Christine Blake Smith, DO

04/27/2026

Dental Flossing Is Associated With Reduction In Incident Ischemic Stroke, Research Indicates
Cardiology Advisor (4/24) reported, “Dental flossing has a significant independent association with a reduction in incident ischemic stroke, according to study findings.” Investigators found that “the flosser group had a significantly decreased ischemic stroke risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.51-0.75) vs the nonflosser group.” The “risk reduction (adjusted HR [aHR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96) continued to be significant after adjustment for s*x, age, 3-level education, smoking status, race-center, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, regular brushing, and regular dental care.” The findings were published in Stroke.

04/13/2026

Research Links Depression To Higher Risk Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF):

Rare Disease Advisor (4/10) reported, “Researchers found that depression was associated with a higher risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a recent study.” In over 353,000 “UK Biobank participants followed for a mean of 14.5 years, a team of researchers identified 2261 incident IPF cases and found that people with depression had a 52% higher risk of developing IPF than those without depression after adjustment for sociodemographic and respiratory factors.” Additionally, “depressive symptoms measured by a Patient Health Questionnaire-2 score of 3 or higher were...linked with greater IPF risk.” The findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health.

04/10/2026

If Alzheimer’s or dementia has touched someone in your family, you may find this new research incredibly hopeful. After 30 years in medicine, it takes a lot to impress me.
But what’s happening right now in Alzheimer’s research is truly remarkable!
For the first time, treatments are being used that actually target the disease process in the brain and can slow its progression.
I made a short video explaining the breakthrough and what they are working on next. I'm super excited about it! Please share!

Major Medical Breakthrough: The Beginning of the End of Alzheimer’s?For decades Alzheimer’s disease was one of the most frustrating conditions in medicine. D...

04/06/2026

Common Antibiotics, Non-Antibiotic Drugs Associated With Increased Odds Of Clostridioides Difficile Infection, Study Finds
MedPage Today (4/3) reported a study found that “both antibiotics and non-antibiotic drugs were associated with significantly increased odds of C. difficile infections within 30 days of use.” According to researchers, these drugs include: lincosamides (adjusted OR 31.4); combinations of penicillins (aOR 19.8); antidiarrheals (aOR 7.3); analgesics (aOR 2.8); corticosteroids (aOR 2.4); proton pump inhibitors (PPIs; aOR 1.8); and histamine H2-receptor antagonists (aOR 1.4). The researchers noted “that the largest increase in odds of C. difficile infection among non-antibiotics was observed for antidiarrheals.” However, they added that their sensitivity analyses suggested that the effect may decrease with less recent exposure, “as is the case for antibiotics.” The study was published in Gut.

04/02/2026

Preventative medicine is shifting away from medications and empowering patients on creating TRUE and LASTING change. Just uploaded "An Introduction to TRUE Prevention and Healing"
and "Can You Prevent Dementia?" on my new patient education platform called "Reclaim Health"!
https://education.drchristineblakesmith.com/

03/30/2026

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S FINALLY LIVE!
After years of working closely with patients, I’ve created something I’ve been wanting to build for a long time. I finally built what I wish every patient had access to…
An online education and support platform to help you understand your body and start feeling better—step by step. So many people don’t have enough access to healthcare. Others have access but want to learn/do more; they want their power back.

This has TRULY been a labor of love, over 20 yrs in the making. I’ve had the privilege of helping so many people: sleep again, calm their anxiety, improve chronic pain, strengthen relationships, and in many cases, reduce medications—sometimes dramatically, all by working with the body, not against it.

Everything inside this platform is built from:
• clinical experience/ 4 board degrees
• thousands of patient interactions
• and what I’ve applied in my own life and health using the principles of lifestyle medicine and whole-person care.

The first 18 modules are already live, and I’ll be adding more regularly.
If you’ve ever felt like something is being missed…or that your body isn’t being fully understood…
This is a place to start:
https://education.drchristineblakesmith.com/
Start with the “Where to Start” video.

Learn how to reduce stress, improve sleep, ease pain, and feel better, naturally. Reclaim Health is an education and support platform with short, practical videos to help you understand your body, calm your system, and take back control of your health.

03/16/2026

02/18/2026

One of the most surprising things I’ve learned as a physician is this:

Some of the most financially successful people I care for are also some of the most emotionally and physically unwell.

And it’s not because success is bad, it’s because many of us are taught, directly or indirectly, that once we reach a certain milestone, everything will finally feel right.

“I’ll be happy when…”
“I’ll feel secure when…”
“I’ll finally relax when…”

There’s actually a psychological term for this. It’s called the “arrival fallacy”. It’s the belief that reaching a big goal such as wealth, career success, status, or recognition will create lasting fulfillment.

But the human brain adapts quickly. The excitement fades. And if the internal landscape hasn’t changed, people can feel confused, disappointed, or even empty.

I see this in physicians after training.
Executives after promotions.
Entrepreneurs after selling companies.
Parents after kids leave home.
Patients after major recovery milestones.

They climbed the mountain and then realized the view didn’t fix what they hoped it would.

If you’ve reached a goal and still feel unsettled, there is nothing wrong with you. It usually means you’ve discovered an important truth: External achievement cannot replace internal alignment.

And for those who are still chasing big goals like wealth, recognition, influence, or success, there’s something important to understand. You don’t need those things to become whole.

You don’t need fame to feel worthy.
You don’t need more money to feel enough.
You don’t need external validation to feel secure.

Those things can add opportunity, freedom, and experiences, but they do not create identity or peace.

In fact, people who feel the most grounded and fulfilled tend to build their inner life at the same time they build their external one.

So what helps?

Here are a few things I’ve seen make a real difference:

• Reconnect with purpose, not performance.
What actually matters to you now, not what mattered 10 years ago?

• Build identity beyond achievement.
You are not just your job, income, or role.

• Invest in relationships that are not transactional.
Humans regulate emotionally through connection more than accomplishment.

• Keep growing.
The nervous system is wired for progress and meaning, not arrival.

• Pay attention to your body.
Chronic stress, overwork, and emotional suppression often show up as physical symptoms long before people recognize burnout.

Sometimes success removes distractions and finally gives you space to notice what was already there and that awareness, uncomfortable as it can be, is often the beginning of a more authentic life.

If you’re in that space right now, don’t worry, you’re not lost. You’re transitioning, and transitions are where real change begins. Happiness is NOW. You don’t have to wait. Grab it and basque your cells in it. It’s healing and it literally changes the way your body’s cells express their genetics. Joy heals.

Dr. Christine Blake Smith

01/23/2026

Adult obesity rates have been steadily climbing for decades. Unfortunately, being overweight is linked to a long list of health issues. The good news: losing just a modest amount of weight can help improve sleep, blood sugar levels, cholesterol profile and blood pressure readings, which can lower th...

12/24/2025

Longer Daytime Naps Associated With Increased Stroke Risk, Review Suggests:

Neurology Advisor (12/23) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis found that “longer daytime naps are associated with a progressively higher risk for stroke.” Researchers observed that “across studies, napping duration was associated with increasing stroke risk. Compared with no napping, naps lasting 1 to 30 minutes were associated with a modestly higher risk for stroke (odds ratio [OR], 1.27), while naps longer than 90 minutes showed the strongest association (OR, 1.79).” Researchers noted that “when grouped more broadly, naps lasting 60 minutes or less were associated with an OR of 1.27, whereas naps exceeding 60 minutes were linked to a substantially higher risk (OR, 1.86), indicating a progressively increasing association with longer nap duration.” Furthermore, “studies that classified napping as present vs absent also showed higher odds of total stroke among individuals who napped (OR, 1.44).” The review was published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.

12/03/2025

Smartphone Ownership Linked To Depression, Obesity, Insufficient Sleep in Early Adolescence, Study Finds
HealthDay (12/2) reports a study found that “in early adolescence, smartphone ownership is associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep.” The researchers observed that at age 12 years, “smartphone ownership versus not owning a smartphone was associated with an increased risk for depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep. Associations were seen for younger age of smartphone acquisition with obesity and insufficient sleep. After controlling for baseline mental health and sleep, at age 13 years, among 3,486 youth who did not own a smartphone at age 12 years, those who had acquired a smartphone in the past year had increased odds of reporting clinical-level psychopathology and insufficient sleep when compared with those who had not acquired a smartphone.” The study was published in Pediatrics.

10.1542/6383520259112Video AbstractPEDS-VA_2025-0729416383520259112OBJECTIVES. Given concerns regarding health implications of adolescent smartphone use, we tested associations of smartphone ownership and age of smartphone acquisition with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolesc...