Supplement with Vitamin D, not calcium
Like many women, you may have memorized the minimum daily calcium requirement — 1,000 milligrams a day for women ages 50 and younger and 1,200 mg. for women over 50 — and followed it faithfully in an effort to preserve your bones.You’ll probably be surprised to learn that many health authorities don’t agree with that recommendation. Dr. Walter Willett, chair of the... READ MORE
Type 2 diabetes pill significantly cuts risks
The Type 2 diabetes pill Jardiance, launched last August, sharply reduces chances of dying in diabetic patients at high risk of heart complications, a study shows, making the medication the first shown to lengthen diabetics’ lives.The study found Jardiance reduced deaths from heart complications by 38 percent, deaths from any cause by 32 percent, and hospitalizations due to chronic... READ MORE
Changes in Medicare drug, health plans
If you’re not paying attention, your Medicare prescription premium could increase by more than $50 a month in 2016. Each year, insurance companies can — and do — change their premiums, copays, deductibles and lists of covered drugs.It’s always a good idea to re-shop for your Medicare prescription drug and/or health plans (such as HMOs) during open enrollment, which... READ MORE
New cancers form in 1 of 5 cancer patients
Second cancers are on the rise. Nearly 20 percent of new cases in the U.S. now involve someone who has had the disease before. When doctors talk about second cancers, they mean a different tissue type or a different site — not a recurrence or spread of the original tumor. Judith Bernstein of suburban Philadelphia is an extreme example. She has had eight types of cancer over the last ... READ MORE
Lots of options for flu vaccines this year
Give flu vaccine another chance: This year’s version got a recipe change that should make it more effective after last winter’s misery from a nasty surprise strain of virus.“It doesn’t matter which flu vaccine you get. Just get one,’’ Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said before rolling up his own sleeve for a... READ MORE
Genetic predisposition to obesity found
Scientists have finally figured out how the key gene tied to obesity makes people fat — a major discovery that could open the door to an entirely new approach to the problem, beyond diet and exercise. The research was led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.The work solves a big mystery: Since 2007, researchers have known... READ MORE
Counseling for weight-loss surgery can help
Dear Mayo Clinic: I decided to have bariatric surgery, but was told that I first need to go through counseling. What will those sessions involve, and would counseling really improve my chances of the surgery being successful?Answer: Before you have weight-loss surgery, it’s important to understand what to expect and to prepare yourself, physically and mentally, for what’s ahead. ... READ MORE
Chronic fatigue isn’t only in your head
Researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health have identified distinct immune changes in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome — known medically as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) or systemic exertion intolerance disease.The findings could help improve diagnosis and identify treatment options for the... READ MORE
Specialists offer tailored cardiac care
When you or a loved one is in need of heart care, the prospect may feel overwhelming. You know you need to see a heart specialist, but which one?Having heart disease can lead you in a number of directions. Many people go to a cardiologist because they want a specialist, but even in the world of cardiology there are “super-specialists” — doctors highly specialized in a... READ MORE
Better sleep may lower Alzheimer’s risk
To sleep, perchance to ... ward off Alzheimer’s? New research suggests poor sleep may increase people’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease by spurring a brain-clogging gunk that, in turn, further interrupts shut-eye. Disrupted sleep may be one of the missing pieces in explaining how a hallmark of Alzheimer’s — a sticky protein called beta-amyloid — starts its damage long before... READ MORE
