Medications Archive

Articles

Statins have no apparent link to cognitive problems or dementia

For older people, taking cholesterol-lower statins does not appear to affect their risk of developing cognitive problems or dementia.

What could be causing my hand to shake?

Essential tremor causes involuntary shaking, most often in the hands, head and voice. It may be an inherited condition and is different from another well-known tremor disorder called Parkinson's disease. There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed through medication and lifestyle changes.

Who needs hormone therapy for prostate cancer?

Depending on the stage of localized prostate cancer, a man’s doctor might recommend radiation therapy or hormonal therapy, also known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), or a combination of both. Hormone therapy decreases androgens, the male sex hormones that fuel prostate cancer cell growth. When used with radiation, hormone therapy helps to improve radiation’s effectiveness. The side effects are common, but can be managed with diet, exercise, supplements, and other lifestyle habits.

5 tips to help you age well

Aging well is sometimes a matter of luck, but there are some strategies that increase the chances of living well for longer. These include protecting brain health by adopting healthy lifestyle habits, walking regularly, and regularly reviewing medications to ensure that you still need to be taking them, that you are taking the correct dose and to prevent dangerous side effects. Other strategies such as learning to use technology to increase connections with others and using assistive devices, such as walkers or canes, can help people remain independent for longer.

Growth hormone, athletic performance, and aging

Some men use growth hormone as an anti-aging treatment, even though it is illegal to market it for this purpose. Studies of test subjects who took growth hormone found a high incidence of side effects such as joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The endocannabinoid system: Essential and mysterious

Though recently discovered, the endocannabinoid system regulates and controls many of our critical bodily functions. Researchers are investigating the ECS's role in learning and memory and in hunger, hoping that these avenues of research may lead to new drug discoveries.

New treatment for pericarditis approved

The FDA has approved a new drug called rilonacept (Arcalyst) to specifically treat recurrent pericarditis, a painful inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart.

You don't say? Under eye bags and dark circles

Bags and dark circles under the eyes are caused not by lack of sleep, but by a variety of factors. Treatment options are limited, but some home remedies might help.

High blood pressure? Treat the risk, not the number

People with a high risk for heart attacks and strokes might benefit from taking blood pressure–lowering medications, even if their blood pressure is in the normal or "high normal" range and they have no clear signs of cardiovascular disease.

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