Telemedicine Update and Our New Family

 emailed to patients 2/24/2026

I Hope all is well. 

No trips to report this time, but we welcomed a new baby into the family. Aurora, born in February to Gaby and Jordan, makes our daughter Laurie a grandmother for the third time. Life continues its forward motion. 

This is a snowy winter! But soon the dormant basement plants and the seed trays will sit under the growing lights, and then come upstairs to enjoy the coming spring sun. Health, too, follows cycles - maintenance, renewal, growth. 

Please give us a call at 203-853-1919 if you need an appointment!

Administrative Notes 

Telemedicine (Medicare and Commercial Plans)
Governor Lamont recently formally codified telemedicine into Connecticut law! That's an important, positive development. While insurance coverage details may still vary by plan, telemedicine remains viable and available. 

Advantages in a practice like ours include definite appointment times, no waiting room delays, and flexibility for patients working remotely or traveling. 

Certain concerns still require in-person evaluation, to be judged on a case-by-case basis. Please be aware that, depending on your insurance plan, copays and deductibles may still apply, similar to an office visit. 

Insurance Reminder
If there has been any change in your insurance coverage - even if the carrier remained the same - please notify us before your next visit or telemedicine appointment. ID numbers and group details often change at the beginning of the year. 

If an insurance claim is not filed on time ("timely filing"), sometimes 90 days, or even less, for commercial insurance, the claim may be denied. Accurate information prevents unnecessary billing confusion. 

Medical Notes 

Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults
A January 2026 study published in JAMA analyzed nearly 1.3 million cancer deaths in Americans under age 50 from 1990 to 2023. 

The finding is alarming: Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in Americans under 50. 

While overall cancer mortality in this younger-than-50 group has declined about 40% since 1990, colorectal cancer deaths have increased by approximately 1% per year since 2005. 

Routine screening now begins at age 45. If you are 45 or older and have not been screened, please consider doing so. If there is a significant family history of colon cancer, screening should begin earlier. 

Don't ignore symptoms such as blood in the stool, persistent change in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, ongoing abdominal discomfort, or unusual fatigue. Early detection remains the key to survival. 

Longevity
When we speak about longevity, it's helpful to think in two contiguous stages. 

First: achieving your full "genetic allowance." 

Each of us inherits a biologic range of potential lifespan. Our primary responsibility is to remove the treatable conditions that shorten it. This includes tight control of blood pressure, lipid burden, inflammatory markers, glucose variability, visceral fat, and preservation of muscle mass and cardiorespiratory fitness. These measures are well-established determinants of health span and survival. 

Second: exploring whether the genetic ceiling can be raised. 

This is an area of extensive and accelerating research. Longevity science is now examining cellular senescence, epigenetic signaling, mitochondrial resilience, metabolic pathway modulation (including mTOR and AMPK balance), and systemic inflammation biology. While definitive lifespan-extending therapies remain under investigation, early insights are emerging. 

As part of this evolving field, new multi-cancer early detection blood tests - including one marketed as CancerGuard - are being developed to identify circulating tumor DNA before symptoms appear. The tests require a physician order and are generally not covered by insurance. 

Performance varies by cancer type and stage. The main difficulty is still in detecting cancer in its early stages. Early-stage pancreatic cancer detection rates are currently reported to be approximately 30%, meaning most early cases would still be missed. As technology advances, this type of testing will become part of individualized, risk-based preventive strategies. 

We continue to monitor these developments carefully. 

If you would like to review cancer screening, or discuss a structured longevity strategy, you know how to reach me! 

Always remember our Health Extenders motto: 

We help you live a longer, healthier life

Please give us a call at 203-853-1919 if you need an appointment!

Stay well, 


Igal Staw, Ph.D., M.D.
www.drstaw.com
www.twitter.com/drstaw
Dr. Staw on Facebook 

My Take on the Inverted Food Pyramid and More

 Sent to patient 1/21/2026

To My Patients, 

Hope all is well. 

Just returned from a couple of trips. The most meaningful was during the recent holidays in Israel; we spent time with family and friends and also had the opportunity to volunteer - this time, picking lemon (lemons, really? Sounds silly, but rewarding). We also made a brief trip to Denver to watch our grandson David, age 15, perform as a violinist in a regional high-school concert. When a grandchild asks you to come, could you say no? 

As always, it's been busy at work. Below are a few updates. 

Please give us a call at 203-853-1919 if you need an appointment!

Administrative Notes 

Insurance Changes
If your insurance changed- common at the start of the year - please let us know before your next office visit or telemedicine appointment. Insurance changes often affect medication formularies, deductibles, and coverage rules. 

Telemedicine (Medicare and Commercial Plans)
Telemedicine continues to be an important and convenient option for many visits. Certain Medicare telemedicine flexibilities are currently scheduled to expire on January 30, but it appears that several basic elements may remain in place. Commercial insurance plans generally continue to support telemedicine, but coverage details may vary by plan. We are hopeful that telemedicine will remain broadly available and applicable in our area. That said, some medical concerns still require in-person evaluation, and we'll handle it accordingly. 

Medication Renewals & Prior Authorizations
At times, both you and I may receive automated pharmacy notices requesting "prior authorization" for medications. In some cases, these notices are generated even when a medication is not on the formulary, and an appeal will probably be denied. Nevertheless, we try… 

Medical & Lifestyle Notes 

The "Inverted" Food Pyramid - Not Really Inverted
You may have heard references to a "new" or "inverted" food pyramid. In reality, it is not inverted at all, and it doesn't matter if you represent it upside down. It's the concept. The base, inverted or not, still represents the foods we should emphasize most. What has changed is which foods occupy that base. The Pyramid base now focuses on vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits, olive oil, nuts, and fish - while processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and excess animal fats were placed higher up, meaning they should be consumed less frequently. 

Some versions place greater emphasis on full-fat dairy than I believe is appropriate; dietary choices should remain individualized based on metabolic health, cholesterol profile, and blood-sugar response. We can modify this framework to your needs, especially if you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or kidney disease. 

Mediterranean Diet
Closely aligned with this updated pyramid is the Mediterranean diet, one of the most consistently supported approaches for cardiovascular health, metabolic balance, inflammation reduction, and overall longevity. It emphasizes plant-forward meals, healthy fats ( particularly olive oil), regular fish intake, and minimal processed foods. A simple handout outlining the Mediterranean diet is available - you may request a copy by email or pick one up during your next office visit. 

Please give us a call at 203-853-1919 if you need an appointment!

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
Even if you don't have diabetes, CGM trends can provide insight into energy levels, inflammation, and weight regulation. If you are interested in using CGM data to better understand how specific foods affect your body, we can review this together. This is particularly important if you have diabetes of pre-diabetes. While CGM monitors are usually not reimbursed by insurance, a short 1-2-month use may be affordable and can provide valuable insight into individual food responses. 

If you want help/advice on any of the above, please call us at 203-853-1919, or email at istaw@drstaw.com 

Stay well, 


Igal Staw, Ph.D., M.D.

istaw@drstaw.com

istaw@optonline.net