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Curtailing diabetes

Essential Tips for Better Disease Management Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It is a major cause of heart disease and stroke as well as the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults. In Polk County, the incidence of diabetes is…
Warning signs of bullying

Putting a Stop to It Before It Causes the Most Damage When children complain about a headache or stomachache, parents may seek immediate relief with over-the-counter painkillers or antacids. But when the symptoms recur, over and over again, a trip to the family doctor may reveal a sinister reason: Bullying. “They don’t want to necessarily…
Replacing candy with better-for-you snacks

Healthy Options Headed for Local School Vending Machines Fat-free and soy yogurts, granola bars, fruit and grain bars, and soy crisps may become standard fare at some Polk County public schools this upcoming school year. The snacks will be offered under a new contract with Central Florida Healthy Vending in Orlando. Some 200+ healthy snacks…

Understanding Metastatic Bone Disease

Cancer is always a frightening diagnosis, and knowing that the disease can spread from one part of the body to others can be unsettling. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells from the original (primary) tumor break away and move to other parts of the body. When the cancer spreads from the primary tumor into bone tissue,…
Operative Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease

We’ve talked about what Peripheral Arterial Disease is in previous columns. Now, let’s look at some possible operative treatment options for PAD. When medical management alone has failed to improve symptoms, the possible treatment options include the following: Endovascular treatment with balloon angioplasty: In this procedure, a catheter is threaded through a blood vessel to…
Breast Cancer Surpasses Lung Cancer as Most Common

According to new information released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), breast cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the world’s most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide. It’s also now the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2021, it’s estimated that over…