Tag Archives: medicine

Embracing Direct-to-Consumer Advertising by Focusing on Stopping Medications

Posted on by under Health

This is a re-post from GeriPal – Geriatrics and Palliative Care Blog, you can also read the article at GeriPal and check out some of their other posts.

Embracing Direct-to-Consumer Advertising by Focusing on Stopping Medications

There are plenty of examples of direct-to-consumer advertising that the pharmaceutical industry use to lure new customers. Just like the Cancer Center ads we discussed in the last GeriPal post, these ads almost universally do this by making emotional appeals to the consumer, as well as focusing on the benefits rather than presenting any real discussion of risks.

What if someone used a similar concept, but instead of trying to get people to take a drug, they try to convince patients to stop one. That’s just what Cara Tannenbaum and colleagues did in a paper published in JAMA IM, albeit they called it direct-to-consumer patient education and empowerment.

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Drugs that can cause memory loss

Posted on by under Education, Health

Drugs

10 Drugs that can cause memory problems

by Dr. Armon B. Neel Jr., AARP, May 10, 2013

For a long time doctors dismissed forgetfulness and mental confusion as a normal part of aging. But scientists now know that memory loss as you get older is by no means inevitable. Indeed, the brain can grow new brain cells and reshape their connections throughout life.

Most people are familiar with at least some of the things that can impair memory, including alcohol and drug abuse, heavy cigarette smoking, head injuries, stroke, sleep deprivation, severe stress, vitamin B12 deficiency, and illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

Forgetful? Your prescription meds could be interfering with your memory. — Larry Williams/Corbis

But what many people don’t realize is that many commonly prescribed drugs also can interfere with memory. Here are 10 of the top types of offenders.

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