Category: Health & Fitness
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Is it time to give up your annual mammogram?
If you dread your annual mammogram, you’re not alone. For many women, this breast cancer screening examination can be painful, stressful, and just an overall hassle. You may wonder, are you old enough to give it up? If you’re over age 75, the answer is: maybe or maybe not. The fact is, breast cancer screening…
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More sexual partners, more cancer?
Two headlines caught my eye recently: The relationship between chronic diseases and number of sexual partners: an exploratory analysis and Study warns more sex might mean higher likelihood for cancer It may be hard to believe, but both of these refer to same medical research. I’m not sure which one I like better. The first…
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Strategies to support teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as “the war of our generation.” Millions of families are bravely waging war on COVID-19 by rising to the many challenges of social distancing, including upended school and work routines, financial insecurity, and inability to see loved ones, all compounded by the uncertainty of how long this will last.…
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COVID-19 and the LGBTQ+ community: Rising to unique challenges
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, new challenges arise each day for people across the world. Some of these challenges particularly affect the LGBTQ+ community. This unique time calls for LGBTQ+-specific resources and new ways to connect and cope. Minority stress in the LGBTQ+ community Unrelated to COVID-19, this community faces minority stress based on anti-LGBTQ+…
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Weight loss can help head off lasting damage caused by fatty liver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver disease in the United States, and is estimated to affect up to a quarter of adults in the world. It is defined by excess fat accumulating in the liver and usually occurs in people with obesity, high blood sugars (diabetes), abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride…
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7 tips for going outside safely with your children during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, getting outside can be a great idea for both the physical and mental health of you and your family. But as with everything else these days, going outside needs to be done safely. Here are my top seven tips for what you need to think about as you put on your…
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Looking past the pandemic: Could building on our willingness to change translate to healthier lives?
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that people have the capacity to change entrenched behaviors when the stakes are high enough. Who among us declared that 2020 would be the year for us to perfect the practice of physical distancing? Although we were clueless about pandemic practices a mere three months ago,…
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Should I Eat Less Salt? Home-cooked meals with less salt
With more people staying at home these days, there’s more opportunity to prepare homemade meals. Although home-cooked meals tend to be much lower in salt than what you’d get from a restaurant, you still need to be careful, says Liz Moore, a dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Why worry about salt?…
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Is angioplasty plus stenting or coronary artery bypass surgery better for treating left main coronary artery disease?
One of the most dangerous places to have a coronary blockage is in the left main coronary artery. Why is a blockage there so precarious? To answer that, let’s start with some basic cardiac anatomy. The two major coronary arteries — the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart — are the left and…
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Weight-loss surgery may lower risk of heart disease in people with diabetes
Obesity is a serious, chronic, treatable, and global disease epidemic. Over 98 million people currently have the disease of obesity, and in a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, Harvard researchers predicted that by 2030, 50% of the population in the United States will have the disease of obesity. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is…
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As the pandemic drags on, when can we get back to work?
Along with widespread illness and death, the COVID-19 pandemic is also causing massive economic disruption. Stay-at-home measures and business shutdowns have prevented millions of people from working. In just four weeks, between mid-March and mid-April, 22 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits. These numbers are bound to spiral higher. Given all the hardships — and…
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Running and Health: Think running is not for you? Try this
The first time I tried running, I hated it. It was only two miles, but I was positive I would never, ever run again. Sure, I understood the many benefits of running like improved heart health, weight management, and better moods. Yet, like many people who initially swear off running, I believed you had to…
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No spleen? What you need to know to stay healthy
Due to injury or necessary surgery (splenectomy), some people are lacking a spleen, the organ that filters the bloodstream and helps the body fight infection. You do not need your spleen to live a normal, healthy life. However, since the spleen performs some important tasks, people who do not have one are urged to take…
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Chemotherapy and hearing loss: Monitoring is essential
Treatment for cancer is a difficult time for patients and their families. While there are significant benefits of chemotherapy in treating and managing many types of cancers, some of the negative side effects may not always be so obvious. One of the potential negative effects of chemotherapy that you may not be aware of…
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How can you support your teenager with autism spectrum disorder if they are depressed?
As every parent knows, teenage life is full of challenges, from stress over academics to social relationships and physical changes due to puberty. This stage of life can be particularly challenging for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A recent study found that teenagers and young adults with ASD are nearly three times more likely…
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A tale of two epidemics: When COVID-19 and opioid addiction collide
I am a primary care doctor who has recovered from — and who treats — opiate addiction. I work in an inner-city primary care clinic in Chelsea, Massachusetts, which currently has the highest rate of COVID-19 in the state, due, in part, to poverty. These two experiences offer me a clear view of how these…
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Will a good night ‘s sleep help my heart?
It is estimated that over 50 million Americans reportedly have difficulty having a good night sleep. With our busy American lifestyle, where we are overcommitted in both our work schedules and personal lives, it may seem that sleep is indeed a luxury. But a good night’s sleep is increasingly recognized as an important factor in…
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U=U: Ending stigma and empowering people living with HIV
Today, about 1.1 million people in the US are living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Every year, almost 40,000 people are diagnosed with HIV. A diagnosis of HIV was once presumed to be fatal, and many lived in fear of transmitting the virus to others. This contributed to decades of stigma for those living with…
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Get your affairs in order, COVID-19 won’t wait
The scourge of COVID-19 is spreading. Thousands of Americans are dying. What can you do to help? Yes, practice social distancing, wash your hands, and donate masks to local hospitals. Also, talk to your loved ones about advance care planning. What is advance care planning? Advance care planning means contemplating and deciding the type of medical…
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Knee arthroscopy – Pain: Should this common knee surgery be performed less often?
Imagine you’re walking along and suddenly experience excruciating knee pain. Though it initially seems stuck in one position, after a minute or two you can limp along with home, but just barely. At your doctor’s visit, an x-ray is normal but symptoms continue for weeks. An MRI is performed and now you have an explanation:…