Internal Medicine Associates of West Atlanta, PC

Daily Pearl: An Advance in Breast Cancer Tx. For early-detected cases of breast CA, lumpectomy is a treatment option +/- several weeks of adjuvant radiation therapy. There is a new modality called IORT (Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy) where radiation is focused directly on the tumor during surgery X 1 single dose. IORT has been shown in clinic studies to be as effective as traditional radiation tx. -Dr. SDN

Daily Pearl: The Busy Professional. Despite the advances that have been made in the treatment of heart attacks, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. Invest at least 30minutes of your 24hours in a day in cardio exercise most days of the week as tolerated. This small investment in time will markedly reduce your risk of developing heart disease. -Dr. SDN

Daily Pearl: Does cinnamon have a health benefit? Answer: Yes. Cinnamon may lower blood glucose levels in Type 2 Diabetes patients. Why? Cinnamon stimulates greater insulin activity when 500mg orally twice daily is taken as a supplement. However, this does not substitute for the prescribed diabetic meds from your physician. -Dr. SDN

Daily Pearl: We are currently in flu season which is October-February. I highly recommend obtaining a flu vaccine but not the standard vaccine. The standard vaccine (trivalent) only covers 3 strands of the virus (1 strand of A, 1 strand of B, and 1 strand of H1N1). You can still get the flu. Get the quadrivalent flu vaccine which covers 1 strand of A, 2 strands of B, and 1 strand of H1N1. Ask your doctor or visit a clinical Walgreens or CVS and ask for the flu vaccine "that covers 4". -Dr. SDN

I am back in the Twitterverse. Follow me @ShanDNelsonMD I might even return back to giving some helpful health tips in the form of Daily Pearls.

3 years ago today, I opened up Internal Medicine Associates of West Atlanta. How time flies?! It has truly been my privilege to heal and positively impact the lives of my patients who are from all over the world. Thank you dearly for your support! -Shannon D. Nelson, M.D.

The office will be closed today secondary to the road conditions. Everyone please be safe. Clinic is tentatively schedule to re-open on Friday, February 27, 2015.

Good Afternoon. Due to the concern for inclement weather, The Sheffield Medical Building on Peachtree has been shut down today. Buckhead clinic for this afternoon has been cancelled. Please reach Dr. Nelson directly at home or via email for any urgent medical issues & concerns.

Did you know that 1 serving of chili has nearly half of your ideal daily sodium restriction? 1 serving of chili has 1,000mg of sodium. Ideal daily sodium intake is < 2,000mg per day. Leave that chili alone! -Dr. Nelson

https://www.facebook.com/ShannonDNe/posts/10152691464835186 Here are some tips from Dr. Nelson on boosting your immune system during the flu season in the November issue of Jezebel.

Daily Pearl: Did you know that 1 out of 10 deaths in the working adult population is due to alcoholism according to the CDC from 2006-2010? Binge-drinking or heavy weekly alcohol intake leads to an increased incidence of heart disease, cirrhosis, and MVAs. The daily limit of alcohol consumption for men is 1-2 drinks and women 0-1 drinks. Reassess your personal consumption level so that you do not become a statistic. -Dr. SDN

Congratulations to Dr. Nelson for being selected as a 2014 Doctor of Excellence by the National Physicians Review!

Daily Pearl: Fish Oil And A Hidden Effect. Did you know that consuming at least 300mg of EPA/DHA-containing fish oil capsules boosts your metabolism? Fish oil increases levels of fat-burning enzymes and decreases levels of fat-storing enzymes in our body. You can burn an additional 400 calories per day. Give it a try. -Dr. SDN