Health Blog

Clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing are much less expensive and more common than they used to be. You can buy a genetic test kit at Walmart or your local pharmacy for under $200 and learn about your ethnicity and family tree, as well as your risk for certain diseases. More than 26 million people used... Read More

You may think of an advance directive as a document you only need once you’re in your 60s and 70s or when you’ve been diagnosed with a serious illness. In fact, it’s a good idea to create your advance directive when you’re young and healthy. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact that anyone at... Read More

If you’ve been working remotely or have been furloughed during the pandemic and your employer is now reopening your workplace, you may have concerns about whether it’s safe to return to work during the pandemic. If you’re in a group that’s at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including people over 65 and... Read More

A carefully reviewed, comprehensive electronic health record can save lives and reduce the risk of medical errors and inappropriate treatment and duplicate diagnostic testing. For example, if you are unconscious and unable to answer questions about your medical history and medications, an electronic record can provide the answers you’re unable to so physicians can quickly... Read More

Incorrectly filled prescriptions occur more often than most people know and the effects of these medication errors can have a significant impact on your health. According to one paper on the impact of medication errors, preventable medication errors affect more than 7 million Americans and cost nearly $21 billion each year. Health problems caused by... Read More

Ads suggest they make great Father’s Day or holiday gifts. Around 30 million people have tried them and that number is projected to grow to 100 million next year. Direct-to-consumer genetic tests that provide information about your ancestry and risk of developing certain health problems are undeniably popular, but people from affluent families may want... Read More

Recent vaping-related illnesses are an example of something that can happen with any new or rare health problem. When faced with a new or rare condition, patients may face a higher risk of being misdiagnosed. For example, when patients who were eventually diagnosed with vaping-related illnesses first sought treatment, most were believed to have pneumonia... Read More

While osteoporosis prevention may not cross your mind in your 20s, it’s the best time to start taking steps that can strengthen your bones and lower your risk of developing this disease when you’re older. Even if you don’t get started building bone strength that early, you can still have a positive impact on the... Read More

If you have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or other chronic diseases, you may be taking several prescription medications each day to treat your condition. And the older you get, the more likely it becomes that you’re taking more than one medication. In fact, approximately a third of Americans and Canadians between... Read More

A growing number of people are choosing to eat a plant-based diet. Some make the switch because of concerns about the environmental impact of greenhouse gasses and water and land consumption associated with meat production. Another key reason people choose a plant-based diet is because of the potential health benefits it may offer, including weight... Read More