Go Dark for Healthier Sleep
According to Harvard Health, a single night of poor sleep can not only leave you feeling cranky and unmotivated, but also over time, raise the risk of a number of chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It can also leave you more vulnerable to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that chronic sleep deprivation can also increase your risk of dementia by 33 percent and age your brain by as much as three to five years. This is why our primary care doctors in Delray Beach often urge our patients to
The Pros and Cons of Rapid COVID-19 Tests
When will the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus be gone? Our primary care doctors in Delray Beach wish we knew the answer to that. What we do know is that it’s still circulating among us, especially here in South Florida. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures, all South Florida counties except Okeechobee remain in the highest of three COVID-19 community levels. The high categories reflect surging cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations. WPTV reports that cases statewide are at the highest level since mid-February, the positivity rate of 17.2 percent is the greatest since early February, hospitalizations are the most
Multiple Heart Conditions Linked to Dementia
If our primary care doctors in Delray Beach told you that having more than one risk factor for heart disease was as detrimental to your mental health as genetics, would you believe it? This is what a new large-scale study on dementia risks found. According to the study, led by Oxford University and the University of Exeter and published last month in the journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity, having multiple heart-related conditions are linked to a greater risk of dementia than having a high genetic risk. It also confirmed the findings from a 2017 study that showed similar results. The study The researchers
Staying Safe in the Heat
Now that summer is officially here, our primary care doctors in Delray Beach want to remind you of the dangers of high temperatures. Although the south, southwest, and middle of the country has so far endured the worst of the record-breaking heat, we’re not out of the woods, either: Heat index values here have regularly climbed into the triple digits in recent weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines extreme heat as “summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average. Because some places are hotter than others, this depends on what’s considered average for a particular location
Can Exercise Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.8 million Americans of all ages were living with Alzheimer’s-type dementia in 2019. This number includes an estimated 5.6 million people ages 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. One in 10 people age 65 and older (i.e., 10 percent) has Alzheimer’s dementia. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 80 percent of cases in the U.S. Our primary care doctors in Delray Beach know how terrifying the possibility of developing this disease is to anyone who is approaching middle age, or
Long COVID Effects in Seniors
Our primary care doctors in Delray Beach regret to inform you that, yes, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is still circulating among us. As of the end of May, the U.S. was recording more than 100,000 infections a day. This doesn’t count those who self-test at home and don’t report it. And COVID-19 is doing real damage to many people, even after they recover from the initial illness. Of course, we’re talking about the so-called “long COVID” or “long-haul COVID,” known medically as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). The condition is defined as ongoing or new health problems that occur at least four
Monkeypox Is Not Like COVID-19
If the thought of another contagious disease originating from overseas and apparently spreading in the U.S. has you experiencing a déjà vu case of “Oh, no, here we go again,” that’s understandable. After what we’ve been through in the last two years with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the last thing we want to hear about is the possibility of another pandemic. But our primary care doctors in Delray Beach want to reassure you that the recent news about monkeypox is no cause for alarm. Not only is this virus different from COVID-19, but we already have an effective vaccine for this disease
Get Your Free COVID Tests Now
While at-home tests for COVID-19 are still in somewhat short supply on drugstore shelves, the Biden administration has just made an additional eight test kits available to each American household at no cost. You can order yours here (https://www.covid.gov/tests) or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). Our primary care doctors in Delray Beach encourage everyone to obtain these tests. If you got some in previous distributions, they may have expired, so check the expiration dates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the marked expiration dates on many at-home tests by three months. Check their website to see if your
Reap the Benefits of Exercise at Any Age
One of the many disadvantages of the pandemic is that so many people dropped their regular healthy routines: regular medical tests, healthy eating patterns, trips to the gym or even mall walking. If this happened to you, our primary care doctors in Delray Beach want to assure you that you can hop right back on a healthy track. And one of the best places to start is with movement. But what if you’ve never been into exercise? No matter. It’s never too late to realize the benefits. One study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology tracked the progress of
No Mask, No Entry
Dear Patients, Please note that it is mandatory for all patients coming to the office to bring and wear a mask. This is for appointments to see the doctors, and for lab appointments. Failure to bring your own mask, and wear a mask while in our office, will result in having to be rescheduled.