Are annual physicals helping or hurting you?

Are annual physicals helping or hurting you?

Recently, there has been much debate and controversy over when and if certain medical tests should be ordered, including mammograms, Pap smears and PSA screening for prostate cancer.  

Being that we are experiencing an increase in overall health care expenditures, numerous organizations have come together to try and identify areas in which we can reduce our medical testing and spending.

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Stem cells: A fountain of youth?

Stem cells: A fountain of youth?

Aging and its associated aches and pains are typically considered a rite of passage— unavoidable despite how well we care for ourselves. However, a new report published this month in Nature Communications challenges this thought.

Drs. Niedernhofer and Haurd believe aging represents a loss of cells to regenerate in responds to stress.  For example, at younger ages, a fall might cause a few days of tenderness, but the same stress in your 70’s may result in more long term damage. They argue this happens because the body is no longer able to regenerate the damaged tissue.

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What Does Health Care Reform Mean for Patients?

What Does Health Care Reform Mean for Patients?

The debate surrounding the passage of the health-care reform finally comes to an end. Now that it has passed, let's take a look at how the bill will affect the average patient. The stated goals of reform were to insure more Americans while reducing the costs of the delivery of health care. Does it do so?

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