Diabetes is a medical condition in which sugar or glucose levels build up in your bloodstream. Managing diabetes is a daily challenge to keep blood sugar levels in the desired range. Balancing the food you eat with exercise and medicine (if prescribed) will help you control your weight and keep your blood glucose in the healthy range.
Heart failure (HF) affects approximately 5.7 million adults in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not properly managed, HF can lead to frequent hospitalizations. A heart failure hospitalization should be viewed as a sentinel event. Five year survival after a heart failure hospitalization is only 20 percent, a prognosis that is worse than most cancer diagnoses. Importantly, if HF is properly managed by team of skilled heart failure clinicians, prognosis and quality of life can improve.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women (except for skin cancers). One in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime with an estimated 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2017. “With these sobering statistics, a very common question is ‘How can I decrease my breast cancer risk?’ There are many unavoidable risk factors for breast cancer including gender, age, family history, genetics, personal history of breast cancer, prior radiation to the chest, menstrual and pregnancy history, race/ethnicity, and certain breast changes. However, there are also several modifiable breast cancer risk factors that women can focus on to decrease their risk of breast cancer and to live a healthier life,” explains Eleonora Teplinsky, M.D., Director, Breast Medical Oncology, Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care.
October is a month that is known for pumpkin picking, hayrides and beautiful fall foliage. The month is also synonymous with breast cancer awareness and features walks, fundraisers and nationwide comradery to raise awareness, as well as funds, to beat the disease. This cause is as important as ever, with approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States developing invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.
You have probably heard that exercise is good for your health, but did you know that it can actually help to heal your body? Understanding the value of exercise is more important than ever since our nation is in the midst of an “inactivity epidemic.” This inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death nationwide and is responsible for 3.2 million deaths each year. The financial cost is also enormous—the medical repercussions of inactivity result in 102 billion dollars of US healthcare expenditures annually.
Ovarian cancer is the 9th most common cancer in women and although it only accounts for approximately 3 percent of cancers in women, it is responsible for the most deaths of any cancer involving the female reproductive tract. The American Cancer Society estimates 22,440 new ovarian cancers will be diagnosed and 14,080 deaths due to ovarian cancer will occur in the United States in 2017.
There is a new technology available that can help with both predicting prostate cancer aggressiveness and detecting prostate cancer. It’s called fusion guided biopsy and it greatly improves on the standard biopsy technique.
Did you know that more than 3 million Americans are affected by atrial fibrillation? Atrial fibrillation, which is also referred to as AF or AFib, is the most common irregular or abnormal heart rhythm disorder. It decreases the heart’s pumping ability and can make the heart work less efficiently. In addition, patients must be aware that AFib can lead to potentially life-threatening problems such as blood clots and a higher risk of stroke.
If you or a loved one is having difficulty conceiving, you may have researched in vitro fertilization options. A key member of an IVF patient’s clinical team is her embryologist.
Did you know that heart disease impacts men and women differently? Research has shown that gender differences exist not only in the way disease affects the heart, but also in the symptoms and the way it is diagnosed. And, in combating this No. 1 killer of women, we must educate women on their individual risk factors and the importance of early diagnosis.
“Take a deep breath and hold it.” With that simple instruction, The Department of Radiation Oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care is helping patients with breast cancer protect their heart health.
Weight loss, as well as maintaining a healthy weight, is a challenge that can sometimes seem insurmountable. If you are struggling with your weight, you are not alone! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70.7 percent of adults who are 20 years of age and older are considered to be overweight and/or obese. This is especially worrying because obesity can lead to a number of serious, and sometimes even fatal, health conditions.
It seems like we are hearing more and more about mindfulness-based meditation and the role it plays in stress reduction. But what exactly is mindfulness-based meditation and why is the practice getting so much attention?
A stroke is a "brain attack" and occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off. According to Kenneth A. Levin, M.D., Medical Director, The Valley Hospital Stroke Center, “Most strokes are caused by a blood clot that has built up on the wall of a brain artery or one that has traveled there from another part of the body (an embolic stroke or ischemic stroke). Other strokes are caused by a ruptured blood vessel in or near the brain (aneurysm), which results in bleeding within or over the surface of the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).” Stroke is the fifth leading killer and the number-one cause of disability in the United States.
Most of us know what we need to do to stay healthy. Eat right. Exercise. Maintain a healthy weight. But studies show we're not taking care of ourselves the way we should. And this has led to an increase in people who live with diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 29 million people -- over 9 percent of the U.S. population -- live with diabetes. That number includes more than 8 million people who have diabetes but don't know it because they haven't been diagnosed yet
Did you know that skin cancer is highly preventable? Because May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we want to highlight the fact that our lifestyle choices contribute greatly to our chances of getting skin cancer. The most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers is sun exposure.
The Valley Heart and Vascular Institute has been selected as 1 of just 10 hospitals – and the only hospital in New Jersey – to participate in a nationwide study investigating a minimally invasive aortic valve replacement procedure for individuals with aortic stenosis.
Being apart from your newborn while he or she is cared for the in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be heart-wrenching. To make the separation a little bit easier, The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, has introduced an innovative system that allows parents and extended family members to conduct “virtual visits” with their little ones via webcam.
Global warming and climate change are in the headlines today. For allergy sufferers, the impact of warmer temperatures on their daily lives may soon become very apparent. If you think that your spring allergies have worsened, you may be right, and global warming may have contributed to this. With this year’s winter being warmer than usual (temperatures this year were the second highest in history for the month of February), the pollen season is most likely going to be early. In the Garden State, the tree pollen count will surely be one of the highest in the nation.
Autism spectrum disorders are being diagnosed in ever increasing numbers. Nationally, there are about 1 in 68 children identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. However, the ADDM estimates that the number is even higher in New Jersey, with 1 in 45 children being diagnosed with an ASD.
An advance directive is a written statement of a person's wishes regarding medical treatment, often including the naming of a health care representative, made to ensure those wishes are carried out should the person be unable to communicate them to a doctor. Contrary to popular belief, filling out an advance directive can be a positive experience for both you and your loved ones.
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that is more than what is needed to regulate body temperature. About 7 million Americans suffer from hyperhidrosis, a disorder that often goes undiagnosed. Hyperhidrosis sufferers often feel a loss of control because the sweating happens independently—without a high body temperature or highly charged emotional situation. The condition may make you avoid social situations, especially when they involve shaking hands. Anxiety can make hyperhidrosis worse. The condition can also be triggered by certain foods and drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and some smells.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women in the United States according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). In fact, the ACS estimates that 134,490 people in the United States were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016, including 70,820 men and 63,670 women. In addition, the ACS estimates that 49,190 people, 26,020 men and 23,170 women, died from colorectal cancer in 2016.
“As we look forward to the fresh start that a new year brings, many of us will also be struggling with the addition of the unwanted pounds we’ve gained during the holidays” explains Meredith Urban, MS, RD, CDN, The Center for Metabolic Surgery and Weight-Loss Management, The Valley Hospital. “In my role as a bariatric nutritionist, I have acquired a few tips and tools that can help you get back on track—and, hopefully, back to your goal weight!”
Believe it or not, winter has officially begun! And, although there has been a lack of significant snowfall and cold temperatures in our area, we should still be prepared for the possibility of more seasonable weather.
Overall, studies indicate that 15 to 20 percent of one to three year olds continue to have nightwakings. According to Stephanie Zandieh, M.D., Director, Pediatric Sleep Disorders and Apnea Center, The Valley Hospital, “Inappropriate sleep associations are the primary cause of frequent nightwakings. Sleep associations are those conditions that are habitually present at the time of sleep onset and in the presence of which the infant or child has learned to fall asleep. These same conditions are then required in order for the infant or child to fall back to sleep following periodic normal nighttime arousals.”
Loss of vision is one of the many dreaded complications of diabetes. Over 5.3 million Americans suffer from diabetes-related retinal disease or diabetic retinopathy. After 20 years of living with diabetes, nearly all type 1 diabetics will have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, as will approximately 60 percent of type 2 diabetics. Some of these patients will experience significant vision loss.
The recent catastrophic NJ Transit train accident in Hoboken highlights one of the perils of undiagnosed sleep apnea – the threat to transportation safety. As in several other recent calamitous accidents, the engineer fell asleep at the wheel due to a medical condition that causes sleepiness, and the presence of which he was not aware. When an individual operates a vehicle of public transportation, whether it be a train, a bus or a plane, many lives are in their hands. Anytime the operator of one of these modes of transportation becomes drowsy, or worse, falls asleep at the controls, many lives are immediately placed in jeopardy. This is why these safety-critical personnel should be screened and monitored for their fitness for their work, including identifying the presence of sleep disorders. In fact, the Federal Railroad Administration is expected to issue a safety advisory this week stressing the importance of sleep apnea screening and treatment.
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a recommendation that infants sleep in their parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed — but on a separate surface designed for infants — for at least 6 months, and preferably up to 1 year of age. Such a sleeping arrangement decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent, according to the AAP.
Valley Health System is pleased to partner with Mount Sinai Health System to offer state-of-the-art, comprehensive cancer care in northern New Jersey. This partnership will enable Valley to provide enhanced inpatient and outpatient cancer services by offering access to an expanded roster of clinical trials and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned experts in the field of cancer care, and the development of new programs and services.
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