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Eye Surgeon Leaves The Choice Of Anesthesia Up To The Patient

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm 78 years old and in pretty good health. I walk 3 miles four times a week, bike 8 miles once a week, and lift weights twice a week. Besides eye drops for glaucoma, the only medication I take is 20 mg of lovastatin each day. Due to corneal edema, I'll be having a partial cornea transplant. My surgeon has asked me to decide ...Read more

Tailoring GLP-1 therapy to your body's specific needs

Obesity rates in the U.S. are falling as the use of GLP-1s is increasing. More than one in 10 folks report taking one of the medications currently available (tirzepatide, semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide, orforglipron, lixisenatide). Today, 36.4% of adults are obese; in 2022, it was 39.9%. (This confirms what I said about my ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Produce lobby asks US agencies to quell fears hurting sales

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A major produce lobby group asked U.S. health officials to change how they communicate about a parasite outbreak that’s sickened thousands, citing battered consumer confidence and sagging sales of fruit and vegetables.

The International Fresh Produce Association asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Michigan cyclosporiasis cases fall by half since last week

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — Michigan's worst outbreak of cyclosporiasis has slowed, with fewer than 200 new cases reported this week, according to numbers released Thursday by the state.

The Department of Health and Human Services indicates 142 new cases of the parasitic illness were reported this week, down from 283 cases reported last week and the lowest ...Read more

Honey hunters in Nepal scale incredible heights to harvest the honey of the Himalayan cliff bee. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

‘Mad honey’ that can stop your heart is now being sold online worldwide

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me that his father-in-law had been rushed to the hospital after eating some wild honey brought back from the hills of Nepal.

Within about 30 minutes, his heart rate had dropped dangerously low and his blood pressure had collapsed. He recovered, but the episode was terrifying for the whole family...Read more

Hispanic and Latino family caregivers of parents emphasize the need for culturally inclusive care.
              The Good Brigade/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Dementia care navigators help Coloradans get the support they need

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Latino Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than white Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

In Colorado, nearly a quarter of the overall population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. As Coloradans age, more individuals and families in these communities will be affected by dementia.

...Read more

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Medicare's paying less for cataract surgery. Eye doctors are turning to lucrative lasers

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Tammy Chalala, a retired dietitian in New York, was thrilled with the results of her cataract surgeries, which left her with close to 20/20 vision.

She said she paid nearly $4,000 out-of-pocket for her two surgeries last year because she opted to have her doctor use a laser to assist with the procedure.

Chalala, 69, chose that method over the ...Read more

Steve Ahlquist/Steve Ahlquist/TNS

Violence against healthcare workers and staffing shortages fuel hospital strikes

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Nurse Crystal Dhooghe is used to dealing with blood and broken bones in the emergency room. But she didn’t expect to witness so much violence against her own colleagues.

“I’ve seen nurses get shoved, pushed, scratched. The biggest one is bitten,” said Dhooghe, who works at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

The ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

You want to join a clinical trial. Here's what to know about the hurdles

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Connecting people with clinical trials is complicated — even if people identify a promising match, there’s a slew of potentially thorny factors, including geographic incompatibility, and financial and time considerations.

Simply finding an appropriate trial can present an enormous hurdle. In a recent online survey of more than 2,000 adults,...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Could GLP-1s help with alcohol use disorder? A Philly VA doctor is leading a national trial to find out

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PHILADELPHIA -- A Philadelphia Veterans Affairs doctor is leading a national trial testing whether GLP-1 drugs could help patients with alcohol use disorder.

The treatments, which work by mimicking a natural hormone in the body, have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years for diabetes and weight loss. People have also reported unexpected ...Read more

Reader Maintains That Gabapentin Altered Parents' Mental States

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: You have commented on gabapentin before. This seems to be a miracle drug that they're giving out to everyone for everything. However, I'm absolutely convinced that this drug made both of my parents crazy. Both were given gabapentin in the hospital, and I absolutely felt that it altered their mental state. For the record, both ...Read more

No pressure -- but you really need to lower your blood pressure

Did you know that if the 9.7 million U.S. adults who need blood pressure medicine but aren't taking it actually took it, there would be more than 200,000 fewer deaths and 162,000 fewer cardiovascular deaths over the next 10 years, and a whole lot less disability? If your blood pressure is 130/80 mm Hg or higher, that may include you. That's ...Read more

RevMed's pancreatic cancer pill priced above $475,000 a year

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Revolution Medicines Inc. won U.S. approval for a breakthrough pill that lengthens the lives of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, a major advance against one of the hardest-to-treat tumor types.

The once-daily drug carries a list price of more than $475,000 a year, making it one of the most expensive cancer treatments in history. The ...Read more

Gillian McGoldrick/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

A newborn baby was one of Pa.'s two measles-related deaths, state says as RFK questions whether they were 'fabricated'

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PHILADELPHIA — A newborn baby from Lancaster County was among the two unvaccinated residents whose deaths were associated with measles, Pennsylvania health officials said Wednesday.

The state disclosed the age of one of two measles-related deaths announced Tuesday, both involving Lancaster County residents. Their deaths were the first in ...Read more

Stress resilience is a dynamic balance rather than a fixed trait. Maskot via Getty Images

Stop trying to maintain constant productivity: Your ability to cope with stress changes with the seasons and your own biological clocks

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Do you feel like the same person in February as in June? For most people, the answer is a resounding no.

During winter, your energy tends to dip, your immune system takes a hit and you may feel less social. Research finds that people are less inclined to stick to a workout routine in winter.

In contrast, spring’s longer days...Read more

Part of the challenge of finding a biomarker for mental illness is the environment's significant influence. rudall30/iStock via Getty Images Plus

I’m part of the team writing the next bible of psychiatry – for the first time, the DSM will use biology to understand mental disorders

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The “bible” of clinical psychiatry – the DSM, short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – is one of the most popular psychiatry reference books around the world. Clinicians use it to diagnose patients and scientists use it to guide research.

Despite its wide impact, the DSM has never integrated ...Read more

Pancreatic cancer has been notoriously difficult to target and treat. wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus

FDA approves breakthrough pancreatic cancer drug – an oncologist explains how daraxonrasib nearly doubles survival

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

For a long time, the likelihood of surviving pancreatic cancer has been extremely low. For patients who were diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer between 2015 and 2021, about 97% died within five years of their diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is so deadly in part because there are no effective screening tests, and it rarely causes...Read more

The Kirkland Signature Care Plan? Costco prepares move into Medicare Advantage

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Costco is preparing to bring its signature bulk savings to the healthcare industry through a proposed partnership with SCAN Health Plan (SCAN). While the co-branded Medicare Advantage and Medigap options are still awaiting official approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the plan signals a major shift in how seniors ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Bring on the broccoli

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Deep, vibrant green broccoli, its large flowering heads arranged tree-like atop thick stalks, stand tall as one of the healthiest and widely consumed vegetables.

The folklore

This native to the Mediterranean was derived from cabbage by the Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization. Its name comes from the Italian word “broccolo” or “the...Read more

Increasing daily steps may boost surgical recovery

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Surgery can take a toll on the body, and it takes time to recover. How quickly and successfully you return to normal function depends on such factors as the type of surgery, your overall health, and whether any complications occur. To support a smooth recovery, medical centers use several strategies, including encouraging people to start walking...Read more