Topic: Women’s Health

breast cancer
Oct 25 2022

Strategies for women at an increased risk for breast cancer

Health Risk Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Although the majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease, approximately 5% to 10% of breast cancers occur in women with inherited gene mutations. These women are considered to be at an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers during their lives. The most... Read More

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medical gaslighting
Sep 27 2022

Medical gaslighting: What is it and how can it affect your health?

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Going to the doctor and having your symptoms or concerns dismissed or downplayed is more than a frustrating experience. This failure of your healthcare provider to listen to you and take the symptoms you report seriously can lead to misdiagnosis and significantly delayed diagnosis of a serious health issue. This behavior by medical professionals is... Read More

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health strategy
Jul 26 2022

In your 20s? Why you need a health strategy

Preventive Care  •  By Miles Varn, MD

A lot of younger people think preventive care and building a healthy strategy isn’t needed when you’re young and healthy. In fact, the number of people in their 20s who have a primary care doctor has dropped significantly. A Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that among people between the ages of 18 and 29,... Read More

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fertility specialist
Jul 12 2022

What to consider when you need a fertility specialist

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

If you’re trying to start a family and are having trouble getting pregnant, you may want to consider consulting a fertility or reproduction medicine specialist. Fertility specialists also help same sex and trans partners conceive. Fertility issues are more common than many people realize. According to CDC data, 19% of heterosexual women between the ages... Read More

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endometriosis
May 9 2022

How women with endometriosis can get the right diagnosis

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Approximately six to ten percent of women in the U.S. are living with endometriosis, a chronic condition that causes tissue similar to tissue of the uterus to grow outside of the womb. For women who report chronic pelvic pain, some studies have found that 71 to 87% of them have endometriosis. The number of American... Read More

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medical jargon
Mar 31 2022

How self-advocacy can lower the risk of misdiagnosis for women

Health Risk Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

A man and a woman, who are both having a heart attack, go to the emergency room. But it’s 50% more likely that the woman will be misdiagnosed than the man. If they were both having a stroke, the woman is nearly 30% more likely to receive the wrong diagnosis. Why is the woman’s risk... Read More

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menopause
Mar 17 2022

How functional medicine can help ease the experience of menopause

Blog  •  By Michael Scott, ND, MSA

We talked with Esther Blum, an integrative dietitian and high performance coach, about the important role of nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. In addition to working with patients, she is the author of four bestselling books. Her fifth book, on menopause, is currently in the works and will... Read More

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breast cancer risk
Oct 26 2021

Five changes you can make to lower your breast cancer risk

Health Risk Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

While there are some factors that affect breast cancer risk that you can’t change–genetic mutations, family history, age, having dense breast tissue, race, and ethnicity–there are proactive changes you can make that have been associated with lowering your risk. These lifestyle changes include: Reach and maintain a healthy weight. Studies have found an association between... Read More

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heart health
Aug 25 2020

The proactive steps women should take for heart health

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Many women don’t think of heart health as a top concern, but recent data show why they should. Not only are heart attacks the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. annually, causing more deaths than all types of cancer combined, data from the American Heart Association show that the incidence of cardiovascular... Read More

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Apr 28 2020

What it’s like to be diagnosed with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the largest, most difficult health challenges the U.S. has encountered in decades, people are still facing the serious health problems they always have, from heart attacks and strokes and serious injuries from accidents to all kinds of cancer. One of our members shared her experience of being... Read More

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