Leprosy in Florida: How worried should we be?

The media uproar that swirled a few weeks ago around leprosy in the US drew attention away from ongoing heat and extreme weather that pose far more danger to most of us. But does a single case of a man diagnosed with leprosy in central Florida suggest that anyone anywhere in the US could get […]

Prostate cancer: An emerging surgical alternative shows promise in older men

Think of prostate cancer surgery and what likely comes to mind is a radical prostatectomy, which is an operation to remove the entire prostate gland along with the seminal vesicles that produce semen. However, men with localized prostate cancer — meaning cancer that is still confined to the prostate — have another surgical option. Called […]

The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation

While the FDA rules for blood donation were revised twice in the last decade, one group — men who have sex with men (MSM) — continued to be turned away from donating. Now new, evidence-based FDA rules embraced by the American Red Cross will focus on individual risk rather than groupwide restrictions. Medical experts consider […]

Monitoring blood pressure at home? Make sure you follow these steps

When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? All adults should have this simple test at least once a year. If a blood pressure reading at your doctor’s office is elevated — that is, higher than a healthy range — current guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend repeating the […]

Harvard Health Ad Watch: Why are toilets everywhere in this drug ad?

If the first goal of a drug advertisement is to grab your attention, this ad for Entyvio (vedolizumab) works. You see a young woman getting into her car, sitting in her work cubicle, sitting in a restaurant, and finally in the waiting room of her doctor’s office. But she’s not sitting on the seat of […]

Plyometrics: Three explosive exercises even beginners can try

As a kid, I spent many Saturdays romping around my Florida neighborhood imitating Colonel Steve Austin, better known as The Six Million Dollar Man to avid TV watchers in the 1970s. The popular show featured a bionic man — half human and half machine — who could jump from three-story buildings, leap over six-foot-high walls, […]

Tourette syndrome: Understanding the basics

Just about everyone has met or seen someone who has a tic disorder. Many tic disorders are diagnosed during childhood. Less often, a tic disorder like Tourette syndrome is diagnosed in adulthood — as was the case for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi. What are tics? Tics are very common, with as many as one in […]

Immune boosts or busts? From IV drips and detoxes to superfoods

Ever see ads for products that promise to supercharge immunity? Activate your body’s natural defenses? Support a healthy immune system while delivering a potent boost derived from nature’s hottest immune-enhancing ingredients? While the words may change to reflect the latest trends, the claims certainly sound amazing. But do the multitude of products promoted as immune […]

Prostate cancer: A new type of radiation treatment limits risk of side effects

When it comes to limiting side effects from radiation therapy, the name of the game is precision. Doctors want to treat the cancer while avoiding healthy tissues, and fortunately technological advances are making that increasingly possible. One newer technique called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) can focus precisely targeted beams of high-dose radiation on a tumor […]

Shift work can harm sleep and health: What helps?

We can feel groggy when our sleep schedule is thrown off even just a little. So what happens when shift work requires people to regularly stay awake through the night and sleep during the day — and how can they protect their health and well-being? What is shift work disorder? Mounting evidence, including several new […]