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MRI Not Recommended For Patient With Shrapnel Lodged In Skull
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a 3 mm piece of shrapnel lodged in my skull bone. This is a result of military action back in 1967. A recent X-ray continues to show the shrapnel after all these years. I would say that the piece is half in and half out of the skull bone.
At age 77, I am unable to have an MRI. I currently have Type 2 diabetes and a ...Read more
Metabolic syndrome can increase your risk of cancer
You've probably heard the old song, "Leg bone's connected to the knee bone, knee bone's connected to the thigh bone." Well, some connections in the body aren't so obvious.
According to a study of more than 44,000 patients, your risk of developing cancer over the next 10 years jumps by 30% if you have metabolic syndrome. It's diagnosed if you ...Read more
Illinois House OKs measure to give mental health workers called to emergencies the same benefits as other first responders
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Lawmakers are moving ahead with a measure that would make mental health professionals who get sent on emergency calls alongside law enforcement eligible for the same benefits as other first responders if they’re also hurt in the line of duty.
Mental health advocates for years have pushed for a more holistic approach to ...Read more
Sugar cravings could be caused by loneliness, study finds
If you’ve spent a lonely night at home eating chocolates and/or ice cream, you shouldn’t feel guilty. That’s because loneliness can cause an intense desire for sugary foods, a new study found.
Published in JAMA Network Open, researchers linked brain chemistry from those who socially isolate to poor mental health, weight gain, cognitive ...Read more
FDA announces recall of heart pumps linked to deaths and injuries
A pair of heart devices linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 14 deaths has received the FDA’s most serious recall, the agency announced Monday.
The recall comes years after surgeons say they first noticed problems with the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3, manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. The devices are...Read more
Worried about housing shortages and soaring prices? Your community’s zoning laws could be part of the problem
Local governments often try to combat housing costs and create affordable housing by passing legislation that changes current zoning and land-use regulations. But the changes are not without controversy. SciLine interviewed Jessica Trounstine, the centennial chair and professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, who discussed why ...Read more
5 foods you’re probably cleaning wrong
An essential part of the cooking process is prepping your ingredients. Most of us probably don’t think too much about how we wash fruits, veggies and other foods, but as with most things, there’s a right way and there’s a wrong way. Sometimes, incorrect cleaning means a little grit in your salad, but in other instances it can be the ...Read more
A tough question: When should an older driver stop driving?
When my grandmother repeatedly clipped the mailbox backing out of her driveway, she always had a ready explanation: “the sun was in my eyes” or “your grandfather distracted me.” Our family knew we needed to take action. But no one wanted to be the one to ask her to stop driving. She was fiercely independent, didn’t agree that her ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Women and thyroid disease
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently read that thyroid issues affect women more often than men. Can you explain what the thyroid is and how it affects my body? Can I do anything to prevent having issues with my thyroid as I age?
ANSWER: The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland at the neck’s base. The thyroid has a significant effect on the body ...Read more
Self-Exam
I Yam What I Yam
Call it a spud spat or tater tiff, but in the back offices of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, there is talk of removing the potato's designation as a vegetable and recategorizing it as a grain.
Naturally, there is opposition, principally from Big Potato, which views the vegetable designation to be good for ...Read more
As bans spread, fluoride in drinking water divides communities across the US
MONROE, N.C. — Regina Barrett, a 69-year-old retiree who lives in this small North Carolina city southeast of Charlotte, has not been happy with her tap water for a while.
“Our water has been cloudy and bubbly and looks milky,” said Barrett, who blames fluoride, a mineral that communities across the nation have for decades added to the ...Read more
Organ donation: Don't let these myths confuse you
Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant. Unfortunately, many may never get the call saying that a suitable donor organ — and a second chance at life — has been found. It's estimated that more than 15 people die every day in the U.S. because of the lack of donor organs.
It can be hard to think about what's going ...Read more
Lawsuit alleges Obamacare plan-switching scheme targeted low-income consumers
A wide-ranging lawsuit filed Friday outlines a moneymaking scheme by which large insurance sales agency call centers enrolled people into Affordable Care Act plans or switched their coverage, all without their permission.
According to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, two such call centers paid tens...Read more
Arkansas led the nation in measuring obesity in kids. Did it help?
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sixth-grade boys were lining up to be measured in the Mann Arts and Science Magnet Middle School library. As they took off their shoes and emptied their pockets, they joked about being the tallest.
“It’s an advantage,” said one. “You can play basketball,” said another. “A taller dude can get more girls!” a ...Read more
Commentary: The decline in American life expectancy harms more than our health
American life expectancy started dropping even before the pandemic. It’s a critical barometer of our nation’s health and a sign that all is not well in the U.S.
Much of the increase in preventable, premature death is attributable to drug overdose, which increased five-fold over the last couple decades. But this malaise is far broader, ...Read more
Tech neck is a pain in more than just the neck
The typical average adult head weighs approximately 10-12 pounds. But did you know that bending it forward at a 45-degree angle to look at a cellphone or tablet can dramatically increase your chances to have "tech neck?"
"That's like having an 8-pound bowling ball as your head. Then you have 72 pounds at your elbow and 96 pounds on your ...Read more
Inguinal Hernia Grows In Size, Prompting A Surgical Repair
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm an 83-year-old healthy woman. In 2019, I became aware of a little bulge in my groin and suspected an inguinal hernia. It was confirmed by my family doctor. Given its small size and the fact that it gets reduced easily, we decided to wait and watch it.
An ultrasound revealed that the only contents of the hernia were ...Read more
Fuel your passion to live longer and happier
When Cynthia Nixon played American poet Emily Dickinson in the 2016 movie "A Quiet Passion," she portrayed the boundless emotional intensity that Dickinson poured into her art. Your passions can be just as artful, because they protect your ability to stay healthy and happy in your body and brain.
A recent review of multiple studies, done by ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: Yogurt and yogurt drinks
Yogurt is so much more than it once was. These days there’s fat-free, low-fat, and whole milk varieties as well as yogurt alternatives made from soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk and coconut milk. Choose drinkable yogurts when you are on the go.
Most choices are loaded with nutritional benefits — think protein and calcium — and there are...Read more
False offers of cash subsidies used to 'capture' health insurance customers, lawsuit alleges
A health insurance operation based in Broward County, Florida, used internet ads that falsely promised cash subsidies to sign up clients across the country and replace their agents, a lawsuit contends.
The scheme was carried out by Enhance Health LLC, TrueCoverage LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Number One Prospecting LLC and two individuals ...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- A tough question: When should an older driver stop driving?
- 5 foods you’re probably cleaning wrong
- Commentary: The decline in American life expectancy harms more than our health
- False offers of cash subsidies used to 'capture' health insurance customers, lawsuit alleges
- Arkansas led the nation in measuring obesity in kids. Did it help?