A Primer on Menopause What Every Woman Should Know. Part 4
Taking hormones for a few years and then gradually tapering off is probably fine, said Love. The more complex question is whether adding hormones for long-term use during perimenopause and beyond can help prevent problems like heart disease and osteoporosis.
A Primer on Menopause What Every Woman Should Know. Part 3
Menopause
Menopause itself is a point in time, specifically 12 months after your last period, said Boggs. That’s when it’s clear that menstruation has stopped.
The average age of menopause in the United States is 51.2 years, Thomas said.
A Primer on Menopause What Every Woman Should Know. Part 2
What Is This Thing Called Menopause?
Menopause is a change in the levels of hormones, in particular of the levels of estrogen, which are produced by a woman’s body. It is the result of a natural transition from having ovaries that produce large amounts of hormones — enough to bear a child — to having ones that produce much less. Read the rest of this entry »
A Primer on Menopause What Every Woman Should Know. Part 1
Like many girls growing up in the ’50s, I first learned about menopause by gleaning information from whispered conversations. If women of a certain age were acting out of sorts, it was said, they were going through “the change.”
With scant details to work with, the image of this “change of life” loomed large — and ominous. What did it mean? What happened next? Would I change too?
Popular Painkillers Don’t Impair Kidney Function in Men
Scientists found no difference in the occurrence of kidney function problems between men who had or had not reported significant, long-term use of popular analgesic medications (painkillers). The study, led by Kathryn M. Rexrode, M.D, appears in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
A Drink or Two Benefits Healthy Men, Study Confirms
If you ushered in the new millennium with a bit of alcohol, research suggests you may have done your heart some good. Numerous scientific studies indicate that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, in middle-aged and older people.
10 Positive Health Affirmations for the New Millennium. Part 2
Wacker said he helps shape his future by saying an affirmation that he borrowed from the Indian chief Tecumseh that acknowledges the new day and gives thanks for its light and sustenance. He says it aloud, in front of the mirror, each morning. To develop your own affirmations, he said, “You have to get to the issue of your beliefs. Beliefs are values put to action, what you’re willing to stand up for. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Positive Health Affirmations for the New Millennium. Part 1
After Dr. Mehmet Oz, a surgeon and director of the mechanical heart program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, performed a heart transplant on one of his patients, the man’s body began to reject the new heart.
Managing Chronic Pain. Part 2
Disease-specific drugs
Imitrex and the newer drugs in its class, Zomig, Amerge, and Maxalt, stop the transmission of pain in migraine headaches by acting directly on the facial nerve that studies have shown to be the main cause of the headache. Side effects include tightness in the chest and occasional difficulty in breathing. A new compound being tested by Eli Lilly eliminates these side effects.
Managing Chronic Pain. Part 1
Pain specialists consider chronic pain to be the most costly health problem in America today. In terms of medical expenses, lost income, and lost productivity, the total cost easily passes the $60 billion mark. Low back pain alone accounts for 93 million lost workdays each year. Read the rest of this entry »