MIT recently conducted a study in Denmark in which microchip technology was used to give seven women an osteoporosis drug. While the drug, Forteo, typically requires one daily injection via needle, the women in the study received up to 19 daily doses via a specially designed chip implanted under the skin.

“It’s almost like ‘Star Trek,’ but now it’s coming to life,” elaborates study co-author Dr. Robert Langer Jr., who first got the idea for the medicinal microchips 15 years ago. “Just send a signal over a special radio wave, and out comes the drug.”

The microchips house small reservoirs of freeze-dried, powdered drugs, which are released into the bloodstream one by one. The timing of the dosages is transmitted via a wireless computer signal. The technology could be ideal for people who take daily intravenous medications for diseases like multiple sclerosis but dislike the routine of a daily shot. Dr. Langer and his team at MicroCHIPS, Inc. say that the chip’s design should have no problem holding up to 365 days worth of medicine.

Study editorial co-author John Watson told CNN, “Some people say ‘I just don’t want an incision’ – so they could opt out easily and elect another approach. On the other hand, there would be some people who would say ‘I want this’ because [they] want it to be forgettable, sort of like a pacemaker.”

So what do you say, readers? Would you be eager to let a microchip dole out your medications?

Image: Electric Piano, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from MarkyBon’s photostream.

So how do we make this happen? There are three basic principles that guide us as a team and ensure our service is the best it can be. Today I’ll tackle the first principle: every person is the most important person!

Whether it’s a ZocDoc doctor, a patient, or a prospective hire, everybody is special to us. Our hope is that everyone who interacts with our team ends up feeling like they’ve made a new friend.

I’m often reminded of my teammate Cheryl’s motto, “We love to chat.” It’s true! We don’t time our calls or pressure team-members to wrap things up. We’re a diverse team with diverse interests – from opera to beer-brewing to crafting (my teammate Emily actually owns this book). This means we find ourselves having some pretty intriguing conversations. Just the other day, I learned how to say “I love ZocDoc,” in Romanian from an office manager. That’s fun and useful!

On a side note, a recent study demonstrated that nearly 60 percent of customers would recommend a company due to outstanding service. That makes it more important than the price, or even the quality of the product. What does this mean to us? Delivering a stellar experience isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s what keeps our users coming back.

I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop on more ways we deliver magical experiences – check back soon for the second principle of ZocDoc service!

Matt has been a member of the ZocDoc team since the summer of 2010, which means he’s seen a lot of changes to Ops and to ZocDoc! He is dedicated to the growth and education of his team, which leads to happier patients and doctors! A graduate of NYU, Matt is a big theater fan… and is admired ZocDoc-wide for his awesome bowtie collection.

Over the years, many institutions have studied the mysterious link between our four-legged friends and our cardiovascular health. In 1992, the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne found a connection between pet ownership and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Then, in 1995, the American Journal of Cardiology reported that men and women without dogs were less likely to recover from heart attacks. And just recently, researchers at Japan’s Kitasato University examined the link between pet ownership and heart rate variability.

High heart rate variability (i.e. our heart’s ability to speed up or slow down in order to accommodate our body’s needs) is a key component of good cardiovascular health. Low heart rate variability is associated with heart disease.

The Japanese study monitored the hearts of 191 people over the course of 24 hours. All participants dealt with some form of blood pressure or cholesterol problem. About half of the volunteers owned pets, and researchers found that those who did had twice the heart rate variability of the non-pet owners.

Though the reason for this phenomenon is unclear, evidence continues to suggest that it’s worth exploring. As UCLA’s Dr. Judith Siegel told Reuters, “I don’t think anyone has a good handle yet on why these discrepancies exist… My guess is that pets are a form of social support, hence stress reduction, and they can satisfy some but not all social companionship needs.”

So the next time you come home to a scene like this, put down the newspaper and thank Whiskers & Co. for helping you keep the old ticker in shape!

Dozens of factors can be involved when a person becomes overweight or obese. Yet, while it is difficult to point to a single factor, scientists noticed such a strong association between late-night eating and weight gain that they decided to investigate the relationship further.

The obvious question to address first is whether late-night eating is simply adding extra calories to an already-full day of eating. If this were the case, there would be nothing particularly special about nighttime eating that makes people more prone to weight gain (except maybe a bigger appetite).

One study found that while nighttime eaters do tend to eat more calories over the course of the day, this phenomenon was a symptom, rather than a cause of meal timing. What the researchers found is that free-living people who ate more of their food earlier in the day were less likely to overeat later than people who ate less in the morning. Eating at night was less satisfying and therefore more food was consumed overall. So while total calories may indeed play a role in the link between nighttime eating and weight gain, meal timing seems to be important, as well.

The reason food timing depends on more than just calories has to do with your body’s circadian rhythms, or biological clock. Most animals, plants, and microorganisms have internal systems that adapt our bodily functions to sync with light-dark cycles. In animals, including humans, these systems depend largely on hormonal signals, and these determine when we sleep, when we eat, and how our bodies respond to things like food (i.e. your metabolism).

Research has shown that eating at night as opposed to during the day results in lower glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. These problems are compounded when more food is eaten at night. Such metabolic changes are associated with weight gain – and indeed, mice that are only allowed to eat during their usual sleep cycle gain more weight than those who can only eat during their active cycle. Hormonal changes may also explain why food is less satisfying in the evening than during the day.

Late-night eating should thus be avoided, and as explained above eating breakfast earlier in the day can make this easier. Since circadian rhythms are tied to light cycles, you should also avoid bright light exposure late in the evening. Mice who were subjected to even dim lighting during their sleep cycle were more likely to eat at inappropriate times and gain weight than mice on a regular light-dark cycle – despite consuming the same total number of calories and getting the same amount of exercise.

To summarize, your metabolism is closely tied to circadian rhythms and eating late at night can cause weight gain if it becomes a habit.

When it comes to the science of wellness, distinguishing the facts from the urban legends can be tough. That’s why we’ve enlisted Darya Pino – a scientist, foodie, and self-proclaimed geek girl. Check out the ZocDoc Blog every Tuesday to see her bust the biggest myths in health.

Image: 40+137 Snack, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Bark’s photostream.

In a paper recently published in the ACS Journal of Natural Products, Dr. Stefan Gafner explores the use of dried licorice root as a dental remedy. Dr. Gafner and his team found that licorice contains two compounds which fight the bacteria responsible for cavities and gum disease. The paper goes on to suggest that these substances could help licorice play a role in keeping those pearly whites in peak condition.

Will Twizzlers do the trick? Not exactly. While licorice has long been used in Chinese herbal medicine to aid digestion, most ‘licorice’ candies sold in the West are flavored with anise. (Oh well.)

Either way, you might not want to incorporate licorice into your pre-bedtime routine just yet. The potent plant can have undesirable interactions with prescription drugs. That’s why it’s best to talk to a professional! Whether you need an orthodontist in Alpharetta or a dentist in West Hollywood, we’ve got your back.

Image: Licorice, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Tanya Dawn’s photostream.

Green tea’s health benefits are well documented - it’s very rich in antioxidants and seems to help lower blood pressure. But only recently have researchers examined the strong link between the beneficent beverage and healthy aging.

At Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, researchers tracked the green tea consumption of nearly 14,000 people over age 65 for three years. The participants’ quality of life (measured in day-to-day activities such as getting dressed, walking the dog, and performing household chores) was examined in relation to how much green tea they drank. The authors found that the more green tea participants consumed, the longer they were able to ward off the difficulties associated with old age.

“Green tea consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors,” explain the researchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The data show that seven percent of subjects who consumed a minimum five cups of green tea per day had basic functional disorders, in contrast with 13 percent who drank a single cup or less. While it’s worth noting that those who habitually drank green tea maintained a healthier lifestyle in general, the authors concluded that green tea, in and of itself, still played a significant role in their well-being.

Ready to jump on the green tea bandwagon in hopes of of remaining spry in your old age? We can only hope the benefits of green tea extend to its every incarnation.

Image: green tea, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from vordichtung’s photostream.

Opsathon is a special weekend retreat which we use to brainstorm on projects that can change the world of healthcare, bond over Wilson Phillips, and plot to kill each other in a (mostly) friendly game of Mafia or Kick the Can.

The first Opsathon of 2012 began with some very well-planned coverage of the OR (Operations Room – get it?). While most of us stayed in the New York office to cover phones and email service for the first part of the day, a small part of the team scouted the territory ahead. They prepared our rented house by setting up wireless internet coverage and phone forwarding, so that when the rest of the team left the New York office, phones and emails could be re-routed to the “Mobile Ops” team in the Hamptons. This way, not a single call was dropped and we were able to provide consistent service to the doctors and patients who need us!

Once everyone arrived, we had our usual Friday Night Activations Party during which we research, verify, and qualify all the doctors who are joining our service. (Whoever qualifies the most doctors gets to wear the coveted ZocDoc super hero cape!) Once every doctor was qualified and every patient was put first, the Ops Associates began a round of Mafia, whereby the once-unified family unraveled into a mire of alliances, accusations, and assassinations!

In the morning, once recharged and breakfasted, the team dove into some very creative projects that we wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do during the busy workweek. Some of us discussed how ZocDoc can maintain our level of excellent customer service and quirky internal culture as we grow and expand. Some of us delved into the more technical side of improving ZocDoc’s features and workflows.

The afternoon was then spent on self-reflection with a Meyers Briggs personality exam. This was a great way for us to assess how we work together as a team, and how we can better relate to each other and to patients and doctors. We then made cases for the strengths and pitfalls of all personality types – and once again, alliances, accusations, and near assassinations ensued. (Kidding!)

From the tasty hamburgers and gooey brownies to the wild games and special projects, this weekend was all about enriching and developing our team into stronger employees – and eventually future leaders. Look out, world!

Amanda works in Operations because she loves helping people. She has a soft spot for the elderly, so she is a pen pal and does lunch delivery for home-bound seniors through Citymeals on Wheels. She thinks the funniest people in the world are her pun-prone fiancé, her grandfather, and her ZocDoc teammates. If you love having fun and helping people, maybe you should work here too!

Researchers at Ontario’s McMaster University examined the effects of massage on sore muscles by performing biopsies on tissue from the quadriceps of eleven men. After pedaling to exhaustion on exercise bicycles, the men received ten minutes of massage on only one of their thighs. Muscle samples were extracted three times: once prior to the workout, again directly following the massage, and finally two and a half hours afterwards. Upon examination, the tissue provided evidence as to why massaging sore muscles feels so good.

Massage lessened muscle inflammation by reducing cytokines, a protein that causes tissue torn during exercise to swell. Less swelling equals less pain. But what about popping a couple post-workout aspirin for the same reason?

Senior study author Dr. Mark A. Tarnopolsky explains, “There’s some theoretical concern that there is a maladaptive response in the long run if you’re constantly suppressing inflammation with drugs. With massage, you can have your cake and eat it too – massage can suppress inflammation and actually enhance cell recovery.”

Massage enhances cell recovery by spurring on the creation of mitochondria, i.e. the trademark of toned bodies. Dr. Tarnopolsky explains to WebMD, “If someone starts an endurance exercise training program, after two or four months of training, depending on the intensity, you essentially double the volume of mitochondria in muscle. Mitochondria help the cell to take up and use oxygen. The muscles’ ability to extract oxygen is proportional to the amount of mitochondria that are there. Exercise plus massage seems to enhance that pathway.”

So whether you’re seeing a massage therapist or just using the buddy system, a quality rubdown may be the solution to easing soreness while getting the most out of your workout.

Image: Couple’s Massage, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from FoundryParkInn’s photostream.

In a recent study at Stanford University, researchers used MRI scans to identify how humor affects children’s minds. Watching funny videos garnered reactions in two still-developing areas of their brains: the mesolimbic region and the temporal-occipital-parietal junction. (That crazy junction! Always causing trouble.) The former interprets “rewards,” while the latter processes incongruities. Surprising juxtapositions that don’t quite go together, say a kitten riding a turtle, provide the spark for much of what we perceive as humorous.

By better analyzing this process, researchers have paved the way for more in-depth studies on humor, and how it fosters developmental well-being. “Humor is a very important component of emotional health, maintaining relationships, developing cognitive function, and perhaps even medical health,” explains Dr. Allan Reiss. “In particular, we think a balanced and consistent sense of humor may help children negotiate the difficult period of pre-adolescence and adolescence.”

So there you have it – a well-honed funny bone can be invaluable while navigating young adulthood. How will you make sure your child develops an appreciation for the finer comedic delicacies of life? (A healthy supply of scrap paper may help.)

Image: Neighborhood kids, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Don Fulano’s photostream.

UTIs are common among adult females, and many women have recurrent UTIs that affect them several times a year. While antibiotics are effective at treating UTIs when they occur, regular antibiotic use for women with recurrent UTIs is not ideal. As a prophylaxis, low-dose antibiotics reduce incidence of UTI but also increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and potentially more dangerous infections.

The scientific literature makes an important distinction between treatment and prevention. In women with recurrent UTIs, cranberry is effective at lowering incidence but not eliminating infection. As mentioned above, however, cranberries may still be preferable to antibiotics for UTI prevention because they do not increase the risk of antibiotic resistance. Unfortunately, however, there has been a high dropout rate in the trials because of people complaining of intestinal upset when taking high-doses of cranberry prophylactically.

What about the treatment of existing UTIs? Surprisingly, no well-designed studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of cranberry for treating UTI. As a result, cranberries are currently not recommended for UTI treatment. However, that does not mean they are not effective, it just means their effectiveness is still unknown.

Anecdotally, most of the friends I know who are susceptible to UTIs swear by cranberry for treatment, particularly if they catch the infection early. Though this is not sufficient evidence to prove effectiveness, it indicates that cranberry likely works for at least some people.

A mechanism has also been proposed describing how cranberry might work. Historically it was thought that cranberry helped treat infection by raising the acidity of urine, however recent evidence suggests that compounds called proanthocyanidins prevent specific kinds of bacteria from adhering to tissue - one of the earliest stages in the infection process.

To summarize, cranberry juice and extract is a safe and moderately effective way to prevent UTIs and may be useful in treatment, especially if administered early in the infection process. However, in more serious cases, antibiotics are still the most effective treatment.

When it comes to the science of wellness, distinguishing the facts from the urban legends can be tough. That’s why we’ve enlisted Darya Pino – a scientist, foodie, and self-proclaimed geek girl. Check out the ZocDoc Blog every Tuesday to see her bust the biggest myths in health.

Image: Cranberries in a Bowl, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from TheDeliciousLife’s photostream.