President Lyndon Baines Johnson declared February as National Heart Month back in 1964. Despite all awareness efforts, heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 80 percent of these deaths can be prevented through lifestyle changes and proper medical management. Which leads us to prevention, prevention, prevention. Perhaps the three most important
Whether the tradition of making a new year’s resolution was started by the Babylonians or by the Romans, who made promises to the god Janus, humans have been making and breaking resolutions for a long time. Many of us look to the new year as a time to make changes and improvements in our lives, so it
It seems that talk of sleep deprivation and its ill effects is rampant. As Mick Jagger sings, “Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind.” Not to mention your health. For some, the cause of interrupted, poor-quality sleep may be a treatable condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when the soft tissue in the throat collapses into
Now what was I writing about? Short-term memory loss is one of the earliest signs of dementia. We all experience forgetting someone’s name or searching for a particular word, but when forgetfulness begins to interfere with common everyday tasks, it may be time to talk to your doctor. Dementia is a blanket term for
Ladies, here’s the good: We must be doing something right. We outlive men by over five years on average in the U.S., and 75 percent of centenarians are women (National Center for Health Statistics, 2021). But what accounts for this longevity? We are good about keeping our annual checkups, completing preventative screenings and getting age-recommended
Just as we see updated, less restrictive guidance on COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control regarding isolation, testing and social distancing, we now have another infectious disease spreading throughout the world. In July, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency, and in early August, the U.S. followed suit. WHO is tracking
As a community hospital, Lutheran Medical Center supports growing families in the Wheat Ridge area. The Lactation Department at Lutheran helps families thrive by following the 10 Steps for Successful Breastfeeding, as defined by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, launched by UNICEF and the World Health Organization. This includes supporting breastfeeding through education during pregnancy and
Summer is here and temperatures are soaring. According to the National Weather Service, July is Denver’s hottest month. Temperatures will likely hit triple digits. In medicine, the three most important factors are prevention, prevention and prevention! Don’t let the comfort of living in a dry climate result in a heat-related illness. There are ways to
The good news is that deaths from cancer in the U.S. continue to decline. And there will be no bad news to follow that statement. The continued drop in death rates is due to improved treatments and people’s better lifestyle choices and habits. As we recognize National Cancer Survivors Day on June 5 and Cancer
More children are suffering from depression than ever before. Suicide rates have skyrocketed and suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among children 10 to 18 years old. There are several theories about why depression is on the rise in kids, starting with social media. Kids are constantly connected, especially teens, and they compare
While the ’80s brought us alternative music, traditional Chinese medicine brought us alternative medicine, now known as complementary medicine, in the form of acupuncture. Acupuncture has been practiced in China for thousands of years. It was reintroduced to the U.S. after then-President Nixon visited China in the early ’70s. His personal physician wrote an article
A couple of things come to mind when we think of spring. One is certainly taxes, and the other should be that March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. If we understand one message from these columns, hopefully it is that prevention is best and denial is not the river in Egypt! The American Cancer
You can’t miss all the pink and red hearts in retail stores this time of year to promote Valentine’s Day. What better time to focus on your heart health than in February! While any regular exercise is beneficial to our overall health, what do you do when your health takes a less than desirable turn?
Although it has been a tumultuous two years, bringing new babies into the world remains an exciting aspect of care provided at Lutheran Medical Center. Nine months or 40 weeks may seem like a long time to prepare for the arrival of a new addition to your family, but there are several things to consider
Often, when we hear the term palliative care, we immediately think of hospice and end-of-life care. Although palliative and hospice care share some similarities, they are distinctly different. Both use a team approach and are focused on a person’s physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing. However, palliative care is tailored to the patient wanting to
For many of us, November represents the Thanksgiving season. A time to gather with family and friends, perhaps watch a game of football and maybe eat a little too much. For the National Institutes of Health (NIH), November is National Diabetes Month. This year, the NIH is focusing on prediabetes and the prevention of diabetes.
Ladies, here’s the good: We must be doing something right. We outlive men by over five years on average in the U.S., and 75 percent of centenarians are women (National Center for Health Statistics, 2021). But what accounts for this longevity? We are good about keeping our annual checkups, completing preventative screenings and getting age-recommended
It seems you can’t pick up a magazine, newspaper or watch a TV show without being bombarded with ads about the risk of A-Fib. A-Fib, or atrial fibrillation, is an irregular heartbeat that puts you at a five times greater risk for stroke, as well as a greater risk of heart failure if left untreated,
At Lutheran, we have a nursing unit dedicated to pediatric patients, staffed by specialists affiliated with Children’s Hospital Colorado, to support your child’s medical needs. One thing the past 18 months has left us with is a greater knowledge about respiratory-borne viruses and how to prevent their transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Goodbye restrictions, hello summer! Most of us are anxious to get back to normal and experience the wonderful Colorado outdoors and fine weather with family and friends. Medically Speaking articles are intended to focus on prevention. There is no better time to have that focus than in the summer, when accidents and mishaps can result
We have heard it all before: eat right, exercise, quit smoking, etc. Nag me some more. June is Men’s Health Month, an opportunity to raise awareness and educate on men’s health issues, but why is that significant for you? The fact is that men’s life expectancy has been declining in comparison to women’s over the
