What are they and why are they important? You might not be familiar with the term, or know what it means, but you’ve almost certainly heard of some lipids, including cholesterol, fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids. Lipids are essential Read more
Blood pressure describes the amount of force with which the blood pushes against the blood vessel walls. Systolic blood pressure (the first number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart beats. Diastolic blood Read more
Our justice system is far from perfect. Too often, the process of securing justice runs the risk of re-traumatizing victims who must recount the worst moments of their lives on the stand. This can be particularly difficult for young victims. Read more
By now, pretty much everyone is aware that sometimes in medicine, treatments involve removing something from one person’s body and putting it in someone else’s. Organ transplants, blood transfusions, and bone marrow transfusions are probably the most well-known, but there’s Read more
Any American who has any experience with addiction, including family or friends who have struggled with alcohol- or drug-related dependency, has heard of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It’s so ubiquitous that judges will sometimes require defendants to attend AA meetings. Some Read more
Everyone knows that sleep is important. We all know the tired, gritty feeling of not getting enough of it. The feeling that you can barely keep your eyes open, that your mind is in a fog—that is sleep deprivation in Read more
Inflammation is a process by which the body’s white blood cells and the substances they produce fight infections, heal injuries, and react against foreign bodies. Inflammation is caused by the immune system, and it is involved in the immune system’s Read more
Antibiotics are a medical miracle. They seem so routine now, but antibiotics are what make many of the things we take for granted possible. Even the simplest surgery could be fatal without them, since the risks of infection would be Read more
Medical science has known for some time now that non-medical interventions can sometimes alleviate medical conditions just as well as medical interventions. Exercise is a prime example of this. Regular physical exercise works better than medication when it comes to Read more
First, Happy Valentine’s Day! In the U.S., this has become known as a romantic day for couples, with countless people going out to dinner and/or exchanging cards and gifts such as jewelry, chocolate, and flowers. The origins of Valentine’s Day Read more