Some studies suggest milk is better than water, but evidence is weak. Driving along the freeway recently, a billboard caught my eye. In bold letters it proclaimed: Milk hydrates better than water. Wait, could this be true? And if so, should I be rehydrating with milk after a workout? And should we all have milk, …
Memory and thinking skills may improve with regular crossword practice. A study published in NEJM Evidence found that people with mild memory problems who did web-based crossword puzzles showed improvement in cognition and experienced less brain shrinkage, compared to those who played web-based cognitive games. Is this result for real? Can doing crossword puzzles really …
A new study suggests that a daily multivitamin might improve memory in older adults. Millions of people take a multivitamin each day. Some believe it’s a sort of insurance in case their diet is missing some essential nutrient. Others believe it will ward off disease by boosting immunity, improving brain health, or regulating metabolism. It’s …
With many options available, it's important to work with your doctor to try new treatments. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a condition that involves inflammation of the digestive tract. In recent years, treatment options for IBD have rapidly expanded. The goal of these newer treatments is …
Weighing the new approaches to treating Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis Read More »
Expert consensus focuses on individual planning to bring down elevated LDL. Recently I met with Nancy, a 72-year-old woman with coronary artery disease, to review her latest cholesterol results. Despite taking a statin, following a healthy diet, and exercising regularly, her low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol remained above our target. “What else can I do?” she …
Trying to lower stubbornly high LDL cholesterol? Read More »
What the new hearing aid options mean for your ears and wallet. A change in FDA regulations has cleared the way for over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. What does this mean for you if you’re among the approximately 48 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss? We asked Dr. James Naples, assistant professor of otolaryngology/head …
Pulse oximeters and other devices to monitor aspects of our health may work better for some than for others. In recent years, there’s been a veritable explosion in the number and type of health monitoring devices available in smartphones and fitness apps. Your smartphone is likely tracking the number of steps you take, how far …
Quick health quiz: how bad is inflammation for your body? You’re forgiven if you think inflammation is very bad. News sources everywhere will tell you it contributes to the top causes of death worldwide. Heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer all have been linked to chronic inflammation. And that’s just the short list. So, what …
Why all the buzz about inflammation — and just how bad is it? Read More »
Glossy apps and shiny social media moments can fuel comparisons and worry about how children are developing. When you are a new parent, it’s hard not to compare your child to other children and worry: are they developing normally? It doesn’t help that social media is full of proud parents — and that there are …
Will the COVID-19 pandemic change the genes — and health — of future generations? Most people alive today have witnessed only one pandemic: COVID-19. But pandemics are nothing new; medical historians have documented nearly 20 major pandemics in the last 1,500 years. And while the last several years have been tough, they pale by comparison …
Genes protective during the Black Death may now be increasing autoimmune disorders Read More »