After recounting my last four decades of broadcasting in a recent newsletter article, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the most important health stories that have been hot topics for Intelligent Medicine over the years.
Here are some of the events that have made headlines. . .
1986
- First functional stool test, the CDSA, introduced by Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab, signaling new recognition of the importance of the Microbiome for human health.
- The paperback edition of The Yeast Connection: A Medical Breakthrough, by Dr. William Crook, becomes a best-seller.
- HIV officially named: The International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses announces the virus causing AIDS will be named HIV. Initial clinical trials of AZT (azidothymidine) begin. The disease will go on to cause an estimated 44 million deaths worldwide.
1987
- Statins Approved: The first statin medication is marketed, igniting a campaign to curb cholesterol.
- Red Bull launches, ushering in an era of “energy drinks”. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, including over 13.9 billion in 2025
1988
- Lunchables revolutionizes school lunches by combining crackers, meat, and cheese in a pre-packaged, convenient format.
- Prozac first released; later Listening to Prozac by Dr. Peter Kramer published, greasing the skids for SSRIs as a cultural trend.
1990
- McDonald’s officially announces their switch from cooking their fries in beef tallow to 100% vegetable oil. This is largely attributed to a concerted anti-saturated fat campaign spearheaded by philanthropist Phil Sokolow and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
1991
- Gulf War ends; 1st reports of Gulf War Syndrome in returning vets prompts speculation over roles of chemical toxicity, stress, and tropical vaccines as precipitants of this mysterious ailment.
1992
- Original Dietary Pyramid introduced, emphasizing 6-11 daily servings of carbohydrates.
- Dr. Robert Atkins publishes Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, spending over 250 weeks—more than 5 years—on the NY Times bestsellers list.
- The CDC and FDA recommend 400 mcg daily of folic acid for pregnant women; the incidence of neural tube defects plummets.
1993
- Seinfeld fat-free yogurt episode debuts. Jerry and his friends think fat-free yogurt is a free-ride—until they find their clothes no longer fit.
1994
- First airing of ER a hit medical drama series created by Michael Crichton. It runs for 15 seasons.
- DSHEA—the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act—offers a path for marketing supplements—but specific disease claims are prohibited.
1995
- HIV Protease Inhibitors introduced. The approval of protease inhibitors turns HIV into a manageable chronic disease rather than a death sentence.
- Fosamax approved, the first drug for osteoporosis.
- Outbreak, a medical disaster film, predicts a deadly worldwide viral pandemic. The film enjoyed a revival of popularity during the Covid lockdown, when it was rated the 4th most streamed movie on Netflix.
- Ebola rages in Africa, prompting fears of spread to the developed world.
1996
- Concerns arise over “Mad Cow Disease” (BSE) in the UK, causing U.S. sales of beef to plummet by 70%.
- AIDS Death Rates Fall: Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) leads to a dramatic drop in AIDS-related deaths.
- Genetically modified soybeans are made commercially available. Current glyphosate-resistant GMO crops include soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, and cotton, with wheat still under development.
1997
- Direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceuticals explodes, as modified regulations permit drug ads to flood the airwaves.
- Popular weight loss drug Fen-phen officially withdrawn from the US market due to findings of serious heart valve disease and pulmonary hypertension
1998
- Viagra approved, revolutionizing men’s sexual performance horizons; comparable advances for women have since stalled.
- Establishment of the National Center for Complementary and alternative medicine (NCCAM) within the National Institutes of Health. Its name has since been changed to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
1999
- High-fructose corn syrup reaches peak usage in the U.S., accounting for 8% of total energy intake.
- The prevalence among U.S. adults of overweight and obesity combined reaches 64.5%, up from 55.9% in the 1988–1994 period.
2001
- Approval of addition of DHA to infant formula, making the U.S. last among developed countries to recognize the need for infant supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids.
- 911 and Ground Zero aftermath. After “all clear” announced, thousands of the exposed become ill from lasting effects of chemicals and particulates.
2002
- Women’s Health Initiative halts hormone replacement trial, citing risks; subsequent reanalysis vindicates HRT, but only after millions of women unnecessarily forego it.
- The Paleo Diet, by Loren Cordain, argues for a return to ancestral patterns of eating, claiming an “evolutionary mismatch” between our genes and modern foods.
- “What If It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?”, an article by Gary Taubes in the New York Times Magazine, features a cover photo of a huge T-bone steak. It rekindles the debate over red meat’s inclusion in healthy diets.
2003
- Human Genome Project completed: The mapping of the human genome is finalized, offering insights into inherited traits and disorders, as well as targets for treatment development.
2006
- Reduced-fat Oreos introduced, but discontinued three years later due to lack of demand. They have been replaced by artificially-sweetened “Zero Sugar” Oreos.
2009
- The Dr. Oz Show debuts as a daily syndicated talk show.
2011
- First Immunotherapy for cancer, Ipilimumab, approved, starting a revolution in checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapies.
- Wheat Belly, by Dr. William Davis, helps launch low-carb, gluten-free diet trend.
2012
- Peloton founded, with the goal of bringing live and on-demand boutique fitness classes into the home.
- Cases of Lyme Disease surge; it becomes recognized as one of the top ten notifiable diseases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2013
- Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar—Your Brain’s Silent Killers, by Dr. David Perlmutter, argues for stringent carb restriction.
2014
- Major West Africa Ebola outbreak, the largest in history, triggers widespread panic in Western countries.
2015
- The discovery of ivermectin earns the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
- The FDA rules artificial trans fats unsafe to eat and gives food-makers three years to eliminate them.
2017
- Whole Foods Market acquired by Amazon for 13.7 billion dollars.
- The Keto Diet becomes one of the most highly-searched diet trends on social media.
2019
- Cancer among young people surges, up 79% since 1990.
2020
- COVID-19 pandemic paralyzes the world, spurring divisiveness about masking, lockdowns, compulsory vaccines, and “misinformation”.
2022
- Trust in U.S. health authorities reaches an all-time low; confidence in the NIH, HHS, state health departments, and professional medical organizations drop by 25%, 13%, 16%, and 26%, respectively, from February 2020 to June 2022. A record low Americans (56%) trust the CDC, down from 82% pre-COVID.
2022-24
- The advent of the first semaglutide weight loss drugs changes America’s diet landscape.
2023
- U.S. leads the world in percentage of calories derived from consumption of ultra-processed foods, 58%.
- The first prescription fecal microbial transplant (FMT) formulations approved for treatment of refractory C. difficile diarrheal infections; other applications under investigation.
2024
- Vaccine recommendations for children in the U.S. peak, with a record number of 17 immunizations recommended for all children, up from only five in 1986.
- U.S. dead last among 183 developed countries in “health span”. The years the average American spends in impaired health is 12.3 years, surpassing the world average of 9.6 years. The rise in chronic, non-communicable diseases accounts for most of the gap.
2025
- RFK Jr. teams with newly-inaugurated President Trump to launch Make America Healthy Again initiative
2026
- U.S. child and teen obesity rates reach record highs, CDC report finds
- New Diet Pyramid released, literally “flipping the script” on carb-laden previous version.
- ChatGPT Health introduced in beta, billed as the first AI-enabled comprehensive health information hub, aimed at becoming the ultimate personalized information repository and medical Chatbot. Yet concerns over false alarms, “hallucinations”, bias toward drug fixes, persist.
- American Heart Association predicts 60% of American Women will have cardiovascular disease by 2050; 60% will have high blood pressure, 25% diabetes (up from 15%), and more than 60% obesity (compared with 44% currently).
