OVERWEIGHT
Published July 28, 2024 | 
WHAT IS IT?
Through most of human history, being fat was good: When food was scarce, anyone with ample body fat had energy reserves stored up for lean times.
Now things are different. We know that if you are obese-that is, if you’re more than 20 percent above the weight most experts agree is healthy for someone of your height because of excess body fat-you have a high risk of many health problems, including heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Even if you’re not obese in the strict sense, some experts think your risk Continue reading
DIABETES, TYPE 2
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Diabetes is a flaw in the way your body handles the sugars it takes from food. The body turns them into glucose-also called blood sugar-which it uses for energy. Glucose can serve as fuel only after it moves into your cells, and that’s where diabetes gets in the way. Continue reading
DIABETES, TYPE 1
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Diabetes is a flaw in the way your body handles the sugars it takes from food. The body turns them into glucose-also called blood sugar-which it uses for energy. Glucose can serve as fuel only after it moves into your cells, and that’s where diabetes gets in the way.
A hormone called insulin helps glucose enter the cells. Type 1 diabetes begins when the pancreas, a flat organ tucked behind your stomach, stops making insulin. Continue reading
HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
Published July 28, 2024 | HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
WHAT IS IT?
The hips are among the body’s largest weight-bearing joints. When they’re healthy, your hips allow you to move easily and painlessly. But for people with arthritis or hip injury, just walking can bring on stiffness and crippling aches.
Each year, more than 160,000 Americans have hip replacement surgery in which damaged parts of the hip bone are removed and artificial parts are implanted to take their place. Hip replacement surgery can help relieve pain and restore movement. Continue reading
OSTEOPOROSIS
Published July 28, 2024 | Osteoporosis means “porous bone.” It is a major health threat for more than 20 million people in the United States, mostly older women. As the name suggests, it makes bones less dense and less solid. They become brittle and easy to break.
Osteoporosis is the leading cause of fractures among Americans over 45. In that age group, most fractures happen in the spine, wrist, ribs, and hip. Vertebrae-the bones of the spine-may develop networks of tiny cracks called crush or spinal compression fractures. Crush fractures can lead to back pain, loss of height, and the rounded upper back known as dowager’s hump. Any of these can be the first sign of osteoporosis. Continue reading
Thyroidectomy
Published April 18, 2024 | QUESTION:
What does the thyroid gland do and, if it is removed due to cancer, what are the effects?
ANSWER:
Your thyroid gland produces thyroxine, the hormone that regulates your body’s metabolism. In the absence of adequate amounts of thyroxine (hypothyroidism), your body slows down. Continue reading
Prolactinoma
Published April 18, 2024 | A prolactinoma is a tumor of the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The tumor secretes excessive amounts of the hormone prolactin. It may vary in size from microscopic to as large as several centimeters in diameter. The excess of prolactin in women may lead to abnormal or absent menstrual cycles, infertility and a milky discharge from the breasts. Continue reading
Hypothyroidism
Published April 18, 2024 | An underactive thyroid gland produces an inadequate amount of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine. This causes a slowing of the body’s metabolism, a condition known as hypothyroidism. The symptoms vary widely depending upon the severity of the deficiency of thyroxine. Mild deficiency may lead to rather non-specific symptoms such as intolerance to cool or cold temperatures, dry skin, weight gain, constipation, and forgetfulness. Continue reading