Dr. Holly L. Thacker discusses the latest findings that show the menopause transition contributes to an increase in coronary heart disease risk in women.

Taryn Smith MD, NCMP Sabrina Sahni MD, NCMP Holly L. Thacker MD, FACP, CCD, NCMPAbstractEvery woman, if she lives long enough, will transition into menopause, and as the US population ages, women will be spending more time in a postmenopausal state than before. For postmenopausal women, the decision to initiate menopausal hormone therapy should be individualized. A thorough evaluation of the patient's cardiovascular, venous thromboembolic, cancer, and fracture risk should be considered along…

CLEVELAND (WJW) – It is one of the most common types of cancer. And close to 300,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States this year alone.But what if breast cancer could be wiped out altogether?That is the goal of a promising new breast cancer vaccine, 10 years in the making; invented and developed by Cleveland Clinic immunologist Dr. Vincent Tuohy.“We know enough about the immune system now to try these things. We have the ability, but we’re on snail pace. We need…

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s column on the benefits of N-acetylcysteine (NAC).

The knee joint is often put at risk during athletic activities, and ACL tears are one of the most common injuries for athletes ages 15-45. Learn how ACL injuries are treated and reduce your risk. Download our free ACL Injury Treatment Guide and get the answers you need.

For the fourth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet continues to be named the best overall diet, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking revealed Monday. The Mediterranean diet, which is consistently backed by studies showing a correlation with decreased risk of disease, also nabbed the No. 1 spot for best diets for healthy eating, easiest diets to follow, best diets for diabetes, best plant based diets and best heart-healthy diets. The diet advocates heart-healthy foods that…

Dr. Paul M. Saluan discusses why females have a higher rate of ACL injuries compared to males at all ranges of activity from recreational to professional sports.

Pregnancy complications and early menopause increase women's future risk of heart disease. Cardiologists, gynaecologists and endocrinologists recommend how to help middle-aged women prevent later heart problems. "Physicians should intensify the detection of hypertension in middle-aged women," states the document. Up to 50% of women develop high blood pressure before the age of 60 but the symptoms -- for example hot flushes and palpitations -- are often attributed to menopause. "High blood…

Dr. Matthew Wright and Dr. Megan Kruse provide an overview of Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) and the most recent advances.

A new study shows that deaths from heart disease in young women have increased in the past decade due to obesity, type 2 diabetes and diseases of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Although heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, cancer has been the main cause of death among young women in the United States. For the study, researchers used death certificates to compare deaths from cancer with deaths from heart disease in women under age 65 between 1999 and…

Dr. Holly L. Thacker discusses the three stages of menopause and how women can know when they are entering each menopause stage.

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s column on the skinny, fat and sweet truth about chocolate! Did you know that chocolate as well as other foods and activities have fabulous flavonoids that boost the neurotransmitters in our bodies and make us feel good?

Don't skip your breast cancer screening mammogram. This is the overarching message of an extended study of more than a half-million Swedish women. Those who missed even one recommended screening mammogram were more likely to die from breast cancer, the study found. The new findings -- which appear March 2 in the journal Radiology -- are concerning given the widespread delays and cancellations of preventative cancer screenings that took place during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. "You…

The length of the female reproductive period (the time from the onset of menses to the final menstrual period) has important health implications. A new study compared the length of reproductive periods for women with type 1 diabetes with women without diabetes to confirm the effect diabetes has on the female reproductive system. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Insulin plays a key role in regulating…

If you are approaching menopause and you have some extra belly fat, new research suggests you might want to shed some inches now. Women who carry weight around their midsection during menopause may be more likely to develop heart disease even if their overall weight remains the same, researchers report. For every 20% increase in belly fat, the thickness of the carotid artery lining grew by 2%, according to their study. The carotid arteries carry blood to the head and neck, and carotid artery…

Read Dr. Tiffany Cochran's column on rosacea and their common symptoms, the different types of rosacea and the best treatments for your specific rosacea diagnosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25% of all American adults 18 and up are providing care or assistance to a family member or friend with a long-term illness or disability, primarily the elderly. And this is no easy feat since caring for an elderly person entails providing companionship, assisting with housework, supplying physical care, and even providing medical assistance in some cases. With that said, we have a few tips to offer on the matter: Create…

All adults in the United States are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, with all 50 states and Washington, D.C., meeting the April 19 deadline President Joe Biden had set for opening eligibility. Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont were the last states to open eligibility to everyone age 16 and older on Monday. The April 19 deadline had been moved up from the May 1 goal Biden initially set for all adults to qualify for vaccination.

Half of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 33% of adults are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Calling all those who are sleep-deprived: We interrupt your yawns with an important announcement. If you're trying to get by on about six hours or less of sleep a night during the work week, you're setting up your brain for future failure, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. After following nearly 8,000 people for 25 years, the study found a higher dementia risk with a "sleep duration of six hours or less at age 50 and 60" as compared to those who…

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s column on the common, dreaded, irritating cold sores caused by the common virus herpes simplex (I or II).