Stroke Archive

Inflammatory bowel disease, a condition that causes inflammation along the gastrointestinal tract, has a major impact on daily life. For people who identify as LGBTQ+ there are some specific concerns and issues to understand and consider.

ECG readings taken with a smart watch may be just as accurate as a traditional ECG done in a medical setting. But the notion of using a smart watch to diagnose a heart attack is still years away. One main reason: obtaining an ECG with a smart watch requires carefully holding the back of the watch on the wrist and at eight specific locations on the chest and abdomen. Quality control and regulatory issues are other important hurdles that need to be addressed. But experts believe improved smart watches with enhanced diagnostic ability may be on the market within a decade.

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs known as NSAIDs pose a risk to the cardiovascular system. They include over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and prescription drugs such as celecoxib (Celebrex). NSAIDs can cause the kidneys to hold on to salt and water, which tends to raise blood pressure. They also appear to affect the inner linings of blood vessels and alter other blood substances in a manner that promotes blood clots. People who need these pain-relieving medications should take the smallest dose for the shortest possible period of time.

Reports of severe lung illness experienced by hundreds of people who were using e-cigarettes raise questions again about the safety of vaping. Vaping can help some people stop smoking, but potential health risks likely outweigh any benefit.

Drinking water and changing your diet are just some ways to avoid kidney stones. See the full list here.

An ad for a medication to treat thyroid eye disease accurately describes the symptoms of the condition, but as is common with such ads it does not discuss other possible treatment options, or other information that people should be aware of.

Adopting healthy self-management strategies that focus on a healthy diet, physical activity, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, can improve the quality of life of people with gout. Many of these same strategies can help reduce the risk of developing gout to begin with.

A 2022 study suggests that sleep irregularity—night-to-night variations in sleep duration and timing (when someone falls sleep)—are linked to atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries).

For many people, attacks of vertigo recur periodically. The attacks are usually caused by a disorder of the balance (vestibular) system. Examples of balance disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), cervical vertigo, Meniere's disease, and vestibular migraine. Treatment for recurring vertigo involves getting the underlying cause under control; seeking physical therapy tailored to people with balance disorders; and (for people with BPPV) doing a particular maneuver to reposition loose debris in the ear canal.