A study published in The Lancet today revealed that daily aspirin can actually prevent colorectal cancer and existing cancers from spreading.  Most people recognize daily low dose aspirin as an effective means of preventing heart attacks, but this new study only adds to the reasons why you should keep this anti-inflammatory medication in your medicine cabinet.

While scientists are still trying to find out the mechanism for aspirin’s ability to prevent/halt cancer cells, I believe the key may be the anti-inflammatory properties of this wonder drug.  We are finding that many cancers are caused by chronic inflammation.  For example, cervical cancer is strongly linked to HPV infections of the cervix.

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was known to Hippocrates in 400 B.C. in the form of willow bark.  In the age of rapid advances in drug development, it amazes me that a chemical which exists in many of our parks and yards is found to have so many healing qualities.  I shudder to think what other “miracle drugs” are hidden in the remaining rain forests of the world that are one bulldozer away from extinction.

Should everyone be taking an aspirin a day?  I don’t think this is a wise idea.  Aspirin does have its own side effects, the most common being a tendency to bleed, gastritis and ulcers.  Any gastroenterologist will tell you that he/she has seen very severe bleeding ulcers from taking even enteric-coated or “safety-coated” low dose aspirin.  The Lancet study did mention that the risks of bleeding does appear to diminish over time.

However, if you do have a family history of colorectal cancer, or have a personal history of cancer, it may not be a bad idea to discuss with your physician the possiblilty of starting aspirin.  If you are currently taking aspirin, make sure you let your physician know that you are on it .

This winter was particularly mild in New York and other parts of the country.  While many people were happy about this (and snow skiiers were definitely not), I am concerned for the upcoming allergy season.  A mild winter means that many pollen-producing plants that would’ve been exposed to the cold and died are now still alive and able to reproduce earlier.  More plants blooming earlier means more pollen which means people with allergies and asthma are going to have an abnormally early and rough season.

My suggestion is to take action early.  If you have allergies, make sure you have a HEPA filter in your home and that you have replaced the filter in it.  Visit your primary care physician if you need to refill your allergy medication or maybe visit an allergist for possible desensitization injections.  During the spring, try not to open your windows during the dawn and dusk periods, as these generally are the times when pollen are more plentiful in the air.

Fans of Mad Men would love this fun article I read in New York Magazine titled “When Will Don Draper Die?

The article talks about the health and social habits of the fictional ad agency executive, Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), and his estimated date of demise.  The actuary consulted by the writer said Don would die at age 59, which obviously is far younger than the norm.  A couple of points to note.  His BMI(body mass index) puts him at normal weight.  While obesity is an important factor for heart disease and stroke, smoking and uncontrolled high blood pressure do far greater damage.  By appearance, no one would doubt Don Draper looks like the model of perfect health in the show but his internal organ systems were being destroyed which would most certainly lead to a catastrophic health event.

I think there are a few lessons we can take away from this article.  First, while the news media is focused on obesity we are losing sight that there are still many people who smoke and do not get regular blood pressure checks.  What if Don Draper was able to see a physician and get his blood pressure under control with lifestyle modifications and/or medications?  That would certainly add years back on to his life.  Next, there are many resources to help quit smoking.  In addition to medications, many workplaces offer one on one health coaching.

Finally, the last learning point is that health is not something you should take for granted.  In medical school, I was taught the most common symptom of elevated blood pressure is no symptom.   So get your blood pressure checked, drink less, quit smoking, learn some relaxation techniques and be less like Don Draper!

In the business section of today’s New York Times, there is an article titled “Digital Records May Not Cut Health Care Costs, Study Cautions.” The article talks about how keeping patient records on computers are unlikely to cut healthcare costs and may potentially increase health care costs because of extra tests ordered by physicians.  It was postulated that the reasons more tests were ordered is because they were easier to order.

By coincidence, I began my training for an electronic medical record (EMR) today.  With every click, I was reminded at the inefficiency of paper charts.  I recall many days at my previous primary care clinic where the file room clerk would be out sick, and the nurses had to take time away from patient care to scramble to find charts.  Sometimes, the charts would be lost.  Imagine seeing a patient with 3 or more chronic diseases and taking 10 medications without a chart!    Hunting down charts was a time waster, and required extraordinary resources to keep updated.

How do I account for the ordering of more tests by physicians in that study?  It is rather easy to blame the electronic medical system, but I think we should look at the clinicians themselves.  Overall, there are too many unnecessary tests being ordered.  History and physical are becoming lost arts in lieu of total body CT scans and vitamin levels du jour (currently it’s vitamin D but previously was vitamin E).

I disagree that EMR’s will be a burden to the healthcare system.  The time saved by EMR is time a health care provider can see more patients, is time he/she can talk and counsel the patient, is time to build a patient’s trust.  That is invaluable.

I agree with Dr. McCormick’s quote at the end of the article, “I am a primary care doctor, and I would never go back.”

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal talked about a recent study that indicated a link between low levels of omega-3 fatty acid (which is obtained by the body mainly from fish) and poor memory.  Taken with what we already know about the advantages of omega-3 including the HDL “good” cholesterol raising and reduction of coronary artery disease, this study reinforces the health benefits of eating at least three fish meals per week.  Fish highest in omega-3 are generally deep sea fish like tuna or salmon.  Another way to look at it, by eating three meals of fish per week, you are eating three less meals of red meat or pork which are high in saturated fat.