Val Jones

Should you aim for an even lower blood pressure goal? There is a hot debate going on right now between physician groups about blood pressure treatment. Specifically, when should we start prescribing blood-pressure lowering medications? When systolic blood pressure is greater than 140/90?  Or perhaps we should begin when it’s…

The Obesity Society’s December newsletter listed their top 10 articles from 2017. One of them caught my attention: “The real reason you’re gaining weight as you get older.” This article, featuring insight from Dr. Caroline Apovian, the Director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at the Boston Medical Center,…

Poor sleep may contribute to increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and depression, yet physicians often forget to ask their patients about their sleep habits until it becomes a crisis. Sleep specialists recommend that insomnia be treated at the same time as other medical conditions. It is common for clinicians…

The risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death increase markedly (about 4%) during the winter holiday season. The more cynical among us have sometimes attributed this purely to the additional stress of close family gatherings at this time of year, but the truth is that alcohol consumption may be…

I recently wrote a health tip about the importance of getting the flu vaccine each fall season [insert link please] because it is our only real defense against the virus. We are getting closer to a master vaccine for these wiley viruses (meaning one day we will be able to…

I am the rehab physician for a charming, ninety-year-old woman who is recovering from a broken hip. She is very sharp and independent, and had been living alone until her recent fall at home. She was hurrying to turn off her stove burner when she lost her balance and fell…

During the holiday season we often reconnect with our older relatives and friends, and may notice some new deficits in their ability to walk or transfer safely. For this reason, I think it’s an opportune time to review a frequently overlooked health topic: are you or your loved one having…

A dear friend of mine has been suffering with abdominal discomfort for over a decade. She has undergone every study and procedure known to gastroenterology – including tests for infectious disease, autoimmune disorders, and allergies. She has had unremarkable colonoscopies, followed restrictive diets, and felt perpetual embarrassment regarding her ill-behaved…

As they say in Game of Thrones, “winter is coming.” Time to break out the snow gear and prepare for mountain sports (or find some dragon glass to fight off the white walkers – your choice). If you’re planning  a trip out west to Colorado, New Mexico, or Utah, however,…