Because Good Medicine Deserves Better Explanations
In the summer of 1921, in a dim and dusty laboratory at the University of Toronto, a young surgeon with failing prospects and a second-year medical student began tying off the pancreatic ducts of dogs. What they were after was elusive—unseen, unnamed, and possibly imaginary. What they found would change the fate of millions. They … Read more
Our human ancestors had different food habits than we do. They did not routinely eat two to three regularly spaced, large meals every day. Indeed, food was often scarce, and there may have been long periods between meals. Furthermore, through the ages, fasting has been practiced in many communities for cultural and religious purposes. As … Read more
“Fatigue is here, in my body, in my legs and eyes. That is what gets you in the end. Faith is only a word, embroidered.” ― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale. Fatigue or tiredness is a common medical complaint that may seriously affect people’s quality of life. However, despite many possible underlying causes, a specific medical disorder is seldom … Read more
The recently published results of the long awaited CANTOS trial may forever change our approach to the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease (1). Inescapably, there is now proof that targeting inflammation, in this case by a drug, significantly improves outcome for certain very high-risk patients. But, as so often in clinical research, things … Read more
I recently gave a talk at a meeting with colleagues, most of them cardiologists and endocrinologists, where I, among other things, discussed the current status of diet-heart hypothesis and the possible relationship between our fear of dietary fats and the obesity epidemic. After the meeting, a senior colleague of mine, an old friend, and a … Read more
