Articles

Does it seem like you’re always looking for your keys when you walk out the door? Are you repeating yourself during conversations or can’t remember small details? Are you concerned that your memory is getting worse? A certain amount of memory decline is to be expected as our brains age but when should you be … Read More

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and you may begin to notice pink adorning vehicles, parks and businesses. Thousands of Americans participate in some sort of breast cancer awareness campaign during the month of October, whether it’s a walk sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure or other non-profit organization, displaying pink … Read More

Irvine — Dr. Robert Pettis asks for a scalpel. “”OK. Starting.”” Lying before him in an operating room at Hoag Hospital Irvine is a 71-year-old woman with a cancerous thyroid. Pettis, 46, begins to remove the entire shield-shaped gland from the woman’s throat. Though common, thyroidectomies require surgical precision and patience. Surgeons must carve around … Read More

Many employees perform well under pressure, but chronic stress can have a negative effect on the brain’s ability to store or access memories. The World Health Organization estimates excessive stress costs American businesses up to $300 billion each year with as many as 66 percent of workers reporting difficulty focusing on tasks at work due … Read More

Fall is quickly approaching and the cooler weather promises more than jackets and sweaters. With autumn comes flu season and the chance to prevent employee illness with easy flu shots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, illness due to the flu costs businesses upwards of $10.4 billion each year1 in absenteeism, presenteeism, … Read More

Thanks in part to technology and continuing medical research the world’s industrial populations continue to live longer. Unfortunately living longer is not analogous to living healthier or indicative of our body’s ability to fight disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report this summer announcing the increased prevalence of multiple chronic conditions … Read More

We’ve all been hopeful that a new class of Alzheimer’s drugs (monoclonal antibodies) would soon bring effective treatment to the growing number of Alzheimer’s patients. The latest approach is based on using antibodies that bind with harmful amyloid protein.  The idea is that the antibodies will be naturally flushed from the body by the immune … Read More

?By MICHAEL BRANT-ZAWADZKI MC FACR / For The Current Ever wish you could put your brain on remote control? Some people have to. Our brain’s activity comes from certain chemicals released by nerve cells. Their release sends an electrical current down the cells’ extensions. That activity is triggered in two ways. The first is voluntary. … Read More

We are living longer than ever. Mortality risk in America has decreased by over 50 percent since 1935 1and much of this can be attributed to advances in medical technology. Just during my medical career, technology has changed and become more “individualized” for the patient, rather than one size fits all. In a world where … Read More

Is your waistline feeling a bit more snug? Your workplace may be contributing to your unhealthy habits. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com, 44 percent of workers said they have gained weight at their current job due to stress eating, eating out regularly, skipping meals due to time constraints, workplace celebration, temptation of the … Read More