Health & Fitness News

Coverage from the Staten Island Advance

• Early-stage bladder cancer is highly treatable but likely to recur
This year alone, more than 68,000 Americans will likely be diagnosed with bladder cancer. Among men, it's the fourth most common cancer. It ranks as the eighth most common cancer among women.

• Exercise: Goblet squat with dumbbell
DIFFICULTY LEVEL Beginner

• Fit to shop
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE -- The search for the perfect gift is on. The retail clock is ticking. Four weeks until the unwrapping of Hanukkah and Christmas presents.

• HEALTH HAPPENINGS
December 1

• Shop and stretch
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE -- Is holiday shopping cramping your style (and muscles)? Try loosening up with some simple stretches.

• Stay safe while holiday shopping
Even under the best of circumstances, shopping is tiring and can be a hazardous venture if you're bringing the children along. Each year thousands of children suffer serious injuries from a variety of shopping-related activities.

• How to safely prepare your Thanksgiving feast
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so it's time to get your turkey preparation plans in order. Your turkey should be well on the way to defrosting in your refrigerator over the next few days if you have a frozen turkey. If your turkey is fresh, it should be kept in the refrigerator away from any other food.

• M.D. or D.O.? A physician by any other name
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- What's in a degree? For most patients choosing a physician, it is the first two letters of the salutation (Dr.) not the last two (M.D. or D.O.) that is most important.

• New leash on life
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It was the house call that changed everything for Dr. Keith Gordon.

• Prevent foodborne illness at family feasts
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Like most Thanksgiving meals, the topic of turkey safety won't be served up all at once. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that turkey questions are the most common reason people call their food safety hotline. In less than two weeks, millions of Americans will spend hours and days buying and preparing meals. With so much preparation, be sure to include plans for selecting and storing your food choices safely so that your day is illness-free.

• Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy: A rare heart condition
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Years ago, (I have been writing this stuff for ages), I would occasionally throw into the mix something really obscure -- something from the very small print -- some rocket science cardiology. It was usually some off-the-press, know-it-all prize-befitting biology, that nobody could understand. The idea was that my readership could appear, at non-cardiac functions, to be very sophisticated and informed (or showing off depending on the audience) on matters of the heart.

• Workouts are for the dogs
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With around two-thirds of adult Americans overweight or obese, it's no surprise man's best friend is also packing on the pounds.

• Yankee's manager to host Alzheimer's benefit in Manhattan
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Yankee's manager Joe Girardi will be host a fund-raiser Wednesday in the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Manhattan to raise money for Alzheimer's disease research and care.

• A closer look at adult attention deficit disorder
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It is estimated that approximately 3 to 5 percent of adults have ADD/ADHD. It is manifested by inattentiveness, difficulty getting work done, procrastination, and or organization problems. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of children affected by the disorder will carry it into adulthood, affecting their jobs, family, and relationships.

• New Springville Weight Watchers battles hunger
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For six weeks, members of the New Springville Weight Watchers worked to lose the pounds. This time they had an added incentive.

• SI Academy students learn a lesson on blood donation
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Recently, my fifth and sixth grade science students at Staten Island Academy learned an important lesson on blood donation.

• The beat goes on
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nyomi Madison adjusts her microphone headset. She tucks stray hairs that have escaped her ponytail under a black baseball cap with "Zumba" spelled out in rhinestones. The petite exercise instructor is ready to roll.

• MONTHLY CHECK-UP
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Last month, Toni Braxton competed in ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." The accomplished singer performed against fellow celebrities in a highly rigorous dance competition. The amazing aspect is that Braxton is living with heart disease. Like many Americans, she is battling the No. 1 killer of all women, heart disease.

• Understanding utilization management
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Last week I explained utilization management, specifically the review processes that managed care companies use to determine whether or not a service is medically necessary. But what can you do if the request is denied? You can appeal!