Hope for Huntington’s Disease?
A progressive and fatal neurological disease, Huntington’s disease affects the entire brain. It’s “a constellation of three types of issues: motor, cognitive and psychiatric,” says Danny Bega, MD, a neurologist and director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Huntington’s disease clinic. There are no curative or preventive therapies, but there has been “an explosion of research in […]
You’ve Gotta Have Heart
Taking steps to protect your ticker Let’s get to the heart of the matter. The heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It’s about the size of your fist and is composed of muscle that expands and contracts to pump blood throughout your body, nourishing every cell. It is responsible for […]
The Heart’s Hidden Risks
Are you aware of these lesser-known factors for cardiovascular disease? Most of us know the drill when it comes to keeping our heart healthy: Exercise, don’t smoke, eat plenty of fruit and veggies, maintain a healthy weight and watch our blood pressure and cholesterol. Indeed those are smart habits to follow. High blood pressure, high […]
Miss-Diagnosed: Heart disease is the number one killer of women, yet it’s often hidden
Who do you picture when you think of a typical heart disease patient? Most people think of an older, overweight male. While that is true, this group is far from being the only one affected. There’s another demographic whose risk is just as high: women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in […]
Sexuality, Aging and the Rise of Sexually Transmitted Infections
By Rhonda Alexander During teenage and young-adult years, sexually transmitted infections (STI)—and how to prevent them—is a regular topic of discussion, but what happens to the discussion after the age of 40? “There are no kid gloves in my office,” says Dr. Monique Jones, obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Hazel Crest. “We talk about it […]
The Unshakeable Truth
Assumptions about Parkinson’s may slow the cure’s progressBy Nancy Maes Misconceptions about Parkinson’s disease are common. The casual observer who sees a person with a hand that shakes uncontrollably assumes it’s a telltale sign of the disease, but that’s not necessarily the case. “You do not have to have a tremor to have Parkinson’s disease,” […]
Divided Attention
Kids with ADHD can become adults with ADHD and other problems By Nancy Maes A new study by researchers at Mayo Clinic reveals that there is no cutoff age for attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and describes the risks of this neurodevelopmental condition when it persists into adulthood. “In the past, we thought that ADHD was […]
The Flu Outbreak
Why it broke and whether it’s fixed By David Himmel It begins with an ache. Then a chill. And before you can reach Walgreens, you find yourself in the grip of an influenza outbreak. The final days of last December brought holiday cheer and the third biggest flu season since 2002. After New Year’s Day, […]
Sweet Technology
Living with and managing type 1 diabetes November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and with over 8 percent of the population living with diabetes (according to the American Diabetes Association), it makes sense to stress the education of this disease. And this year, Illinois will amp up its awareness by making November 14 Illinois Diabetes […]
Sickle Cell Awareness Month: Are You Aware?
Our writer admits ignorance and investigates to learn more What do you know about sickle cell disease? Or, what don’t you know? It could be a lot because there are many misconceptions and vagaries surrounding this disease. I certainly didn’t know much when I started researching it. One commonly made assumption (I made it) is […]
The Waiting Game
Facing down an incurable cancer with optimism and research In late November of 2006, the pain in Bill Herlihy’s back had become unbearable. At 56, he knew he was at an age when a lot of men suffer regular back problems, but the pain he’d begun experiencing months before had escalated beyond what could be […]
CT Scan Conundrum
Radioactive scans can save lives, but at what risk? Over the past decade, the number of computerized axial tomography scans, better known as CT or CAT scans, has increased dramatically. But their widespread use also has led to questions about their safety. “CT use has exploded,” says Dr. Daniel Appelbaum, director of nuclear medicine and […]
Precious Memories
Gene studies advance medicines and profit for Alzheimer’s Denise Combs remembers the moment when she first realized her husband John might be suffering from memory loss. “He was a real estate broker for 38 years and always wore a necktie, but one Easter morning… he couldn’t knot his tie. He had done [it] all his […]
Cancer’s Target
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer and most difficult to treat The announcement that Steve Jobs had died of pancreatic cancer last week brought surprise and shock to many. After being diagnosed in 2004, he underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy, also known as a Whipple procedure that removed the tumor. And although he […]
A Quiet Killer
HPV awareness can save lives The Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV, is quietly claiming the lives of thousands of women each year. What makes this stealthy killer so dangerous, besides the fact that there are almost always no signs of infection, is the reluctance of the American public to recognize infection can be prevented. […]
Diagnosed with Osteoporosis: Questions To Ask Your Doctor
Dr. Pauline Camacho, director of the Loyola University Health System Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease Center, encourages patients to approach their doctors with the following questions: If you have not been diagnosed with osteoporosis: Do I need a bone density test (also known as a DEXA scan)? Necessity differs based on sex, timing of menopause, […]
Bone Deep: All About Osteoporosis
It’s all too easy to take our bones for granted. Day to day, they feel so strong and permanent, but in reality, our bones are alive and constantly changing. Their evolution is easy to overlook—until the day we realize how stooped our posture has become, or how easily our wrist fractured during a small and […]
