David Rakel MD, FAAFP
Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WisconsinDr. David Rakel is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin. During his time at UW–Madison, he founded the Integrative Medicine Program (now known as the Integrative Health Program) and received the Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the school’s highest honor for excellence and compassion in care. His team worked with more than 50 clinical systems within the Veterans Health Administration to implement changes to make care more personalized, proactive, and patient-driven.
After residency training in family medicine in Colorado, Dr. Rakel worked in private practice in rural Idaho. His burgeoning interest in the relationships across health, the human experience, and the environment led to a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona.
An author of both academic and popular writings, Dr. Rakel says one of his missions is to communicate medical information in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds.
Recent Contributions to PracticeUpdate:
- The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity
- Skeletal Muscle Energy Metabolism in Obesity
- Polypill Therapy With and Without Asprin to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
- PSA Testing as Early Detection Strategy for Prostate Cancer
- Treatment With a Polypill of Quarter Doses of Blood Pressure Medicines vs Standard-Dose Monotherapy
- Effects of Exercise and Weight Loss on Proximal Aortic Stiffness in Older Adults With Obesity
- Midodrine for the Prevention of Vasovagal Syncope
- Relationship Between a Plant-Based Portfolio Diet and Risk of CVD
- No Associations Between Regular Use of PPIs and Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality
- COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated Healthcare Workers