The very popular wonder drug for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, T2, GLP-1 receptor agonist (Ozempic, Wegovy, Monjaro, etc.), with sustained use, is associated with a higher risk for depression compared to sustained use of SGLT2, which blocks glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, resulting in excretion of excess sugar through urine. GLP-1’s mode of action, on the other hand, mimics gut hormones to improve insulin release, slow digestion, and promote weight loss. Be sure to discuss the details of these two groups of drugs with your prescribing physician and be vigilant about their side effects and potential complications. These medications, introduced clinically in 2005, are highly effective for weight management and diabetes control.
Garlic and CV health
Besides “keeping the vampires away,” garlic has been touted as a medical wonder, used in ancient cultures to prevent infection, boost athletic performance, and cleanse the arteries. Nowadays, garlic is said to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and slow down plaque buildup in arteries. Studies, however, are said to be variable.
“In one meta-analysis published in January 2026, for instance, researchers looked at data from 108 randomized controlled trials that involved more than 7,000 adults. They found that consuming raw, cooked, or supplemental garlic improved cardiovascular risk factors like LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure — especially in those with elevated cardiovascular risk,” according to Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies dietary supplements. Other studies do not confirm whether garlic supplements prevent heart attacks, strokes, or other chronic conditions, or cancers.
Since garlic is a food item and not a synthetic chemical, people can take garlic (or extract, 600 mg, twice a day), or eat a lot of garlic as an ingredient in various dishes daily for its potential cardiovascular benefits.
And, of course, chewing mint gums, or better yet, tooth-brushing after each meal, is mandatory for social health.
Factors in cancer
A diet rich in processed meats, low fiber, obesity, and physical inactivity are factors linked to increased risk for colorectal cancer. Grilling meats with high heat also exposes people to cancer. The use of medium heat, avoiding high heat, in cooking any food items is safer.
Frequent alcohol use, according to the journal Cancer, is linked to an increased lifetime risk for colorectal cancer. The recent studies showed that quitting may decrease the risk. On the health impact of alcohol consumption, new studies revealed that there is “no safe level of alcohol intake.”
Related to the topic of cancer, a “new landmark analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its subdivision, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), emphasizes just how many cancer cases globally could be prevented through lifestyle choices.”
The analysis in Nature Medicine showed up to 4 in 10 new cases (40 percent) of cancers globally were preventable. The modifiable risk factors are within our control (alcohol, tobacco, infections, vaccines that could prevent, are the 3 top risk factors, plus physical inactivity, processed meats, ultra-processed foods, environmental pollution, etc.). Smoking and air-pollution (lung cancer); H. pylori infections (stomach cancer); HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infections cervical cancer); Hepatitis B&C (liver cancer); alcohol (breast, prostate, mouth, throat, voice-box, esophagus, and liver.
How to minimize cancer
On a personal level, the following will dramatically reduce our risk for cancer: “Cessation of smoking, healthy lifestyle and obesity reduction, exercise, awareness of environmental carcinogens such as asbestos, a healthy diet reducing processed food, and reduction of alcohol intake are important in cancer reduction in both men and women.”
On a global policy level, worldwide availability, education, and accessibility to HPV will save millions of women from developing cervical cancer, and routine testing and subsequent treatment of H. pylori are vital in reducing the rate of stomach cancer around the world.
Since modifying our habits and behaviors are part of a healthy lifestyle, the WHO recommends: “Tobacco and infection control (notably human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C virus), reduction of alcohol consumption, and policies addressing excess body weight, physical inactivity, and air pollution should be top priorities, tailored to local patterns.”
Medical News
Frequent consumption of diet soda has been tied to an increased risk for dementia, although the association may be mediated by certain physical conditions. Soft drinks, in general, of any variety, are toxic to our body, especially to children.
New findings from the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) showed a fourfold increased dementia risk among dementia-free individuals who consumed more than one diet soda per day.
New Mexico’s health department warned residents to avoid raw dairy products after a newborn infant died from Listeria infection.
As of February 12, 2026, there were 910 cases of measles in 45 states and cities in the USA. Ninety-two percent of cases in 2025 were in unvaccinated individuals.
In the Philippines, there is no current measles outbreak, but measles has surged 300 percent from January 1 to October 14, 2023, a 186 percent increase from 2021, according to the DOH. The majority of those infected were unvaccinated. Vaccines are vital to prevent infectious diseases and deaths.
In the first verdict against gender-affirming care for minors, a patient won a $2 million medical malpractice lawsuit over surgery performed when she was a teenager. (New York Times)
A new Arizona bill would let people buy ivermectin without a prescription. (Axios)
Colorado could become the first state to use ibogaine, a plant-based psychoactive compound, as a regulated medical therapy. (Axios)
Metformin was tied to a lower incidence of intermediate age-related macular degeneration for people with diabetes in a 5-year case-control study. (BMJ Open Ophthalmology)
The FDA advised the public not to eat, sell, or serve certain imported frozen shrimp from an Indonesian firm due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op of Ohio recalled several products, including grass-fed pepper jack cheese and horseradish-flavored cheese, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US Senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, David Letterman, distinguished educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
