The People's Pharmacy

Since at least the 16th century, people have suggested that the eyes are the windows to the soul. In the 21st century, ophthalmologists have developed technology that allows them to assess our health beyond our eyes. What do they see when they look through these windows to the brain? Eyes as the Windows to the Brain: Retinal health is an indicator of neurological health. Scientists have found that...

When you develop a health problem with symptoms that trouble you, the first step is to find out what it is. Diagnosis may be the most basic task a doctor or other healthcare provider undertakes. That doesn’t mean it is easy, though. New research is uncovering the shocking dangers of misdiagnosis. The Dangers of Misdiagnosis Include Death and Disability: How common are diagnostic errors? Estimates...

When you think of preventing heart disease, what comes to mind? We hope you envision regular exercise and a healthful diet (whatever that means to you). Perhaps you also plan for regular checkups and know what your cholesterol levels are. If they have been high, you may be taking a statin cholesterol-lowering drug to get them down. What else does cutting edge cardiology have to offer? Cutting Edge...

Only a few decades ago, most households had very limited ways of measuring their members’ health. There were thermometers to tell if someone had a fever. A bathroom scale could tell if you were losing or gaining weight. For quite a while, if you wanted to know about your blood sugar or your blood pressure, you had to go to the doctor’s office. Now, most people can measure those themselves. Home te...

Have you ever taken a package out of your mailbox on a hot day and noticed that it was warm to the touch? If the pouch contained a tee shirt or a pair of sneakers, you probably didn’t think much more of it. But millions of people get their medications by mail, and some medicines are not supposed to get warm. Do life-saving medicines lose potency during shipping? Does It Matter If Medicines Lose Po...

No question about it, sunshine and heat can be stressful for your skin. This episode is all about solutions to summer skin problems. Sunscreens offer the promise of protection from sunburn, but are they as good as we think they are? Does sunscreen block vitamin D formation? Find out which sunscreen ingredients work best and learn the best ways to use sunscreen and other tactics to minimize sun dam...

It’s way too hot, not just in the United States, but in other parts of the world as well. The temperature in Rome this week was 107 degrees Fahrenheit. It is anticipated that the islands of Sicily and Sardinia could reach as high as 118. Temperatures were also dangerously high in Athens, leading authorities there to close the Acropolis. Many countries in Europe do not have air conditioning. Sanbao...

You are probably familiar with adrenaline, the hormone that jolts through your body in an emergency. As a result, your heart beats faster and harder, your hands shake, your pupils dilate and your muscles are mobilized for fast action. This is extremely useful in a crisis. But what if your body goes into crisis mode every day, whether there is a real emergency or not? What happens to the adrenal gl...

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, our topic is evolution and the role of delicious flavors. We talk with Dr. Rob Dunn, ecologist and evolutionary biologist, about how the search for food with delicious flavors as well as high nutrient content might have shaped our behavior as we evolved. How Humans Define Delicious Flavors: If you think about your favorite flavors, you’ll probably...

Until 1994, when Congress passed legislation on dietary supplements, most people using herbal medicine made it themselves or got it from a friend or family member with a green thumb. Before that time, most stores selling herbs in tinctures, capsules and tea bags were small, and so were the companies supplying them. Now, though, the herbal industry has taken off. What should consumers know so they...

If you are like us, you welcome the first warm days of the season with joy. And then you start to fret. How can you avoid tick bites? Many people recognize Lyme disease as a serious health threat from deer tick bites. However, fewer are aware that a bite from a completely different tick, the lone star tick, can lead to a mysterious meat allergy that may disrupt their lives. What Is the Story on Al...

Millions of Americans take dietary supplements, and most of us assume that they are safe. While that is probably a reasonable rule of thumb, there are some situations that require more vigilance. In particular, we need to beware of herb and drug interactions. Even your doctor may not know about the hidden harms. How Risky Are Herb and Drug Interactions? It’s easy to compartmentalize–drugs in the p...

Physical activity is a key pillar of good health. Fewer than a fourth of American adults move their bodies enough to keep them healthy. The rest of us may spend too much time sitting in front of a computer or television screen. We recognize we need more exercise. But just as we wouldn’t try to meet all our energy needs by eating only pizza, we need to participate in a variety of physical activitie...

Are you getting enough fresh air? More than a century ago, Florence Nightingale insisted that hospitals needed good ventilation to get lots of fresh air. That would keep patients from spreading dangerous respiratory infections like tuberculosis. Although she didn’t use the term, she was describing the concept of sick buildings. Over the last year and a half, COVID-19 has driven that point ho...

For decades researchers have told us that beta amyloid accumulation in the brain causes Alzheimer disease (AD). The FDA has recently approved two new drugs, Aduhelm and Leqembi , based on this theory. There is a third drug, donanemab , waiting on the runway. All three medications are very good at removing amyloid plaque from the brain, but do they do anything meaningful to improve the clinical out...

You may not have thought much about long illness, but chances are you know someone who is suffering with one. The CDC estimates that some chronic condition afflicts as many as one in six American adults. That could be more than 130 million people. What counts as a long illness? Now, as experts declare that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a global health emergency, you might think of long COVID....

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the ecology of our bodies, especially our skin. Our faces, our armpits and even our bellybuttons harbor a multitude of tiny animals that we don’t see most of the time. What are they doing on us? The Fascinating World of the Tiny Animals Living on Us: We begin our conversation about the Serengeti on our skin with face mites. Humans host...

This week’s episode begins with an interview. We talk with Dr. Craig Hopp of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health about why doctors so often dismiss home remedies as old wives tales. Then he describes how we could evaluate remedies without randomized controlled trials. Natural products may offer leads for new drug development. For some minor conditions, though, experimentin...

We have multiple nervous systems. You are probably aware of the nerves that help move your arms to throw a ball or move your legs to jump. No doubt you also know about the fight-or-flight response triggered by a fright. The oddly named sympathetic nervous system is in charge of that. Many of us don’t pay much attention to the parasympathetic nervous system. When it is activated, it promotes a “ re...

Have you ever wondered what makes for a meaningful life? Philosophers have debated this for centuries, but now science has something to add. The current director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development shares the findings from this long-running, in-depth research on the factors that lead to happiness and a meaningful life. 80+ Years of Science: The Harvard Study of Adult Development started with...

In this episode, four guests share their diverse perspectives on LASIK eye surgery. This procedure surgically changes the shape of the cornea with the goal of helping people see better, ideally without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Experts estimate that ophthalmologists perform about 700,000 of these in the US each year. We are told that most patients are satisfied with the outcomes. As with all s...

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the power of cocoa compounds to help heart health. Our first guest is Harvard’s Dr. JoAnn Manson, lead investigator of the COSMOS trial . That stands for Co coa S upplement and M ultivitamin O utcomes S tudy. This very large, randomized placebo-controlled study looked at the effects of a multivitamin or cocoa extract on cancer or cardio...

This week, we talk with renowned author Temple Grandin. She reveals why she thinks visual thinking is underappreciated. Most importantly, she describes how we could change our educational system to better utilize a wide range of mental skills. Practical Applications of Visual Thinking: Most of us are not aware of how our brains work. Often, we assume that everyone thinks the same way we do. As an...

In this week’s episode, learn about healthy eating for two. Most people realize that diet is especially important during pregnancy, but they may not know which foods are most nutritious. Researchers report that following a Mediterranean diet and practicing mindfulness around meals can both have health benefits during pregnancy. Mediterranean Diet for Those Eating for Two: New research shows that g...

Whether we call it indigestion, reflux, sour stomach or heartburn, this condition is painful. When acid from the stomach splashes up into the lower esophagus, it burns. Even though heartburn doesn’t actually have anything to do with the heart, the name makes sense. The pain is generally behind the sternum, in the center of the chest, and it is often if not always a burning type of pain. Doctors us...