Although genetic testing is becoming increasingly important, many primary care providers face challenges in making that part of a patient’s basic care, according to a new study published in Genetics in Medicine. Researchers from the University of Michigan reported that the most common reason given by primary care physicians (PCPs) was that they had insufficient… Continue reading Some Doctors Not Up to Date on Genetic Testing
Tag: depressive symptoms
Health System Not Meeting End-of-Life Needs
The U.S. health care system is not properly designed to meet the needs of patients nearing the end of life and those of their families, according to a September 2014 report from the Institute of Medicine. The report says that major changes to the system are necessary. A release from IOM notes that the 21-member… Continue reading Health System Not Meeting End-of-Life Needs
Chokeberry Extract May Boost Pancreatic Cancer Drug
The chokeberry, a wild berry native to North America, may strengthen the effectiveness of a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer, according to research done at King’s College Hospital and the University of Southampton in the UK and published online September 17th 2015 in the Journal of Clinical Pathology. A release from the… Continue reading Chokeberry Extract May Boost Pancreatic Cancer Drug
Solve the Medical Riddle: The Patient Is No Longer “Regular”, Fourth Week
By Marie Savard MD Editor’s note: Welcome to our ThirdAge feature that gives you a chance to play medical sleuth as we share the details of what happened when a patient presented with a problem that stumped the physician at first. The first week of this riddle, the patient reported her symptoms and the doctor… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: The Patient Is No Longer “Regular”, Fourth Week
The Global Alzheimer’s Crisis: Are You Ready to Take Action?
By Nancy Wurtzel I’ve been surrounded by Alzheimer’s disease my whole life. Decades ago, both of my grandmothers had the disease. When I was in my early 40s, the illness claimed my father. Then, in 2011, I uprooted my life, moving across country and returning to the small farm town where I grew up to… Continue reading The Global Alzheimer’s Crisis: Are You Ready to Take Action?
Anticipating “Experiential” Purchases Makes Us Happy
The enjoyment we derive from “experiential purchases” such as buying tickets to shows or booking hotels for a vacation may begin even before we buy, according to a study done atCornell University and the University of California, San Francoosco and published in September 2014 in Psychological Science. A release from Cornell quotes psychology researcher and… Continue reading Anticipating “Experiential” Purchases Makes Us Happy
Eating Fish May Help Avoid Hearing Loss
We already know that eating fish regularly can help reduce the risk of heart disease, but now research shows that it’s associated with a lower risk of hearing loss in women. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston looked at statistics from the Nurses’ Health Study II. In the study, 65,215 women were followed… Continue reading Eating Fish May Help Avoid Hearing Loss
Positive Expectations and Depression
Positive thinking may help some depressed patients after all, according to a new study on the placebo effect in medical research. Over the past three decades, researchers say, there’s been a sharp rise in patients’ positive response to placebos – the fake medication given to some study participants who think it’s actual medicine. The latest… Continue reading Positive Expectations and Depression
Researchers Identify New Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
Researchers have identified dozens of new genetic factors linked with increased risk of prostate cancer, and testing for them can identify men with a risk of the disease that’s almost six times higher than average. With the latest discovery of 23 factors, the number of common genetic variants linked to prostate cancer rises to 100.… Continue reading Researchers Identify New Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
When Your Pet Has Cancer
Any pet owner who has been told their animal has cancer knows the two emotions: anxiety for the beloved pet’s life, and hope for an effective treatment. “Many people consider their dogs and cats members of the family,” says Food and Drug Administration veterinarian Lisa Troutman. “Just as FDA reviews drugs for humans for safety… Continue reading When Your Pet Has Cancer
Hope for Repairing Muscles as We Age
As we age, stem cells throughout our bodies gradually lose their capacity to repair damage, even from normal wear and tear. Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa in Canada have discovered the reason why this decline occurs in skeletal muscles. Their findings were published online September 2014 in the journal… Continue reading Hope for Repairing Muscles as We Age
Celebrate National Yoga Month!
Yoga, once a relatively unknown practice that many considered exotic, has gone so mainstream that September has been declared National Yoga Month. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 13 million adults in the U.S. practice yoga. And the number seems to be growing. People have several different reasons for taking… Continue reading Celebrate National Yoga Month!
Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care
Although hospice can benefit terminally ill patients over a period of time, one in six cancer patients enroll it in only during the last three days of life, according to a new study. The findings, by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, also revealed a profile of the kind of patient… Continue reading Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: For a Good Cause…or Foolishness?
It all began quite simply. A novel idea to raise awareness about a lesser-known terminal disease. The idea: Dump a bucket of ice water over your head and donate $10.00. Choose against dunking and instead donate $100.00 (or whatever you are able). An idea that took on a life of its own and catapulted awareness… Continue reading The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: For a Good Cause…or Foolishness?
His Cheating, Your Health
By Eve Marx The news isn’t pretty. Your husband has been having sex with someone else, and you’ve been having sex with your husband. Just as you were congratulating yourself for having a happy, healthy sex life when so many of your married friends are complaining their sex life is over, you discover the downside… Continue reading His Cheating, Your Health
Staph and A Secret Weapon
Researchers are getting closer to understanding the workings of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that causes more than 60,000 infections each year. And that could lead to better treatment for the infections. The bacterium, S. aureus, is often a harmless organism found in the nose and skin of 30 percent of people. But it can cause… Continue reading Staph and A Secret Weapon
New Superfoods to Tackle Heart Disease & Diabetes
A new generation of superfoods that tackle heart disease and diabetes could be developed following research into a protein that helps keep cells in our bodies healthy, according to researchers at the University of Warwick Medical School in the UK. The team found that the protein, called Nrf2, continually moves in and out of the… Continue reading New Superfoods to Tackle Heart Disease & Diabetes
A Cure for Glaucoma?
Scientists have discovered a cause of glaucoma that could lead to eventually to an eye drop that cures the illness. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. Until now, scientists haven’t understood the root of the illness, so a cure hasn’t been found. In glaucoma, pressure builds up because of poor drainage… Continue reading A Cure for Glaucoma?