Last article we looked at the use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference measurement in assessing obesity. Frequently, people are bothered by the presence of visible (subcutaneous) abdominal fat and don't consider the dangerous health consequences of visceral fat, the fat that is deep in the abdomen surrounding the internal organs. Excessive…...

The decision to postpone or decline childhood immunizations is one that has important implications for the child, his or her family, and others in the community. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control, along with the American Academy of Family Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics, released a statement outlining the responsibilities of parents who decline…...

For some time it has been known that the earlier that colon cancer is detected, the better the survival rate. For example, when colon cancer is diagnosed at an early, localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent, as compared to a five-year survival rate of only 10 percent when diagnosis is delayed until…...

Moderate alcohol use—up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people—is not considered harmful for most adults (a standard drink is 12-ounces of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits). Many people, however, exceed this level of consumption and get into…...

According to the CDC, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States - representing 8.3% of the population - have diabetes. This represents an increase of roughly 15 percent in just the past few years. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about this disease, some of which can lead to a delay…...

Microbes are microscopic living organisms, such as bacteria and fungi. Although often categorized as microbes, viruses are very different. In fact, since viruses are unable to grow or reproduce unless they enter a living cell, viruses are sometimes not considered to be living creatures at all. In order to compare and contrast viral and bacterial…...

Last article, we looked at how bacteria and viruses differed. Some of these differences, such as viruses being unable to cause harm unless they invade a living host, have a bearing on the nature of the infections that they cause, as well as the way that the infections that they cause are treated. In some…...

The left-hand column below lists the 10 most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. in the order of the frequency that they are prescribed. In the right column are the most common side effects of these medications in no particular order.  See if you can match the medication with its most common side effects.  In…...