A noninvasive test called a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan, which measures specks of calcium in the heart’s arteries, can help predict a person’s risk of heart disease. New research suggests that a CAC score (which ranges from 0 to 1,000 or more) also can accurately predict a person’s risk of dying over the following […]
Transient ischemic attacks: Varied symptoms, all important
Often called a ministroke, a transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary change in nerve function caused by a disruption in blood flow to an area of the brain or spinal cord. Much as with an actual stroke, this may affect speech, vision, or movement for a few moments to a few hours, though always […]
Traffic noise may raise stroke risk
A constant drone of low-level traffic noise may slightly raise your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to British researchers. The study included data from the nearly 450,000 people admitted to London hospitals with cardiovascular disease over an eight-year period. Researchers estimated how much traffic noise these people were exposed to, day and night. Compared with […]
How is treatment for myasthenia gravis evolving?
Myasthenia gravis (MG) — a medical term that translates as “serious muscle weakness” — is a rare neuromuscular disease. An estimated 30,000 to 60,000 people in the United States have this disorder, which affects people of all ages, sexes, and ethnicities. Recently updated consensus guidelines have added to our knowledge of different forms of myasthenia […]
What is COVID-19 brain fog — and how can you clear it?
As a cognitive behavioral neurologist, I’ve been hearing from many individuals who are complaining of “brain fog” after infection with COVID-19. So I thought it was worth discussing exactly what COVID-19 brain fog is, and some things to do that might help clear it. What is brain fog? Let’s start by trying to understand brain […]
Do you really have a penicillin allergy?
Chances are, you or someone you know is one of the 10% of Americans with a documented penicillin allergy. But just because you were told you had a penicillin allergy, or had one in the past, does not mean you have one now. People with a penicillin allergy history have their allergy disproved with allergy […]
How can I know if my penicillin allergy is real?
People with a penicillin allergy on their medical record are not given penicillins (or often their relatives the cephalosporins) when they have infections. Instead, the antibiotics prescribed may be broader-spectrum, less effective, and/or more toxic. Penicillin alternatives may be less effective or more toxic One recent national study from more than 100 US hospitals with […]
The hidden long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19
The COVID pandemic has now claimed as many American lives as World War I, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War combined . Most of these deaths are due to the well-known pulmonary complications of the coronavirus. It has become increasingly recognized, however, that the virus also attacks the nervous system . Doctors in a […]
Taming traveler’s tummy
Travel is meant to transport you far from the same-old, same-old. But when you’re not eating the same foods and sleeping on the same schedule (or even in the same time zone), the ripple effects on digestion can be fierce. With more nerve cells than many parts of the central nervous system, including the spinal […]
The humble gallbladder
In the hierarchy of digestive organs, you might first list the stomach, liver, or colon. But there’s a pear-shaped sac tucked under your liver that barely gets a second thought: the lowly gallbladder. This small but mighty organ plays an important role in helping us digest food, but we often don’t acknowledge it unless something […]