Carson Internal Medicine

12/25/2025

Want to take a moment and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.🎄 Whether you’re celebrating quietly at home or surrounded by loved ones, or celebrate something else, these words are about positive vibes, a positive season, and a time of year when, regardless of background, we get together with family and friends. We hope your day feels warm, comforting, and meaningful.

Take time to slow down, savor the moment, and listen to what your body needs. Wishing you a joyful and healthy holiday.

12/25/2025

Over the counter supplement recalled because it had....Viagra and Cialis in it.

Huntsville, Texas — StuffbyNainax LLC is voluntarily recalling all lots of MR.7 SUPER 700000 capsules to the consumer level. FDA analysis has found the product to be tainted with sildenafil and tadalafil, which are active ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat male erectile d...

12/22/2025

It’s the last night! Happy Chanukah from CIM. Traditionally, fried foods are eaten so enjoy (google why)! This season is about good will regardless of your traditions and background. The concept of “tikun olam” is simply doing what you can to make the world a better place. Hope you and yours experience that and have the chance to contribute.

12/20/2025

*Understanding the full body of data is why having a doctor with time to talk matters. My approach: Moderation is good. People pushing absolutes? Be cautious.
Enjoy good food — especially this season.
*This article summarizes several studies looking at potential risks of saturated fats. Is the data definitive? No. But most summaries only look out ≈5 years. What about 10 or 20?
If a study said smoking didn’t clearly raise cancer risk at 5 years, would you assume smoking was safe?
*This review — and a 2020 paper — found that reducing saturated fat lowered heart attacks in patients at high risk. On the flip side, I’ve looked hard at this topic and there are no studies showing benefit from saturated fats themselves. None.
*Medicine is about risk reduction, not zero risk. I trust messages grounded in moderation, not hype:
Healthy habits have cumulative, not instant benefits. Reducing saturated fat can lower heart disease risk.
It won’t make you immortal.
That’s the nuance.

Background: Debates about optimal saturated fat advice continue. Purpose: To systematically summarize randomized trial data on reducing or modifying saturated fat intake on cholesterol, mortality, and major cardiovascular events. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Contro...

12/17/2025

MORE SUNLIGHT 🌞STARTING...NOW! Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Shorter days mean less sunlight…and for many of us, that can affect mood, sleep, and energy levels more than we expect. Lower light exposure can shift your circadian rhythm and reduce vitamin D, which plays a role in immunity and overall well-being.

If you’ve been feeling tired, blue, or a little out of sync lately, this might be why. One of the benefits of concierge care is being able to check in quickly, adjust your wellness plan, and help you find practical ways to boost wellness through the darker months.

☀️Brighter days are ahead (literally)! Until then, a little extra care goes a long way. 👨‍⚕️

12/13/2025

Our nation's heroes deserve a system that protects them, not ' profits.

Call for an independent audit of to uncover waste, abuse, and price manipulation. Learn more and sign our petition at https://bit.ly/46R45y2

12/12/2025

Here’s a blog post my manager Michele and I wrote about our first year.
https://michaelcarsonmd.com/reflections-on-first-year-in-a-concierge-practice/
The biggest resource we offer is time ⏳… longer visits that let patients process and get every question answered. One of my favorite parts of this model is the ability to see patients within a couple of hours when something new comes up. Patients genuinely appreciate it.
A friend recently called it a “bespoke practice” 🎩 meaning care that’s truly customized. If you’re particular about not being rushed and you value real conversations about your health, check out the website.

Reflections on First Year in a Concierge Practice Dec 5, 2025 | Healthy Aging, Patient News As the year comes to an end, Dr. Michael Carson and Practice Manager, Michele Rizzuto, reflect on the insights, growth, and standout moments that have shaped their first year in this personalized model of car...

12/09/2025

Optum aka UnitedHealthcare is absolutely NOT about patient care.
Aka “Ethics Smethics”. It was NOT the physicians
I don’t understand how this was allowed to happen. (I’m an independent practice BTW).

Four primary care practices in southern New Jersey are being “abruptly” closed by Optum, UnitedHealth Group’s physician practice arm, the Pine Barrens Tribune reported Nov. 20. One of the physicians at a closing practice in Medford, N.J., John Hickey, MD, told the Tribune that both physicians ...

12/02/2025

“Zepbound price cuts.”
Still a significant cost 💰💰 if not covered by insurance, but worth noting since many patients are benefiting from these medications (around for 25 years). No med or treatment is perfect, but with lifestyle changes 🥗🚶‍♂️, proper monitoring 📊, and a strong physician relationship (especially one with more ⏱️ to talk👨‍⚕️), they can meaningfully improve health. [My practice does not sell or make money off of medications]

Lilly's Zepbound price cuts ranged from $50 to $100, depending on the dosage, for consumers who pay cash via the drugmaker's LillyDirect website.

11/14/2025

Informational: When you wonder why your doc is so rushed, here's another example of insurers arbitrarily cutting payment 10% when patients admitted emergently but the treating physician is not in Anthem's "network". There is NO valid reason for this. Hospitals and docs dont' reduce the quality of care based on insurance status... Doing "more with less" just means doing the "same for less".

Elevance’s Anthem Blue Cross plans are joining Big Insurance’s latest profit play — cutting payments to hospitals and providers under the pretense of reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs.

11/08/2025

Supplments? These 2 docs are awesome. Educational for medical and non medical people. They say basically...most offer zero benefit, the stated ingredients may not even be IN the tablet, harms DO exist, but a couple might offer some value.

Podcast Episode · OvaryActive · 10/09/2025 · 36m

11/07/2025

Things I won’t do: Optum. A branch of just gave 30 days notice that it’s shutting down dozens of NJ offices and laying off dozens of healthcare workers to “cut costs”. And exactly HOW did they improve healthcare for patients?