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Explaining birdshot chorioretinopathy and its treatments

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: My niece was diagnosed with birdshot chorioretinopathy. Can you please explain what this is, which treatments are involved, and what the typical prognoses are? — P.Z. ANSWER: Birdshot chorioretinopathy is an inflammatory condition of the choroid and retina (the very back of the eye). The average age of diagnosis is 53. This disease is an autoimmune disease that is strongly associated with genetics. Nearly everyone with this disease has the same human lymphocyte antigen group (HLA-A29), even though only 7% of people have this antigen present in their T cells (one of ...

Artemis II reminds us to hold our heads high, look to the stars

Our View

There are few things that we can be as proud of as Americans as winning the space race and putting the first men on the moon. At our best, we have a fixation on the horizon — a burning need to explore, to see what lies beyond. It’s an urge that is deeply ingrained in our culture — we are the product of explorers, from sea to shining sea. Of course, the exploitation that followed that exploration every step of the way is something that tends to trouble modern sensibilities. But that doesn’t change the cultural impact of that initial tug: that errant thought, “what’s over ...

Yes, boldly go

Columns

So much for journalistic objectivity. The BBC science editor covering the launch of Artemis II couldn’t contain her enthusiasm when the first plumes of smoke spread out from the launch pad. “Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!” she exclaimed, clapping like a schoolgirl. As the rocket lifted off, she got visibly emotional: “It’s not just what you see and you hear as the rocket lifts off. You can feel the force of it through your body. This is the most powerful rocket that NASA has ever built!” Rebecca Morelle can be forgiven for falling in love with the subject of her ...

The Iran hawks are losing their judgment

Columns

I am an Iran hardliner. But I’m struggling to understand how other hardliners can be so credulous about President Donald Trump’s leadership of this war. It’s as if you were stranded by the side of the road and accepted a ride from an obviously drunk driver. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal editorial board scolded those of us who were not cheerleading for this war: “There’s remarkable pessimism in the media and political class about the U.S. bombing campaign against the terrorist regime in Iran. Five days into the war, you’d think from the coverage and commentary ...

Dear Annie: Carrying the weight of a one-sided friendship

Columns

Dear Annie: I am writing about a friendship that has weighed on my heart for quite some time. I have known this woman for more than 20 years, and in many ways, she has been a loyal and lively part of my life. We have celebrated happy occasions together, seen one another through disappointments and shared the kind of history that is not easily replaced. But in recent years, our friendship has begun to feel less like a comfort and more like a burden. Nearly every conversation revolves around her troubles, her grievances, her worries and the endless complications of her daily life. When ...

How laws prevent doctors from receiving perks off the books

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Your recent column said that the “law” prohibits doctors from getting money from prescriptions. However, they get perks from pharma reps like dinner, golf, etc., and many push supplements on TV. Many “doctors” across the country make their income from prescribing supplements to patients for chronic fatigue syndrome or COVID. — D.K. ANSWER: There are statutes that prevent physicians from directly profiting from prescribing certain medications. The Stark Law prevents doctors from referring their patients to entities where the physician has a financial interest. ...