Studies of pelvic organ prolapse suggest that there may be a genetic tendency for the condition to run in families, making it more likely to be inherited and more likely to develop in some pairs of female siblings.
A MET is a metabolic equivalent, a measure of how much energy is expended doing a given exercise or activity. Researchers gauge levels of physical activity in METs. A chart shows various activities and how many METs they expend.
I heard about a new test for prostate cancer that’s better than the PSA test. Should I get this test?
Finasteride has been prescribed for my BPH. I think that the most frequent side effect is erectile dysfunction or loss of sexual desire. Would Levitra or a similar drug (like Viagra or Cialis) overcome the side effects of finasteride?
I am 63 and have tears running down my face at odd times. Most of the information I’ve found on the Internet is about infants with blocked tear ducts. Can you provide some information about tearing in adults?
Death rates from heart disease had been declining since the 1960s, but recently they have leveled off in men and increased very slightly in women, probably due to increases in obesity and diabetes.
I am 78, and for about 10 years, I have been taking an 81-mg aspirin every morning with a glass of grapefruit juice. I heard that it’s not a good idea to drink grapefruit juice with some blood-thinning drugs. Is that true of aspirin too?
The leads of implanted cardiac devices can break or become infected over time. If this happens, the leads must be replaced. A defective lead can be left in the heart, but it is considered safer to have it removed.
My platelet count has always been on the low side – 110,000. I don’t have any symptoms. But a recent lab report mentioned “giant platelets.” Is this something to worry about?
The FDA is recommending a genetic test for people prescribed warfarin, to search for variants of certain genes that can affect the drug’s effectiveness. But there is not enough evidence yet that the test makes using the drug safer.