Women ages 45 years and older taking estrogen hormone therapy in pill form were more likely to develop high blood pressure than those using transdermal (topical, applied to the skin) or vaginal formulations, according to new research published today in June 2023 in Hypertension, a peer-reviewed American Heart Association journal. A woman’s body produces less… Continue reading Hormones and Hypertension
Author: Jane Farrell
Wildfires and Long-Term Health Risks
As wildfires spread across southern Canada, smoke from those fires is rapidly drifting into the U.S. and the American Heart Association, warns that wildfire smoke exposure poses an increased risk for heart disease in both the short and long term. “Most people think of breathing problems and respiratory health dangers from wildfire smoke, but it’s… Continue reading Wildfires and Long-Term Health Risks
Measuring Cognitive Decline
People whose brains have less myelin — the fatty tissue that insulates nerve cells — experience steeper declines in cognition over time, according to a National Institute on Aging (NIA) study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The findings show the impact of myelin content as healthy people age and underscore myelin as a potential therapeutic… Continue reading Measuring Cognitive Decline
Diabetes And Heart Disease
One in 3 adults with Type 2 diabetes may have undetected cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels of two protein biomarkers that indicate heart damage were associated with undetected or symptomless cardiovascular disease in adults with Type 2 diabetes compared to those without Type 2 diabetes, according to new research published in May 2023 in the Journal… Continue reading Diabetes And Heart Disease
Parkinson’s: The Exercise Factor
Getting regular exercise such as cycling, walking, gardening, cleaning and participating in sports may decrease the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to new research published in the May 17, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found female participants who exercised the most had a… Continue reading Parkinson’s: The Exercise Factor
American Pain
New cases of chronic pain occur more often among U.S. adults than new cases of several other common conditions, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure, according to new research. And among people who have chronic pain, almost two-thirds will still have it the following year. These findings come from a new analysis of National… Continue reading American Pain
Covid-19 And Heart Transplants
Heart transplant recipients receiving organs from active COVID-19 positive donors may have an increased risk of death at six months and one year when compared to those receiving organs from recently recovered COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 negative patients, according to a study published May 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. “These… Continue reading Covid-19 And Heart Transplants
Pre-Birth Surgery Treats Potential Heart Condition
For the first time, researchers performed a successful in-utero surgery to repair a potentially deadly developmental condition by treating an aggressive vascular malformation, called vein of Galen malformation, in a fetus’s brain before birth. The new research was published in May 2023 in Stroke, the peer-reviewed flagship journal of the American Stroke Association, a division… Continue reading Pre-Birth Surgery Treats Potential Heart Condition
Brain Food: Alzheimer’s and Diet
The MIND and Mediterranean diets — both of which are rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, and fish — are associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of older adults. Green leafy vegetables were associated with less Alzheimer’s brain pathology. This study, funded by the National Institute on Aging… Continue reading Brain Food: Alzheimer’s and Diet
Grow Easy-Care, Colorful Mandevillas
Bold color, tropical beauty, and easy-care mandevillas make excellent additions to patios, decks, and gardens. Train them onto a trellis, allow them to cascade from a hanging basket, or combine them with other plants. Enjoy summer-long blossoms and the butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators that stop by for a visit. Once divided into two different… Continue reading Grow Easy-Care, Colorful Mandevillas
Screening for Tuberculosis
An influential medical panel has recommended the continued use of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) for patients who are at increased risk of the condition. The panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force), said in a news release that the screening is an effective way to stop LTBI from progressing to tuberculosis.… Continue reading Screening for Tuberculosis
Mammogram Guidelines Are Changing
An influential health panel has issued a “draft recommendation” that all women be screened for breast cancer every other year beginning at age 40. The draft recommendation is sharply at odds with earlier ones. In its announcement, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (U.S.P. T.) emphasized that their action today is one step short of… Continue reading Mammogram Guidelines Are Changing
Could A Metal Implant Affect Your Skin?
Millions of people in the U.S. report having a metal allergy, and current estimates state that 10 percent of Americans will receive a medical implant during their lifetime. Board-certified dermatologists who attended the American Academy of Dermatology’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans are seeing more patients concerned about a possible skin hypersensitivity to the nickel… Continue reading Could A Metal Implant Affect Your Skin?
Bariatric Surgery and Cancer
Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery may have a surprising – and welcome – side effect, according to a new study. Just 4% of patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery developed obesity-associated cancer in a 10-year followup, compared to 8.9% among those who did not have a weight-loss procedure, according to a study to be presented in… Continue reading Bariatric Surgery and Cancer
Depression And Breast-Cancer Survival
In a recent study, having depression before or after a breast cancer diagnosis was associated with a lower likelihood of survival. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. For the study, Bin Huang, DrPH, of the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, and his colleagues… Continue reading Depression And Breast-Cancer Survival
Does Language Affect Stroke Recovery?
Research has shown that Mexican Americans have worse outcomes after a stroke than non-Hispanic white Americans. Now, a new study looks at whether the language Mexican American people speak is linked to how well they recover after a stroke. The study is published in the April 12, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal… Continue reading Does Language Affect Stroke Recovery?
Detecting Skin Cancer
A panel of health experts has said there is not enough evidence to recommend adult skin cancer screenings from a patient’s primary doctor. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) emphasized, though, that the recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) referred only to primary care physicians, and not to specialists. AAD President… Continue reading Detecting Skin Cancer
Don’t Overlook This Screening Test
Having a colon polyp is both bad and good news, according to Pratima Dibba, MD, a gastroenterologist at Medical Offices of Manhattan. The bad news? It means a small clump of cells has grown on the lining of colon that shouldn’t be there. The good news? Discovering the growth during a colonoscopy means doctors can… Continue reading Don’t Overlook This Screening Test