August 14th, 2010
Podcast 97: What happens when vena cava filters break?
Vena cava filters, often meant to be permanent, can actually lose a strut or two. And it’s not as rare an occurrence as you might think. Our conversationalist found it happens about 15% of the time with a certain brand of filter. The FDA has announced that it’s starting its own studies of the problem. […]
May 2nd, 2010
Podcast 85: B vitamins lower homocysteine levels, so why don’t they retard the progression of diabetic nephropathy?
A surprise finding: homocysteine is supposed to be a factor in vascular inflammation, but lowering hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with diabetic nephropathy actually accelerated the decline of their GFRs. What gives? We have a conversation with Dr. J. David Spence, whose results were just published in JAMA. Interview-related link: JAMA paper on the effect of B vitamins on diabetic […]
January 22nd, 2010
Podcast 71: We revisit, after a look at current clinical news, a conversation on the late clinical course of dementia.
I tried arranging an interview across a 13-hour time difference, with no luck. We revisit, instead, an October conversation about the late clinical course of dementia. First a look at the news. Comments to jelia@jwatch.org or to 1-617-440-4374. Interview link: Advanced Dementia’s Course News links: Massachusetts elects a U.S. Senator Screening and treating children for overweight Abnormal lipid profiles found […]
October 16th, 2009
Podcast 61: A conversation about end-stage dementia.
We talk with Susan Mitchell, a Harvard researcher who set out to characterize the final clinical stages of advanced dementia. There are some surprises — namely, the benefit of clear communications with patients and their families (which, come to think of it, shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at all). Talk with us at […]