…Listen to the Father’s Voice

Posted on June 15, 2025 | Comments Off on …Listen to the Father’s Voice

Not quite what you were expecting, was it?

Wishing a glorious Father’s Day to all you dads.

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How to Navigate the U.S. Healthcare System Labyrinth

Posted on June 14, 2025 | Comments Off on How to Navigate the U.S. Healthcare System Labyrinth

Opthalmologist Dr. Will Flannery has put together a whimsical guide to the U. S. healthcare system. Well worth your time if you’re relatively new to the system and need help understanding deductibles, co-pays, out-of-pocket maximums (hint: they’re not really maximums), in-network, out-of-network, vertical integration, “surprise” medical bills, etc. I was particularly impressed with the section on fighting claim denials; I hope I remember to re-read it when the time comes.

Dr. Glaucomflecken’s Incredibly Uplifting and Really Fun Guide to American Healthcare.

Remember how Obamacare was supposed to make healthcare more affordable? From the guide, “The 2025 out-of-pocket maximum for an Affordable Care Act plan can’t be more than $9,200 for an individual and $18,400 for a family.” When half of Americans can’t afford an emergency $500 bill, how do they pay up to $9,200?

Dr. Glaucomflecken also offers some system improvements that I also advocate in my latest book, Resuscitating U.S. Healthcare: An Insider’s Manifesto for Reform.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Healthcare Reform

Study Links Diet Drinks to Increased Death Risk

Posted on May 21, 2025 | Comments Off on Study Links Diet Drinks to Increased Death Risk

A July 2024 article in the July 31, 2024, Nutrition Journal suggests that artificially sweetened beverage consumption may cause increase risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular disease. From the abstract:

Our systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated a higher consumption of artificially sweetened beverages in relation to higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, whereas no relationship of artificially sweetened beverages with cancer mortality was observed. Compared with the participants in the lowest category of artificially sweetened beverage intakes, those in the highest category had a 13% higher risk of premature death from any cause, and a 26% higher risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease) mortality. Each one additional serving increase in artificially sweetened beverage consumption was associated with 6% and 7% higher risk for all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively. In a dose-response meta-analysis, we also observed a linear association of artificially sweetened beverage consumption with CVD mortality, with a non-linear positive association of artificially sweetened beverages with all-cause mortality. Despite this, substitution of sugary sweetened beverages with artificially sweetened beverages was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. Various sensitivity analyses and subgroups analyses demonstrated the robustness of the pooled associations. Per NutriGrade, quality of the overall evidence was scored moderate for CVD mortality and all-cause mortality.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Heart Disease, Longevity

You May Benefit From a Diet That Lowers Your CRP (c-reactive protein)

Posted on April 25, 2025 | Comments Off on You May Benefit From a Diet That Lowers Your CRP (c-reactive protein)

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a bloodstream marker of body-wide inflammation. A prominent theory is that if your CRP is too high, it causes chronic disease states like hypertension, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. A 2024 meta-analysis published in British Journal of Nutrition looked at the effects of various diets on CRP. The implication is that your odds of developing particular chronic diseases is lowered if you adopt a diet that lowers your CRP. Check the Abstract below to see how your diet stacks up:

Adopting a healthy dietary pattern may be an initial step in combating inflammation-related chronic diseases; however, a comprehensive synthesis evaluating current evidence is lacking. This umbrella review aimed to summarise the current evidence on the effects of dietary patterns on circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in adults. We conducted an exhaustive search of the Pubmed, Scopus and Epistemonikos databases, spanning from their inception to November 2023, to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses across all study designs. Subsequently, we employed a random-effects model to recompute the pooled mean difference. Methodological quality was assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) checklist, and evidence certainty was categorised as non-significant, weak, suggestive, highly suggestive or convincing (PROSPERO: CRD42023484917). We included twenty-seven articles with thirty meta-analyses of seven dietary patterns, fifteen of which (50 %) exhibited high methodological quality. The summary effects of randomised controlled trials (RCT) found that the Mediterranean diet was the most effective in reducing circulating CRP levels, followed by Vegetarian/Vegan and Energy-restricted diets, though the evidence was of weak quality. In contrast, Intermittent Fasting, Ketogenic, Nordic and Paleolithic diets did not show an inverse correlation with circulating CRP levels. Some results from combined interventional and observational studies, as well as solely observational studies, also agreed with these findings. These dietary patterns show the potential in reducing CRP levels in adults, yet the lack of high-quality evidence suggests future studies may alter the summary estimates. Therefore, further well-conducted studies are warranted.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Dementia, Heart Disease

Is Basic Alzheimer Disease Research Fraudulent?

Posted on April 5, 2025 | Comments Off on Is Basic Alzheimer Disease Research Fraudulent?
MRI scan of brain

Science magazine has been investigating this for six months. This is disturbing, to say the least.

For several decades, a leading theory on the “cause” of Alzheimer disease is that a toxic protein called beta amyloid builds up in certain parts of the brain, impairing function. If that’s true, the next questions are 1) why does the protein accumulate, and 2) what can be done to prevent it.

From ABC News:

Allegations that part of a key 2006 study of Alzheimer’s disease may have been fabricated have rocked the research community, calling into question the validity of the study’s influential results.

Science magazine said Thursday that it uncovered evidence that images in the much-cited study, published 16 years ago in the journal Nature, may have been doctored.

***

More than $1 billion of government funding, through the National Institutes of Health, has been directed to amyloid-related Alzheimer’s research. While the investigation suggests that studies of Aβ*56 should be opened up to new scrutiny, experts said the entire theory shouldn’t be discredited.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Dementia

Now Available at Fire Sale Price: “Resuscitating U.S. Healthcare: An Insider’s Manifesto for Reform”

Posted on April 4, 2025 | Comments Off on Now Available at Fire Sale Price: “Resuscitating U.S. Healthcare: An Insider’s Manifesto for Reform”

I’d be much appreciative of some Amazon reviews of my 2024 book, Resuscitating U.S. Healthcare: An Insider’s Manifesto for Reform.

To make the book available to more readers, I just dramatically reduced the price at the U.S. Amazon store. $2.99 for the e-book (Kindle) or $9.95 for the paperback. I don’t know how long the prices will stay this low.

If you’re curious, at those prices Amazon pays me $2.06 for each e-book sold, and $2.74 for the paperback.

I don’t care if you leave a favorable or bad review at Amazon. Just be honest. I’ll incorporate helpful and insightful criticism into the 2nd edition.

BTW, Luigi Mangioni’s manifesto was under 300 words. Mine’s about 35,000. But it’s a quick read.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Healthcare Reform

Relax With 10 Minutes of Beautiful Music and Art

Posted on April 4, 2025 | Comments Off on Relax With 10 Minutes of Beautiful Music and Art

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Peace on Earth, Good Will to All Men

Posted on December 24, 2024 | Comments Off on Peace on Earth, Good Will to All Men

From the Holy Bible (NIV), Matthew 22:36-40:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Or if you prefer, click for a written account of The Christmas Truce of 1914.

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Progression of Polycystic Kidney Disease is Preventable

Posted on December 10, 2024 | Comments Off on Progression of Polycystic Kidney Disease is Preventable
The nephron is the microscopic structural and functional unit of the kidney.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited cause of end-stage kidney disease and affects 500,000 Americans. It is characterized by fluid-filled cysts in both kidneys and gradual deterioration of kidney function. By age 70, affected folks constitute as much as 10% of the end-stage kidney disease population.

Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease is much less common but is more severe.

Trust me, you want to maintain normal kidney function if possible. In ADPKD, standard interventions include adequate fluid consumption, dietary sodium restriction, and keeping blood pressure below 120-125/80 mmHg.

A 2024 article in Nutrients suggests other potentially helpful dietary interventions: carbohydrate restriction and ketogenic diets. Also, avoid kidney stone formation.

Understanding chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the lens of evolutionary biology highlights the mismatch between our Paleolithic-optimized genes and modern diets, which led to the dramatically increased prevalence of CKD in modern societies. In particular, the Standard American Diet (SAD), high in carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, causes conditions like type 2 diabetes (T2D), chronic inflammation, and hypertension, leading to CKD. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a genetic form of CKD, is characterized by progressive renal cystogenesis that leads to renal failure. This review challenges the fatalistic view of ADPKD as solely a genetic disease. We argue that, just like non-genetic CKD, modern dietary practices, lifestyle, and environmental exposures initiate and accelerate ADPKD progression. Evidence shows that carbohydrate overconsumption, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance significantly impact renal health. Additionally, factors like dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, nephrotoxin exposure, gastrointestinal dysbiosis, and renal microcrystal formation exacerbate ADPKD. Conversely, carbohydrate restriction, ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT), and antagonizing the lithogenic risk show promise in slowing ADPKD progression. Addressing disease triggers through dietary modifications and lifestyle changes offers a conservative, non-pharmacological strategy for disease modification in ADPKD. This comprehensive review underscores the urgency of integrating diet and lifestyle factors into the clinical management of ADPKD to mitigate disease progression, improve patient outcomes, and offer therapeutic choices that can be implemented worldwide at low or no cost to healthcare payers and patients.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: Compared to the Standard American Diet, the Paleobetic Diet is much lower in carbohydrate content.

front cover of Paleobetic Diet

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Hip and Knee Degenerative Joint Disease: Does Exercise Help or Hurt?

Posted on December 7, 2024 | Comments Off on Hip and Knee Degenerative Joint Disease: Does Exercise Help or Hurt?
“Free knee CT scan image“/ CC0 1.0

Therapeutic exercise helps a little. But don’t expect a dramatic improvement, according to this 2023 study published at The Lancet Rheumatology. The benefits tend to accrue to patients who are in most pain and most physically impaired at baseline.

If you’re carrying a lot of excess weight, it only stands to reason that weight loss would take some stress off those worn-out joints. Let me help.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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Posted in Knee Pain, Uncategorized