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Xarelto: A New Drug for New Joints

Each year hip and knee replacements give more than 1 million Americans an added spring in their step. Yet despite their success at restoring mobility, hip and knee replacement surgeries carry the risk of serious complications, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Now, hip and knee recipients can avoid postsurgical clots without undergoing painful injections thanks to a new drug, Xarelto. More...
Posted in Arthritis on January 16, 2012

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Research Update: Manual Mobilization Improves Kyphosis

Kyphosis is characterized by extensive flexion (bending forward) of the spine. It usually affects the upper back (the thoracic spine) but may also occur in the neck or lower back. Thoracic kyphosis is sometimes referred to as dowager's hump, humpback or hunchback. Kyphosis is particularly common in older women and can result from disk degeneration (in which the disks lose moisture and shrink), vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis or both. More...
Posted in Back Pain on January 20, 2012

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Colonoscopy Prep Advice

Before you have a colonoscopy, it's essential to get your colon completely clean. But a recent study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Volume 7, page 670) finds that standard bowel preparation doesn't work as well in people who are overweight. This is a concern because any residue in the colon can mask polyps and cancers during colonoscopy. More...
Posted in Colon Cancer on January 18, 2012

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Bipolar Disorder Type 1 or 2: How to Tell the Difference

Bipolar disorder can begin with a bout of either depression or mania, but about two thirds of cases start with a manic episode, and mania tends to predominate. Just as there are many forms of depression, there are several types of bipolar disorder. The two main subtypes are bipolar type 1 and bipolar type 2. Both are characterized by one or more major depressive episodes, but the type and degree of mania differ. Bipolar type… More...
Posted in Depression and Anxiety on January 17, 2012

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Which Comes First: Diabetes or Depression?

The link between diabetes and depression has long been recognized; many studies have shown that depression is twice as likely to occur in people with diabetes as in the general population. What's more, the connection is said to be "bidirectional," meaning that not only do people with diabetes have a greater risk of being depressed, but those with depression are at higher risk for developing diabetes -- although the latter association is not as strong. More...
Posted in Diabetes on January 19, 2012

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Ask the Doctor About GERD

A reader of our Johns Hopkins Digestive Disorders White Paper asks, How long can I take a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)? Here’s our advice … More...
Posted in Digestive Health on January 23, 2012

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Should You Try Saw Palmetto for Your BPH Symptoms? What We Recommend

Some men elect to use saw palmetto or other plant-derived substances to manage the uncomfortable symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). More...
Posted in Enlarged Prostate on January 24, 2012

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Research on Compression Stockings to Prevent Blood Clots

Recently a reader asked: Which compression stockings are better at preventing blood clots in the legs: thigh-highs or knee-highs? Here’s what the research suggests … More...
Posted in Healthy Living on January 25, 2012

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10 Steps to Lower Triglycerides

Watching your cholesterol is nearly as common nowadays as watching your blood pressure or your weight. But do you watch your triglyceride levels? More...
Posted in Heart Health on January 27, 2012

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Sleep Apnea Linked to Increased Stroke Risk

Middle-aged and older men with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have more than double the risk of experiencing an ischemic stroke when compared with their counterparts who don't have obstructive sleep apnea, a recent study finds. More...
Posted in Hypertension and Stroke on January 10, 2012

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Lung Cancer: When Nonsmokers Are Affected

Lung cancer was rare before the beginning of the 20th century, but it is now the most common cause of death from cancer among both men and women in the United States. Death rates are high because lung cancer is difficult to treat and is usually not detected until it has already spread. More...
Posted in Lung Disorders on January 27, 2012

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Advice to Keep Dementia at Bay

Recently, researchers looking into cognitive decline and dementia have made encouraging findings. Although it was believed that the adult brain could not develop new neurons (or brain cells), scientists have learned in the past decade or so that the human brain is pliable and adaptive. The brain can actually add new neurons even late in life and continually form new connections among existing neurons -- a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. More...
Posted in Memory on January 9, 2012

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Gaining Weight? It Could Be Your Medication

Have you noticed the number on your scale creeping up as you’ve gotten older? It may be your prescription medication. Weight gain from prescription medication has become increasingly common as more Americans take prescription drugs for chronic illness. More...
Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on January 11, 2012

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Recovering From a Hip Fracture: What to Expect

A reader of our Back Pain and Osteoporosis White Paper asks: My 68-year-old mother recently had surgery for a hip fracture due to osteoporosis. How long will it take for her to recover? More...
Posted in Osteoporosis on December 30, 2011

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In the Trash? Down the Drain? What’s the Safest Way to Dispose of Unused Meds?

Open your medicine cabinet and take a close look at what's on the shelves. Chances are pretty good that you have prescription medications gathering dust in there that you're no longer taking or that have expired. The next step is to toss those old medications in the trash or flush them down the toilet, right? More...
Posted in Prescription Drugs on December 13, 2011

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Understanding the TNM Prostate Cancer Staging System

Determining the extent of prostate cancer is important for predicting the course of the disease and in choosing the best treatment. The TNM (tumor, nodes, metastasis) staging system is used to describe a cancer's clinical stage, or how far it has spread. This Health Alert provides an explanation of this important prostate cancer staging system. More...
Posted in Prostate Disorders on January 12, 2012

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How Diabetic Retinopathy Affects Vision

It's estimated that more than four million Americans with diabetes age 40 and over suffer from diabetic retinopathy – a serious condition that can lead to vision loss. What is diabetic retinopathy and how does it affect the eye? Read on for a brief explanation. More...
Posted in Vision on January 13, 2012

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