Your Financial Future Has a Plan. What About Your Health?
I was a medical student when I first heard the phrase ‘invest like a doctor’. That isn’t a compliment. Doctors are notorious for their poor investment strategies. They fall for get-rich-quick schemes, and they tend to manage their money poorly. Just because you are smart in one area, healthcare, doesn’t mean that you are smart in all areas. That phrase is one of the reasons I obtained my MBA from the Carlson School of Management during my surgical residency. I wanted to make sure I was never one of THOSE doctors.
That doesn’t mean that I manage my own finances. Could I? Maybe. Should I? No. Many successful people have a financial advisor, an estate attorney and a tax strategist. But who do they turn to for their health?
Why Your Doctor Should Be Prescribing Exercise
By Jen Ahlberg, PhD
If there were a pill that could reduce your risk of heart disease by 40%, slash your risk of type 2 diabetes by 50%, and significantly lower your chances of depression and dementia—all with zero negative side effects—it would be the most profitable drug in human history.
Your doctor would be negligent not to prescribe it.
Yet, this "miracle drug" already exists. It’s called exercise. But for most of us, it’s treated as a "lifestyle recommendation" rather than a clinical necessity. It’s time we stop viewing the gym as a hobby and start viewing it as the most powerful pharmacy on the planet.
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women. Primer Part 1: Estrogen
By Lael Luedtke, MD
As was discussed in our previous post, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), treats more than hot flashes and night sweats, and it involves more than estrogen. However, estrogen is the foundational hormone to address the myriad manifestations of menopause and is available commercially in many forms, so we will start here. Individual goals and needs are the most important determinants of the “best” option for any woman.
Optimization must take into consideration all the consequences of perimenopause and menopause, and this includes both symptoms that are obvious and other changes that are harder to notice. Of course, the vasomotor symptoms (night sweats and hot flashes) impact quality of life immediately, and we want to address that. B but arguably, other aspects of menopause have less noticeable symptoms but an even greater impacts on women’s healthspan. For example, , such as bone density and fracture risk are key elements that we also need to worry aboutk even though they are less symptomatic in the moment. The best choice also depends on whether the patient is looking at systemic versus localized vaginal HRT.
Hormone Replacement in Menopause: Not Just Estrogen and Not Just Patches
by Lael Luedtke, MD
Menopause and its associated impacts on women’s health have finally emerged from the darkness in the last few years. For generations, menopause has been seen as an inevitable event that must be endured. Now “the change” is recognized, discussed and investigated for the dramatic impact it has on the well-being of women as they age. You’ve probably heard it discussed in podcasts. You might have seen well funded start-up businesses focusing on menopause treatment. But what does the science tell us about what is effective to help women navigate this change?
The Prescription Your Doctor Doesn’t Write
by Chuck Svendsen, MD
I have a prescription that I give to all my patients, and it's quite remarkable. Here are some of the statistics around it. This treatment is just as effective as any of the medications currently available for heart failure, prediabetes, and coronary artery disease.1 It has also been found to be markedly superior to blood thinners in the treatment of stroke rehabilitation. Additionally, it has been shown to yield a consistent 50% reduction in all-cause mortality when comparing individuals that take it with those who do not.2 So, what is this miracle drug? If you haven't already guessed, it's exercise.
Why Accountability is the MVP of Your Fitness Journey
by Jen Ahlberg, PhD
We’ve all been there. It’s January 1st (or a random Monday), and you’re ready to make big changes. You bought the new shoes, prepped the meals, and promised yourself that this time is the time.