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While low-FODMAP diets have been shown to help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), until now researchers weren’t sure whether these eating plans could alleviate the symptoms of IBD. But a study published in October 2019 in the journal Gastroenterology found that when people with IBD, including UC, stuck to a low-FODMAP diet, they experienced a significant reduction in several gut symptoms after just four weeks. While adopting the diet had no effect on disease severity, the research adds to the growing evidence that a low-FODMAP diet may help ease GI symptoms and improve a person’s overall quality of life....

The study followed 3,302 women who hadn’t started menopause or were just beginning this transition for up to 20 years, starting when they were ages 42 to 52. Researchers surveyed women annually about so-called vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats; each survey asked how often women had experienced vasomotor symptoms in the previous two-week period. In addition, researchers asked women whether they had experienced any cardiovascular events, including: heart attack, stroke, heart failure, procedures to restore blood flow to the heart, or bypass surgery....

But scientists and doctors have shown in a number of different studies that excess body weight — even being just slightly overweight — can also trigger the onset of GERD and influence its severity. Similarly, there’s evidence that losing excess body weight can improve or even resolve symptoms of GERD. It’s unclear exactly why extra body weight has an effect on GERD, but one likely explanation is that the extra weight puts pressure on your abdomen....

But there are still some important issues and risks you need to be aware of. The first few days, weeks, and months after delivery can be a time when you are at risk for both emotional and physical problems. Being aware of the risks and knowing what you can do about them can help. Typically, your blood sugar will be checked several times before you are discharged from the hospital after giving birth, so that you can be sure your gestational diabetes has resolved....

“Liver cancer causes a huge burden of disease globally each year,” senior author Isabelle Soerjomataram, MD, PhD, deputy branch head of cancer surveillance for the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, said in a release. “It is also largely preventable if control efforts are prioritized — major risk factors include hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, and metabolic conditions including type 2 diabetes....

For some people, gout can be chronic, which means multiple, severe gout attacks several times a year. Some people who have repeated gout flares or overly high levels of uric acid for several years develop a form of gout called tophaceous gout. Chronic gout, sometimes called gouty arthritis, can lead to a number of serious complications if left untreated. (2) Complications of gout and hyperuricemia can include: Joint damageJoint deformityLoss of mobility or range of motionBone lossTophi deposits throughout the bodyKidney stonesChronic kidney disease...

For the study, researchers examined survey data on more than 9,100 adults, including almost 3,000 gun owners. Compared with people who didn’t own guns, those who did were 50 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts and roughly twice as likely to plan a method, time, and place to attempt suicide, according to study results published May 11 in JAMA Network Open. People who own guns were almost four times more likely to attempt suicide, the study found....

Many of my friends, family members, and peers were not taking the severity of COVID-19 seriously during the early months of 2020, and I wasn’t either. With limited information available at the time, I thought, This will be nixed and taken care of in a few weeks or months. In our office, we tried to do our best to stay safe, implementing thorough cleaning procedures and social distancing starting in early March of 2020....

“Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, which means that we need to get it from food or supplements in order for us to meet our needs,” says Tamar Samuels, RDN, cofounder of Culina Health based in New York City. Most vitamin C supplements contain vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, which is comparable in bioavailability to the vitamin C that naturally occurs in foods, according to the NIH....

One thing is clear: Healthcare experts agree that people with COPD should take every precaution to avoid getting the virus. Does Having COPD Put You at Higher Risk of Contracting COVID-19? The answer to this question is likely to be yes, says David Au, MD, a professor in the division of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. “I say ‘likely’ and not ‘definitively’ yes because even though all the epidemiological evidence suggests that patients with COPD are at increased risk of testing positive for COVID-19, it can be tricky — patients with COPD have symptoms that can mimic symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue,” says Dr....

While most patients don’t experience safety issues, studies over the years have raised questions about a number of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects. Among other things, these pills have been tied to an increased risk of premature death, heart disease, certain cancers, dementia, lung disorders, fractures, kidney damage, pneumonia, and bacterial infections. Here’s what you need to know to decide if these drugs are right for you, and whether you need to see a doctor before you try over-the-counter PPIs....

First, know that hepatitis C doesn’t have to stop you from having a healthy pregnancy. “A [pregnant] woman is not at higher risk for complications from hepatitis C itself,” says Lee F. Peng, MD, chief of the division of hepatology and medical director of liver transplantation at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. Hepatitis C is also unlikely to cause long-term liver damage when treated promptly, since oral antiviral medications can typically clear the infection within 8 to 12 weeks....

If you’re pregnant, you may wonder how a diagnosis of this contagious disease may affect your growing baby. Common questions include: Will my baby have the disease? Is it safe for me to be pregnant? How can I prevent transmitting the virus? Your concerns are only natural, given that hepatitis C can advance and cause liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Spreading the virus to your baby may put them at risk for these complications, too....

After all, Dr. Halaharvi was just eight months into her role as a practicing breast surgeon and had no family history of breast cancer. She never thought she’d become a statistic. Currently, there is a one in eight chance that a woman will develop breast cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. She was also anxious about getting chemotherapy and wondered if she needed it. “The hair loss from chemotherapy is superficial, but I also worried about all the other side effects,” she says....

But how do you know whether you’re fit? Your overall fitness is a measure of four physical abilities — endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility — and body composition or body mass index (BMI). BMI tracks height and weight only while a body composition test, which calculates your fat and lean muscle mass, is an excellent indicator of overall fitness. For a more hands-on approach, try these personal trainer-approved fitness tests to see how you stack up....

“The best way to understand how grief can affect your health is to understand what bereavement entails: one, a major stressor; and two, loss of a close relationship,” says M. Katherine Shear, MD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and director of the Center for Complicated Grief. “Close relationships help regulate our daily psychological and physical functioning,” explains Dr. Shear. “Their loss…typically leaves people feeling out of control and disoriented....

There are low-hanging fruits out there, and there are those for which I’ve had to stretch, but we usually tie them together in the end. A Recent Fall Gets Me Thinking After a recent fall, I’ve come up with another I’ll share. This one has less to do with the disease and more to do with how we choose to cope with it. I was only out for a walk when I took my spill, so I wasn’t draped in protective gear....

More good news: There are a wide variety of treatments available for ADHD, including medication, counseling and behavior therapy, and lifestyle changes. The right options for you or your child often depend on age, symptoms, and similar factors. In its most recent clinical practice guidelines, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended behavior therapy and medication for children ages 6 and older. For younger children, the AAP recommends behavior therapy as a first-line treatment, before medication....

Most skin cancers that are diagnosed early have a five-year survival rate of 99 percent or higher. (1) This includes melanoma, which is the deadliest type. (2) Getting an early diagnosis requires you to see your doctor regularly and to schedule an appointment whenever you notice an unusual looking spot. If your physician thinks the lesion looks suspicious, certain tests and procedures may be done to see if it’s cancerous....

The study helps address an important question about the duration of AI use. Aromatase inhibitors such as Arimidex lower estrogen levels by preventing aromatase, an enzyme found in fat tissue, from changing other hormones into estrogen. The medication is prescribed to women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer (meaning their cancer grows in response to the presence of estrogen) after their initial phase of treatment in order to help prevent cancer recurrence....