https://alexanderchen.md Primary care physician writing about medicine, health technology, and longevity. en-us https://alexanderchen.md/articles/sleep-metabolic-health/ https://alexanderchen.md/articles/sleep-metabolic-health/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT There's growing evidence that even mild, chronic sleep restriction raises blood pressure and inflammatory markers in ways we used to associate only with more serious conditions. Sleep / Metabolic Health https://alexanderchen.md/articles/sleep-pain-connection/ https://alexanderchen.md/articles/sleep-pain-connection/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Poor sleep amplifies pain perception. Chronic pain disrupts sleep. Breaking the cycle requires addressing both — not just the one that's louder. Sleep / Pain https://alexanderchen.md/articles/a1c-metabolic-risk/ https://alexanderchen.md/articles/a1c-metabolic-risk/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT A1C is a useful average, but it hides the shape of your blood sugar — the peaks, the crashes, the timing. Here's how I think about it in context. Metabolic Health https://alexanderchen.md/articles/prior-auth-breaking-trust/ https://alexanderchen.md/articles/prior-auth-breaking-trust/ Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT When a physician recommends a treatment and an insurance company overrides it without seeing the patient, something fundamental has shifted. Here's what it looks like from the inside. Healthcare Policy