Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome
Researchers hooked Zach Ault to medical monitors as he slowly climbed onto a gym bike in Bethesda, Maryland. An invisible disease is sidelining this once avid athlete. He knew the simple exercise would wipe him out — but Ault was pedaling for science. Chronic fatigue syndrome is one of medicine’s most vexing mysteries. Now doctors at the National Institutes of Health are using... READ MORE
Chocolate spice cookies offer subtle kick
If you’ve been a reader of my column, you know you can expect one thing from me as surely as the fact that I love to help people cook and eat the best food possible: When winter rolls around, at some point I’m going to turn my attention to cookies. My love of baking goes back to my earliest childhood memories. Every year, the kitchen of our little home in the southern Austrian town... READ MORE
How do nutritionists and dieticians differ?
Are you thinking about hiring a nutrition expert to assist with your health goals? Registered dietitian or a nutritionist? What’s the difference? Registered Dietitians (R.D.) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (R.D.N.) earn a bachelor’s degree with course work approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Many also have a master’s degree or doctorate degree. They... READ MORE
The value in steroid injections, placebos
Q: I was going to ask my doctor for a steroid injection in my knee that has osteoarthritis, but I heard the steroid shots can do more harm than good. Is that true? A: Osteoarthritis is a common and potentially debilitating condition. It’s a degenerative joint disease (often called the “wear-and-tear” type) in which the smooth lining of cartilage becomes thinned and uneven, exposing ... READ MORE
Changing the ways we think about aging
What does it mean to age “successfully”? Does it mean remaining physically fit and bustling about the gym into our 90s? Being able to volunteer to help others around you? Does it mean you’re retired and surrounded by grandkids? Or simply that you’re happy to still be alive? These are the kinds of questions that concern Tracey Bobrowitz Gendron, associate professor and chair of ... READ MORE
Alcohol poisoning can sneak up on you
Alcohol poisoning can occur when a person drinks large quantities of alcohol — including beer, wine or liquor — in a relatively short time. As the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream increases, the liver can’t break down the alcohol and remove its toxins from the blood quickly enough. The excess alcohol acts as a depressant and causes parts of the brain that control vital body... READ MORE
Prediabetic? Time for lifestyle changes
Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it possible to reverse prediabetes by taking medication? A: Prediabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. It is a warning sign that if you don’t make changes, the condition may eventually progress to diabetes. But those changes typically don’t include taking medication. Instead, lifestyle... READ MORE
Boost your health by walking, fidgeting
Spending too much time on your tush can lead to numerous health woes. But here’s an easy fix: After an hour of sitting, walk around for two minutes. It could reduce your risk of early death by a third, according to a report in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Here are three more benefits of walking: 1. Stable blood sugar A short jaunt around the... READ MORE
Get bleeding after menopause checked
Bleeding after menopause can be disconcerting, but the good news is, more than 90% of the time it’s not caused by a serious condition, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. That said, the study also reinforces the idea that postmenopausal bleeding should always be checked out by your doctor to rule out endometrial cancer, a cancer of the uterine lining, said Ross Berkowitz,... READ MORE
Inadequate sleep raises risk of dementia
The main cause of the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease is the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain as we age. Beta-amyloid is a toxic protein that is discharged as a waste product into the fluid surrounding brain cells. If it is not cleared away in a timely manner, it clumps together to form plaques that prevent the brain cells from communicating with one... READ MORE
