photo of Patrick J. Skerrett

Patrick J. Skerrett

Former Executive Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Pat Skerrett is the editor of STAT's First Opinion and host of the First Opinion podcast. He is the former editor of the Harvard Health Blog and former Executive Editor of Harvard Health Publishing. Before that, he was editor of the Harvard Heart Letter for 10 years. He is the coauthor of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Guide to Healthy Eating; The Fertility Diet; and several other books on health and science. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Popular Science magazine, Science magazine, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. He earned a BA in biology from Northwestern University and an MA in biology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Posts by Patrick J. Skerrett

Trade sports drinks for water featured image

Staying Healthy

Trade sports drinks for water

Silent Spring at 50: Connecting human, environmental health featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Silent Spring at 50: Connecting human, environmental health

Antibiotics instead of surgery safe for some with appendicitis featured image

Diseases & Conditions

Antibiotics instead of surgery safe for some with appendicitis

Doctor groups list top overused, misused tests, treatments, and procedures featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Doctor groups list top overused, misused tests, treatments, and procedures

Join in on National Walking Day featured image

Exercise & Fitness

Join in on National Walking Day

FDA won’t ban BPA—yet featured image

Child & Teen Health

FDA won’t ban BPA—yet

Study urges moderation in red meat intake featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Study urges moderation in red meat intake

Spring forward, fall asleep featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Spring forward, fall asleep

Snoring in kids linked to behavioral problems featured image

Child & Teen Health

Snoring in kids linked to behavioral problems

Virtual reality, exergames may improve mental and physical health featured image

Exercise & Fitness

Virtual reality, exergames may improve mental and physical health

The science behind “broken heart syndrome” featured image

Heart Health

The science behind “broken heart syndrome”

New anti-lice lotion is good news for nitpickers featured image

Child & Teen Health

New anti-lice lotion is good news for nitpickers

The 11 most expensive medications featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

The 11 most expensive medications

Everyday foods are top 10 sources of sodium featured image

Heart Health

Everyday foods are top 10 sources of sodium

Overnight treatment for chronic insomnia featured image

Staying Healthy

Overnight treatment for chronic insomnia

Resveratrol—the hype continues featured image

Staying Healthy

Resveratrol—the hype continues

FDA needs stronger rules to ensure the safety of dietary supplements featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

FDA needs stronger rules to ensure the safety of dietary supplements

Different blood pressure in right and left arms could signal trouble featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Different blood pressure in right and left arms could signal trouble

Chefs, nutrition experts give the low-fat muffin a makeover featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Chefs, nutrition experts give the low-fat muffin a makeover

Multitasking—a medical and mental hazard featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Multitasking—a medical and mental hazard

Long-term survivors are helping unlock the mysteries of type 1 diabetes featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Long-term survivors are helping unlock the mysteries of type 1 diabetes

Consumers could save as generic Lipitor hits the market featured image

Heart Health

Consumers could save as generic Lipitor hits the market

Implants, tattoos, and tears could measure blood sugar without pain featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Implants, tattoos, and tears could measure blood sugar without pain

Honor a veteran; understand PTSD featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Honor a veteran; understand PTSD

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