HEALTH CONDITIONS

How Can I Get ‘Forever Chemicals’ Out of My Life?

THE NEW YORK TIMES – “Forever chemicals,” also known as PFAS, are everywhere. They’re in our water, our soil and in everyday items like cookware, mascara or waterproof clothing. And there’s mounting evidence that this family of thousands of synthetic chemicals can increase the risk of some types of cancer, developmental and fertility issues, and other health problems. So it makes sense to limit our exposure to them. That’s easier said than done. Public health experts say that...

What the doctor never told you about A-fib and dementia

CNN Digital – Known as A-fib, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat often described by many people who have it as a “quiver,” “flutter” or “flip-flop” of the heart in the chest. Atrial fibrillation is the leading cause of stroke(opens in a new tab) in the U.S. In addition, strokes connected to A-fib tend to be “more severe than strokes with other underlying causes,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(opens in...

Mindfulness found as effective as leading antidepressant in treating anxiety disorders

MEDICAL XPRESS – Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was found to be as effective as the antidepressant escitalopram in reducing agoraphobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder symptoms. The muti-institution study, led by the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, suggests that mindfulness practices may offer a viable alternative to medication for treating anxiety disorders, with significantly fewer side effects. Anxiety disorders affect millions of people and are frequently treated with medications...

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s Discovery: Scientists Discover New Treatment Path

New research shows astrocytes can remove Alzheimer’s-related amyloid-beta via autophagy, offering a promising new direction for treatment strategies focusing on these brain cells.

You’re Due for a Colonoscopy, but What if You Don’t Want It?

THE NEW YORK TIMES – This year about 53,000 Americans are expected to die from colon or rectal cancer. Doctors say most people should start getting screened at age 45. Yet many who are eligible skip testing. When most people in this country think of colon cancer screening, they think of colonoscopies, which let doctors examine the colon but can be inconvenient. Yet there are other equally acceptable options for screening. If more people knew about...

Certain Arm Positions During Blood Pressure Checks May Lead to Inaccurate Results

“This research highlights the importance of utilizing correct technique and arm positioning in order to obtain accurate blood pressure measurements in a real-world clinical setting,” said Megan Kamath, MD, a cardiologist at UCLA Health in California who was not involved in the study.

Building resilience to tame anxiety

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I struggle with persistent anxiety, which often leaves me feeling drained mentally and physically. Minor setbacks or stressors can cause me to spiral into negative thinking. What techniques can help me manage my anxiety in a lasting way? ANSWER: Anxiety is a common and uncomfortable struggle for many people. The tendency to have anxiety comes from your genetics, your sense of security (or lack of it), the role modeling you received as a child, and,...

Judge rules Oregon pro-life group must pay for insurance that covers abortions

LIVE ACTION – An Oregon judge ruled September 30 that Oregon Right to Life (ORTL) must continue to provide its employees with health insurance that pays for abortions. Passed in 2017, Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act mandates that employers offer abortion coverage in their insurance plans. Though it does offer exemptions for religious employers, ORTL was excluded from this exemption because it serves people who are not religious, and therefore did not fit the extremely narrow...

Women missing work due to painful periods and endometriosis costing UK €13 billion a year

EURO NEWS – Women missing work due to painful periods, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian cysts costs the UK economy £11 billion (€13 billion) a year, according to a new report that calls for more investment in women’s health services. The report from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) Confederation, women’s health charity CREATE Health Foundation, and consultancy London Economics, found that roughly 60,000 women in the UK are unable to work due to the impact...

As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms

THE NEW YORK TIMES – In midcoast Maine, a pediatrician sees teenagers so dependent on cannabis that they consume it practically all day, every day — “a remarkably scary amount,” she said. From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis. And in the emergency departments of small community hospitals and large academic medical centers alike, physicians encounter...

Pakistani lab owner pleads guilty to faking COVID test results during pandemic

He now faces up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced on February 7, 2025.

Man chops-up own penis and stores severed parts in jar of snow after eating ‘magic’ mushrooms

A patient in Austria has become the first case of a man cutting off his own penis after a "magic" mushroom-induced psychotic break.

Minimally invasive options use energy to treat enlarged prostate

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm a 64-year-old man who was recently diagnosed with an enlarged prostate after experiencing issues with frequent urination, especially during the night. What are the treatment options and potential side effects? ANSWER: An enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a common condition as men get older. By age 60, about 30% of men show moderate to severe symptoms of BPH; by age 80, it is 50%. An enlarged prostate...

A third of former NFL players surveyed think they have CTE, study suggests

The brain disease can’t be diagnosed until after death, but new research suggests many former players are experiencing symptoms like cognitive difficulties and depression.

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