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Pop Quiz! Are You Flu-ent on Prevention? A-choose Wisely

The holiday season approaches, but so does the gift that will not stop giving — flu season. While the influenza virus can circulate at any time of the year, flu season peaks from December to February. The flu is a serious illness that can lead to pneumonia, bacterial infections, hospitalization, or worse. Take our quiz…
Brimming With Hope

Mother of T1D Uses Cups of Hope to Raise Awareness by REBEKAH PIERCE It’s the little things in life that make it so meaningful – and for families affected by type 1 diabetes, it might truly be as simple as sharing a good cup of coffee. Katie Schmid started the Polk County chapter of Cups…
Where AI Meets Awareness

AdventHealth’s GRACE Helps With Early Detection of Breast Cancer by REBEKAH PIERCE October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while we’ve known for many years that awareness and early detection can help save lives, it’s always been an “easier said than done” situation. Like many cancers, breast cancer is notoriously hard to detect and can…

Smoking Hurts More Than Your Lungs

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been like no other with its usual mix of pain and pleasure. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the role of lifestyle in the management of vascular disease that can lend a sense of control in its otherwise…
What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD?

by NADER MOINFAR, M.D., M.P.H. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In general, AMD is a disease that progresses in stages. Patients with advanced AMD experience vision loss from either excess ﬂuid and blood (wet AMD) or the death of cells (GA). It is estimated that 1.5 million…
Understanding Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a “weakening” or “dilatation” in a part of an artery. An estimated 15,000 people die of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year in the US. About 200,000 new cases of AAA are diagnosed every year. Most of these are diagnosed by tests that are done for unrelated reasons. The aorta is…