Dr. John’s Life of Music
For more than 60 years, Dr. John sang, played and wrote songs in the blues, pop, jazz, boogie-woogie, and rock and roll. He dressed in Mardi Gras costumes and his performances were often staged as voodoo ceremonies or folk medicine shows. He recorded 39...
President Van Buren and Late Onset Asthma
At age 51, Martin Van Buren became the first native-born president of the United States because he was born after the American Revolution. At age 40, he developed a cough and progressive shortness of breath that would be diagnosed today as “late-onset asthma,” but in those days, his physician called it “malignant catarrh.”
Drink Water Instead of Sweetened Drinks
The Nurses’ Health study and The Health Professional’s Follow-Up study, two of the largest studies on the subject, show that sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with increased risk for heart attacks, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, and the more sugar-sweetened beverages you take in, the more likely you are to suffer from these diseases
Does Ultra-Endurance Exercise Harm the Heart?
Research evidence shows that exercise strengthens the heart, prevents and treats heart attacks and strokes, and prolongs lives (Circulation, 2018;137(18):1896-1898). The more frequently people exercise, the less likely they are to die of heart disease (JACC Cardiovasc...
Atrial Fibrillation: Irregular Heartbeats
Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heartbeat. It occurs in 1.5 to 2 percent of the general population and risk increases with age. It affects 10 percent of 75-year-olds and 20 percent of those over 85, because aging increases the risk factors for atrial...
Did Chopin Have Cystic Fibrosis?
Frederic Chopin was one of the greatest composers of solo piano music and a gifted pianist whose incredible techniques are still copied by concert pianists. He had a disease that made him sick from early childhood, and he died at the tragically young age of 39. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis, but instead, he probably suffered from cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that was not even described until 1938.
Electric-Assist Bikes and Trikes
I predict that in the next few years, virtually all cyclists will have motors on their bikes. I think that you can get a better training effect with a motor than without it. Anyone who has difficulty accelerating a bike will benefit from an added boost from an electric motor.
High Plant Diet Wins Again
Chicken is not more heart-healthful than red meat, according to a new study from Oakland Research Institute. The study showed that chicken and mammal meat caused the same high rises in blood cholesterol levels that predict increased risk for heart attacks, while equal...
Tim Conway and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Tim Conway starred on television for 40 years, where he played Ensign Parker on McHale's Navy for four years, created an array of comic characters on The Carol Burnett Show for 11 years, and hosted his own variety show for two years. He received six Emmy...
How to Avoid Overtraining
Athletes and serious exercisers can get into an overtraining syndrome in which they become injured or suffer frequent infections, feel exhausted, don't perform up to their usual levels, and even lose interest in training. One of the most difficult problems...