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There’s nothing inherently bad about cholesterol in your body or blood. But problems can develop if levels in your blood are too high. There are two main types of cholesterol that circulate in your blood: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL, also known as “good” cholesterol, helps protect against the harmful effects of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. If your LDL is too high or your HDL is too low, cholesterol can combine with other substances to form a hard deposit on the inside of your arteries, known as plaque....

The study, published January 24, 2020, in JAMA Network Open, followed 127,600 adults with type 2 diabetes for an average of one year after they initiated therapy with either human or analogue insulin. Despite its higher cost, analogue insulin has become more common than human insulin in recent years in part because it can take effect more quickly and last longer, the study authors wrote. One potential risk of insulin and other medicines to lower blood sugar is that they will induce hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood sugar levels that can lead to complications such as an irregular heartbeat, blurred vision, seizures, and loss of consciousness, according to the Mayo Clinic....

Joint Pain, Stiffness, and Other Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Started in Summer “After Wimbledon, I really wasn’t feeling well,” Wozniacki said in a press conference on October 25. “I thought it was the flu. I thought it was fine; I’m going to get over it. I got to Washington, and my knees are hurting, my leg is hurting. Okay, I’ll just move on. I play in Montreal and something really doesn’t feel right....

IBS occurs when the nerves and muscles in the intestine become oversensitive and don’t function properly, leading to diarrhea, constipation, or both. While most people without IBS will use the bathroom 30 to 60 minutes after eating, some people with IBS will have to go sooner and will feel pain and may have diarrhea. Research has found that choosing foods and beverages low in FODMAPs, or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, and avoiding foods high in FODMAPs helps relieve IBS symptoms....

I’m probably about to waste a hundred bucks on counterfeit KF94s, I thought as I clicked “buy” on my screen, but at least I’d found some semblance of a respirator mask that wasn’t sold out. I also felt relieved to locate a box of kiddie KN95s for my children, brutally expensive but still in stock. Now here we are, not even three weeks later, and I’ve apparently Rip Van Winkled my way into a whole new reality....

Even before COVID-19 sent many of us online for working, learning, and socializing in myriad new ways, there was evidence social media use has its advantages. There was research that suggested that the ability to connect with others via Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and other social media platforms, as well as text messages, can help strengthen social ties and keep us more attuned to our mental and physical health. And then during the pandemic, being able to turn to technology saved many from isolation....

Why do so many people who need hearing aids go without them? According to the American Academy of Audiology, it’s often because hearing aids are expensive and not easy to access. More than 24 percent of respondents to our reviews team’s survey of more than 600 hearing aid users reported that their biggest barrier to purchasing hearing aids was the cost. Fortunately, there are companies that sell OTC hearing aids directly to consumers to offset these costs and make hearing aids more accessible....

“Changes within our field are occurring at an ever-increasing rate,” says Karen Brandt Onel, MD, the chief of the division of pediatric rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery and a professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and the lead investigator for the new updates, released in early March 2022. “Our practice has dramatically changed in the past 10 years, and these guidelines have to change to reflect challenges and advances in our field....

A mice study published in January 2020 in Nature Metabolism may help scientists understand the effects of the diet in humans — as well as its limitations. In their preliminary study, authors found that the benefits of keto ceased after only one week. After that, the rodents began to store fat and regain lost weight. The authors write that these findings suggest that the keto diet may provide benefits, such as a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and reduced inflammation, if followed short term, though more studies are needed....

Lead exposure has contributed more to heart disease deaths in the U.S. compared with the United Kingdom, according to new research presented this week at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2022 in Chicago. Study findings also revealed that the U.S. fared better in terms of heart disease deaths linked to particulate matter — harmful particles in air pollution — when compared to the United Kingdom.The study has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal....

When someone has this disease, the cells normally produced in the bone marrow, such as white blood cells, which fight infection; red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body; and platelets, which help form blood clots, will be crowded out by abnormal leukemia cells. In addition to symptoms like nausea, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and infections, leukemia can also produce a variety of skin problems such as bruising, skin rashes, and bleeding....

The CDC suspects Italian-style meats, such as salami, mortadella, and prosciutto, as the source, although the health agency has not yet specifically identified the products involved. Infected patients reported purchasing prepackaged deli meats and meats sliced at deli counters at various locations. The majority of the cases tied to the outbreak (seven) have been in Massachusetts, while two people have been hospitalized in New York, and one person in Florida has died....

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Awareness Week is a convenient time to reflect and consider why greater attention is needed. It is not just because GERD is extraordinarily common or that the number of Americans with symptoms of reflux such as heartburn is steadily growing. In fact, we have never had as many effective ways to manage GERD as we do now. The paradox is that GERD awareness is relevant now more than ever because of growing confusion about the safety of GERD treatments, leading many to abandon effective therapy, sometimes with disastrous consequences....

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), especially Black Americans, often have hyperkeratotic lesions as well, meaning the scaly areas are especially thick. What’s more, a study published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found that Black people tend to have more severe symptoms and flare-ups overall as compared with white people. Despite these differences, Black and darker-skinned people with psoriasis benefit from basically the same treatment as those with lighter skin....

With type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you have high blood glucose levels because of your body’s inability to properly produce or use the hormone insulin. Ulcerative colitis comes from an inflammation of the lining of the cells in the large intestine or rectum. But drugs like steroids, which are used to treat symptoms of ulcerative colitis, such as diarrhea, stomach pain, and inflammation, can raise blood glucose levels. Steroids can also cause people who aren’t prone to having high blood sugar to develop diabetes, according to research published in July 2015 in the World Journal of Diabetes....

RELATED: The Possible Benefits of Metformin for Type 2 Diabetes and Other Health Conditions Here are seven things you need to know if you or a loved one has been prescribed metformin as part of a type 2 diabetes treatment plan. 1. Which Batches of Metformin Are Affected by the Recall? Certain batches of metformin-ER are being recalled, and the FDA hasn’t indicated that metformin-IR, the most commonly prescribed type of the drug, is impacted....

To better understand the impact of mindfulness training on IBS symptoms, Bruce Naliboff, PhD, a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine led a team of researchers who followed 68 IBS patients through an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) class that included weekly group trainings and daily 30-minute meditation sessions at home. More than 70 percent of participants in the study reported a reduction in the severity of their IBS symptoms following the training, and benefits continued three months after its conclusion....

Stomachaches, though common in children, are rarely life threatening or dangerous, but how do you know when tummy troubles signal something serious? From acute abdominal pain that comes on suddenly to chronic gastrointestinal issues, here’s how to know when to seek medical attention. When Stomachaches Interfere With Life Frequent stomachaches could indicate that something in the digestive system needs medical attention. Keep in mind that children might say that their stomach hurts when the pain could actually be in any part of the digestive system....

I’ve come to accept that the destruction MS causes in my brain and spinal cord can cause weakness in strength and difficulties in coordination. When my arm tremors or my feet can’t keep up with my body – and I tumble - I can get my brain around what is happening. When the major muscles in my upper legs began to give way this weekend, however, I’ll not disguise my surprise and a little bit of sadness....

The holistic health and spirituality teacher tries to engage in physical exercise — mostly yoga and light weight training at the gym — every day to help manage her symptoms. Still, she says, “You never know how your day is going to be. Some days, I wake up and feel great and can’t wait to get to the gym. Then there are other days I fall as soon as I get out of bed, either because of the pain or because I just don’t have the strength in my legs....