Girls Who Use Laxatives to Influence Weight Are More Prone to Eating Disorders What’s new Healthy young women who use over-the-counter laxatives in an attempt to lose weight or avoid getting fat are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder compared with those who don’t take laxatives, according to a study published November 2019 in the American Journal of Public Health. The study, which was based on data from 10,058 U....
I was the first in my family to be born outside Asia. My dad left my mom and brother behind in Taiwan when the engineering school at the University of Missouri–Rolla invited him to study for a master’s degree. The family reunited when he graduated, living in Kansas City, then Connecticut (where I was born), and finally the San Francisco Bay Area. I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood in the California suburbs, one of only two Asian Americans at my elementary school....
Living With Pets: Where to Start “We see a lot of patients who have been told they have to get rid of their pet, and they ask us to help them find a home,” says Lucy Tan, DVM, a veterinarian at Laingsburg Animal Hospital in Laingsburg, MI. But Tan understands the bind her clients find themselves in. While it’s important that people first work with their doctor to find out how to manage pet-related asthma attacks, Tan says veterinarians have an important role to play as well....
“Exercise is the cheapest prescription,” says Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, medical director of the obesity clinical program and director of inpatient diabetes program at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “It doesn’t require copayments. It doesn’t require insurance. I sometimes write ‘exercise’ on my prescription pad and give that to my patients.” That’s why it’s important to take note of the newly released second edition of the U....
It used to be that all patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer automatically got chemotherapy. These days, most peoples’ tumors are first tested to see if they have mutations or markers that suggest they’ll respond well to targeted therapies or immunotherapy. As a result, nearly half of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer are treated first with targeted therapy or immunotherapy. The majority of the remaining patients, if they’re physically able to tolerate therapy, will receive a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy....
Online workout classes — courtesy of streaming services, fitness apps, and downloadable videos — allow you to do live and on-demand workouts wherever and whenever works for you. “Now is a perfect time to branch out and try something fun to incorporate into your fitness routine — even if it’s out of your comfort zone,” says Mecayla Froerer, the director of NordicTrack-iFit online training and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)–certified personal trainer....
President Joe Biden marked the milestone in an address to the nation Monday afternoon and used the news to urge more Americans to get their shots. “With today’s FDA full approval, there’s another good reason to get vaccinated,” Biden said. “Those who have been waiting for approval should go get your shot now. The vaccination is free. It’s easy. It’s safe and it’s effective, and it’s convenient.” In a separate statement, the FDA’s acting commissioner, Janet Woodcock, MD, underscored that the approval means the Pfizer vaccine meets the FDA’s high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality....
According to a new study published online today in Stress & Health, spending time with a therapy dog can reduce stress and increase energy and happiness in college students. A Look at the Impact Playing With A Dog Has On A Person’s Mood Researchers from the University of British Columbia questioned 246 students both before and after they spent time with a therapy dog. The students were allowed to interact with seven to 12 dogs during each therapy sessions....
That’s sort of the way post-traumatic arthritis works, says Joshua Baker, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Philadelphia. Break a bone playing sports as a teenager or tear a ligament while running, and you could end up with arthritis in that joint several years later. As many as 15 percent of people who have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis may have developed joint problems as a result of injury....
You can reap the benefits if you start each meal by filling half your plate with vegetables, says Cristina Rivera RD, a board certified sports dietitian in Garden, City, New York. But with atrial fibrillation (afib), be careful which veggies you choose. Certainly some food choices are healthier than others, but when it comes to vegetables, aren’t they all good for preventive care? The answer is no. Here’s what you need to know about vegetables and heart health....
In fact, nearly 60 percent of people with psoriasis say it’s a large problem in their everyday life, according to the NPF, and the more severe the psoriasis, the more negatively it impacts quality of life. Fear is especially common if you have a visible condition like psoriasis. You may be afraid of how other people will react to the condition. You may worry about how psoriasis will impact your body image, self-esteem, relationships, and ability to do activities you enjoy....
Allergists had cautioned me that animal dander could worsen my asthma and eczema. Dermatologists had been more reassuring, telling me it was unlikely that pets would trigger a psoriasis flare. (The National Psoriasis Foundation says that some people suspect allergens worsen their psoriasis.) Eventually our three children wore Lori and me down. Teddy, a 4-month-old terrier mix, joined the family as a post-Christmas gift to the kids in 2010. I thought Teddy would be enough, but the kids wanted a cat, too....
Plus, three viral infections making the rounds — COVID-19, flu, and RSV — are adding yet another layer of concern and complexity. Still, there are things you can do to enjoy both good health and good cheer. Here are six strategies to help you manage your psoriasis and make the most of the season. 1. Keep Stress in Check Even a somewhat pared-down holiday schedule can mean added responsibility and pressure....
Early RA Diagnosis and Treatment Is Critical The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) originally announced guidelines highlighting the critical nature of early diagnosis and treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in 2007. In 2016, EULAR updated its recommendations for early referral to a rheumatologist: Patients should seek help if symptoms persist for more than six weeks, and early management should be directed by a rheumatologist. The recommendations also suggest patients at risk for chronic arthritis should begin a course of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) within three months of symptoms appearing....
RA is a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks joints and other tissues, leading to symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, inflammation, and stiffness. Lack of Adequate Water May Intensify Joint Pain and Other RA Symptoms “My rheumatoid arthritis symptoms definitely increase when I don’t drink enough water, or if I’m in extreme heat,” says Eileen Davidson, a rheumatoid arthritis patient, advocate, and author of the Chronic Eileen blog....
RELATED: What Is the DASH Diet? A Guide to the Plan for Losing Weight and Lowering Blood Pressure More Evidence That Red Meat May Worsen Blood Pressure “Although some studies have suggested that higher intake of red meat, especially processed red meat, is associated with higher risk of hypertension, the associations of chicken or fish intake with hypertension risk remain inconsistent,” says Gang Liu, PhD, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T....
But Gomez has also embraced her celebrity as a way to educate fans about being diagnosed with and living with lupus, a sometimes debilitating chronic condition. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that commonly affects the skin, joints, and kidneys. Instead of warding off infection and disease to keep the body healthy, the immune systems of people with lupus attack healthy tissues in the body. The signs and symptoms of lupus aren’t always present....
Ovarian cancer and its treatment can make resuming intimacy with a partner challenging. Many of the therapies used to treat ovarian cancer can affect a woman’s sex organs, sexual desire, sexual function, and body image, according to the American Cancer Society. One study, published in 2017 in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, found that between 50 and 70 percent of women with gynecologic cancers experienced sexual dysfunction after treatment....
But for some people with asthma, the condition’s symptoms can be difficult to control. In addition to having an increased risk for more severe symptoms, people with hard-to-control asthma also have an elevated risk for asthma-related health complications. (1) RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About the Symptoms of Asthma Even in people who are able to manage their symptoms with medication, asthma can potentially cause both short- and long-term complications....
“It is well known that eating fruits and vegetables is good for cardiovascular health,” said Amrita Ahluwalia, PhD, the lead author of the study and a professor of vascular biology at The Barts and The London Medical School in London. However, vegetables that are rich in compounds call nitrates, including beets and their juice, may offer special benefits for people with elevated blood pressure, she said. In the body, nitrates from food are converted into nitrites and ultimately nitric oxide....
