Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness without effective treatment. Yet it may, in fact, be largely preventable. The first shocking fact to absorb is that the pathogenesis is largely extracranial, though assuredly not entirely so. That clea…
Category: Neurology
A couple’s journey with a rare neurodegenerative disorder
It was in 2012 that I started to realize that my wife Jennifer’s memory lapses were a significant sign to be taken seriously. That insight set us on a four-year journey, during which we engaged four neurologists in our quest for an answer. At las…
Physicians’ real problem isn’t burnout [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “Let’s ask which elements of our system support this and promote and enhance those elements. If anything takes time or focus away from the main principle, let’s remove or replace it. …
Timely treatment decisions: the promise of surrogate markers
Driving around, searching for children’s Tylenol and a pharmacy that had the antibiotics my son needed, was not how I wanted to spend the holidays. I am not alone – shelves are bare, and antibiotics are in short supply as we head into the n…
In light of Chris Hemsworth’s APOE news: Don’t panic
Recent news on actor Chris Hemsworth and his genetic test has been widely covered in the media. The actor said he is taking a break from acting after learning he has a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. I learned this from my teen…
Managing key risk factors may lower your dementia risk
Close to 6 million adults in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia, according to CDC data. And that number will grow as the U.S. population ages. The number of people with Alzheimer’s and relat…
Dementia peels back the layers of our lives
When you begin to pay close attention, you notice how what used to be so easy becomes complicated. When you step back and watch things unfold in front of you, you realize that what once was enough is simply too much. Dementia peels back the layers of o…
It’s not brain surgery: People with Parkinson’s need better care in the hospital
One year ago, I had brain surgery. The surgery was a success, and the hospital stay almost killed me. I am one in a million; one of the 1 million people in the U.S. diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a degenerative neurological disorder tha…
Take steps (literally) to prevent dementia
A recent study out of England found that walking just under 10,000 steps a day reduces a person’s risk of developing dementia by 50 percent. Pick up the pace to a “brisk” walk (over 40 steps per minute), and that risk goes down even f…
Managing migraine in women: How doctors can help women get back to living their lives
This article is sponsored by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. While everyone has dealt with a headache at some time in their life, migraine is more than “just a headache.” This I can say from my own experience is true. As a headache specialist wit…
