Month: November 2021

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband had many tests for bacteria in his urine. Three months ago, he had no protein in the urine; two months ago, the number of protein was 20; one month ago, the number was 100. His urologist is not concerned. My sister, who had amyloidosis that eventually took her life, always said, “You don’t want to see protein in your urine.” Could there be a nonserious reason for all this protein? His kidney function is excellent for a 76-year-old. Should the protein be investigated? -- R.S. ANSWER: I agree with your instincts that protein in the urine should be investigated. While none of the 40 types of amyloidosis are common, your sister was right that protein in the urine might represent a serious condition. Nephrologists are the experts in evaluation of abnormal protein i...

So you've woken up with a sore throat. Or sneeze. Or cough. Don't jump to the worst-case scenario. As the U.S. opens up while still in the midst of a pandemic, this winter is likely to see the return of colds and the flu, along with continuing COVID-19 cases. The symptoms we once may have glossed over now could indicate something worse – which isn't the most comforting concept.  "Getting sick now means a possible serious sick – it's not just 'I'm going to stay home because I have a slight cold or a flu,' " says Dr. Kathryn Smerling, a family psychotherapist based in New York City. "The flu-like symptoms are very much like the COVID symptoms, and our minds (can) go to the worst possible scenario, instead of just being able to calm ourselves down and take it one step at a time. … There is t...

The sooner most cancers are discovered, the better the odds they can be successfully treated. Mayo Clinic participated in research on a test that can detect more than 50 cancers. Doctors call it a game-changer, CBS Minnesota reports. "My dad, he was a healthy guy. He didn't have any known risk factors for cancer," Dr. Julia Feygin said. Feygin lost her 40-year-old father to pancreatic cancer when she was 13. Diagnosed at stage three, he lived for nine more months. "I strongly believe that purpose can be found in everything that happens," Feygin said. She's now part of a team at a Menlo Park, California-based company called GRAIL that's introducing the blood test, called Galleri. She says can it catch hard-to-detect, aggressive and often deadly cancers like pancreatic, ovarian and ...

Throughout each day, Cheryl Bettigole receives granular, neighborhood-level updates on the numbers we’ve all been hearing for months. The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19. Transmission rates. Hospitalizations, deaths, and progress with vaccines — in Philadelphia and beyond. The lines on the graphs often bounce around like the stock market. Yet at some point the city’s acting health commissioner and policymakers throughout the country have to reduce it all to a pivotal yes-or-no question: Is it OK to resume life as normal? “Things are trending in the right direction,” Bettigole said last week. “But we’re not past COVID.” It is now generally accepted that COVID will always be with us in some form, much like seasonal coronaviruses that cause the common cold. But thanks to ...