Hip bursitis vs. arthritis: How to tell the difference
Fitness for longevity: Which type matters most?
Ministrokes linked to elevated risk of dementia
Continuous glucose monitors benefit people who don't need insulin
CoQ10: Should you take this popular supplement if you're on a statin?
Microplastics: A hidden health threat?
Oat vs. dairy milk: Nutrition, benefits, and downsides
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Healing after food poisoning
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
Alzheimer's Disease Archive
Articles
Why do my legs swell at the end of the day?
On call
Q. I would occasionally get some swelling in my legs. But now I notice it by late afternoon every day. I otherwise feel fine. Should I be worried?
A. It sounds like you have edema, swelling in your legs due to fluid in the soft tissues beneath your skin. This usually occurs when pressure from the fluid inside your veins is high, which forces water out of the blood vessels and into the surrounding tissues.
COVID pandemic got you down?
The pandemic has made it especially hard for people with persistent depressive disorder.
Almost everyone goes through rough mental patches. You may feel down, sad, and lethargic. Most people bounce back with no problem, but if these feelings become more frequent and linger longer, you could have a mild, yet still serious form of depression called persistent depressive disorder (PDD), also known as dysthymia.
Older adults are especially vulnerable to PDD, and more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Dr. David Mischoulon, a psychiatrist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. "While the COVID pandemic affects everyone, older adults have experienced increased stressors like economic issues, prolonged isolation, and the threat of getting sick, all of which can trigger feelings of anxiety and depression beyond the norm."
Pregnant and worried about the new coronavirus?
Blood test could find Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear
In the journals
Researchers are close to finding early cancer with a blood test. They may soon do the same with Alzheimer's disease. A new blood test called p-tau217 has shown great promise in diagnosing people with the disease, according to findings published online July 28, 2020, by JAMA.
The test looks for a specific type of tau protein in the blood. In people with Alzheimer's, tau protein in the brain forms tangles. Accumulation of tau protein tangles along with beta-amyloid deposits is thought to play a key role in how the disease develops.
Happy holidays?
Here's how to cope when your usual traditions get uprooted.
The holiday season, like just about everything else this year, probably won't look the same as usual. Whether that means going to smaller gatherings without the usual relatives, quarantining when traveling, or staying home entirely, chances are something will be different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. For many who look forward to a full table at Thanksgiving or a big party on New Year's Eve, these changes are unwelcome, and frankly a little depressing.
In response, people may experience emotions ranging from guilt to loneliness to a feeling of disconnected sadness, says Dr. Hilary Connery, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
What could cause low blood pressure?
On call
Q. My blood pressure stays low. Sometimes it drops so low, it causes dizziness and weakness. What causes this?
A. Of the possible causes of low blood pressure, two are at the top of my list. First, I would review your medications. Drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure and heart disease are the ones that most often cause this side effect. Reducing the dose with your doctor's approval may be all you need.
Should I worry about a sudden swollen tongue?
On call
Q. What would cause my tongue to suddenly swell? Could this be a possible side effect of medication, or something else?
A. There are many reasons for a swollen tongue. Indeed, a reaction to a medication is one of the more common causes. For example, a well-known side effect of ACE inhibitors (a class of drugs used to control blood pressure) is a condition called angioneurotic edema. Swelling of the face, lips, and tongue can happen quickly in people who take an ACE inhibitor. The reaction may occur soon after it's first taken or at any time thereafter. Sometimes people get this reaction even though they have used the drug for several years. ACE inhibitors are more likely to cause angioneurotic edema in African Americans.
The new-old way to treat gout
New guidelines suggest doing more of the same. The problem is that many people don't.
You never forget your first gout attack. The severe pain, swelling, and redness hits hard and fast. The initial attack often strikes your big toe's large joint, but later ones might affect the foot or ankle. Other hot spots include the knees, hands, and wrists.
First-line treatment is quite effective and includes anti-inflammatory medications, ice therapy, and rest. A combination of diet and lifestyle changes and prescription drugs — an approach called urate-lowering therapy, or ULT — is typically recommended if attacks recur or become more severe.
How does inflammation increase the risk for heart attacks?
Ask the doctor
Q. My doctor says I'm at risk for a heart attack because a test shows inflammation. I know about high cholesterol and blood pressure, but how does inflammation increase the risk for heart attacks?
A. I can understand why you're puzzled. In medical school I learned that there is a simple road to a heart attack. First, cholesterol starts building up in the wall of a coronary artery carrying blood to the heart muscle. Over many years, the plaque of cholesterol slowly grows bigger. When it grows large enough that the heart can't get the blood it needs to work hard, the heart cries out in pain — chest pain, a condition called angina. Finally, when the plaque grows large enough, it blocks the flow of blood completely, causing a heart attack. It was a beautifully simple explanation.
Hip bursitis vs. arthritis: How to tell the difference
Fitness for longevity: Which type matters most?
Ministrokes linked to elevated risk of dementia
Continuous glucose monitors benefit people who don't need insulin
CoQ10: Should you take this popular supplement if you're on a statin?
Microplastics: A hidden health threat?
Oat vs. dairy milk: Nutrition, benefits, and downsides
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Healing after food poisoning
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
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