March 2009

  • Mammograms Not All They're Cracked Up To Be

    By erika on 3/31/09 6:22am
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    I've seen a small flurry of articles online over the past few months about the American tendency to over-mammogram. In America, doctors and authorities like the American Cancer Society recommend that women over 40 go in for a mammogram every year. However, in Britain for example, women are advised to get mammograms starting at age 50, and even then only every third year.

    There are three factors that weigh against over-frequent mammograms:

    1. The radiation risk, while small, is still very real. (Ironically, the radiation from too frequent mammograms can actually cause cancer.)

    2. False positives can occur with any test. Out of every 100 mammograms, between 5 and 15 will give a false positive result.

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  • Treating Psoriatic Arthritis

    By Niki Fears on 3/12/09 7:41am
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    Several patients suffering from psoriasis may also be afflicted with a type of arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory form of the arthritis which affects somewhere between 10% to as many as 30% or psoriasis patients. Psoriatic arthritis causes swelling to occur in the joints and can also lead to tendinitis, which is the inflammation of a tendon. There are five types of psoriatic arthritis which can range from the milder version known as the asymmetrical type and generally only affects a couple of joints, or to the more severe form, known as arthritis mutilans which is a very painful and debilitating form of psoriatic arthritis.

     

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  • Signs of Adult ADD

    By Niki Fears on 3/12/09 7:39am
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    Many of us have become aware of the problems with children and teenagers who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder known as ADD; however, adults to may be diagnosed with ADD. In fact, it has been estimated that the number of adults suffering from signs of Adult ADD throughout the United States and Europe is somewhere around 3-5 % of the population. Adult ADD can interfere with job performance and intellectual pursuits and lead to relationship problems so it is important to know the signs and symptoms of Adult ADD.

     

    The behavioral and functional problems that those diagnosed with Adult ADD suffer from include a variety of symptoms that can often be divided into six key areas including activation or initiation of tasks, focus on tasks, effort required for carry through, emotional issues of control or satisfaction, memory problems, and uncontrolled actions. Of these areas the following are common signs of Adult ADD

     

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  • Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

    By Niki Fears on 3/12/09 7:37am
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    Around 1% of people around the world suffer from a severe inflammation of the joints known as rheumatoid arthritis. This painful disease can be debilitating and is three times as likely to effect women among the population as it is to affect male patients. There are a variety of ways to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis including Xrays and blood work and health care professionals will use a specific set of diagnostic criteria to accurately diagnose the condition and to suggest the best possibilities for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

     

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  • Could Living Near Fast Food Districts Increase Your Rate of Stroke?

    By Niki Fears on 3/4/09 5:55am
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    Could living in an area with zones of fast food restaurants increase your chance of having a stroke? According to a study coming out of the University of Michigan it just might. Dr. Lewis Morgenstern plans on presenting the findings of a study to the American Stroke Association during an international conference in which he will highlight the link between residents living near what are known as “fast food zones” and an increased rate of strokes.

     

    Dr. Morgenstern's results come from a 3 year study in which he followed the health of 1,200 residents living in a county of Texas. Of those 1,200 residents that were monitored during that three years he found that those who lived in neighborhoods filled with fast food restaurants had a 13% higher rate of strokes as opposed to the residents who lived in areas less populated by the familiar quick and easy greasy spoons.

     

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