Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disease that is the most common cause of dementia. It causes progressive destructive and irreversible changes in the brain. A common feature is the accumulation of a protein called amyloid-β in the form of plaques and tau tangles. Both are thought to cause brain cell death. Although among the most likely candidates, they have not yet been shown to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. In a blog from 2 years ago a newly approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease named aducanumab was discussed. At the time I thought the medication had not been proven to […]
Category: BeMedWise
Politics Affect Interpretation of COVID Science, Prolong Pandemic
This article originally appeared on BeMedWise. An up-to-date version can be found here. The response to COVID-19 is still a political issue and the resulting division between political parties within the United States has persisted and is still having an adverse effect on the pandemic. The division began almost as soon as the presence of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in this country. Much of this division was the result of some politicians downplaying the pandemic for political reasons by giving false information: it doesn’t look good to voters to have a major pandemic during your term in office. Another […]
COVID-19: Omicron Variant and Beyond
This article originally appeared on BeMedWise. An up-to-date version can be found here. Omicron BA.1 has had a major impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the multiple differences from the Delta variant, the Omicron variant has prolonged and intensified the pandemic, made COVID more difficult to treat, and reduced the effectiveness of currently available coronavirus vaccines and infections from previous variants to prevent further spreading and disease. A new Omicron variant, BA.2, has now entered the picture, although its impact on the epidemic is as yet unknown. The good news is that both Omicron variants are generally milder illnesses. […]
Talk About Your Medicines To Make Sense of Your Meds
October has been observed as Talk About Your Medicines Month (TAYMM) for over 35 years. Started by the BeMedWise Program at NeedyMeds, the awareness month is an annual opportunity to spotlight safe medicine use with the goal of improved health outcomes. This year’s theme is Understanding Medicine Labels – Making sense of your meds. Confusion about when and how much of a medicine can take can make treatments less effective, cause serious side effects or drug interactions, and negatively affect adherence. Our goal is to empower patients to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of the medications they are […]
Talk About Your Medicines Month
October marks the BeMedWise Program at NeedyMeds’ 34th Talk About Your Medicines Month (TAYMM). This is an annual opportunity to focus attention on the value that enhanced provider-patient communication about medicines can play in promoting safe and appropriate medicine use and improved health outcomes. Communication is a two-way street: consumers benefit from being proactive in asking questions and seeking information about their medicines, and healthcare providers in turn must be able to share medical information in a meaningful way that their patients are able to understand and act on. This year’s theme for TAYMM is Preventing Opioid Misuse and Abuse […]