For years, my policy has been to get things done. Oh, sure, everyone says that. But, I mean get things finished. Which may mean I put in a 36 hour day (yes, I know how ludicrous that sounds- but it’s not a new day unless I go to bed), an 18 hour day, a 10 hour day- or a 2 hour day.
Continue reading Deadly Overtime?
I am sure you have heard that there are tons (OK, 60 million or so) of people taking aspirin every day to make sure they don’t get a heart attack. (No, I am not among them- I am allergic to aspirin.) The aspirin regimen exists because we know that aspirin makes platelets less “sticky”, less prone to clump together, which is what a blood clot is. (And, that means a stroke or a heart attack can be imminent.) But, up until recently, we did not know why some folks got heart attacks and others didn’t- even though they were both taking aspirin- some number less than 30% of those who take the pills are so affected. Until now.
Continue reading Aspirin is not for everyone?
You know those signs you see in restaurants and airports (among many other places): Automated External Defibrillator? Well, as Paul Harvey used to say, here’s the rest of the story.
Continue reading A Technological Advance Regresses?
When I started grad school in the early 70’s, one of the hot new topics was Streptococcus mutans and its relationship to oral problems (cavities, infections, etc.). This gram positive microbe converts sugars (found in almost everything we eat) to lactic acid; it also uses sucrose to produce a biofilm that surrounds it, protecting it from outside interference (in dental parlance, this is called plaque). The combination of plaque and lactic acid formation is the driving force in dental decay.
Continue reading Streptococci in the mouth cause tooth decay and heart disease