I Understand Why Defense Secretary Austin Kept His Prostate Cancer Quiet
When the news broke in early January that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized for unrevealed reasons, my first thought was: “Aha, prostate cancer.” Turns out I was right. A Black man like him has a higher risk than the majority white population of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, getting a more aggressive cancer, and […]
Congressional Probe of Alzheimer’s Drug Approval Finds Fault With FDA Actions
The FDA broke with its own protocols in reviewing and subsequently approving Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab (Aduhelm), by inappropriately collaborating with drugmaker Biogen on briefing documents, holding unreported meetings, and failing to gain internal consensus before engaging in such collaborations, according to an in-depth congressional investigation of the interactions between the agency and the drugmaker. The […]
Like Bruce Willis, I Have Aphasia. Here’s What Life Is Like With This Incurable Disorder.
When news broke on March 30 that Bruce Willis is retiring from acting (at least for the time being) because of aphasia, it may have been the first time many people had heard of the condition. For me, however, aphasia has become a core part of my constant reality, affecting me every day, all day […]
Multi-Day Hospital Stays for Banged Up E-Scooter Riders
E-scooter users broke bones from head to toe, and a third were so banged up, they were in-hospital for an average of 11 days, a researcher reported. In a study that tracked and compared the growth of e-scooter injuries from August 2016 to February 2018 — and from August 2018 to February 2020 after e-scooters […]