The People's Pharmacy

Bacon and Cancer: Not long ago, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research stirred up a lot of controversy by announcing that processed meats such as bacon or hot dogs should be classified as human carcinogens. What does this pronouncement actually mean? Has it changed the way you cook or eat, and should […]

Head injuries are all too common, affecting millions of Americans every year. They can result in brain injury if the brain gets jostled inside the skull. This can be a problem even if the incident did not result in a loss of consciousness (a “blackout”). Around 5,000 people daily experience a concussion as a result […]

Sports are a great way for kids to get physical activity and learn teamwork. But how vulnerable are kids’ brains when they play sports? In many popular sports such as football, soccer or lacrosse, players may collide with each other or with the ball. How could a bump on the head affect the brain? What […]

We air this show in memory of Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, who died last month. He was a frequent guest on The People’s Pharmacy and we are sorry to learn of his unexpected death. Genetic Destiny: We are all born with certain genes that help determine our height and the color of our eyes as well […]

It may sound far-fetched to propose that someone has an addiction to candy or soft drinks. But brain scans show that some of the reward pathways associated with a sweet taste are very similar to those linked to addictive substances. Might you be addicted to sugar? People at Risk for Sugar Addiction: Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum […]

The proportion of children with autism has increased dramatically over the last several decades. The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 68 American youngsters could be diagnosed as belonging on the autism spectrum. While most parents assume that this disorder is irreversible, there are some children who no longer fit the diagnostic criteria after early, intensive […]

The Institute of Medicine released an important report on diagnostic error this week, Improving Diagnosis in Medicine. The issue of medical mistakes is a serious problem that has not disappeared. Admitting Medical Mistakes: If a doctor or a hospital makes a mistake, will it be admitted? Research shows that many health care providers are not […]

Once fall begins, lots of Americans start to suffer. Up to a third of us struggle with sneezing, sniffling, congestion, itchy eyes and post-nasal drip as a result of hay fever (really ragweed pollen reaction) or other allergies. Avoiding Allergy Triggers: The best chance for managing allergies is to identify and avoid the triggers. But […]

Millions of Americans rely on popular pain relievers such as celecoxib, diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam, naproxen and other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The fact that some of these medications are available without prescription in products such as Advil, Aleve or Motrin IB gives many of us the impression that they must be safe. Balancing Benefit & […]

Dr. Oliver Sacks was much more than a neurologist. In his books, he invited us to imagine the world from wildly different perspectives than our own. When he described individuals with neurological differences (that would be termed “deficits” by most doctors and other people), he helped his readers recognize the special gifts these people were […]