Family Medicine

When most people think of palliative care their first thought is likely to hospice and end of life oncology care, but experts in the field are working to change and expand that perception to other areas of health care as well.

As low testosterone becomes a more accepted condition to treat patients are finding the help they need through a variety of options.

Pancreatitis is a serious problem which can lead to more dangerous health conditions if not treated properly. Because of this, work is being done to help catch the problem early.

Diabetes may have its roots in endocrinology but in recent years it has proven to be an issue affecting specialities across medicine. Because of that it takes more than one specialist to provide the best possible care for patients with the condition.

At the recent American Diabetes Association annual meeting Lilly Diabetes had more than 60 disclosures discussing their latest work in the field. Of all that work the Mosaic study was arguably the biggest news to come out of New Orleans.

From childhood to adulthood atopic dermatitis is a condition that can have an extremely negative impact on a person's life. Knowing the best way to manage the symptoms can go a long way in improving quality of life issues.

People with red hair, pale skin, and freckles have long been advised to take extra precautions when out in the sun. New research has supported these concerns by proving the MC1R gene variant associated with red hair was directly linked to a higher number of genetic mutations in skin cancers.

The approval of medications like statins and PCSK9 inhibitors to help lower cholesterol levels have proven helpful but a recent study looked at whether patients were getting not only the treatments they needed but whether they were getting the right dosage levels to help improve their health.

There have been several guidelines published in recent years about the proper blood pressure levels for patients with hypertension and how best to avoid the condition altogether. Weighing these guidelines in practice can be a challenge for physicians and patients alike.

Patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis (UC) that practiced hatha yoga – a practice of physical yoga postures – for a 12-week period noticed a significant decline in their disease activity.

As new medications are introduced to the market there can be some hesitation by doctors to make the jump from more traditional treatment options. Moving beyond that has shown benefits for a patient's long term health.

Approximately 60% of physicians in the US will be sued for malpractice, research and statistics have found.

Health experts have persistently scrutinized the negative impact dietary fats have on cardiovascular disease and other medical conditions. Recently, however, researchers have shed a positive light on certain types of dietary fats – specifically the health benefits of consuming more unsaturated fat.

The USDA defines low food security as “reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.”

Physicians and nurses have both an ethical and a legal obligation to ensure a patient will be discharged safely.

Pasta, the fan favorite comfort food and date night dish has often been associated with high calories, so much so health experts have limited pasta consumption in fad diets.

With projections that the number of patients with Parkinson's disease could double in the near future as the population continues to age work is still being done to find effective treatments and cures for the condition.

It has been several years since Eliquis was approved as an oral anticoagulant but still more research is being done to show its benefits in helping patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Dermatologists have long advised against giving daily baths to kids suffering from eczema, but new research has debunked that practice – a daily wash is acceptable, followed by plenty of moisturizer.

To say that a patient has been diagnosed with myocardial infarction may not paint the full picture of the diagnosis. Recent research has shown there is a second type of the condition which not as much is known about across the spectrum.

As new treatments are developed for multiple sclerosis one of the questions has become how do you measure their success. A possible metric being developed is No Evidence of Disease Activity or NEDA.

While the work being done to find a treatment for neuromyelitis optica is encouraging those in the field know they have not yet found a cure for the condition and that the agents being investigated will not help reverse the damage already done, which can be discouraging at times.

There are rare diseases and then there are ultra rare diseases. Neuromyelitis optica falls into the latter category but with a considerable amount of research behind it and a defined target to look at there has been success seen in finding treatments with more work being done every day.

While there are no approved treatments currently for neuromyelitis optica there is a considerable amount of work being done to help patients with this rare condition in the future.

Patients with heart rhythm problems likely to develop strokes are often incorrectly prescribed aspirin instead of necessary blood-thinning medications.