The People's Pharmacy Podcast

Most of us fear a diagnosis of cancer. If it has a serious prognosis, as lung cancer does, the diagnosis suddenly changes your life expectancy and how you imagine your life unfolding. In this episode, we talk with a physician who did research with patients who had lung cancer. Then this nonsmoker was diagnosed with lung cancer himself, at stage 4. We ask him, when cancer changes your future, how do you live today?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, while prostate cancer is the most common for men. In 2022, the CDC found that approximately 255,000 men got a prostate cancer diagnosis. The same year, doctors diagnosed nearly 280,000 women with breast cancer. Breast & prostate cancer affect different patient populations and different parts of the body. Nonetheless, doctors have found common themes in diagnosing and treating these malignancies. We'll learn how they are changing the odds.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and...

We are only about a month into fall, but flu season is already underway. Today we are considering the best actions to take against winter infections. First, however, we asked our guest expert about measles. There have been large outbreaks in so many places this year. Why is measles such a big deal? One reason is that measles induces "immune amnesia," so that our bodies forget how to fight off infections they have previously overcome. The MMR vaccine for measles, which prevents infection extremely well, does not have the same deleterious effect on the immune system. Consequently, vaccinated people...

Do you run out of go-power in the middle of the morning? Maybe you find it hard to focus and your ability to call on your memory is strained. Or perhaps you suffer from an after-lunch slump. Some people find that their brain fog is troublesome most of the time. While there are some medical conditions that produce brain fog, you just might find that changing what you eat could help your mental clarity and reduce brain fog.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medi...

Neurological conditions have been increasing over the past several decades, but none more quickly than Parkinson disease. What is this disorder, and what is driving the increase? We'll discuss symptoms people often miss and find out about treatments.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or t...

Birth rates have been dropping for years. This is happening in many parts of the world, not just the US. Demographers estimate that women need to have 2.1 children, on average, to replace the population. (The US is currently at about 1.7 or 1.8 children per woman.) Where the average number of babies falls below replacement, the country may end up with more elderly people than children. Eventually, this can have economic and social consequences. In this episode, we explore the baby bust. Why is fertility falling?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously...

After years of dementia, many people have reduced their communication to minimal levels. Sometimes, they don't say anything at all, and family members may be tempted to assume that memories have disappeared along with cognitive function. Occasionally, such a person will become surprisingly coherent and able to discuss aspects of their lives for a few minutes or even hours. Because they often die within days of such an episode, researchers have termed the phenomenon "terminal lucidity." Our guest, Dr. Marjorie Woollacott, suggests that the more inclusive term "paradoxical lucidity" might be more appropriate. What do these unexpected events have...

Do you worry that your hair is thinning? You may wonder what treatments could make a real difference. After all, you wouldn't want to spend money on something that has no chance of helping. Many people also have concerns about their nails. Perhaps they are ridged, or loose, or too thick. Could that be due to nail fungus, or might it have another cause? Most importantly, what could you do about it? In this episode, you'll get a dermatologist's guide to what actually works.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously rese...

For years, anyone who sprained an ankle or twisted a knee got some standard advice: ice it, rest it, wrap it with compression tape and keep it elevated. The acronym for Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate is RICE. New research shows that following this advice alleviates the pain from the injury in the short term, but it may actually slow healing. What can help you in healing faster from this type of problem? You can hear it directly from a scientist applying cutting-edge research with tendons and rats to getting NBA players back on the court sooner.

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This week, we get in-depth information on Lp(a), the heart risk no one talks about. You have heard of cholesterol, and you may even know what your cholesterol level is. The compound lipoprotein a may be equally dangerous when it is elevated, but you have probably heard very little about it.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purp...

A new school year is about to start in many parts of the country. Going back to school can be exciting, but some students may dread it. Perhaps they are struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, abbreviated ADHD. How can you recognize the symptoms of this problem? What are the most common misconceptions? In short, what are we still getting wrong about ADHD?

When we talk about distractibility, trouble missing deadlines, forgetting where you left your keys, it is easy to relate. Likewise, when we look at kids with wiggles and short attention spans, do we see...

Do you suffer with anxiety, depression, or another mental illness? Millions of people do. The usual treatment is a prescription medication. If that doesn't work, the healthcare provider may offer a different one. Diet is certainly not the first topic on the provider's mind. But what if, in addition to appropriate pharmacological treatment, you were able to nourish, protect and energize your brain with your diet? Our guest offers evidence that you can heal your mind with a ketogenic approach to eating.

We need to acknowledge that this approach is quite different from the plant-rich eating pattern...

When you decide to grab a bite to eat, do you think about how to feed your gut microbes? Most of us don't. Even if we did, their only means of stating their preferences is somewhat after the fact. Do you end up feeling less than well? Perhaps the denizens of your gut aren't happy. In this episode, we consider how to support your microbiota and whether that can reduce the inflammation that seems to accompany modern life.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medi...

Our kidneys do an incredible job filtering our blood every hour of every day. Most of us have two kidneys, and each one has about a million microscopic filters called glomeruli. Unlike the filters in our HVAC system, though, these filters cannot be replaced. But they do their work so well and unobtrusively that most of us don't even think about our kidney function. Although 37 million Americans have kidney trouble, the majority are unaware of their situation. Two tests could reveal how well the kidneys are working. What are they, and how often should you ask about them?

Millions of people suffer with foot trouble. Some have heel pain when they first get out of bed. Others complain of flat feet or bunions. Athlete's foot is very common, though it doesn't always respond as expected to antifungal medications. Speaking of fungus, toenail fungus can be extremely stubborn. What are your feet trying to tell you about what they need? How can you keep them healthy, especially in the summertime?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health...

Are you concerned about your bone health? Do you worry about osteoporosis? According to the CDC, more than 10 million Americans have low bone density that makes them more vulnerable to fractures. For many older people, a fracture can be devastating, reducing mobility and possibly even leading to death. What does the latest medical science tell us about how you can maintain strong bones?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and...

Do you have trouble sleeping? An occasional late night or early morning is probably not dangerous, but too many people get too little sleep on a regular basis. How does that affect their health? Even more importantly, what can they do to change the situation? You'll want to listen to find out if you need a sleep reset.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is...

When sunny summer days come around, it makes some dermatologists shudder. They would prefer we behave like bats and hide in caves until nightfall. Failing that, they stress the importance of always applying (and re-applying) high SPF sunscreen, wearing sun-blocking clothing with long sleeves and keeping a big-brimmed hat firmly on the head. A beekeeper's outfit might be perfect. But must you really shun the sun completely to save your skin? Our guest describes how to practice moderation safely. He also explains why some people are addicted to sunshine, while others are allergic to it. At The People's Pharmacy, we...

This week, we look at the new pharmaceuticals that the FDA has approved for treating Alzheimer disease. Although they are effective at removing amyloid plaques from the brain, they don't seem to help patients function better. Is it time to turn away from an exclusive focus on amyloid to consider other factors that might affect cognitive decline and change the course of Alzheimer disease?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer...

Too many of us are spending our days staring at screens. Little screens on our phones, big screens on the television, medium-size screens on our computers at work. Our modern lifestyles mean that we spend the vast majority of our time indoors–93%, on average. What is the time inside doing to our health? Is there an outdoor prescription to reverse dementia and depression?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight an...

Humans have five senses, but for most of us, sight dominates. That's why vision problems are so distressing. Have you been dealing with difficulties with your eyes? During this broadcast episode, our guest expert is ready to answer your questions about vision problems.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any...

Pain is an important warning signal, helping you protect your body from damage. That's why we can view acute pain as an asset. Chronic pain, though, can be debilitating. In this episode, a pain psychologist offers a roadmap for managing chronic pain.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes...

You may think of allergies as causing sniffly noses and congestion in the spring or fall. But allergies can go far beyond that. As Dr. Kari Nadeau points out in this episode, allergies can affect us from head to toe, including eyes, nose, throat, lungs, sinuses, skin and gut. In the most dangerous instances, the whole body is threatened with an anaphylactic reaction. That's a medical emergency! One in three Americans will develop allergies at some point in our lives, so it's important to know what works to control them.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to...

Over the years, we have spoken with scores of healthcare experts about chronic illness. Many of them attribute the problems to inflammation, which is after all a natural response to infection or injury. But not everyone has a system for locating and addressing the source of the inflammation. If you want to treat the cause, not just the symptoms of your disease, you might want to consider functional medicine.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While...

What do you conjure up when you think of music? Perhaps you imagine a singer-songwriter telling her story. On the other hand, you might imagine a parade with a marching band, an orchestra playing an outdoor concert or a mother singing her baby to sleep with a lullaby. Regardless of the format, music acts on the brain in unique ways. Neuroscientists are learning how music heals and why healers around the world have integrated music into their rituals for millennia.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations...

In this episode, a renowned neurosurgeon shares what he has learned in decades of working to restore ailing brains. His new book covers a vast range of neuroscience. Our dilemma was what to pay attention to in all those options. In a sense, that is always the human situation. We are capable of conscious processing of approximately 200 bits per second (bps) of information. Our unconscious brain deals with as much as 11 million bps.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies...

Tick season is well underway in many parts of the country. It seems that a mild winter and a warm spring have brought the nymphs out seeking blood. If that blood is yours, you may be exposed to a range of pathogens. What's more, ticks are not the only creatures ready to bite you. Fleas are an even bigger problem when it comes to transmitting bacteria called Bartonella. That genus is responsible for cat scratch disease and trench fever. When the infection goes chronic, it's called bartonellosis. What are the dangers of flea and tick bites?

At...

Americans often boast of having the best health care in the world. It is certainly the most expensive health care. We pay twice as much as people in many other industrialized nations. Are we getting our money's worth? Some population statistics, such as life expectancy, suggest we could be doing much better. How can we make sense of the complexity of American health care?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer...

If you had to name one thing that could contribute to better health throughout the lifespan, what would it be? We think exercise, or at least physical activity deserves the top spot. Yet in 2025, fewer than half of adults met the guidelines for aerobic physical activity. And less than one-quarter were doing both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises on a regular basis. Perhaps your doctor should prescribe exercise. What could we expect as the benefits?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health...

Hospitals can be pretty overwhelming. Sometimes you may feel like you need a map to find your way around the maze, not to mention a trusty guide to get you to the department or health professional that could actually help you overcome illness. In addition, being hospitalized often means being deprived of fresh air & sunlight. Could that be a mistake for proper healing?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight...

Millions of Americans are in pain. Arthritic joints make exercise difficult, even though moving is one of the best things we can do for joint pain. Pinched nerves can cause excruciating, long-lasting pain. The usual treatments, such as NSAIDs, may help ease the pain momentarily, but do nothing to help heal the underlying condition. What do you know about the new science of regenerative therapies?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offe...

This week, Joe and Terry discuss liver health with two specialists. You may not have spent much time thinking about your liver. It is, however, an absolutely essential organ. When the liver is working properly, every part of the body gets the nutrients it needs and no parts are exposed to damaging toxins. These are among its superpowers. Find out why you should love your liver.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend...

A chance encounter with a stranger on an airplane offers lessons for all of us in how to disagree without fighting. Infectious disease expert Morgan Goheen, MD, was wary when the person in the seat next to hers struck up a conversation with questions about the origins of Lyme disease and the value of being vaccinated against COVID. His views were quite different from hers. Yet they managed, in the course of the flight, to exchange perspectives in a respectful manner. Can we all learn how to do that?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring...

Chronic diseases make up the bulk of the problems that modern health care must address. Each condition seems to have its own drivers–cholesterol for heart disease, airway hyperreactivity for asthma, neurotransmitter imbalance for depression and other psychiatric disorders, a buildup of amyloid beta in the brain for Alzheimer disease. What if all these conditions had similar origins? Today we'll consider the evidence suggesting that hidden infections may be driving many chronic diseases.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies an...

Every five years, the Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services jointly issue guidelines on what we should eat. The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) have been controversial. [Here is a link: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov] Among other things, the administration decided to flip the food pyramid upside-down in illustrating its recommendations. Why did that cause such a stir, and what will it mean for you?

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems...

According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly seven million Americans currently suffer from that type of dementia. Experts expect that more will be burdened with it in the future, as baby boomers continue to reach advanced ages. Many people are eager to protect the brain from deterioration. In this episode, we discuss an unexpected approach to lowering your risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and other dementias–get a shingles shot!

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these...

Obesity is a big problem in the US. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says 2 out of every 5 American adults are obese. What's more, one in three is overweight, with only about 25 percent of us at a healthy weight. It's not just adults; children are increasingly suffering weight problems as well. In this episode, we ask why we eat too much and what we can do about it.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and...

Most medical interventions are either pharmacological–prescribe a drug–or surgical–remove or repair the offending body part. If those approaches are inappropriate, doctors long for a different technology. In this episode, we discuss the development of a relatively new noninvasive technology, focused ultrasound. Doctors use it to treat conditions such as Parkinson disease or essential tremor. It may also be used for tumors in other parts of the body. At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversati...

Medicine has changed enormously over the last several decades. As with other parts of society, digital technology has disrupted previous practices. Clinicians can now care for patients at home, monitoring them with sophisticated sensors for oxygen saturation, heart rhythm, blood pressure and much more. Even more significant, patients now have greater access to medical knowledge as well as to the state of their own bodies, measured through wearable tools such as smart watches or continuous glucose monitors. With the internet, they can connect with patient groups that offer valuable information as well as emotional support. Find out how patients are...

In this episode, we interview the doctor who first identified seasonal affective disorder (back in 1984!) and went on to develop treatments. Even when days are short (but getting longer, little by little) and skies are gray, you don't have to suffer with a bleak outlook. Find out what you can do to counteract this common but serious problem.

At The People's Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is prov...