Your Doctor Friends

Do you remember "scoliosis check" during middle school? That embarrassing moment where, as a 12/13 year old, you had to do a shirtless forward fold in front of the school nurse?? MORTIFYING. Perhaps you never had to live through this torture. Or perhaps, even WORSE, you were told by said nurse that your screen was POSITIVE, and now your parents had to know! And they would have to *gasp* take you to the doctor to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN! Nightmare! Well, thankfully we've come a long way since then! And today we have insights from TWO guests in the world of scoliosis to educate us! We invited our friend and colleague, Chris DeWald, MD, who between him and his father, have over 60 years of experience treating scoliosis patients. Dr. DeWald is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, who specializes in spine deformity, and is legit one of the kindest people on the planet :) And to add a different dimension, we asked Lauren Higginson, the founder of Higgy Bears, and a scoliosis patient herself, to give her insights into living with this condition, the observations she has from her community and her thoughts on screening. You may be met with a twists and turns in life (or in your spine), either way we are here for you :) Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

PART 2 of our coverage of young-onset colorectal cancer! This week our guest is an Oncology expert, here to give us in-depth information about colorectal cancer, with actionable items on how we can protect ourselves. Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.  Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45! Your Doctor Friends are happy to present a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :) Welcome, Meena Sadaps, MD! Dr. Sadaps is a board certified oncologist and assistant professor with Your Doctor Friends at Rush, and practices at the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. She attended Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University before completing residency and fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. HEADS UP! The Colorectal Cancer Alliance Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend! If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance! Resources for this episode include: A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer. The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.  Those numbers are rising about 1-2% percent each year, and researchers are still finding out why.  Young adults are the only population group experiencing an increase in colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer is currently the deadliest cancer among young men and the second deadliest among young women. In August 2020, the world lost amazing actor, Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, to colorectal cancer at the age of 43. Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45! Sharing personal experiences, and highlighting the stories of people touched by colorectal cancer is POWERFUL, and the ripple effects flow far. Your Doctor Friends are SO HONORED to highlight two wonderful individuals on this episode- Ashley Bowman, MHA and Dawn Schneider, PhD, MBA. Ashley and Dawn have quite a bit in common- they are both advocate volunteers at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, members of the Never Too Young Taskforce Advisory Board, and unfortunately both lost sisters to young-onset colorectal cancer. Ashley and Dawn share their amazing, heartbreaking, and inspiring personal stories in this episode. We are so grateful! We will follow up next week with a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :) HEADS UP! The Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend! (Julie is already shopping for a fancy blue outfit :) COME JOIN US! Opportunities to register for the event CLOSE ON TUESDAY 4/23/24 (the day THIS EPISODE DROPS)! If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance! Resources for this episode include: A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer. The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Ashley Bowman! A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Dawn Schneider! Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

What happens when you turn 40 (and you also have boobs)? Well, since May 2023, the USPSTF has recommended that women at average risk for breast cancer start screening with mammograms beginning at age 40, and undergo mammography every other year.  These updated recommendations are still “in progress” and the USPSTF cites the urgent need for more research on:  breast cancer screening for people with dense breasts (nearly half of all women),  how to particularly protect women of color In the US, there exists a long history of health disparities across screening and treatment for breast cancer.  The Task Force discusses, for example, that Black women are 40% more likely to die than White women, and too often get aggressive cancers at young ages.  So, Your Doctor Friends are taking a page from America’s Sweetheart (and breast cancer survivor herself) Katie Couric. You may remember Katie both underwent a colonoscopy AND a mammogram on the Today Show, and YDF Julie wants to do the next best thing- consult with a breast cancer expert before she gets her FIRST EVER MAMMOGRAM! Your Doctor Friends have the absolute honor to present our guest today, a consummate badass, breast cancer survivor and breast surgeon, to walk Julie through her own personal risk assessment and screening process for breast cancer.  Finally, we want to take some time at the end of this episode to share the story of a dear friend and colleague, a fellow sports medicine doctor, and absolute amazing human being, who very recently lost her life to breast cancer. She is the inspiration for this episode and Your Doctor Friends think it’s important to talk about her, and are so grateful to her family for their consent to share her story.  Learn more about Dr. Kristin Abbott here. Alright, let’s get on with it, can we answer the question: Can I protect myself from breast cancer? ENTER Dr. Liz O’Riordan to help us find out! Dr O'Riordan is an expert breast surgeon who has had breast cancer three times. She's a best-selling author, speaker, broadcaster and podcaster and is a trusted source of reliable information.  She shares helpful, approachable, valid breast cancer information online, we found her via her IG account @oriordanliz, she also has a podcast called “So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer”, and she’s published tons of helpful work, including her book “The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer” and her memoir “Under the Knife”. She also has her own wikipedia page, which is pretty rad :) Resources for today's episode include: Dr. O'Riordan's website. Link to the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator for breast cancer. The USPSTF's "In Progress" updated guidelines for breast cancer screening. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's info page on updated USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

In the 1990s, a chain email circulated around the series-of-tubes we called the internet, suggesting that aluminum-containing antiperspirants clogged your sweat pores, thus disallowing your body to “purge itself of toxins”, and those "toxins" would accumulate in your axillary lymph nodes, and increase your risk of breast cancer. Yikes. Predating the "antiperspirant-will-give-you-breast-cancer" chain email scare, animal studies in the 1960s suggested a link between aluminum in antiperspirants (which were just becoming popular in postwar America) and Alzheimer's disease. These rabbit studies showed brain neurotoxic effects when the animals were exposed to very high levels of aluminum. In the past several decades, researchers have investigated whether these loose correlations/hypotheses held any water (spoiler: they don't). In today's episode, Your Doctor Friends want to debunk and demystify the data around the potential "risks' around aluminum-containing antiperspirants! Should you ditch the standard roll-on? Switch to a "natural" alternative? OR.. is this all just a case of "all stink and no fire"?? Sources for today's episode include: The NIH National Cancer Institute's fact sheet page on antiperspirants and breast cancer. A 2017 review in Deutsches Arzteblatt International journal titled "The Health Effects of Aluminum Exposure." A 2019 comprehensive review on sweat gland function by Lindsay B. Baker PhD, director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute. A Scientific American article titled "Fact or Fiction: Antiperspirants Do More Than Block Sweat". A 2021 Canadian study published in NeuroToxicology investigating association between aluminum in drinking water and risk of Alzheimer's disease risk. A Healthline article from 2022 titled "Is There a Link Between Aluminum and Alzheimer's?". A 2021 NYT article titled "Are Natural Deodorants Really Better For You?". AND FINALLY- a 2017 article from The World Textile Conference called "A novel washing algorithm for underarm stain removal" - which was the closest thing to scientific data explaining WHAT MAKES YELLOW ARMPIT STAINS! Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

What does the term "microplastics" mean to you? Why is seemingly everyone talking about them lately?  A new study published on March 6th in the New England Journal of Medicine titled, “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events" has been circulating around the internet, and raises concerns about the risk of exposure to microplastics and long-term adverse health outcomes. What does this study suggest? What does the other data about microplastics show? Our exposure to plastics is ubiquitous; its in our packaging, our clothing, in our air and water. The chemical additives used in plastics manufacturing are also worrisome, as they have demonstrated adverse health effects in animal models. As we have hammered home in many prior episodes, DOSE and EXPOSURE matter when it comes to risk of harm from a particular substance. The same rules seem to apply for microplastics. In today's episode, Jeremy explains what we do and don't know about the risks of long term exposure to microplastics. He ends with some actionable items on how you can choose to limit your exposure with some simple daily behavioral changes. Resources for this episode include: The very recent NEJM article titled "Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events". A 2022 Frontiers in Endocrinology study regarding endocrine changes in mammals related to exposure to micro/nano plastics. A May 2023 article from National Geographic titled "Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?" A March 19th, 2024 Everyday Health article on microplastics. An EcoWatch article titled "10 Simple Ways to Avoid Microplastics in Your Everyday Life". Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Vaping. E-cigarettes. Heat sticks. They're super popular (especially among young people)- an estimated 22 MILLION e-cigarettes are sold in the US every MONTH. As we have (thankfully) seen traditional combustible tobacco cigarette smoking decline over the past couple decades, the flip side is an astronomical increase in vaping. Many e-cigarette brands market themselves as a safer, healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, calling their vape products "ENDS" or "electronic nicotine delivery systems". Is this reality? Is vaping less harmful to you than smoking? Your Doctor Friends want to clear the air, make the conversation about vaping a little less foggy. Today we will answer questions like: How does vaping affect our health directly? What does the research show about the risks of vaping with respect to cardiovascular problems, cancer, or lung disease? What the heck is "popcorn lung"? What about VAPI (vaping associated pulmonary injury)? What does nicotine alone do to our bodies? How much nicotine is in a vape? A cigarette? What's actually in vape aerosol/mist? How is it different than cigarette smoke? Is it bad for me? Is vaping instead of smoking actually good "harm reduction"? How are e-cigarettes marketed specifically to kids and young adults? Why? What should we do about it? Let's all inform ourselves about the issues surrounding vaping/e-cigarettes, so we can all breathe easier! Resources for today's episode include: A 2022 Tobacco Use Insights journal review of literature on e-cigarette harm vs harm reduction. A March 11, 2024 study and discussion in Pediatrics journal about disposable e-cigarettes, use patterns in youth, and how to counteract the tobacco industry's "reduced-harm" marketing tropes. An August 2023 JAMA article about youth flavored e-cigarette use before and after partial flavoring bans. A Guardian article about the amount of nicotine in vapes vs cigarettes. A 2023 article in Advances in Respiratory Medicine outlining the data on vaping and cancer risk. Results from the 2023 FDA Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey. A 2016 study in Environmental Health Perspectives about acrolein, diacetyl, and other chemicals found in flavored e-cigarettes. A 2019 Cureus article about vitamin E acetate as plausible cause of acute vaping-related lung illness. A 1/24/24 CNN article about the lack of progress on the US menthol cigarette ban. Wikipedia article on "bronchiolitis obliterans". A December 2023 WHO news release about the urgent need to protect children and prevent uptake of e-cigarettes. A 2023 Cureus meta-analysis on risks of vaping on cardiovascular disease. An October 2023 Pediatrics journal article outlining vaping cessation methods used by US adolescent e-cigarette users. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Another foray into the wide world of SUPPLEMENTS, friends! Let's talk COLLAGEN this time. What IS collagen? Well, in short, it's, uh... us. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It accounts for about 30% of your body’s total protein.  It is the primary building block of your body’s connective tissues: skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, etc. So.. does consuming it (as marketed by supplement companies) actually IMPROVE any of those parts of you?? Or is this just another trick by the "wellness" industry to freak us out (even more) about bodily changes that the majority of human beings will experience, to some degree, in the normal course of aging? This week Jeremy presents a detailed dissertation on collagen consumption! Your Doctor Friends aim to answer all your collagen questions! What does the research suggest? Can we even absorb collagen by eating it in supplement form? Can it improve your skin? What about your joints? Does it make arthritis better? Is there a particular TYPE of collagen that has potential positive impact on our health? Is it crazy expensive?? Am I eating BONES?? (listen in to find out ;) Resources for today's episode include: The Cleveland Clinic's informational page about collagen. An article/lit review/meta-analysis from the American Journal of Translational Research evaluating the efficacy of undenatured collagen in knee osteoarthritis. An International Journal of Dermatology systematic review/meta-analysis on the effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging. A systematic review/meta-analysis in Nutrients on the effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging. A 2023 Cureus meta-analysis on hydrolyzed oral collagen supplementation on skin rejuvenation. A Nutrients study on type-2 chicken hydrolyzed collagen supplements to alleviate joint discomfort. A Washington Post article from 1/29/24 titled "Should I be taking collagen supplements? Here's what the science says." An Elle News article from Feb 2024 all about collagen drinks. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Baseball is back! Spring training cactus (and grapefruit!) leagues are in full swing, and the sports community is all abuzz with prognostications for the upcoming season. Pop quiz, dear listener! Shohei Ohtani. Bryce Harper. Kerry Wood. Jose Canseco. Chris Sale. What do they have in common? They're all Major League Baseball players, and they all (in addition to over 1,000 other MLB players) underwent Tommy John ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) surgery. Until the last 10 years or so, orthopedic surgeons performed Tommy John/UCL reconstruction surgery almost exclusively on professional baseball pitchers. However, with increased specialization of younger athletes, and increased demands on young athletes' throwing arms, the rate of UCL elbow injuries has skyrocketed. Young athletes aged 17-22 are the most common group receiving this surgery. Why?? Is blowing out your UCL "inevitable" in an overhead athlete? What factors come into play that increase risk of UCL tears? Can we prevent these injuries? How?? Thankfully we have brought our friend and colleague, and baseball injury specialist, Nikhil Verma, MD, to tease out everything "Tommy John"! Dr. Verma is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine, and has worked at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH since 2004. He is currently the head team physician for the Chicago White Sox (since 2017, taking over for one of our former guests, Dr. Chuck Bush Joseph), and is the director of the Sports Medicine division and is Program Director for the sports medicine surgical fellowship at RUSH.  He has robust research and academic presence, with tons of publications under his belt, and he is an associate editor for the Arthroscopy Journal, and on the editorial board for the Journal of Knee Surgery. He is a member of numerous academic societies in orthopedics, sports medicine, and Major League Baseball.  He also has been elected by his peers to “Best Doctors in America” every year since 2007, which is quite fitting as he is a wonderful human being and beloved colleague :) He also recorded this episode with Your Doctor Friends while driving in his car on the way to the airport to fly out to Spring Training in Arizona to help out his beloved White Sox, now that's dedication! Resources for today's episode include: Dr. Verma's MOR website, his professional website, and his Instagram page! A 2016 article in The Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine (featuring Dr. Verma as a collaborating author) titled "Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: The Rush Experience". MLB.com "Pitch Smart" program article titled "Tommy John FAQ" featuring legendary sports orthopedic surgeon, Dr. James Andrews. A "Yankee Blue" article titled "Tommy John Is Not Related to Tommy John Underwear" :) Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Daylight saving time. When it happens twice a year, do you find yourself forgetting which one is the “bad one”? We know “spring forward, fall back”, and the “spring forward” part sounds deceptively perky and positive, but really it’s the BAD ONE! Meaning, we lose an hour by shifting the clock forward. What a crock! Our circadian rhythms are so interesting, and drive so many facets of our physical and mental health. A recent article posted by Rush University Medical Center highlighted the detrimental effects that spring daylight saving time can wreak on our bodies and minds. The article features sleep medicine specialist, James Wyatt, PhD (who coincidentally taught Jeremy and Julie about sleep medicine in medical school!), who explains how the sleep science community recognizes the research-backed hypothesis that daylight saving time poses risks to our health. While the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, as well as more than a dozen other organizations, publicly recognize that public health and safety would benefit from the elimination of daylight saving time, there’s no way to know if the policy will ever change in the US. So, since we are forced to “spring forward” this Sunday, March 10th, we decided to devote an episode to how the time shift affects us, and if we can take steps to mitigate the disruption we feel during daylight saving time! Also, enjoy a little dessert story, brought to our attention by our friends from the Bananas podcast, Kurt Braunohler and Scotty Landes, where we discuss the "VIBES pill", an ingestible motorized vibrating pill currently under research, that, when ingested before a meal, mimics the feeling of fullness. What a strange world we live in, folks! So, friends, are you ready to spring into action?? Resources for today's episode include: A Rush Stories article titled "Dreading the Spring Forward? You're Not Alone." A Johns Hopkins article titled "7 Things to Know About Daylight Savings Time." The American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2019 Sleep Prioritization Study results. A Science Daily article highlighting a study by the American Academy of Neurology, titled "Does daylight saving time increase risk of stroke?" A PLOS article titled "Measurable health effects associated with the daylight saving time shift." A 2018 article from The Energy Journal, titled "Does Daylight Saving Save Electricity? A Meta-Analysis." A December 2023 article in Science Advances titled "A vibrating ingestible bioelectronic stimulator modulates gastric stretch receptors for illusory satiety." Link to the Bananas podcast (the Jan 30th, 2024 episode includes the VIBES pill story :) Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Belly up to the buffet, friends! This week, Your Doctor Friends serve a smattering of hot health headlines. Jeremy and Julie curated these stories for YOU, and they are also available via our monthly newsletter, the PULSE CHECK! This week's topics include: The Alabama Supreme Court IVF ruling. Jeremy gives us an overview of the state high court's ruling, and discusses what it may mean for reproductive healthcare delivery. The Florida measles outbreak, including the Florida surgeon general's baffling, science-defying recommendations re: unvaccinated children school attendance during the outbreak. Kim Kardashian is back, and she's got more less-than-sound medical advice for us! This time, its about tanning beds and treatment of psoriasis! Piggybacking a story highlighted by The Daily podcast - the national body that certifies lactation consultants is investigating whether a consultant in Boise, Idaho, has been inappropriately pushing an unproven procedure on new mothers struggling to breastfeed. The FDA released a statement urging people to avoid using smartwatches/rings to measure blood glucose. An NBC News article titled "Black people have the highest rates of death from heart disease. Could more Black cardiologists help?" - what can we do to increase representation in medicine? Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

What does it mean to “have your affairs in order”? Usually, this concept comes up after someone has died or diagnosed with a serious illness. “Did they/do they have their affairs in order?”  What "affairs" are they referring to? Financial allocations? Healthcare power of attorney? Living will? The “legacy contact” for your iPhone?? It’s human to want to put off these decisions/plans since it forces us to confront our own mortality. It's not uncommon to have the occasional existential crisis, and certainly those feelings are less than pleasant... How can we make these things less scary and daunting? What if you had a “doctor friend” to help explain end-of-life planning? Do you think you’d be willing to take action if you understood your options better? Well, in today’s episode, we did just that! We have a wonderful expert in the field of Palliative Care to help us understand how to navigate end-of-life care, both for ourselves and for the loved ones in our lives. Welcome, Matthew Tyler, MD! Dr. Tyler was a fellowship-trained in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Northwestern University. He is the Section Chief of Hospice and Palliative care at Ascension Healthcare. He has been providing care for patients in their homes, in the clinic, and in the hospital for over a decade.  He also has a BIG social media presence, with the Instagram and YouTube handle of “How To Train Your Doctor”, where he provides meaningful, kind, information regarding palliative care, hospice, and general end-of-life questions for everyone. His website, howtotrainyourdoctor.com, provides support and resources for navigating serious illness, and is totally free, and so incredibly helpful! Topics covered in today's episode include: What is "hospice"? How is it different than "palliative care"? How does someone qualify for hospice care? Is it covered by insurance? Where is hospice care provided? In a hospital? Nursing home? At home? What is a "healthcare power of attorney"? What is a "living will"? How can you create one? Does "advance directive" mean the same thing? What does "DNR" mean? Are there other options other than "do everything" and "DNR"? What is "respite care"? Dr. Tyler recommends the following resources: PREPARE for your care- a free online resources to navigate end-of-life care. Five Wishes- tools to guide decision-making for end-of-life care options. The Medicare website "find hospice providers near me". Thanks for tuning in, folks! and please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

GREEN DRINKS! Let's dive in to the murky green waters of the "supergreens" beverages currently sweeping the market! Are they as "super" as they claim? Do our bodies need to supplement all of these substances in the "proprietary blends", presented on the back of the packaging, in barely-pronounceable, long lists? How do we know what's in these powders? Who regulates them? What's the nutritional science behind their main ingredients? Thankfully we have an expert with us today, Christine Blank, MS, RD! Christine is both a chef and registered dietician, and serves as the Team Dietician for the Chicago Bulls. She is a fantastic resource for today's episode, and presents the dietary science behind green superfood beverages, and supplements in general. Topics covered in today's episode include: Do we "need" supplements? What's the best way to meet our dietary needs? How are these supplements tested/verified? Does the FDA get involved? What does "third party tested" mean? What are "adptogens"? What is the science behind ashwagandha? What about rhodiola rosea? What are "phytonutrients"? Which vitamins and minerals are vital for our health? Do we need pills or powders to supplement them? What are pre- and probiotics? What do they do? Do we need to supplement "digestive enzymes"? Which ones? Resources for today's episode: Link to examine.com pages on ashwagandha and rhodiola rosea. A Chinese Medicine journal article re: adaptogens. An article from Nutrients titled "Clinical Evidence of the Benefits of Phytonutrients in Human Healthcare." A 2019 article published in Foods re: prebiotics. The NIH fact sheet on probiotics for health professionals. A 2020 Heliyon article titled "Global analysis of clinical trials with probiotics." A 2017 article in Gut Microbes reviewing meta-analyses re: using probiotics in clinical practice. A 2023 VeryWell article titled "What Are Digestive Enzymes?" A Johns Hopkins Medicine article reviewing digestive enzymes. The YouTube clip from Andrew Huberman re: Athletic Greens. The AG1 commercial Jeremy references in the cold open. Thanks for tuning in, folks! and please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Prebiotics! Probiotics! Symbiotics! Postbiotics! WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Where are all of these "biotics" all living?? Well, the short answer is- they're living inside YOU! Talk about the human gut microbiome is everywhere. We thought it would be helpful to have our expert in gut health, Alessio Fasano, MD to give us insights on the microbiome, and how important it is to our health. You may remember Dr. Fasano from Episode 40- "Is Gluten Bad For Me?"! Dr. Alessio Fasano is a pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and entrepreneur. He is the Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mass General Hospital for Children. Learn more about Dr. Fasano and his research about celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the microbiome here. Link to information on Dr. Fasano's book (with co-author Susie Flaherty) "Gut Feelings: The Microbiome and Our Health". Topics covered in this episode include: What is the gut microbiome? Why is it important? How does the gut microbiome work? What factors influence the composition of the gut microbiome? How can I improve my gut microbiome? What is the connection between the gut microbiome and digestion? Can the gut microbiome affect my mental health? Are there links between the gut microbiome and certain diseases? How can I measure or analyze my gut microbiome? Can I restore my gut microbiome after taking antibiotics? Is the gut microbiome different in individuals of different ages? Can I customize my diet for a healthier gut microbiome? What is the difference between prebiotics/probiotics/symbiotics and postbiotics? Thanks for tuning in, folks! and please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Do you feel like "hibernating" in the winter months? Does the loss of daylight affect your mood? Regardless of whether you tough it out in the northern US in cold winter conditions, or you escape to warmer temperatures down south, none of us are immune to seasonal changes in the amount of daylight hours. The winter solstice comes for us all, whether you’re in Fargo or Fort Lauderdale. Have you ever wondered if you had “seasonal affective disorder”? (As an aside, it's either genius, or a giant bummer that the acronym for this condition is “SAD”).  Today's episode talks all about seasonal affective disorder! Who gets it? Why? How can we treat and/or prevent it? Does staring into a light box actually work? Are medications helpful for SAD? What about behavioral therapy? What does the research show? Bonus topic at the end, Jeremy dives into the recent rise in measles cases in the US, and gives some context as to why that trend may be occurring. We give a brief overview of measles, and clarify the "controversy" over the MMR vaccine (Andrew Wakefield, cough, cough...) Resources for this episode include: The National Institute of Health website for Seasonal Affective Disorder. A 2007 article from Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience titled "The phase shift hypothesis for the circadian component of winter depression". The American Family Physician article from 2012 titled "Seasonal Affective Disorder". The Mayo Clinic website re: choosing a lightbox for SAD. A link to the Rohan et al study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry comparing light therapy to cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of SAD. AND YOU CAN'T MISS this clip of the wonderful Meteorologist (Chicago's Very Own) Tom Skilling feeling overcome with emotion watching a total solar eclipse in 2017 :) Tom Skilling is so pure, we do not deserve him! Thanks for tuning in, folks! and please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Discussion about Ozempic (semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonist medications) is EVERYWHERE. So many opinions! Your Doctor Friends know that sifting through mountains of information on a subject is HARD. Sometimes it helps to "ask a friendly expert", so that's exactly what we did for this episode. Quick plug/required pre-listening for this episode- Your Doctor Friends HIGHLY recommend you listen to the episode of Maintenance Phase on Ozempic- link to the podcast here! We welcome back our friend, and former guest of YDF, Naomi Parrella, MD. Dr. Parrella is a double board-certified physician in family medicine and obesity medicine. She is the Chief of Lifestyle Medicine at Rush University, the Medical Director for Rush University's Center for Weight Loss and Lifestyle Medicine, the Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation within the Department of Surgery and Associate Professor in both the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Surgery. She was also our esteemed guest on EPISODE 3! (Back when we were still called "What The Health?!?" podcast! In this episode, Dr. Parrella helps us navigate the tough questions when it comes to new medications like Ozempic/Wegovy. We discuss some hot topics, including: What is insulin resistance? Can you be fat and metabolically healthy? Does having a "normal BMI"/being thin automatically make you metabolically healthy? What do the STEP trials and the SELECT trial really show us? What does that data mean? Can you take a medication like Ozempic for a short time "just to lose a little weight" and then stop? Should you expect to maintain that weight loss? What are the potential side effects/downsides of medications like Ozempic (GLP-1 agonists)? Why are these meds so damn expensive? Is it like that all over the world? Dr. Parrella recommends the following resources: "Why We Get Sick" by Benjamin Bikman, PhD. "Metabolical" by Robert Lustig, MD. "Brain Energy" by Christopher Palmer, MD. For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Are you a late-night snacker? Do you sometimes get home late and push dinner back to 8 or 9 PM? Perhaps you've heard somewhere that eating right before bed is "bad for you"? Is this true? Does the timing of our eating have any impact on our health? How can we know?? RELAX! Your Doctor Friends have got you covered. To start off the new year (and following our trend of starting January episodes with "resolution-adjacent" topics), Jeremy did a deep dive into the data behind "chrono-nutrition". CHRONO= time, and NUTRITION= well... nutrition. Put them together and you've got the concept of following your body's circadian rhythm to time out your eating habits! What happens when we eat late? Does it affect our sleep? What about our metabolism? Is there benefit to changing up our eating times? Your Doctor Friends have scoured the evidence and would love to present you with a little "book report" to help you decide what works best for YOU. Listen to the end for our "dessert" topic, where Julie discusses the new FDA-approved home testing for sexually-transmitted infections! HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS! It's great to be back :) - J&J Resources for this episode include: An October 2023 article from Clinical Nutrition about chrononutrition using NHANES data. A NYT article titled "Is It Bad to Eat Late at Night?". The CDC website for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A January 2023 article from Verywell Health about chrononutrition. A May 2023 article from Verywell Health titled "Is Eating Before Bed Bad For You?". The NIH webpage discussing circadian rhythms. An NBC News article from November 2023 titled "Will first FDA-approved at-home test for gonorrhea, chlamydia ease the epidemic?". The FDA news release regarding its approval of the "Simple 2" gonorrhea and chlamydia home test. Link to the "Let's Get Checked" website for the "Simple 2" at-home gonorrhea and chlamydia home test. For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Should I try Dry January? How about Damp January?? Many folks who choose to imbibe alcohol may have considered curbing consumption on occasion, and a fair amount of people choose January to give it a go. On the theme of "New Year's Resolutions", in this episode we tackle some hard truths about hard drinks, and we have a wonderful expert guest to guide us. Dr. Gail Basch is a Psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine specialist and director of the Outpatient Addiction Clinic at Rush University Medical Center and fellowship director for the Addiction Medicine fellowship at Rush. Dr. Basch helps us tackle our tough alcohol-related questions and aids us in being introspective in our relationship with drinking. Topics covered include: What amount of drinking is "healthy" according to the WHO? Is "abstinence only" the only treatment for alcohol use disorder? What is "California Dry"? Are low/no alcohol beers and spirits a good alternative? Dr. Basch recommends these resources for folks seeking more information about alcohol use, cutting down, and quitting: Rethinking Drinking NIAAA site SAMHSA Dr. Basch's professional profile For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Have you ever TAKEN THE PLUNGE?? Cold water immersion is one of hottest trends in the health and wellness world.  A number of theories exist re: the benefits of cold water immersion. Generally we think of recovery from exercise, muscle soreness, injuries, etc. But the recent “craze” has been due to the potential to improve depression and anxiety, boost immunity, and perhaps even extend our longevity. But does it work? Is there data to support it?? LET'S ASK AN EXPERT! Our expert today is Mike Tipton, PhD, FTPS! Dr. Tipton is a Professor of Human & Applied Physiology, Extreme Environments Laboratory, School of Sport Health & Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, UK. He has published over 750 scientific papers, reports, chapters, abstracts and books in his research areas of drowning, thermoregulation, environmental and occupational physiology, and survival in the sea.  He has been a consultant in survival and thermal medicine to the Royal Air Force, UKSport and the English Institute of Sport (EIS).  Prof Tipton is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and The Physiological Society.  He was awarded his MBE for services to physiological research in extreme environments; the Ireland Medal for saving lives from drowning worldwide; and the H&L Swiftwater rescue lifetime achievement award from the USA. LET'S DIVE IN, SHALL WE?? Key highlights in this episode include: What's the basic physiology behind cold water immersion? What happens to our bodies when we make ourselves cold? Does it differ in full submersion vs a shower? Does it change if we put our faces in the cold water as opposed to just our bodies? What temperature is most appropriate for a cold plunge? How long should we stay submerged? What are the potential short and long term benefits? What does the research suggest? What are the risks/potential downsides? Who should NOT be doing this? What about cryochambers? Do they work? Who is Wim Hof? Should we do as the Iceman does?? Dr. Tipton recommends the following resources to learn about cold water immersion: The University of Portsmouth webpage- including Dr. Tipton's profile. 2022 British Medical Journal article "Cold Water Therapies: Minimising Risks". Beth Francis' video "100 Days of Vitamin Sea", chronicling her journey treating her intractable migraines with open water swimming. Check out Prof Tipton on Twitter, @ProfMikeTipton! For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

In the classic holiday film "It's a Wonderful Life", Clarence the angel says "remember, George, no man is a failure who has friends". In the holiday spirit, Your Doctor Friends took Clarence's words to heart, and present to you today the research behind how friendship keeps us healthy. In today's episode, we highlight the growing amount of evidence that supports friendships as a key aspect of our health, and, conversely, how social and emotional isolation often leads to poor health outcomes. The American Psychological Association summarizes, “given the clear benefits of friendship, psychologists say we should promote platonic social connection across society—including in school, at work, in public spaces (such as on public transportation), and through entertainment.” So let's do that today, shall we? And after listening to the episode, maybe reach out to a friend with a quick text, a silly photo, or an invite to meet up for a treat together. It might just help you live longer ;) And bonus dessert topic at the end, we talk about SOME GOOD NEWS in cancer treatment and survivorship! Happy holidays from Your Doctor Friends! We hope you're safe, happy, and healthy :) Resources for today's episode include: An American Psychological Association article titled "The science of why friendships keep us healthy". A Washington Post article titled "Friends can improve your health and well-being especially during the holidays". A systematic review/meta-analysis in PLoS One from 2023 titled "Social isolation as a risk factor for all-cause mortality" A Healio article titled "Cancer death rate drops by 33%, AACR report shows" The AACR press release for the Cancer Progress Report. The full AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023. For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link! This includes the famous "Advice from the last generation of doctors that inhaled lead" shirt :) Also, CHECK OUT AMAZING HEALTH PODCASTS on The Health Podcast Network   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)