Your Doctor Friends

Do you remember "scoliosis check" during middle school? That embarrassing moment where, as a 12/13 year old, you had to do a shirtless forward fold in front of the school nurse?? MORTIFYING. Perhaps you never had to live through this torture. Or perhaps, even WORSE, you were told by said nurse that your screen was POSITIVE, and now your parents had to know! And they would have to *gasp* take you to the doctor to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN! Nightmare! Well, thankfully we've come a long way since then! And today we have insights from TWO guests in the world of scoliosis to educate us! We invited our friend and colleague, Chris DeWald, MD, who between him and his father, have over 60 years of experience treating scoliosis patients. Dr. DeWald is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, who specializes in spine deformity, and is legit one of the kindest people on the planet :) And to add a different dimension, we asked Lauren Higginson, the founder of Higgy Bears, and a scoliosis patient herself, to give her insights into living with this condition, the observations she has from her community and her thoughts on screening. You may be met with a twists and turns in life (or in your spine), either way we are here for you :) Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

PART 2 of our coverage of young-onset colorectal cancer! This week our guest is an Oncology expert, here to give us in-depth information about colorectal cancer, with actionable items on how we can protect ourselves. Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.  Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45! Your Doctor Friends are happy to present a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :) Welcome, Meena Sadaps, MD! Dr. Sadaps is a board certified oncologist and assistant professor with Your Doctor Friends at Rush, and practices at the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. She attended Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University before completing residency and fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. HEADS UP! The Colorectal Cancer Alliance Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend! If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance! Resources for this episode include: A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer. The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.  Those numbers are rising about 1-2% percent each year, and researchers are still finding out why.  Young adults are the only population group experiencing an increase in colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer is currently the deadliest cancer among young men and the second deadliest among young women. In August 2020, the world lost amazing actor, Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, to colorectal cancer at the age of 43. Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45! Sharing personal experiences, and highlighting the stories of people touched by colorectal cancer is POWERFUL, and the ripple effects flow far. Your Doctor Friends are SO HONORED to highlight two wonderful individuals on this episode- Ashley Bowman, MHA and Dawn Schneider, PhD, MBA. Ashley and Dawn have quite a bit in common- they are both advocate volunteers at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, members of the Never Too Young Taskforce Advisory Board, and unfortunately both lost sisters to young-onset colorectal cancer. Ashley and Dawn share their amazing, heartbreaking, and inspiring personal stories in this episode. We are so grateful! We will follow up next week with a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :) HEADS UP! The Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend! (Julie is already shopping for a fancy blue outfit :) COME JOIN US! Opportunities to register for the event CLOSE ON TUESDAY 4/23/24 (the day THIS EPISODE DROPS)! If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance! Resources for this episode include: A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer. The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer. A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Ashley Bowman! A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Dawn Schneider! Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

What happens when you turn 40 (and you also have boobs)? Well, since May 2023, the USPSTF has recommended that women at average risk for breast cancer start screening with mammograms beginning at age 40, and undergo mammography every other year.  These updated recommendations are still “in progress” and the USPSTF cites the urgent need for more research on:  breast cancer screening for people with dense breasts (nearly half of all women),  how to particularly protect women of color In the US, there exists a long history of health disparities across screening and treatment for breast cancer.  The Task Force discusses, for example, that Black women are 40% more likely to die than White women, and too often get aggressive cancers at young ages.  So, Your Doctor Friends are taking a page from America’s Sweetheart (and breast cancer survivor herself) Katie Couric. You may remember Katie both underwent a colonoscopy AND a mammogram on the Today Show, and YDF Julie wants to do the next best thing- consult with a breast cancer expert before she gets her FIRST EVER MAMMOGRAM! Your Doctor Friends have the absolute honor to present our guest today, a consummate badass, breast cancer survivor and breast surgeon, to walk Julie through her own personal risk assessment and screening process for breast cancer.  Finally, we want to take some time at the end of this episode to share the story of a dear friend and colleague, a fellow sports medicine doctor, and absolute amazing human being, who very recently lost her life to breast cancer. She is the inspiration for this episode and Your Doctor Friends think it’s important to talk about her, and are so grateful to her family for their consent to share her story.  Learn more about Dr. Kristin Abbott here. Alright, let’s get on with it, can we answer the question: Can I protect myself from breast cancer? ENTER Dr. Liz O’Riordan to help us find out! Dr O'Riordan is an expert breast surgeon who has had breast cancer three times. She's a best-selling author, speaker, broadcaster and podcaster and is a trusted source of reliable information.  She shares helpful, approachable, valid breast cancer information online, we found her via her IG account @oriordanliz, she also has a podcast called “So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer”, and she’s published tons of helpful work, including her book “The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer” and her memoir “Under the Knife”. She also has her own wikipedia page, which is pretty rad :) Resources for today's episode include: Dr. O'Riordan's website. Link to the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator for breast cancer. The USPSTF's "In Progress" updated guidelines for breast cancer screening. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's info page on updated USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

In the 1990s, a chain email circulated around the series-of-tubes we called the internet, suggesting that aluminum-containing antiperspirants clogged your sweat pores, thus disallowing your body to “purge itself of toxins”, and those "toxins" would accumulate in your axillary lymph nodes, and increase your risk of breast cancer. Yikes. Predating the "antiperspirant-will-give-you-breast-cancer" chain email scare, animal studies in the 1960s suggested a link between aluminum in antiperspirants (which were just becoming popular in postwar America) and Alzheimer's disease. These rabbit studies showed brain neurotoxic effects when the animals were exposed to very high levels of aluminum. In the past several decades, researchers have investigated whether these loose correlations/hypotheses held any water (spoiler: they don't). In today's episode, Your Doctor Friends want to debunk and demystify the data around the potential "risks' around aluminum-containing antiperspirants! Should you ditch the standard roll-on? Switch to a "natural" alternative? OR.. is this all just a case of "all stink and no fire"?? Sources for today's episode include: The NIH National Cancer Institute's fact sheet page on antiperspirants and breast cancer. A 2017 review in Deutsches Arzteblatt International journal titled "The Health Effects of Aluminum Exposure." A 2019 comprehensive review on sweat gland function by Lindsay B. Baker PhD, director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute. A Scientific American article titled "Fact or Fiction: Antiperspirants Do More Than Block Sweat". A 2021 Canadian study published in NeuroToxicology investigating association between aluminum in drinking water and risk of Alzheimer's disease risk. A Healthline article from 2022 titled "Is There a Link Between Aluminum and Alzheimer's?". A 2021 NYT article titled "Are Natural Deodorants Really Better For You?". AND FINALLY- a 2017 article from The World Textile Conference called "A novel washing algorithm for underarm stain removal" - which was the closest thing to scientific data explaining WHAT MAKES YELLOW ARMPIT STAINS! Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

What does the term "microplastics" mean to you? Why is seemingly everyone talking about them lately?  A new study published on March 6th in the New England Journal of Medicine titled, “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events" has been circulating around the internet, and raises concerns about the risk of exposure to microplastics and long-term adverse health outcomes. What does this study suggest? What does the other data about microplastics show? Our exposure to plastics is ubiquitous; its in our packaging, our clothing, in our air and water. The chemical additives used in plastics manufacturing are also worrisome, as they have demonstrated adverse health effects in animal models. As we have hammered home in many prior episodes, DOSE and EXPOSURE matter when it comes to risk of harm from a particular substance. The same rules seem to apply for microplastics. In today's episode, Jeremy explains what we do and don't know about the risks of long term exposure to microplastics. He ends with some actionable items on how you can choose to limit your exposure with some simple daily behavioral changes. Resources for this episode include: The very recent NEJM article titled "Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events". A 2022 Frontiers in Endocrinology study regarding endocrine changes in mammals related to exposure to micro/nano plastics. A May 2023 article from National Geographic titled "Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?" A March 19th, 2024 Everyday Health article on microplastics. An EcoWatch article titled "10 Simple Ways to Avoid Microplastics in Your Everyday Life". Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Vaping. E-cigarettes. Heat sticks. They're super popular (especially among young people)- an estimated 22 MILLION e-cigarettes are sold in the US every MONTH. As we have (thankfully) seen traditional combustible tobacco cigarette smoking decline over the past couple decades, the flip side is an astronomical increase in vaping. Many e-cigarette brands market themselves as a safer, healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, calling their vape products "ENDS" or "electronic nicotine delivery systems". Is this reality? Is vaping less harmful to you than smoking? Your Doctor Friends want to clear the air, make the conversation about vaping a little less foggy. Today we will answer questions like: How does vaping affect our health directly? What does the research show about the risks of vaping with respect to cardiovascular problems, cancer, or lung disease? What the heck is "popcorn lung"? What about VAPI (vaping associated pulmonary injury)? What does nicotine alone do to our bodies? How much nicotine is in a vape? A cigarette? What's actually in vape aerosol/mist? How is it different than cigarette smoke? Is it bad for me? Is vaping instead of smoking actually good "harm reduction"? How are e-cigarettes marketed specifically to kids and young adults? Why? What should we do about it? Let's all inform ourselves about the issues surrounding vaping/e-cigarettes, so we can all breathe easier! Resources for today's episode include: A 2022 Tobacco Use Insights journal review of literature on e-cigarette harm vs harm reduction. A March 11, 2024 study and discussion in Pediatrics journal about disposable e-cigarettes, use patterns in youth, and how to counteract the tobacco industry's "reduced-harm" marketing tropes. An August 2023 JAMA article about youth flavored e-cigarette use before and after partial flavoring bans. A Guardian article about the amount of nicotine in vapes vs cigarettes. A 2023 article in Advances in Respiratory Medicine outlining the data on vaping and cancer risk. Results from the 2023 FDA Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey. A 2016 study in Environmental Health Perspectives about acrolein, diacetyl, and other chemicals found in flavored e-cigarettes. A 2019 Cureus article about vitamin E acetate as plausible cause of acute vaping-related lung illness. A 1/24/24 CNN article about the lack of progress on the US menthol cigarette ban. Wikipedia article on "bronchiolitis obliterans". A December 2023 WHO news release about the urgent need to protect children and prevent uptake of e-cigarettes. A 2023 Cureus meta-analysis on risks of vaping on cardiovascular disease. An October 2023 Pediatrics journal article outlining vaping cessation methods used by US adolescent e-cigarette users. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)

Another foray into the wide world of SUPPLEMENTS, friends! Let's talk COLLAGEN this time. What IS collagen? Well, in short, it's, uh... us. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It accounts for about 30% of your body’s total protein.  It is the primary building block of your body’s connective tissues: skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, etc. So.. does consuming it (as marketed by supplement companies) actually IMPROVE any of those parts of you?? Or is this just another trick by the "wellness" industry to freak us out (even more) about bodily changes that the majority of human beings will experience, to some degree, in the normal course of aging? This week Jeremy presents a detailed dissertation on collagen consumption! Your Doctor Friends aim to answer all your collagen questions! What does the research suggest? Can we even absorb collagen by eating it in supplement form? Can it improve your skin? What about your joints? Does it make arthritis better? Is there a particular TYPE of collagen that has potential positive impact on our health? Is it crazy expensive?? Am I eating BONES?? (listen in to find out ;) Resources for today's episode include: The Cleveland Clinic's informational page about collagen. An article/lit review/meta-analysis from the American Journal of Translational Research evaluating the efficacy of undenatured collagen in knee osteoarthritis. An International Journal of Dermatology systematic review/meta-analysis on the effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging. A systematic review/meta-analysis in Nutrients on the effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging. A 2023 Cureus meta-analysis on hydrolyzed oral collagen supplementation on skin rejuvenation. A Nutrients study on type-2 chicken hydrolyzed collagen supplements to alleviate joint discomfort. A Washington Post article from 1/29/24 titled "Should I be taking collagen supplements? Here's what the science says." An Elle News article from Feb 2024 all about collagen drinks. Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :) For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!   Find us at: Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com  Email: [email protected]  Connect with us: @your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show! @yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube) @JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter) @JuliaBrueneMD (IG) @HealthPodNet (IG)