Summer is a time for COVID-safe beach days, pool fun and outdoor adventures. But without the right sun protection, your summer escapades can leave you with excruciating sunburn and a higher risk of skin cancer. Experiencing a sunburn just five times over your lifetime doubles your risk of developing melanoma, the most serious type of… Continue reading How to Choose the Right Sunscreen
Category: Health
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
Blood pressure: What do the numbers mean and why do they matter?
t’s a standard part of any medical visit. Someone, typically a nurse, wraps a cuff around your arm and asks you to sit quietly while the cuff squeezes to the point of discomfort, then slowly eases its grip. Some numbers get jotted down in your chart. “136 over 79.” What does that even mean? “The… Continue reading Blood pressure: What do the numbers mean and why do they matter?
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
Expert calls for reforms to address the overdose crisis
In a Perspective piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors state that the federal government’s elimination of the “X waiver” at the end of 2022 was a significant step towards improving addiction treatment. The X waiver required physicians and other prescribers to undergo uncompensated training and obtain a special license, creating… Continue reading Expert calls for reforms to address the overdose crisis
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
Cognitive impairment after stroke is common, and early diagnosis and treatment needed
A recent scientific statement by the American Heart Association shows that over half of people who have had a stroke may have trouble thinking within a year after their stroke. Additionally, 1 out of 3 stroke survivors may have a higher risk of developing dementia within 5 years. The American Heart Association has published a… Continue reading Cognitive impairment after stroke is common, and early diagnosis and treatment needed
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
To Fix Medicare Spending, Prevent Fractures Among Aging Americans
As the White House and Congress prepare for negotiations over the budget and U.S. debt ceiling, there has been a lot of talk about how to pay for senior’s health care and the future of Medicare. It seems like a great place to start is with steps policymakers can take that can both save money… Continue reading To Fix Medicare Spending, Prevent Fractures Among Aging Americans
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
Who is At Risk for Hypertension, the Medical Term for High Blood Pressure?
Sometimes national statistics are so shocking that people have to stop and take notice. This is certainly the case for high blood pressure, which affects nearly half of all adults in the United States—only a quarter of whom have the condition under control, according to cardiologist Dr. Robert Segal, the founder of Manhattan Cardiology, Medical… Continue reading Who is At Risk for Hypertension, the Medical Term for High Blood Pressure?
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
Design a Deer-Resistant Garden Without the Fence
Deer are common visitors to landscapes even in urban and suburban areas. Fencing is the most effective way to protect your plants but is not always practical or desirable. Your community may have restrictions on fencing, your budget may not support this option, or you prefer not to hide your plantings behind a fence. Growing… Continue reading Design a Deer-Resistant Garden Without the Fence
Narcan To Be Available Over the Counter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, for non-prescription use. But it may take some time before it is generally available. According to a news release from the FDA, Narcan (generic name Naloxone) is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and… Continue reading Narcan To Be Available Over the Counter
Genetic Testing And Heart Disease
Increasing use of genetic testing means people may discover they have a gene variant associated with some types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A new scientific statement, published in March 2023 in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, aims to help individuals and health care professionals understand what to do when… Continue reading Genetic Testing And Heart Disease