Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can be a scary experience. But getting enough information and support can help you conquer this difficult process. The National Institute on Aging suggests: Learn as much as possible about the disease. Schedule and keep regular medical appointments. Explore local support groups. Prepare for the future with legal, financial and… read on >
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued new guidance on managing type 2 diabetes — including relaxing the long-term blood sugar target called hemoglobin A1C. The A1C is a blood test that gives doctors an estimate of your blood sugar level average over the past few months. For most adults, the American Diabetes Association… read on >
In what could be a breakthrough in the world of organ transplants, Johns Hopkins researchers have taken kidneys from people infected with hepatitis C and safely transplanted them without transmitting the disease. The surgeries gave new kidneys to 10 donor recipients — just a handful of the more than 420,000 Americans who currently struggle with… read on >
Few older Americans believe ordering more tests and drugs is the way to better health care, a new survey finds. Of the more than 2,000 respondents aged 50 to 80, just 14 percent thought that “more is better,” according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging. In fact, 54 percent said they believe that health… read on >
Even when you are asleep, your brain continues to hear and process sound, the National Sleep Foundation says. Noise can wake you, shift you between different stages of sleep and even cause a change in your heart rate and blood pressure. It’s more likely that noise will affect sleep during sleep’s earlier stages. And it… read on >
Warts are caused by a virus and can appear anywhere on your skin. When warts develop on your feet, they are called plantar warts. Walking barefoot raises your risk of developing plantar warts, which generally arm harmless but may spread and cause pain. The virus spreads readily in warm and moist environments, such as in… read on >
Heart disease used to be thought of as a man’s issue, but women are unfortunately catching up. And though it’s still also thought of as an older person’s disease, lifestyle factors in your younger years can make you more susceptible. So it’s never too soon to protect heart health. Young women in particular aren’t always… read on >
Temporarily boosting the dose of inhaled steroids may not do much to reduce the frequency of severe asthma flare-ups in children, according to two new studies. Short-term increases in inhaled steroids might even be tied to slightly slowed growth in kids, one of the studies suggested. Asthma flare-ups in children are common and many doctors… read on >
If watching the Winter Olympics made you want to try some new sports, go slow and ease into them, sports medicine experts caution. “The biggest issue we see are people who push too hard when trying something for the first time, and it gets out of control,” said Dr. Jayson Loeffert, a sports medicine doctor… read on >
Women who’ve had a friend or relative die of breast cancer say they’re likely to opt for aggressive prevention measures if they develop the cancer, according to new research. “The cancer of someone you care about is a lens through which you interpret your own risk,” study lead author Tasleem Padamsee said in a news… read on >
