Articles
Vaping-Relating Illnesses Sweep the U.S.
Recently, there has been a rash of vaping-related illnesses across the U.S., with patients reporting symptoms including a cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, fever, vomiting, and weight loss. At least eighteen people have died, while more than 1,000 have...
Dogs: Your Heart’s Best Friend
Practically everyone has heard the old saying that dogs are a man’s best friend. Well, it turns out that saying may be truer than most people realize, after research showed that owning a dog may be good for cardiovascular health. People who owned pets were more likely...
Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk
People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of developing some forms of cancer compared to the rest of the population. Researchers have finally figured out why, and it has to do with damage to a person’s DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid, most commonly known...
Beating Heart in a Box
I’m excited to announce that I’m working on a new medical thriller, this one centered around heart transplants. On December 3, 1967, Dr. Christian (Chris) Barnard performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur...
Lego Braille Blocks Help Blind Children Learn
Many people may not realize that Braille literacy among visually impaired Americans is on the decline. During the 1950s, up to half of all visually impaired U.S. schoolchildren learned Braille, according to the National Federation of the Blind. Today, only 10% of...
WHO Recommends Limited Screen Time for Young Children
It’s no surprise that we all spend too much time on our devices. Between computers, Smartphones, tablets, and TVs, sometimes it seems like we simply shift from one device to another. Adults log about 11 hours of screen time per day, according to a 2014 Nielsen...
Stem Cells Help Combat Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a condition that mainly affects middle-aged to elderly adults. It involves the wearing away of the protective cartilage around a person’s joints. Cartilage is a type of firm tissue that enables smooth joint movement. If the cartilage wears down...
Blood Test To Track Alzheimer’s Disease
As covered in some of my previous posts, Alzheimer’s is a truly heartbreaking disease. Loved ones watch while their family and friends disappear in front of their eyes—physically present, but no longer the person they once were. That’s why it’s so exciting that...
8 Glasses of Water a Day is Not the Magic Number
You have probably heard the old adage, “Drink eight glasses of water per day.” While water consumption is important in preventing dehydration and for overall health, there is no magic number for how much water you should drink per day. Plus, that figure doesn’t even...
Treating Supplements with Care
Almost everyone has experience with supplements—taking them, or watching others take them, to treat a variety of ailments or achieve other goals like improving their energy levels. People often take supplements to promote weight loss, improve their overall health,...