Ask any hospital physician for their list of “must not miss” diagnoses, and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia usually earns a spot. It’s uncommon, it’s counterintuitive, and both missing it and over-calling it can hurt the patient. HIT is the situation where a common, trusted blood thinner, heparin, provokes an immune reaction that, instead of thinning the blood, […]
Category: Internal Medicine
Anti-PF4 Antibodies: The Immune Reaction Behind HIT, VITT, and a Growing Family of Clotting Disorders
Medicine has a handful of conditions that seem to defy common sense, and this is one of my favorites to explain. Picture a patient whose platelet count — the cells that help blood clot — is dropping fast. Your instinct says: this person is at risk of bleeding. And yet the real danger is the […]
Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis: A Rare Blistering Rash With an Important Drug Connection
Most blistering rashes never make it into a physician’s “I need to think carefully about this” category. Linear IgA bullous dermatosis is one that should. It’s uncommon — but it has a particular habit of showing up after someone starts a medication, it convincingly imitates several other conditions, and getting the diagnosis right changes what […]
Exosomes for Skin and Hair: What the Science — and the FDA — Actually Say
If you’ve walked past a med-spa or scrolled skincare content lately, you’ve probably seen “exosomes” promoted as the next big thing — an exosome facial after microneedling, exosome injections for thinning hair, serums promising to switch your skin’s repair machinery back on. The marketing is confident and the biology sounds genuinely exciting. So I want […]
Legionnaires’ Disease: What Recent Outbreaks Reveal About a Preventable Pneumonia
Every so often a disease that sounds like it belongs to the 1970s lands back on the front page. Legionnaires’ disease is one of those. In the summer of 2025, a cluster in Central Harlem grew into one of New York City’s larger outbreaks in recent memory — 118 confirmed cases and seven deaths, ultimately […]
The Diabetes Drugs That Turned Out to Protect the Heart and Kidneys
You’ve almost certainly heard of these medications by their brand names, usually in the context of weight loss. As an internist, though, the part of the story I find most striking has little to do with the number on the scale. Over the last two years, this class of drugs — the GLP-1 receptor agonists […]
The Shots I Actually Recommend This Fall — and Why
Every autumn, somewhere between the first cold snap and the first sniffle, I get the same question from patients: Which shots do I actually need this year? It’s a fair question, because the answer has gotten more complicated — three different respiratory viruses, several vaccines each, and recommendations that have shifted more than usual lately. […]
Population Health Analytics: Predictive Modeling for Preventive Care and Disease Risk Stratification
Introduction Population health analytics is a critical component of modern healthcare systems, leveraging large-scale data analysis to improve preventive care, optimize resource allocation, and enhance health outcomes. Says Dr. Sagy Grinberg, predictive modeling, a key aspect of population health analytics, uses statistical and machine learning techniques to identify at-risk populations, forecast disease incidence, and inform targeted […]
Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic Support: Clinical Decision Tools for Complex Multi-System Disorders
Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic support systems are transforming the evaluation and management of complex multi-system disorders. Says Dr. Sagy Grinberg, these platforms leverage machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics to analyze vast clinical datasets, including electronic health records, laboratory results, imaging studies, and genomic profiles. By synthesizing information across multiple organ systems, AI-based […]
Remote Patient Monitoring Systems: Chronic Disease Management Through Continuous Health Data Analytics
Introduction Remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems have emerged as transformative tools in chronic disease management, enabling continuous collection, analysis, and interpretation of patient health data outside traditional clinical settings. Says Dr. Sagy Grinberg, these systems integrate wearable devices, home-based sensors, and mobile health applications to track vital signs, physiological parameters, and behavioral metrics in real time. […]