Diseases & Conditions Archive

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Q. When should I worry about changes in the color of my urine? What color is considered healthy?

A. If a person is well hydrated, the normal color of urine is a pale yellow. Someone who drinks large amounts of fluid or takes diuretics (water pills) can have almost clear-looking urine. A dark yellow color may indicate a need to increase your fluid intake.

News briefs

The guidelines are changing when it comes to screening for hepatitis C, a silent viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, or liver failure. Back in 2012, the CDC recommended a one-time hepatitis C screening for the so-called baby boomer generation (anyone born between 1945 and 1965), a group that made up about 75% of all hepatitis C cases at that time. The following year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) agreed. Now the USPSTF is expanding the screening age to all adults ages 18 to 79. The move is meant to identify more people in early stages of infection and comes as hepatitis C cases have increased almost fourfold since 2010. The USPSTF also advises screening for people outside of the recommended age range if they have ever used injected drugs. The recommendations were published online March 2, 2020, by JAMA. The CDC is in the process of developing similar recommendations. The screening requires only a simple blood test.

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What does that skin spot or growth mean, and when should you have it checked?

Even if you're diligent about sun protection (and you should be), you can still develop skin spots, growths, or other abnormalities.

But are they always cause for concern, or just a normal part of aging skin?

In the journals

Bleeding is a common side effect of anticoagulants (blood thinners). However, people with atrial fibrillation (afib) who take the drug for stroke prevention should not ignore any bleeding from their lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as it may signal colon cancer. That study finding was published online Feb. 7, 2020, by the European Heart Journal.

Researchers analyzed 125,418 patients who took anticoagulants for afib. Only 2,576 had lower GI bleeding during the first six months of treatment, regardless of age. Yet those who did experience bleeding had 10 times the risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer during the subsequent year compared with those who hadn't had any bleeding.

Previously thought to affect mainly children, celiac disease is now understood to be a systemic disorder that can develop at any age. A recent study found a small but significant risk of increased mortality in those with CD, but managing the condition through proper diet and medical care can mitigate the risk.

If you wear glasses or contacts, chances are you've been at least a little bit tempted to investigate the infomercials and books promoting eye exercises to improve your eyesight without surgery. Some programs even claim that faithful adherents may be able to give up their glasses. If this sounds too good to be true, that's because it is.

Purveyors of self-directed eye exercise programs have not conducted randomized trials to verify the effectiveness of their programs, and there is no medical evidence for their oft-stated claim that wearing lenses weakens the eyes and necessitates ever-stronger prescription eyewear. Furthermore, some programs are based on ideas that don't quite square with the anatomy and physiology of vision.

Here's what the numbers mean — and strategies to lower your cholesterol if it's too high.

For some women who've had normal cholesterol readings all their lives, that changes at menopause. "Going through menopause often results in lipid and cholesterol changes for the worse," says Dr. Samia Mora, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a specialist in cardiovascular medicine the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Drops in the female hormone, estrogen, are associated with a rise in total cholesterol levels due to higher amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, and another blood lipid (fat) known as triglyceride. Over time this can raise heart risks, which is a reason for concern, as cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in postmenopausal women, says Dr. Mora.

"So, it's especially important to track the numbers in perimenopause and the early years after menopause, as LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol tend to increase," she says.

Ask the doctors

Q. I had a fainting spell the other day. Should I be concerned? What should I do?

A. Fainting, which your doctor may refer to using the medical term syncope, is not uncommon. Experts say as many as one in three adults experiences at least one fainting spell over time. In most cases, it's not related to a serious medical condition, but if you faint, you should always get an evaluation by a doctor to rule out more serious causes, including heart-related problems.

Most people take bladder control for granted — until the unintended loss of urine interrupts the ability to carry on an ordinary social and work life.

Often, the causes of incontinence are out of a person's control. For example, in women, incontinence is a common side effect of childbirth. For men, it's often a side effect of treatment for prostate problems.

Some data suggest that people with diabetes who get COVID-19 are more likely to have serious complications or to die. If you have diabetes, you need to take steps to reduce your risk of getting sick.