Hearing aids are essential devices for many older people, but often are not obtained because of the persistently high expense. I recently explored Costco as a source of high-technology major-brand hearing aids at dramatically lower prices.
Contaminated valsartan antihypertensive medication was discovered and is being recalled. No one is likely to have been injured by the NDMA contamination, but we intend to switch everyone to irbesartan, a comparable medication in the same ARB class that has not shown any contamination issues.
Pap smears and HPV co-testing provide effective early detection of cervical cancer in women. Recent guidelines clarify that the frequency of such testing can be spaced out in most circumstances. Remember that Pap smears do not provide protection against uterine or ovarian cancer. Dr. George Papanicolau developed the test named after him.
AIMOVIG is a new monoclonal antibody preventive treatment for chronic and severe episodic migraine that appears to be effective and safe. This is the first new news in a long time in this field.
Many recent articles on nutrition and dieting in various publications echoed what I have advised for several decades. I recap 10 of the major takeaways.
So-called “almondmilk” is not milk but an emulsion of a few almonds in water combined with chalk and vitamins. Let’s look through the marketing haze to find the facts.
Fish oil supplements do not prevent damage or death from heart disease or strokes, according to a new meta-analysis in JAMA Cardiology. But salmon is tasty.
Shingrix is a new highly effective vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster) infections that has been approved by the FDA and will be available early in 2018. We plan to offer it to everyone over age 50, including those of you who have had Zostavax or had the shingles infection. Shingles is chicken-pox revisited.

The Republican-passed American Health Care Act reintroduces medical underwriting and preexisting conditions into health care. It will take us back to the dark ages of health care that were even worse than you remember now.

Dr. Eve Sobel will join Dr. Kanner in Orchard Health Care on July 1. Meet and greet sessions are planned in May and June.