Drug prices can put sex beyond reach
Imagine not being able to afford one of life’s great pleasures — sex.That’s true for many older couples, doctors say. Soaring prices for prescription medicines for impotence and other problems have put the remedies out of reach for some.Without insurance coverage, Viagra and Cialis cost about $50 a pill, triple their 2010 list prices. The new “female Viagra,” a ... READ MORE
Taking a chance on romance
Hillary Finkel discovered “it was a whole new world out there” when she decided to try online dating four years after her husband passed away — swiping right or left, catphishing, photo editing apps that make people look 10 years younger. Finkel considers herself lucky that she didn’t encounter anyone who had created a fictional persona, the definition of catphishing, and... READ MORE
Eat more nuts for a healthy weight
For years, nuts — dense in calories and fat — were considered off limits for people looking to shed a few pounds. However, in the last two decades research has uncovered numerous health benefits of tree nuts — such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and cashews — for heart health and brain protection. Now those benefits even extend to achieving a healthy... READ MORE
New statin shrinks artery-clogging plaque
For the first time, a new drug given along with a cholesterol-lowering statin medicine has proved able to shrink plaque that is clogging arteries, potentially giving a way to undo some of the damage of heart disease.The difference was very small, but doctors hope it will grow with longer treatment. And any reversal or stabilization of disease would be a win for patients and a long-sought... READ MORE
Ways to improve your cholesterol levels
If one-third of Americans have unhealthy cholesterol levels, why did the U.S. recently change its advice to limit the cholesterol we eat daily?Well, for most of us, dietary cholesterol has almost no effect on the cholesterol that ends up in our arteries. But keeping your blood cholesterol numbers down is still key to preventing heart disease.Two types of cholesterol are found in the blood,... READ MORE
Exercise when angry ups heart attack risk
If you’re angry or upset, you might want to simmer down before heading out for an intense run or gym workout. A large, international study ties heavy exertion while stressed or mad to a tripled risk of having a heart attack within an hour.Regular exercise is a healthy antidote to stress and can help prevent heart disease. In fact, the biggest problem is that too many people get too... READ MORE
A resource for the community
Ms. D., a 77-year-old woman who lives alone in an old, one-story house in Columbia, was without heat as winter was approaching. She called her contracted home services company to repair her furnace. The company refused, saying they discovered two dead cats in the crawl space beneath her home where the work had to be done. A company spokesman said they could not deal with the health and... READ MORE
Questions to ask about painful, stiff joints
Over the years, a lot of people have come to see me about an aching knee, back, shoulder or other joint.The first thing I do with every patient is try to determine whether their arthritis is degenerative (less serious) or inflammatory (more serious). I start by asking three questions.1. Does your pain get better or worse as the day goes on?If your pain gets worse throughout the day, that... READ MORE
Studying if supplements help heart health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for about one-third of all deaths. Nearly 20 percent of men ages 60 to 79 have cardiovascular disease, while almost 10 percent of women do. Those numbers jump to 32 percent of men and nearly 19 percent of women at age 80 and older.Doctors think that natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables, called... READ MORE
How sex and gender affect your health
While men and women are similar in many ways, researchers have found that sex and social factors can make a difference when it comes to your risk for disease, how well you respond to medications, and how often you seek medical care. That’s why scientists are taking a closer look at the links between sex, gender and health. Many people use the words sex and gender interchangeably, but... READ MORE
