The current shortage of semaglutide (Ozempic), an important diabetes drug, has an unusual origin: too many people without diabetes are taking it. Here’s how that happened, and how we might course-correct to help ensure that those with the greatest need for this medicine can get it. A diabetes drug with an important side effect: Weight …
Understandably, the sensitive topic of weight in children and teens often focuses on the health costs of overweight and obesity. Sometimes, though, a child needs to gain some weight. And while there are lots of ways to make that happen, not all of them are healthy. What to do if your child seems underweight If …
Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, a healthy diet, and sufficient sleep are cornerstones of self-care for people with type 2 diabetes. But what about mind-body practices? Can they also help people manage or even treat type 2 diabetes? An analysis of multiple studies, published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, suggests they might. …
It used to be that doctors would automatically recommend treating all men with prostate cancer, even if their initial biopsies suggested the disease would grow slowly (or at all). But during the last several decades, the pendulum on treatment has swung the other way. Doctors are now likely to advise active surveillance for low- to …
Prostate cancer: How often should men on active surveillance be evaluated? Read More »
Infertility is a remarkably common problem. It affects up to one in five people in the US who are trying to become pregnant, and 186 million people worldwide. A thorough medical evaluation can spot key contributing issues in many cases — whether in a woman, a man, or both partners — that might respond to …
Parents like to think that they know what is going on with their children — and that they would know if their teen was suicidal. However, research shows that this is not always the case. Teens may consider suicide more often than parents realize In a study published a few years ago in the journal …
Parents don’t always realize that their teen is suicidal Read More »
Many people know the form of dementia called Alzheimer’s disease. But what is frontotemporal dementia (FTD)? Damage to nerves in certain parts of the brain causes a group of frontotemporal disorders, affecting behavior and language as I’ll describe below. Early signs of frontotemporal dementia Have you noticed someone behaving differently? Is your coworker doing odd …
A visit with a surgeon can be overwhelming. You may feel anxious about your planned surgery. Many questions could be swirling in your head during a rushed visit. While surgeons have a reputation as technical specialists, bedside manner may be lacking at times. It sounds simple, but setting the right expectations — on both sides …
Psychedelic drugs have been capturing the attention of doctors and patients alike, for their increasingly proven potential to effect long-lasting improvements in the mental health of people who are suffering from conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. Microdosing of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin involves taking a fraction of a regular dose (a subperceptual …
The popularity of microdosing of psychedelics: What does the science say? Read More »
When caught early through routine screening, cervical cancer is curable. In the US, roughly 92% of women with early-stage cervical cancer survive five years or longer, compared with only 17% of women with late-stage cervical cancer. So recent research that shows a steep rise in new cases of advanced cervical cancer among white Southern women, …
Late-stage cervical cancer on the rise: What to know Read More »