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Keeping the golden years fresh

The art of preserving quality of life as we age CATHY THORNHILL always considered herself an active person. She competed in marathons and triathlons in her late 30s and ate what she believed to be a relatively healthy diet. But as she grew older, Thornhill started experiencing the typical aches and pains associated with aging.…
Fall 2016 healthcare coverage update

What you need to know about healthcare plan changes affecting your coverage MEDICAL CARE is expensive. You, or whoever ever pays the bill, may feel like a worm on a fishing hook. Right now, there’s a lot of squirming going on. Major insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna Inc. have scaled back insurance offerings for 2017.…
Mental health on the brain: Recent mental health reform brings more awareness

Plus: Local resources for depression, bipolar disorders, suicide prevention, and more INCARCERATION, VIOLENCE, HOMELESSNESS, suicide; these are the results of untreated mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, more than 43 million — or 1 in 5 adults — in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year. And approximately 10…

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy

With the increase in longevity and improvement in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a sizable proportion of Americans are on either an antiplatelet agent or full anticoagulation. These are commonly known as blood thinners. In the next two columns, I’ll talk about the most commonly used blood thinners. Common indications for requiring antiplatelet agents are…
Celebrating Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve in the eye becomes damaged over time. Each eye has an optic nerve. This nerve acts like a cable sending information about what you see to the brain. This is just like a cable to your television. Without treatment,…
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…