News and Updates for the Patient and Family

Depression is more common among women than men, likely due to certain biological, hormonal, and social factors that are unique to women. During National Women’s Health, learn about certain types of depression that are unique to women.

A Closer Look at the Most Common Type of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) – the most common form of arthritis – can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced function in the hands, knees, hips, and other joints among adults. One in 7 US adults, or 32.5 million people, have OA. Over half of adults with OA, 18.7 million people, are of working age from 18 to 64 years.

Proven Ways to Manage OA

• Attend an evidence-based self-management education workshop to learn how to better manage your OA and pain.
• Get physically active for at least 150 minutes per week as recommended for adults with arthritis by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd edition). If you cannot, remember that every minute of activity counts, and any activity is better than none. Physical activity is a proven way to help reduce OA pain and disability, improve mood, and increase the ability to move.
• Join an arthritis-friendly physical activity program at a local Y, park, or community center. These classes provide a proven and safe way to be active and receive physical activity benefits for OA.

A National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis

CDC, the Arthritis Foundation, and OA Action Alliance released A National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis: 2020 Update today. The Agenda lays out strategies and goals through which many stakeholders can improve the health and quality of life of millions of Americans with OA. These stakeholders include health care providers, policy and other decision makers, communication and marketing specialists, the business community, insurers, nongovernmental agencies, and researchers. View the report to learn how you can take action to reduce the toll of OA.

When asked to answer seven basic questions about their cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED), a majority of patients completing a Cleveland Clinic questionnaire came up short on at least two questions. At baseline, most patients felt they had a good understanding of their CIED (i.e., permanent pacemaker, defibrillator or biventricular device) but expressed a desire to be able to access additional data provided by the device.

If your primary care doctor or cardiologist has ordered a transthoracic echocardiogram, don’t fret – it’s not as intimidating as it might sound.

A myocardial infarction, which is commonly referred to as a heart attack, is a life-threatening event that can happen to anyone. It is typically associated with some form of underlying heart disease that disrupts the flow of blood to the heart. Heart disease can also be the culprit in other deadly conditions such as stroke. In the US, approximately 400,000 people die annually from coronary heart disease and related problems.

Kidneys that function properly are important for maintaining good health.

More than 1 in 7 American adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), which affects how well kidneys function. The two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. About 1 in 3 adults with diabetes and 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure have CKD. It’s important to work with a health care team if you are diagnosed with CKD.

Read our latest feature to learn more about the basics of CKD. Also, learn how to take care of your kidneys to help lower your risk for developing kidney failure.

The brief provides public health professionals with the most recent, practical, and useful data available on coronary heart disease, blood pressure, and stroke for adults aged 45 years or older.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for numerous health and chronic conditions, including cognitive impairment. The public health community can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in populations by preventing and managing high blood pressure.

Learn more in a new action brief —Protecting the Heart and the Brain: Managing Hypertension to Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Decline— from the Alzheimer’s Association

This report summarizes the consensus reached by the subject mater experts and describes the major points of discussion that led to their recommendations on managing the impact of vascular risk factors for men and women aged 50 years and older.

Cannabinoids are the active chemicals in cannabis, also known as marijuana. Cannabis contains hundreds of cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol. Cannabidiol causes far fewer psychoactive effects than THC.

Health literacy is important for everyone because, at some point in our lives, we all need to be able to find, understand, and use health information and services.

Stress can have a variety of negative effects on the body. The idea that acute stress can cause hair to turn gray is a popular belief. But until now, that link wasn’t scientifically proven.

Hair color is determined by cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin. New melanocytes are made from melanocyte stem cells that live within the hair follicle at the base of the hair strand. As we age, these stem cells gradually disappear. The hair that regrows from hair follicles that have lost melanocyte stem cells has less pigment and appears gray.

Heart disease is a serious and common condition. If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease than someone who doesn’t have diabetes.

But there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk for heart problems. And those actions will make it easier to manage diabetes, too.

Being more physically active makes your heart stronger and can improve your blood sugar levels. It can promote weight loss as well, which lowers your heart disease risk. Eating healthy food that gives you the nutrition you need is also really important.

Find out more about how heart disease and diabetes are connected and what you can do (and not do) to keep your heart healthy.

A recent study found that adults with a history of stroke, heart disease, and COPD were more likely to report cognitive decline compared to adults without those conditions.

The study also found that a significant proportion of adults with cognitive decline also had chronic diseases. Cognitive decline may affect a person’s ability to manage their chronic conditions.

Diabetes doesn’t treat men and women the same. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease (the most common diabetes complication) by about four times in women but only about two times in men. Women are also at higher risk of other diabetes complications, like blindness.

If you’re a woman with diabetes, you may need to change your management plan from time to time, depending on what’s happening in your life. But no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you can’t go wrong with the basics:

• Check blood sugar regularly
• Eat healthy food in the right amounts
• Be active on most days

You don’t get really good at dealing with diabetes overnight. But over time, you’ll figure out how to go from getting it done to taking it in stride. See if any of these tips are familiar (or worth trying!).

It’s that time of year again: treats at work, big holiday meals, edible gifts—and it all goes on for weeks. How do you stick to your diabetes meal plan when temptations are everywhere?

Not to worry! No food needs to be on the naughty list. You can have a serving of the dishes you really love and can’t get any other time of year. Being active can help make up for eating more than usual and reduce stress during this most stressful time of year.

Try these 5 tips for staying on track no matter what’s cooking.