“Dr. Spiegel, why is your institute trashing the Atkins diet?” This was the question angrily posed to me by Congresswoman Anne Northup (R-KY) at the 2003 House Appropriations hearing for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, I testified annually (1999–2006) at this Read more
Health
While we were watching out for the flu, without warning, along came a severe respiratory infection caused by a novel coronavirus imported (without tariff) from China. This is the kind of news that sets the world on edge. But it also underlines how important the field of infectious diseases is in informing us about the Read more
Diversity of the patients we serve is no secret at Montefiore in the Bronx, where I practice. You see it in their faces, clothing, languages, and accents. The people present an extraordinary array of ancestries, making the borough a microcosm of the world. As a healthcare provider, you may wonder about your treatments; maybe one Read more
About three years ago, I was chatting about pain with a friend at a social function, and she told me she was taking a prescribed opioid for her chronic pain. I quickly got the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach that comes from discussing and prescribing opioids in clinical practice. I responded with my concerns, based Read more
A recent article published by The American Heart Association (AHA) featured the headline, “Pesticide exposure may increase heart disease and stroke risk.” That headline and the study which followed resonated in the press, leading to several articles based on it, said epidemiologist Geoffrey Kabat, Ph.D., in a recent post at the Genetic Literacy Project. His Read more
EDITORS’ NOTE: This piece first appeared on NBCNEWS.com/THINK The health challenge recently faced by Sen. Bernie Sanders has brought two issues to the forefront of the 2020 presidential election. Should there be a disqualifying upper age limit to become president, and should an existing health issue preclude a candidate from running for president? As scientists Read more
