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OA is not rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy cells. People with RA were excluded from the study. Metformin Slows Knee Cartilage Loss The study followed obese people with knee osteoarthritis for four years to see what effect metformin had on knee cartilage volume loss and for six years to assess the risk of total knee replacement. “We found that metformin users had about one-half the rate of knee cartilage loss [as compared with] those who did not use metformin....

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Bug Bites and Stings DEET is a colorless liquid that was developed decades ago by the U.S. Army and has continued to be found effective at keeping bugs away and safe to use on skin, according to facts sheets from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Oregon State University. “DEET is the gold standard in preventing insect bites,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City....

This drive-through is one of the first of many sites popping up around the country — from West Barnstable, Massachusetts, to Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, California — as the United States scrambles to catch up to the demands for COVID-19 testing. The guidelines for who can be tested vary from place to place. An early testing center in San Francisco opened by Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare plan, is for members only and patients must be evaluated by a doctor first, per an article published March 15 in The Mercury News....

Read on to learn more about this soybean and how you can fit it into your own diet. Defining Edamame: A Legume That Is Just One Type of Soybean Edamame is one of the many types of soybean-based foods. Some of the other types include tempeh, miso, and tamari. (2) Types of soy, on the other hand, include tofu, soy flour, and soy milk. The name edamame literally means “beans on a branch....

“The researchers found that doing some kind of exercise — whether it was low or high intensity — helped people experience their anxiety less after 12 weeks,” says Bradley Gaynes, MD, MPH, the division head of global mental health at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; he was not involved in the study. “These results add to the growing evidence that exercise can be an effective part of a treatment plan for people with anxiety symptoms,” he says....

This growing body of evidence is especially relevant for people who have lung cancer, who particularly benefit from staying physically active during and after treatment. Plus, experts are learning that lung cancer patients who pursue an exercise regimen before treatment, a process known as prehabbing, may not only better endure the rigors of therapy, they may increase their chances of survival. Prehab for Lung Cancer Treatment A handful of cancer treatment centers and hospitals are looking at the potential of prehab for lung cancer patients who don’t have the strength they need to withstand major surgery, says Megan Burkart, doctor of physical therapy and an assistant professor of physical therapy at West Virginia University in Morgantown....

To be considered treatment-resistant, a person has to have tried at least two other antidepressant medicines without benefit. It’s estimated that more than 16 million adults in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and 1 in 3 of them haven’t responded to at least two different antidepressants. “It is exciting that the FDA has approved esketamine for treatment-resistant depression,” says Atsushi Kamiya, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore....

The approval, announced by the FDA on December 9, will allow people older than 18 to collect their own nasal swab at home and send it to LabCorp for analysis and results. Positive or invalid test results are delivered to the user by a healthcare provider. If a person tests negative, the results are sent via email or an online portal. Once the test is received at the LabCorp facility, average time to deliver the results is currently one to two days, according to the company’s website....

“Sore throats are very common with a viral infection and do not necessarily mean you need antibiotics,” says Stacey L. Silvers, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. “With congestion from a cold, nasal breathing can dry out the throat, worsening throat discomfort.” Although it’s less common, a sore throat can be due to other causes that sometimes require a trip to the doctor....

Fungal infections can spread through the blood to the central nervous system, which is made up of the spinal cord and brain. When this occurs, it may cause fungal meningitis, which is an inflammation of the protective membrane surrounding the central nervous system. Although it can be very serious, fungal meningitis is also very rare, and it is not contagious. But like bacterial meningitis, it can cause outbreaks, such as the highly publicized one that occurred in 2012, when steroid injections contaminated with the fungus Exserohilum rostratum resulted in more than 50 deaths and approximately 700 illnesses across the country....

The most common symptom is the appearance of blisters that break and turn into painful, itchy sores. Such sores may arise where you can see them in these areas: Inner thighs and buttocksExternal areas of the female genitalsPenis and scrotumAnus Herpes sores can also erupt inside your body, where you cannot see them. Women can have sores in the vagina and on the cervix. Both sexes can have sores in the rectum, the part of the large intestine closest to the anus....

And while the pandemic has brought stressors, challenges, and a lot of tragedy, it’s okay if at this point into it, you’re also grateful for the personal changes it’s meant for you. “Whenever there’s a moment that feels like a change or a chapter break, it’s an opportunity,” says Katy Milkman, PhD, a professor of operations, information, and decisions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the author of How to Change....

While researchers will almost certainly learn more about the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — Crohn’s and UC — and COVID-19 in the coming months, there’s a lot that we already know about how people with Crohn’s and UC tend to fare if they get sick with this disease. Gastroenterologists have been treating people with Crohn’s and UC during the pandemic, and have found ways to ensure that people with these conditions receive the best care possible while minimizing their COVID-19 risk....

My son Isaac was one of these kids who was adorable and smart and funny, but he never felt comfortable in his own skin. The first time he smoked weed, he came home and said to me, “I just want to tell you mom I am never doing this again. I hated the way it made me feel. I was in my friend’s apartment, I was out on their terrace and I was afraid I was going to jump off....

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, killing 17.9 million people every year — a number that’s expected to grow past 23.6 million by 2030. About 80 percent of these deaths are from heart attack and stroke, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Heart Federation. In the United States, more than 126 million people had some form of cardiovascular disease between 2015 and 2018....

“All of a sudden I knew what it was like to be very unwell very quickly,” she says. “It was like my whole world came shattering down. Suddenly I was questioning my ability to work and to go to school, my ability to be in a relationship or go out with friends, and all these so-called ’normal’ things that people do in your twenties.” After the initial shock of the diagnosis, Aswani Omprakash faced a long road ahead to manage her condition....

Finding the right form of birth control can take some trial and error. It’s definitely not one-size-fits-all, says Julie M. Levitt, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at The Women’s Group of Northwestern in Northbrook, Illinois. “I would never say, ‘Oh, this one method or pill is my go-to for everybody; it has to be very individualized and tailored to that patient,” says Dr. Levitt. There can also be concerns about the safety of some types of hormonal birth control for women with migraine or the risk that some contraception medications could affect your hormone levels in a way that makes your migraine attacks worse....

Nicotine is a flavorless chemical compound that tobacco and other plants make as an insect repellent. It’s also highly addictive — as addictive as heroin or cocaine. That’s the main reason it can be so difficult for people to stop smoking tobacco products. Nicotine provides the “high” smokers get from cigarettes, and it keeps them hooked with its addictive properties. But nicotine isn’t the ingredient in tobacco products that causes cancer (that dubious distinction belongs to the tar in tobacco)....

Here’s how to take care of your physical, mental, and financial health during the holidays when you’re undergoing cancer treatment. Put Your Health First The holidays are a time of group gatherings and long lists of commitments — which could easily lead to exhaustion. Give yourself an out if you don’t feel up for socializing: When you RSVP to a party, let the host know that you plan to be there, but don’t know how you’ll be feeling that day so may have to cancel last minute, suggests Wendy Griffith, LCSW, an oncology social worker and program manager of the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ....

With its emphasis on fresh, whole foods, a Mediterranean-inspired eating pattern lends itself well to the slow and steady weight loss that’s likely to stick — but it’s important to choose the right foods and portions. We’re diving into the details on what makes a Mediterranean diet successful for slimming down, if that’s one of your personal goals. Granted, this doesn’t mean that going Mediterranean is a guaranteed road to a trimmer figure....