Tag Archives: Life and Wellness

From the National Stroke Association

Ohio researchers are recruiting women who are caring for male stroke survivors to participate in a 10-week online support program designed to facilitate physical and emotional recovery while reducing feelings of strain or burden. For the study, investigators are particularly seeking caregivers and stroke survivors who are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Participants without ... More

How Much Food Do You Need?

By: Wendy Braun

Ideally, the energy we consume as food is balanced with the energy we need to live. Our daily calorie requirement depends on age, gender, activity level, and body composition (lean versus fat tissue). One way to measure body fat is using height and weight to calculate one’s body mass index or BMI. But experts now ... More

Are You As Healthy As You Think?

By: Wendy Braun

Too often, seemingly healthy people suffer a devastating heart attack or stroke. Two new screening tests may help better identify those at risk of cardio vascular emergencies:  The PLAC Test measures blood levels of an enzyme called Lp-PLA2 that, when elevated, may trigger an inflammatory response inside an artery and set the stage for plaque ... More

IBS is a Common Problem With Few Answers

By: Wendy Braun

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists, is also one of the least understood. The American College of Gastroenterology recently took a look at what may — and what probably won’t — help manage the condition.  Getting the thumbs up: peppermint oil and certain prescription drugs (hyo scine, cimetropium, and pinaverium) provide short-term relief of ... More

Fountain of Youth

By: Wendy Braun

Does your list of New Year’s resolutions include looking and feeling better? Eating a diet low in fat and rich in antioxidants; exercising to build strength and endurance; and exploring hormone replacement are among the myriad suggestions to keep you healthy in body, mind, and spirit. What is your strategy for being youthful and enjoying ... More

Shopping for Healthcare

By: Wendy Braun

Today’s menu of healthcare choices offers boutique, concierge, and retainer primary-care physicians as well as traditional systems of health care management. The novel approaches promise individualized services to promote health and prevent disease. Spending less time in waiting rooms and more time with your healthcare provider is another potential plus. Advocates say the services are ... More

The Top Cancer Research Advancements of 2008

By: Wendy Braun

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently reported major scientific advances in the following areas: new therapy options for hard-to-treat lung and pancreatic cancers; FDA drug approvals for women with advanced breast cancer that does not express the HER2 gene (the majority of breast cancers) and people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (a cancer with ... More

Rising Costs Pose Health Dilemma

By: Wendy Braun

Nearly 40 million U.S. adults were unable to fill prescriptions in 2008 due to prohibitive costs, according to a Manhattan Research report. People living with fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, generalized anxiety disorder, chronic and acute pain, and depression were the most likely to refrain from purchasing drugs due to financial constraints. In the survey, more ... More

Geriatrician or General Practitioner?

By: Wendy Braun

Over the next 20 years the number of people over 65 is expected to double. Conversely, emerging data show that the number of practicing geriatricians is declining rapidly. Who do you visit when seeking medical attention or annual checkups? If you are older, would you prefer seeing a geriatrician or general practitioner? Please explain. For ... More

The Clinical Testing Process

By: Wendy Braun

Clinical trials for new drugs or procedures are conducted in specific steps or phases designed to answer specific questions: Phase I Is the treatment safe? Phase II Does it work? Phase III Is it better than what is already available? Phase IV What else do we need to know? For more information about clinical trials ... More

Multiple Sclerosis Update

By: Wendy Braun

The search for safer and more effective options to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is an active focus of research around the globe. To date, about half a dozen therapies are FDA approved—and only for certain forms of the complex disease. The following advances were reported in late 2008: •Major pharmaceutical company Novartis released promising results ... More

Stike Out Strokes

By: Wendy Braun

About 80 percent of all strokes are preventable. People with diabetes and those who have survived a stroke are especially vulnerable for a devastating “brain” attack. Kids have strokes, too. For more information about strokes, the Steps Against Recurrent Stroke campaign, and locations of emergency stroke centers, visit stroke.org. For more information about diabetes, visit ... More

Use the Web to Find the Right Nursing Home

By: Wendy Braun

A growing number of baby boomers are (or will be) facing one of the most difficult decisions anyone ever has to make: choosing a nursing home for a loved one or yourself. That decision is now easier, thanks to a novel Web site called Nursing Home Compare from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ... More

New Cancer Test Predicts Risk

By: Wendy Braun

Aureon Laboratories has introduced a first-of-its-kind test that uses biopsy tissue to predict the progression of prostate cancer and likelihood of its recurrence. The Prostate Px+ measures the clinical, anatomical, and molecular features present in men who are newly diagnosed with the disease, allowing for more informed and personalized treatment planning. For more information about ... More

Are You Fit? Find Out Now!

By: Post Editors

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recently launched a fitness test for those over the age of 18. The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recently launched a fitness test for those over the age of 18 at adultfitnesstest.org. Components include a run or walk to estimate your level of aerobic fitness; ... More

Eye Experts Have Different Training

By: Cory SerVaas, M.D.

Dear Dr. SerVaas, I had a driver’s permit before moving to Iowa. Here they have a questionnaire for an optometrist or ophthalmologist to fill out. Years ago, an optometrist told me that he had done all he could do for my vision. What does an ophthalmologist do? E. An ophthalmologist is a physician who treats ... More

Banana Bread Recipes

By: Alyssa Yano

My family loves bananas; we eat two bunches a week, so it’s rare we have overly ripe, darkly spotted bananas around for baking. Last week, we overbought just so we could make banana bread. I love the below recipe because the bread comes out very moist, yet dense, with just the right amount of banana flavor complemented with chocolate chips. But it never bakes right. The center is never cooked through in the given amount of time and adding time makes the edges too brown and dry. ... More