A New Reading of Blood Pressure

While the measurement of blood pressure has been among the most common medical practices for over a century, the results are undergoing a reinterpretation

A1C

It’s often viewed as the number to rule all numbers. But hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test results can be misleading and don’t tell the full story - Scott Johnson

A2 Milk

This milk is on the rise thanks to its tummy-friendly reputation - Ali Francis

AAT deficiency

Often known as “genetic COPD,” alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can take years to diagnose and requires a plasma protein therapy to halt the deterioration of lung function - Miriam O'Day

Abdomen Pain

Abdominal pain can vary greatly, from minor to excruciating. But here's the kicker: Sometimes excruciating pain can result from something pretty harmless. For example, most people know what it's like to be doubled over with gas pain...ShareCare

Abdomen Pain in Children

Abdominal pain is common; so are strongly held myths and legends about what is concerning, and what is not - Dr. Tim Horeczko

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

Early detection is important because once identified AAAs can be monitored or treated, greatly reducing the chances of the aneurysm causing serious problems in the future - NHS

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Management

The continuous and rapid technological progress in aortic surgery and the exponential growth in knowledge have caused dramatic changes in the management of patients with AAA - L. de Guerre

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Rupture

Presence and expansion of AAAs is usually a silent disease. When rupture does occur, it usually happens quickly without a typical presentation - Drew Long MD

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

The causes of abdominal compartment syndrome are diverse, with many patients having several. In many cases, the cause may be obvious based on the clinical scenario. In other situations, CT scan may be helpful to clarify the cause of abdominal distension - Josh Farkas

Abdominal Thrusts

What makes the Heimlich Maneuver particularly special is this: it is accessible to everyone. Because of its simplicity—and the fact that it works when performed correctly—just about anyone can save a life - Dr. Henry J. Heimlich

Abdominal Trauma

Abdominal trauma, especially those caused by blunt force is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in all age groups, but it is one of the most challenging conditions... because of varied presentations - Aakash N. Bodhit

Abdominal Wall Hernia

Hernias that fall under this category are umbilical (belly button), upper midline (epigastric), and incisional (hernia that forms from a prior surgical incision - Core Surgical

ABGs

Arterial blood gases (ABGs) are considered the gold-standard, but they come at a cost. ABGs can be more difficult to obtain, are more painful and require arterial puncture that risks complications - Skyler Lentz MD

Abilify (Aripiprazole)

Many doctors say they had high hopes for the drug at first—in part because it purported to work differently from all of its predecessors. Whereas other atypical antipsychotics, including risperidone, inhibit the neurotransmitter dopamine, aripiprazole blocks dopamine only some of the time (the exact mechanism is unknown) - Hannah Furfaro

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB)

Finding the cause is the first step in treatment, but AUB remains one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose - SheKnows

Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding & Covid Vaccines

Abnormal uterine bleeding is an apparently common side effect of the BNT162b2 vaccine as well as of the COVID-19 infection. It is characterized mostly by excessive bleeding and most women experienced it between vaccination date and the next menstrual period - Gal Issakov

Abortion

Let us not seek the Republican answer nor the Democratic answer but the right answer - John F. Kennedy

Abortion Access

We can’t know other people’s circumstances, and we shouldn’t make their decisions for them. Abortion should remain legal, and those who so desire should be able to access safe abortion care in their communities - Advocates for Youth

Abortion Bans

Like prohibitions on other goods and services, an abortion ban of the kind national conservatives propose would take a disproportionate toll on those least equipped to adapt, and would advance little but ideology - Brian Fung

Abortion Clinics

Clinics are under pressure from declining abortion rates and big Planned Parenthood expansions - Chuck Donovan

Abortion Pill

It’s safer than Viagra to use this method of ending a pregnancy, and that includes people taking these pills from a clinic as well as ordering them online - Amy Merrill

Abortion Pill Access

It's safer than pregnancy. It's safer than Viagra. A court ban would put our drug-approval system at risk - Rebecca Chen & Michelle Dai

Abortion Rights

Abortion is health care. Abortion is freedom. Abortion is bodily autonomy. A country without this human right is not a free country - H.R. Bellicosa

Abstinence

Sex education focused on an abstinence-only approach fails in a number of ways - Aaron E Carroll

AC Joint Separations

AC joint injuries typically occur from a fall or a blow on the adducted arm. These injuries occur more commonly in young men during the first three decades of life, and frequently are associated with fall and winter sports - Katherine A. Burns MD

ACA

The act has become entrenched as a partisan issue rather than a human one, a litmus test for party affiliation rather than a set of innovative, but imperfect, ideas geared towards increasing access to health care and containing costs - Vishal Khetpal

Acai

So whether you believe the hype or not, it is a billion dollar industry and it seems to be a good income for Brazilians, and possibly a way to keep the rainforests from being burned to the ground as rapidly - Geoff Stein

Acamprosate (Campral)

It’s been a slow transition getting these medications onto the medical agenda. But patients need to know that addiction is a biological condition of the brain and that we have treatments to improve it - Katharine A. Bradley MD

Acarbose Glyset

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are a less popular class of medicines for type 2 diabetes. They work in your gastrointestinal tract to block your body’s ability to break down carbohydrate, thereby reducing the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream - Amy Campbell

Accident Insurance

Life can be full of unexpected events, from accidents or injuries to surprising good news. Accident insurance is designed to protect you when something difficult comes your way, from a fall off a ladder to other accidents - Rebekah Brately

Accidents

Worried about what to worry about? Accidents should move higher up your list - Jeremy N Smith

ACE Inhibitors

The discovery of the ACE inhibitors and the creation of captopril was one of the really great advances in cardiovascular medicine, alongside beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and statins - Jenny Bryan

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K)

Ace-K is a calorie-free sweetener that is 200x sweeter than table sugar. Ace-K is used in many diet products, including sugar-free versions of Red Bull, Rockstar, Bang, and Monster. Ace-K is known for having a bitter aftertaste, which often leads to it being paired with other artificial sweeteners - Kill Cliff

Acetabular Fracture

Acetabular fractures are often high energy and therefore often present in combination with other organ injuries. These fractures have very high morbidity because the damage to the cartilage can lead to disabling osteoarthritis in the future - Stephen Hoge

Acetaminophen Paracetamol

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is generally considered a safe medication when used as directed, but can cause liver damage in high doses or when combined with heavy alcohol use - Houman Danesh MD

Acetaminophen {Paracetamol) OD

Globally, acetaminophen (or paracetamol, as it is known in many other countries) is the No. 1 ingredient suspected in drug-induced liver injury deaths - Jennifer Yang

Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is a hot topic within the realm of memory enhancement. It is a neurotransmitter that is critical for the everyday functioning of the brain: particularly in the areas of movement, learning & memory, and sleep quality - Joe Cohen

ACh

Acetylcholine is a hot topic within the realm of memory enhancement. It is a neurotransmitter that is critical for the everyday functioning of the brain: particularly in the areas of movement, learning & memory, and sleep quality - Joe Cohen

Achalasia

Achalasia is one of the most studied esophageal motility disorders. However, the pathophysiology and reasons that patients develop achalasia are still unclear - Dhyanesh A. Patel MD

Achilles Tendon Injuries

Common problems with the achilles tendon include tendonitis and tendon rupture. Tendonitis is related to chronic overuse, and can arise in athletes and non-athletes alike - Pinnacle Orthopaedics

Achilles Tendon Rupture

A torn or ruptured Achilles tendon is every athlete’s – and sports fan's – greatest fear. They always seem to happen in a split second - Dane Wukich MD

Acid Reflux

Most people often dismiss heartburn as common and trivial, an ailment to be treated with a grimace and a glug of thick, chalky pink liquid. But, while acid reflux is very common, it is far from insignificant - Glenn D Braunstein MD

Acid-Base Balance

To be able to compensate for pH imbalances the human body has several buffer systems in blood, respiratory tract, kidneys, lymphatic system, intercellular tissue and bones - Darko Mardjetko

Acid-Base Emergencies

Acid–base disorders are common in the critically ill. Most of these disorders do not cause harm and are self-limiting after appropriate resuscitation and management. Unfortunately, clinicians tend to think about an acid–base disturbance as a “disease” and spend long hours effectively treating numbers rather than the patient - R Kishen

Acinetobacter

Acinetobacter emerged as a significant nosocomial pathogen during the late 1970s, probably as a consequence, at least in part, of increasing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in hospitals - K.J. Towner

ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Injury

But here is the thing about ACL tears: They’re not just another injury. They are the Godzilla of injuries - Neal Gabler

ACLS

Guidelines have been shifting for several decades now... It is the standard for emergent healthcare delivery in North America. It provides the rubric (or “playbook”) for managing sudden cardiac arrest, colloquially known as “running a code” - Blake Briggs MD

Acne

Acne might be the great equalizer, plaguing everyone regardless of their grades, gender, or their taste in music. But not all acne is made equal - Deanna Pai and Marissa DeSantis

Acoustic Neuroma

These tumors can have a significant impact on your quality of life and therefore understanding the diagnosis and treatment options is critical - Keck Medicine

Acquired (Vaccination) vs Natural (Infection) Immunity

Evidence grows that infections provide as much protection as vaccines, prompting some experts to suggest a nuanced approach to vaccine mandates - Denise Roland

Acquired Immunity

B and T cells are self-assured enough to know what they want. Unlike innate cells, they’re also capable of remembering the things they’ve encountered before, ensuring that most pathogens can’t trouble the same person twice; that capacity is the conceptual basis of vaccines - Katherine J. Wu

Acquired Immunity & Covid-19

Memory is the key feature of the adaptive immune system, enabling long-term protection - Raj Thaker

Acromegaly

Apparently, the typical delay in diagnosis for acromegaly is 10 years or more. Isn't this a failure of medicine? The challenge for doctors, and patients, is to catch the illness early, years before the damage and deformities occur - Jon Danzig

ACS Risk Stratification

Many patients presenting with chest pain undergo unnecessarily extensive and costly evaluations to rule out ACS. The HEART Pathway can reduce the number of prolonged and invasive evaluations, while maintaining high sensitivity and negative predictive value for ACS - Cullen Clark MD

ACTH

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a tropic hormone produced by the anterior pituitary. The hypothalamic-pituitary axis controls it. ACTH regulates cortisol and androgen production - Mary J Allen & Sandeep Sharma.

Actinomyces (Actinomycoses)

This organism normally lives in the mouth and colon and sometimes the vagina. It has been associated with P.I.D. in patients with IUDs. It’s an aggressive bug and can spread throughout the body. If not thoroughly wiped out, it can come back again and again - Lisa Sanders MD

Activated Charcoal

Proponents contend that activated charcoal is a natural detoxifier of the body that can, for example, remove teeth stains and even work as an anti-aging product. After all, if it can medically detoxify the body of poisons, a smaller dose probably works too, right? Not necessarily - Amitha Kalaichandran

Activated Charcoal - Toxicology

To question the use of oral activated charcoal as a standard initial therapy in all suspected or proven toxic ingestions is tantamount to medical heresy - James R. Roberts MD

Active Immunity

Active immunity is the immunity, or resistance to a disease, a body gains to a disease or pathogen by making special molecules called antibodies - Courtney Durso

Active Tuberculosis Infection

Tuberculosis is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases in human history. For millennia, the infection has afflicted people around the globe, earning ominous nicknames like the white plague, consumption, and even the robber of youth - Leah Worthington

Actos

Even though longer-term studies did not show that there was a definite risk of heart attack or cancer, these drugs became unpopular and fell into disuse - Lori Wiviott Tischler MD

Acupressure

The origins of acupressure are as ancient as the instinctive impulse to hold your forehead or temples when you have a headache - Acupressure Wellness

Acupuncture

There’s now a growing understanding of where acupuncture may be useful in improving patient health outcomes alongside standard medical care - Im Quah-Smith

Acupuncturists

Many of us have started to embrace the use of alternative medicine, but acupuncture, with its qi, yin, and meridians, still raises eyebrows - Alice G Walton

Acupuncturists CE

There’s now a growing understanding of where acupuncture may be useful in improving patient health outcomes alongside standard medical care - Im Quah-Smith

Acute Abdomen

The ‘acute abdomen’ is defined as a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain developing over a short time period. It has a large number of possible causes and so a structured approach is required - TeachMe Surgery

Acute Altitude Illness

The most important syndromes that make up the spectrum of HAI are high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and acute mountain sickness (AMS), which can progress to high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) - Ashley A. Jacobson MD and Neha P. Raukar MD

Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma (AACG) Management

Acute closed angle glaucoma is an ophthalmologic emergency that usually presents with sudden, painful, monocular vision loss - Anand Swaminathan MD

Acute Aortic Syndrome

It’s right up there with pulmonary embolism and subarachnoid haemorrhage as diagnoses we hate and sometimes (often) lose sleep over - Iain Beardsell

Acute Chest Syndrome

ACS is a syndrome – CXR infiltrate + respiratory symptoms - Anand Swaminathan MD

Acute Compartment Syndrome

We all learned the “5 P’s” in medical school. But the idea is to make the diagnosis while muscle is still salvageable, and if you wait for all 5 P’s to appear, you will miss your window to intervene and save viable tissue. That is why index of suspicion must be high - Matt Levine MD

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) include conditions that share the same pathophysiology of myocardial ischaemic states, i.e., unstable angina (UA), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).- Khalid Mohammed Ali

Acute Flaccid Myelitis EV D68

Polio-like paralysis may be on the rise among children again - Maggie Fox

Acute Heart Failure

AHF refers to rapid onset or worsening of symptoms and/or signs of HF. It is a life-threatening medical condition requiring urgent evaluation and treatment, typically leading to urgent hospital admission. - Rob & James Simon

Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden, potentially reversible, kidney dysfunction with partial or complete loss of glomerular filtration resulting in electrolyte and fluid abnormalities as well as retention of nitrogenous waste products - Subhanir Sunil Chitnis MD & Karma Warren MD

Acute Kidney Injury Management

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden, potentially reversible, kidney dysfunction with partial or complete loss of glomerular filtration resulting in electrolyte and fluid abnormalities as well as retention of nitrogenous waste products - Subhanir Sunil Chitnis MD

Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is defined as new and rapidly evolving hepatic dysfunction associated with neurologic dysfunction and coagulopathy (INR >1.5). Most common cause of death in these patients are multiorgan failure and sepsis. Drug-induced liver injuy most common cause in US, with viral hepatitis most common cause worldwide - Duyen Tran, MD

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The most common childhood cancer, ALL also afflicts adults - Erik Ness

Acute Mountain Sickness

A quicker rate of ascent is also more likely to lead to mountain sickness. Most often presents the 1st night or 2nd night at higher elevations. The average duration of symptoms in cases that self resolve is one day (the body successfully acclimates) - Eric Quinn

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukaemia in adults, although it is considered a rare disease. Its incidence is expected to rise with an ageing population, which will place demands on healthcare systems - The Economist

Acute Otitis Media

The good news is that ear infections are becoming less common. Since the pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia was introduced in 2000, there’s been a 20 percent drop in their incidence

Acute Radiation Syndrome

Rapidly proliferating cell lines such as intestinal mucosa and bone marrow are most immediately sensitive to radiation and manifest the symptoms of Acute Radiation Syndrome. Exposure to less than 1 Gy (1 Gy = 100 rads) is unlikely to produce symptoms, whereas greater than 10 Gy is fatal - Leslie Crosby MD

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

New therapies to fix the leakiness of blood vessels in patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and Ebola virus infections, have the potential to save many lives - Jalees Rehman MD

Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN)

Clinically, ATN manifests as acute kidney injury although the terms have previously been used interchangeably. ATN is the most common cause of overt AKI - WikiDoc

Acute Urinary Retention

While the diagnosis of urinary retention is usually straight forward, an important first step or cognitive forcing strategy is to consider the life- or limb-threatening etiologies such as cauda equina syndrome/spinal cord compression - Shaun Mehta and Deb Saswata

AD

Alzheimer’s is a terrifying disease. You are physically healthy, but you can’t remember who you are. Day by day, your surroundings become more and more alien, buried - Blake Butler

Adaptive (Acquired) Immunity

B and T cells are self-assured enough to know what they want. Unlike innate cells, they’re also capable of remembering the things they’ve encountered before, ensuring that most pathogens can’t trouble the same person twice; that capacity is the conceptual basis of vaccines - Katherine J. Wu

Adaptive Sports

What we all share in common is the belief that difference of ability does not equal lack of ability - Tony Phillips

Adaptogens

Adaptogens are a buzzword in the wellness world, popping up everywhere from juice bars to lifestyle blogs - Jamie Ducharme

Added Sugars

To suss out extra sugar, read labels and look for sugar, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, honey, molasses, and any ingredients that end in –ose (ie: glucose, sucralose) - Merritt Watts

Adderall (Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine)

Stimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are commonly prescribed to kids with what's known as ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But recently, adults became the biggest users of these drugs - Sarah McCammon

Addiction

Addiction knows no boundary, age, race, income, and reaches across all demographics. Drug abuse is perceived as a lifestyle of the young. But drug addiction in the older population is real and has already reached epidemic proportions - HWN

Addiction Recovery

‘Recovery’ will be different for every patient fighting addiction, but it is always worth pursuing - Xavier Mulenga

Addiction: Changing the Conventional Wisdom about Addiction

What if addiction is less about drugs & genetics and more about circumstances? It's a question the powers-that-be might not be comfortable hearing, but for decades Bruce Alexander has worked to make addiction as we know it a thing of the past.

Addison's disease

Diagnosis is frequently first established after a life-threatening adrenal crisis, often resulting in untimely fatalities. The disease is rare, more common in women than in men, and also affects children - EuAdrenal

Adenoids & Adenoiditis

The adenoid, also known as a pharyngeal tonsil or nasopharyngeal tonsil, is a bunch of grapelike tissue situated behind the nose, where the nose joins the throat. They usually disappear around four to five years of age - Dr Dillon Dsouza

Adenomyosis

Like many women’s health issues, not only is adenomyosis understudied, it’s also misunderstood - Jenna Rosenstein

Adenosine (Adenocard)

Adenosine is one of components of RNA, but given intravenously, it works to terminate SVTs by binding to the AV node’s A1 receptors. This inhibits adenylyl cyclase, ultimately increasing potassium efflux from the cell, causing hyperpolarization, and thereby “blocking” the AV node - Christina Shenvi MD PhD

Adenovirus

Adenovirus is non-discriminate and attacks people of all age groups. Whether you are nine or ninety, you are not going to be safe from this infection - Professor John Oxford

ADHD

Hands up if any of these things describes your kids, you as a kid, or kids you know: inability to wait for a turn; temper tantrums; fidgeting; inability to finish chores; being too loud; being too quiet - Wired

ADHD Drugs

ADHD itself is not an epidemic—ADHD misdiagnosis is an epidemic - Alan Schwarz

Adie’s Tonic Pupil

Adie's pupil, sometimes called the Holmes-Adie syndrome, is an unusual neurologic disorder in which the ability of the pupil to constrict is impaired, usually in one eye (although the second eye has a tendency to become involved eventually, usually at a later time, in about 20-30% of cases).- Eyecare Trust

Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer

"Having cancer when you're 22 is not the same as having it when you're 70. We need to acknowledge that the needs are different in order to get the best possible outcomes - Allison Rosenthal DO

Adrenal Cancer (Adrenocortical Carcinoma)

Adrenal tumors are very common, affecting 3% to 10% of the human population, and the majority are small benign nonfunctional adrenocortical adenomas (ACA). ACC, in contrast, is a very rare disease - Tobias Else

Adrenal Crisis

Adrenal crisis should be considered in any patient who appears to be septic, but doesn't have an obvious source of infection. This is a classic sepsis-mimic - Josh Farkas

Adrenal Fatigue

Today, people talk freely about their adrenal glands being shot or fatigued, and there is growing industry of supplements called adrenal tonics. Meanwhile, conventional doctors claim there is no such thing as adrenal fatigue. Who is right, and most importantly, how can you thrive under the stress of modern life - Alan Christianson

Adrenals

There are two little hormone glands, about the size of a grape, that sit just on top of our kidneys. Your adrenal glands are only small but they play such a HUGE part in our wellbeing - Nicky Read

Aduhelm

The approval of Aduhelm to treat Alzheimer’s disease has raised hope among older adults, but many doctors wonder if it is warranted - Paula Span

Adult Stem Cells

Adult stem cells hold enormous potential in the treatment of disease, but more importantly they do not carry the burden of controversy that has surrounded embryonic stem cells - HWN

Adult Suicide

After decades of research, effective prevention strategies are lacking. It remains difficult, perhaps impossible, to predict who will commit suicide, and the phenomenon is extremely difficult for researchers to study - Benedict Carey

Adult Vaccination

Vaccinations are recommended thruout our lifetime, not just at childhood. It's an ongoing & vexing public health problem. People once vigilant about vaccinating their children aren’t nearly as careful about protecting themselves as they age - Paula Span

Adulterated Fentanyl

The presence of these chemical additives severely complicates the medical response to high-risk overdoses - Brian Mann

Adults & Covid-19 Vaccination

The best protection against infections, from variants or not, is being fully vaccinated - Brian Resnick

Advair & Symbicort

Symbicort and Advair are maintenance inhalers that combine an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with a long-acting beta agonist (LABA). These inhalers are used daily to help control inflammation in the lungs and keep the airways open. They are not used as rescue inhalers - Arizona Allergy and Asthma Specialists

Advance Directive

There is no perfect template for an advance directive, or a foolproof guide to conversations about death and dying. It may be emotional, there might be conflict and it is unlikely that families can anticipate every end-of-life situation - Lori A Roscoe

Advanced Directives

For most people in the developed world, conversations about such topics never take place - The Economist

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

Multiple forms of advanced life support exist, including Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and even the opioid algorithm - Mackenzie Thompson

Advanced Trauma Life Support

ATLS brought a common language to the management of trauma and highlighted the importance of immediately dealing with life-threatening conditions, as part of a standardised, systematic protocol - M. D. Wiles

Adverse Drug Events

While some adverse drug events are related to unknown or unexpected reactions associated with a medication, many, if not most, adverse drug events are preventable and are related to human error and the complexities of care, prescribing, dispensing, and medication use - Action ADE

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs}

More people die from adverse effects from medicine than from pulmonary disease, diabetes, AIDS, pneumonia, accidents, and automobile deaths - Joanna Belbey

Adverse Drug Reactions Prescription Drugs - Who's Minding The Store?

The most common adverse drug reactions are the effects from the drug itself - a virtual double-edged sword! Don't rely on the watchdogs. Always pay attention to the drug inserts, if you can read them, and not just the TV commercials

Adverse Events Post Covid Vaccination

Risks of rare allergic reactions, blood clots and maybe heart problems don’t outweigh benefits - Tina Hesman Saey

Advocates for Cancer Patients

All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy - Samantha Power

Advocates for Patients

Parent-advocates of children with chronic conditions have long worked toward finding cures; adult self-advocates are shifting the focus to goals of independent work and living - Amy Dockser Marcus

AED Vendors

Early and swift intervention with an AED amidst sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) saves lives—in fact, doubles the likelihood of survival...So, why is their usage so low? Jamie Wells MD

AEDs

Despite the increasing availability of AEDs the survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest remains dismal - WYP

AEDs Bob Harper’s Broken Heart

I’m slowing down and relishing in every moment. I get up every day and know that I’m super lucky - Bob Harper

AEDs: The Power to Save Lives

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to save a life. You just need to know where you can find one, and it will practically do the rest itself

Aerobics

Essentially, anything that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat is cardio - Glamour

Aesthetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery covers a lot of territory, including reconstructive surgery, resurfacing, injections, tucks, pulls and lifts along with a variety of non-surgical treatments and procedures - Leslie Kollar

Aestheticians

We can literally change the world with our bare hands - Jane Wurwand

AF Ablation

There is no doubt that catheter ablation works for most tachyarrhythmias but its use in AFib remains controversial - John Mandrola MD

Affordable Care Act

The act has become entrenched as a partisan issue rather than a human one, a litmus test for party affiliation rather than a set of innovative, but imperfect, ideas geared towards increasing access to health care and containing costs - Vishal Khetpal

Affordable Healthcare

Although the “affordability” of health care is a common concern, the term is rarely defined. Fundamentally, affordability is a function of income, spending, and judgments about the value of goods and services for their price - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics

AFib

Accounts for approximately one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbances and increases the risk of stroke fivefold

Aflatoxins

Produced by fungus in the same way that penicillin is, aflatoxins can cause disease and are blamed for liver cancer. That’s pretty alarming since they largely affect food staples like corn and groundnuts - Kelsey Nowakowski

AFM

AFM is an illness that can be seen with a variety of different causes. The most famous one is polio, but there are also enteroviruses - Dr. Manisha Patel

African American Healthcare

No one should be denied the opportunity to see a doctor because of how much money is in their pocket or where they live. Our loved ones shouldn’t die from easily curable diseases...Black lives matter - Renee Bracey Sherman

Afrin (Oxymetazoline)

Afrin contains oxymetazoline, an ingredient that causes temporary nasal blood vessel narrowing. When used as directed, it reduces nasal congestion. Frequent use of oxymetazoline can cause worsening of nasal congestion after usage is stopped - Kelly Johnson-Arbor MD

Agave Nectar

Agave syrup is the latest in a long line of natural sweeteners like brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, honey, and stevia that would have us believe that they are good for us - Cristina Sutter MHSc RD

Age Discrimination

Discrimination due to age is one of the great tragedies of modern life. The desire to work and be useful is what makes life worth living, and to be told your efforts are not needed because you are the wrong age is a crime - Johnny Ball

Agent Orange

The dioxin present in Agent Orange is one of the most toxic chemicals known to humanity - Marjorie Cohn

Aging (Gerontology)

Aging has excited the imagination throughout the history of humankind. But it’s only recently that it has been subjected to profound scientific scrutiny - Carlos Lopez-Otin

Aging Healthy

Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it - Clint Eastwood

Aging Research

Although some of the current research could even be considered on the fringe of medicine, browse through what's on the cusp with an open mind and see if anything catches your fancy as a way to extend your stay here - Anonymous

AHF

AHF refers to rapid onset or worsening of symptoms and/or signs of HF. It is a life-threatening medical condition requiring urgent evaluation and treatment, typically leading to urgent hospital admission. - Rob & James Simon

AHPs (Association Health Plans)

The expansion of AHPs may lead to adverse selection, in which employers with comparatively younger and healthier employees are drawn to AHPs with less favorable coverage and cheaper premiums - Jeffrey Herman

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare are endless. That much we know. We also know that we’ve only scratched the surface of what AI can do for healthcare. Which is both amazing and frightening at the same time - Codrin Arsene

AIDS

The battle against AIDS is not a last decade issue. It's going to be the next decade issue. We need to finish the job, get new companies, new interest. It's kind of annoying and sometimes upsetting that these global health issues can become creatures of fashion. People think Aids is done -- it's not done - Bono

AIDS Research

Trials of vaccines and treatments have not included enough female participants. Now that scientists are exploring possible cures, the need to enroll women is greater than ever - Apoorva Mandavilli

Air Ambulances (Medical Helicopters)

Helicopter transport is one of the most expensive interventions in contemporary healthcare - Adil Haider

Air Ambulances - Are They Worth the Risk?

Medical transport by air remains controversial primarily because of its cost and safety record. Do medical helos really make a difference?

Air Embolism

It can occur iatrogenically via interventional procedures but has also been described as a complication from a variety of circumstances ranging from blunt and penetrating trauma to diving and child birth - Stephanie Gordy

Air Filters

Air filters can help us lead healthier lives, but the right device for you depends largely on the kinds of contaminants you aim to filter out and the size of your room - Nicole Nguyen

Air Pollution

An estimated 92 percent of the world’s population live in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution...Air pollution is almost as deadly as tobacco - Anna Almendrala

Air Purifiers

Air filters can help us lead healthier lives, but the right device for you depends largely on the kinds of contaminants you aim to filter out and the size of your room - Nicole Nguyen

Airport Scanners Trading One Hazard for Another

One of the 'hottest' issues in worldwide air travel security is the use of the so-called full body scanners. Are airport scanners safe or not?

Airway

The airway is essential for the maintenance of life and is a highly specialized structure that is divided into two parts: the upper and the lower airway - Elizabeth Turner DDS

Airway Emergencies

Airway emergencies are among the life-threatening events that are encountered in the operating room, emergency department or intensive care unit. They are important causes of preventable morbidity and mortality where time is the essence - US Raveendra

Airway Obstruction

Acute upper airway obstruction is a life-threatening emergency and requires immediate assessment and intervention with little margin for error, making it a constant challenge for clinicians - Antoine Eskander MD

Airway Procedures

There are no difficult airways, only providers ill prepared for current conditions - Mark Gibbons

Airway Trauma

While no one disagrees that a thorough assessment is advised prior to performing airway management, there are no specific recommendations on which method is the best to assess the airway - Brandon Morshedi MD

Al-Anon

If you have struggled with a friend or relation who misuses alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous Family Groups (Al-Anon) is intended for you. Many loved ones seek help through Al-Anon, a mutual support group for those whose lives have been affected by the alcohol use of another - Susanne Reed PhD

Albendazole (Albenza) and Mebendazole (Vermox)

In 1981, albendazole was adapted and approved as a deworming medicine for human use. It has since benefited billions of people, bringing health benefits to pregnant women and children especially - WHO

Albinism

The only way to change society’s perceptions of albinism is through education - Parent of a Child with Albinism

Albuterol (Salbutamol)

Albuterol was first developed in the 1960s as a short-acting bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory conditions. It was initially marketed as Ventolin, and over time, it became one of the most widely prescribed medications for asthma worldwide - Health Care Originals

Alcohol

What we need to keep in mind is that alcohol is dangerous — and the danger of alcohol doesn’t receive the attention it deserves - Dan Blazer

Alcohol & Headaches

It is clear that quantity can play a role in triggering headaches, and quality probably plays a role, but we do not know for sure how any type of wine or alcohol will affect people with migraine or who are prone to headaches - Paul G. Mathew MD

Alcohol Abuse

The problems related to alcohol abuse and misuse present major public health challenges - Joshua Cohen

Alcohol Breathalyzer

We know that by people using a breathalyzer, there is a vast reduction in driving while impaired. Not only is [this tech] changing people's perceptions about personal breathalyzers, we know it is changing their behaviors - Keith Nothacker

Alcohol Flush Reaction (Red Face)

If your face goes red when drinking alcohol, you’re not alone. More than one in three people with East Asian heritage (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) experience facial flushing when drinking beer, wine or spirits - Terry Mulhern

Alcohol Intoxication

Everyone is unique. Some are poorly tolerant of alcohol and some genetically have a slow metabolism. Others can hold their liquor. But as a general rule, drinking more than a drink an hour gets into the danger zone - Zane Horowitz MD

Alcohol Poisoning (Overdose)

Recognising the signs and knowing what to do could help save someone’s life – remember, if they have alcohol poisoning, they won’t be able to help themselves - Drinkaware

Alcohol Use Disorder (Alcoholism)

The urgent issue we can't continue to ignore - Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Be sure to examine for tremor carefully, if they don't have a true tremor then they are probably drunk and not in withdrawal - Keerat Grewal

Alcohol: The True Gateway Drug?

Generations of kids have been warned that marijuana is the gateway drug to more dangerous substances. It's a classic case of both logical fallacy & government misinforming the public—all while a likelier candidate has been pushed with government sanction.

Alcoholic Ketoacidosis (AKA)

Alcohol + No Food + Dehydration = AKA - Cecily Sotomayor

Alcoholics Anonymous

Since the inception of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)—the progenitor of 12-step programs—science has sometimes been at odds with the notion that laypeople can cure themselves - Jarret Liotta

ALD Adrenoleukodystrophy

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare, genetic, X-linked metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene that result in a deficiency in a peroxisomal protein called adrenoleukodystrophy protein (ALDP) - BluebirdBio

Aldosterone

Aldosterone is part of a group of linked hormones, which form the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. Activation of this system occurs when there is decrease in blood flow to the kidneys following loss of blood volume or a drop in blood pressure - You and Your Hormones

Algae

Humans have eaten macroalgae, like wakame and nori seaweed, for thousands of years. But recently attention has turned to the nutritional and environmental potential of their microscopic cousins - Abigail Beall

Alicia Keys Keeps Children Alive

Africa is more heavily affected by HIV/AIDS than any other region. The social impact is most evident in Africa’s growing orphans. Alicia Keys co-founded “Keep a Child Alive” and has become one of the most powerful women in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Alien Abduction

Alien abduction has been considered a fantasy, a hoax, and even to some, a fact; but it is now clear that it may also represent a recovered memory - Anne Skomorowsky

Alkaline Diet

If you’re looking to lose weight or jump start your health, perhaps you should give it a try? Worse case it’s another stupid fad. Best case you wind up with a body like Miranda Kerr and that would not be a bad thing - Stacy Matson

Alkaline Diet - Fad or Good Nutrition?

If you’re looking to lose weight or jump start your health, perhaps you should give it a try? Worse case it’s another stupid fad. Best case you wind up with a body like Miranda Kerr and that would not be a bad thing

Alkaline Water

Although the scientific literature is sparse when it comes to the health benefits of alkaline water and ionizers, how can one argue against some of the anecdotal evidence

Alkaline Water: Healthy Elixir?

Do alkaline water's health claims hold water or do the benefits simply favor the maker over the drinker?

Allergic & Immunologic Emergencies

Typical reactions with skin manifestations (urticaria) plus cardiovascular or respiratory involvement are easily diagnosed. However, some reactions are atypical and recognised only when the diagnosis is considered - Shelley J Kirkbright

Allergic Rhinitis

Though recognized by ancient civilizations, seasonal allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma have only increased in prevalence in recent history and are on the rise, now affecting 10 to 30 percent of the world’s population - Kara Wada

Allergies

Given how confused we all seem about what the word “allergy” means, it’s not surprising that it seems like suddenly everyone has one. But it’s not just our perception. Allergies are on the rise, though no one is exactly sure by how much - Sara Chodosh

Allergists

Depending on the study and population, the prevalence of allergic disease and asthma increased between two- and threefold in the late 20th century, a mysterious trend often called the “allergy epidemic" - Moises Velasquez-Manoff

Allergy Immunotherapy

When drugs aren’t enough, allergists often turn to immunotherapy - Sydney Spiesel

Allergy Medications

With all the pills, sprays, and syrups out there, making a decision at the drugstore can be an outright nerve-wracking experience - Maggie Puniewska

Allergy Shots Drops & Pills

When drugs aren’t enough, allergists often turn to immunotherapy - Sydney Spiesel

Allergy Testing

There is no single test to diagnose allergies. So you should be suspicious of any test that claims to be capable of diagnosing your allergies all by itself - Sarah Gupta MD

Allergy to Pets

Although many people have discovered the beneficial effects of caring for a furry friend, the fact remains that roughly 15 to 20% of the population is allergic to animals - American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Allergy Treatment

The options are limited. One reason there aren't more is that the varying degrees of allergies makes finding treatments new difficult. For many people with mild allergies, an antihistamine like Zyrtec might do the trick. But there's a whole range out there - Megan Thielking

Allied Health

The wide variety of health care career options that are open to high-school graduates and those who want to shift careers is simply endless - Career Cabin

Allied Health Jobs

What allied health careers are in demand? “All of them” is the simple answer - Allied Travel Careers

Allulose

Allulose Is a new kind of sugar that doesn’t count as sugar - Carolyn L. Todd

Almond Milk

First almond milk and other plant-based milks are lauded as a healthy alternative to regular milk; the next thing is they are being hailed as environmentally destructive - Jussara Lee

Alopecia

I don't consider myself bald, I'm just taller than my hair - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Alopecia (Hair Loss)

People get real comfortable with their features. Nobody gets comfortable with their hair. Hair trauma. It’s the universal thing - Jamie Lee Curtis

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disease that can have a devastating affect on self-image, especially women's - Bad Girls Do Lunch

Alopecia The Bald and the Beautiful

The Miss America Organization requires every contestant to enter with a platform and Kayla Martell says living with alopecia every day makes her the perfect woman to help advance awareness of the disease

Alpha Blockers

Alpha-blockers and centrally acting antihypertensives still form part of the antihypertensive pharmacopoeia albeit less prominently than in the past . Their use is now restricted to that of an add-on therapy in cases of resistant hypertension - T. J. Welsh & A. Mitchell

Alpha Gal Syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome is triggered by a complex sugar called galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose, or alpha-gal, for short. The sugar is found in most mammals, but not in fish, reptiles, birds or humans - Livia Albeck-Ripka

Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitors

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are a less popular class of medicines for type 2 diabetes. They work in your gastrointestinal tract to block your body’s ability to break down carbohydrate, thereby reducing the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream - Amy Campbell

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Often known as “genetic COPD,” alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can take years to diagnose and requires a plasma protein therapy to halt the deterioration of lung function - Miriam O'Day

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Antioxidants typically come in two varieties: water soluble and fat soluble. A few, such as lipoic acid, are both. This dual nature allows lipoic acid to function in both fatty and aqueous regions of the body, an ability that is the reason why lipoic acid is often termed universal antioxidant = David Wolfson ND

Alport Syndrome

Because Alport Syndrome nearly always leads to kidney failure and often has other serious symptoms, such as severe hearing loss, receiving a diagnosis is often difficult - Alport Syndrome Foundation

Alt-Milk

Choosing milk for your morning cereal or coffee used to be pretty simple: skim, low-fat or whole. These days, though, market shelves and refrigerators are crowded with an array of alternatives: soy, almond, rice, hemp and more - LA Times

Altered LOC

The abnormal state of consciousness is more difficult to define and characterize, as evidenced by the many terms applied to altered states of consciousness by various observers - Suzie C

Altered Mental Status

The abnormal state of consciousness is more difficult to define and characterize, as evidenced by the many terms applied to altered states of consciousness by various observers - Suzie C Tindall

Alternative Protein

We had to wait for the ’90s for it to become more palatable. But now it’s a 3rd generation with new tech and the consumer does not have to sacrifice taste any more: people are just enjoying it because it’s good, not because it’s plant-based - Dan Malek

Altitude Sickness

AMS has been likened to a bad hangover, or worse. However, because the symptoms of mild AMS can be somewhat vague, a useful rule-of-thumb is: if you feel unwell at altitude, it is altitude sickness...BaseCampMd.com

Aluminum Exposure

Just as cigarette smoke damages lung function and overexposure to UV rays will degrade your skin, aluminum is an attacker and its target is your central nervous system - Global Healing Center

Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s is a terrifying disease. You are physically healthy, but you can’t remember who you are. Day by day, your surroundings become more and more alien, buried - Blake Butler

Alzheimer's & Seth Rogen

So, what does a funny man do when faced with a not so funny problem? And no, it had nothing to do with the legalization of marijuana. Instead, he talked about something much more important and personal - the costs of caring for someone with Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Drugs

My hope is that Alzheimer’s disease will be treated like cardiovascular disease with several drugs – one for amyloid, tau, maybe inflammation – together with risk-reduction strategies - Kristine Yaffe MD

Alzheimer's Research

The field of Alzheimer's research is branching out. After decades of focusing on the sticky amyloid plaques and tangled tau fibers associated with the disease, brain researchers are searching for other potential causes of impaired memory and thinking - Jon Hamilton

Alzheimers a Formidable Forgettable Foe

Unfortunately, despite extensive research, we are still far away from finding a cure for Alzheimer's. But here's what you can do in the meantime

Amaranth

Amaranth was a staple of the Aztec diet and is described as a “superfood” in part because of its high protein content and well-balanced amino acid profile - Dinesh Adhikary,

Amaurosis Fugax

Amaurosis fugax (AF) refers to transient vision loss (TVL). AF can either be monocular (TMVL) or binocular (TBVL). It most commonly occurs monocularly, secondary to ischemia in the retina, choroid, or optic nerve - EyeWiki

Amazon & Healthcare

Amazon wants to be your doctor now, too - Sara Morrison

Amazon and the Steep Price of Convenience

There's no mystery as to why we shop Amazon. But perhaps all that convenience isn't worth the overall cost.

Ambien (Zolpidem Tartrate)

It’s one of the so-called Z drugs, alongside zopiclone and zaleplon, which were originally developed as safer alternatives to benzodiazepines - Sleepstation

Ambulances

Nothing represents the urgency of time in emergency care better than the blazing ambulance, its lights and sirens clearing its path - Zachary F. Meisel & Jesse M. Pines

Ambulatory Heart Monitoring Holter

The type of ambulatory electrocardiography cardiac monitoring device chosen depends on the indication for evaluation as well as on the frequency of symptoms - Kostas Ioannou MD

Ambulatory Surgery

There are advantages to outpatient procedures. The anesthesia doesn’t last as long, and the procedure is usually less invasive. That can make them safer. Your recovery also will be faster - Healthgrades

Amebiasis

10% of the world's population is chronically infected with the amoeba...Infection occurs most commonly in tropical and subtropical areas. How that 10% survives without antibiotics I can’t imagine. I guess a lot of them don't - Zander

Amenorrhea

Not ever having a period is usually solvable and losing your period to pregnancy, PCOS and overweight issues makes sense. But amenorrhea associated with exercise, especially endurance sports, has always been an enigma...

American Presidents Medical History

We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it - Barack Obama

American trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease has been described as the most neglected of all neglected tropical diseases - a depressing assessment - The Chagas Disease Foundation

Amino Acids

Amino acids: the source of life - Ajinomoto Group

Aminoglycosides

Aminoglycosides are potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics that act through inhibition of protein synthesis. The class has been a cornerstone of antibacterial chemotherapy since streptomycin was first isolated from Streptomyces griseus and introduced into clinical use in 1944 - Kevin M. Krause

Amiodarone

Given that we have better options for stable AF and VT cardioversion and that we have more important interventions to focus on in cardiac arrest, amiodarone should not be routinely used for any of these indications - Anand Swaminathan

Amitriptyline (Elavil)

Amitriptyline was the second tricyclic antidepressant to appear on the market for major depressive disorder under the brand name Elavil in 1961. Since its emergence, amitriptyline has been an effective therapeutic in various disease states and disorders but has also been a concerning source of cardiotoxicity - Elliot W McClure

AML

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukaemia in adults, although it is considered a rare disease. Its incidence is expected to rise with an ageing population, which will place demands on healthcare systems - The Economist

Amnesia

As brain functions go, forgetting may be almost as important as remembering; it would be inefficient for our brains to try to retain every bit of information we’re exposed to throughout life - AARP

Amniocentesis

Only a few years ago, amniocentesis...was virtually mandatory for women over 35. But today, some women are doing anything to avoid it...and the medical community is working furiously to help them - Laura Johannes

Amniotic Fluid Embolism

Even today, AFE is the leading cause of death during labor and the first few postpartum hours, and it remains a deadly and unpreventable obstetric emergency - Katherine J Perozzi RN

Amoeba Meningitis

Naegleria, on the other hand, are not parasites of humans; they prefer bacteria and don’t seek out people. They only infect us when we swim into their habitat and happen to bump into them nose-first - Scientific American

Amoxicillen (Amoxil)

The most common antibiotic used in primary care is amoxicillin, either alone or in combination with clavulanic acid - Malcolm Gillies

Amoxicillen Rash (Amoxil Reaction)

About 5 to 10 percent of children taking amoxicillin or Augmentin will develop a skin rash at some point during the course of the medication. The majority of these reactions are non-allergic, and most are caused by viruses - Texas Children's

Amphetamines

Adderall is a clever brand and a deceptive brand. In America, amphetamine has traditionally been associated with tweakers, speed freaks, bikers, truckers and all-night sex orgies. Adderall changed all that - High Times

Amputations & Diabetes

Every 20 seconds someone, somewhere on the planet, loses a foot due to diabetes. Foot ulcers are the starting point of more than 80% of these amputations, and they could be prevented - Nachiappan Chockalingam

Amputees

Members of the limb loss community must be advocates. We are a relatively small group. Unless we advocate, our collective voices may not be heard - Danielle H Melton, MD

AMS

AMS has been likened to a bad hangover, or worse. However, because the symptoms of mild AMS can be somewhat vague, a useful rule-of-thumb is: if you feel unwell at altitude, it is altitude sickness...BaseCampMd.com

Amygdala

The amygdala is small in comparison with many other brain regions but is thought to play a central role in coordinating our ability to size people up, remember names and faces, and handle a range of social acquaintances - Ian Sample

Amyloidosis

The rarity of amyloidosis means that most practicing physicians will never see a patient with the disease and most practicing hematologists will never see sufficient numbers to really have a feel for the disorder - Dr. Morie Gertz

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

A terminal diagnosis can really mess with your head. Honestly, it makes you want to run away to the moon. Many ALS patients want to fade away quietly. This was not for me - Steve Gleason

Anabolic Steroids (Synthetic Testosterone)

The quick and dirty route to gaining strength is to take some kind of anabolic steroid. These drugs actually trick the body into building up muscle mass and endurance — but they can also age you far beyond your years - Kiona Smith-Strickland

Anal Cancer

Anal cancer faces a “double hit” when it comes to prejudice. First, because it’s associated with a body part that is already taboo. And second, because it’s associated with sexual activity - Dr. Cathy Eng

Anal Fissure

Anal fissures are not exactly a topic for cocktail party conversation, and the reluctance to discuss them often leaves sufferers thinking they are the only ones affected - Jane E Brody

Anal Fistula (Fistula-in-ano)

Anorectal abscess–fistula is one of our most common afflictions. Because of the close association of abscess and fistula in etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, therapy and morbidity, it is appropriate to consider both entities as one - Herand Abcarian

Anal Health

Anorectal symptoms and complaints are common and may be caused by a wide spectrum of conditions. Although most conditions are benign and may be successfully treated...a high index of suspicion for colorectal cancer should be maintained - AFP

Anal Pain

Burning, itching, bleeding. A sharp pain in the rectal area that wakes you up from sleep. A feeling like hot coals during or after a bowel movement. Not easy stuff for most people to talk about with their doctor

Anal sex

Honest, evidence-based answers to questions about anal sex are difficult to come by - Debby Herbenick

Anaphylactic shock

If hypotension or signs of shock persist beyond the second dose of IM epinephrine, or if the patient is critically ill at any point, I switch to intravenous epinephrine in addition to continuing aggressive fluid resuscitation - Justin Morgenstern

Anaphylaxis

Foods are the most common trigger in children, teens and young adults. Insect stings and medications are relatively common triggers in middle-aged and elderly adults - World Allergy Organization

Anaplasmosis

Residents of the Northeast and the Midwest know that ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. What most don’t know is that the same family of black-legged ticks can also cause other diseases that are even more dangerous - NYT

Anastrozole

Scientists have found that as well as treating breast cancer, anastrozole can also prevent the disease - Soraya Ebrahimi

Anatomy

Though trite, seeing dismembered organs made me understand quite powerfully that individually, human beings are greater than the sum of their parts - Michael O’Loughlin

Anatomy (Anatomists)

A huge part of this resurgence of anatomical science is technology, especially imaging techniques — we are no longer simply limited to the dissecting knife and light microscope as tools - John R. Hutchinson

Anatomy Dissection

In many medical schools, dissection of cadavers remains an essential component of the curriculum, even though surveys from the past 50 years have shown this is not the most efficient way of learning anatomy - Emmanuelle Godeau MD PhD

Ancient Grains

Unlike modern grains such as wheat, corn, and rice, ancient grains have never been processed through hybridization or genetic modification; they’re grown just as they were a thousand years ago. They have exotic-sounding names like teff, einkorn, emmer, amaranth, millet, quinoa, black rice, black barley, and spelt. And they pack a nutritional wallop - Heidi Godman

And You Thought Botulism Was a Bad Thing?

Botox may make you pretty but can it make you healthier?

Andro (Androstenedione)

Also known as "andro," the dietary supplement was once touted to enhance athletic performance by stimulating muscle growth and boosting testosterone levels. But once it enters the body, it acts like a steroid and can pose similar health risks - Steven Reinberg

Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Don’t get us wrong; we’re not hating on ADT. If you need it, you need it. But it’s not just like taking a vitamin supplement or getting a flu shot - Janet Farrar Worthington

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (Testicular Feminization)

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is typically characterized by evidence of feminization (i.e., undermasculinization) of the external genitalia at birth, abnormal secondary sexual development in puberty, and infertility in individuals with a 46,XY karyotype - Bruce Gottlieb PhD and Mark A Trifiro MD

Androgens

Testosterone (T) is the most important androgen; some of its actions require its conversion to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) mainly in peripheral androgen target organs. In addition, some actions of T, such as on the bone, brain, and sexual desire, require its conversion to the active estrogen, estradiol (E2) - Ilpo Huhtaniemi

Androsterone

Androsterone has a weak androgenic effect and its potency is estimated to be about one-seventh that of testosterone - Gigasnutrition

Anemia

People of all ages, races, and ethnicities can develop anemia at some point in their lives. There are many types of anemia, and they are linked to a variety of diseases and conditions - NIH

Anencephaly

I feel like one of the main reasons that Jaxon, Angela, and all the other children like them are put on earth is to help the medical world now so that it's smarter tomorrow than it is today - Brittany Buell

Anesthesia

Today anesthetics are considered as routine as a trip to the dentist. They have been around at least since the 18th century when a talented chemist named Humphry Davy discovered the mysterious effect of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) - Carl June

Anesthesia Journals

So what do we know about how anaesthetics work? Since they were first discovered, one of the big mysteries has been how the members of such a diverse group of chemicals can all result in the loss of consciousness - Linda Geddes

Anesthesia Organizations

Anaesthesia has been around in one form or another since around the 12th century and in some sense hundreds to thousands of years B.C. In the last 150 years however a revolution of anaesthesia has occurred - R Hirst

Anesthesiology (Anesthesiologists)

Although long overshadowed by the surgeons who patch you up, the humble 'gas man' does just as important a job, holding you in the twilight between life and death - Linda Geddes

Anesthetics

Two broad classes of pharmacologic agents, local and general, can result in anesthesia. - Bill Perkins MD

Aneurysms

I've come to the conclusion that those of us with known aneurysms should feel grateful. Very grateful. An accident of technology has identified for us a problem no doctor ever sought to find or warn about - Kevin Helliker

Angelman Syndrome

Angels have curly hair, an enchanting look, a tenderness and a special affection, a catchy smile, a constant good mood, they are also innocent, carefree, simple, they are awake night and day. Our children have Angelman syndrome. People with this syndrome are affectionately called Angels - Angelman Foundation

Anger

Anger disorders are a product of long-term anger mismanagement. They are a pathological misdirection of normal aggressive feelings - Laura L Hayes

Anger Management

Instead of seeing anger as a burden, we need to see it as a jolt of adrenaline that can point us in the direction of our passions and highlight areas of our life that need work - Anna Davies

Angina

Less than 30% of women have classic chest pain or discomfort prior to their heart attacks - HWN

Angioedema

Angioedema can occur in the absence of urticaria and can be broadly divided into histamine-mediated and non-histamine-mediated angioedema - Amin Kanani

Angiogenesis

The network of blood vessels in the body needs to be continuously repaired and extended to enable it to supply sufficient oxygen and nutrients to tissues. New blood vessels are created from existing ones in a complex process called angiogenesis. Normally, this process is tightly controlled because it can also promote the progression of many diseases, such as inflammatory arthritis and cancer - Esther M Bridges & Adrian L Harris

Angiography

Initially used for structural diagnosis of intravascular pathologies, angiography has been expanded to offer functional assessment and therapeutic options - Demian J. Omeh

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers & Covid-19

Despite initial fears, evidence from retrospective observational studies supports the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system as an emerging pathway to delay or moderate angiotensin II-driven lung inflammation - Rodolfo Pedro Rothlin

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers are not just for hypertension anymore - Juan M. Saavedra

Animal & Pet Health

It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land - Sitting Bull

Animal Cruelty

Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings/against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people - César Chávez

Animal Rescue

Animals, they are one of the most beautiful gifts we have and, you know, if there are people that have compassion, there are very few people that put their money into animal rescue organizations. And if there is someone that has that passion, animals need all the help they can get - Alyssa Milano

Animal Research

Most research today is just repetitious protocol, done to write papers, to complete educational requirements, and to obtain federal grant money…. for the sake of research is an end itself - Dr Andrew Salm, former animal researcher

Animal Rights

It's time to take action on animal rights. Around the world, animals are subjected to cruelty and denied even the most basic considerations. The same rights that we believe to be unalienable for humans should be protected for animals as well. And it is up to us to make it happen - Animal Rights Petitions

Animal Welfare

Proponents of animal welfare are interested in questions like: How can we improve the well-being of zoo animals? Whereas animal rights supporters ask questions like: Should we have zoos - Robert John Young

Animals Trophy Hunting

For most of us, killing—however indirectly—is a normal part of our existence. But killing for food is a world apart from killing for sport, and there is no place for the latter in a healthy world.

Anisakiasis

Gastrointestinal anisakiasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by consumption of raw or undercooked seafood infected with nematodes of the genus Anisakis. Even though the reported cases indicate that this is a rare disease, the true incidence of the disease could be potentially higher than what is reported in the literature as cases can go undiagnosed - Yuto Shimamura

Anisocoria (Unequal Pupils)

The aetiology underlying anisocoria may be physiological, pathological or pharmacological - Rachael C Heath Jeffery

Ankle Dislocations

Posterior dislocations (46% of the time) are most common. The talus bone is often pushed behind the other ankle bones. Dislocations may also be pushed to either side, to the front, or upward. Disruption of the mortise is variable - James R. Roberts MD & Martha Roberts PNP

Ankle Fractures

There are many different types of ankle fractures. Some you can walk on immediately in a boot and do not require surgery and some require surgery to avoid long term problems. Determining whether an ankle fracture requires surgery is a complex process and frequently requires advanced imaging such as a CT scan - The Ankle MD

Ankle Injuries

We would not short change a patient with chest pain by taking a poor history. The same should apply to ankle injuries - Shaun Mehta

Ankle Joint

Among the many joints in the human body, one of the most integral is the talocrural region, which most people know as the ankle joint - Glenda Taylor

Ankle Sprain

A sprained ankle is one of the most common joint injuries, prompting many people to consider it “just a sprain” and not treat it with the respect it deserves - Jane E Brody

Ankylosing Spondylitis

So, tired of seeing misinformation about AS--that it's a mans disease, that it only affects the spine--that you MUST have sacroiliac joint damage FIRST or spine MRIs or X-rays before you can be diagnosed. All of this MUST change - Meloni

Annual Physicals

Going to the doctor when you’re not sick does more harm than good - Brian Palmer

Anorectal abscess

Anorectal abscess and fistula are among the most common diseases encountered in adults. Abscess and fistula should be considered the acute and chronic phase of the same anorectal infection - Herand Abcarian MD

Anorectal abscess & fistula

Anorectal abscess and fistula are among the most common diseases encountered in adults. Abscess and fistula should be considered the acute and chronic phase of the same anorectal infection - Herand Abcarian MD

Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is often misunderstood by a public that tends to glorify thinness and view rule-ridden eating as an act of enviable self-control. This is nothing new - Deborah R. Glasofer & Joanna Steinglass

Anorexia Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels

Eating disorders thrive on secrecy and very few people and celebrities come out and admit they have weight problems, food issues or disorders of any sort. Kate Moss inadvertently let her dieting philosophy slip, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

Anosmia & Long Covid

Many people lose their sense of smell after contracting COVID-19. For most, it comes back fine. For others, not so much - Ștefania Matache

Antacids

Antacids are a group of drugs that have been on the market for years. In the 19th century, the popularity of antacids grew, and they were used for the treatment of various gastric disorders - Bhuvan Shetty

Anterior Cord Syndrome

Anterior cord syndrome often occurs as a result of flexion injury, or due to injury to the anterior spinal artery. This may occur as a result of vascular or atherosclerotic disease in the elderly - Shahbaz Syed MD

Anthrax

Anthrax is not easy to catch. People do not transmit anthrax from one to another. It is not contagious - NPR

Anti Seizure Meds (ASMs)

The pharmacological armamentarium against epilepsy has expanded considerably over the last three decades, and currently includes over 30 different antiseizure medications. Despite this large armamentarium, about one third of people with epilepsy fail to achieve sustained seizure freedom with currently available medications - Emilio Perucca

Anti-Aging

We cannot say anything you haven’t known already: healthy diet, doing sports and plenty of sleep - The Medical Futurist

Anti-Aging Skincare

Skin is the most visible organ. So ageing skin has a big impact on a person’s self-esteem - Michelle Rodrigues

Anti-Choking Suction Devices (LifeVac Dechoker)

While it’s impossible to compare the efficacy of the device to the Heimlich maneuver in a human trial, because it would be impossible to sanction a human trial with real choking victims, the manikin data on the LifeVac is impressive. It certainly can’t hurt to have the device on hand in case of a choking emergency that standard practices don’t solve - Calloway Cook

Anti-Diet

More people are starting to build an anti-diet movement, driven by shifts in what it means to be healthy - Sarah Toy

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Forget inflammation and pay attention to what matters: eat healthy, eat little and exercise if you want to reduce the chance of suffering from the many diseases associated with bad diet - Jeff Schweitzer

Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

Initially thought to be exclusively a paraneoplastic disorder occurring in young females with an ovarian teratoma, it is now recognised that this syndrome can occur in children and adults with or without a tumour - Psych Scene Hub

Anti-Vax

It’s popular among a certain segment of establishment-wary liberals to say that it’s not that vaccines are unsafe, necessarily, but that the Food and Drug Administration oversees them - Anna Merlan

Anti-Vaxxers Covid-19

Having been an anti-vaxxer, I understand what they’re thinking and why they think that way - Heather SImpson

Anti-VEGF Therapy

These agents have often been successful in halting tumor angiogenesis and in regressing rapidly growing mouse tumors. However, results in human cancer have been less impressive - Basel Sitohy

Anti-VEGF Therapy (Eye)

Intraocular injections of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have yielded dramatic improvements in the management of a wide variety of neovascular ocular diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal vein occlusion, and now even retinopathy of prematurity - Ento Key

Antiarrhythmics

Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) can be used for acute or chronic therapy to prevent ventricular arrhythmias and SCD - Saurabh Malhotra & Mithilesh K Das

Antibacterials & Soaps

Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water - Dr. Janet Woodcock

Antibiotic Overuse

The improper use and overuse of antibiotics is needlessly diminishing their value by accelerating the rate of bacterial change, thus shortening the length of time that antibiotics can protect us - Greggory Moore

Antibiotic Overuse Resisting the Temptation to Unnaturally Intervene

In today's world we often impose our technology on every difficulty we encounter. But confining ourselves to a more natural approach to problem-solving may do more good with less harm.

Antibiotic Resistance

The problem with antibiotic resistance is a lot like the problem with climate change: It’s one of collective responsibility - Julie Beck

Antibiotic Resistance: A Crisis of Our Own Making

Antibiotics have saved untold millions of lives. But through our overuse we are reducing the number of people who can be saved by this little medical miracle.

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Loss of drug-effectiveness because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing in both developing and developed countries. If this trend continues unchecked, the world will confront a reality where many infectious diseases have no cure and no vaccine - The World Bank

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are so pervasive that they are often prescribed preemptively, as soon as patients report symptoms, before a diagnosis is made - Bill Maris

Antibiotics & Factory Farming

The overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in raising farm animals for food may not be equivalent to Covid-19 and climate change as threats to human health, but it is right up there. This practice contributes to antibiotic-resistant infections, which are now a leading cause of death worldwide - Steven Roach

Antibiotics & Feed Additives

Once upon a time, antibiotics reigned. They were inexpensive and efficient. Everybody used them, and animals thrived. Then someone read a report about antibiotic resistance in humans and looked up antibiotic usage. It did not take long to decide animals were consuming the most antibiotics, so they should be held responsible for resistance - Ioannis Mavromichalis PhD

Antibiotics for Acne

The most widely prescribed antibiotics for acne have long been broad-spectrum second-generation tetracyclines such as minocycline or doxycycline. But in 2018, the FDA approved a new antibiotic called sarecycline for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris - Isabella Backman

Antibodies

Antibodies are specialized, Y-shaped proteins that bind like a lock-and-key to the body's foreign invaders — whether they are viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. They are the "search" battalion of the immune system's search-and-destroy system, tasked with finding an enemy and marking it for destruction - Tia Ghose

Anticholinergic Toxidrome

Anticholinergics (AChs) are substances that antagonize the actions of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the muscarinic receptors. More than 600 compounds with ACh activity have been identified - Blake Burch PharmD

Anticholinergics

Most importantly, drugs that block cholinergic pathways have been linked to memory and thinking problems (cognition), and even dementia. A link between disrupting cholinergic signals and dementia makes biological sense - Jodi Watt

Anticoagulants

We ask patients to incur increased risk now for a decreased risk later. That’s often a tough sell - John Mandrola MD

Anticoagulation & Atrial Fibrillation (Afib)

Whether or not patients are acutely managed with rate or rhythm control, thromboembolic risk should always be considered. It should also be noted that patients with valvular atrial fibrillation are deemed high risk for stroke and should always be treated with warfarin. This is because none of the novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been studied in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation - Jennifer Robertson MD

Antidepressants

For some they are lifesavers, for others ineffective and even addictive - Clare Wilson

Antiemetics

Perhaps one of the most important lessons about the treatment of nausea is the need to identify the type and cause of nausea, which then directs the treatment - Carol Cannon

Antifungal Drugs

The spread of resistance to antifungal medications has led to many serious infections becoming untreatable, compromising patient safety and posing a global public health threat - David Denning

Antihypertensives

Millions are on more medication than they need and are suffering unnecessary adverse effects, such as fatigue, dizziness and even fainting, and unneeded extra costs - Samuel J Mann MD

Antimalarial Drugs

With the recent emergence of resistance to current front-line artemisinin-based combination therapy, the need for the discovery of new anti-malarials that can act through novel mechanisms of action has been pushed firmly to the top of the development agenda -

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance has the potential to affect people at any stage of life, as well as the healthcare, veterinary, and agriculture industries. This makes it one of the world’s most urgent public health problems - CDC

Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials act as tiny superheroes in our everyday lives. You may not be aware of their powers – but may have been saved by them in your daily routine - Good Chemistry Lives Here

Antioxidant Supplements

There is a real paradigm shift . . . in the biomedical research area that is causing pioneers to ask, 'could 50 years of research be wrong?' - Barbara Demmig-Adams

Antioxidants

Because free radicals are so pervasive, you need an adequate supply of antioxidants to disarm them. Your body's cells naturally produce some powerful antioxidants, such as alpha lipoic acid and glutathione. The foods you eat supply other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. Plants are full of compounds known as phytochemicals—literally, "plant chemicals"—many of which seem to have antioxidant properties as well. - Harvard Health

Antiparasitic Drugs

Antiparasitic drugs have many side effects and are relatively toxic. Moreover, they are often not effective. This is because the parasites become resistant to the used drugs. This is a huge problem - Katarzyna Dziduch

Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Simply put, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by excessive clotting of blood in the arteries and veins - Molly's Fund

Antiplatelet Meds Brilinta Plavix Effient ASA

Anti-platelet drugs have been successfully used to prevent thrombosis, or ‘clotting,’ but they cause blood vessels to leak and bleed, which can make inflammation worse - Xiaoping Du

Antiprotozoal Drugs

Infections by protozoa can cause some of the most serious human diseases, particularly in tropical regions. However, the number of available drugs used to treat such diseases tends to be limited with relatively high toxicity, and the vast majority of such drugs were developed in the 1920s to 1970s - Alane Beatriz Vermelho

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotic drugs have been around for a long time, but until recently they were not widely used - Richard A Friedman MD

Antisemitism

It isn’t always a matter of simple hatred. Sometimes it springs from ideology or is a product of ignorance - Gary Saul Morson

Antiseptics

Reasons for the renaissance of antiseptics are the development of effective and well-tolerated antiseptic substances, the pandemic spread of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs), a comparatively high rate of sensitization to locally applied antibiotics, the microbicidal instead of microbiostatic effect of antiseptics - Axel Kramer

Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopath)

A sociopath is one who sees others as impersonal objects to be manipulated to fulfill their own narcissistic needs without any regard for the hurtful consequences of their selfish actions ― R Alan Woods

AntiVaxxers: The Fight for Freedom Against Logic

What I don’t understand is how the anti-vaxxers have convinced themselves that governments all over the globe are conspiring to put aside their ideological differences in order to impose the vaccine on the world’s population - Shilo Zylbergold

Antiviral Drugs

Unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can be used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, drugs that work against one type of virus rarely work at treating other viruses. For example, remdesivir, originally developed for treating hepatitis C, was at one point suggested as a treatment for COVID, but clinical trials have shown that it has only a limited effect against this coronavirus - Pavol Bardy

Antiviral Drugs Covid-19

An effective antiviral treatment that could be taken at home could be a pandemic gamechanger, saving lives and relieving pressure on overburdened hospitals. Though there are numerous safe and effective vaccines to prevent Covid-19, there are few options to actually treat someone who has it - Robert Hart

Antiviral Drugs Flu

Treating human flu remains a challenge. The anti-influenza drugs available on the market seem to be insufficient in achieving an optimal therapeutic effect - Magdalena Świerczyńska

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common condition in psychiatry - Dr. Naomi Simon

Anxiolytics (Anti-Anxiety Drugs)

Regular use of these drugs often leads to "drug tolerance." That is, the body adjusts to them and it takes a higher and higher dose to achieve the desired effect. Dependence also can develop, meaning withdrawal symptoms will occur if the drug is suddenly stopped - Harvard Health

AOM

Even with an accurate diagnosis, most ear infections go away on their own. Really. Without antibiotics - Chad Hayes MD

Aortic Aneurysms

There's an education gap among physicians about aortic disease, and this gap isn't small. It's huge - Eric Isselbacher MD

Aortic Dissection

Aortic dissections are potentially life-threatening conditions that may affect anyone, although patients with high blood pressure, connective tissue disorders, or aortic aneurysms are at higher risk - International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection

Aortic Dissection Management

Treatment in the ED is focused on lowering blood pressure and heart rate in hypertensive patients until surgical correction can be achieved - Alexandra Ortega MD

Aortic Emergencies

Computed tomography scan is the gold standard for diagnosis of pathologic conditions of the aorta in the hemodynamically stable patient - Christie Lech

Aortic Intramural Hematoma

Intramural hematoma (IMH) of the aorta is a variant of overt dissection with no entry or false lumen flow.1–14 However, progression of IMH both to overt dissection and rupture of the aorta is unpredictable, and strategies for therapeutic management are not established - Yskert von Kodolitsch

Aortic Intramural Hematomas and Penetrating Aortic Ulcerations

The classic aortic dissection involves an intimomedial flap, which traverses the aortic lumen. Intramural hematoma and penetrating aortic ulcer are nonflap lesions - Katarzyna J. Macura

Aortic Regurgitation (Insuffciency)

Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a cardiac condition characterized by the backflow of blood from the aorta to the left ventricle during diastole - Lecturio

Aortic Saddle Embolism

Acute lower limb ischemia or paraplegia are the commonest presentations of aortic saddle embolus - Jonathan Yap

Aortic Stenosis

Goals of managing severe AS in the ED are identification and stabilization until definitive care from a mechanical assist device and or valve replacement can be offered - David Lewis

Aortic Stenosis

Fortunately, new minimally invasive treatments have been developed to help patients with aortic stenosis and literally restore their ability to breath and function again - Dr. Grayson Wheatley

Aortic Stenosis Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters’ condition, aortic stenosis, is the most common valve problem in patients over 70. Once symptoms develop the only effective treatment is surgical replacement of the aortic valve

Aortic Valve

The aortic valve is the centrepiece of the heart - It lies between the PV, the TV and the MV - Critical Care Sonography

Aortitis

Inflammatory diseases of the aorta are severe vascular disorders with highly variable clinical presentation and etiology that require a multimodal, interdisciplinary approach, including good knowledge of rheumatic diseases, infectiology and histopathology, and multimodal imaging, as well as expertise in open aortic surgery and catheter-based interventions - T Shchetynska-Marinova

Aortoenteric Fistula

Aortoenteric fistula is a rare but an important cause of fatal gastrointestinal bleeding. It should be considered in patients with massive gastrointestinal bleeding who have undergone aortic surgery. When considering this diagnosis, surgical intervention should be done as soon as possible, before diagnostic tests were performed - Serife Ozdinc

APGAR Score

Dr. Virginia Apgar is to thank for the post-birth assessment that's saved countless newborn lives - Health Matters, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Aphasia

Their thoughts are the same, the personality is the same, they just can’t communicate - Kathryn Borio

Aphthous Stomatitis

There are several types of treatments available for canker sores, ranging from simply waiting to home remedies to over the counter solutions to a visit to your dentist - Thomas P. Connelly, DDS

Aplastic Anemia

Nothing can quite prepare you for the emotional and physical rollercoaster that is aplastic anaemia. There’s no best-selling book that you can purchase at Waterstones that can teach you how to deal with the turmoil of an illness that wasn’t there yesterday but is very much there today - Grazina Berry

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)

The preponderance of evidence indicates that apoB is the superior biomarker for ASCVD prevention compared to other lipid and lipoprotein-related measures. Its measurement is now adequately standardized, and it can be measured accurately and precisely using automated assays on clinical chemistry analyzers - Justine Cole

Appendectomy

When an inflamed appendix is treated promptly, people do fine. In fact, with the advent of laparoscopic surgery, most patients will go home within the same day of having the procedure - Cody Lyon, Huff Post

Appendicitis

Appendectomy is still an effective treatment for appendicitis. But it appears that most people could be treated just with antibiotics. The “myth” that surgery is the one and only way to treat appendicitis needs to be cut out and tossed away - David Talan

Apple & Healthcare

Looking for new markets where technology can improve efficiency and outcomes—and power sales growth—the tech sector has eyed healthcare as an untapped opportunity - Christina Farr

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar does have a few things going for it but its powers have been vastly over-estimated in the popular imagination - Monica Reinagel

Apple Watch

Even if the Apple Watch does work correctly, it is by no means clear it will generate benefits to the public’s health - Larry Husten

Apples

Despite all their benefits, it wouldn't be accurate to describe apples as necessarily being "healthier" than other fruits - Daryl Austin

Apps

While we wouldn’t recommend simply relying on an App to save any life, we will say that when people are left with little to no options, some have found ways to turnaround an otherwise deadly situation - iSmashphone.com

Apps Brain Health

The main brain-training apps stick to the same format: collections of mini-games that promise to test various mental skills; pretty graphs to show how you’re improving over time; and optional subscriptions for extra games and features - Stuart Dredge

Apps Breast Ca & Prevention

You do not have to be a breast cancer survivor to appreciate their message – breast cancer can affect anyone...and sometimes it helps to have someone or something navigate its prevention or treatment - iMedicalApps

Apps Cancer

If you search “cancer” apps on your phone, you get a weird assortment. Cancer prevention apps. Diagnostic apps. Medical-jargon-your-doctor-will-use translation apps. And a number of horoscope apps...Better Humans

Apps Charities

Spreading charity with the power of mobile apps

Apps Diabetes

Apps may be the smartest way to manage diabetes for many people, but unused apps stored on a smartphone do not change behavior or improve health - Kelly Rawlings

Apps Emergencies

Everyone needs a liitle help during an emergency

Apps Emergency Medicine

There's a mobile app for almost anything you may want to do, any situation you confront - Jacqueline Leo

Apps Fitness

There are a ton of fitness apps for your mobile devices. Here's some of HealthWorldNet's favorites

Apps Heart

We are seeing the beginnings of a real consumer movement that will make us healthier and reduce healthcare costs - Stephanie Tilenius

Apps Meditation

How to turn your smartphone into your own meditation center - WSJ

Apps Mental Health

Regulating our emotional lives via an app is a lot to ask of our stone age minds, which perceive others’ emotions based on facial expression, voice, body language and touch - Matthew Hertenstein

Apps Professionals

There are a ton of medical applications for your mobile devices...there's even multisensory apps with OrcaHealth appearing to be one of the leaders in this cutting edge technology

Apps Stroke Rehab

Rehabilitation...can be an uphill battle. Both stroke survivors and caregivers encounter monumental challenges. With technology advancing so rapidly, there are ways to utilize your smartphone or tablet to help in the recovery process - Mara Calomino

Apps Travel

Don't leave home without one. Here's some of HealthWorldNet's favorite travel apps

Apps You Cant Live or Practice Without

Nothing is as easy as counting calories or timing contractions with your smart phone. And apps are even in doctors' bags these days!

Apraxia

Apraxia is an invisible disability - Jordan Christian

APS

Simply put, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by excessive clotting of blood in the arteries and veins - Molly's Fund

Aquablation Prostate

Excellent outcomes are observed in most patients regardless of their prostate size and, as such, may be suitable as a first-line option to treat their BPH - David J. Scholtz

Aquaponics: A Waterway to a Healthier Future

With California in the midst of a drought seemingly without end, farmers do well for the entire country to economize their water use. So why is a farming method using water 90% more efficiently so underused?

Arachnoiditis

Arachnoiditis is a nonspecific inflammatory process usually caused by an invasion into the dural sac—whether by bacteria, blood, or injections of various irritant substances that produce a spectrum of pathological changes - Antonio Aldrete MD, MS

Arboviruses

Presently, arbovirus emergence and dispersion are more rapid and geographically widespread, largely due to expansion of the range for these two mosquitoes that have exploited the global transportation network, land perturbation, and failure to contain the mosquito population coupled with enhanced vector competence - Olivia Wesula Lwande

ARBs

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers are not just for hypertension anymore - Juan M. Saavedra

ARBs and Covid-19

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers are not just for hypertension anymore - Juan M. Saavedra

Archaea

Archaeans are extreme organisms. They can survive and even thrive under some of the most difficult conditions on planet Earth like very hot, extremely acidic, or very alkaline environments - Regina Bailey

ARDS

New therapies to fix the leakiness of blood vessels in patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and Ebola virus infections, have the potential to save many lives - Jalees Rehman MD

Are Memory Supplements More Than Wishful Thinking?

“Memory supplements” are a half-billion-dollar industry. But a paucity of government regulation means manufacturers can make bold claims without having to back them up.

Argyll Robertson Pupils

Argyll Robertson pupils describe the physical exam findings associated with advanced stages of syphilis. Characterized by bilateral small pupils that fail to constrict in response to bright light but exhibit constriction during near vision tasks, Argyll Robertson pupils are a diagnostic marker for tertiary syphilis - Sarah L. Dichter

Arnold Chiari Malformation

It’s all made so much harder by how rare and unheard of our condition is, and how ignorant so many medical professionals are about it - Ella

Aromatase Inhibitors

Aromatase inhibitors (three kinds: letrozole, exemestane, and anastrozole) all work by lowering the estrogen level in a woman’s body to near 0 units, taking the level from about 20-25 down to 0. For women who are already having some symptoms of menopause at the level of 20-25, going down to 0 can cause an increase in symptoms, such as hot flashes, joint/muscle pains, and vaginal dryness most commonly - Patricia Ganz MD

Aromatherapy

Ancient civilization including (but not limited to) Romans, Greeks, Chinese, Indians, and Egyptians, give us evidence of aromatherapy’s old and deep roots with humans - Olivia Rosewood

Arrhythmias

The risk of developing an arrhythmia increases as you get older, and you may also be more at risk if you’re pregnant or recently had heart surgery. Some types of arrhythmia may be caused by particular triggers - BUPA

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

ARVC is a difficult condition to diagnose - SADS Foundation

Arsenic Exposure

Arsenic sticks around and today it's easily found after death if somebody thinks of looking for it, because the problem with arsenic, it isn't looked for in the common tests for drugs - Michael Baden

Arterial Lines (A-Lines)

Learning how to do arterial lines quickly makes a world of difference in a resus - Sandip Mukhopadhyay

Arteriosclerosis

Arterial vascular diseases comprise the leading cause of death in the industrialized world. Every physician learns about the pathology of these diseases in medical school - Michael C. Fishbein MD

Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are relatively rare cerebral lesions that may cause significant neurological morbidity in young people - Andres R Plasencia1 and Alejandro Santillan

Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (A-AION)

Giant cell arteritis is the primary cause of A-AION. Other rare causes include other types of vasculitis, e.g. , polyarteritis nodosa, systemic lupus erythematosus, and herpes zoster - EyeRounds.org

Arthritis

Living with painful arthritis, whether rheumatoid, osteo-, or another variety, is a difficult road. Unfortunately, there are no ready-made solutions - Maria Rodale

Arthritis Charities

You will never hear any of us saying that life with arthritis is easy. It's difficult, no ifs, ands or buts about it - Arthritis Insight

Arthrocentesis

Due to the necessity for diagnosis there exist no absolute contraindications to arthrocentesis - Rachel Smith Shain

Artificial Blood

For centuries scientists have sought an artificial substitute for blood. Equipped with modern nanotechnology and a humbler strategy, bioengineers think they’re closer than ever - Marion Renault

Artificial Disc Replacement

Total disc replacement (TDR) is an innovative procedure that has gained traction in spine surgery. A large amount of data in the literature report on the short-term outcomes of TDR surgery favorably - Yahya A. Othman et al

Artificial Hearts

The artificial heart acts as a bridge therapy -- a temporary measure until a patient can get off the organ donor waiting list and receive a heart transplant - Dr. Charles Feng

Artificial Immunity

Almost everyone agrees, well, almost everyone - that vaccination has been one of the single most effective public health measures ever undertaken. Vaccination eradicates disease. Then why the controversy? - HWN

Artificial Insemination

It’s always desirable to conceive in the least invasive way possible, and IUI offers that option - Ari Baratz

Artificial Pancreas (Closed Loop Systems)

A long way to go before there’s a true artificial pancreas -- or a cure - Julia Belluz

Artificial Sweeteners

As for synthetic sugar alternatives, there has been considerable talk of how dangerous they may be for our health, but little evidence of harm has actually come forth and their environmental impacts may be more reason for concern - EarthTalk

Artificial Sweeteners

As for synthetic sugar alternatives, there has been considerable talk of how dangerous they may be for our health, but little evidence of harm has actually come forth and their environmental impacts may be more reason for concern - EarthTalk

Artificial Sweeteners Sweet or Sour?

Artificial sweeteners may be good for us – think about our ongoing battle against diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. But is there a sour – or even a bitter side to these sugar substitutes?

ASA

Aspirin is a popular drug for people who’ve never had a heart attack or stroke and would like to keep it that way. But for more than one in 10 people who do so, aspirin could do more harm than good - Journal American College of Cardiology

ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Classification

It was developed for statistical purposes and not as a surgical risk predictor. However, since it correlates well with multiple outcomes, it is widely used—appropriately or not—for risk prediction and many other purposes - Balazs Horvath MD

Asbestos

Unlike, say, nuclear waste, asbestos does not have a half-life. It can be left alone for a few decades or for 30 generations and when it is disturbed it represents exactly the same health threat as it did when it was originally mined - Ricky van der Zwan

Asbestos: Canada – No More Mr. Nice Guy

Although dragging its feet well behind the rest of the world, Canada has finally passed legislation restricting the manufacture, import, sale, and use of asbestos-containing products - Shilo Zylbergold

Ascariasis (Large Roundworms)

Ascariasis and hookworm (ancylostomiasis) remain the most common intestinal nematodes in the world with significant economic, social, and medical impact - Rebecca Kreston

Ascaris Lumbricoides

Ascariasis and hookworm (ancylostomiasis) remain the most common intestinal nematodes in the world with significant economic, social, and medical impact - Rebecca Kreston

Ascites

Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis. Approximately 60% of patients with compensated cirrhosis develop ascites, accompanied by portal hypertension, within 10 years - Kevin Moore MBBS PhD

Ascites Management

Although dietary sodium restriction and diuretic administration are effective initial steps to control fluid accumulation, refractory ascites develops in 11% of patients with cirrhosis after 5 years. Large-volume paracentesis and creation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) are the two most common percutaneous approaches used to treat refractory ascites, with some evidence suggesting the latter provides improved survival, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness = David C. Madoff

ASD

Atrial septal defects are one of the most common types of congenital heart defects and are present in about 25% of live births - Alexandra M. Menillo

Ashley Judd Has a Bad Case of Puppy Love

Depression has a new form of treatment that is safe and has no side effects. Well, maybe the occasional wet face. Around the world, dogs are being used to help people cope with mental illness

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is aptly named on its characteristic smell. It does smell like the horse but is also traditionally known to give you strength like one - Dr Arati Soman

Asian Healthcare

Asian Americans are overgeneralized and undercounted. Both issues lead to omission and erasure, and neither gets us closer to the truth. We are here, in multitudes, and it’s time that better data—in quantity and quality—reflect this fact - Vijay Limaye & Bora Chang

Asians & Covid-19

Asians in America are now facing a dual pandemic: a heightened fear of racist abuse, from verbal slurs to physical assault, on top of all the anxiety of living through COVID-19 - Shanoor Seervai

Aspartame (Equal)

Aspartame is the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener. It is also marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Sugar Twin and AminoSweet - Stacy Malkan

Asperger Syndrome

I see people with Asperger’s syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life – Tony Attwood

Aspergillosis

Perhaps no other fungal genus contains species that are so harmful and species that are so beneficial to humans as the genus Aspergillus, and a large number of Aspergillus species are of biomedical and industrial significance - Broad Institute

Asphyxiation

Death by asphyxiation can be either accidental, suicidal, or homicidal; with three different categories which are strangulation, chemical asphyxia, and suffocation. Other methods of asphyxia are things such as foreign objects stuck in the airway or trachea, a severe allergic reaction causing airway constriction, drowning by inhaling water, incorrect body positioning, seizures, drug overdose, or even accidental carbon monoxide poisoning - Godoy Medical Forensics

Aspiration (Vacuum) Abortion

It's a far cry from more barbaric procedures, such as dilation and curettage, which involves scraping the pregnancy lining from the uterus using a long metal scoop - Carly Pifer

Aspiration Pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is a sub-type of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) still poorly recognized especially in the absence of an aspiration event - Jordi Almirall

Aspiration Pneumonitis (Chemical Pneumonitis)

In aspiration pneumonitis, antibiotic therapy is not necessary. However, since it is difficult to distinguish between pneumonitis and pneumonia, it is common practice to use antibiotics with the potential for aspiration pneumonia in mind - Young Gon Son

Aspiration Syndromes (Pneumonia & Pneumonitis)

Aspiration pneumonia and pneumonitis are part of the pneumonia continuum and share similarities in pathophysiology, microbiology, and treatment - Sarah Neill MD MPH

Aspirin

Aspirin has had a long history as a pain reliever—2,000 years of history. But only in the 1970s did scientists begin to uncover its chemical secrets - Daniel R. Goldberg

Assisted Suicide

Let's make a deal. We won't interfere with your ability to hang on until the bitter end, and you don't interfere with our ability to let go in whatever manner we see fit. It's a question of freedom - Greggory Moore

Assistive technology

I think we’re in the middle of a revolution in technology for people with impairments - David Reinkensmeyer

Asthma

It is becoming increasingly clear that there many types of asthma--and they differ greatly in their presentation and genesis - Javeed Akhter MD

Asthma Breathe It Like Beckham

Rescue inhalers may soon be passé. New discoveries suggest that asthmatics may be breathing easier by 2020...but don't hold your breath!

Asthma Biologics

The good news is that research into the pathogenesis of asthma has led to the development of biologics that target cytokines directly involved in causing severe asthma symptoms - Rosanna Sutherby PharmD

Asthma Drugs

There are two main types of drugs doctors prescribe to control asthma... The first kind of medication is your long-term control medicine. You might call it your “maintenance” asthma medicine. You use these medicines on a regular basis to control asthma and prevent attacks. The other kind of medicine is your quick-relief, or “rescue” medicine - Healthgrades

Asthma Emergency Management

Acute severe asthma, formerly called status asthmaticus, is defined as severe asthma unresponsive to repeated courses of beta-agonist therapy or subcutaneous epinephrine. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate recognition and treatment - Salim Rezaie

Asthma Inhalers

More than 2,000 people around the world use one every second - Carson Vaughan

Asthma Kristin Chenoweth Knows Her Count. Do You?

Realizing how much she, and other asthmatics rely on their inhalers, Chenoweth has partnered with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to launch a public service campaign called “Know Your Count”

Asthma Rescue Medications

Rescue medications are also called quick-relief or fast-acting medications. They work immediately and should be taken when symptoms like chest tightness, difficulty breathing or wheezing occur - Peggy Hoyt RN

Astigmatism

You may or may not already know that astigmatism is one of the most common vision problems in the world, but did you know that it’s actually also one of the most misunderstood - Silverstein Eye Centers

Asylum Medicine

Sometimes referred to as asylum medicine, the objective forensic evaluation of asylum seekers offers physicians and other clinicians an opportunity to use their knowledge and skills to serve a particularly vulnerable population - Hope Ferdowsian MD

Asymptomatic Hypertension

“Hypertensive urgency” is a term that has been used to refer to patients with severely elevated blood pressure (e.g. >~180/120) who do not have target organ damage. However, this is a misnomer because there is no “urgent” need to reduce the blood pressure - Josh Farkas

Ataxia

A common theme amongst people with ataxia is a steely determination to not be defined by their condition - Jonathan Evans

Ataxia-Telangiectasia

There is more to Telangiectasia than just spider webs. Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia is often not recognized until it's either severe or even life-threatening, then again there's A-T - Lauren Domitrovits

Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Not only does the average Joe have no idea what Ataxia- Telangiectasia is, but thousands of doctors have never even heard of it either - Mkingston719's Blog

Atherosclerosis

Today, as we live longer, exercise less, eat too much and smoke, many of us suffer from inflammation’s dark side—including its ability to contribute to atherosclerosis and other chronic disorders - Peter Libby

Athlete Health Screening

Why do volunteer organizations have to do this? Why not schools? Or pediatricians? Why isn’t it mandatory? Andy Kessler

Athlete's Foot

As with most things in life, some people are just biologically more susceptible to catching fungal infections, depending on their immune systems. In general, you want to avoid damp and dark places (like the inside of your sweaty socks) - Meg Lappe

Athletes & Plant Based Diets

It’s a common misconception that athletes cannot eat a plant-based diet, because it does not provide the protein they need. As I said, it is a misconception - Kimberly Snyder

Athletic Trainers

Love them as much as they love you and the whole athletic world will keep on spinning - Morgan Hendrix

Ativan (Lorazepam)

Ativan is a from a class of drugs named Benzodiazepines. They are commonly prescribed to help with panic and anxiety disorder. They are a life saving drug for many, but can be very addictive - Michael Camilleri

Atkins diet

It is undeniably a diet that works - but are you risking your health to lose weight - Anne Shooter

ATLS

ATLS brought a common language to the management of trauma and highlighted the importance of immediately dealing with life-threatening conditions, as part of a standardised, systematic protocol - M. D. Wiles

Atopic Dermatitis

It is the leading non-fatal health burden attributable to skin diseases, inflicts a substantial psychosocial burden on patients and their relatives, and increases the risk of food allergy, asthma, allergic rhinitis, other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, and mental health disorders - Stephan Weidinger MD & Natalija Novak MD

Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

Lipitor is the single most lucrative drug ever produced. While tens of millions of people have taken this pharmaceutical, there are many alarming side effects associated with this particular statin - Rebekah Edwards

Atrazine

Banned in the European Union and clearly linked to harm to wildlife and potentially to humans, the pesticide atrazine provides little benefit to offset its risks - Mae Wu

Atrial Fibrillation

With breathtaking speed, atrial fibrillation has gone from “Huh?” to parlance. “A-fib”, a common cardiac cause of palpitations, is now in the front ranks of evils lurking to smite our well-being - Dr. Nortin M. Hadler

Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke

The risk of stroke in a person with AFib is 500% higher than in someone without the disease, so treatment to reduce stroke risk is essential - Alliance for Aging Research

Atrial Fibrillation w/RVR Management

Despite unstable atrial fibrillation being a relatively common problem, information on its management seems (at least based on my review) to be very sparse. Almost every textbook and guideline that I found just states that you should follow the ACLS protocol and electrically cardiovert patients that are unstable. I could not find a single textbook that explored what to do when cardioversion does not work, which seems to be the majority of the time.- Justin Morgenstern

Atrial Flutter

Atrial flutter with variable conduction usually occur in patterns of 2 (flutter waves) : 1 (ventricular beats), 3:1, or 4:1 - Amal Mattu

Atrial Tachycardia (PAT)

The third most common type of SVT is AT (approximately 10 percent); it originates from a single atrial focus. This SVT, if focal, usually has a definitive localized origin, such as adjacent to the crista terminalis in the right atrium or the ostia of the pulmonary veins in the left atrium - Randall A. Colucci DO

Atrioventricular (AV) Dissociation

Atrioventricular dissociation is usually transient unless it includes a complete heart block in its definition. The prognosis of AV dissociation is dependent on the cause of the insult, rather than the effect of the AV dissociation itself. Often with the elimination of the causative insult, there is a complete recovery in patients - Mohammed Faraaz

Atrioventricular Blocks – First, Second and Third Degree (AV Blocks)

Atrioventricular (AV) block (often referred to as “heart block”) involves the partial or complete interruption of impulse transmission from the atria to the ventricles. This interruption of impulse transmission results in characteristic ECG findings that differ depending on the subtype of AV block - Geeky Medics

Atrioventricular Reentrant Tachycardia (AVRT)

The second most common type of SVT is AVRT. Patients with this arrhythmia typically present at a younger age than those with AVNRT - Randall A. Colucci DO

Atrophic Vaginitis

Vaginal dryness and atrophy is a silent epidemic that affects many women who are undoubtedly suffering in silence. This chronic and progressive medical condition has been estimated to affect up to 50%-60% of postmenopausal women - Michael L. Krychman MD

Atropine

Not recommended in asystole and PEA anymore, not due to negative studies, but rather to the realization that the evidence was always weak and therefore shouldn’t be considered positive - Lucas Chartier MD