WELCOME TO JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH ALERTS!

This free public service from Johns Hopkins Medicine helps keep you up to date on the latest breakthroughs for the most common medical conditions which prevent healthy aging. Browse all the articles via the Health Alert Topics navigation bar on the right, or read the headlines below.


Get the latest news sent straight to your Inbox. Register now for your FREE Johns Hopkins Health Alerts. Check the boxes below for all the topics you are interested in, enter your email address, and click "Send." It's fast, easy, and FREE.   Benefits of Being A Registered User

Enter your email here: (Example: yourname@domain.com)
Please send my alerts as:

We value your privacy and will never rent your email address.Already a Member? Manage your Health Alerts


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

View More Arthritis Health Alerts

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

View More Back Pain Health Alerts

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

View More Colon Cancer Health Alerts

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

View More Depression and Anxiety Health Alerts

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

View More Diabetes Health Alerts

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

View More Digestive Health Health Alerts

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

View More Enlarged Prostate Health Alerts

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

View More Healthy Living Health Alerts

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

View More Heart Health Health Alerts

Understanding the Two Types of Stroke

Strokes fall into two broad categories: ischemic (caused by clots or other obstructions in blood vessels) and hemorrhagic (the result of ruptures or tears in blood vessels). The vast majority of strokes are ischemic. Here’s a brief explanation of each type of stroke. More...
Posted in Hypertension and Stroke on January 31, 2012

View More Hypertension and Stroke Health Alerts

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

View More Lung Disorders Health Alerts

Research Shows That Having a Purpose in Life May Lower Alzheimer's Risk

An increasing amount of research is being directed at finding ways to prevent Alzheimer’s. A recent study reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Volume 67, page 304) suggests that feeling like one has a purpose in life is linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older people. More...
Posted in Memory on January 30, 2012

View More Memory Health Alerts

BMI Isn’t the Only Way To Evaluate Your Weight: Here Are Others

If you are carrying around some extra pounds, you may know that you are at risk for diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke. But even if you have a normal body mass index (BMI), you may still be at increased risk if you are carrying extra fat around your midsection -- so-called abdominal obesity. That's why in addition to knowing your BMI, you should also know your waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-stature ratio (WSR) to get a fuller picture of your health. Here’s how to calculate these important measurements. More...
Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on February 1, 2012

View More Nutrition and Weight Control Health Alerts

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

View More Osteoporosis Health Alerts

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

View More Prescription Drugs Health Alerts

Urinary Incontinence: A Common Side Effect of Prostate Cancer Treatment

One of the side effects of prostate cancer treatment that concerns men the most is urinary incontinence. As treatments for prostate cancer improve, this complication will become less common. For now, however, men should be aware that there are effective ways to alleviate urinary incontinence. More...
Posted in Prostate Disorders on February 2, 2012

View More Prostate Disorders Health Alerts

Drugs for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Are They Too Expensive?

The effectiveness of treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an important issue, but so, too, is their cost. In a study reported in the journal Retina (volume 30, page 212) three widely used therapies for age-related macular degeneration -- pegaptanib (Macugen), ranibizumab (Lucentis) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin (Visudyne) -- were investigated for their treatment outcomes as well as their Medicare-associated costs. More...
Posted in Vision on February 3, 2012

View More Vision Health Alerts

(800) 829-0422

Registered Users Log-in:

Forgot Password?

Become a Registered User!
It's fast and FREE!
The Benefits of Being a Registered User

Health Topic Pages

  • Health Alert
  • Special Report

What is this?

XML



Number One of America's Best Hospitals 2011-2012: Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked #1 again in the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals by
U.S. News and World Report for the 21st consecutive year.




Please visit here for more information about Johns Hopkins Patient Services


Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Bookstore