Author Archives: Laura Newman

AARP: Stakeholder for Waste and Moneyed Interests?

AARP, you lost whatever presumed credibility you thought you had with one article in the current issue of your magazine. I am talking about the hard copy of “All the President’s Scans: Our Commander in Chief Regularly Gets An Extensive … Continue reading

Posted in AARP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on AARP: Stakeholder for Waste and Moneyed Interests?

Economic Repercussions Prove Powerful in Stopping Hateful Public Health/Quality of Life Laws

It’s hard to keep up with the regressive state laws that threaten the people’s health and quality of life. Women, LGBT individuals, and people of color are popular targets. There may be a silver lining though. Just this morning, the … Continue reading

Posted in A Declaration of Purpose, legislative initiatives, LGBT healthcare | Tagged | Comments Off on Economic Repercussions Prove Powerful in Stopping Hateful Public Health/Quality of Life Laws

Homeless Youth and the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative: This Project Needs Your Support

Homelessness may seem remote to you today as you lounge around a comfortable home celebrating Christmas, with presents and ease. Even if you are not celebrating Christmas, this week and next, many of you are likely to spend time in … Continue reading

Posted in homeless | Tagged , | Comments Off on Homeless Youth and the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative: This Project Needs Your Support

Blowing the Whistle on Toxic Toys
& Why I Am Giving Back

Photo: Toxic toys for sale this holiday season in New York City. Credit: WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York, NY. It’s 36 hours before I go to a Christmas dinner, where I plan to bring gifts to two lovely … Continue reading

Posted in environmental justice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Blowing the Whistle on Toxic Toys
& Why I Am Giving Back

DCIS: Overdiagnosis for Some,
But Breast Cancer Death Rates in Young and Black Women Troubling

Ductal carcinoma in situ – known more by its abbreviation DCIS – has been a term mired in controversy for decades. Over the years, it’s been termed “stage 0” breast cancer, “precancer”, and skeptics have gone so far as to … Continue reading

Posted in breast cancer | Tagged , , | Comments Off on DCIS: Overdiagnosis for Some,
But Breast Cancer Death Rates in Young and Black Women Troubling

From Bleak House to My House: A Second Look at Vitamin D

This morning, I noticed that UK news was alight with stories about how the UK National Health Service and NICE are recommending daily vitamin D. In the UK, they are giving out low-dose vitamin D like chocolate at drugstores, groceries, … Continue reading

Posted in vitamin D | Tagged , | Comments Off on From Bleak House to My House: A Second Look at Vitamin D

Vitamin D and Postmenopausal Women:
Another Case of Overuse?

If you talk to postmenopausal women, you learn that a large proportion of women are told to take vitamin D to bolster bone health, prevent osteoporosis, and fractures. This was used so widely in New York City that a doctor … Continue reading

Posted in vitamin D | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Vitamin D and Postmenopausal Women:
Another Case of Overuse?

On the Skyrocketing Costs
Of MS Drugs: A Patient Point of View

Last week, Daniel M. Hartung, PharmD, MPH, and coauthors, published an open-access article in Neurology on astronomical increases in disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) –many developed decades ago. Notably, they report that first-generation drugs — now cost about $60,000 … Continue reading

Posted in Drug costs | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on On the Skyrocketing Costs
Of MS Drugs: A Patient Point of View

Homecare Workers Flood #fightfor15 Rallies,
Wait for President Obama to Act

Homecare and direct care workers were out in droves last night in New York’s #fightfor15 rally that stretched from Columbus Circle to Times Square. Initially billed as an event for fast-food and retail workers, the #fightfor15 day expanded to home … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Homecare Workers Flood #fightfor15 Rallies,
Wait for President Obama to Act

Are Pediatric Guidelines for Statins Too Aggressive?

If, instead of following the adult guidelines, doctors used pediatric guidelines to identify teens with high LDL-levels, and if universal screening was in place, another 400,000 adolescents would be taking statins. Would that increase be good or bad? Doctors disagree. … Continue reading

Posted in drugs, pediatrics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Are Pediatric Guidelines for Statins Too Aggressive?