I have back pain on my left side, in the area of my kidney. I think it may be caused by the kidney itself or a nerve in that area. What tests should I have to find out if it is a kidney problem or something else?
Is high blood sugar related to joint pain?
How is Dupuytren’s contracture treated?
Drugs for two common conditions may increase the risk of fragile bones and fractures, new studies report. One study looked at the diabetes drugs pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. People who used one of these drugs for at least a year were more than twice as likely to break a bone. The fractures occurred with low impact, such as a simple fall. The other study included young women who took phenytoin, a drug for epilepsy. They lost bone density eight times as fast as other young women. Reuters Health reported on the diabetes drugs April 29. The study was in the Archives of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about the epilepsy drugs April 28. The study was in the journal Neurology.
I have a rash covering a good portion of my face. My doctor ran blood tests for lupus. The antinuclear antibody test came back positive. Does this mean I have lupus?
I have been undergoing a program of colon cleansing with an herbal product. Recently, I underwent a colonoscopy and my doctor said I have “melanosis coli,” which he thinks was caused by the colon cleansing. What is “melanosis coli” and should I be concerned?
Testing blood sugar at home may not help people with type 2 diabetes, a study suggests. The study included 184 people who had just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They were divided randomly into two groups. One group was told to test blood glucose eight times each week. The other group was told not to test. Every three months, they received a blood test known as hemoglobin A1c in the doctor’s office. This is a way to measure long-term blood sugar control. The two groups had similar A1c levels. Also, people who did the home tests were more likely to become depressed than people who did not. The study was published April 17 in the British Medical Journal.
I had gastric bypass surgery four years ago. Can I safely take an herbal colon cleanse?
A long-term study of children with ADHD concluded that the most beneficial treatment involved medication, either alone or with behavioral therapy, but the effectiveness of medication begins to fade after about two years.
An analysis of hospital-based programs to assist smokers in quitting found that only those that followed inpatient treatment with continued counseling and support after discharge were successful.