Direct to the Consumer Advertising for Pharmceuticals
Prevagen is an over-the-counter supplement that purports to preserve, and even improve brain function. As I was recently subjected to yet another slick ad for this drug, I wondered about the role of direct-to-the-consumer advertising (DTCA). Background The federal government started to regulate drugs in 1906, and the current responsible agency is the US Food…
High Blood Pressure Screed
It is time for an installment of my recurring screed about the detection and treatment of high blood pressure in the United States. The spark for this piece is the recently publicized new guidelines for treatment of this important, but largely silent, medical problem. Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, characterizes the excess…
Emergency Medical Interventions on the Street
Ordinary citizens can play a life saving role in medical emergencies that occur outside of a medical setting. The Heimlich maneuver is a prime example. The Heimlich Maneuver The occasion for this intervention arises when the airway of an individual becomes blocked from a foreign body such as a poorly chewed piece of meat. The…