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The Radiation Risk After Receiving A CT Scan Is Very Minimal
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 79-year-old healthy female. My doctor advised me to have a CT scan due to the bump above my head and the fact that I might have a brain bleed. Since I had quite a few regular X-rays in the past, I really did not want to do a brain scan. The technician advised me that the scan would take only 2 minutes.
When I was under the...Read more
Walk this way -- or that way, but walk
Whether you're "Walking on Sunshine" (Katrina and the Waves) or "Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn), it's smart to keep on keeping on. Walking is great for you at any pace and any distance -- as long as you're committed to doing it regularly and extending your endurance and speed over time.
A new study found that sedentary folks benefit from ...Read more

What you need to know about the new RSV shot for babies
Ahead of the winter respiratory virus season, many parents were relieved the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a shot to combat respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for infants and toddlers this summer.
But the shot is hard to come by.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms in most adults who ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Long live bread!
Sliced bread and rolls, or at least sandwich or burger rolls, are most often eaten as part of a meal — not a meal on their own. They’re usually the vehicles that allow eating their fillings to be easier. For that reason, when we think about their nutritional quality, we have to remember that more will be added to what they provide. This is ...Read more

Is it safe to leave butter on the counter?
We’ve all been in this situation: You attempt to spread butter on a piece of bread, but the butter is too cold. As a result, your knife tears the bread and you're left with clumps of butter instead of an even spread. In this case, and many others, softened butter that’s been stored at room temperature would be helpful. But before you move ...Read more

What is somatic therapy?
Trauma can register within our bodies on a cellular level. What that means to an individual — and how best to heal from serious traumas encountered in life — is the focus of a newer form of mental health counseling known as somatic therapy.
The resounding success of “The Body Keeps the Score” — a fixture on the New York Times ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Sinusitis and treatment options
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have had ongoing nasal congestion and mucus for the past several months. I thought it was allergies, but my doctor says I likely have acute sinusitis brought on by allergic rhinitis. I was advised to try nonprescription medications to relieve my symptoms rather than antibiotics. What is the difference between this and a ...Read more
Say 'AI'
The FDA has already approved eight new dentistry products or tools based on artificial intelligence. The idea is that AI software will help dentists more quickly and precisely spot decay and bone loss that can lead to gum disease and propose treatments earlier.
That might mean fewer more expensive root canals or implants later, but skeptics ...Read more

Four ways organ transplants are being transformed to save more lives
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Despite a record year for organ donation last year in the U.S., an estimated 17 people die every day waiting for a transplant. Yet Mayo Clinic transplant experts are optimistic that solutions to some of the biggest transplant challenges are on the horizon, thanks to new technology, research and innovations.
"Our goal is to ...Read more
Heart Murmur Found In Older Adult Deserves Further Evaluation
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is 80 years old and a survivor of liver cancer after receiving four years of immunotherapy. On a recent follow-up visit to his oncologist, the doctor told him that he has a heart murmur. He takes medication for his thyroid and adrenal glands.
Could you please explain what a heart murmur is, what causes them and ...Read more
The high blood pressure and fibroids connection
It probably comes as no surprise that middle-aged women with high blood pressure (HBP) have twice the risk of acute cardiac syndromes such as heart attack and unstable angina as women with healthy blood pressure. (110/75 is a good target.) But did you know that according to a study in Fertility and Sterility women with untreated HBP are at an 18...Read more
Premium Health News Service Advisory
Last week's Medicine Cabinet column titled "Lifestyle choices help prevent macular degeneration" for the Premium Health News Service package has been updated with the correct body copy content. The original body copy posted was from a previous column. The body copy now matches the headline and photo caption.
©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Pa. health officials warn again about concerning upticks in newborn syphilis
Rising rates of syphilis and newborn syphilis are not letting up in Pennsylvania, said state and local health officials at a news conference at the Wilkes-Barre Health Department on Monday.
Acting state Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen urged for more awareness about syphilis as well as more available testing and treatment to prevent the ...Read more

Does turkey actually make you sleepy?
It’s as reliable as the parades and football matches: Come Thanksgiving, you indulge in your family’s traditional feast before settling in for a much-needed nap. But while may blame the day’s “food coma” on the turkey specifically, i’s more likely a result of overeating.
That’s not to say that turkey can’t make you sleepy.
“...Read more

4 tips for mindful eating during the holidays
Between cocktail parties after work, making cookies with the grandkids and the never-ending holiday get-togethers, it can feel like the season is built for overindulging.
For those with dietary restrictions, the holidays can be tough. You don’t want simply to avoid everything that isn’t included in your diet, missing out on family ...Read more

Biden administration's limit on drug industry middlemen backfires, pharmacists say
The Biden administration’s first major step toward imposing limits on the pharmacy benefit managers who act as the drug industry’s price negotiators is backfiring, pharmacists say. Instead, it’s adding to the woes of the independent drugstores it was partly designed to help.
The so-called PBMs have long clawed back a fee from pharmacies ...Read more

Consumer Health: What do you know about pancreatic cancer?
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about the risk factors for pancreatic cancer and what you can do to keep yourself safe.
More than 64,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and more than 50,000 people will die of the disease, according to the American ...Read more

Is Novavax, the latecomer COVID vaccine, worth the wait?
Erin Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in mid-October soon after it was finally recommended in the United States. Like many people with autoimmune diseases, she wants to protect herself from a potentially devastating COVID infection.
Kissane’s autoimmune arthritis seems ...Read more
Flat Polyp Couldn't Be Removed During Colonoscopy
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old male who recently had a colonoscopy and had several polyps removed, but there was also a "flat polyp" that couldn't be removed. My doctor said that he usually recommends surgery to remove this, but because of my age, as well as my heart (stents, high blood pressure) and kidney problems (they have been stable ...Read more
The fast, fasting, fastest way to lose weight
Gabe Kaplan's "Fast Break" (1979), "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" with Sean Penn (1982), and Vin Diesel's "Fast & Furious" franchise (2001-2023) prove that, intermittently, Hollywood loves to go fast. A really good idea -- and not just on the silver screen.
A study in JAMA Network Open looked at the weight-loss benefits of intermittent fasting ...Read more
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