We sat down with Kiecolt-Glaser to discuss her current work and to learn more about her perspective on wellness. What are you working on now? One segment of my current research focuses on the ways in which stress and depression alter metabolic responses to meals. An initial study showed that women who had experienced more recent stressors burned fewer calories after a fast-food type meal, and also had both lower fat oxidation and higher insulin levels compared with women with fewer stressors....

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually have their first encounter with a mobility aid as they recover from joint replacement surgery — or as they try to buy time and postpone it. As one’s RA progresses, the need for a mobility aid may become more obvious. RELATED: Rheumatoid Arthritis Changes You Basic Facts About Mobility Aids and Rheumatoid Arthritis We know a few things about mobility aids. We know that a cane is often used first, but as more support is needed, a walker or wheelchair may be the more appropriate option....

During nipple-sparing surgery, surgeons remove breast tissue but leave the skin, nipple, and areola in place so that they can immediately reconstruct the breast. The study helps resolve a debate about whether removing a smaller quantity of breast tissue to improve cosmetic results will compromise the chances for a long-term cure or increase surgical complication rates. An Increasingly Viable Option for Patients The study addressed cases in which breast cancer was confined to the breast....

“Most people don’t notice anything, and there is no real change in digestion" after having their gallbladder removed, says William Brugge, MD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. But, he says, “A percentage of people have complications” after gallbladder removal surgery. Living Without a Gallbladder Obviously, when you’re living without a gallbladder, it can no longer store bile, as designed....

The liver is the second largest organ in the body, weighing about 3 pounds and located under the rib cage on the right side. (2) Most people don’t give much thought to the liver or its role in maintaining overall health, but it performs several key functions: (3) It cleans your blood to remove toxins. Whether it be food, drink, medicines, or anything else you ingest, it all gets filtered by the liver....

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock, and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” said WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on that date. “We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.” At that point, the United States had recorded just over 1,000 infections, but Anthony Fauci, MD, now the chief medical adviser to President Biden, accurately warned, “It’s going to get worse....

Measles, a virus-borne respiratory illness, was once common in the United States. In the decade before 1963, measles infected 3 to 4 million people and killed 400 to 500 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because of the measles vaccine, which was first developed in 1963, the disease was declared “eliminated” from the United States in 2000. This means that there was an absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 consecutive months and the disease was no longer native to the country....

Here are several lesser-known — but sometimes serious — symptoms that can come with rheumatoid arthritis. 1. Bruising Easily Autoimmune diseases like RA can cause your blood platelet count to dip below the normal level. Essentially, due to RA, your body uses or destroys platelets faster than it produces them, which can cause you to bruise more easily. Certain medications taken for RA, like the corticosteroid prednisone, are also known to increase the likelihood of bruising....

The benefits of a regular practice can be wide-ranging, including relief from pain, increased strength and flexibility, stress relief, better breathing, weight management, cardiovascular conditioning, better circulation, and a calmer mood, according to the Yoga Alliance. And while nearly every version of this ancient practice incorporates some degree of strength, flexibility, and breath work to improve mental and physical well-being, not all practices are alike. Within yoga, you can find variations that run the full gamut from gentle restorative practices to sweaty, challenging workouts....

Roker described his situation as a “good news–bad news kind of thing.” On the positive side, his cancer was identified early; on the negative end, doctors have told him that the cancer is “a little aggressive.” Roker said he decided to share his diagnosis with the public to help inform other men about the risks of prostate cancer so they can be screened and take action if necessary. “If you detect it early, this is a really treatable disease,” he said....

Some amount of worry related to the pandemic is normal, especially when it comes to protecting yourself from the virus. But if you’re constantly feeling distressed or questioning whether even the slightest things happening in your body are signs of COVID-19 or another potentially life-threatening illness, you could be dealing with illness anxiety disorder (IAD), also known as hypochondriasis. If you’re unsure whether you’re experiencing healthy concerns or symptoms of IAD, the difference between the two comes down to a few key factors....

According to ClassPass, virtual strength training classes are some of the most likely to be replayed during the pandemic. Bodyweight training in particular has become especially popular, as many people don’t have access to all the gym equipment they’re used to. But you don’t need fancy equipment or even free weights to get a great at-home strength workout for your arms, legs, and core. Sweat fitness instructor Williams — who herself has RA — takes us through this low-impact, no-equipment barre workout that engages all your major muscles groups....

There is the “fine” as in “Sure, I’m grand” that’s the exact opposite of the passive-aggressive “(sigh, tsk) Fine …” of someone who is clearly not fine and is begging for attention — we know that a conversation is going to reveal that it’s somehow our fault that they are nowhere near fine. There is also the clipped “fine.” Whereas “(sigh, tsk) Fine …” beseeches our involvement, this curt reply is an invitation to just drop it already or face increased peril if we press for details....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that “older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.” The latter group includes but is not limited to those with chronic lung disease, serious heart conditions, and compromised immune systems. That’s a massive collective of people, and in these uncertain times dominated by self-isolation and stay-at-home orders, it’s reassuring for many of them that they can pick up the phone and reach out to helplines offered by organizations they trust, staffed by dedicated professionals who understand their medical issues, for clarity and reassurance....

You can find classes at fitness studios and gyms across the country, as well as online. Read on to learn what it is, the health benefits it offers, and how to get started. “It helps to work on smaller muscle groups, stabilizing muscle groups, and the core — the muscles in our trunk,” says Heather Milton, CSCS, a board-certified clinical exercise physiologist with NYU Langone Health in New York City....

For the study, researchers examined data on more than 200,000 U.S. adults who were followed for more than 25 years and completed questionnaires about their health and eating habits every two to four years. During the follow-up period, researchers documented a total of 6,241 stroke cases. Researchers scored participants’ diets based on the healthfulness of plant-based foods they ate. They classified people as vegetarians if they consumed no more than one serving of meat or fish per month....

This practice, known as cold-water immersion, is becoming an increasingly popular form of cold water therapy. Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete, also known as “The Iceman,” earned his nickname by breaking world records related to cold exposure, as well as by creating a program involving cold-water immersion, breath work, and commitment (willpower) for possible wellness perks. But Hof wasn’t the first. Historically, various cultures have used cold water as a cryotherapeutic practice (an umbrella term for therapies involving cold temperatures) for thousands of years, according to a review published in February 2022 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology....

People who are already at higher risk because of factors beyond their control — they have pale skin that burns or freckles easily, say, or a family history of melanoma — should follow these protective measures with extra care. Seek Out Shade About 86 percent of melanoma cases are caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun, and the UV rays from indoor-tanning devices are also a significant risk factor....

Knowing the stage of your cancer provides important information about the best treatment options, the likelihood that the cancer can be cured, or whether it is so slow growing that you can safely pursue active surveillance (watch and wait), with routine monitoring by your physician. Several staging systems exist. They vary in complexity and use. In general, the stage at which your cancer was initially diagnosed is the stage that doctors will use throughout, even if cancer moves to a more advanced stage, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)....

Fluids made in the prostate gland mix with sperm to create semen, which are important both in reproduction and protecting the urinary tract and sperm from infections. When things go wrong in the prostate gland, problems with urination can occur. Learn More About The Prostate Gland In fact, many prostate cancers are believed to be slow growing, with men dying from causes other than prostate cancer. Autopsy studies support this, with one analysis of 19 different autopsy studies finding a high prevalence of undiagnosed prostate cancer in men as young as 30, and in more than half of men over age 80....