If you’ve ever had an EKG or EEG, you know how uncomfortable all those wires, pads, and tape can be—especially if you’ve had to stay connected overnight. Well, all that discomfort may be a thing of the past, thanks to researchers at Northwestern University who have created a thin, comfortable patch that wirelessly sends all...Continue reading
Month: April 2015
Want Some Bio-Identical Testosterone?
So, you’re thinking of taking testosterone supplements because of all of the good things you’ve heard. Why not take “bio-identical testosterone” instead of the usual, pharmaceutical grade stuff, otherwise known as “patentable pseudo-testosterone?” Gees, I dunno. I thought that testosterone was testosterone, a simple pile of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules arranged in 4 rings...Continue reading
UTIs in men
A UTI, or urinary tract infection, is an infection in any part of your urinary tract. A UTI can infect your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. However, most UTIs affect the bladder and the urethra. It’s important to know the facts about UTIs because if left untreated, you can suffer from serious complications if the...Continue reading
Yep, There’s a Test for That, Part 3: Dementia
In Part 2, we talked about a new test developed at Washington University in St. Louis that uses biomarkers in urine to screen for kidney cancer. On the other side of the world, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have identified a different biomarker—this one in a simple blood—that may predict a person’s risk of...Continue reading
FROZEN
October 26, 2010 is a date that radically changed my life forever. It was my mother’s 80th birthday and I planned a big party for her in Mexico. We had lots of wonderful food. I made arrangements for a mariachi band to sing her favorite romantic ballads or boleros and I ordered 80 red roses...
Sperm Archaeology
“I heard that that you can get sperm from a rock,” said the patient. Eyebrows raised, I responded: “Actually, I’ve never tried.” But his statement did get me thinking: I am a sperm archaeologist of sorts. Sands of Time Growing up, who hasn’t thought about being archeologist at some point? Sifting through sand in exotic...Continue reading
Critical Health Care Issues and Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is a federal law that has an impact on every American citizen. The bill requires all of us to either have insurance or pay a penalty. If you already have health insurance, Obamacare may substantially change the type of coverage you have, the benefits you receive, and...Continue reading
Top Health Conditions Men Are At Risk For
Men are more likely to die from most of the leading causes of death in the United States than women. It is unclear exactly why this is, but it is partially due to biological factors and partially due to personal lifestyle choices. On average, men die five years earlier than women. It’s important for men...Continue reading
Yep, There’s a Test for That, Part 2: Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers for both men and women (although for women, it’s number 10, for men, number 7). More than 60,000 Americans (2/3 are men) are diagnosed with kidney cancer every year, and 14,000 (again, 2/3 are men) will die. The good news is that, caught early, about...
Just Say “No” to Behavior-Calming Drugs for Alzheimer’s Patients
A press release from the University of Michigan Health System Caregiver-based approaches would work better – if they were used & paid for as often as anti-psychotic drugs targeted by new federal report ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Doctors write millions of prescriptions a year for drugs to calm the behavior of people with Alzheimer’s disease...Continue reading