In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Keith McCormick discuss what you need to know about osteoporosis and bone health. Dr. McCormick explains what causes osteoporosis, the importance of early bone density tests, and breaks down some of the lifestyle factors that affect bone health. They discuss the need for personalized treatment beyond only medication, and Dr. McCormick advocates for patient empowerment and comprehensive understanding to improve treatment outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• 50% of women will get osteoporosis. 20% of men will get osteoporosis.

• People should be getting bone density tests in their forties, not waiting until their fifties or sixties. The sooner it is discovered you are having symptoms, the sooner you can begin to treat and prevent.

• Bone strength is a combination of bone density and bone quality. Get both the DEXA and Trabecular Bone Score or TBS. Usually, physicians don't request the TBS, but it is very important. Ask for it.

• Testing should include blood tests for bone turnover markers. Your blood is telling a larger story, and it can get complicated.

• Systemic inflammation can also be tested, as it can contribute to loss of bone density.

• The more times you stimulate your body, the more you will stimulate the osteoblasts.

"It's important to understand that you, the patient, are the boss, and you're paying that person, you're asking that person for help, and that they should be working with you." — Dr. Keith McCormick

Connect with Dr. Keith McCormick:

Website: https://www.osteonaturals.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-keith-mccormick-dc-433a2526/

Twitter: https://x.com/OsteoNaturals

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OsteoNaturals/

Books:

Great Bones: Taking Control of Your Osteoporosis: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Bones-Taking-Control-Osteoporosis/dp/B0BS8RJ2V3

The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Body-Approach-Osteoporosis-Strength-Harbinger-ebook/dp/B0056JX49Y

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Daniel Buchman discuss chronic pain, affecting over 20% of the population in the US, Canada, and Europe. Chronic pain (persisting pain lasting over three months) includes conditions like arthritis, lower back pain, fibromyalgia, and phantom limb pain, among many others. Daniel highlights the challenges in pain assessment, the role of AI in pain management, and the ethical considerations, including bias in pain reporting. He notes that chronic pain increases suicide risk, and the conversation also touches on the stigma surrounding pain and opioid use.

Key Takeaways:

• Pain can come from an identifiable condition, but sometimes doesn't have a clear cause.

• Primary pain is the type of pain that is not explained by another disease. Secondary pain is pain that arises because of or is related to an underlying condition - perhaps injury, illness, disease, or other reason.

• When we talk about bias in health care providers, we also need to look at the broader societal bias that plays into those biases.

• As AI is used more in medicine, we do need to be aware of bias in the data sets that the AI is utilizing to learn and then use to make predictions.

• Pain is a warning sign. It is not, in and of itself, bad. It is telling you that something might need to be addressed in your body.

"There isn't a blood test or a brain scan or anything that can determine how much pain somebody's in, or what it's like to experience that pain. This is subjective because it depends on the person, and it depends on a whole host of factors, not just their biology. It depends on their psychology, social factors, cultural factors, and gender is a big part of this as well." — Dr. Daniel Buchman

Episode References:

• Buchman, Daniel Z.a,b,c,d. 2025 AI and the ethics of techno-solutionism in pain management. PAIN 166: 469-470. | DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003389

Connect with Dr. Daniel Buchman:

Professional Bio: https://www.camh.ca/en/science-and-research/science-and-research-staff-directory/danielbuchman

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/danielbuchman.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/DanielZBuchman

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=3Yja_7QAAAAJ&hl=en

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Dawn Sarno, a leading expert on cyber scams, discuss the prevalence and detection of phishing scams. Dawn explains that phishing often targets older adults due to their perceived lack of tech savvy and higher financial stakes, but notes that younger adults are also vulnerable, often due to impulsivity and poor online habits. She highlights the rise of AI-generated deep fakes, which make scams more convincing and harder to detect. Dawn advises slowing down and verifying suspicious communications, emphasizing the importance of cyber hygiene practices, such as using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. She also emphasizes the importance of vigilance and reporting scams to help prevent others from falling victim.

Key Takeaways:

• Differences and similarities between fraud, phishing, whaling, deep fakes, scams, and spam.

• Older adults are often targeted by scams, but they also typically have more to lose relative to a younger adult. While factors associated with age, like loneliness and abnormal cognitive decline, may make you more vulnerable to falling for a scam, Dr. Sarno's research generally suggests that there may not be a huge difference in detection abilities between younger and older adults.

• Cyberscams are a numbers game. People often send out messages to large groups (such as everyone at a university) rather than targeting one person at a time.

• If you notice that something's not right, report it, because this is going to help the social media platform or your organization's IT department find these scams and prevent them from reaching other people.

"One big thing I would stress is that if people are ever in doubt, they should never click a link or open an attachment, because that curiosity alone could lead them to have some problems." — Dr. Dawn Sarno

Connect with Dr. Dawn Sarno:

Professional Bio: https://sciences.ucf.edu/psychology/person/dawn-sarno/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dawn-sarno-790a1558

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.