Javier Guevara Jr., MD, FAAFP

Xylitol

Dr. Stanley Hazen, from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute has studied the effects of this sweetener and found it may be linked to nearly twice the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in people who consume the highest levels of the sweetener. Found in gum, toothpaste, baking goods and other foods, xylitol is found to make platelets; the cells in our blood that help with clotting, more likely to clump together, increasing the risk of strokes, heart attacks and death. Even though xylitol is also found naturally in fruits, the amounts used in these foods raises the concentration of xylitol in our blood 1,000 fold.

More research is needed to further investigate this; so please be cautious on the amount of xylitol and or erythriol you consume, especially if you have medical conditions that increase your risk of heart attacks and or stroke such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoke nicotine-containing products or your family has increased risks for these diseases.

Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8FXfJIOmdo/?igsh=aXkwampxdmtsMWlv

Excited and proud of voting today! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva la democracia y libertad! México and the USA are electing new presidents this year. GO VOTE! Make your voice be heard. Your vote, your voice.

A new wave of overdoses is hitting the USA. Two powerful sedatives used in animals are being mixed in with opiates. Know the facts. Seek help. Recovery is possible. Free, confidential help is available. SAMHSA Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)

Have a safe and fun time this Memorial Day weekend with these tips, honoring and remembering all who have served.

This Memorial Day weekend, be safe and don't ruin the fun for you or others.

🚨ALERT CHICAGO🚨the Department of Public Health has noted an increase in cases of INVASIVE BACTERIAL MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE. It is spread commonly through sharing respiratory and throat secretions (saliva or spit) through CLOSE or LENGTHY contact such as kissing or living together. Symptoms vary from flu-like to worse symptoms such as altered mental state. It can be deadly if untreated. If you are planning gatherings this weekend with close contact such as IML and summer including festivals like Midsommarfest, Pride, Market Days or others, contact your medical provider to talk about prevention including getting vaccinated against it.

Take this opportunity to talk to your medical provider about your heart health and ways to prevent heart disease. Book your appointment today!

Celebrating and honoring Black History Month by emphasizing with gratitude the contributions of those who have fought for the progress achieved and seeking a better future cultivating the next leaders of progress, true inclusion, equity and equality at Feinberg and our communities.

At I&A we ALL share the dream.

Dr. McKnight was the first Black female faculty member as well as the first associate dean for Minority Affairs at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Boone served as Director of Diversity at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for 8 years and was director of physician health and care disparities at the AMA for 4 years afterwards.

Dr. Modlin received the Northwestern University Medical School Inaugural Daniel Hale Williams Award for Meritorious Service to Underserved Communities and founded the Cleveland Clinic Minority Men’s Health Center (MMHC).

YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/Z-tCig9yG-Q?si=pyR6PbOqFtZ2cH1Q A conversation with other physicians from underrepresented backgrounds sharing our stories and highlighting the importance to support diversity in medicine. Thank you to the American Medical Association Center for Health Equity for facilitating it.

Prevention is the best medicine. Consult your medical provider or pharmacist and get your flu, COVID and or RSV vaccines. Vaccines save lives.

Your national Medical Alumni Association Board kicked off day two of Alumni Weekend 2023 with an early morning meeting to review the work of the committees these past six months and make strategic plans for the future.

We love our alumni board! Thank you for all that you do!

Yesterday, we commemorated 20 years of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Feinberg School of Medicine and celebrated those individuals who are pillars to the mission of fostering a better Feinberg. Congratulations ODI and HUGE thanks to Dean Franklin and Anita. 💜

Our Legacy in Practice: A Physician's Story with Javier Guevara Jr., MD, FAAFP The third installment of the five-part video series, "Our Legacy in Practice: A Physician's Story," explores the journey of Javier Guevara Jr., MD, FAAFP. D...

I would love a tshirt UNCW Centro Hispano!

Goallll! ⚽️ Our annual Los Seahawks soccer match is taking place on Saturday, October 7th at 7pm! It will be held at the UNCW soccer stadium. This game is open to the public! The first 200 students will receive a free Los Seahawks T-Shirt.

Amigues, I was 1 of 5 physicians, in the country, profiled by the , to explore my unique journey in medicine, my dreams for the future, and what the AMA can do to support advancing Health Equity for Physicians of marginalized and minoritized experience.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, and National Latinx Physician Day, I am humbled and honored to be another representative of our contributions to medicine, science and our patients. Big shout out to Michelle in the video! Video link here: https://youtu.be/RaczOKpM_2g?si=2_547bGbVgpg3C8n

Thank you and Hope everyone is staying safe during these high-temperature days. Full video link in bio

Get your COVID booster if you care and let’s keep this summer going without lockdowns. According to the CDC, the number of people in the US hospitalized with COVID-19 rose 14.3% to 10,320 for the week ending Aug. 5, making it the fourth straight week of increase. Luckily, the rate is lower than the 42,813 admissions recorded in the same period last year. Hospitals across the Southeast recorded the highest COVID-19 admission rates in the country, and emergency department data show the highest case numbers among people aged 75 and older.

doxyPEP FACTS:
- 65% effective in reducing bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) among MSM (Men who have S*x with Men), & trans women. In a study, it lowered two thirds of the combined incidence of bacterial STIs. Unclear benefit for cid gender women.
- Safe, affordable, well known antibiotic
- Needed! Condoms prevent STIs but with rising STIs worldwide, clearly condoms don’t fit everyone’s s*x life.
- STIs are rising! In 2021 the CDC reported over 2.5 million cases of STIs. A 7% increase than prior years.
- Not a new concept: this has been used to prevent Lyme’s disease on those witick bites with concern for Lyme’s disease
- Current data from research does not show increase of antimicrobial resistance due to doxyPEP.
- So needed and useful, the CDC is expected to draft recommendations in the next few weeks. Stay tuned! *x

There is a rise in cases of people having leprosy or Hansen’s disease particularly in central Florida alarming the CDC as it seems it may becoming endemic. This is an infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and primarily affects the skin and nerves. Luckily, it is treatable with antibiotics. It is transmitted from infected people having close and prolonged contact with others. Casual interactions do not seem to be sufficient to infect people. Please seek immediate medical attention if you have skin changes and or pain and or numbness and reside or have been exposed. Please notify people of your concern to maximize precautions.

I recently contributed an article for Chicago Dancers United Chicago Dancers United wellness newsletter. Please read:

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control)
approximately 13 of every 100 American men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. Of these, two to three men will die from
it.
The biggest risk factor is age. However, African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer are at an increased risk of getting prostate cancer and die from it.
African-American men have also been found to get prostate cancer at a younger age and have more advanced disease when this cancer is found.
The most common symptoms of prostate cancer include:
Difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, urinary frequency, especially at night, incomplete bladder emptying, pain with urination, blood in urine or semen, back pain, hips, or pelvis, painful ej*******on
It is important to note that some men may have no symptoms, and there are other causes of these symptoms.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that men who are 55-69 years-old have a discussion with their providers prior to screening for prostate cancer, including an assessment of prostate cancer risks and the risks and benefits of screening.
Screening offers a small potential benefit of reducing the chance of death from prostate cancer in some men. However, many will experience potential harm from screening, including talse-positive results, prompting additional testing and possible prostate biopsy; overdiagnosis and overtreatment; and treatment complications, such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
There is no standard test to screen for prostate cancer.
However, the two most used tests include measuring blood levels of the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) and DRE (Digital Re**al Examination).
Of note, there are other conditions, such as infection, medications, genetics, and recently performed procedures that can impact levels of PSA.
Similarly, the USPSTF finds no evidence of the benefits of using DRE as a screening tool and recommends against screening in men who are 70-years-old and older.

Hot weather can lead to dehydration which is more dangerous for diabetics. To learn how to protect yourself click here:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/ahead-of-heat-wave-experts-share-tips-for-those-with-diabetes/3193052/

thank you!

Researchers from Harvard, Emory and Johns Hopkins published recently findings that suggest a connection between people with blood type A and increased risk for COVID-19. The protein in their blood seems to be ‘stickier’ for the virus. Still, EVERYONE can get COVID as we know, so don’t misinterpret these findings.

With record-breaking temperatures, make sure to stay atop of your health and prevent a heat stroke or worse. Here are FIVE tips for this hot summer:
*Stay hydrated. The body uses extra water to regulate temperature. Make sure you stay adequately hydrated.
*Stay cool. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and heat. Seek shelter in a cool environment as soon as possible.
*Take your medications. If you have chronic conditions, optimize your health by complying with your medications and lifestyle modifications necessary to remain as healthy as possible.
*Wear SPF. Make sure to protect your skin from sun damage and cancer. Don’t forget also to re-apply as often as needed.
*Know your risks. Age, medical conditions, social determinants of health among others, impact how likely you are to experience negative effects from the weather.
Also, please make sure to review these and any healthy tips first with your provider(s).

ALERT Chicago! The air quality has reached an index of 258 meeting VERY UNHEALTHY levels for EVERYONE. The US Environmental Protection Agency is recommending to wear masks (N95 preferably) and limit outdoor activities. Please take this seriously and if you have lung and or heart disease contact your medical provider if not feeling well.

Happy Father’s Day! To everyone out there who identifies as a father, may your effort to the growth and wellness of your children bring you many blessings to you and your family. Raising a kid is no joke and although there is no formal training on how to best do it, learning what experts advise is helpful and beneficial to all. Read https://apple.news/AWXZeY_XhQouXXeeDbqRpEQ

Last night I attended the Chicago Cubs Pride game against the Pittsburg Pirates. Same day the National Gay, Le***an and Bis*xual Survey on Drug Use and Health results from 2021-2022 were published. This survey showed that adults who identify as gay, le***an or bis*xual are more likely than those who identify as straight to have serious thoughts of su***de and mental health conditions including major depressive episodes, and they are more likely to misuse substances like alcohol or drugs, according to the new U.S. government report. More organizations like the Cubs who support the LGBTQ community should exist to fight this inequalities. If you are part of the LGBTQ community and struggle with mental or substance use. Please find help by visiting samosa.gov, call or text 988.

Attention all those with heart and or lung conditions who live in most of the East and parts of the upper east Midwest! There is an Air Quality alert in place for many of you. The toxic smoke from the wildfires in Canada have reached many parts of the US. Please check with your local public health department and if you have cardiopulmonary diseases contact your provider for guidance how to protect your health. This has extended down the Carolinas to Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, etc.

Let’s not go back. Let’s keep moving forward to foster a World where all are equal… where everyone can be who they are, to love who they want… to exist. Use your power and your privilege for a better World. To all my community, I see you, I accept you, I stand with you. 🌈 ***anpride *xualpride *xualpride

Who cures/runs the World? Fam Med Docs!! Happy World Day of Family Physicians to all my fellow colleagues who show up wholeheartedly and courageously every day to even remote areas of the world, areas of underserved medicine and who everyday fight to end healthcare disparities. We deliver babies, care for pediatric, adolescent, adult and elderly patients. We treat any condition including mental health and substance use disorders. WE RUN the world.