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The recent data found a lower rate of infection with COVID-19 among women who used multivitamins, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D supplements. On the other hand, use of vitamin C, zinc, and garlic supplements showed no effect in lessening COVID-19 risk. None of the supplements were linked to a protective effect against COVID-19 in men. The data set included thousands of people who answered questions about supplement use and COVID-19 infection on the COVID Symptom Study app, which was available in the United Kingdom, United States, and Sweden....

It’s considered an autoimmune disease, resulting from an immune system attack on the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin — a hormone that helps certain cells in the body absorb glucose. And without enough insulin, your blood glucose levels can rise to unhealthy levels, causing a range of health problems. Type 1 diabetes makes up only about 5 percent of all diabetes cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five biologics called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) inhibitors for ankylosing spondylitis. TNF-a is a protein that is thought to trigger the body’s inflammatory response. TNF inhibitors interfere with or block that response, resulting in less inflammation. The five TNF inhibitors approved to treat ankylosing spondylitis are adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, and infliximab. IL-17 inhibitors are another type of biologic used in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis....

Theory 1: Testosterone May Stimulate Production of Proteins That Affect Virus Activity Studies have shown that testosterone can regulate production and activity of the protein receptor ACE2, which mediates entry of the virus into cells, and TMPRSS2, a co-receptor that activates the virus. “Research showed years ago that these proteins functioned in the same manner to facilitate the entry of SARS-CoV-1 into cells; current COVID-19 research is finding that these same proteins function the same ways with respect to SARS-CoV-2,” explains Jon E....

V-necklines will open up the décolletage and elongate your neck.Look for seaming on tops that emphasis your waist.Wrap dresses help create an hourglass shape. Add a cami underneath for more coverage.Wear necklaces that hang above the cleavage or down by your midriff.Avoid square necklines. Pleating, gathering or beading at the bust will provide a fuller look.Wrap dresses create a flattering shape for petite and larger chests.Achieve a sexy look with a low-cut fitted top draped with necklaces – beads, chains, pearls, the works – and paired with jeans....

What Is Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Scoring? CAC scoring is a simple computerized tomography (CT) scan that uses a minimal amount of radiation to measure the volume of calcium in your heart’s arteries. “Calcium isn’t the bad stuff that causes a heart attack. But it’s a marker of plaque,” says Erin Michos, MD, a preventive cardiologist with Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Heart attacks can happen when plaque — a buildup of fat, cholesterol, and hardened calcium in your heart’s arteries — breaks open inside an artery, causing a clot to form that blocks blood flow to your heart....

While hearing loss is fairly common, 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that only half of adults over age 45 who are hard of hearing actually use hearing aids. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the perceived stigma of wearing hearing aids and the belief that they’re difficult to use keep many people from getting the help they need. Our customer survey also found that for many people, the high cost of hearing aids stands in the way....

Celiac disease is not gluten intolerance or sensitivity — conditions that are often confused for one another or assumed to be one in the same. “Gluten intolerance and sensitivity have been used interchangeably. Collectively, we talk about them as ‘nonceliac gluten sensitivity,’ or ‘NCGS,’” explains Rupa Mukherjee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Unlike celiac disease, where the body attacks the small intestine and creates damage, people with NCGS do not show they have elevated inflammation....

We know that MS can adversely affect the sense of taste and vision, hearing and all of the rest. It only makes sense that the sense of smell could be mucked-up by MS I have not experienced this sensory distortion I can only imagine how that could mess up one’s life. In fact, one study printed by NIH suggests that increased levels of depression and anxiety can be associated with MS-induced anosmia....

For those who have hepatitis C and have not yet been treated, it’s vital to take action. As scary as the diagnosis may seem, the past few years have seen extraordinary advances in treatment. Here are eight must-know things that people living with hepatitis C should be aware of. 1. Antivirals can cure hepatitis C. More than 90 percent of people who have hepatitis C can be cured with an 8- to 12-week course of direct-acting antivirals, according to the CDC....

“Herbal teas and supplements can definitively lead to liver injury and even liver failure — we call this herb-induced liver injury,” says Tatyana Kushner, MD, a hepatologist and an assistant professor in the division of liver diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. “Depending on the herb, the impact can be acute — and self-resolve — or can develop into chronic liver disease and liver failure, which would necessitate a liver transplant,” Dr....

— Christina, Mississippi Coughs are a common complaint seen by doctors, and their duration helps determine the likely cause. A cough that lasts less than three weeks is defined as acute, sub-acute cough lasts three to eight weeks, and chronic cough lasts more than eight weeks. Because your boyfriend’s cough is in the sub-acute group, the most likely causes include post-nasal drip, acid reflux, persistent infection, and asthma. It is interesting to note that strep throat is not associated with cough — in fact, having upper respiratory symptoms such as cough and runny nose makes the diagnosis of a strep throat less likely....

In fact, 62 percent of Everyday Health’s survey respondents said they’re interested in using telehealth appointments to help manage their type 2 diabetes in the future. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered in just one dose, both Pfizer and Moderna require a second dose a few weeks after the first, and only then are you considered fully vaccinated. As the pandemic goes on, booster shots are also available for anyone 18 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

Roughly 20 to 30 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis are hospitalized at some point because of their disease, according to a study published in April 2021 in the journal Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In general, any increase in the severity of a loved one’s ulcerative colitis symptoms should prompt a call to their doctor. This can indicate a flare-up, and it may be necessary to adjust the current treatment plan in order to reduce any inflammation quickly....

This condition is called bradycardia, and it’s more common as you age. Mild cases of bradycardia don’t have symptoms, but in severe cases it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and may even lead to cardiac arrest. Are you doing everything you can to manage your heart condition? Find out with our interactive checkup. A normal heart beat rate is between 60 and 100 beats a minute, says Joshua D....

The new draft recommendation is timely, as mental health conditions are on the rise around the world, according to the World Health Organization. Anxiety disorders, which cause excessive, persistent fear or worry related to nondangerous situations, are the most common mental health concern in the United States, say experts at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). More than 40 million American adults, or about 19 percent of the adult population, have an anxiety disorder....

Why are depression and weight issues so intertwined? “The part of the brain responsible for emotion — the limbic system — also controls appetite,” explains Joseph Hullett, MD, senior medical director of clinical strategy for OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions in Golden Valley, Minn. “When this emotional part of the brain gets disturbed in someone who is depressed, appetite gets disturbed as well.” Plus, weight management issues on their own can be depressing....

Fast-forward to today and the humble vegetable is in the nutrition spotlight, thanks to celebrities and influencers touting its health perks, especially when the stalks are consumed in juice form. “We now know that like everything that grows, celery has a unique nutrient profile,” says Palumbo. Thus, there’s good reason to take celery seriously. At the same time, Palumbo and other dietitians say that celery juice shouldn’t be thought of as a wonder drink....

Its main functions are to produce digestive enzymes to break down food in the small intestine and to secrete hormones (insulin and glucagon) to control blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cysts can develop on or in this organ. These cysts are either closed sacs, lined with epithelial tissue that contains fluid, or they’re marked by nonepithelial tissue, in which case they’re called pseudocysts. Some cysts are caused by pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas....

There are two basic types of arrhythmias: Bradycardia The heartbeat is too slow, resulting in a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minuteTachycardia The heartbeat is too fast, resulting in a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute Some arrhythmias are harmless and may have no noticeable symptoms. If they do, common signs and symptoms of an arrhythmia may include: Palpitations (may feel like fluttering in your chest, like your heart is skipping a beat, or like it is beating too hard or too fast)Feeling pauses between heartbeats or an irregular patternFatigue, weakness, light-headednessA slow heartbeat...