Welcome!

I am a nationally syndicated medical journalist with 37 years of deadline writing under my belt. I cover all sorts of health issues – fitness, aging, cancer, heart disease, pain, nutrition, numerous specific diseases and basic biological science. My goal on this website is to offer you up-to-date, accurate, understandable medical information to help you stay healthier and to communicate better with your doctors. Just to be clear: I am not a doctor – but I can help you work better with yours.

My Columns

Latest Column

  • The Gender Gap (Sep 26, 2010)
    Learning why men and women experience pain differently It’s one of the more puzzling observations in medicine: The vast majority of chronic pain patients are women. Women suffer disproportionately...
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Recent Columns

  • The Big Thaw
    Freezing human eggs is gaining in popularity, but declaring it a success would be premature Doctors have been freezing sperm for 60 years and embryos (fertilized eggs) for 30. The first pregnancy...
  • Egg Freezing
    Doctors have been freezing sperm for 60 years and embryos (fertilized eggs) for 30. The first pregnancy that resulted from a frozen egg occurred in 1986. But it's been only in the past few years that...
  • High Water Marks
    There’s no question swimming is good for you. Is it better than running or walking? Not so fast.  Is swimming the best exercise for lifelong health? After all, you can swim with just your...

Health and Fitness Q&As

  • Is there any way to predict the onset of schizophrenia?
  • Does swearing relieve pain?
  • Does vitamin D prevent the swine (H1N1) and seasonal flu, or the common cold?
  • Is there a link between heart disease and gum disease?
  • Is there a link between migraines and breast cancer?
  • Does it help to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen for colds?
  • Can Chinese herbal medicine combat endometriosis?
  • Does keeping one’s balance get harder with age?
  • Does it ease a child’s anxiety to have a parent around before receiving general anesthesia?
  • Do garlic supplements reduce the risk of the common cold?