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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.
Vitamins, Supplements, Memory Boosters?
Your body needs vitamins to stay healthy. But, with possibly one exception, there’s not much reason to believe that taking high doses of vitamins in the form of dietary supplements will improve your memory and cognitive skills.
Energy Drinks and Your Heart
A number of studies have shown that caffeinated energy drinks can raise blood pressure. Now a small study in the Journal of the American Heart Association provides more reason to be wary of these beverages, especially if you are at elevated cardiovascular risk.
Antibiotics Before Dental Work Often Not Needed
In the past, antibiotics were routinely prescribed before invasive dental procedures to prevent distant-site infections in patients who had certain heart conditions or who had undergone joint replacement. The latest thinking: Most antibiotics prescribed before invasive dental procedures to guard against distant-site infections are unnecessary, but, sometimes, they’re still recommended. Here’s what you need to know.
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Should You Take Vision Supplements?
Good nutrition is essential to eye health, as it is to the health of all our organs. But should you take dietary supplements claiming to “support,” “protect,” or “promote” eye health in hopes of preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or cataracts—or for general eye health?
Study Examines 5-ARIs and Mortality Risk
Men who use 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) to relieve lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are at no greater risk of dying of prostate cancer or any other cause than men treated with alpha blockers, according to a study in Urology.
Are Processed Foods Making Us Fat?
It has long been suspected that increased consumption of highly processed (also called ultra-processed) foods in recent decades has contributed to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and possibly other disorders. While experts have blamed the high fat, calorie, and sodium content of such foods, some have theorized that there are other things about these foods…
7 Tips to Help You Breathe More Easily—and When to Call 911
Most often, chronic or recurrent shortness of breath (dyspnea) signals a problem with your lungs or heart. The American Thoracic Society offers advice to help you control breathlessness, once your doctor has diagnosed the underlying cause. If you experience dyspnea, it’s also important to know when to call 911.
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Will You Benefit from a Prostate Cancer Biopsy? Tests to Help You Decide
A high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level doesn’t necessarily mean a man has prostate cancer, but it will usually lead to a referral for a prostate biopsy, which can be painful and cause serious side effects, in some cases. Lab tests are now available that may help identify men most likely to benefit from a biopsy, and…
Yoga for Arthritis
If you have arthritis, practicing yoga may offer a therapeutic two-for-one deal. Not only can yoga make you more limber and strong, but its emphasis on breathing exercises and meditation can help lighten the psychological burden of coping with chronic pain from all forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The key is to be…
Lifestyle Change Programs Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
New diabetes cases are on the decline in the U.S., according to a recent CDC report. Lifestyle change programs, such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), appear to be helping to stem the tide.
Treating Stroke Just 15 Minutes Earlier Reduces Deaths and Disability
Every 15 minutes shaved off the time it takes to treat a person having a stroke can measurably improve the patient’s outcome, according to a recent study in JAMA.
Is Gastritis Causing Your Indigestion?
Every year Americans spend millions of dollars on medications for indigestion, also referred to as dyspepsia. These catchall terms are used to describe an assortment of upper abdominal symptoms that may include pain or discomfort, bloating, burping, loss of appetite, feeling full too soon after a normal-size meal, nausea, and heartburn. A common source of indigestion…
Do You Qualify for an Emotional Support Animal?
Many people can benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal, reducing or even eliminating the need to take medication, such as for anxiety or depression. But what constitutes an actual need for a companion animal is debatable, and undoubtedly there is plenty of fraud.
