Welcome to 2 Docs Talk, the podcast about healthcare, the science of medicine and everything in between. Join cohosts Kendall Britt, MD and Amy Rogers, MD for a 15 minute check-up on current issues in medicine and health policy. The doctor is always in.
As we enter primary season for this election year, gun violence and control is a hot topic. However, much of the discussion lives in one of two extremes, and little of it is based on actual evidence.
With over 30,000 gun deaths each year, and over 20,000 of those death from suicide, the reality is that gun violence is a public health issue. This means we need to treat this issue from the point of view of the medical evidence.
Today we look at the scope of the problem, what has and hasn't worked, and some thougths about what lies ahead.
Resources:
CDC All Injuries Statistics
CDC Accidental Death Statistics
CDC Homicide and Assault Statistics
CDC Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury Statistics
CDC Depression Statistics
Discussion of Australia's Gun Laws in the New York Times
Discussion of Missouri's Gun Laws in the New York Times
Survey of Defensive Gun Use Cited Frequently by NRA
Methodological issues with Defensive Gun Use Survey
Concussions are not uncommon in contact sports such as football, soccer and basketball. But we aren't trying to scare or shock anyone. On today's podcast we'd like to educate and inform so that parents and players can make decisions that aren't based on fear and misinformation.
We'll cover
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Article referenced in podcast:
McKinney ISD Concussion Protocol
As the the political winds shift in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, it's important to consider the evidence that supports it.
But the 23 states that have legalized it and the FDA don't agree on when marijuana helps and when it doesn't. In this episode, we take a look at the evidence supporting the move toward legalizing the use of marijuana and cannabinoids for medical purposes.
References from the show:
Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
We’ve got a lot of questions marks ahead of us this year when it comes to healthcare. What will happen with the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, etc. etc.
The future of healthcare under the new administration is a big unknown. But one thing we do know - healthcare costs far too much.
One of the key contributors to these costs is the over $200 billion per year in unnecessary medical care.
In today's episode, we dig in to the reasons for these costs, and more importantly, we talk about the things we can do as healthcare consumers to reduce unnecessary medical care in our own lives.
Resources:
Unnecessary Medical Costs
Low Value Care in Medicine
Unnecessary Tests and Treatments
Freakonomics Radio: Bad Medicine
Choosing Wisely
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Parkinson Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the U.S. and it appears to be increasing in prevalence. So what is Parkinson Disease, what causes it and what can we do about it? 2 Docs Talk about it today.
Resources:
JAMA Neurology Increasing Incidence of Parkinson Disease
Metformin and Parkinson Disease
Braak Hypothesis
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Sometimes there are news items that just need to be discussed, but they don't really generate enough material for a podcast of their own. Today we are talking about those headlines.
Resources:
Stroke Study: Diet Soda, Stroke, and Dementia
Association of Hormonal Contraception with Depression
Tom Price on Preventive Services Mandate
New York Times on the Contraception Mandate
CNN Report on Minnesota Measles Outbreak
Stat Review of Vaxxed
California Immunization Rates After SB277
Handgun Acquisition After Mass Shootings
Bystander CPR and Outcomes After Cardiac Arrest
Learn CPR
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Lyme Disease has been a known tickborne infectious disease since the early 80s. Treatment for Lyme Disease is surprisingly straightforward, but you would never guess that from the controversy surrouding the infection.
Part of the problem stems from "Chronic Lyme Disease," which is now more appropriately knwon as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, to indicate that the infection is no longer present in these patients. There is some explanation for their symtoms other than persisttent bacteremia.
Todayw e talk about all this, and dig into a little of the history and the controversy surroudning Lyme Disease.
Resources:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1505425
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891552015000203
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra072023#t=article
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200107123450202#t=abstract
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18452806
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With the recent release of the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, depression and suicide have been getting a lot of press time. In this episode, we talk about depression, what it is, how it is treated and what's on the horizon for this far too common disorder.
We also talk a bit about the Netflix series and the problem of suicide. Take a listen and see what you think.
If you think you may be depressed please seek help from a trusted healthcare provider. And if you are contemplating suicide, there is help for you - please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Someone will answer your call and help you find the resources you need to deal with your depression.
RESOURCES:
Brains of people with depression are different
Brain imaging reveals different types of depression
Summary of effectiveness of SSRIs and other antidepressant medications
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So spring breakers on South Padre Island in Texas are coming down with the mumps. Since the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine was introduced in 1967, we've stopped expecting these outbreaks.
But recent increases in those who choose to have their children forego vaccines has led to a loss of herd immunity and an increase in these outbreaks.
To further complicate the issue, it seems that immunity wanes with time, which is why many college students (hello spring break!) find themselves falling ill eight to ten years after their last booster at age 12 to 15.
Resources:
Mumps at South Padre
Learn more about the Mumps and the Mumps vaccine from the CDC
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If you've ever felt like you had a handle on the evidence about a certain medical topic only to read a headline telling you science now says the opposite, you aren't alone.
But science isn't about headlines. It's about evaluating the evidence to decide what's real, and it doesn't always conform to what we want. But that doesn't stop the media, (and maybe some journals), from selectively reporting the research that will generate the most buzz.
Today we talk about this issue and ideas that are being discussed to help be sure all the evidence, including the unremarkable evidence, is adequately reported.
Resources:
Nurse's Health Study
Women's Health Initiative
Calcium and Heart Disease Risk
Results-Blind Study
PLOS on Data
2 Docs Talk about Hormone Replacement Therapy
2 Docs Talk about Supplements
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