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Many conditions have been found to increase the risk of dementia, including diabetes, heart disease, an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and older age. Now, researchers have identified another factor in Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia risk: our race. We often say that dementia does not discriminate, meaning that it doesn’t just skip over certain groups of people, only hitting those with certain characteristics. However, when the numbers are looked at closely, dementia does indeed appear to hit some groups harder than others....

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited disorder, meaning it’s passed from parents to children. This condition is often diagnosed before or at birth. If symptoms of FA develop, they usually begin between the ages of 5 and 10 and are largely due to anemia (lack of healthy red blood cells) or bone marrow failure. At the time of diagnosis, you will be referred to a hematologist (a doctor specializing in blood disorders) with expertise in FA for medical monitoring and management....

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said last week that it has rejected a majority of the over 6.5 million marketing applications for “new tobacco products." Key Takeaways The FDA denied marketing applications for millions of vaping products because they lacked sufficient evidence on the benefits for adult smokers.The FDA has yet to make a decision on products from dominant e-cigarette companies like Juul, Vuse, and NJOY.Harm reduction advocates say that e-cigarettes should remain on the market to encourage smoking cessation and reduce black market sales, but critics are worried about use among youth and potential health risks....

On April 12, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would temporarily halt the enforcement of a regulation requiring abortion medications to be administered physically in person by a clinician. Key Takeaways An FDA requirement that drugs needed to terminate an early pregnancy be administered in a medical clinic was temporarily lifted for the duration of the pandemic. Despite the FDA’s temporary lift, access to abortion pills via telemedicine is controlled on the state level....

Your dermatologist gave you a prescription for an acne medication. When you went to get your prescription filled, the pharmacist asked if you wanted the generic drug instead. He said it’s the same medication. Still, you’re unsure. Are generic acne medications the same as the name brands? Do they work the same? You want to make sure you’re getting the most effective treatment for your acne. Is There a Difference? Think about all the name-brand/generic products you know: Q-Tips and cotton swabs; Kleenex and facial tissue; Tylenol and acetaminophen....

Can you get your health insurance to cover the costs of autism treatment? Of course, the answer will depend, in part, on the insurance coverage you have and on the types of treatment you’re seeking. But even if your insurance doesn’t cover anything called “autism treatment,” there’s a good chance you can get many important treatments covered. What Is “Autism Treatment?” There is really no such thing as “autism treatment.” There are, however, a wide range of treatments available for and appropriate for people on the autism spectrum....

A hip fracture, also called a broken hip, is a common injury. In the United States, hip fractures are the most common broken bone that requires hospitalization; about 300,000 Americans are hospitalized for a hip fracture every year. Older adults who have osteoporosis are at an especially high risk of hip fractures. Hip fractures cause pain and decreased mobility, and they can also lead to complications, including infections and blood clots....

Oatmeal is known as a great nutritional option for breakfast. In addition to its reputation as a healthy food, it is also an ingredient in a number of skin-care products. Oatmeal is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a natural option to treat irritated and itchy skin conditions like eczema. Read more about how to use an oatmeal bath to treat your eczema. The Benefits of Oatmeal Oats are a type of cereal grain that comes from the Poaceae family of plants....

The impact of having a monthly period, for some women, can be experienced as a minor inconvenience, yet it can also be a major health concern for others. The use of the Ortho Evra patch gives women the choice to decide when and if they become pregnant while also allowing women the ability to control when and if they have a period. Research shows that if given the choice, most women would prefer extended menstrual cycles....

Errors by employees at a Baltimore, Maryland, contractor site for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine resulted in the need to destroy bulk material that would have amounted to 15 million doses planned for distribution in the United States. UPDATE On June 11, 2021, the FDA ruled that about 60 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses produced at the Baltimore facility must be discarded. Key Takeaways A manufacturing error at a plant in Baltimore resulted in bulk Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine material being discarded....

Research has been showing that the breast cancer drug Femara (letrozole) may be a better option than Clomid (clomiphene) to improve pregnancy rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the leading cause of ovulatory infertility in the United States. Dr. Richard Legro, a reproductive endocrinologist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center presented results from his recent NIH-sponsored trial at the 2012 American Association of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference that showed 25% of women treated with letrozole had a live birth compared to 16....

Mineral oil is an over-the-counter, petroleum-based product commonly used to treat constipation as a lubricant-type laxative. Unlike bulk-forming laxatives or stimulant laxatives, lubricant laxatives such as mineral oil work by coating the intestines and stool with a waterproof film, which keeps moisture in and lubricates the intestinal walls. By keeping your intestines and stool well-hydrated, the stool is softened and easier to pass through your system and, ultimately, to eliminate....

Finding a lump in your breast isn’t something anyone wants to experience, but in May of 2019, when I was 62, that happened to me. I was lying awake in bed one night when I happened to put my hand on my upper chest, and I felt something under my skin. I wasn’t sure how long it had been there, but I immediately knew it wasn’t normal. I called my gynecologist the next day and scheduled an exam, just to be safe....

The pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling associated with nerve root encroachment is usually first treated with non-surgical therapies, such as anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. This may be enough to address the irritation of the spinal nerve root. Persistent and severe cases, however, may require surgery to ease nerve compression and improve symptoms. Decompressive surgery may be done in a couple of different ways. Regardless, the procedure is a serious one and does not come with a guarantee for complete pain relief....

If you have hip pain, you may benefit from physical therapy to help control your symptoms and improve your overall functional mobility. Your physical therapy program should focus on decreasing or eliminating your pain, improving your hip range of motion and strength, and restoring normal functional mobility. The hip is a ball and socket joint consisting of the thigh (femur) and the pelvis. There are many ligaments that support the bones, which provide considerable stability to the joint....

Nearly 86% of COVID-19 infections in the United States are currently from the subvariant Omicron BA.2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Given the rise of Omicron and the potential for new variants, should current rules and definitions many people have been following—including what it means to come into “close contact” with someone who has COVID-19—change? Key Takeaways Some health experts argue the current definition of “close contact” is outdated and does not reflect current and highly transmissible variants in the community....

A neuro-ICU is an intensive care unit devoted to the care of patients with immediately life-threatening neurological problems. Neuro-ICUs came into existence about 25 years ago in response to the need for more specialized knowledge in the growing techniques to recognize and address neurological disorders. Problems Managed in a Neuro-ICU In general, a patient may be admitted to a neuro-ICU for the following conditions: post-operative brain tumor ischemic stroke subarachnoid hemorrhage traumatic brain injury intracranial hemorrhage Guillain-Barre syndrome subdural hematoma myasthenia gravis spinal trauma status epilepticus encephalitis meningitis and other central nervous system infections Other Benefits The field of neurointensive care covers more than just a wide range of diseases....

A new preprint study suggests that regularly taking a fish oil supplement may help reduce the severity of the symptoms of COVID-19. Key Takeaways A new study that has not yet been peer-reviewed suggests that people who took a fish oil supplement daily had less severe symptoms and better outcomes if they got COVID-19. Fish oil is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which previous research shows may help our immune systems....

How quickly or slowly we walk offers many clues about our health—from blood pressure to heart rate. New research suggests yet another clue: A slowing gait or walking pace could be an early sign of cognitive decline and dementia. Key Takeaways A declining walking pace or speed could be an early indication of cognitive decline and dementia, according to a recent study.Those who walk more slowly and show declining cognitive function like memory loss are at a higher risk of developing dementia....

A subchondral cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms in the bone beneath the cartilage of a joint such as the hip, knee, or shoulder. It’s also known as a bone cyst. “Subchondral” means below the cartilage. These cysts can develop in people with osteoarthritis. This article provides an overview on subchondral bone cysts, why they appear, how they’re diagnosed, what the symptoms are, and common treatment options. How Osteoarthritis Progresses Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints....