Weekly News

It has long been the assumption that your news writer does not know the meaning of brief, this week I prove otherwise!
- BTC: Last year I spoke out against one of the pharmaceutical company’s efforts to have a cholesterol lowering drug sold without a prescription or over the counter. The drugs have side effects and in my opinion, people should first attempt to lower bad cholesterol or LDL with diet and exercise. Exercise can also raise the good or HDL cholesterol. Now the FDA is taking comments on its website until 11/28 and is having a public hearing on 11/14 for something similar. The issue is not OTC but BTC. Behind the Counter access to some medications that currently require a prescription. The drugs would be dispensed by the pharmacist after he or she speaks with the customer and makes an assessment. Because I have know Pharm Ds who have impressed me with their knowledge of drug mechanisms and caution regarding drug company claims, I support this idea in theory. This is in no way a slur on MDs, DOs, GNPs, etc. They know the body and the Pharm Ds know medication. If however, the pharmacists end up the recipients of all the drug company wining, dining and gifting, we will have a new problem.
- Mercury Disposal: The number one source of mercury pollution is coal fired power plants and those emissions are not territorial. We are all affected. Other sources of mercury include light bulbs, electronics, batteries and computers. Please do not throw those items in the trash. They will poison the ground water and soil. Log onto Earth911 to find recycling options.
- Food Reviews: Oh my gosh. The Wall St Journal pondered the validity of restaurant reviews when the writers were 1) not anonymous diners and 2) treated to their meals by the establishment. HELLO… prescription drugs??? People will read the article in WSJ and say, true, I should temper my enthusiasm for a restaurant based on what could very well be a biased, paid for opinion. So why is this different from being prescribed a medication from a person who has been treated to, well all the things I noted in the first blurb? A doctor with a drawer full of samples from the company that just paid his green’s fees for the year might not be the best judge of medication use.
- Gary Taubes: Mr. Taubes has written several articles and now a book where he discusses the science of weight gain and offers his opinion. Though he leans away from my science based theory EIEO, he does support my qualifiers. That being, it is energy in energy out but certain foods wreck havoc on blood sugars and subsequently the pancreas, as well as blood vessels and then the heart. If your 1500 calories are all from burgers and Twinkies in other words, you are screwed. He does not promote exercise for weight loss, nor does he mention that it is beneficial in raising HDL. So, he does not get added to the list of awesome health gurus to the right there!
- Lastly: It appears that the FDA did pressure the makers of some cold medications marketed for kids, as was mentioned here last week. Some of the pills have been pulled by their own companies.

Wishing you Wellness