If You Take This To Stop Smoking, You May Have a Heart Attack
If you take this to stop smoking, you may have a heart attack.
The newest drug to help people stop smoking seems to cause heart attaks in a small but significant number of users:
Our meta-analysis raises safety concerns about the potential for an increased risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events associated with the use of varenicline among tobacco users. Despite the limitations of our analysis, our findings have potential regulatory and clinical implications. Drugs that receive priority review have limited safety data at the time of approval.34 The initial safety signal regarding ardiovascular events in people using varenicline was not followed up by an adequately powered safety trial. Until such trials are conducted, clinicians should carefully balance the risk of serious cardiovascular events and serious neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with varenicline use against the known benefits of the drug on smoking cessation.
This is in addition to the major mood disorders that it (Chantix) sometimes causes.
Once again, we see that many pharmaceuticals have surprising risks that are not noticed by the FDA until long after they are released. Proceed with caution…
It’s A Boy!
It’s a Boy!
We just had a new baby. On June 14th, my wife gave birth to a 7 lb 4 oz baby boy by C-section due to “breech presentation” (he was right-side up instead of the usual head first position). We’ve named him William Edward, after my father.
He’s been in and out of the hospital due to jaundice. He was put under the “Bili lights’ and received a new (to me at least) IV immunoglobulin treatment. Fortunately, he’s doing well and his mom is well, too. He’s still a little yellow, but it appears to be a benign condition called “breast milk jaundice”.
Many thanks to Drs. Cahill, Gennaro and Grafani (the OB’s) and Dr. Lasky and her partners at the Pediatric Center. More to come…
Signs and Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism include fatigue, cold hands and feet, hair loss, weakness, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, joint pain, muscle pain, muscle cramps, autoimmune disease, menstrual difficulties and much more.
Receiving his B.S. from Cornell University and his M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Michael Doyle is a board-certified family physician with nearly two decades of clinical experience. His background includes extensive experience in both conventional and alternative medicine. Interested in healthcare and alternative medicine since childhood, he decided to pursue a career in medicine as he went off to college. After completing his Family Medicine residency at the University of Rochester, he practiced Emergency Medicine for several years. He later served as Medical Director for a group of outpatient health centers.
Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Insufficiency (Video #01)
Hi, I’m Dr. Michael Doyle. I’d like to talk to you for a minute about two of the most important substances in the human body — thyroid hormone and cortisoL These two hormones are the foundation of human metabolism and are as important to your health as gasoline and oil are to your car.
Thyroid hormone actually refers to four hormones made by the thyroid gland. I think of thyroid hormones as hormones as the dimmer switch on human metabolism. They literally go into every single cell in your body, including adrenal glands, to boost metabolism. The most common problem with the thyroid is low thyroid function, also called hypothyroidism. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are widespread and extremely varied. They range from fatigue, low temperature, depression, weight gain, and hair loss to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, early heart disease and much more.
The Holidays Have Been Pretty Tough
Man, the holidays have been pretty tough. I guess it’s actually a little bit too late to still be using that as an excuse, but I’ve definitely packed on a few pounds. As always, carbs are my downfall. Although some experts point out that it is possible to eat lots of carbs and still lose weight, I think they’re missing the point. Like many people, I seem to have a greater appetite after I eat starchy foods.
A classic example occurred two nights ago. I was eating chicken and salad, then my wife offered me a big baked potato (remember, its always someone else’s fault) No problem, I figured. Just a few hundred extra calories. meUnfortunately, I spent the rest of the night rummaging through the kitchen looking for more starch.
Obviously my willpower was weak, but I’m certain that many of us have a drive to eat high carbohydrate foods that is fueled by, ironically, high carbohydrate foods.
It’s time to get back in gear.
WT: 188.6 lbs.
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