Examined

I’ve been fielding some questions about the newly approved mRNA flu shots from Moderna that are due out any day now. I’m honored when my patients value my opinion, I’m excited by mutual curiosity, and honestly, I’m quite thrilled when anyone still wants vaccines after all the shenanigans. An Examined subscriber even wrote to me last night: What are your thoughts on the new mRNA flu vaccine for the senior set? Many thanks. Here are my thoughts as a primary care doctor, Nell.

Among the many miscalculations and vulnerabilities that starting a war in Iran has exposed is one that should concern all Americans — the potential for mass cyberattacks on our water systems. A recent wave of actual attacks has renewed concerns about our water safety, as has ongoing gutting of federal cybersecurity. As of this writing there has been no confirmed contamination or documented public-health injury from these recent incidents.

Yesterday a patient asked me about taking cinnamon to help with her uncontrolled diabetes. Other people, some with pre-diabetes and some just trying to optimize their blood glucose levels, have asked me the same. Turns out cinnamon is worth a quick review together. I personally went down all kinds of rabbit holes, festooned with bad studies and even worse influencing, as I tried to compose for her an excellent, evidence-based answer (and a post for everyone here).

Dragging eighty-five year old Dr. Anthony Fauci before a hostile senate panel for the purpose of making him a scapegoat, creating humiliating video clips, pouring gasoline on the smoldering fires of division, outrage, and pain many Americans have still not processed six years after the pandemic began harms us all. You have to ask yourself, why this? And, why thisnow? Dr. Fauci did not handle his role sharing real-time pandemic communication perfectly.

I want to propose (or at least remind us of) a kind of exercise that we can do all day long. We never really break a sweat doing it, and like most light exercise it has numerous health benefits. We might even improve the profiles of our gluteus maximi. What is this magical exercise, and how much will it cost to take classes? It’s free. It’s determined, doggedly good posture. But before I present the case for posture as a kind of exercise, let me review the amazing basics with a run-on sentence.

Military strategists have long warned of the vulnerability of narrow bottlenecks. So have doctors counseling patients about their bodies. A fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and large amounts of vital cargo, liquified natural gas, and petrochemicals pass through a channel barely twenty miles wide. That is the danger of the Strait of Hormuz: enormous throughput squeezed through a tiny physical footprint with no cheap detour, so a disruption trivial in size produces massive worldwide consequences.

Should we all be getting our testosterone levels checked? You’ve probably heard by now that Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth announced every service member 30 years and older (women included!) will be screened annually for testosterone deficiency. Hormone treatment will be offered voluntarily to anyone who tests “low.” Troops under 30 can opt in, too.

I’ve been watching the outbreak of cyclospora in the U.S., for a few weeks now. It’s probably time for a primary care update about this, even though I’d rather be focusing on the World Cup semifinals! Here’s my take. The United States is in the middle of a rapidly expanding, multi-cluster outbreak of cyclosporiasis. This is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.

How were your 250th American birthday celebrations? Did you stay in the moment with the smoky sizzle of hot dogs, the umami delight of a glutamate-rich burger with melted cheese, the sweet mouth-game sorting of a watermelon from its seeds? On a blisteringly hot day, did you feel cool drips of condensation down your fingers as they held on for dear life to an even colder glass of water, lemonade, or beer?

As some of you might know, an essay I wrote about sleep was published in the New York Times on Sunday. I am so thrilled by this honor, and genuinely delighted with how the piece turned out! My writing has been published by other media, but this one felt quite special.