The American Diabetes Association (ADA) published another update to its standards. What’s the ADA Diabetes Standards of Care and why is it important? For over 30 years, this living document has been developed by the ADA. It is important because it looks at research conducted over the last year to learn and share what the best quality of care is...
Read More“When am I going to feel better?” Long-haul COVID
Science is starting to validate what some COVID-19 survivors have experienced since their diagnosis: Long-haul COVID, also called long term COVID, is real. If you had COVID and still “don’t feel right,” you are not alone. “I’ve been asking my doctors ‘When am I going to feel better?’ since I left the hospital,” said Doug Cleminshaw, a...
Read MoreVacations for Adult Cancer Patients: Update
Two of our most popular previous blog posts described free vacation opportunities for adults with cancer. Given the uncertainty of the past two years, we thought it was time for an update. Here is a short list of organizations that have made it their mission to provide needed respite to those affected by cancer. Each has been verified to have...
Read MorePutting the Puzzle Pieces Together: Understanding Comorbidities
You may have heard the word “comorbidity” before, but do you know what it means? Comorbidity refers to the presence of more than one disease or disease process in the human body. Derived from the word “morbid” the term suggests a seriousness that may not always be considered. Yet as the population ages, comorbidities increase. A study...
Read MoreA Silent Condition: Chronic Kidney Disease
March is National Kidney Month. People don’t think about their kidneys until something goes wrong with them. Several Medivizor blog posts have described the structures in the kidney, the connection between kidneys and blood pressure, and kidney stones and the risk of heart attack or stroke. Chronic Kidney Disease is another kidney problem but it is...
Read MoreThe Latest Development in Toothpaste That’s a Definite “Must Know”
And this new development is glass…but not just any glass, bioactive glass. For a primer on bioactive glass and its benefits, take a look at “What is Bioactive Glass?” Bioactive glass has been an additive in toothpaste in countries outside of the United State for around 10 year. But the FDA has only recently approved a bioactive glass...
Read MoreType-2 Diabetes, Liver Function and Muscle Loss
People with type-2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) are at higher risk of muscle loss and frailty. Doctors have known this for a while but the reason had not been clearly determined. Now scientists have learned that the liver function of people with type-2 diabetes may be disrupted. A recent study published in Nature Metabolism describes this glitch in...
Read MoreChronic Fatigue Syndrome and COVID-19
People living with myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have had a difficult time finding physicians and others who believe that they have this debilitating condition. They’ve been told “it’s all in your head” or “physical activity will make you feel better.” They’ve gone to psychiatrists...
Read MoreSexual Health, Communication and Cancer
“I think sexual health is at the intersection of mind/body & relationship factors. When sexual health is disrupted, it’s really important to figure out all the pieces…often folks only hear bits and pieces like “use lube” or “use it or lose it” & “we need a holistic approach!”[1] Dr. Sharon L. Bober,...
Read MoreDietary Supplement Warning, Again!
Lots of people take dietary supplements. Unfortunately, they are not all that their producers claim. A previous post notified readers of FDA warnings to dietary supplement producers. Today another dietary supplement warning has come out and it is especially pertinent as so many of us are experiencing sadness and depression due to social distancing and the...
Read MoreThe effect of COVID-19 on the brain
Brain fog, hemorrhaging in the brain or in the space between the brain and skull (subarachnoid space), changes in cognition, personality and behavior: these are some of the alterations that patients who have had COVID-19 experience. One of the changes has been onset of psychosis in people who had never had any history of mental illness. A New York Times...
Read MoreCOVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials: “Part of something bigger than myself”
Barry Nelson, Patient Advisor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Patients and Families participated in a webinar on January 11 organized by The Center for Health Education Research Service in Boston, Massachusetts. [1] During the webinar, Nelson described his experience as a cancer survivor. “I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer...
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