Previous 15 Columns   The Checkup, Too Much Or Too Little?
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

What constitutes a good checkup examination? Good sense dictates that young children don’t need a Pap smear for cervical cancer, a PSA test for prostate malignancy or X-ray studies to measure bone density. So what’s included in a checkup depends on the patient’s age and it can save a life or prevent serious diseases.

Today many hi-tech diagnostic tests are available, but the stethoscope is all that’s needed to spot a big killer. Since 60 million North Americans have hypertension a blood pressure check must be part of every annual examination. High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. 

Do Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Cause Heart Failure?
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

What is causing the epidemic of heart failure in North America? The usual answer is an aging population. Old hearts eventually get tired and stop beating. But at a meeting in London, England, several researchers suggested a surprising new reason for heart failure, cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs). Ironically, the very medication prescribed to prevent heart disease may in fact be causing it! And 12 million Japanese may have the answer to this dilemma, coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10).

There’s no doubt that high blood cholesterol is a proven risk factor for heart disease. It’s also known that CLDs such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor and others are effective in lowering cholesterol. But, as always, there’s a price to pay for medication.

Rx- Suffer A Little Bit
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Why would I want people to suffer pain when in the past I’ve criticized doctors for inadequate pain control? For years I’ve stressed it was inhuman allowing terminal cancer patients to die in agony. How some get insufficient amounts of painkillers. How others are denied medication for fear of addiction even though they have days or weeks to live. But suffering a little bit is the right prescription for million of other people.

Today many North Americans take acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol, to ease a variety of pains. It’s been known for years that too much Tylenol can cause liver failure and death. Now, a new study shows that even taking the recommended daily dose may cause liver problems. This should be a wakeup call for millions of people who take this medication.

You Have One Chance In Four Of Having NAFLD
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

I’d bet a thousand to one that 99.9 per cent of readers have never heard of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Yet a recent report from Johns Hopkins University claims that 25 per cent of North Americans suffer from this disorder. What is it and how can it be prevented and treated?

Today you would have to be living on Mars not to know that obesity is often related to heart disease and diabetes. Now excessive pounds are also causing liver disease. We all tend to forget that whether we’re dealing with war, love or medicine one problem often leads to a greater one.

Should You Buy Organic Food?
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

“Do you ever buy organic food?” I asked my wife. She quickly answered, “No”. Then I asked, “Why do some people buy it?” She replied what most people say, “Because it’s free of pesticides”. But is this true? And with increasing food prices is it prudent to spend hard-earned dollars on organic farm products?

New Support Group For Psoriasis Patients
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Sir William Osler, one of this country’s greatest physicians, remarked that no doctor thoroughly understands a disease until he suffers from it. He could have added that this also applies to patients.

Why Muhammad Ali Couldn’t Sting Like A Bee
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

A patient of mine recently asked, “Why can’t you prescribe thyroid hormone to help me lose weight?” It wasn’t the first time I’d heard this question. In the past I always asked these patients whether they thought it was safer to drive at the normal 100 kilometers an hour (60 miles an hour) or faster. But now I’m going to ask them, “Why don’t you ask Muhammad Ali whether it’s a good idea?”

Religious People: Shame, Shame, Shame
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Why would I rather deal with the Mafia than some religious people? Because I hate hypocrisy above all other things. I know the mob has a code it follows strictly, such as it is, and it’s crystal clear to everyone what it’s all about. But religious people talk constantly about brotherly love and yet condemn fellow humans to death. It’s hypocrisy at its worst.

How Fruit Juices Affect Medication
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

What would you think of somebody who poured himself a vodka martini for breakfast every day? No doubt you would believe he was on a rocky road to medical hell. But how many readers are aware that a large glass of grapefruit juice in the morning is also a health hazard? Studies show that downing a glass of fruit juice can have a powerful effect on medication.

Don’t Fire Until You See The Whites of Their Eyes
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

What do people fear the most? It’s often said that giving a speech tops the list. But a recent survey shows it’s losing one’s sight. Today, with an aging population, an increasing number of people face the ultimate fear, a condition called Age–related Macular Degeneration (AMD) that destroys vision and can even lead to blindness. For the first time a new medication, Lucentis, is available that stops, and can even reverse, vision loss caused by the most serious form of this debilitating disease.

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