Drug may reduce stroke, heart attack risk

By Margaret Foster
Posted on February 27, 2020

Every year, about 795,000 people suffer a stroke and about 805,000 people have heart attacks, according to the CDC. Furthermore, people with a history of stroke or heart disease and who are overweight are at risk for another stroke or heart attack. Now a massive study of 17,500 people in more than 700 locations around the world, including 200 in the U.S., is underway to help increase... READ MORE

Opioid overdose: Don’t blame the patient

By Jaymin Patel
Posted on February 24, 2020

As someone who knows people — including loved ones — who are dependent on opioids, I agreed for a long time with the 67% of Americans blaming drug users for their opioid-use disorder. That is, until I met Billy. Billy (not his real name, to protect privacy) was an intelligent student who was close to his sister and mother. At age 16, after ACL surgery, he was prescribed opioids for... READ MORE

Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on February 20, 2020

Researchers hooked Zach Ault to medical monitors as he slowly climbed onto a gym bike in Bethesda, Maryland. An invisible disease is sidelining this once avid athlete. He knew the simple exercise would wipe him out — but Ault was pedaling for science. Chronic fatigue syndrome is one of medicine’s most vexing mysteries. Now doctors at the National Institutes of Health are using... READ MORE

Chocolate spice cookies offer subtle kick

By Wolfgang Puck
Posted on February 19, 2020

If you’ve been a reader of my column, you know you can expect one thing from me as surely as the fact that I love to help people cook and eat the best food possible: When winter rolls around, at some point I’m going to turn my attention to cookies. My love of baking goes back to my earliest childhood memories. Every year, the kitchen of our little home in the southern Austrian town... READ MORE

How do nutritionists and dieticians differ?

By Sharon Lehrman
Posted on February 18, 2020

Are you thinking about hiring a nutrition expert to assist with your health goals? Registered dietitian or a nutritionist? What’s the difference? Registered Dietitians (R.D.) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (R.D.N.) earn a bachelor’s degree with course work approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Many also have a master’s degree or doctorate degree. They... READ MORE

The value in steroid injections, placebos

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. and Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on February 17, 2020

Q: I was going to ask my doctor for a steroid injection in my knee that has osteoarthritis, but I heard the steroid shots can do more harm than good. Is that true? A: Osteoarthritis is a common and potentially debilitating condition. It’s a degenerative joint disease (often called the “wear-and-tear” type) in which the smooth lining of cartilage becomes thinned and uneven, exposing ... READ MORE

Changing the ways we think about aging

By Margaret Foster
Posted on February 17, 2020

What does it mean to age “successfully”? Does it mean remaining physically fit and bustling about the gym into our 90s? Being able to volunteer to help others around you? Does it mean you’re retired and surrounded by grandkids? Or simply that you’re happy to still be alive? These are the kinds of questions that concern Tracey Bobrowitz Gendron, associate professor and chair of ... READ MORE

Alcohol poisoning can sneak up on you

By Cleveland Clinic
Posted on February 14, 2020

Alcohol poisoning can occur when a person drinks large quantities of alcohol — including beer, wine or liquor — in a relatively short time. As the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream increases, the liver can’t break down the alcohol and remove its toxins from the blood quickly enough. The excess alcohol acts as a depressant and causes parts of the brain that control vital body... READ MORE

Prediabetic? Time for lifestyle changes

By Adrian Vella, M.D.
Posted on February 14, 2020

Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it possible to reverse prediabetes by taking medication? A: Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. It is a warning sign that if you don’t make changes, the condition may eventually progress to diabetes. But those changes typically don’t include taking medication. Instead, lifestyle... READ MORE

Boost your health by walking, fidgeting

By Karen Asp
Posted on February 13, 2020

Spending too much time on your tush can lead to numerous health woes. But here’s an easy fix: After an hour of sitting, walk around for two minutes. It could reduce your risk of early death by a third, according to a report in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Here are three more benefits of walking: 1. Stable blood sugar A short jaunt around the... READ MORE