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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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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
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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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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
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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
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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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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
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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
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Health Topic Pages
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Arthritis
- Xarelto: A New Drug for New Joints
- Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia: Should You Try It?
- Tackling B Cells to Fight Lupus
- Does Complementary Medicine Work for Osteoarthritis? Here’s What We Know …
- Research Report: Aquatic Exercise Aids Recovery After Knee Replacement
- Advice to Help You Sleep Better with Fibromyalgia
- In the Pipeline: DMOADs for Osteoarthritis
- More Alerts...
- Arthritis in Your Ankle? You've Got Choices!
- Gentle Workouts Relieve Arthritis Pain
- What’s the Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer?
- Gout and Soda: What’s the Connection?
- Joint Replacement: It's Not Just Knees and Hips
- Fibromyalgia: Understanding a Mysterious Ailment
- Chronic Lyme Disease vs. Post-Lyme Disease
- More Special Reports...
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Back Pain
- Research Update: Manual Mobilization Improves Kyphosis
- 5 Tips to Help You Maintain a Healthy Back
- The Alexander Technique: An Alternative Therapy for Chronic Back Pain
- Improving Posture to Prevent Back Pain
- Neck Strength Training: How It Can Help
- Yoga for Low Back Pain Relief: Alternative No Longer
- Adult Scoliosis: Could It Be the Cause of Your Back Pain?
- More Alerts...
- 9 Exercises to Strengthen Your Back
- Back Pain – Is It All in Your Head?
- Advice To Help You Get a Good Night's Sleep With an Aching Back
- A Back-Strengthening Program
- An Imaging Arsenal for Diagnosing Back Pain
- Corticosteroid Spinal Injections for Back Pain Relief
- Back Pain and Osteoporosis Glossary
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Cancer
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Caregivers | Caregiving
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Colon Cancer
- Colonoscopy Prep Advice
- Do Colon Polyps Always Lead to Colon Cancer?
- Preventing Colorectal Cancer Recurrence with Aspirin Therapy: Yea or Nay?
- Many Reasons for Optimism in the Fight Against Colorectal Cancer
- Follow-Up After Colorectal Surgery: What to Expect
- Interpreting the Signs and Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer
- The Virtues of Virtual Colonoscopy
- More Alerts...
- The Promise of Personalized Colon Cancer Therapy
- How Old Is Too Old for Colorectal Cancer Surgery?
- In the Pipeline: Biomarkers for Detection of Colorectal Cancer
- Flat Colon Lesions: Cause for Concern?
- Making Your Colonoscopy Count
- Coping With the Mental Side Effects of Chemotherapy
- Surviving the Emotional Aftershock of Colorectal Cancer
- More Special Reports...
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Complementary Medicine
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Depression and Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder Type 1 or 2: How to Tell the Difference
- Research on Bright-Light Therapy for SAD and Bipolar Disorder
- Research on Vitamins B6 and B12 and Depression
- Weight Gain: An Unwelcomed Side Effect of Psychiatric Medications
- When Electroconvulsive Therapy Is the Right Choice
- When Anxiety Spins Out of Control
- What Causes Dysthymia?
- More Alerts...
- Treating Mood Disorders With Hallucinogenic Drugs
- Facing Your Fears With Exposure Therapy
- Why Older Women Have Eating Disorders
- What Happens When Stress Doesn't Go Away
- The Pain-Mood Connection
- Report on Substance Abuse and Aging
- Anxiety and Your Physical Health
- More Special Reports...
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Diabetes
- Which Comes First: Diabetes or Depression?
- Sugars and Sugar Alcohols: What’s the Difference?
- Diabetes and the Glycemic Index
- Diabetes and Sex: Don’t Give Up Hope
- Carbohydrates: How Low Should You Go?
- How to Recognize the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
- Going on the Offensive to Protect Yourself Against Heart Disease
- More Alerts...
- Prediabetes: Meeting an Epidemic With New Treatment Goals
- Looking Out for Number One: Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
- Traveling Safely With Diabetes
- Understanding How Insulin Regulates Blood Glucose
- The Role of Insulin in Blood Glucose Control
- Getting a Better Look at Blood Sugar Levels
- Making Sense of Type 2 Diabetes Medications
- More Special Reports...
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Digestive Health
- Ask the Doctor About GERD
- Depression & Celiac Disease: A Growing Problem
- Signs and Symptoms of Gallstones
- Six Strategies to Protect Against Esophageal Cancer
- Primer on Hiatal Hernia
- What’s So Great About Fiber?
- Diagnosing Pancreatic Cancer: What to Expect
- More Alerts...
- On the Horizon: Two New Surgical Treatments for GERD
- Focus on Peptic Ulcers
- Life Without a Gallbladder
- 7 Tips to Help You Reduce Bloating
- How Your Gut Can Affect Your Bones
- What to Expect From Your Endoscopy
- Four Relaxation Techniques to Soothe Your Digestive Discomfort
- More Special Reports...
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Enlarged Prostate
- Should You Try Saw Palmetto for Your BPH Symptoms? What We Recommend
- Should You Have a PSA Screening Test? Johns Hopkins Responds to Recent USPSTF Recommendations
- How Severe Is Your BPH? Take This Prostate Symptom Questionnaire to Find Out
- Which Is It: Prostatitis or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS)?
- Keeping Enlarged Prostate in Check
- A Look at the UPOINT System
- Should You Try an ED Drug for BPH?
- More Alerts...
- Two-Drug Options for BPH
- Do You Have BPH? Take This Prostate Symptom Questionnaire to Find Out
- PVP or TURP for BPH?
- In the Pipeline: New Treatments for BPH
- BPH: New Discoveries May Lead to Better Treatment
- What Does It Mean? PSA Terminology Explained
- More Special Reports...
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Exercise and Fitness
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Healthy Living
- Research on Compression Stockings to Prevent Blood Clots
- Advice to Help You Stay Healthy When You Travel
- Guidelines on Alcohol Consumption: How Much Is Too Much?
- Male Stoicism: Bad for the Health
- Fluzone High-Dose: A Flu Vaccine for Older Adults
- Fighting Pancreatic Cancer: Treatments on the Horizon
- 9 Do’s and Don’ts for Older Drivers
- More Alerts...
- Do You Have a Thyroid Disorder?
- Impulse Control: The Link Between Parkinson's and Gambling
- The Pain-Mood Connection
- Your Cosmetic Dentisty Options
- How the FDA Approval Process Works
- Are You At Risk For Gallstones?
- Breathe Easier With An Air Purifier
- More Special Reports...
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Heart Health
- 10 Steps to Lower Triglycerides
- Migraines Linked to Risk of Heart Attacks
- Grapefruit Interactions: Advice to Help You Stay Safe
- After a Heart Attack: Nine Important Steps to Follow
- Angina Basics
- Gum Disease and Heart Disease: What’s the Link?
- Heart Attacks Decreasing … Survival Increasing
- More Alerts...
- The Research on Psoriasis and Cardiovascular Disease
- Cardiac Rehab Works: Here’s How
- Protecting Your Heart With Whole Grains
- What You Should Know About C-Reactive Protein
- Zapping Abnormal Heart Rhythms
- Ways to Boost Your HDL Cholesterol
- The Best Screening Tests for People Without Symptoms of Heart Disease
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Hypertension and Stroke
- Understanding the Two Types of Stroke
- Sleep Apnea Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
- Another Reason to Rev Up Your Exercise Regimen
- Where Do Migraines Come From?
- Research: Blood Pressure Fluctuations Linked to Stroke Signs
- How Worried Should You Be About a Stroke?
- Can Moderate Alcohol Consumption Prevent Hypertension?
- More Alerts...
- Hypertension and Your Sex Life
- Are You At Risk For Vascular Dementia?
- Can You Pass the Stroke Symptom Test?
- Controlling Difficult-to-Control Hypertension
- When Your Heart Feels Like It's Skipping a Beat
- Guidelines on Controlling Pain Without Raising Your Blood Pressure
- Get Moving To Lower Your Blood Pressure
- More Special Reports...
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Knee Replacement Surgery
- Is Age an Obstacle to Knee Replacement Surgery?
- Weighing the Pros and Cons of Knee Replacement Surgery
- Resuming Physical Activities After Your Knee Replacement
- Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement Surgery
- Female Knee Replacements
- After Knee Replacement Surgery: Rehab and Recovery
- What Happens During Knee Replacement
- More Special Reports...
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Lung Disorders
- Lung Cancer: When Nonsmokers Are Affected
- Sleep Apnea Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
- Fluzone High-Dose: A Flu Vaccine for Older Adults
- Research on Smoking and Prostate Cancer
- Asthma in Older Adults: Misdiagnosed and Undertreated
- E-cigarettes: Another Option to Help You Quit Smoking?
- COPD and Sleep Disorders: Common and Serious
- More Alerts...
- Bronchoscopy: Taking a Closer Look
- Planning Ahead: The Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney
- On the Horizon: A New Treatment for COPD
- Four Steps to Better Asthma Control
- COPD: Catching the “Silent Killer”
- Home Monitoring for Sleep Apnea
- Looking At How The Lungs Work
- More Special Reports...
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Memory
- Research Shows That Having a Purpose in Life May Lower Alzheimer's Risk
- Advice to Keep Dementia at Bay
- Mild Cognitive Impairment: Is It a Sign of Alzheimer’s?
- How Dr. Folstein Created the MMSE
- Unraveling the Mystery of Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
- Research Update: Dementia Linked to Atrial Fibrillation
- Does Namenda Work? Dr. Rabins Addresses a Difficult Question
- More Alerts...
- Food for Thought
- Your Aging Brain: What’s Normal, What’s Not
- Does Light Therapy Help Alzheimer’s Patients Sleep?
- Habilitation: A Better Caregiving Approach
- Guarding Your Memory
- Activities to Engage the Dementia Patient
- Caregivers -- The Hidden Patients
- More Special Reports...
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Men's Health
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Nutrition and Weight Control
- BMI Isn’t the Only Way To Evaluate Your Weight: Here Are Others
- Gaining Weight? It Could Be Your Medication
- Advice to Help You Kick-Start Your Metabolism
- Research: Exercise Plus DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure More
- Understanding Why Metabolism Matters
- Research on Vitamins B6 and B12 and Depression
- Fight Disease With Phytochemicals
- More Alerts...
- Making Sense of Health Claims
- 7 Easy and Effective Weight-Loss Strategies
- The Wisdom of Cutting Back on Salt
- The Psychology of Mindless Eating
- 7 Strategies to Rev Up Your Aging Metabolism
- Changing Behavior to Lose Weight
- Dietary Supplements: Yea or Nay?
- More Special Reports...
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Osteoporosis
- Recovering From a Hip Fracture: What to Expect
- Personalizing Your Fracture Risk with FRAX
- The Sobering Facts About Hip Fracture
- Rethinking the Role of Protein-Rich Diets in Osteoporosis Prevention
- Osteoporosis Screening: When Should You Start?
- What Does “Osteopenia” Really Mean?
- How Long Can You Safely Take Bisphosphonate Medication for Osteoporosis?
- More Alerts...
- Talking About Hip Fractures with Dr. Bellantoni
- Osteoporosis: Not Just a Woman’s Disease
- Osteopenia: To Treat or Not to Treat?
- Osteoporosis and Digestive Disorders
- Is it Ever Okay To Discontinue Your Osteoporosis Medication?
- 6 Exercises To Help Build Bone Strength and Help Prevent Osteoporosis
- Calcium Supplements Still Count
- More Special Reports...
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Prescription Drugs
- In the Trash? Down the Drain? What’s the Safest Way to Dispose of Unused Meds?
- Straight Talk on the Health Risks of Herbal Supplements
- Why Is Prescription Medication So Costly?
- Your Pharmacist: An Underutilized Resource
- Safely Disposing of Unused Medications: Advice from the FDA
- Antibiotics: How They Can Cause Diarrhea
- How Oral Drugs Are Metabolized in the Body
- More Alerts...
- How a New Healthcare Initiative Could Lead to Better Treatment
- Drug Abuse and the Elderly
- The Wait for Generic Biologic Drugs
- How Antibiotics and Other Drugs Work
- What Is Pharmacogenics and Can It Help You?
- The Life Cycle of a Pill
- Will This Medication Work? Look to Your Genes
- More Special Reports...
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Prostate Disorders
- Urinary Incontinence: A Common Side Effect of Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Understanding the TNM Prostate Cancer Staging System
- True or False: Prostate Cancer Growth Is Faster in Black Men?
- Using Nomograms to Predict Prostate Cancer Risk
- Research on Smoking and Prostate Cancer
- "Plan B”: Cryotherapy as Salvage Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Hormone Therapy Before Brachytherapy
- More Alerts...
- A New Look at Cryosurgery
- Planning Ahead: The Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney
- Should You Take Proscar to Prevent Prostate Cancer?
- Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer
- Taxotere: Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer
- Testosterone-Replacement Therapy: Does It Increase Prostate Cancer Risk?
- More Special Reports...
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Sexual Health
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Vision
- Drugs for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Are They Too Expensive?
- How Diabetic Retinopathy Affects Vision
- New Technologies to Brighten Low Vision
- Lowering IOP Through Exercise
- A Look at Two Alternative Treatments for AMD
- How to Make the Most of Limited Vision and Mobility
- Staying on Track With Your Glaucoma Regimen
- More Alerts...
- Glaucoma and Your Genes
- Your Glaucoma Treatment Options
- What You Should Expect After Cataract Surgery
- 4 Promising Treatments for AMD
- Glaucoma: A Family Matter
- How the Eye Works
- Advice To Help You See Better When You Drive
- More Special Reports...
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Womens Health
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