Amazon.com Review
The media reports daily on breakthrough drugs, vitamins and herbs; almost as often, it reports on pills taken off the market for causing harmful side effects. As it's impossible to keep track of all these recommendations and warnings, a copy of
Dr. Rosenfeld's Breakthrough Health ought to come in handy in any household.
While Dr. Rosenfeld is decidedly popular with the AARP crowd, he has tips to benefit people of all ages, including the latest treatments to try (and those to avoid) for asthma, epilepsy, male menopause, sleep problems, and even wrinkles, with all recommendations earning his seal of approval because they've been proven effective based on rigorous scientific studies. For example, he touts a vitamin/mineral "cocktail" of beta-carotene, zinc, copper, and vitamins A and C for combating the progression of macular degeneration; he also dispels the belief that drinking coffee is linked to the development of diabetes. His sharpest criticism is given to the trendy "total body scans" designed to discover cancer tumors and other diseases before any symptoms are felt. Since a CT scan of only the abdominal area gives a dose of radiation "equivalent to that from 100 to 150 chest x-rays," Dr. Rosenfeld writes, "these so-called preventative scans aren't worth the risk."
Since the rash of drug recalls of late indicate that it's impossible to trust the FDA and its corrupt approval process for new drugs, it's a good thing that there are physicians like Dr. Rosenfeld separating the facts from the heap of hype regarding medical developments. As the doc himself says, "Your life may depend on it." --Erica Jorgensen
About the Author
ISADORE ROSENFELD, M.D., is the bestselling author of nine books, including Live Now, Age Later and Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine. He is Rossi Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Medical College of Cornell University and attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, as well as health editor of Parade magazine and medical consultant for Fox TV's popular Sunday Housecall. He lives in Westchester County, New York.