Posts

These new companies, including Care/of, Ritual, among others, started popping up in ads online (and likely in your Instagram feed, too) starting in 2015. Most of them work in similar ways: They try to get to know you and then recommend vitamins and supplements specific to your needs. Are Multivitamins and Single-Nutrient Supplements Necessary? Multivitamins are extremely popular — about half of Americans older than 50 take one, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

An estimated one million people in the United States live with MS, with about 25,000 new people diagnosed each year, according to the National MS Society. Briumvi, manufactured by TG Therapeutics, is a glycoengineered monoclonal antibody designed to target B cells — a type of white blood cell — and reduce their numbers. These cells are thought to be one of the immune cells that attacks myelin — the protective coating that insulates nerve cells — in people with MS....

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment and turn milky white. The most prevalent form is nonsegmental (also known as generalized) vitiligo, in which white patches appear symmetrically on both sides of the body, such as on both hands or both knees, often covering large areas. Ruxolitinib is the first medication that can restore pigment in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo. The FDA approved Incyte’s ruxolitinib cream for adults and children ages 12 and up....

The once-a-day pill is a systemic treatment for psoriasis, meaning that unlike topical treatments applied directly to skin, the drug minimizes inflammation throughout the body. It works differently than existing systemic medications, including other oral therapies and biologics, which require injections. Jessica L. Garelik, DO, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who was not involved in the drug development, calls the approval good news....

Vape shops will be allowed to continue selling all tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarette items as well as all flavors for bulkier tank-based vaping systems. The policy decision has been presented as a compromise for those concerned with soaring teen e-cigarette use and those who support the sale of vaping products to adults, many of whom may turn to e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking. “By prioritizing enforcement against the products that are most widely used by children, our action today seeks to strike the right public health balance by maintaining e-cigarettes as a potential off-ramp for adults using combustible tobacco while ensuring these products don’t provide an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for our youth,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar in a press release....

According to an April 30 press release from Digestive Disease Week, a new pilot study suggests that fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) may offer some benefit for people who suffer from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. FMT, a procedure that involves transferring a healthy person’s poop into the gut of a sick person, is thought to work by restoring the bacterial balance that has been thrown off by drug-resistant superbugs. For the study, researchers gave FMT to 20 patients with intestinal colonization of multidrug-resistant organisms, including carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci or extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae....

A few examples: Omega-3 capsules reduced symptoms of depression and other menopause symptoms in women after just eight weeks, a recent study in the journal Menopause found. In trials of nearly 40,000 patients, consuming fatty fish twice a week lowered a person’s risk of heart problems and also improved outcomes after a heart attack or heart failure, a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found. People who regularly eat baked or broiled fish have larger brains — and a lower risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease — than those who do not, a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting concluded....

“We are,” I replied. And two weeks ago, we did. Assessing the Risk My husband and I were not the only ones taking to the skies. More than 700,000 people in the United States flew the same day we did — up from a low of roughly 90,000 in mid-April, although still a steep drop from the 2 million per day last year. Some were eager to see family, like we were, while others were checking on elderly relatives, returning home to report to reopened workplaces, braving a vacation, or finally leaving their winter perch in Florida, where we live....

Breast cancerOvarian cancerProstate cancerColon cancerKidney cancerThyroid cancerBrain tumorsOsteosarcoma Scientists have also found that some people with a CHEK2 mutation develop Li-Fraumeni syndrome — a rare hereditary condition that’s usually associated with the TP53 gene. (1) When DNA becomes damaged or DNA strands break, the CHK2 protein works with other proteins, including TP53. Together, they thwart cell division, keeping cells with bad DNA from dividing. When it’s mutated, it does not perform this function, and potentially cancerous cells are able to divide and reproduce themselves more readily....

More specifically, PALB2 provides instructions to make a protein that works with the BRCA protein to fix DNA damage and stop tumors from growing. (1,2) Genetic testing usually involves providing a sample of blood or saliva, so that it can be analyzed in a lab. Sometimes, this test will also look for other mutations, such as a BRCA mutation. (3) Your doctor might recommend genetic testing if you have another family member with a PALB2 mutation, develop certain PALB2-related diseases, or have other risk factors....

Extreme heat kills more than 700 people in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and thousands more suffer from nonfatal heat-related illness, or hyperthermia. Infants, young children, and older adults have a higher risk of developing health problems under extreme heat, and overheating is especially dangerous for people living with an underlying heart condition. But any person who is trapped in an overheating home or car, exercising or working outside in the heat, or exposed to extreme heat for a prolonged time is at risk of developing heat exhaustion and heatstroke....

RELATED: Hot and Cold Therapy for Joint Pain Relief Earlier research, published in the same journal, found that massage had similar benefits for RA pain in the hands and also reported that the combination of weekly massage therapy and daily self-massage led to improved mood and better sleep. Yet another study, published in the November 2019 issue of Chronic Pain and Management, established that moderate massage of hips also reduced pain and sleep disturbances....

More than 50 percent of people with MS say their symptoms of fatigue, physical weakness, muscle stiffness, or cognitive issues, such as trouble remembering or concentrating, limit their daily routines in some way, according to a survey published in July-August 2020 in the International Journal of MS Care. They also say MS has a negative effect on their emotional well-being, self-esteem, ability to maintain or start relationships, and ability to progress in their jobs or careers....

And now the number of people experiencing COVID-19 more than once is growing. Hugh Jackman, Drake, Kourtney Kardashian, and Jimmy Kimmel are just a few of the many who have contracted the virus twice. In fact, with the highly infectious omicron variant in circulation, it’s becoming less unusual to have COVID-19 three times — or even four. How Common Are COVID-19 Reinfections? While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still collecting and analyzing data on reinfections, some states have presented figures that give some idea of the scope of the issue....

For one, only you know your needs and preferences, such as whether you’d like to prioritize more aggressive treatments or preserving quality of life. What’s more, your doctor can’t make a firsthand judgment about whether a side effect you’re experiencing is merely unpleasant but tolerable or a major barrier to living life the way you want. There are many elements involved in being your own cancer care advocate, from educating yourself about treatment options to making sure your family and healthcare team know your wishes, concerns, and priorities....

People with arthritis who exercise regularly sleep better and have more energy, improved daily function, and less pain, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). While it’s common for people to limit their physical activity due to arthritis symptoms, not being active is tied to a number of health issues, such as heart disease. Getting Started With an RA Exercise Plan “Patients with RA can and should exercise regularly, period,” says Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, vice chair of rheumatology and director of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and an assistant professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University....

Learn more about what might be causing the cramps, how you can treat them, and when you should contact your doctor. Causes of Stomach Pain in People Who Have EPI Stomach pain may sometimes stem from the cause of your EPI rather than the condition itself, says Joshua S. Forman, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. For example, chronic pancreatitis, certain other pancreatic conditions, and surgery involving the pancreas, stomach, or intestines can all cause abdominal pain....

1. Call your doctor. If you’re in the middle of a Crohn’s disease flare, you need to reach out to your doctor right away. And be open about the symptoms you’re experiencing, whether that’s fever, chills, abdominal pain, bleeding, or frequent diarrhea, all of which can indicate that your condition is worsening, says Ramanujan Samavedy, MD, a gastroenterologist and clinical assistant professor at The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine....

Depression is diagnosed when a person experiences five or more specific symptoms for more than two weeks, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Those symptoms include feelings of sadness and loss of pleasure in activities you once enjoyed, changes in appetite that cause weight loss or gain, sleeping too little or too much, feeling tired all the time, having difficulty concentrating and making decisions, and feeling angry and irritable. People with depression might also have feelings of worthlessness or guilt, unexplained physical pain like headaches or backaches, and frequent thoughts of death or suicide....

An ear infection occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum, causing pain, pressure, temporary hearing loss, and fever, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The NIDCD says that five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday, and most of these are not serious. However, CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange, California explains that if you or your child have three ear infections during a six-month period, or four within a year, this is the telltale sign of what’s known as a chronic or recurring infection — and, if left untreated, it could lead to permanent hearing loss....