrhage. If the dose is too low, there is risk of a deadly blood clot. For years, warfarin, ori…

    By: Joe Graedon May 30, 2013 28 Comments
    Could Your Pain Killer Be Killing You?

    The Popularity of NSAID Pain Killer Pills: Physicians, pharmacists and patients love NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofena…

    By: Joe Graedon January 3, 2013 4 Comments
    Fish Oil Flop for Fibrillation

    Atrial fibrillation is a challenging heart rhythm disturbance to control. The new drugs that are prescribed are often expensive and have significant side effects. That's why scientists have been inves…