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Health and Wellness Alerts from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health
"We believe that everyone, everywhere, has the right to a healthy life"
John Edward Swartzberg, M.D., F.A.C.P CHAIR OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD, UC BERKELEY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Paget’s Disease Can Boost Fracture Risk
Abnormal bone growth caused by Paget’s disease—the second most common bone disease after osteoporosis—can increase the risk for fractures and other complications, including hearing loss. Bisphosphonates, a type of medication used to slow or stop bone loss in people with osteoporosis, are the standard treatment recommended by the Endocrine Society for people at risk for complications.
Falling for Online Scams May Signal Cognitive Impairment in Seniors
Getting duped by telephone or online scam artists who seek to separate people from their money could be a clue that a person is at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of cognitive impairment, several recent studies have found.
Can PTSD Damage Your Heart?
Psychological stress is an unavoidable part of life, and the ways in which it might affect heart health are complicated. But growing evidence suggests that stress-related disorders— psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—can precipitate heart attacks or other cardiovascular conditions in vulnerable people.
How Evening Exercise Affects Your Sleep
Standard sleep advice says you shouldn’t exercise moderately or vigorously within a few hours of bedtime. But most studies have found that early evening exercise does not impair sleep quality. Keep in mind, though, that a variety of factors, including age and the intensity of the workout, can affect how exercise impacts your sleep.
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Are You at Risk for Shingles of the Eye?
If you had chickenpox as a child, you face the risk of developing shingles in adulthood. Most people who develop shingles are 50 and older. Most often, the blistering, painful rash that accompanies shingles initially appears on one side of the torso. But in 10 to 20 percent of people, shingles develops in and around one…
Prostate Artery Embolization for BPH
Prostate artery embolization is a minimally invasive procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition also known as an enlarged prostate. The procedure blocks blood flow to the prostate, causing the organ to shrink, and, in a few days, leading to improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms. But how does it compare to transurethral resection of…
What You Should Know About Stevia
It’s been 11 years since the FDA granted GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status to purified extracts of the stevia plant, clearing the way for stevia to be marketed as a calorie-free sweetener. Although no health concerns have been raised during its 10-plus years in wide circulation in the U.S., it’s good idea not to go…
Combo Nicotine-Replacement Therapy Boosts Odds of Quitting Successfully
One form of nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) works about as well as another, but a recent study found that combining two of these treatments may give you the best chance of kicking the habit.
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Use of Alternative Medicine in Prostate Cancer Grows
Despite a lack of scientific support, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by men with prostate cancer has more than doubled in the United States since the mid-1990s. If you’re one of those men, be sure your doctor knows.
Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Should Not Be a Barrier to Exercise
If you have knee osteoarthritis, don’t use your sore knees as an excuse to stop exercising. That’s the message from a study by Canadian researchers published in Arthritis Care & Research.
Keys to Keeping Weight Off When You Have Prediabetes
People with prediabetes who are overweight or obese can lower their risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes by losing weight. But shedding pounds for good isn’t easy. Findings from a 15-year study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine show what might help.
Yoga: A Natural Blood Pressure Reducer
Yoga often combines physical poses, breathing techniques, and meditation. In recent years, yoga has grown in popularity for both its gentle, low-impact approach and its associated health benefits, including lower blood pressure.
Pancreatic Cancer Patients Are Missing Out on Care
Many patients with noncurable pancreatic cancer are not being given treatments that can lengthen their lives and reduce symptoms, a study published in 2019 in CMAJ suggests.
Exercise May Help Prevent and Fight Depression
Exercise is an important—and often overlooked—strategy for both preventing and treating depression, according to a research review in Current Sports Medicine Reports.
