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Tuesday: Health

Health Matters: Foot type important to musculoskeletal health

Humans come in innumerable shapes and sizes, applicable to so many parts of the human anatomy, side to side and top to bottom. And it’s down there at the bottom upon which the weight of the human body rests. Our feet are even entrusted with the task of propelling us through space, also known as walking. How well they do this job depends greatly on the person’s foot type, which is (predictably) primarily dependent on their genetics. There are two basic categories of pathologic foot type: supinated or pronated. Apparently, only about 20 percent of the population has a normal foot ...

Living longer can mean more dementia but there are ways to reduce the risk

WASHINGTON — About a million Americans a year are expected to develop dementia by 2060, roughly double today’s toll, researchers reported Monday. That estimate is based on a new study that found a higher lifetime risk than previously thought: After age 55, people have up to a 4 in 10 chance of eventually developing dementia -- if they live long enough. It’s a sobering number but there are steps people can take to reduce that risk, such as controlling high blood pressure and other bad-for-the-brain health problems. And it’s not too late to try even in middle age. “All of ...

Donors help NMU nursing upgrade equipment

MARQUETTE — Through gifts from private donors, Northern Michigan University’s School of Nursing has acquired more advanced equipment that enhances student learning and safety while providing better career preparation for the equipment they will work with after graduation. The $50,000 in purchases include new long-term beds similar to those used in extended care facilities, new medical/surgical beds seen in hospital settings, tables that allow more flexible classroom configurations and IV and urinary catheter models to practice on before dealing with actual patients in a clinical ...

Urology pearls

The 2024 Christmas edition of BMJ (British Medical Journal) was just published. It brings with it the same characteristic light-hearted, joyful, yet still scientific, spirit of the holidays. There were several articles in this year’s BMJ Christmas edition but one in particular caught my imagination unprepared. Ron Dayan from the Department of Neurology at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, and his colleagues, asked an intriguing question: Is artificial intelligence cognitively prepared to replace human doctors? To address this question, it would be helpful to first ...

Health matters

Our more common serious diseases, unlike those of yesteryear, are those of longevity and lifestyle. Consequently, they get a lot of attention, whether it be in the form of research dollars or media headlines. We all know the usual suspects, heart disease, cancer, diabetes. But there are other chronic diseases causing significant illness that don’t get the press coverage. Hyperuricemia should be tops on this list. Like many others at this juncture, you may find yourself unfamiliar with the term. What is it and who the heck gets that? Although far more common than gout attacks, all ...

Artificial turf trend continues in high schools amid safety considerations

LANSING — Artificial turf fields are becoming a hallmark at high schools across the state with the Michigan High School Athletic Association reporting around 100 high schools now playing on them. AstroTurf, one of the largest artificial turf installers in the state, notes that 14 of the 16 ...