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Is there a chemical link to memory loss? Penn researchers get $11 million to study dementia causes.
PHILADELPHIA — The National Institutes of Health have awarded an epidemiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania $11 million to study the link between chemical exposures and dementia.
The project will test blood and urine samples from thousands of people, looking for traces of environmental chemicals such as pesticides and metals, ...Read more
Commentary: On health matters, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is prone to exaggeration and outright fabrications
Regarding Robert F. Kennedy Jr., there is little middle ground — people either love him or hate him. Which is why, after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to head the Department of Health and Human Services, the haters came out. Legal health care expert Lawrence Gostin said of the nomination, “I can’t think of a darker day for ...Read more
Washington power has shifted. Here's how the ACA may shift, too
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could embolden Republicans who want to weaken or repeal the Affordable Care Act, but implementing such sweeping changes would still require overcoming procedural and political hurdles.
Trump, long an ACA opponent, expressed interest during the campaign in retooling the health law. In ...Read more
Alternative ways to prevent and treat UTIs
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect 50% of women at least once in their life and occur annually among 12%. Three percent of men contend with an annual UTI. The fatigue, pain when urinating, and embarrassment that UTIs can cause aren't minor. Wouldn't it be great to prevent them or treat them effectively without having to go on antibiotics? ...Read more
Confirming The Diagnosis Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
DEAR DR. ROACH: I was recently diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica after weeks of intense muscle pain. I'm a 67-year-old female in otherwise good health. My doctor prescribed prednisone, which immediately eliminated the pain and allowed me to resume my everyday life activities pain-free. I have an appointment with a rheumatologist at the end...Read more
Opioid-free surgery treats pain at every physical and emotional level
The opioid crisis remains a significant public health challenge in the United States. In 2022, over 2.5 million American adults had an opioid use disorder, and opioids accounted for nearly 76% of overdose deaths.
Some patients are fearful of using opioids after surgery due to concerns about dependence and potential side effects, even ...Read more
Missouri ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors to continue after judge's ruling
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Missouri judge on Monday upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, allowing the state to continue prohibiting treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers for people under 18.
Circuit Court Judge Robert Craig Carter from southern Douglas County wrote in a 74-page order on Monday that the ban...Read more
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths here in Florida. Here's why
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sherrie Smyth had a feeling something was wrong. For several months, she suffered shortness of breath.
After her cardiologist found nothing unusual, she tried an allergist. “I was 57, and the allergist told me I had adult-onset asthma,” said Smyth, a Miami mother of a teenager.
Although she accepted an inhaler, ...Read more
Column: It's time to overthrow the tyranny of the calorie
No matter what dishes are on the table this coming season of feasts — which starts off for Americans with Thanksgiving on Thursday — one word will float through everyone’s mind: calories. How many? How sinful? How empty? How delicious? How boring? How much in carbohydrates? In protein? In fat? How soon to the gym?
The word is extremely ...Read more
Ask a Pediatrician: Are you over-helping your college-bound teen?
As a parent, it's difficult to watch your child struggle. At any age, you hurt for them. You want to help―but there comes a point when helping can be harmful.
Removing obstacles from their path may make life easier in the short term, but as they approach college and young adulthood, it could set them up for bigger problems.
So, how can you ...Read more
A stroke changed a teacher's life. How a new electrical device is helping her move
MIAMI -- As her students finished their online exam, Arlet Lara got up to make a cafe con leche.
Her 16-year-old son found her on the kitchen floor. First, he called Dad in a panic. Then 911.
“I had a stroke and my life made a 180-degree turn,” Lara told the Miami Herald, recalling the medical scare she experienced in May 2020 in the early...Read more
A gut feeling about your cardiovascular risks
Around 15% of folks have chronic constipation and only pass small amounts of hard, dry stool two to three times a week. That leads to about 2.5 million doctor visits a year to find out what to do about their strain, pain and no-luck-again struggles.
The backup can be caused by lack of a fiber, dehydration, stress, sedentary lifestyle, and ...Read more
Why The Government Shouldn't Put Limitations On Sodium Intake
DEAR DR. ROACH: I read in a health journal that large amounts of sodium are unhealthy for one's diet. The government standard is no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. If one's health is not so good, some doctors say that their sodium intake shouldn't be more than 1,500 mg per day. Everything you eat or drink counts.
If consuming sodium is ...Read more
FTC, Indiana residents pressure state to block hospital merger
Indiana residents and federal officials are urging state health regulators to stop two rival hospitals in Terre Haute from merging. The deal, if approved, would leave residents with a hospital monopoly.
Union Health, a nonprofit whose main hospital is licensed as a 341-bed facility, would buy the county’s only other acute care hospital, the ...Read more
Florida Gov. DeSantis' Canadian drug import plan goes nowhere after FDA approval
Nearly a year after the Biden administration gave Florida the green light to become the first state to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada — a longtime goal of politicians across the political spectrum, including President-elect Donald Trump — the program has yet to begin.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hailed the FDA’s approval ...Read more
California sets 15% target for primary care spending over next decade
A California agency charged with slowing health costs has set a lofty goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of the state’s effort to expand the primary care workforce and give more people access to preventive care services.
The board of the state Office of Health Care Affordability in October set its ...Read more
TV's Dr. Oz invested in businesses regulated by agency Trump wants him to lead
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the sprawling government agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace — celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz — recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies that would pose significant conflicts of interest.
Oz’s holdings, some shared ...Read more
Cluster of farmworkers diagnosed with rare animal-borne disease in California's Ventura County
LOS ANGELES — A cluster of workers at Ventura County berry farms have been diagnosed with a rare disease often transmitted through sick animals’ urine, according to a public health advisory distributed to local doctors by county health officials Tuesday.
The bacterial infection, leptospirosis, has resulted in severe symptoms for some ...Read more
On Nutrition: Thankful!
In spite of the incredible sights seen and new friends made on a recent trip out of the country, I was extremely thankful to 1) survive an 11-hour flight in the economy section of a very large plane, and 2) see a sign as we passed through customs at the Denver Airport that said: “Welcome to the United States!”
Our 10 days oversees opened ...Read more
A Miscommunication Ensues Over Medicare And Blood Tests
DEAR DR. ROACH: My parents are in their 80s and have health issues that require careful monitoring, including diabetes and lymphoma. Their primary care doctor insists that Medicare only covers their blood tests every six months and that they would have to pay for any additional blood tests themselves. In the meantime, their medical specialists...Read more
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