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Physicians have been called on to contribute to more environmentally-friendly and sustainable behaviour worldwide, as part of a general appeal, but also with the argument of the link between environment and health. Authors in professional publications have repeatedly appealed for health professionals to speak to the public about the threat of climate change, also invoking impending ill effects to human health by the consequences of climate change.1,2 These appeals have left it up to individual physicians to decide how to convince the public about the urgent need to deal with the problem. Patients have not been assigned an active part in these calls, even though they may be motivated and knowledgeable partners for efforts to encourage sustainable living. Between 2010– 2011, we approached visitors to one practice to learn more about their views and their motivation regarding environmental issues. The mandate of …

A review was conducted of the charts of 79 consecutive inpatients (age range, 17-93 years) who were in a steady state with respect to digoxin dosage, and had serum creatinine levels below 1.6 mg/dl or urea nitrogen levels below 26 mg/dl. In these patients whose renal function was not impaired, there was no correlation between age and the serum digoxin level normalized for dosage. Concurrent administration of quinidine significantly elevated digoxin concentration. Patients with congestive heart failure showed a higher serum digoxin level than did those without heart failure. Thus, age appeared to have little, if any effect on the relationship between the dose of digoxin and the steady-state serum level when the factor of impaired renal function (often associated with aging) was eliminated.