Members of our department have been popping up all over the news this past week. Check out where below.
Seasonal allergies drive some Baltimore-area residents to alternative remedies....Alvin Sanico, assistant professor in the Division of Clinical Immunology, said herbal remedies and other alternative allergy treatments aren't reliable. Aside from the neti pot … they do not have scientific evidence demonstrating their effectiveness and are not recommended, he said. They can seem harmless but can lead to health problems if not monitored. "There's a lot of misconceptions out there," Sanico said.—Baltimore Sun
How to pick your next health app....Seth Martin, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology, and Timothy Plante, fellow in the Division of General Internal Medicine, explain which apps to download and trust.—U.S. News & World Report
Americans consume vast majority of the world's opioids…. "If you include Canada and Western Europe, [consumption of global opioid supply] increases to 95 percent, so the remaining countries only have access to about 5 percent of the opioid supply," said Vikesh Singh, assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and director of the Pancreatitis Center at Johns Hopkins University.—CNBC
6 conditions that increase your risk of heart disease…. Step one: you need to understand what, exactly, could be putting you in danger. "It's really important to identify at-risk people early so we can focus on prevention," says Erin Michos, associate director in the Division of Cardiology—Prevention
9 food rules you should be following if you're taking cholesterol-lowering drugs…. "Many people wrongly believe their medication will undo any cholesterol overload, regardless of what they eat," says Erin Michos. "Even when taking a statin, lifestyle changes towards a healthier diet and increased physical activity are needed to maximize the drug's benefit."—Prevention
Hospital discharge: It’s one of the most dangerous periods for patients....“Poor transitional care is a huge, huge issue for everybody, but especially for older people with complex needs,” said Alicia Arbaje, an assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics. “The most risky transition is from hospital to home with the additional need for home care services, and that’s the one we know the least about.”—Washington Post
Thomas Finucane, a professor in the Division of Geriatrics, wrote a Letter to the Editor: Sadly, there isn’t a drug to delay Alzheimer’s (yet).... Belief that drugs can slow the progression of dementia is carefully cultivated by Big Pharma, but scientists do not believe that currently available drugs have any effect on the underlying brain disease. (Note: The letter's author is —Washington Post
Redonda Miller, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Lisa Christopher-Stine, associate professor in the Division of Rheumatology, shared talking points from "A Woman's Journey," a JHM workshop held in West Palm Beach, Florida—The Palm Beacher
Maryland seeks federal OK to speed ex-inmates' Medicaid access.... Federal approval for the proposal "would be huge, to minimize the red tape that is involved to help people get medical assistance," said Rosalyn Stewart, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, who works with ex-inmates. "What can happen if you don't have coverage is, there's a delay in care that can be up to 60 days," she said—Baltimore Sun
When to call a doctor when you’re traveling overseas…. “Preparation is the key,” says Lisa Maragakis, assoicate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. “If you’re going to be in an area without adequate health care, figure out what resources you’ll need. Have a plan.”—Washingtonian
Too many people still take unneeded antibiotics: Study…. Even though the data is five years old, "if I had to guess, things would not be that different if we looked in 2016," said Sara Cosgrove, associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. "There hasn't really been a lot of work dedicated to improving antibiotic use."—HealthDay Also: U.S. News & World Report
Doctors: Some supplements can undermine medical treatments…. [I]t is the use of all those supplements — from herbal remedies to mega-vitamins — that has doctors concerned. “Definitely, in the area of nutraceuticals there is a lot more interest and use of them,” says Linda Lee, associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology—WTOP-FM (D.C.)
(Study) Widely used heart drug tied to dementia risk…. [T]here are many reasons a patient [on warfarin] could be out of therapeutic range, said Gordon Tomaselli, professor and director of the Division of Cardiology, and a past president of the American Heart Association. So it's hard to pin the blame on warfarin management, according to Tomaselli, who was not involved in the study.—HealthDay
