If you are a man over age 50, you probably know someone living with the effects of an enlarged prostate gland. Maybe you are that man. For reasons that remain unclear, the walnut-shaped gland under the bladder continues to grow gradually in most adult men. Over a lifetime, the cumulative growth can be considerable. If […]
Treating the primary tumor can improve survival in men whose prostate cancer has spread
By: Charles Schmidt New research has shaken up a time-honored strategy for treating advanced prostate cancer that’s begun to metastasize, or spread. Doctors ordinarily treat these cases with systemic therapies designed to kill off metastatic tumors appearing throughout the body. But they don’t use local therapy to treat the primary tumor in the prostate. That’s […]
Salty diet linked to narrowed arteries in the heart and neck
The more salt people eat, the greater their risk of clogged heart and neck arteries, a new study suggests. Arteries narrowed by plaque (atherosclerosis) can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The study, published in March 2023 in the European Heart Journal Open , included 10,788 people ages 50 to 64. Researchers estimated each participant’s […]
Bladder problems that warrant a doctor’s visit
Some symptoms are merely a nuisance, while others may prove serious. Here’s what to watch. Maybe you leak urine every time you cough or sneeze or lift a bag of groceries. Maybe you plan your errands around trips to the toilet. Maybe you tuck extra pads into your purse when you go out. Or maybe […]
Protect your skin from serious burns
It takes only a moment to suffer a burn at home. It can be as simple as brushing against a sizzling skillet on the stove or getting into a bath that’s too hot — a particular risk for people with decreased sensation in their feet. Understanding common causes of burns can help you prevent them. […]
Will new guidelines for heart failure affect you?
Your heart is a muscular organ with four chambers. The right atrium and right ventricle collect oxygen-poor blood from the body and pump it to the lungs. The left atrium and left ventricle collect oxygenated blood from the lungs and pump it out to the body through an artery called the aorta. In a normally […]
Breakthrough in brain stimulation offers cautious hope for depression
The basic tools we have for treating depression haven’t changed greatly in recent years. Medications and talk therapies are a mainstay. Lifestyle approaches, such as encouraging physical activity, sufficient sleep, and social connection, are often part of the package. If depression fails to lift, the next line of treatment for some may be a noninvasive […]
Can self-employment promote better cardiovascular health for women?
Working for yourself can offer several key perks, including greater flexibility and autonomy that might be lacking in a more traditional work structure. But could self-employment also boost cardiovascular health? New long-term research suggests it could — among women, at least. Those who were self-employed were less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and […]
Silent suffering
After your cancer diagnosis, you put your chin down and plowed through the task at hand — beating it. But you didn’t necessarily expect to be smacked with another huge challenge soon after: survivor’s guilt. This psychological phenomenon, which includes strong, persistent feelings of sadness and remorse, is an unwelcome intrusion at the end of […]
Is sugar unhealthy?
It depends on the amount and the food source. Sugar has a complex relationship with health. On one hand, many healthy whole foods contain natural sugar. But the greater concern is the abundance of refined sugar often added to processed foods. “Sugar is a carbohydrate that provides the body with energy, so it has an […]