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    12 hours ago

    POST-MI BETA BLOCKER USE SHOULD CEASE

    On August 6, 2025, DrGOpines.com posted an article titled “Post-MI Beta Blockers Questioned.” In it, the routine prescribing of Beta…
    Gastrointestinal Diseases
    2 days ago

    NOW EVEN CHICKEN IS BAD FOR YOU!

    Poultry, particularly chicken, has been, up until recently, the healthy food choice. It has had the  blessing of nutritionists as…
    Healthcare Policy
    3 days ago

    MEDICARE “ROBS PETER TO PAY PAUL”

    Medicare is really good at using smoke and mirrors to convince doctors they’re getting paid more when they really aren’t.…
    Drugs & Medications
    4 days ago

    LYRICA INCREASES RISK OF HEART FAILURE

    This article pertains only to patients who take Lyrica (pregabalin) and are over age 65. If you don’t fall in…
    Healthcare Policy
    7 days ago

    DOCTORS RANK MEDICAL SCHOOLS

    Medical schools have traditionally commanded a great deal of respect and appreciation. Few accomplishments garner attention more than being accepted…
    Medical Devices
    1 week ago

    A PACEMAKER TO LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE??

    I didn’t know this but every year, “more than one million patients are implanted with pacemakers.” Of those millions, over…
    Human Interest
    1 week ago

    DAILY STEP COUNT REPLACES PAIN AS 5TH VITAL SIGN

    For a number of years, pain was designated as “the fifth vital sign.” Unlike the other four vital signs, temperature,…
    Human Interest
    1 week ago

    DIET DRINKS NOT HEALTHIER

    Have you been to McDonald’s and watched people order a Big Mac, large fries, and a chocolate chip cookie then…
    COVID-19
    2 weeks ago

    MEDICAL “MISINFORMATION”

    I fear I may be “wading into shark-infested waters” when I approach the subject in the title of this article.…
    Drugs & Medications
    2 weeks ago

    ALCOHOL OBSERVATIONS INCORRECT

    Alcohol has a personality disorder, at least in the minds of researchers who study its effects on the human body.…
    Drugs & Medications
    2 weeks ago

    ORAL GLP-1 MAY BE PREFERRED DRUG

    Eli Lilly and Co. is well on its way to bringing to market an oral Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1…
    Healthcare Policy
    2 weeks ago

    ABOLISH THE USPSTF?

    Abolishing the well-entrenched, forty-plus year old, highly-respected, 16-member institution called the United States Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, will…
    Drugs & Medications
    2 weeks ago

    TYLENOL AND AUTISM: UNCERTAINTY REMAINS

    When President Trump and Health And Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. made the announcement about the association of…
    Human Interest
    3 weeks ago

    DEPAUW UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

    On two recent occasions I have had the satisfaction of writing about the success of the Indiana Hoosier football team.…
    Preventive Medicine
    3 weeks ago

    DENTISTS’ COMMENTS ON WATER FLUORIDATION

    When it comes to matters of tooth decay and water fluoridation, who is better qualified to give  credible answers to…
    Drugs & Medications
    3 weeks ago

    MMRV VACCINE HITS A SNAG

    In my sixty years of association with the health care industry and the medical profession, I have never seen such…
    Human Interest
    3 weeks ago

    AWESOME INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

    The transition of Indiana University football from perennial doormat to the third-ranked team in the country has been nothing less…
    Cancer
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    LOW-DOSE ASPIRIN AND CANCER PREVENTION

    Is there no end to the creative imagination of medical researchers? Some amazing revelation of a new, life-altering use for…
    Human Interest
    4 weeks ago

    B1G BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY

    For as long as I can remember, TV commentators have talked, and newspaper reporters have written, about the B1G (the…
    Heart Disease
    4 weeks ago

    HEART ATTACKS: WHAT’S NEW?

    In the simpler, unenlightened world of the past, a heart attack was just a heart attack. It was a serious…
    Human Interest
    4 weeks ago

    COMMUNITY WATER FLUORIDATION

    For 80 years, fluoridating the water in communities has been “the Holy Grail” of preventive dentistry. Community water fluoridation has…
    Bone & Joint Problems
    4 weeks ago

    PLANTAR FASCIITIS IS REAL PAIN!

    “My Heel is Killing Me” If you’ve ever had heel pain you know it’s a real nuisance. It hurts to…
    Heart Disease
    October 7, 2025

    TROPONIN LEVELS AND HEART ATTACKS

    If you have had the misfortune of having a heart attack, no doubt you have heard of the troponin test.…
    Preventive Medicine
    October 6, 2025

    HIGH FIBER DIETS IMPROVE HEALTH

    High fiber diets have long been recognized as improving one’s general health in a number of ways. Fiber acts “like…
    Drugs & Medications
    October 3, 2025

    TYLENOL AND AUTISM #2

    President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Department Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have gone and stuck their necks…

      COVID-19
      2 weeks ago

      MEDICAL “MISINFORMATION”

      I fear I may be “wading into shark-infested waters” when I approach the subject in the title of this article.…
      COVID-19
      September 23, 2025

      LONG COVID STILL AFFECTING DOCTORS, NURSES

      The serious, deadly phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended along with the frequency of acute cases. It’s been over…
      COVID-19
      September 3, 2025

      VACCINES PROTECT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

      COVID-19 and the vaccines developed to combat it did more to erode trust in old, well-established, standard vaccines than any…
      Cancer
      July 27, 2025

      COVID-19, VITAMIN D, CANCER, GLP-1’S, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

      MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS #29 COVID-19 has a greater effect on kidneys than pneumonia: Natural aging causes a gradual decline in…
      COVID-19
      September 16, 2023

      CDC RECOMMENDS ALL AMERICANS 6 MONTHS AND OLDER RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINE

      The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved “reformulated” COVID vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. That prompted a CDC Advisory…
      COVID-19
      March 18, 2023

      MOST COVID-19 DEATHS WORLDWIDE WERE AMONG OLDER PEOPLE.

      The high mortality rate from COVID-19 among the elderly was a fact everyone knew, but a lot of people ignored.…
      Preventive Medicine
      January 18, 2023

      STROKE AND PFIZER VACCINE

      Have you heard the latest about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster? There’s always something, you know! This time, there are serious…
      Healthcare Policy
      December 26, 2022

      LIFE EXPECTANCY LOWERED—AGAIN!

      The CDC just announced the life expectancy of Americans recently dropped to a 25-year low. People born in 2021 have…
      COVID-19
      May 27, 2022

      mRNA VACCINE EFFICACY

      Who really knows how effective mRNA vaccines are for COVID-19. All degrees of outrageous claims about them are made back…
      COVID-19
      February 4, 2022

      MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES: What are they? What do they do?

      This is a difficult subject to write about. Difficult because to understand it, you must possess basic knowledge of the…
      COVID-19
      January 23, 2022

      “COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTERS SAVE LIVES”

      Yes, they really do! And The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is proud to report that fact. Two…
      COVID-19
      January 5, 2022

      COVID-19 VACCINE-MYOCARDITIS LINK INSIGNIFICANT

      Last summer, there was a lot of fuss about a link between mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and the occurrence of…
      COVID-19
      October 11, 2021

      NATURAL IMMUNITY TO COVID-19: IS IT A REALITY?

      Why can’t today’s viruses play fair? Why can’t viruses like SARS-CoV-2 behave like the viruses of old—the varicella-zoster virus or…
      COVID-19
      September 28, 2021

      PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE AND MYOCARDITIS

      In July, I wrote a blog about the incidence of myocarditis in young males after vaccination with Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.…
      COVID-19
      September 17, 2021

      COVID-19 VACCINATION AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

      I’m having a bit of trouble with the current attitude of a lot of people. I’m referring to the 80…
      COVID-19
      August 15, 2021

      VACCINE HESITANCY: WHY PEOPLE REFUSE COVID-19 VACCINE

      I’m old enough to remember what life was like before vaccines. As a child I had measles, mumps, and chicken…
      COVID-19
      July 12, 2021

      MYOCARDITIS AFTER COVID-19 VACCINE

      Much ado has been made on cable news programs about the adverse effects attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, there…
      COVID-19
      March 6, 2021

      SIX COVID-19 VACCINES IN PHASE III TRIALS

      We’ve heard repeatedly about the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19. Those are the two vaccines in use locally; if…
      COVID-19
      March 5, 2021

      ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO PFIZER-BIONTECH VACCINE

      Today’s media seems to have difficulty reporting the good news that comes from developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. Such is…
      COVID-19
      January 12, 2021

      COVID-19 VACCINE: MY EXPERIENCE

      The Maricopa County (Arizona) Health Department began administering COVID-19 vaccine in late December. Maricopa County has the bulk of the…
      COVID-19
      December 5, 2020

      AT-HOME COVID-19 TESTING

      These days news travels fast so you may already know the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the…
      COVID-19
      November 21, 2020

      PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE 90% (95%) EFFECTIVE!

      By now you’ve surely heard the good news about the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company in collaboration…
      COVID-19
      July 5, 2020

      HERD IMMUNITY? What’s That?

      Lately, there have been many references to the term HERD IMMUNITY. Public health officials use it in their communications about…

      CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

        Preventive Medicine
        August 5, 2022

        BREAKFAST HELPS US LIVE LONGER!

        It used to be said, breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” “They” said eating a good breakfast…
        Preventive Medicine
        September 6, 2022

        LET’S PUT STATINS IN THE WATER!

        I have written 7 blogs about statins, and I suspect you’re beginning to tire of my persistence. I love statins!…
        Heart Disease
        April 3, 2019

        HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: It’s Still The Silent Killer!

        HYPERTENSION: High blood pressure (HBP) has for decades been called “the silent killer.” It works insidiously while you’re completely unaware…
        Heart Disease
        September 21, 2023

        WOMEN WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT THAN MEN

        As I’ve reported before, it seems like atrial fibrillation exists in epidemic proportion. If you don’t know someone who has…
        Heart Disease
        July 5, 2023

        AN AD WORTH WATCHING!

        I never thought I would say this, but there’s an ad on TV I think everyone over age 50 should…
        Preventive Medicine
        July 27, 2021

        GUIDELINES FOR DIAGNOSING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

        Americans are constantly being encouraged to control their blood pressure. Hypertension is a serious health hazard that leads to many…
        Heart Disease
        June 26, 2021

        CORONARY CALCIUM SCORING TEST: Should you have one?

        For decades physicians have been searching for the ideal, non-invasive test to diagnose coronary artery disease early enough to prevent…
        Drugs & Medications
        June 5, 2024

        SALT SUBSTITUTE REDUCES CHANCES FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

        Substituting regular table salt (100% sodium chloride) with salt substitute (62% sodium chloride, 25% potassium chloride, 12.5% flavorings) reduced the…
        Drugs & Medications
        12 hours ago

        POST-MI BETA BLOCKER USE SHOULD CEASE

        On August 6, 2025, DrGOpines.com posted an article titled “Post-MI Beta Blockers Questioned.” In it, the routine prescribing of Beta…
        Heart Disease
        March 18, 2024

        WHAT IS AN ANEURYSM?

        Surely you’ve heard someone talk about having an aneurysm or you knew someone who did. When you heard that word,…
        Heart Disease
        October 19, 2020

        PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: Decades of Learning and Progress!

        For decades, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), and heart disease, in particular, has been the number one killer of American adults. Heart…
        Heart Disease
        May 6, 2019

        CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT GUIDELINES: Latest Info

        AHA vs. USPSTF Both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issue guidelines…
        Drugs & Medications
        January 2, 2025

        MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS #26

        Losing weight does not improve health. Really? Yes. Losing weight via GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs will improve your BMI (Body…
        Heart Disease
        June 25, 2020

        SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART DISEASE

        We’ve known for decades that high blood pressure and heart disease go hand in hand. The higher a patient’s blood…
        Preventive Medicine
        April 30, 2022

        QUICK NOTES FROM DR G OPINES DrGOpines.com

        DrGOpines.com ONYCHOMYCOSIS: Do your grandkids tease you about your ugly toenails? Do you avoid going barefoot because you’re embarrassed by…
        Aging
        January 20, 2020

        THE USE OF STATINS IN THE ELDERLY

        For some people, the use of statins continues to be a concern. Concern, not because they don’t do what they’re…
        Diabetes
        July 30, 2023

        MORE ABOUT SUGAR IN OUR DIET

        Recently, I reported information that certain amounts of sugar in our diet were tied directly to increased risk of a…
        Preventive Medicine
        September 5, 2022

        DIABETES, MUSCLE PAIN, ANTIBIOTICS, HEART & INTESTINAL DISEASE

        AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS RESEARCH ARTICLES 2021 Many practicing physicians and family medicine residents in training are interested in…
        Heart Disease
        June 28, 2018

        Passing Out is Scary!

        Passing Out: By “passing out” I don’t mean leaving the theater, but instead I mean losing consciousness. The fancy name…
        Preventive Medicine
        January 11, 2022

        ALCOHOL AND ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

        We hear conflicting messages about alcohol all the time. Some people praise it’s medicinal virtues while others continually point out…
        COVID-19
        September 28, 2021

        PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE AND MYOCARDITIS

        In July, I wrote a blog about the incidence of myocarditis in young males after vaccination with Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.…
        Drugs & Medications
        July 24, 2025

        LIPITOR: THIRTY YEARS OF BENEFIT

        Lipitor (atorvastatin) has been in use in the U.S. since 1997 (28.5 years). It has been one of the most…
        Drugs & Medications
        December 25, 2023

        ANTI-ARRHYTHMIC DRUGS AFTER ABLATION: DO THEY HELP?

        If you’re one of the ever-increasing number of folks who have undergone ablation for atrial fibrillation, you may be wondering,…
        Preventive Medicine
        September 9, 2022

        DO STATINS CAUSE MUSCLE PAIN AND WEAKNESS?

        It’s statins again!  This time it has to do with muscle pain and weakness patients attribute to statin therapy. A…
        Heart Disease
        September 17, 2020

        ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: Benefit of Early Rhythm Control

        In the past, the emphasis for treatment of Atrial Fibrillation focused on control of the heart rate. A rapid heart…

        DAY-IN-THE-LIFE SCENARIOS

          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          April 7, 2025

          WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT PHYSICIAN INCOME?

          In addition to physician happiness, the Medscape survey quoted previously also questioned participants about lifestyle. Within this category were inquiries…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          April 5, 2025

          PHYSICIAN LIFESTYLE AND HAPPINESS SURVEY

          For some reason, professional organizations are overly concerned about physicians’ lifestyles and whether they are a happy lot. Surveys on…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          December 10, 2024

          DOES YOUR DOCTOR TALK TO YOU?

          Does your doctor talk to you? Oh, sure he asks you why you came to see him and how long…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          September 2, 2024

          ANNUAL PHYSICIAN SURVEY

          In the current issue of Medical Economics magazine, the editors present their “95th” annual “Physicians Report.” Every year, they conduct…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          June 19, 2024

          FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY

          In several previous blogs I’ve written that I completed a two-year residency in Family Medicine. My residency was from August,…
          A Day in the Life Scenarios
          March 8, 2024

          FINDING A NEW DOCTOR: QUITE A CHALLENGE

          Fortunately, finding a new family doctor is a task you don’t have to do very often. When the situation arises,…

          YOUR WELLNESS MATTERS

            August 8, 2025

            FASTING FOR BLOODWORK IS OUTDATED

            Here’s something that might brighten your day. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re stomach is empty” [when you have blood…
            July 5, 2024

            PRIORITIES IN GERIATRIC CARE

            In spite of statistics that show the average life expectancy of Americans has been declining over the past 5-10 years,…
            January 9, 2024

            WHITE TEETH

            Many people today have a significant focus on personal appearance. You might not think so from the way segments of…
            September 1, 2023

            MEDICAL NEWS BRIEFS NO. 5

            Cancer Among Younger Americans is Increasing    A study published on JAMA Network Open using data from the National Cancer…
            August 25, 2023

            WATER FLUORIDATION, CREST TOOTHPASTE

            There’s little or no disagreement with the statement that fluoridation of community drinking water supplies has been one of public…
            August 5, 2023

            MORE ABOUT SUGAR IN OUR DIET

            Recently, I reported information that certain amounts of sugar in our diet were tied directly to increased risk of a…
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