Healthy Living

  Most adults should have their blood-cholesterol levels checked annually to see if they are in the healthy range. These include “good” HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein), known as a “lipid profile.” According to the American Heart Association, a lipid is a fatty substance that does not dissolve in the blood, and cholesterol, cholesterol compounds, and triglycerides More…

  When constant health monitoring is required, most patients indicate a preference for more comfortable at-home health care monitoring over more costly and less convenient hospital care. Home-monitoring device manufacturers are able to meet this need by enabling patients to provide accurate and timely data to health care professionals. The first step involves providing home More…

For years, health experts have been warning that unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria that are increasingly hard to kill. Now, in its first global survey of the resistance problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that antibiotic-resistant bacteria have spread to every part of the world and might More…

Because cholesterol-lowering “statin” drugs are known to moderately raise blood sugar levels, those faced with an increased risk of both heart disease and diabetes may wonder if taking the drugs may still be beneficial. While statin drugs reduce the change of heart problems and stroke, they also might tip pre-diabetic individuals over the diabetes threshold. More…

Even healthy individuals can contact influenza, a potentially dangerous respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that can lead to hospitalization and even death. Those at particular risk are infants and seniors aged 65 years and older, among those whom about 90 percent of flu-related deaths occur during the flu season (which begins as early as More…

  Falling asleep at night and staying asleep is a problem for many people, particularly women. Not only is insomnia more common among women, there are also gender-specific differences in the way that prescription medications treat the condition. For instance, a recent study involving 13 men and 11 women of similar age and body mass More…

Are you experiencing a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, fatigue or coughing? You might think it’s the common cold,  but with spring in full bloom you may be suffering from seasonal allergies. At this time of year many people confuse seasonal allergies with the common cold. The common cold typically last 10-14 days, More…

How is Zika Transmitted? Zika Virus is primarily spread to people through the bites of an infected mosquito (Aedes species), which are the same mosquitos that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. Zika virus may spread from infected mother to child either at time of birth or to the fetus during pregnancy. There are currently no More…

A panel convened by the National Institutes of Health recently said that people over the age of 60 with high blood pressure could settle for a goal of 150/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). While this is more than the previous, more stringent standard of 140/90, it still provides health benefits, but there is still More…

If you suffer from early-stage memory loss, known as “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI), it does not necessarily mean that you will develop dementia. However, it may be helpful to undergo a neurological exam that determines how well your brain and nervous system are functioning. If these tests determine that you are suffering from conditions that More…

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks, which spreads the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The condition is largely diagnosed on the basis of symptoms (including fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called “erythema migrans”) and the likelihood of exposure to infected ticks.  Once diagnosed, it is important to More…

Not only are allergy seasons starting earlier, but also allergy sufferers’ symptoms are getting worse. Both problems are due to rising pollen counts resulting from shorter, less severe winters. As a result of these climatological changes, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology projects that pollen counts will double by 2040. As these pollens More…

“Heart failure” refers to the heart’s inability to pump enough blood throughout the body and the body attempts to compensate by increasing the heart rate and narrowing blood vessels to elevate blood pressure. Eventually, the heart becomes less efficient, blood pools in vessels around the lungs, and pressure builds to the point where fluid leaks More…

If you have diabetes, you should know that your pharmacist is one of the best sources of help in managing your blood sugar levels. According to a recent two-year study, diabetic patients who were counseled by pharmacists fared better at managing their blood sugar levels than patients who relied solely on standard treatment. This study More…

Nearly 60 million Americans take herbal supplements for health reasons. While many herbal products have a long history of treating a wide range of conditions, there are relatively few well-designed, controlled trials that back up their claims with scientific proof. Moreover, herbal supplements intended to maintain health but not treat disease are not considered to More…