Articles by Dr. Spiesel

Columns printed in the on-line magazine Slate.

A Shot in the Dark (March 15, 2005)
Problems in the durability of protection produced by chickenpox vaccine and their economic and medical implications. http://www.slate.com/id/2114797/

Blame Canada (May 10, 2005)
Issues in drug regulation by a national agency examining a medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. http://www.slate.com/id/2118314/

The Doctor is In (June 3, 2005)
Statin benefits and risks; mortality and body mass index; Mexican counterfeit drugs; teen judgment about sexual risks; cost-benefit analysis of meningococcal vaccines; honey and burn treatment. http://www.slate.com/id/2120163/

Your Health This Month (July 1, 2005)
History of thimerosal in vaccines; safety of dental amalgam; immunological tolerance to insulin-producing cells; avian influenza chemoprophylaxis; episiotomy; use of old medical methods. http://www.slate.com/id/2121808/

Your Health This Month (July 29, 2005)
Travel immunizations; computerized medical records; cost-effectiveness of soap distribution; breast-feeding and myopia. http://www.slate.com/id/2123544/

Your Health This Month (September 2, 2005)
Step cell developments, cryptosporidium and lymphocytic choriomeningitis; quantifying illicit drug use by water analysis; reversal of Canadian ban on ADHD drug; rabies risk in travel; avian influenza research. http://www.slate.com/id/2125373/

Sick City (September 6, 2005)
Expected medical problems in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. http://www.slate.com/id/2125757/

Your Health This Month (October 3, 2005)
Additional benefits of statins; influenza vaccine and the elderly; new drug delivery systems for insulin; medical problems in Louisiana; unusual bubonic plague episode. http://www.slate.com/id/2127174/

Your Health This Month (November 1, 2005)
Toilet training observations and advice; the natural history and treatment of pediculosis; developing world interventions to prevent aflatoxin poisoning; genetic reassortment in influenza; antibacterial soap and antibiotic resistance. http://www.slate.com/id/2129213/

Your Health This Month (December 1, 2005)
Severe peanut allergies; the ecology of dust mites; breast feeding and maternal diabetes; an industrial accident in China. http://www.slate.com/id/2131344/

Your Health This Month (January 2, 2006)
Pacifiers and SIDS; human papilloma varus vaccine; new medical treatment for renal stones; acid blockers and Clostridium difficile infections. http://www.slate.com/id/2133563/

Your Health This Month (January 31, 2006)
Side effects of orlistat; bubble baths and urinary tract infections; research on cough medicine effectiveness; and influenza epidemic resulting from a laboratory accident. http://www.slate.com/id/2135155/

Should you Stop Taking Calcium? (February 1, 2006)
Studies on the efficacy of calcium supplementation. http://www.slate.com/id/2136722/

Your Health This Month (February 28, 2006)
Low-fat diets and cancer prevention; chills and upper respiratory infections; parasite treatments to redirect the immune response; nutritional supplements and benign prostatic hypertrophy treatment. http://www.slate.com/id/2137093/

Tales from the Nursery (March 27, 2006)
Immunobiology of human lactation. http://www.slate.com/id/2138629/

Your Health This Month (April 4, 2006)
Antibiotics and asthma; maternal choice and caesarian deliveries; avian influenza vaccine problems; malaria medications and travel. http://www.slate.com/id/2139271/

Deprive Yourself (April 6, 2996)
Calorie deprivation and longevity. http://www.slate.com/id/2139455/

All Smoke (April 24, 2006)
Politics and science in an FDA statement about medical marijuana. http://www.slate.com/id/2140503/

Your Health This Month (May 2, 2006)
Wireless capsule endoscopy; breast cancer risk and hormone replacement therapy; antibiotics and rhinosinusitis; music as analgesia. http://www.slate.com/id/2140899/

Jolly Rogers (May 15, 2006)
Health quality and the social gradient in the US and England. http://www.slate.com/id/2141648/

The Vioxx War (May 23, 2006)
Journalistic conflicts in reporting about medication problems. http://www.slate.com/id/2142160/

Your Health This Month (June 6, 2006)
Summer hazards; gene polymorphisms and sexual desire; the politics of federal care recommendations for women; the reliability of sponsored medication studies; the putative risk of excess tomalley consumption. http://www.slate.com/id/2143107/

Why we’re fatter (July 13, 2006)
Multiple factors contribution to the epidemic of obesity. http://www.slate.com/id/2145689/

Your Health This Month (July 25, 2006)
Coffee and a reduced risk for diabetes; anemia prevention in developing world obstetrical care; evaluation of acupuncture; lightning risks and cell phones; cardiovascular risk and depression. http://www.slate.com/id/2146483/

Your Health This Month (September 4, 2006)
Potential problems with soy-based foods; postpartum depression in fathers; new treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections; problems with metered dose inhalers. http://www.slate.com/id/2148758/

Killer T-Cells (September 11, 2006)
Autologous T-cells to treat cancer. http://www.slate.com/id/2149348/

Your Health This Month (October 6, 2006)
Competing risks in daily aspirin use; cardiomyopathy in young athletes; beef production practices and enteropathic E. Coli. http://www.slate.com/id/2151044/

Your Health This Month (October 31, 2006)
Spiral CT scans for lung cancer detection; misoprostol to prevent post partum hemorrhage; tooth-whiteners; after-hour physician calls; diminishing immunization pain for children. http://www.slate.com/id/2152561/

Your Health This Month (December 5, 2006)
Blocking breast cancer development; resveratrol and life span extension; melanoma in long-distance runners; Fifth Disease and anemia in the developing world. http://www.slate.com/id/2154934/

The Skinny on Kids’ Diets (December 19, 2006)
The Clara Davis research on food self-selection by children. http://www.slate.com/id/2155816/

Your Health This Month (January 9, 2007)
Prion protein-free cattle; adjuvants for influenza vaccine; intestinal bacteria and weight gain; treatment of hand dystonia. http://www.slate.com/id/2157311/

Cure for Colic? (January 30, 2007)
Probiotics and colic treatment. http://www.slate.com/id/2158605/

Your Health This Month (February 13, 2007)
The social psychology of intimacy; HIV virus transmission barriers; immunotherapy and seasonal allergies; fetal DNA analysis; food odor and longevity. http://www.slate.com/id/2159733/

Your Health This Month (February 27, 2007)
Treatment to prevent myopia progression; hormone replacement therapy; genetics of autism. http://www.slate.com/id/2160721/

Your Health This Month (March 13, 2007)
Excess weight and puberty onset; risks of cold medicines; complications in cancer survivors. http://www.slate.com/id/2161712/

Elizabeth Edwards’ Cancer (March 23, 2007)
Biology of metastatic breast cancer. http://www.slate.com/id/2162548/

Your Health This Month (April 3, 2007)
Circadian rhythm effects in rheumatoid arthritis, CLOCK gene disruption and behavior; propellant in metered dose inhalers; potential dangers in diarrhea treatment. http://www.slate.com/id/2163402/

Your Health This Month (February 27, 2007)
Gene variants and obesity; politics of medication decisions; chloramines, swimming pools, and asthma. http://www.slate.com/id/2164371/

Your Health This Week (May 3, 2007)
Breast feeding and obesity; menstruation and endometrial cancer; averting schizophrenia. http://www.slate.com/id/2165562/

Your Health This Week (May 22, 2007)
Radioimmunotherapy treatment for cancer; annual bisphosphonate treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. http://www.slate.com/id/2166675/

The Get-Out-of-Bed-Free Card (May 25, 2007)
Sleep problems in children – effects on parents; managing the problem. http://www.slate.com/id/2166888/

Your Health This Week (June 5, 2007)
Travel and epidemics; food fortification to prevent stroke; coffee and gout. http://www.slate.com/id/2167678/

Beware of Diet (July 4, 2007)
The long term failure of dieting. http://www.slate.com/id/2169134/

Your Health This Week (July 10, 2007)
Swedish snuff and tobacco harm reduction; malnutrition and immune deficiency; stress incontinence treatment. http://www.slate.com/id/2170141/

Family (March 17, 2014)
“I’m a Pediatrician. Should I Treat All Kids, or Just the Vaccinated Ones?” http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/03/measles_outbreak_in_new_york_city_should_pediatricians_treat_unvaccinated.html

Dr. Spiesel’s NPR interviews

National NPR segments, broadcast as part of the daily show, Day to Day. The segments can also heard on the NPR website http//www.npr.org/search.php?text=Spiesel.

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Vacuums and Allergies. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Dec 6, 2005)
Research on dust mite ecology and allergies. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5040839

Italian River Yields Info on Drug Use. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Dec 22, 2005)
Drug use monitoring by river water analysis. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5066153

Doctor Cites Progress on SIDS Prevention. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Jan 9, 2006)
New research on SIDS prevention. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5138916

Report Questions Efficacy of Cough Syrup. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Jan 16, 2006)
New thought on OTC antitussives. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5159388

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Earlier Toilet Training. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Jan 24, 2006)
The early toilet training movement. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5170136

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Peanut Allergies. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Jan 30, 2006)
Life-threatening allergies to peanuts. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5178654

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Xenical OTC. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 6, 2006)
The pros and cons of orlistat for weight control. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5191841

Slate’s Medical Examiner: A Man-Made ‘Red Flu’? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 13, 2006)
Evidence that the influenza epidemic of 1977 was man-made. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5203816

Research Reinforces the Importance of Washing Hands. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 20, 2006)
An experiment on hand-washing in the developing world. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5225226

Progress in Low-Cost Treatments for Liver Cancer. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 27, 2006)
Decreasing the burden of aflatoxicosis in rural Africa. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5235465

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Cold from the Cold? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (March 6, 2006)
Does being chilled lead to upper respiratory infections? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5247320

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Doubts on Supplements. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (March 13, 2006)
An examination of the value of nutritional supplements to treat arthritis pain and prostatic hypertrophy. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5259856

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Chicken Pox Vaccine Risks. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (March 20, 2006),
Will universal use of chickenpox vaccine lead to an increase in adult shingles? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5290109

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Breast vs. the Bottle. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (March 27, 2006)
An examination of the benefits of breast feeding. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5303617

Slate’s Medical Examiner: New Cure for Kidney Stones. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (April 3, 2006)
The use of a medication to free trapped renal stones. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5319777

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Antibiotics and Asthma. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (April 10, 2006)
A relationship between asthma and antibiotic use. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5334266

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Low Cal for Long Life? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (April 19, 2006)
Does extreme calorie deprivation result in lifespan extension? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5351175

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Shots for World Travellers. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (April 27, 2006)
Travel immunizations. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5366527

Tiny Video Camera Offers Inside View of Human Body. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (May 1, 2006)
A relationship between asthma and antibiotic use. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5373685

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Steroids for Sinus Pain. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (May 8, 2006)
Antibiotics aren’t always the best treatment for sinus pain. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5390609

Slate’s Medical Examiner: Music as Pain Relief. NPR interview with Noah Adams (May 15, 2006), Topic: Pain relief in medicine using music. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=

Slate’s Medical Examiner: The Genetics of Desire. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (June 13, 2006)
A gene variant which plays a role in sexual desire and function. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5481845

10 More Possible Triggers to Obesity. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (July 10, 2006)
Additional explanations besides those which seem obvious for the obesity epidemic. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5546074

A Simple and Cheap Treatment for Infant Anemia. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (July 17, 2006)
Preventing anemia in the developing world by changes in obstetrical practice. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5562849

Debunking the Cell Phone-Lightning Connection. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Aug. 2, 2006)
How good medical journals can fall for plausible but poorly researched ideas. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5601054

Coffee: A Habit the might be Good for You. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Aug. 9, 2006)
Coffee drinking and protection from type 2 diabetes. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5630021

Study: Acupuncture Helps with Joint Pain. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Aug. 21, 2006)
Acupuncture might help with joint pain but it may not be the needles that do the work. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5683790

Studies Link Depression to Heart Disease. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Aug. 28, 2006)
How depression can contribute to heart trouble. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5724348

Post-Partum Depression Can Hit Dads, Too. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Sept. 6, 2006)
Post-partum depression is fairly common among fathers, but less noticed. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5775331

Slate’s Explainer: The Health Perils of E. Coli. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Sept. 18, 2006)
\The biology of enteropathogenic E. coli outbreaks. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6097418

FDA Approves New Treatments for Wrinkles. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Oct. 2, 2006)
New wrinkle treatments for medical and cosmetic use. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6181447

A High-Tech Alternative for Cat Lovers with Allergies. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Oct. 9, 2006)
Cats bred to be allergen-free. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6225045

Aspirin May Increase Risk of Stomach Problems. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Oct. 19, 2006)
The problem of balancing the value of aspirin to protect against heart problems with its possible side-effects. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6333144

Does Sugar Really Make Kids Hyperactive? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Oct. 26, 2006)
Sugar ingestion and insulin responses in children. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6387517

White Teeth: But at What Cost? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Nov. 2, 2006)
Studies on OTC tooth-whitening products. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6422723

RU-486 Shows Breast Cancer Prevention in Mice. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Dec. 14, 2006)
Research on progestin-blockers for breast cancer chemoprophylaxis. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6624876

Can Kids Make the Right Food Choices? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Dec. 21, 2006)
Dr Clara Davis’ 1928 research on diet self-selection by children. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6658854

Drugs Similar to Botox may Help Writer’s Cramp. NPR interview with Luke Burbank (Jan. 12, 2007)
Botulinus toxin to treat hand dystonia. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6831823

Study Offers Hope for Treating Colic. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 7, 2007)
The use of probiotic preparations to treat infant colic. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7238059

Study Shows Allergy Shots are Effective. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Feb. 14, 2007)
Hyposensitization treatment for respiratory allergies. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7400315

HPV Vaccine Policy Becomes Political Issue. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Feb. 27, 2007)
The politics of the cervical cancer vaccine. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7620839

FDA Reviews Cough Syrup Dosage for Children. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Mar. 2, 2007)
Some risks in OTC cough medicines. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7685280

Eyedrops May Treat Myopia in Children. NPR interview with Alex Chadwick (Mar. 8, 2007)
The use of atropine drops to arrest the progression of myopia. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7773204

Childhood Cancer’s Long-Term Effects. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Mar. 14, 2007)
Addressing long-term effects in survivors of childhood cancer. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8895902

The Treatments and Risks Facing Elizabeth Edwards. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (Mar. 27, 2007)
Medical information about recurrent breast cancer. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9156688

Study Shows Body Clock Affects Arthritis Pain. NPR interview with Alex Cohen (Apr. 11, 2007)
Circadian rhythm and physiological function. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9515530

Parents, Children Talk About Virginia Tech. NPR interview with Alex Cohen (Apr. 24, 2007)
Management of children’s (and parent’s) anxieties about exposure to violence. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9798443

Study Discounts Formula Feeding-Obesity Link. NPR interview with Alex Cohen (May 8, 2007)
Recent research re-examines whether breast feeding prevents later obesity. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10073345

Pierced Nipples Problematic in Breastfeeding. NPR interview with Alex Cohen (May 22, 2007)
Effect of nipple piercing on breast feeding (and why there are few good data about unusual conditions). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10322983

Study: Kids’ Lack of Sleep Hurts Parents Too. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (May 28, 2007)
The physical and mental health problems of parents when children have sleep problems. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10496276

Fortified Foods: Helpful or Just Harmless? NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (June 12, 2007)
The value of folic acid flour fortification for stroke prevention. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10976922

Diets Don’t Work Long-Term, Research Finds. NPR interview with Madeleine Brand (June 19, 2007)
Many studies on diets show them to be ineffective, long-term. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11191699