HealthNet

Alzheimer's Disease

2008-04-08T10:23:00.001-07:00

Source: Alzheimer's Association, 225 N Michigan Ave., 17th Fl., Chicago, IL 60601-7633; phone: (800) 272-3900; www.alz.orgAlzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain in which nerve cells deteriorate and die for unknown reasons. Its first symptoms usually involve impaired memory and confusion about recent events. As the disease

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

2008-04-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; www.cdc.govAIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV kills or disables crucial cells of the immune system, progressively destroying the body's ability to fight disease.HIV is commonly spread through unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner. It is also spread through contact

What Is Coronary Heart Disease?

2008-03-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

If you’re healthy, you live longer – that’s obvious. But what Thomas Perls found was not so obvious. The researcher at Boston University School of Medicine examined data on people who live past 90, and says nearly one third had heart disease, stroke or diabetes 15 years or more.Perls says the capacity to keep doing ordinary daily activities seemed to be the difference.``If you somehow have the

Human Gene Therapy

2008-02-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

Human gene therapy has the potential to revolutionize how many medical conditions are treated. FDA is working to ensure that research in this developing field is conducted responsibly and safely.Human gene therapy, although still in the developmental stages, offers tremendous potential to pave the way for more effective treatments for many serious medical conditions.Human gene therapy is based on

Medications for High Blood Pressure

2008-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

High blood pressure is called the 'silent killer' because it has no symptoms until it causes major damage. A number of FDA-approved drugs, along with lifestyle changes, can help treat this condition.Nearly one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, also called hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure

Walk This Way - Stroke Prevention

2008-02-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

Scurrying to work can be good for you, if you do it regularly. A study says moderate levels of aerobic fitness can significantly reduce the risk of stroke.Steven Hooker of the University of South Carolina says the more aerobic activity people do each day, the less likely they are to suffer a stroke. He bases that on 18 years of data on about 60,000 people who were stroke-free at the start.Want to

The Risk of Dozing Off - How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

2008-02-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

People say they’re just resting their eyes. Before they know it, they’re asleep. But a study indicates it could mean trouble.The study says constantly dozing off during the day can forewarn of an increased risk of a stroke among the elderly. The study was presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2008.Bernadette Boden-Albala of Columbia University Medical

Secondhand Smoke and Cystic Fibrosis

2008-02-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

Secondhand smoke can make lung disease worse, and Johns Hopkins researchers can document it in cases of cystic fibrosis. CF is fatal, and the researchers say many people with CF still wind up breathing other people’s smoke.The researchers measured lung function by seeing how much air people could breathe out in the first second they tried.The study found CF patients who were exposed to secondhand

Drink eight glasses of water a day. And don’t read in dim light.

2008-02-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this?Drink eight glasses of water a day. And don’t read in dim light. So they say.But are they right?Aaron Carroll of Indiana University School of Medicine reviewed medical truisms to see if they really are true. Carroll, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, coauthored a report in BMJ, the British medical journal.So about those eight glasses of water. You

Sickle Cell Disease: 10 Things You Need to Know

2008-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

More than 70,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease and more than 2 million people carry the gene that allows them to pass it on to their children.1. Did you know that African Americans are not the only people who get sickle cell disease?Sickle cell disease affects millions of people throughout the world and is particularly common among people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa

Older, Active and Vitamin E

2008-02-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

In older people, low vitamin E concentration contributes to decline in physical function. A study found this when it looked at data on about 700 Italians.Benedetta Bartali of Yale University School of Medicine and her colleagues measured vitamin E in the blood and assessed the abilities to walk a short distance, stand up from a chair, and balance.In people with low vitamin E, the odds of

Either or Both - Diet or Exercise

2008-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

If you want to lose weight so your heart is healthier, a study indicates diet, exercise or both work – provided you lose the weight.Sandor Kovacs and colleagues of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that in a look at the hearts of middle-aged men and women who cut calories or exercised for a year. The study in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory

Kids and Cough Medicine

2008-02-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Kids can get into everything, which can be dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights one example – when kids swallow so much over-the-counter cough and cold medicine that they have to go to the emergency department.The CDC’s Melissa Schaefer says it happens to about 7,000 kids each year. She says about 4,600 of those got into the medications without their parents

New Safety Warnings for Chantix

2008-02-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

FDA alerts the public and health care providers to mood and behavior changes associated with this medicine to help people quit smokingFDA issued a Public Health Advisory on Feb. 1, 2008, to alert health care providers, patients, and caregivers to new safety warnings concerning Chantix (varenicline). Chantix is a prescription medication used to help people stop smoking. Chantix was approved by FDA

FDA Approves Drug-Eluting Heart Stent

2008-02-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

FDA has approved The Endeavor Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent, manufactured by Medtronic, Inc., of Minneapolis. It's the first drug-eluting stent that FDA has approved since 2004On Feb. 1, 2008, FDA announced approval of the first drug-eluting stent since 2004, for use in treating patients with narrowed coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying the heart.The Endeavor Zotarolimus-Eluting

Serious Health Risks with Antiepileptic Drugs

2008-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

FDA warns about possible risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients taking antiepileptic drugsFDA issued new information on Jan. 31, 2008, to alert health care professionals about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in patients who take medications called antiepileptics. Such drugs treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, migraine headaches, and other conditions.FDA studied

Devices That Keep the Heart Beating

2008-01-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

Heart devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators have extended and improved the lives of millions of people worldwide.FDA approvals and oversight that make scientific and technological breakthroughs accessible have greatly expanded the number of people who can benefit from these devices.FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is responsible for ensuring the safety and

Vital Facts About HIV Home Test Kits

2008-01-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

Privacy and confidentiality are main factors that lead people to choose home testing kits to find out if they are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS.It is important that consumers know there is only one product currently approved by FDA and legally sold in the United States as a "home" testing system for HIV.This product is a kit marketed as either "The Home

Heart Disease

2007-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

The heart is one of the most efficient and durable organs in the human body. Each day, it beats 100,000 times to pump more than 2,000 gallons of blood through the body, never resting for longer than a second, for an average lifetime of 75 years! Unfortunately, disease, genetics, or a host of environmental factors can conspire to make the heart less efficient or even cause it to break down

AIDS

2007-10-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is a lethal disease that permanently disables the body's immune system. AIDS is characterized by a variety of debilitating symptoms that leave the body open to attack by one or more specific diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or cancer. In the early years of the 21st century, nearly 40 million people are infected with the virus that causes AIDS,

Allergies

2007-10-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

When the normal equilibrium of the human body is threatened by an external agent, a sequence of automatic defense mechanisms moves into action. If the body becomes overheated, for example, it begins to perspire in order to cool itself. If disease-causing bacteria or viruses invade, the body's immune system produces protective antibodies. An allergy represents a response by the immune system to

Imaging and Diagnosis

2007-10-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Doctors make diagnoses based on what they can see. For the earliest recorded physicians, this meant what they could detect with their own sense organs: the color of the skin, tongue, and fingernails; the smell of the breath and urine; the feel of the skin temperature and pulse rate; and the sound of a cry of pain when they touched a tender spot.For centuries, physicians relied on little more than

Medications and Drugs

2007-10-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Drugs are chemical compounds that modify the body's typical natural chemical reactions. Used as medications, they can alter how the mind and body function. As a general rule, the effects of medications and drugs are only temporary. They tend to alleviate or mask unpleasant symptoms while allowing the person's "system" to rejuvenate itself—or to function within a normal range while the additional

Drug Delivery Technology

2007-10-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout history, pharmacologists have tread a fine line in determining dosage: too much of a medication can have negative consequences, but too little might fail to cause the desired response. The goal is to give a drug in such a way as to keep the blood concentration above the minimum therapeutic dose, but below a toxic level for as long as needed to treat the disorder or disease. Sometimes a

Surgery and Hospitalization

2007-10-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Much of the practice of medicine is indirect. Doctors observe the outward appearance of patients to discover manifestations of disease. They use diagnostic equipment and laboratory tests to look at the patient's inner environment from the outside. They prescribe treatments based on their best judgment of the internal factors causing the patient's problems.The practice of surgery is more intimate.

Nursing

2007-10-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Nurses have cared for the sick, the weak, and the disabled for at least as long as humans have kept records. In earlier times, nurses were generally untrained, learning only what was needed for the specific situations in which they worked. They washed and fed patients, massaged their bodies, helped them walk, made their beds, and performed other basic tasks. These nurses were almost always men,

Tools for the Physician

2007-10-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

In their search for ways to improve the diagnosis and treatment of medical problems, researchers have always been eager to study technological advances. The microscope, X rays, lasers, ultrasonics—these are but a few technologies that quickly found use in the medical community. The many applications of technology to medicine have had enormous benefits, enabling millions of people to enjoy longer,

Organ Transplants

2007-10-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

In the not-too-distant past, people stricken with failing hearts, damaged eyes, or diseased kidneys had little hope of recovery. Today, after years of medical research, these people have renewed hope, thanks in part to the ever-growing success of organ transplants—the process by which organs are taken from one person and implanted into another.From One to AnotherThe earliest successful transplant

Artificial Body Parts

2007-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Many people lead active, enriched lives thanks to artificial body parts—devices that either temporarily or permanently replace a missing or faulty part of the body. Artificial body parts are also known as prostheses. Some, such as artificial limbs and kidneys, are located outside the body. Others, such as artificial hips and heart valves, are implanted in the body.A Young TechnologyThe earliest

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2007-10-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Instead of depending on physicians, millions of people choose alternative therapies such as acupuncture, naturopathy, or massage. Some of these therapies have ancient origins that date back thousands of years; others are relatively new developments. Unlike treatments used in conventional medicine, which take a biological and scientific approach to illness, these methods use a "holistic"

Diabetes - Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

2007-04-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">"Preventing Type 2 Diabetes"Sam Kitching: I certainly don't want diabetes. That's one of the greatest fears -- it caused my mother to lose her eyesight prematurely, sores would not heal, the medication was terribly expensive and awfully inconvenient.Carmencita Domingo: My biggest fear is not to get what my aunts and aunties had, both on my father and

Glaucoma - What is Glaucoma?

2007-04-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Glaucoma DefinedGlaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye's optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. While glaucoma can strike anyone, the risk is much greater for people over 60. There are several different types of glaucoma. Most of these involve the drainage system within the eye. At the front of the eye there is a small

Glaucoma - Early Diagnosis, Timely Treatment

2007-04-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Glaucoma - Symptoms and Diagnosis Glaucoma can develop in one or both eyes. The most common type of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, has no symptoms at first. It causes no pain, and vision seems normal. Without treatment, people with glaucoma will slowly lose their peripheral, or side vision. They seem to be looking through a tunnel. Over time,

Glaucoma - Coping with Glaucoma

2007-04-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Glaucoma - TreatmentAlthough open-angle glaucoma cannot be cured, it can usually be controlled. While treatments may save remaining vision, they do not improve sight already lost from glaucoma.The most common treatments for glaucoma are medication and surgery.Medications for glaucoma may be either in the form of eye drops or pills. Some drugs reduce

Prostate Cancer "Detecting Prostate Cancer"

2007-04-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Prostate Cancer - Causes and Risk FactorsScientists don't know exactly what causes prostate cancer. They cannot explain why one man gets prostate cancer and another does not. However, they have been able to identify some risk factors that are associated with the disease. A risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting a disease. Age

Prostate Cancer "External Radiation Therapy"

2007-04-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Symptoms and DiagnosisMost cancers in their early, most treatable stages don't cause any symptoms. Early prostate cancer usually does not cause symptoms. However, if prostate cancer develops and is not treated, it can cause these symptoms:a need to urinate frequently, especially at nightdifficulty starting urination or holding back urinePossible

Prostate Cancer "Surviving Prostate Cancer"

2007-04-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Prostate Cancer -Treatments and Research - Planning TreatmentIf tests show that you have cancer, you should talk with your doctor in order to make treatment decisions. A team of specialists often treats people with cancer. The team will keep the primary doctor informed about the patient's progress. The team may include a medical oncologist who is a

Prostate Cancer "What is Prostate Cancer?"

2007-04-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Prostate Cancer DefinedThe body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and produce more cells as needed to keep the body healthy and functioning properly. Sometimes, however, the process goes wrong -- cells become abnormal and form more cells in an uncontrolled way. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or

Shingles "What is Shingles?"

2007-04-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Shingles - About ShinglesShingles is very common. Fifty percent of all Americans will have had shingles by the time they are 80. While shingles occurs in people of all ages, it is most common in 60- to 80-year-olds. Shingles is a painful skin disease caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. It is distinctive because it affects only one side

Shingles "My Experience with Shingles"

2007-04-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Shingles -Causes and Risk FactorsShingles is caused by a germ called varicella-zoster virus -- the one that gave you chickenpox when you were a child. As you recovered from chickenpox, the sores healed and the other symptoms went away, but the virus remained. It is with you for life.The virus hides out in nerve cells, usually in the spine. But it can reactivate.

Macular Degeneration "Living with Macular Degeneration"

2007-04-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Macular Degeneration - DefinedAge-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD, is an eye disease that affects the macula, a part of the retina. The retina sends light from the eye to the brain, and the macula allows you to see fine detail. AMD blurs the sharp central vision you need for straight-ahead activities such as reading, sewing, and

Macular Degeneration "Coping with Macular Degeneration"

2007-04-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Macular Degeneration - Symptoms and DiagnosisAMD is detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes a visual acuity test, a dilated eye exam, and tonometry. The visual acuity test is an eye chart test that measures how well you see at various distances. In the dilated eye exam, drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils.

Stroke "What Happens During a Stroke"

2007-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Stroke Prevention and DiagnosisStroke is preventable and treatable. A better understanding of the causes of stroke has helped people make lifestyle changes that have cut the stroke death rate nearly in half in the last two decades. While family history of stroke plays a role in your risk, there are many risk factors you can control:If you have high

Stroke "Warning Signs and Risk Factors"

2007-04-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Warning Signs and Risk Factors - Warning SignsIf you suffer a stroke, you may not realize it at first. The people around you might not know it, either. Your family, friends, or neighbors may think you are unaware or confused. You may not be able to call 911 on your own. That's why everyone should know the signs of stroke and know how to act fast.

Stroke "Act Quickly"

2007-04-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">About Stroke - What is Stroke?Stroke occurs in all age groups, in both sexes, and in all races in every country. It can even occur before birth, when the fetus is still in the womb. Learning about stroke can help you act in time to save a relative, neighbor, or friend. And making changes in your lifestyle can help you prevent stroke. A stroke is

Breast Cancer "Surviving Breast Cancer"

2007-04-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Breast Cancer Testing And DiagnosisMost cancers in their early, most treatable stages do not cause any symptoms. That is why it's important to have regular tests to check for cancer long before you might notice anything wrong.When breast cancer is found early, it is more likely to be treated successfully. Checking for cancer in a person who does not

Breast Cancer "Radiation Treatment"

2007-04-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Breast Cancer Treatment And ResearchThere are many treatment options for women with breast cancer. The choice of treatment depends on your age and general health, the stage of the cancer, whether or not it has spread beyond the breast, and other factors.Treatment and Research - Planning TreatmentIf tests show that you have cancer, you should talk

Breast Cancer "Genetic Risk Factors"

2007-04-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Breast Cancer Causes And Risk FactorsNo one knows why some women develop breast cancer and others do not. Although the disease may affect younger women, three-fourths of all breast cancer occurs in women age 50 or older.Researchers often talk about breast cancer in two ways: in situ and invasive. In situ refers to cancer that has not spread beyond

Breast Cancer "Four Methods Of Treating Breast Cancer"

2007-04-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

scrolling="no">Breast Cancer DefinedThe body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide and produce more cells as needed to keep the body healthy. Sometimes, however, the process goes wrong. Cells become abnormal and form more cells in an uncontrolled way.These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign,