Health Advice
/Health
/ArcaMax
Keeping Abreast of Heart Disease Risk
Routine mammograms often reveal calcifications in the breast -- bright white lines snaking through the tissue. While not a sign of cancer, new research suggests they may provide clues to risk of cardiovascular disease.
The white lines are indicators of calcium buildup in the breast's arterial wall, which is different from coronary artery ...Read more
After medical bills broke the bank, this family headed to Mexico for care
The Fierro family of Yuma, Arizona, had a string of bad medical luck that started in December 2020.
That’s when Jesús Fierro Sr. was admitted to the hospital with a serious COVID-19 infection. He spent 18 days at Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he lost 60 pounds. He came home weak and dependent on an oxygen tank.
Then, in June 2021, his...Read more
The ups and downs of your health lately
Shaquille O'Neal's weight hit 415 during the height of the pandemic -- up from the 345 he says he weighed while playing for the Lakers. He's not alone. According to the Health eHeart Study, overall folks gained 1.5 pound a month, and another study showed that many folks who were already obese gained 4 or more pounds monthly.
Researchers at the ...Read more
Many can avoid high blood pressure meds with natural remedies
Dear Dr. Roach: What are some natural ways to reduce blood pressure? -- JW
Answer: Too often, physicians jump to medication treatment to control blood pressure, when there are non-drug ways of reducing blood pressure that are often overlooked.
Not every person with high blood pressure is salt-sensitive, but overall, reducing salt can make a ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Mental health needs rise as pandemic fluctuates
As COVID-19 infection cases continue to fluctuate, one area that medical experts continue to see an increased need for is mental health care.
Primary care physicians are often the first stop for many patients who seek help with their mental health. Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, says that's one of the main ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Using lasers on the brain to treat seizures
For roughly a third of people with epilepsy, medication does not control their seizures. Depending on where those seizures originate in the brain, laser therapy can be an option for adults and children.
It's treatment for epileptic seizures that uses a laser on the brain.
"LITT is 'laser interstitial thermal therapy,'" says Dr. Jamie Van ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q and A: To brace or not to brace
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I love being active, playing tennis, bowling, hiking and shooting hoops with my grandkids. I have arthritis in my ankle and wonder if wearing a brace would prevent injury and maybe even relieve the aches and pains I have after activities.
ANSWER: Braces, not only for the ankle, but also the knee and wrist, provide support, as ...Read more
Mayo Clinic expert calls for public health measures to improve diet, reduce cancer risk
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A review article by Mayo Clinic researchers emphasizes that early onset colorectal cancer, defined as being diagnosed when younger than 50, continues to steadily increase in the U.S. and other higher income countries. This increase, along with a decline in later-onset cases due primarily to screening have shifted the median ...Read more
Diet tips during cancer treatment
AUSTIN, Minn. ― People eat to fuel their body. This gives patients strength and stamina to power through the day.
At no time is this more important than when a person is undergoing treatment for cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, whether lifesaving or life-preserving, can take a toll on a person's body and significantly affect the...Read more
Consumer Health: 4 types of head and neck cancers
Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4% of all cancers in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. These cancers are more than twice as common among men as women, and are diagnosed more often among people over 50.
Among the many types of head and neck cancers are these four:
Esthesioneuroblastoma
This is a rare type of ...Read more
Violent crime leaves invisible injuries. Philly hospital staffers use their life stories to help heal them
PHILADELPHIA -- Waltkeem Jenkins still feels traumatized after being jumped five times as a teenager in South Philadelphia, and robbed once at gunpoint.
His hardship, though, gives him credibility with patients at Philadelphia hospitals trying to better treat the lingering wounds of violent crime.
As Philadelphia endures another year of near-...Read more
Smarter, happier kids are more physically fit
The stereotype of a dumb jock pops up in movies like "Revenge of the Nerds" where the Alpha Beta fraternity boys don't seem to know their ABCs. But studies show that it's not true that athletes are dimwitted -- like former Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli with an IQ of 175, which is higher than Einstein's and Stephen Hawking's.
Now a study in ...Read more
The microbiome is still somewhat of a mystery
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have struggled with IBS and GERD since I was a small child. I have had multiple gastroscopies and have been on countless medications over the years for my issues. I've followed every diet and lifestyle change that my doctor has suggested, with, at best, moderate results.
Recently, a friend of mine suggested having my gut flora...Read more
Adults over 50 now qualify for Medi-Cal in California regardless of immigration status
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that, beginning May 1, the state’s low-income health insurance would extend full coverage to all qualifying people who are 50 or older, regardless of immigration status.
The Medi-Cal expansion is expected to provide full coverage to more than 185,000 Californians, ...Read more
Diabetes Quick Fix: Moussaka
Moussaka, a layered eggplant casserole, is traditional fare at every Greek taverna. The dish has hundreds of variations. Usually, slices of eggplant and sometimes potatoes are sautéed and layered with a spiced ground meat.
Helpful Hints:
— You can use grated Parmesan cheese instead of feta cheese.
— You can find minced garlic in the ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Should children still wear face masks on planes and trains?
Q: Now that airlines have dropped mask mandates, is it OK to let my kids travel without masks?
A: The judge’s ruling striking down the federal mask mandate on public transportation and in transit hubs and the subsequent appeal by the Justice Department have created confusion about whether flying or riding the train is safe without a mask.
I ...Read more
Reclaiming your best life after depression and addiction
Drew Barrymore -- an effervescent mom of two and popular talk-show host -- was a huge star by age 7 and in rehab at age 13. Zac Efron faced much the same struggles, going to rehab for cocaine addiction twice before overcoming the habit. They're both great examples of how people can rebound from mental illness and substance-abuse disorders and go...Read more
Healthy lifestyle changes may reduce need for statin
Editor's note: In the second graf of the first answer (first sentence) the 12% and 8% were transposed.
Dear Dr. Roach: Would you comment on some information I discovered about statin drugs, which I think reveals some nefarious numbers on behalf of the drug companies?
So far I have found two reports that say the actual number of people who have...Read more
Tech titans want the richest Californians to pay for pandemic preparedness
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabe Bankman-Fried, a former Wall Street trader, has raised $12 million from a cryptocurrency trading firm founded by his brother, Sam Bankman-Fried. Dustin Moskovitz, a billionaire who roomed with Mark Zuckerberg in college and helped found Facebook in 2004, funds a nonprofit with his wife that has ponied up $6.5 million....Read more
Phillip Hanks celebrates his transplant-aversary with 5 new organs
CHICAGO -- One year ago, Phillip Hanks was enduring the first of two surgeries. One was almost eight hours to give him a new intestine, stomach, liver and pancreas. The following day, Hanks was back on the operating table to get a kidney.
Hanks, a father of six, received a multivisceral transplant — a simultaneous transplant of multiple ...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- Tips to reduce stroke in the diverse communities
- Major Atrium Health deal will double size of hospital system, as it expands to Midwest
- There have been more than 100 cases of mysterious hepatitis among children in the US Doctors are stumped
- Can wearing contacts harm your vision?
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: To brace or not to brace
Comics
