Topic: Preventative Care
Continued Smoking After Cancer Raises Recurrence Risk
African American cancer survivors should make a deliberate effort to stop smoking because cancer recurrence or return was much higher in cancer patients who continued to smoke. In this study done at Wayne State in Detroit, Black patients were more…
Displaced: Why African Americans Need Their Own Multivitamin.
As descendants from Africa, African Americans were genetically conditioned to best survive in a hot, sunny, mineral rich land. The continent of Africa is known for its fertile land and renowned as the “richest continent in the world” in terms…
The Best Multivitamins for African Americans
Which multivitamin should I take? As a physician, I get this question multiple times a day, every day. And the answer would frequently depend on who was asking. Are they younger or older? Male or female? How is their diet? …
Low Vitamin D in African Americans
African Americans Have Low Vitamin D Vitamin D is acquired through diet and skin exposure to ultraviolet B light. The skin's production of vitamin D is determined by length of exposure, latitude, season, and degree of skin pigmentation. African Americans…
Heavy Smokers at Higher Risk for Diabetes
African American smokers have a higher risk for diabetes A large study consisting of over five thousand African Americans found that those African Americans who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes in a day were at increased diabetes risk. …
Prostate Cancer in African American Men
Prostate cancer in African American men is more deadly, occurs more often, and can be easily detected by a blood test called a "prostate specific antigen" or "PSA." Yet many doctors have been advised against checking for this cancer because…
Genetic Clues Are Ignored By Too Many Doctors
With the availability of home genetic testing kits from companies such as “23andMe” and “Ancestry DNA,” more people will be getting information about their genetic lineage and what races and ethnicities of the world are included in their DNA.Geneticists, meanwhile,…
Smoking is an Addiction
Smoking isn't a habit, Smoking is an addiction. As I encounter tobacco smokers in my practice, my family, and in the community, one supreme issue comes through: smoking for these "hold-outs" despite smoke-free practices, taxes, and in-your-face campaigns is smoking is an…
Flu Shot
Why it's your job to get a flu shot – and call in sick if you do get the flu Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Columbia University Medical Center Seasonal influenza is a major global health concern. Worldwide, annual influenza epidemics result…
Medicare Annual Preventive Health Exam
If you are 65 years or older, you are entitled to a Medicare annual preventive health exam that is covered at no additional cost. During this visit, we will review your social and medical history including family risks, tobacco and…
