And what you can do to control it — Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another one of America’s epidemics. The current estimate on the Million Hearts website is that 116 million people have hypertension ( 1 out of 2 adults) and over 92 million are uncontrolled. In some ways, hypertension may be in all of our futures. By…

And steps to avoid becoming diabetic — Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States right now. According to the American Diabetes Association website, about 37 million Americans are diabetic. While that number is astounding, another 96 million Americans are pre-diabetic, and about 1.4 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year. I have written a…

The not so silent killer — By Kenny Burke, MD Photo by Shane on Unsplash “Doc, I’m tired all the time.” Whenever patients tell me this, and I hear it often, it sets off a series of questions in my mind. …

If you are a diabetic, you need to know your HgA1c level — Diabetes can be a daunting illness. It requires a team approach between patient, doctor, nurse, and dietitian. And I always tell my patients that they are the center of the team and I rely on them to take control of their illness. I am just a coach. After all, I…

How to coach yourself—or others—toward achieving goals — In a previous post, I talked about how medicine is full of guidelines, but they never teach doctors how to help their patients to achieve the goals set forth. …

A validated tool to help you combat anxiety — I recently posted about anxiety because it is so prevalent at this point in time. That may be for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is all the turmoil that the pandemic has presented to us. Over the years I have talked to many patients about what…

Tips I give patients, and have personally used, to make changes in behavior — As a practicing physician, I often joke with my patients that I am really a glorified cheerleader. After all, they come to me for advice on how to make their health improve. …

Plenty and this could be a game changer — Losing weight- just about everyone wants to do that, especially with the obesity epidemic in the US being what it is. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), about 32 % of the US is overweight, and about 40% of the US population is obese. By the…

You have lots of options, but you need to start somewhere There it is again. That sense of dread. You have no idea why it is here again. Your heart rate is climbing, you feel sweaty and you have a nest of butterflies in your gut, making you more queasy…