Barbie Now Has a Realistic Body, but Her FACE Is Unrealistic!
It’s supposedly a big achievement that the Barbie doll body now comes in a curvy or “realistic” version—yet her face remains totally unrealistic. […]
Contraindications for Ventricular Assist Device in Heart Failure
It would seem that most patients with advanced heart failure who are getting worse would be suitable candidates for a ventricular assist device. […]
Cardiorenal Syndrome Death: Would Sooner Intervention Matter?
If someone with chronic heart failure goes into acute decompensated mode triggering cardiorenal syndrome and dies, is there a sooner point in time for which medical intervention could have saved this individual? [...]
Does Ejection Fraction Decrease with Acute Heart Failure?
How can doctors tell that ejection fraction has worsened over the course of a few days in someone admitted with acute decompensated heart failure if only one echo was taken on the day of admission? [...]
What Contraindicates Drug Therapy for ADHF & Worsening Kidneys?
The contraindications for drug therapy in critically ill patients with acute decompensated heart failure with worsening renal function leave physicians in a very tough spot, because without these drugs, the patient is sure to die. [...]
Cardiorenal Syndrome in Elderly: Who Gets Drugs, Who Doesn’t?
What determines when drug treatment in the elderly with acute heart failure and worsening renal function can be helpful vs. harmful? Cardiorenal syndrome has no clear-cut cookie-cutter treatments. […]
Can Gym Workouts Offset Blood Clot Risk from Watching TV ?
Bad news for workout enthusiasts who watch a lot of TV: Your gym exercise may not cancel out the blood clot risk of sitting a lot in front of the TV. Now if you walk [...]
Fasting Glucose Always in the 90’s: Why You Should Worry
Is a fasting blood sugar that’s always in the 90 range as good as always in the 80’s or 70’s, or does this mean you’re at higher risk for eventually developing type 2 diabetes? [...]
Dangers of Double Dose of High Blood Pressure Drug
There is good reason never to double up on a drug for high blood pressure if you miss a dose. “Double dosing on hypertension drugs can be potentially dangerous (even fatal), but most often, there [...]
Fasting Glucose Reading of 119: How Dangerous Is This?
It’s not health anxiety if you keep worrying about your fasting blood sugar being around 119. Because if you keep seeing 119, you’re in big trouble – and your excessive worrying is quite justified. [...]
Just How Bad Is 135 Over 90 Blood Pressure As a Baseline ?
A blood pressure reading of 135 over 90 is so very borderline for high, but don’t let that fool you because it’s dangerous! “Blood pressure is called the ‘silent killer’ for good reason,” says Stacy [...]
How Long Before Prediabetes Turns into Type 2 Diabetes?
Been just diagnosed with prediabetes and are fearfully waiting—or calmly wondering—how long before you have type 2 diabetes? […]
Niaspan vs. B3 Supplement for Coronary Artery Plaque Reversal
Is Niaspan really more effective than a B3 supplement for coronary plaque reversal or is this the pharma industry’s way to a profit stream? […]
A1C of 5.9: What Exactly Does this Mean for Diabetes?
Beware if your A1C came back as 5.9. Though this doesn’t mean (yet) that you have diabetes, it means that type 2 diabetes is rapping hard on your door and you’d better up the ante [...]
Irregular Heartbeat vs. Twitching Muscle in Chest: Comparison
This is about how to tell the difference between an irregular heartbeat and a twitching muscle in your chest. When a muscle twitches (fasciculates), it can be very rhythmic, kind of like the beat of [...]
Low Blood Pressure but Fast Heart Rate: Is This Okay?
Your blood pressure is impressive: always low, but dang, your baseline heart rate is always fast, like in the 90’s. “Every body is different; however, higher resting heart rates can be an indication of underlying [...]
How Dangerous Is Blood Sugar in the 500’s? Organ Failure Possible
Just how dangerous is a blood sugar reading in the 500’s? VERY. “Blood sugar in the 500’s is dangerous, especially if it stays there for any significant period of time (like hours),” says Stacy Mitchell [...]
Bleeding, Oozing Smelly Belly Button: Causes & Solutions
Eeuuugh! What could be causing your belly button to stink and be oozing and bleeding? Could it be some form of cancer? […]
Can a Sinus Cold Cause only One Eye to Water ?
If you have a bad sinus congestion from a cold, what typically happens is that both eyes will be watery as a result. Epiphora is the medical term for excessive watering of the eyes. When [...]
Can a Cold or Flu Raise Blood Pressure?
While you’re lying in bed as sick as a dog with the flu and wondering if this is raising your blood pressure, you’re right. The flu -- even the common cold -- can actually cause [...]
Why Does the Diastolic Blood Pressure Vary So Much?
Your diastolic (the lower number) blood pressure just jumps around so much whenever you have a blood pressure reading. One day it’s 80. Next day or even next hour it’s 68. A few days later [...]
Why Your Chest Feels Heavy After Eating: Heart vs. Heartburn
Ever get that heavy feeling in your chest after eating and wonder if the food is triggering a heart attack or if some heart problem is responding to your meal? And the meal doesn’t necessarily [...]
Throbbing Blood Vessels vs. Twitching Muscles
You suddenly feel something squirming or thumping in your neck, stomach or leg: Is this a blood vessel throbbing or a muscle twitching? Sometimes, the “crawling” sensation occurs in multiple spots at the same time [...]
One Nipple in Men Bigger than the Other: Why?
Are you a man who spends too much time inspecting the nipple that’s bigger than the other? Or perhaps you see it as one nipple being smaller than the other. […]
Can Low Blood Pressure Make You Cold?
Do you ever get waves of suddenly feeling cold or chilly, despite the room temperature being 72 or even 75? Could this be low blood pressure? Not only do your hands feel cold, but you [...]
Why Does My Heart Beat Fast when Trying to Fall Asleep?
It’s not always increased awareness that makes you realize that your heart is beating pretty fast as you lie in bed to go to sleep at night. Though for some people, this explanation holds. “It [...]
Can an MRI Miss a Head Injury and Not Show It?
Head injuries are very common, including among kids, so it’s crucial for an MRI to show a head injury. However, this isn’t always the case — in that this technology doesn’t always show trauma to [...]
Getting an MRI if a Family Member Has a Brain Aneurysm
Did you recently learn that an immediate family member has an aneurysm and are wondering if you should undergo yearly MRI screenings, what with all the anxiety this would cause? […]
Why Aren’t There Routine MRI Screenings for Brain Aneurysm?
Medical plans don’t include the mention of “routine” MRI screenings for a brain aneurysm. And this seems pretty odd, given that often, the first symptom of such an aneurysm is a thunderclap headache soon followed [...]
Can an Unruptured Aneurysm Cause Headaches?
Though a rupturing brain aneurysm causes a thunderclap headache that’s the worst imaginable, can an unruptured aneurysm actually cause any kind of headaches, and if so, how does this happen if it has not ruptured? [...]
Can a Brain Aneurysm Cause a Headache on One Side?
“Brain aneurysms can occasionally cause one-sided headaches,” says Farhan Siddiq, MD, a neurosurgeon with University of Missouri Health Care. […]
Can a Brain Aneurysm Cause Head Stabbing Pain?
Ever get a sudden “stabbing” type pain in your head and wonder if it’s a brain aneurysm rupturing? These sudden sharp stabbing pains in the head can, indeed, be caused by an aneurysm – depending [...]
Can You Hear a Brain Aneurysm Rupture?
People hear balloons popping in their head, snapping, clapping and crackling and wonder if it’s an aneurysm rupturing. Though when an aneurysm ruptures in the classic sense, a so-called thunderclap headache results — a headache [...]
Is a Treadmill As Good for the Heart As Walking Outside?
You’re mistaken if you believe treadmill workouts don’t work the heart as well as “real” walking or jogging outdoors. The treadmill can even be better than the “real thing.” […]
Best Cardio Exercise for Postmenopausal Women
What may be the best cardio exercise for postmenopausal women offers not just fat loss and improved cholesterol, but also stronger bones and legs. If you’re thinking running, think again. […]
Both Knees Hurt with Deep Knee Bends: Cause & Solution
Does a deep knee bend or very low squat hurt both knees, even with only your body weight? “There are varied opinions regarding ATG squats,” says Dr. Tom Carpenter, corrective exercise specialist, certified personal trainer [...]
Thin Upper Body, Fat Lower Body: Cardio or Weights?
If you have a thin upper body but a plump or fat lower body, you need to know which works better for busting fat: cardio or strength training? The issue of having a skinny upper [...]
Cause of Hip Pain Only When Lying Down
The causes of hip pain only when lying down are many, and don’t necessarily involve the bone itself. The first thing you’ll want to do in coming up with a possible cause is to determine [...]
Shin Pain When Walking on Inclined Treadmill: Solutions
Walking on an inclined treadmill can cause shin splints, but there are several solutions to this problem. First off, don’t assume that incline walking is not impacting enough to cause shin splints. You need not [...]
Back Pain Radiating to Breast Causing Intense Pain
Do you feel severe breast pain only when lying down, and you think it’s radiating from a tweak in your back? When a woman experiences breast pain, this often makes her think of breast cancer. [...]