Read article – Quotes Philip Goodney, associate professor of surgery and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, who recently conducted a pilot study of vascular surgery patients and found that patients facing surgery were more likely to quit smoking when their physician offered the right kind of assistance.

Read article – Highlights research conducted by Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin, both professors of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, which indicated that while the sleeping drug Belsomra purports to extend your snooze time, it just barely delivers. Individuals who were given a 15-milligram or 20-milligram dose of the drug nightly for three months fell asleep only six minutes quicker than those taking a placebo pill, and stayed asleep just 16 minutes longer.

Read article – References the Informulary created by professors at Dartmouth (Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin, both professors of medicine, community and family medicine, and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice) to find independent information about drugs.

Read article – Judy Stern, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and pathology, is quoted about a recent study that suggests women who use in vitro fertilization and other reproductive technologies may be more likely to have children with certain birth defects than their peers who conceive the old-fashioned way. “Even though the study found differences in risk of birth defects, it should be remembered that overall prevalence of these defects is low,” says Stern, who was not involved in the study.

Read article – Margaret Karagas, chair and professor of epidemiology and professor of community and family medicine, is quoted about the Food and Drug Administration’s recent proposed limit of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal, saying that this common starter food is a leading source of exposure to the toxin. “Data are still emerging on whether this level is sufficient, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction,” says Karagas.

Read article – Quotes H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, about how the public is going through a confusing debate about breast cancer screening, but it’s really “a course correction” prompted by more awareness of its risks and benefits to various groups of women. “All they heard for years was, ‘there are only benefits.'” says Welch.

Audio interview – As a guest on “Vermont Edition,” Steven Fiering, professor of microbiology and immunology and genetics, discusses his recent research using plant virus particles to trigger an immune system reaction against tumors in mice.

Read article – In this opinion piece, Andrew Pomerantz, associate professor of psychiatry, discusses the evolution of integrated care at the Veterans Health Administration and its applicability to health care in general.

Read article – Lisa Schwartz, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, is quoted about how the FDA has set a disturbing precedent by approving an untested dose of the new insomnia drug Belsomra. “For a deadly cancer with limited treatment this gamble might make sense, but not for a condition like insomnia and where Belsomra doesn’t appear to work any better, or more safely, than available treatments,” says Schwartz.