Author: Karen Mercereau

A wave of new breakthrough tech could detect the disease years – even decades – before major symptoms strike October 05, 2025 Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the US, with 90,000 people now diagnosed every year alone – a 50 per cent jump since the mid-1980s. The picture is similar worldwide: a staggering 25 million people are expected to be diagnosed by 2050, more than double today’s figures. In short, it’s a big problem.  Armed with cutting-edge new...

The FDA just approved the SetPoint System, which electrically stimulates the vagus nerve to control inflammation from the chronic disease. For years, rheumatoid arthritis (RA)—an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation—has often been resistant to treatment. About 1.5 million Americans have the chronic condition, which commonly leads to joint stiffness and pain. So far, to treat the disease, patients have been forced to rely on expensive immunosuppressant drugs that leave them at a higher risk for infections. In late July, the United States Food and...

You know how valuable land near a golf course can be.  Well, turns out there is also a downside. Living near a golf course might improve your access to greenery, but all that grass has a dark side.  To ask about the health benefits of moving nearer a golf course has the whiff of someone desperately trying to use scientific research to convince their partner that living next to a golf course is a good idea. Think about all of this...

With the overwhelming changes in HHS and CDC politically driven, it is heartening to know that creative medical organizations are beginning in this country.  One is called The Northeast Public Health Collaborative and includes New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware and Vermont along with New York City. https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2025/announce-northeast-public-health-collaborative.page There is also a similar program being developed on the West Coast: California, Oregon and Washington launched it this month to uphold scientific integrity in public health....

We may be hearing more about Norovirus which is highly contagious.  It is most common in the US during late fall, winter, and early spring.  It can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.  Symptoms typically last 1-3 days and people can recover without treatment.  More at risk are the elderly, young children and people with other medical conditions.  The Mayo Clinic has an excellent article:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/norovirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20355296

  Example:  cosmetics:  Phthalates; Parabens; Fragrance; Formaldehyde; Oxybenzone;    Foods: Artificial Sweeteners; HFCA (high fructose corn syrup); Emulsifiers (Widely used to improve the texture and shelf life of packaged foods, emulsifiers have “been shown (in animal studies) to cause gut inflammation and glucose intolerance, and many worsen intestinal diseases like ulcerative colitis”); Nitrites; Artificial Food Dyes;  Transfats There is a great deal of helpful information in the following article:  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/sep/06/how-spot-chemicals-avoid-food-kitchenware-cosmetics?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

We are coming into COVID season.  Please remember to wear your masks when you are out in public, okay? Now, let’s talk about COVID  vaccinations.  Due to political events, many Americans cannot get them.  However, if you are over 65, they are available to you.  If you are younger and have another clinical condition, they may be available also.  You can learn more here: https://apple.news/ALZrGOaeHRlqZRpMZE_LnSg    

A new COVID-19 variant is climbing the ranks in the United States, becoming the third-most common strain of the summer.  Twelve states are seeing higher positivity rates for COVID-19 tests compared to the rest of the country, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The states are:   New Mexico (12%) Texas (12%) Oklahoma (12%) Arkansas (12%) Louisiana (12%) Nevada (11.3%) Arizona (11.3%) California (11.3%) Alaska (11.1%) Washington (11.1%) Oregon (11.1%) Idaho (11.1%) Worth noting: The rest of...

Everyone has heard of Lyme disease and how you can get it from a tick bite.  However,  it is becoming more common. The main problem is that the symptoms aren’t always easy to spot!  Lyme is rarely fatal, and most people will recover if treated quickly with antibiotics today.  So why does it not get diagnosed soon after the bite?  It’s the bullseye rash.  Everybody thinks that if you do not have the bull eye rash, then you are ok. ...