Health

5 min read Alicia Graf Mack was about 10 years old the first time doctors had to drain fluid from her knee. It would be more than a decade of pain, surgeries, and time stolen from her career as a professional dancer before she finally learned the cause: ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an immune system condition… […]

Erin Morse hears about her patients’ food cravings a lot, especially for “ultra-processed” and “salty, sweet, crunchy” snacks. Chips and french fries top the list, followed by doughnuts, cookies, and cakes. As the chief clinical dietitian at UCLA Health, Morse offers strategies to help them handle these hard-to-resist cravings. But why do people get them in… […]

The basketball legend talks candidly about the long road to his atrial fibrillation diagnosis — the symptoms he dismissed and the denial that almost killed him.“I went to a baseball game.”That’s how NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 76, found out he had atrial fibrillation (AFib). Two years ago he attended a Los Angeles Dodgers… […]

Stress can take a toll on anyone. But if you have depression, you might not bounce back from stress easily. The death of a loved one, a job loss, or a divorce could trigger symptoms such as guilt and hopelessness. But there are steps you can take to get better.“You need to see that you’re… […]

Sept. 26, 2023 — Fall is here, schools are back in session, and pumpkin spice is in the air. So is the annual reminder to parents to ensure their children’s respiratory infection vaccinations are up to date, especially against the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This year, too, the CDC recommends an updated COVID-19… […]

Sept. 27, 2023 — George Kaufmann, an 81-year-old retiree from California, has been dealing with his son’s mental illness for close to 30 years.His son, Patrick, 48, had his first psychotic episode at 19, Kaufmann said. He’d previously dealt with depression, suicidal ideation and drug use, ““but things came to a head at that point.”Like… […]

April 19, 2023 — Deborah Schranz, a 34-year-old librarian in Teaneck, NJ, has dinner with her family — including her 3- and 6-year-old sons — several nights a week, as well as Saturday lunch. Based on her Orthodox Jewish practice, Sabbath lunch is also a formal meal. Friday night and Saturday lunch meals tend to… […]

April 19, 2023 – New research is shedding light on how an infection with COVID-19 may reactivate, or even cause, psoriasis. The  skin condition affects about 7.5 million adults in the United States, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.  Psoriasis has several well-established triggers, including stress, skin injury, cold or warm air, and allergies. Illnesses like strep… […]

HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy) has changed the face of HIV/AIDS. Successful treatment now allows millions of infected people to keep the virus in check – even undetectable – and lead healthy lives.But as with all medications, it can come with side effects. In some people, weight gain is one of them. Recent studies show that 1… […]

By Patrick Doherty, MD, as told to Kara Mayer Robinson Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a condition that has a big impact on your spine. It literally means stiffening of the spine. You may have pain associated with the stiffness, often in your sacro-iliac joints, which are the joints between your spine and your pelvis bone. AS generally… […]