Health Topics
Apr 27, 2017
In this day and age, it seems like a new diet pops up every time we turn on the TV. Keto, Whole30, paleo, carnivore, high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat… As consumers, trying to sort through all of...
Apr 18, 2017
For a doctor, the hardest conversation you ever have with patients is when you have to tell them, “No, there’s nothing I can do for you.” I went into medicine to make folks better. When you can’t do that, it’s...
Apr 7, 2017
Three-month-old Layci is the picture of a happy baby — smiling at everyone, cooing and very aware of her surroundings. Her mom, 23-year-old Brianna Harris, looks like many happy young women with a new healthy baby girl. Pictures can fool you, though....
Feb 28, 2017
Like many things we see in medicine, it just didn’t seem fair. Heart-wise, my patient seemed to have done everything right: good diet, plenty of exercise, ideal weight and no smoking. Yet, at a young age, he had hardening of...
Feb 25, 2017
At age 35, Adriana Oviedo started to experience an intolerance to any exercise. At times, she would become anxious and feel out of breath just walking to her car. Her chest hurt. Her arm ached, and she felt like she...
Feb 24, 2017
Ever since he can remember, 15-year-old Camden Thrailkill has been passionate about baseball and football. The high school freshman from Denton, Texas spends his days outside of the classroom honing his athletic skills as a member of his school’s football...
Feb 21, 2017
I met a patient in the hospital where he was being treated for his coronary disease. I noticed that he had psoriasis, the inflammation and autoimmune disease that manifests itself in skin lesions. “Are you seeing a dermatologist?” I asked...
Feb 17, 2017
Danny McCoy is not your average 72-year-old. The retiree who previously worked in recreational property management in Houston completed a half-marathon without any prior training while in his fifties. He lived an active life.Prior to his race, Danny thought it...
Feb 14, 2017
While anyone can face a broken heart, broken heart syndrome (also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy) is a condition almost unique to women between the age of 50-80. The cause of the heart condition is not completely known,...
Feb 13, 2017
The human body is composed of between 20,000 and 25,000 different genes that make us into who we are today. Some of the genes we inherit determine the color of our hair, while others are responsible for the development of the...
Feb 10, 2017
Sternotomies — the medical term for splitting open the chest to reach the heart — get the headlines. Transplants, bypasses and other open-heart surgeries are amazing, dramatic and lifesaving, the stuff of riveting documentaries and poignant narratives. By many measures,...
Jan 24, 2017
As far back as she can remember, Laurie Aten, MD, wanted to be part of the space program. Instead, she pursued a career in medicine.Then opportunity knocked.After practicing family medicine for four years, Dr. Aten applied for a residency in...
Jan 18, 2017
For four decades, people have been taking aspirin to ward off strokes and heart attacks. But is the commonly used “baby aspirin” dose of 81 milligrams better, or the regular dose of 325 milligrams?To help settle the issue, an unusual...
Jan 1, 2017
If you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, chances are you’ve had your heart broken more than once over the years. Watching your favorite team on game day can be stressful — but can it literally hurt your heart? Fan: Cowboys’ “Heart-Stopping...
Dec 31, 2016
This time of year, many of us are worried about putting on pounds from all those holiday treats and cocktails. But we should also consider how we could be harming our hearts.A phenomenon called “holiday heart syndrome” — alcohol-induced atrial...
Dec 20, 2016
What if a twice-a-year injectable medication could replace popping a pill every day to help fight high cholesterol?According to new research presented at the November 2016 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, a clinical study suggests that a...
Nov 30, 2016
Heidi Easley was going over her Monday morning to-do list when suddenly letters and full words were missing off the page. Terrified, she grabbed her phone to search the internet for a cause, but couldn’t read anything.“One of my biggest...
Nov 28, 2016
If you’re older than 40 and have certain risk factors for heart disease, you might need statins to prevent a stroke or heart attack. New guidelines published in the Journal of the American Medical Association are expanding recommendations on who...
Nov 26, 2016
“I’m 67 years old, but I feel like I’m a teenager,” said Bobby Bridges, who pastors Arlington’s Mayfield Road Baptist Church, and serves as a volunteer chaplain for Arlington Police Department.Bobby didn’t always feel this young. In fact, he had...
Oct 28, 2016
Bill Ruth can’t imagine a lifestyle that doesn’t involve physical activity — biking, running and swimming are his passions. As a former professional triathlete and 24-year high school track coach, he and wife Sherry start almost every day with a...