Remember the good old days of Marcus Welby, the 1970s family physician whose beloved character painted an idealized picture of small town medicine? Back then, doctors were friends of the family, even scoring invites to milestone events like weddings and birthdays. I started my career in 1984 as a primary care physician (PCP), and a lot has changed since then. In some cases –– that’s probably not a bad thing. Technology has certainly come a long way, creating huge advancements in medicine. But, unfortunately, not all change has been for the better.

Diabetes is a complicated disease affecting 29.1 million Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association. The ADA also reports that 8.1 million people are living with the disease but are undiagnosed, and another 86 million have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Diabetes can lead to a host of complications, including cardiovascular disease, blindness and kidney disease.

Generation X has longed suffered as the ‘middle child’ of all American generations. Because Gen X is one of the shortest generations – spanning only a 15-year period from 1965 to 1980 – there are only 65 million Gen Xers, compared with 77 million Baby Boomers and 83 million Millennials. Gen X is also overshadowed by these generations with big personalities. Baby Boomers are notoriously goal-oriented, driven and have a ‘work to live’ attitude, while the Millennials are carving their own path in life and are characterized as technology-focused and ideological.

Happy New Year! Like many people, you may be trying to achieve certain goals in 2017.  You’re not alone. Millions of American’s make New Year’s resolutions from trying to save money to volunteering more. In fact, it’s a practice which goes back to Ancient Babylonia and Rome.

The most popular resolutions today are health-related, such as losing weight, eating healthier, getting more exercise and quitting smoking. Here’s one to add to your list: take part in a wellness program.

While muscle pain has many causes—tension, stress, overuse, strains, minor injuries and sprains—a new study says commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs may also cause our sore muscles.

The study, published by Cleveland Clinic researchers in the American Journal of Cardiology, found that muscle soreness, ranging from mild aches to debilitating pain, is a common side effect of statins.

Every time you see your doctor, there’s a good chance someone takes your blood pressure. Why? Blood pressure readings can help your doctor understand what is going on in your body. For instance, high blood pressure indicates a risk for cardiovascular disease and kidney failure; very low blood pressure might suggest a potential risk of heart failure; and blood pressure that varies between arms often raises a flag for peripheral artery disease.

It’s probably no surprise that older Americans between the ages of 65 and 79 are prescribed more medications than young adults. But did you know the average senior gets 27 prescriptions filled a year —five times more than people 19 to 25 and nearly three times more than those between 26 and 49?

Hepatitis C is a global epidemic. And baby boomers are especially likely to have the disease, according to the University of Michigan Health System. They are five times more likely to have been exposed to the infection than other age groups. In fact, baby boomers comprise 75 percent of adults with hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease. About 170,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. About 3.2 million Americans have the disease. Although most cases are transmitted through contaminated blood, some have been traced to sexual contact.

Experts are predicting a longer, more severe tick season this summer, which may trigger an outbreak of tick-borne illnesses. In particular, researchers are worried about an uptick in Lyme disease and Powassan virus, a rare condition that  can cause brain inflammation. 

Back in the day, all you had to do to get your nutrients was to eat a healthy diet. However, we’re living in an age of fast foods, processed meals and GMOs, which is why primary care physicians have begun recommending supplements to maintain optimal health.