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Historically, adults with disabilities have been excluded from clinical trials, which explains why there isn’t enough data to show how they would respond to stroke treatment. Doctors also tend to determine that a stroke is more severe in these individuals and deem them beyond hope of treatment. Recognizing this, and the need to improve care and stroke outcomes for this underserved population, the AHA and the American Stroke Association (ASA) issued a statement on March 28 regarding people with existing disabilities or dementia who receive treatment for ischemic stroke....

According to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, more than 100,000 U.S. women undergo some form of mastectomy each year. Since 2000, breast reconstruction surgery (a common surgical procedure done to reconstruct the breast following a mastectomy surgery) has experienced a 39 percent increase year-to-year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. An article published in June 2018 in Gland Surgery described how, despite advances in breast oncologic surgery in the 19th century, a long period of confusion over techniques and effectiveness persisted....

Eighteen years later, she is still experiencing symptoms such as headaches, memory loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, and hormonal issues. Pamela, now 51, was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome several years after the incident. She believes that the traumatic brain injury (TBI) she sustained from domestic violence is what’s causing her problems today. Like many victims of domestic violence, Pamela did not seek medical care right after her injury. She said she was primarily focused on fleeing the abuse....

When the gallbladder doesn’t empty completely, cholesterol monohydrate crystals, calcium bilirubinate, or other calcium salts in the bile can thicken, forming sludge. Particles of those calcium salts “can become like rock candy,” explains Jeffrey L. Ponsky, MD, chairman of the department of surgery at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. “If you look under a microscope, and you see little sand-like particles — that’s sludge.” Gallbladder Sludge and Gallstones: What’s the Connection?...

Life with psoriatic arthritis can present challenges, but you can take them on by working closely with your care team, planning ahead, and following a healthy lifestyle. Gender Differences in Psoriatic Arthritis “Differences between men and women are apparent in the way psoriatic arthritis affects different parts of the body,” says Anca Dinu Askanase, MD, MPH, director of rheumatology clinical trials at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City....

Illness, fear, loss, grief, isolation, uncertainty, and unemployment are just a handful of the profound consequences of the pandemic — with many experiencing multiple issues simultaneously. And with cases still spiking across the country and likely worsening this winter, the current U.S. death toll of over 307,000 will just keep rising, and lockdowns and anxiety will persist. The pandemic has pushed us to our limits, but we’ve used our resilience to push back and keep going....

Testosterone therapy, often simply called “T,” is associated with cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, elevated levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol that clogs arteries, and lower levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol that helps keep arteries free of debris, says Nina Stachenfeld, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Metabolic Testing and Performance at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Over time, transgender men and transmasculine people taking testosterone may also have an increased risk of blood clots compared with cisgender women, as well as endothelial dysfunction, a condition that develops when the inner lining of small arteries no longer expands and contracts efficiently, says Dr....

There are two main forms of TGCT: localized and diffuse. Both can grow in the bursae (fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near your joints), the tendon sheaths (the membrane around a tendon), and the synovium (the membrane that lines your joints). In localized TGCT, the tumor affects a specific area of the joint and often occurs in the joints of the hands or feet, though it can appear in any joint in the body, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)....

Ceramides Ceramides are lipid molecules found in the membrane of skin cells that are credited with helping to prevent moisture loss. “Natural or synthetic ceramides will help maintain and restore skin barrier function, so that moisture is sealed in,” explains Ava Shamban, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA. Studies have shown that people who have eczema and psoriasis have significantly fewer ceramides than people with normal skin....

Because the medication is delivered directly to your airways rather than traveling throughout the body like oral medications, there are fewer side effects, making inhaled steroids a better choice for the long-term treatment of chronic asthma. Are you doing everything you can to manage your asthma? Find out with our interactive checkup. But inhaled steroids can lead to thrush, a yeast infection of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Thrush occurs when the corticosteroid inhalers that depress the immune system in the lungs to control your asthma have the same effect on the surface of the throat — with a typical inhaler, most of the drug winds up on your throat on its way to your lungs, explains Russell B....

Gastroparesis: What Is It? Gastroparesis is a disorder in which the stomach empties extremely slowly — a meal that can be digested in about four hours in a healthy person may take days to empty out of the stomach of someone with gastroparesis, says Francisco J. Marrero, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Gastroparesis results when the vagus nerve, which contracts the stomach to squeeze food further down the digestive tract, becomes damaged in some way....

Still, remembering all the little details can be tricky, and certain mistakes are common. By following these dos and don’ts, you can avoid medication mishaps and keep insulin working as it should. DO: Rotate the insertion site (while keeping the body part consistent). “Insulin is absorbed at different speeds depending on where you inject it, so it’s best to consistently use the same part of the body for each of your daily injections,” says Doreen Riccelli, BSN, director of education at Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, Texas....

“Stress is well known for exacerbating inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] symptoms,” says Jordan Axelrad, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine and a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center in New York City. “My patients always tell me that their symptoms feel worse when they’re stressed.” The main treatment for ulcerative colitis is medication to treat inflammation, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, and immune system suppressors....

Over the years, claims of benefits from taking DHEA supplements have included slower aging, clearer thinking, better sexual functioning, and higher energy levels. DHEA supplements have also been used to protect against heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, mental illness, weak bones, and many other conditions. But is there any research to back up these claims? A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reviewed the medical literature on DHEA to see if DHEA treatment has any anti-aging properties for post-menopausal women....

It would certainly make dieting easier if we could munch on calorie-free foods all day. But other than water and diet beverages, there is unfortunately no such thing as a zero-calorie or negative-calorie food, according to Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, Texas Dietetic Association media representative and public relations coordinator for the Austin Dietetic Association in Austin, Texas. Busting the “Zero-Calories” Myth Apart from foods that have been engineered to be calorie-free, like sugar substitutes, virtually all foods contain calories....

— Linda, Kansas Most polyps in the bladder are actually bladder cancers. The majority of bladder cancers are noninvasive lesions that protrude into the hollow of the bladder on stalks, like a cauliflower. Bladder tumors are identified by cystoscopy, whereby a scope is passed up the urethra into the bladder to allow for visual inspection of the inside of the bladder. This is usually performed in the urologist’s office. Treatment involves “transurethral resection” — in simple terms, the doctor scrapes out the tumors with a cautery instrument for pathological examination....

What exactly is insulin and why would your doctor prescribe it? Insulin is a naturally-occurring hormone in the body that allows your muscle, fat, and liver cells to absorb sugar (glucose), a source of energy for these cells, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) explains. Common Fears About Taking Insulin Though for some people taking insulin can be the answer to effectively managing diabetes, there are many persistent myths and fears surrounding its use....

— Stacy, North Carolina First and most importantly, you need to make sure that your son’s diagnosis is correct. Did he have an upper endoscopy or radiology study that actually showed GERD? Occasionally doctors will prescribe medications, such as Prilosec or Pepcid, for symptoms that are consistent with GERD without using diagnostic testing. At this point, since your son is not responding to the usual GERD medications, make sure he sees a gastroenterologist and undergoes tests to confirm that GERD is actually the problem....

Diabetes treatment may include: MedicationNutrition therapyPhysical activityLifestyle measures to manage stress and other issuesSpecialist care to prevent and treat complicationsBariatric surgery “The cornerstone of all diabetes treatment is a healthy lifestyle that includes diet and exercise,” says Kathleen Dungan, MD, an endocrinologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “However, diabetes is a progressive disease, which means that even if you are doing well with a particular treatment, it usually fails over time....

The CDC sent a statement to CNN saying, “There is no indication that anyone has been exposed to the small number of frozen vials.” The federal health agency added that the lab worker who found the vials was wearing gloves and a face mask. “We will provide further details as they are available,” wrote a CDC representative. Yahoo News obtained an unclassified “For Official Use Only” alert from the Department of Homeland Security reporting that there were a total of 15 questionable vials — five labeled “smallpox” and 10 labeled as “vaccinia....