James Stein

When It Really Is All in Your Head: Placebo and Nocebo Effects on Health How we experience the world is shaped by our expectations. This is especially true in health, where people can feel better simply because they anticipate improvement (the “placebo effect”), or feel wo...

My latest on Substack: "When It Really Is All in Your Head: Placebo and Nocebo Effects on Health." How we experience the world is shaped by our expectations. This is especially true in health, where people can feel better simply because of what they anticipate ...

Staying Healthy on Vacation It’s been a little over two weeks since my last blog post because I was on vacation.

My new blog on Substack - "Staying Health on Vacation" - is live! jamesstein18.substack.com/p/staying-he...

Alcohol and Health Risks: Evidence Beats Headlines Alcohol use is woven into our culture as part of religious rituals and celebrations, yet feared because of its health and social risks.

My latest on Substack. open.substack.com/pub/jamesste...

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Forget 10,000 Steps: Three Ways to Make Exercise More Impactful Prologue: I write these blogs to separate what’s popular from what’s most impactful in preventive cardiology and healthy aging.

My latest on Substack - Forget 10,000 Steps: Three Ways to Make Exercise More Impactful
jamesstein18.substack.com/p/forget-100...

Worn Out by Wearables: Health Isn’t a Number.
My latest on Substack: bit.ly/4lGbUfd

Why I am on Substack. I try to make health and science clearer and more approachable.

jamesstein18.substack.com/p/why-i-am-o...

Cover of The Lancet's August 23, 2025 issue. Quote on cover reads: "Either through incompetence or disinformation, the actions of this movement pose the greatest threat to the health of Americans and millions of people globally."

The week beginning Aug 4 was the most dangerous, tragic week of RFK Jr’s tenure yet.

A Lancet Editorial outlines why—unpacking a movement that seeks to discredit mainstream medicine and portray institutions and experts as enemies, not partners. tinyurl.com/4zppw6ay

May this portion of the dissent by Ketanji Brown Jackson haunt John Roberts forever and be the final word on his tenure as Chief Justice.

Israelis and Palestinians are real human beings who exist beyond your social media feed.

You can question Israeli policies and still stand against antisemitism.

You can debate politics and still call out violence.

Jews are being attacked on a global scale, not because of politics, but just because they're Jews.

Testosterone Therapy: Not a Toy, Not a Hack Testosterone therapy is surging in popularity, promoted as a medical shortcut to renewed vitality (US Pharm 2025).

My latest post on Substack: substack.com/@jamesstein1...

Part III. Coronary Artery Calcium Scans: A Long Run for a Short Slide (That Misses Home Plate) Part III. The False Allure of the “Power of Zero”

The 3rd and final part of my blog about Coronary Artery Calcium Scans is now on Substack. It's called "The False Allure of the “Power of Zero”". All 3 are available now. As always, I appreciate your thoughtful, civil feedback.

Part II. Coronary Artery Calcium Scans: A Long Run for a Short Slide (That Misses Home Plate) Part II. A Deeper Dive

Coronary Artery Calcium Scans: A Long Run for a Short Slide (That Misses Home Plate) - Part II. A Deeper Dive
The Myth of Reclassification

Coronary Artery Calcium Scans: A Long Run for a Short Slide (That Misses Home Plate) Part I. A Long Run for a Short Slide

My latest blog on Substack: Coronary Artery Calcium Scans: A Long Run for a Short Slide (That Misses Home Plate)

The Blogs: How We Speak About Israel May Shape What’s Next From the blog of James H. Stein at The Times of Israel

My follow up blog: blogs.timesofisrael.com/how-we-speak...

The Blogs: When the Country You Love Nears the Precipice From the blog of James H. Stein at The Times of Israel

blogs.timesofisrael.com/when-the-cou...

Who Needs More Cardiac Screening Tests? Probably Not You. Pre-note: Finally!

Somewhere between the doctor’s impulse to test and the patient’s desire to know, predicting risk of heart disease and stroke has become an obsession in the doctor’s office, the medical literature, and even at the dinner table.

The Blogs: Does Israel Make Jews Less Safe? From the blog of James H. Stein at The Times of Israel

I hadn’t planned to write again so soon about Israel and antisemitism - I’d turned to essays on health-related topics. But a friend’s good-faith claim that Israel makes Jews less safe deserved a response. I disagree—and explain why: bit.ly/4lco1AD

The Blogs: When Progressive Jews Have Antisemitic Ideas From the blog of James H. Stein at The Times of Israel

I wrote about antisemitism in progressive Jewish spaces knowing it would invite backlash. Anti-Zionist rhetoric—especially from fellow Jews—often collapses under its own ethical logic. I hope to spark moral clarity, and remind peers that integrity must outweigh social comfort: bit.ly/40A0F0i

If you think things are bad now, just wait for Tucker Carlson's sit-down interview with Grok.

In related news of the obvious, inhaling poorly regulated chemicals manufactured by unregulated companies with no interest in safety on a regular basis may be harmful to your health.

Just How Harmful Is Vaping? More Evidence Is Emerging. A new study that found high levels of heavy metals in popular nicotine vapes adds to concerns about the products.

A new study found high levels of heavy metals in popular nicotine vapes. Other studies have suggested that vaping can affect the heart, lungs and brain.

As NOAA braces for more cuts, scientists say public safety is at risk As severe weather season kicks off for large portions of the country, climate scientists warn cuts at NOAA and NWS could put public safety in jeopardy.

When people ask me "how will the public notice capacity failures?" I will point to the fact that Trump is seeking to significantly degrade the ability to prepare for and respond to national disasters at a time when national disasters are getting worse. See also: FEMA.
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...

Those of us who warned—before the election—that a Trump regime would eventually come for everyone were called “cynics”, “alarmists”, “idiots”, or worse.

Fast forward to not even 6 months in to his second term and he is now calling for expelling American citizens as he opens concentration camps.

The political strategy of
1) don't resist Trump
2) wait for thermostatic public opinion to just happen
3) don't talk about unconstitutional ICE actions and violations of the 1st Amendment
4) wait for the Supreme Court to solve it
really doesn't seem to be working.

My (not-so) hot take on @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social winning the NYC Democratic mayoral primary:
Outside NYC, no one really cares.

It’s trending because:
✔️New Yorkers think the world is parochial
✔️Media loves a spectacle
✔️Some use it as a wedge within the Dems

Not sure which is most to blame.

If you’re an anti-Zionist and don’t believe Jews should have a sanctuary state to escape to, you need to work twice as hard to ensure that the Jewish diaspora is safe.

Yet how come anti-Zionists do everything in their power to dismiss, excuse, and apologize for antisemitism?

So many people don’t recognize how prevalent hatred of Jews is today. Because it’s not aimed at you.

Jews see it because we experience it. Believe us.

You should not have to see a body count to realize antisemitism is real. And it kills.