Heart Disease Looks Different In Women
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 289,758 women in 2013—about a quarter of all female deaths. And although heart disease is often thought of as a “man’s disease,” it kills approximately the same number of women and men each year. Because February is American Heart Month, our family practice doctors in Delray Beach, Florida, want to highlight the risks, warning signs, and preventive measures you can take in combating this deadly disease. Differences in women Although men and women die at the same rate
The Amazing Health Benefits of Fiber
You already know that increasing your fiber intake can not only help maintain a regular digestive system, but that it also helps you lose weight. Scientists have known for decades that a high-fiber diet results in lower blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduced blood glucose, and reduced inflammation throughout the body. Now a new study shows that a high-fiber intake can help reduce the overall risk of death. Published last month in the journal Lancet, the study concludes that those who eat the most fiber are less likely to die from any cause. Our family practice doctors in Delray Beach, Florida,
Eight Tips To Avoid Catching a Cold
A cold won’t kill you, but you’re unfortunate enough to contract one, you may wish it would. The average cold symptoms don’t usually measure up to the misery of the flu, but it can often come close. Sometimes the only way to tell the difference between a cold and flu is the absence of a fever, the defining marker of influenza. Our family practice doctors in Delray Beach, Florida, would like to give you some tips on how to avoid catching a cold. What is it about winter that makes us more susceptible to the cold virus, even here in South
A Volatile Income Can Be Deadly
If you were caught up in the recent government shutdown, if you’re a gig worker, or a server who works mainly for tips, if you’re an entrepreneur or freelance consultant, or if you hold any one of a number of seasonal or irregular jobs, the volatility of income associated with your job could have deadly consequences. Younger workers impacted The most recent study that confirms this was published this month in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). Titled “Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults,” it found a strong association between fluctuating incomes and a higher risk of death.
What You Should Know About Restless Leg Syndrome
You’ve had an exhausting day, you’re dead tired and you can’t wait to climb into bed. You crawl under the covers, flip off the light, and sleep begins to overtake you. Suddenly you have an overwhelming compulsion to move your legs, not just once but over and over again. Each time you settle down and start to fall asleep, you need to jerk your legs. You try to control it, but the urge recurs. You have restless leg syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED). It doesn’t matter what it’s called, you just want it to stop so you can
Doctors’ Best Diets for Health and Weight Loss
How’s that New Year’s resolution to lose weight coming along? Have you already thrown up your hands in frustration because the hottest new celebrity diet is just too difficult to live with, even for a few days? That’s the problem with fad diets. They may take off a few pounds (often comprising mainly water weight), but the rules are just too restrictive to maintain over the long term. In addition, research has shown that dieting is not effective in the long run, and can lead to greater weight gain the more you diet. The body interprets calorie restriction as a pending
How To Get the Best Blood Pressure Reading
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the leading cause of death worldwide and the second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States (cigarette smoking is the main cause). The disease, now thought to affect 46 percent of adult Americans, can lead to both chronic and deadly diseases including heart disease, strokes, blood clots, kidney disease, cognitive impairment, and heart attacks. Often called the “silent killer,” it has no symptoms, which is why we doctors put so much emphasis on having your blood pressure checked regularly. Last year, a report from the American Heart Association (AHA) and 10 other
The Difference Between Gluten and Fructan Sensitivity
With all the publicity about supposed gluten sensitivity in the last few years, the family practice doctors at Cohen Associates in Delray Beach, Florida, often have patients coming into our offices announcing they read online that they are allergic to gluten and they are going to stop consuming all wheat. Not only can this lead to a number of health issues, chances are they don’t really have a problem with gluten in food. First, celiac disease—which is exacerbated by glutens—can only be diagnosed by a doctor. For these people, the smallest amount of gluten can cause diarrhea, abdominal bloating and pain,
Vaccination Facts and Misconceptions
Your primary care doctors at Cohen Medical Associates in Delray Beach, Florida, sometimes encounter patients who have questions and even reservations about being vaccinated or having their children vaccinated. In addition, several recent reports about the effects of not having children vaccinated have caused us concern, so we decided to try to clear up some of the myths and misconceptions about vaccines. News report: A school in Asheville, North Carolina, has 36 children as of last month who have contracted chicken pox because a preponderance of the children’s parents have used a religious exemption in the law to keep their
Get Your Exercise Any Way You Can
You may get tired of hearing your primary care doctors in Delray Beach, at Cohen Medical Associates, talk about exercise so often, but there’s a good reason for it: It’s the best thing you can do to remain healthy, or to recover from illness or chronic disease. Exercise benefits Here’s just a partial list of the types of disorders that can be alleviated or prevented by regular exercise: heart disease diabetes asthma back pain arthritis insomnia Parkinson’s disease multiple sclerosis chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) anxiety and depression dementia, gallstones obesity diverticulitis osteoporosis peripheral vascular disease at least eight different types of