Medicare is the largest public health insurance service provided by the U.S. Federal government.
All American citizens and some permanent residents that meet certain requirements are eligible for Medicare Part A when they reach at the age of 65. They must sign up for and pay a monthly premium for Part B.
The main differences between rich and poor countries with respect to causes of death:
In high-income countries more than two thirds of all people live beyond the age of 70 and predominantly die of chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, cancers, diabetes or dementia. Lung infection remains the only leading infectious cause of death.
In middle-income countries, nearly half of all people live to the age of 70 and chronic diseases are the major killers, just as they are in high-income countries. Unlike in high-income countries, however, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and road traffic accidents also are leading causes of death.
In low-income countries less than one in five of all people reach the age of 70, and more than a third of all deaths are among children under 15. People predominantly die of infectious diseases: lung infections, diarrhoeal diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Complications of
pregnancy and childbirth together continue to be leading causes of death, claiming the lives of both infants and mothers.
Health Care Professionals
The main differences among health care professionals:
Primary Care Physician (PCP) serves as both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health concern and continuing care of varied medical conditions. PCPs provide preventive care, diagnosis,
and treatment of various conditions, help manage chronic diseases, perform regular check-ups. They provide health education, refer patients to specialists and coordinate with other healthcare providers to
ensure comprehensive care, and often develop a long-term relationships with their patients, understanding their medical history and personal health goals.
Family Practice Physician, also known as a family physician or general practitioner, is educated and trained in family practice to care for patients of all ages, and plays a crucial role in providing
comprehensive healthcare to individuals and families. They focus on disease prevention and health maintenance, offer routine checkups, immunizations, and health-risk assessments, diagnose and treat a wide
range of acute and chronic illnesses, from infections to chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, educate patients on managing their health, including lifestyle changes and treatment plans, coordinate
care with specialists and other healthcare providers, ensure patients receive comprehensive and continuous care, develop long-term relationships with patients, understand their medical history and family dynamics,
which helps in providing personalized care.
General Practice Physician (GP), also known as a general practitioner, is often the first point of contact for patients seeking medical attention, treats acute and chronic illnesses, provides
preventive care and health education to patients, and plays a crucial role in healthcare by providing comprehensive and continuous care to patients of all ages. GPs handle a wide range of health issues,
from acute illnesses to chronic conditions; focus on preventive measures, such as immunizations, health screenings, and lifestyle counseling, to help patients maintain their health and prevent diseases; and
conduct physical exams, review medical histories, order tests, and diagnose various medical conditions. They provide treatment and manage both acute and chronic illnesses, refer patients to appropriate
specialists or medical services, develop long-term relationships with patients, offer ongoing care and monitoring health over time, address physical, mental, and emotional health, and provide initial life-saving
treatment until emergency services arrive.
Adolescent Medicine Physician specializes in the care of adolescents and young adults, typically ages 12 to 21 (as they develop from a child to an adult), and works in interdisciplinary teams alongside
mental health providers, social workers, dietitians, and other health professionals to provide comprehensive care. They provide various services, such as addressing general health concerns, managing chronic
illnesses, and providing preventive care, diagnosing and treating mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, and eating disorders), offering guidance and treatment related to puberty, sexual development,
contraception, and sexually transmitted infections, providing support and treatment for substance abuse issues, helping adolescents navigate social challenges and emotional changes during this
critical developmental period.
Geriatrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in older people, typically those aged 65 and older, and plays a crucial role in improving
the quality of life for older adults by tailoring their care to each individual’s unique needs and preferences. Geriatricians provide holistic care; address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social
needs of their patients; diagnose and manage a wide range of conditions common in older adults (e.g., chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and mobility issues); manage medications to avoid adverse effects
and interactions, and work with other healthcare providers to ensure coordinated and comprehensive care, especially for patients with multiple health issues. They focus on preventive measures to promote
healthy aging and prevent age-related health problems; provide support and guidance to patients and their families; and help them navigate complex healthcare decisions and advance care planning.
Internist, also known as an internal medicine physician, specializes in the diagnosis and medical treatment of adults, including the prevention, diagnosis, and non-surgical treatment of diseases
affecting adults. They can work in various settings, including private practices, hospitals, and research institutions, and often serve as primary care physicians for adults; provide holistic care, focusing
on disease prevention, mental health, and lifestyle counseling; and manage a wide range of health issues from chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension to acute conditions like infections.
While general internists treat a broad spectrum of conditions, some choose to specialize in areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, or endocrinology.
Obstetrician, also known as OB/GYN, specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs, including management of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, regular check-ups,
ultrasounds, and screenings for potential complications. Obstetricians provide comprehensive care during pregnancy, and monitor the health of both the mother and the developing fetus. They oversee
the childbirth process, manage labor and delivery in various settings (e.g., hospitals, birthing centers, home births); monitor the progress of labor, provide pain relief options, and perform necessary
medical interventions like cesarean sections; continue to care for the mother after childbirth to ensure her recovery and addressing any complications; and provide support for breastfeeding and newborn care.
Obstetricians handle complex or high-risk pregnancies (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, multiple births), and have extensive skills in performing surgeries related to childbirth, such as cesarean
sections, and other reproductive health surgeries like hysterectomies and tumor excisions.
Pediatrician specializes in the health and well-being of children, from infancy through adolescence and sometimes into young adulthood, and plays a crucial role in ensuring the overall health and
development of children, and work closely with parents and caregivers to provide comprehensive care. Pediatricians provide regular check-ups and vaccinations; monitor growth and development
to ensure children are healthy; diagnose and treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions, from common colds to chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes; provide preventive measures, including educating
parents about nutrition, safety, and disease prevention; manage chronic conditions and coordinate care with specialists, if needed; and offer guidance on child health, such as behavioral issues, emotional
well-being, and developmental milestones.
When facing with a medical issue, choosing between the emergency room (ER) and urgent care can make a big difference in both treatment and cost. If a condition could permanently harm the health
or is life-threatening, go to the ER, and if it’s urgent but not critical, urgent care is often the better option.
Emergency room is best for life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, strokes, severe injuries, major allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, or sudden loss of consciousness; it's
available 24/7, equipped to handle severe trauma and complex medical issues; however, wait time can be long, as patients are treated based on severity, not arrival time, and cost ($1,000 - $3,000+)
is typically higher due to advanced medical equipment and specialist care.
Urgent care is best for non-life-threatening conditions like minor fractures, sprains, infections, flu symptoms, cuts needing stitches, or mild asthma issues. It's generally open extended hours,
including evenings and weekends, but not 24/7; wait time is usually shorter than ER, as patients are treated on a first-come, first-served basis; and cost ($100 - $250) is more affordable than
ER visits, often similar to a regular doctor’s appointment.
Coronary artery disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, and HIV/AIDS
are the most dangerous diseases in the world. Many of these diseases are preventable or manageable with proper healthcare, lifestyle changes, and early detection.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – The leading cause of death globally, CAD occurs when blood vessels supplying the heart become narrowed, leading to heart attacks and heart failure.
Treatments – Managed with lifestyle changes, medications (such as statins and beta-blockers), and surgical procedures like angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Stroke – A sudden blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain, strokes can cause long-term disabilities and are a major cause of death worldwide.
Treatments – Immediate treatment includes clot-busting drugs for ischemic strokes or surgery for hemorrhagic strokes. Rehabilitation focuses on physical therapy and speech therapy.
Lower Respiratory Infections – Diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis can be life-threatening, especially for young children and the elderly.
Treatments – Treated with antibiotics (for bacterial infections), antivirals (for viral infections), and supportive care like oxygen therapy..
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – A progressive lung disease that makes breathing difficult and is often caused by smoking.
Treatments – Managed with bronchodilators, steroids, oxygen therapy, and lifestyle changes like quitting smoking.
Cancer – Various types of cancer, including lung, breast, and colorectal cancer, are among the leading causes of death.
Treatments – Treatment depends on the type and stage but may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.
Diabetes – A chronic condition that affects blood sugar regulation and can lead to severe complications like kidney failure and heart disease.
Treatments – Managed with insulin therapy (for type 1), oral medications (for type 2), and lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia – These neurodegenerative diseases primarily affect older adults and lead to cognitive decline and death.
Treatments – No cure exists, but medications can slow progression and improve symptoms. Cognitive therapy and lifestyle adjustments help manage the condition.
Tuberculosis (TB) – A bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs and can be fatal if untreated.
Treatments – Treated with a long course of antibiotics, often lasting six months or more.
Diarrheal Diseases – Often caused by contaminated food or water, severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration and death, particularly in developing countries.
Treatments – Managed with rehydration therapy, antibiotics (if bacterial), and improved sanitation.
HIV/AIDS – Although treatments have improved, HIV/AIDS remains a deadly disease, especially in regions with limited access to healthcare.
Treatments – Treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), which helps control the virus and prevent progression to AIDS..
Vaccines do not cause autism. Extensive research has confirmed that there is no causal link between vaccines and autism. Numerous large-scale scientific studies have thoroughly examined
this issue and found no link between vaccines and autism, and vaccines are safe and essential for public health. The idea that vaccines might cause autism originated from a
fraudulent 1998 study that has since been debunked and retracted.
The exact causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remain unknown, but research suggests a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors may contribute to its development.
The complexity of ASD means there is likely no single cause, but rather a combination of factors interacting in unique ways for each individual.
Parental age: Older parents, particularly fathers over 40, may have a higher likelihood of having a child with autism.
Maternal health: Certain maternal infections, vitamin deficiencies, and exposure to toxins during pregnancy have been investigated as possible contributors.
Brain development: Autism is linked to differences in brain development that affect communication and social interaction.
Having a family history of autism or other developmental disorders can increase the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis; genetic factors play a significant role in ASD; research suggests that autism is highly heritable,
with studies estimating that around 80% of autism cases are linked to genetics.
Differences in brain structure and function, as well as prenatal influences like maternal health during pregnancy, may play a role of the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis; biological factors contributing to ASD include
differences in brain structure, function, and development; these biological factors often interact with genetic and environmental influences, making autism a complex and multifaceted condition.
Exposure to certain toxins, infections, or complications during pregnancy or early childhood could contribute to the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis, though these links are still being studied; environmental factors,
including prenatal exposure, toxins, parental age, and birth complication, can play a role in ASD, though they are not the sole cause; these factors interact with genetic predispositions, and no single environmental factor has been definitively proven
to cause autism.
Adults can be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While autism is typically identified in childhood, many individuals go undiagnosed until adulthood, especially if they have milder symptoms or developed strategies
to mask their traits. Increased awareness has led to more adults seeking evaluations and receiving diagnoses later in life. For some, an adult diagnosis can bring clarity to lifelong challenges, such as difficulties with social
interactions, sensory sensitivities, or managing routines. Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult can help explain experiences and behaviors that might have felt confusing or isolating before. For many, it offers a sense
of validation, helping them understand why they might have struggled with things like socializing, processing sensory input, or maintaining daily routines.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is not an illness or disease—it is a lifelong condition that represents a variation in neurodiversity. It is possible for an individual with autism to experience mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression,
which are co-occurring conditions; however, autism itself is not a mental illness. Autism is not "cured" but rather supported with interventions that help individuals thrive based on their unique needs.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder
characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and
non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. In other words, autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, meaning it relates to
differences in how the brain develops and functions. Autism prevalence varies significantly across countries, influenced by factors like diagnostic practices, healthcare infrastructure, and societal awareness. In the U.S., approximately
1 in 36 children were identified with autism in 2024, about 1.5% of children (one in 68) were diagnosed with autism in 2014, a 30% increase from one in 88 in 2012. In other countries like Japan, South Korea
and the U.K., reported high rates, with around 1 in 33, 1 in 38, and 1 in 57 children were identified with autism in 2024, respectively.
There is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), about 20 to 30 percent of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood.
Autism is diagnosed approximately four to five times more often in boys than in girls. Over the last decade, autism rates have shown a significant increase globally, largely due to improved diagnostic practices, heightened awareness,
and broader definitions of ASD.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence varies across countries, influenced by diagnostic practices, healthcare infrastructure, and societal awareness. Some countries with notably high reported rates include Qatar, which reports the highest rate globally,
with approximately 151 cases per 10,000 individuals, and United Arab Emirates follows closely with 112 cases per 10,000 individuals. Marriage among relatives, known as consanguinity, is common in these countries and may contribute to
higher autism rates in these countries. Consanguinity increases the likelihood of genetic conditions, as closely related individuals are more likely to share genetic mutations. Studies have shown that parental consanguinity is associated
with a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD.
Early intervention for symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder is critical
for helping families improve outcomes for their children. Children diagnosed with developmental disorders should be identified as children with special health care needs, and chronic-condition
management should be initiated. Specific autism screenings are recommended at the same time as typical well-child visits from infancy through school age, and at any age thereafter. Developmental surveillance should be performed if concerns are raised about social acceptance,
learning, or behavior. Developmental evaluation is required whenever a child fails to meet any of the following milestones: babbling by 12 months; gesturing (e.g., pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12 months; single words by 16 months; two-word spontaneous (not just echolalic)
phrases by 24 months; loss of any language or social skills at any age.
There is inadequate evidence to recommend an electroencephalogram study in all individuals with autism. Reflecting social communication, ADHD, anxiety, food selectivity, and sleeping disorders could provide
early signs of autism. Eating and sleeping issues can be identified long before autism is diagnosed. Some children with more typical language skills may not be identified until they enter school and social requirements are greater.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be
diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. About 1 in every 68 U.S. children is affected by a ASD in 2010, 1 in 54 in 2015, 1 in 36 in 2020, and 1 in 31 in 2025.
This reflects a continued increase in diagnosis rates, driven by improved awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, and better access to evaluations and services.
The causes for the increased ASD incidence are not completely understood though a possible connection to childhood vaccines (which has been resoundingly rejected by rigorous scientific studies). Although scientists are still trying to
understand why some people develop ASD and others don’t, some risk factors include the child has very low birth weight, a sibling with ASD, older parents, and certain genetic conditions. People with ASD have difficulty with communication
and interaction with other people, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, and symptoms that hurt the person’s ability to function properly in school, work, and other areas of life.
Cancer develops when cells in the body grow uncontrollably due to changes (mutations) in their DNA. Mutations in DNA disrupt the normal processes that regulate cell growth and division. This can lead to the formation of tumors, which can
be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Malignant tumors invade surrounding tissues and can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system—a process called metastasis. The causes of these DNA mutations
can vary widely, from inherited genetic factors to environmental exposures and even random errors during cell division. It's a complex and multifaceted disease, which is why research into its prevention, treatment, and cure is so vital.
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among men in the United States; about 9 out of 10 people diagnosed with bladder cancer are over the age of 55. Bladder cancer is most common in white men.
Men are about four times more likely to develop bladder cancer compared to women. There were around 63,100 new cases of bladder cancer in men for 2024, compared to 20,120 new cases in women.
Exposure to arsenic in drinking water is a known risk factor for bladder cancer. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can contaminate groundwater, and long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic has been linked to an increased
risk of bladder cancer, which is rare, and accounts for just 5% of all new cancers in the U.S.
The most dangerous cancers are those with the lowest survival rates and highest mortality; pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), brain cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, myeloma, and laryngeal cancer are the most deadliest cancers.
In 2022, approximately 608,366 Americans died from cancer, making it the second leading cause of death after heart disease. The most common types of cancer leading to death include lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers; in 2024 approximately 125,070 people are expected to die from lung cancer; 42,250 women from breast cancer;
35,250 men from prostate cancer; and 53,010 deaths from colorectal cancers.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, with a high mortality rate due to late diagnosis when treatment options are more limited, and aggressive nature spreading quickly. Lung cancer has several major risk factors, many of which
can be controlled, while others are beyond one's influence.
Smoking: The leading cause, responsible for most lung cancer cases. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and the duration of smoking.
Secondhand Smoke: Exposure to smoke from others can also increase the risk significantly.
Radon Gas: A naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes, increasing lung cancer risk.
Occupational Exposure: Prolonged exposure to asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, or other harmful chemicals can elevate risk.
Air Pollution: Living in areas with high air pollution can slightly increase the likelihood of lung cancer.
Genetic Factors: A family history of lung cancer may increase susceptibility.
Previous Lung Disease: Certain lung conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can contribute to a higher risk.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S., about 6 in 10 cases diagnosed in men aged 65 or older; the 5-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer is about 97.5%. Prostate cancer often develops without
noticeable symptoms in its early stages. However, when symptoms do appear, they may include:
Difficulty urinating or a weak urine stream
Frequent urination, especially at night
Blood in urine or semen
Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area
Erectile dysfunction
Bone pain if the cancer has spread
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men. Each year, roughly 300,000 men in the U.S. receive this diagnosis; prostate cancer can be a serious disease, and while many cases are caught early and successfully treated,
it remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men aside from skin cancer. About 1 of 44 men has died of prostate cancer annually. While it can be serious, early detection through screenings like PSA tests and digital
rectal exams can significantly improve outcomes.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths when numbers for men and women are combined; the 5-year relative survival rate for colorectal cancer is about 65%; age is a significant risk factor, with most cases diagnosed in people aged 50 and older.
Pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of only 12.5%; it's often diagnosed at an advanced stage because early symptoms are vague and hard to detect. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose early, which contributes to
its low survival rate. Symptoms like abdominal pain, jaundice, weight loss, and digestive issues can be subtle and often mistaken for other conditions. Unfortunately, by the time it's detected, it's frequently at an advanced stage where
treatment options are limited.
Liver cancer is difficult to treat and has a low survival rate; it can be incredibly challenging to treat, and its prognosis is often poor, especially in later stages. One of the major issues is that symptoms tend to
appear only when the disease has progressed, making early detection difficult. Risk factors like chronic hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis, excessive alcohol consumption, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease all increase
the likelihood of developing liver cancer. However, prevention efforts—such as vaccination for hepatitis B, lifestyle changes to reduce alcohol intake, and maintaining liver health—can significantly lower the risk.
Esophageal cancer affects the esophagus and has a poor prognosis due to late detection. Esophageal cancer can present with a range of symptoms, though they often appear only in later stages. These symptoms can overlap
with less serious conditions, making early detection challenging.
Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) – This is often the first noticeable symptom; it may start as trouble swallowing solid foods and progress to difficulty with liquids.
Unintentional weight loss – Many people with esophageal cancer lose weight due to difficulty eating or a loss of appetite.
Chest pain or discomfort – Some individuals experience pain or pressure in the chest, especially while eating.
Hoarseness or persistent cough – Changes in the voice or chronic coughing can occur if the cancer affects the throat or nearby nerves.
Heartburn or indigestion – Though common in many other conditions, persistent or worsening acid reflux can be a warning sign.
Vomiting or regurgitation – In more advanced cases, food or liquids may come back up due to obstruction in the esophagus.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that progresses rapidly and has a low survival rate. AML starts in the bone marrow and quickly spreads into the bloodstream. It affects the myeloid cells, which normally
develop into various types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Because AML progresses rapidly, early diagnosis and treatment are critical. Despite its severity, advancements in medical
research have led to improved treatments, including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and bone marrow transplants. While survival rates can be low, especially in older adults, some patients respond well to treatment, and
new therapies continue to emerge.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive type of blood cancer, can cause a variety of symptoms, often developing rapidly.
Fatigue and Weakness – Due to anemia from low red blood cell production.
Frequent Infections – A weakened immune system makes fighting infections harder.
Easy Bruising and Bleeding – Caused by a drop in platelets, which help with blood clotting.
Shortness of Breath – Resulting from low oxygen levels in the blood.
Bone or Joint Pain – As leukemia cells multiply in the bone marrow.
Swollen Gums or Lymph Nodes – Some subtypes of AML can cause swelling.
Unexplained Weight Loss or Fever – Due to the body’s response to cancer.
Paleness or Skin Rash – Changes in blood cell production can affect the skin.
Brain cancer (including Glioblastoma) are particularly aggressive and difficult to treat, with a low survival rate. The median survival time for adults diagnosed with glioblastoma is around 15 months.
Only about 5.6% of affected adults survive for five years or more. Brain cancer symptoms can vary depending on the tumor's location, size, and growth rate.
Persistent headaches that worsen over time, especially in the morning or when lying down.
Nausea and vomiting, often unrelated to food intake.
Seizures, even in individuals with no prior history of epilepsy.
Vision problems, such as blurred or double vision.
Difficulty speaking or understanding speech.
Weakness or numbness in one side of the body.
Personality or behavioral changes, including confusion or memory loss.
Loss of balance or coordination.
Stomach cancer has a low survival rate and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Stomach cancer can be tricky because its early symptoms often mimic common digestive issues.
Persistent indigestion or heartburn
Unexplained weight loss
Loss of appetite
Feeling full quickly when eating
Nausea or vomiting
Abdominal pain or discomfort
Bloating after meals
Difficulty swallowing
Fatigue or weakness
Blood in stool or black, tarry stools
Ovarian cancer is often detected late, contributing to its high mortality rate. Early symptoms of ovarian cancer can be subtle and often mistaken for common digestive or menstrual issues. Because these symptoms can be vague,
they often go unnoticed until the cancer has progressed.
Abdominal bloating or swelling
Feeling full quickly when eating
Unexplained weight loss
Discomfort or pain in the pelvic area
Fatigue
Back pain
Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
Frequent need to urinate
Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. These cancerous plasma cells crowd out healthy blood cells, leading to low blood counts. Because these cells are found in the bone marrow, myeloma cancer can weaken bones, disrupt blood cell production, and impair the body's ability to fight infections. The survival rate for multiple myeloma is relatively low.
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, which are a part of the immune system. In its early stages, it may not cause noticeable symptoms, but as it progresses, common signs can include:
Bone pain, especially in the spine, chest, or hips.
Fatigue due to anemia.
Frequent infections because of weakened immunity.
Weight loss and loss of appetite.
Mental fogginess or confusion.
Kidney problems, sometimes leading to kidney failure.
High calcium levels, which can cause excessive thirst, nausea, and constipation.
Weakness or numbness, particularly in the legs, due to nerve damage.
Laryngeal cancer affects the larynx and has a low survival rate due to late detection. Laryngeal cancer is a serious condition that affects the voice box, often leading to challenges in speech and breathing. One of the biggest
concerns is that symptoms like hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or persistent throat pain can be overlooked, leading to late-stage diagnosis when treatment options are more limited.
Breast cancer survivors who take aspirin regularly may be less likely to die
or have their cancer return. Aspirin has relatively benign adverse effects compared with cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and may also prevent colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the U.S.; the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is about 91%; some risk factors for
breast cancer include age, family history, genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA1 and BRCA2), and lifestyle factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption. Breast cancer symptoms can vary,
signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape,
dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, or a red scaly patch of skin. In those with distant spread of the disease, there may be
bone pain, swollen lymph nodes,
shortness of breath, or yellow skin.
Common symptoms of breast cancer include:
A new lump in the breast or armpit that doesn’t go away.
Changes in breast size, shape, or texture.
Skin changes, such as redness, dimpling, or a rash resembling an orange peel.
Swelling in the armpit or near the collarbone, which may indicate cancer spreading to lymph nodes.
Nipple changes, including inward pulling, burning, itching, or unusual discharge.
Pain or tenderness in the breast, though lumps don’t usually hurt.
Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs. Untreated, these cells can potentially
spread to other tissues in the body, including organs, which is known as secondary or metastatic cancer.
There are more than 200 different types of cancer, the most common ones are breast, lung, prostate and bowel. Each cancer is diagnosed and treated in a particular way. One in two people develop some kind of cancer during their lifetime,
most cases of cancer are in people aged 50 and over. Changes to the body's normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms can sometimes be an early sign of cancer, such as a lump that suddenly appears on the body, unexplained bleeding,
and changes to your bowel habits.
Nearly 2 million Americans have been diagnosed with cancer in 2023, and around 610,000 people have died of the disease; anyone can develop cancer, but 88% of those in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer are 50 or older,
and 57% are 65 or older, the American Cancer Society said.
Cancer was the second leading cause of death, after heart disease, in the United States. In 2020, there were 602,350 cancer deaths; 284,619 were among females and 317,731 among males.
136,084 people died of lung cancer (63,135 females and 72,949 males).
51,869 people died of colorectal cancer (23,826 females and 28,043 males).
46,774 people died of pancreatic cancer (22,495 females and 24,279 males).
42,275 females died of breast cancer.
32,707 males died of prostate cancer.
28,227 people died of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (9,591 females and 18,636 males).
For the cancer treatment using chemotherapy, late effects may include dental problems, early menopause, eye problems, hair loss, hearing loss, heart problems, increased risk of other cancers, infertility, loss of taste, lung disease, nerve damage, osteoporosis (bone loss), and reduced lung capacity.
For the cancer treatment using hormone therapy, late effects may include blood clots, hormonal change, hot flashes, increased risk of other cancers, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, and sexual side effects.
For the cancer treatment using radiation therapy, late effects may include cavities and tooth decay, dry mouth, early menopause, hair loss, heart and vascular problems, hypothyroidism, increased risk of other cancers, increased risk of stroke, infertility, intestinal problems,
lung disease, lymphedema, memory problems, and osteoporosis.
Late side effects from surgery depend on the type of cancer and the surgery location in the body; lymphedema is most commonly caused by the removal of or damage to a lymph node as a part of this cancer treatment.
Late effects are unknown for the cancer treatment with targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
Cancer, an incurable disease, is a deadly terminal disease known worldwide. There are over 200 different types of cancers.
While 1 in every 3 women in her lifetime, is likely to die because of breast cancer,
colo-rectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung and bronchial cancer, 1 in every 2 men in his life time, mostly dies because of lung & bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colon & rectum cancer, pancreas cancer, and liver & intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
In the US, cancer usually develops in older people; 86% of all cancers are diagnosed in people 50 years of age or older. Lifetime risk refers to the probability that an individual will develop or die from cancer over the course of a lifetime.
The lifetime risk of developing cancer is 42% in men and 38% in women.
Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate, which is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostate cancer is diagnosed with a biopsy. The most common reason for a man to undergo a prostate biopsy is due to an elevated prostate-specific antigen level (PSA), determined by a blood test. It's not clear what causes prostate cancer. Prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms in its early stages;
when it's more advanced, signs and symptoms may include trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine blood in the urine and the semen, and/or erectile dysfunction.
Prostate cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer in men. One in 8 men has been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
Prostate cancer incidence increases with age, the older men are, the greater their chance of developing this disease. Around 60% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65
(1 in 55 for ages 50 to 59, 1 in 20 for ages 60 to 69, and 1 in 12 for ages 70 and older).
Many cancers are found too late and most of them show no symptoms until later stages, and treatment options may be limited and the outcomes are often deadly. Cancer blood tests and other laboratory tests may help doctors make a cancer diagnosis.
Common blood tests used to diagnose cancer include
Complete Blood Count (CBC) (used to detect if too many or too few of a type of blood cell or abnormal cells are found in blood);
Blood Protein Testing (used to detect certain abnormal immune system proteins (immunoglobulins) that are sometimes elevated in people with multiple myeloma;
Tumor Marker Tests (used to detect chemicals made by tumor cells in blood);
and
Circulating Tumor Cell Tests (used to detect cells that have broken away from an original cancer site and are floating in the bloodstream).
Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called
rectal cancer. Cancer that starts in either of these organs may also be called colorectal cancer.
Each year around 143,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with colorectal cancer. It is the fourth most common cancer in men, after
skin,
prostate, and
lung cancer.
The colon and rectum make up the large intestine (or large bowel), which is part of the digestive system, also called the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Colon cancer, which is a type of cancer that begins in the large intestine (colon), is sometimes called
colorectal cancer (CRC), a term that combines colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum. CRC, which typically affects 33% of older adults (male or female),
usually begins as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called polyps that form on the inside of the colon. Over time some of these polyps can become CRC. Finding and removing polyps can prevent CRC. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat.
By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US; 1 out of 20 people will develop CRC in their lifetime. CRC often has no obvious signs or
symptoms; when symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in the large intestine. If CRC develops, many treatments are available to help control it, including surgery, radiation therapy and drug treatments,
such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy; when detected early people with CRC have a greater than 90% 5-year survival rate.
Colorectal cancer is the No. 2 killer in the US, reports the CDC, claiming more than 50,000 lives in 2013.
A multi-cancer early detection test, Galleri, developed by Grail, Inc., an American healthcare company, can detect over 50 types of cancers — over 45 of which lack recommended
screening today — with a low false positive rate, through a single blood draw. The Galleri test looks for signals present in the blood that may be associated with cancer at the time of the blood draw. If a cancer signal is detected, Galleri results can point to where in the body the cancer is coming from. However, the Galleri
test does not diagnose cancer and not all cancers may be detected in the blood. A bone marrow biopsy, which involves removing a small sample of the bone marrow inside bones for testing, may also help confirm a diagnosis of a blood cancer.
Increased risk for getting liver cancer when a person has symptoms that may include discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side, a swollen abdomen, a hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage, pain near the right shoulder blade or in the back,
yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), easy bruising or bleeding, unusual tiredness, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and/or weight loss for no known reason.
The signs of liver disease (may not be liver cancer) may include abdominal pain and swelling, skin and eyes that appear
yellowish (jaundice), swelling in the legs and ankles, itchy skin, dark urine color, pale stool color, chronic fatigue, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, and/or tendency to bruise easily.
Most cases of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), occur in people who already have signs and symptoms of chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or
hepatitis C infection. The risk of HCC for people with type 2 diabetes
is greater (from 2.5 to 7.1 times the non-diabetic risk) depending on the duration of diabetes and treatment protocol. HCC often doesn’t show symptoms until the advanced stages of the disease, but some people may experience abdominal pain or tenderness, easy bruising or bleeding, enlarged abdomen, unexplained weight loss,
and jaundice. HCC remains associated with a high mortality rate, in part related to initial diagnosis commonly at an advanced stage of disease.
Globally, each year over 750,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), most often in late stages of the disease. Almost 50% of all cases are diagnosed in China in large part due to the prevalence of hepatitis B and C, fatty foods and obesity, alcohol, and aflatoxin (a carcinogenic mould found in contaminated food, especially rice).
There are limited treatments available for people across all stages of liver cancer, and even less if diagnosed at the advanced stage. Despite the high prevalence of HCC, people with the disease still have few options and a low survival rate. In fact, less than 50% of people diagnosed with advanced HCC will survive more
than a year after diagnosis. Treatments currently available across different stages of the disease include surgery to remove masses, radiation, liver transplant, transarterial chemoembolisation, chemotherapy,
freezing or heating the cancer cells, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
Many cancers can be prevented by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, vaccination against certain infectious diseases, not eating too much processed and red meat, and avoiding too much sunlight exposure.
Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths, Another 10% is due to obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity and drinking alcohol.
Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation and environmental pollutants.
In the U.S., each year there are about 56,000 new cases of thyroid cancer, and the majority of those diagnoses are papillary thyroid cancer — the most common type of thyroid cancer. Some thyroid cancer signs and symptoms include a hoarse voice, neck pain, and enlarged lymph nodes. Although as much as 75% of the population will have thyroid nodules, the vast majority are benign. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients.
Females are more likely to have thyroid cancer at a ratio of 3:1. Fewer than 1% of all thyroid nodules are malignant (cancerous). A nodule that is cold on scan is more likely to be malignant. However, the majority of these are benign as well.
Thyroid cancer does not always cause symptoms; often, the first sign of thyroid cancer is a thyroid nodule. Most thyroid cancers are very curable. In fact, the most common types of thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular thyroid cancer) are the most curable.
In younger patients, both papillary and follicular cancers have a more than 97% cure rate if treated appropriately.
Cancer has a major impact on society in the U.S. and across the world. People who have cancer may have questions about how serious their cancer is and the chances of survival. The answer depends on
the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer, cancer's grade, age, how healthy they are, and how they respond to treatment. The period of time may be 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, etc. In the U.S. the average number of new cases
of cancer is 440 per 100,000 men and woman per year, and the average number of cancer deaths is 163.5 per 100,000 people. In 2018, there were around 1,735,350 new cases of cancer, and 609,640 people died from the disease.
In 2017, there were 15,270 children and adolescents ages 1 to 19 were diagnosed with cancer and 1,790 died of the disease. Understanding of cancer prognosis is important.
The most common cancers:
Lymphoma: Fever, weight loss more than 10% body weight in preceding 6 months and drenching night sweats which constitutes the B symptoms, lump in neck, axilla or groin.
Blood cancer: Bleeding manifestations including bleeding gums, bleeding from nose, blood in vomitus,
blood in sputum, blood stained urine, black coloured stools, fever, lump in neck, axilla, or groin, lump in upper abdomen.
There are a number of cancer symptoms that
men are likely to ignore. These include upset stomach or stomachache; chronic "acid stomach" or feeling full after a small meal; unexplained weight loss; jaundice; wheezing or shortness of breath;
chronic cough or chest pain; frequent fevers or infections; difficulty swallowing; chronic heartburn; swelling of facial features; swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck; underarm, or groin, excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn't stop;
weakness and fatigue; rectal bleeding or blood in stool; bowel problems; difficulty urinating or changes in flow; pain or burning during urination; blood in urine or semen; erection problems; pain, aching, or heaviness in the groin, hips, thighs, or abdomen;
testicular swelling or lump; unexplained back pain; scaly or painful nipple or chest, nipple discharge; a sore or skin lump that doesn't heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily; and changes in nails.
There are a number of cancer symptomswomen are likely to ignore. These include wheezing or shortness of breath; chronic cough or chest pain;
swallowing problems or hoarseness; frequent fevers or infections swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin; bloating or abdominal weight gain -- the "my jeans don't fit" syndrome; feeling full and unable to eat; pelvic or abdominal pain;
unusually heavy or painful periods or bleeding between periods; rectal bleeding or blood in stool; upset stomach or stomachache; a red, sore, or swollen breast; nipple changes; excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn't stop;
weakness and fatigue; unexplained weight loss; swelling of facial features; a sore or skin lump that doesn't heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily; changes in nails; and pain in the back or lower right side.
Lung cancer is caused by tobacco use (cigarette smoking), secondhand smoke, radon, poor diet, alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, asbestos exposure, arsenic, and air pollution.
The vast majority (85%) of cases of lung cancer are due to long-term tobacco smoking. More than half of people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed. The lung cancer five-year survival rate (18%) is lower than many other leading cancer types, such as the colon (65%), breast (90%) and prostate (99%).
The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 55% for cases detected when the disease is still localized (within the lungs). However, only 16% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage.
For distant tumors (spread to other organs) the five-year survival rate is only 4%. Lung cancer occurred in around 1.8 million people globally and resulted in approximate 1.6 million deaths annually.
There are around 415,000 Americans living with lung cancer today, and approximately 158,080 die annually. The age-adjusted death rate for lung cancer is higher for men (51.7 per 100,000 persons) than for women (34.7 per 100,000 persons).
However, lung cancer mortality has declined by 19% for women and 45% for men over years, due to advances in screening, newly established oncologic treatments, and reductions in smoking.
Lung, liver, stomach, colorectal and breast cancers cause the most cancer deaths each year worldwide, accounting for 8.2 million deaths in 2012; about 30% of cancer deaths are due to high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol use.
When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. When cancer starts in the lungs, it is called lung cancer.
Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain.
The two main types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These categories refer
to what the cancer cells look like under a microscope. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with
surgery (an operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue), chemotherapy (using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer), radiation therapy (using high-energy rays
(similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer), targeted therapy (using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells), or a combination of these treatments. People with small
cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Doctors from different specialties often work together to treat lung cancer. Pulmonologists are doctors who are experts in diseases of the lungs.
Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Thoracic surgeons
specialize in chest, heart, and lung surgery. Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicines. Radiation oncologists are doctors who treat cancers with radiation.
The five year survival rate for all
cancers combined is approximately 65 percent.
Surgery,
radiation and
chemotherapy are the forms of cancer treatment.
Lung cancer, a serious illness, is the major cause of death in the U.S. Early screening for this disease is not as effective as it is with
breast,
colon or
prostate cancers. It is also more resistant to treatment than some other cancers.
Leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells, not only causes the overproduction of white blood cells,
which help your body fight infection, but also reduces red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of your body.
There are 7.6 million people died of cancer annually - 13% of all deaths worldwide. Lung (1.37 million deaths), stomach (736,000 deaths), liver (695,000 deaths), colorectal/colon (608,000 deaths), breast (458 000 deaths), and cervical cancer (275,000 deaths) caused the most cancer deaths.
The most common types of cancer that kill men are lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and oesophagus and the most common types of cancer that kill women are breast, lung, stomach, colorectal and cervical.
Brain tumor or intracranial neoplasm occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant or cancerous tumors and benign tumors.
Cancerous tumors can be divided into primary tumors that start within the brain, and secondary tumors that have spread from somewhere else, known as
brain metastasis tumors. Secondary or metastatic brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumors with about half of metastases coming from lung cancer.
A benign tumor is a mass of cells (tumor) that lacks the ability to invade neighboring tissue or metastasize.
Primary brain tumors occur in around 250,000 people a year globally; there are around 689,000 Americans having brain tumor, and approximately 78,000 people are diagnosed annually.
Brain tumors have the highest per-patient initial cost of care (around $100,000) for any cancer group.
Brain tumors can be deadly, significantly impact quality of life. A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that has formed a lump; it’s called a
benign tumor if it grows slowly and is self-limiting. Benign tumors need no treatment, but they can become dangerous if they grow large enough to press on
vital organs, blood vessels or nerves. A malignant or cancerous tumor, is innately dangerous because its cells can divide uncontrollably and produce virtually immortal daughter cells.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long-lasting (chronic) disease of the central nervous system that attacks the myelin, the protective covering surrounding nerves,
resulting in a variety of symptoms, including weakness, loss of balance, pain, tingling and fatigue; MS is an unpredictable disease that affects people differently. Some people with MS may have only mild symptoms; nearly a million Americans
have MS; the condition is three times more common among women than men and often begins between ages 20 and 50, during the prime of life.
After an eye exam, the doctor must give you a copy of your prescription for free and with no strings attached; for glasses, the patient must receive a copy of their prescription after the exam; for contacts, the doctor must provide
it after the fitting is complete - whether the patient asks for it or not, it’s the law, required by The Federal Trade Commission’s Contact Lens Rule and the Eyeglasses Rule.
Suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths in 2021, which is about one death every 11 minutes. Doctors are dying by suicide at higher rates than the general population.
Around 400 physicians ended their own life a year in the US, the equivalent of one medical school graduating class annually.
Surgeons, who often suffer high rates of burnout, ergonomic injuries,
miscarriages and infertility and are expected to take responsibility for what happens to their patients, have some of the highest known rates of suicide;
of 697 physician suicides reported to the CDC between 2003 and 2017, at least 71 were surgeons.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a rare neurological, progressive and incurable disease that affects motor neurons.
It is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control the movement of muscles. Early symptoms include muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue, muscle cramps, tight and stiff muscles (spasticity), muscle weakness
affecting an arm, a leg, the neck, or diaphragm, slurred and nasal speech, and difficulty chewing or swallowing.
The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech, but as it progresses it profoundly impacts on the ability to move, talk and even breathe. The exact cause of the disease is still not known.
A small number of cases are inherited. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within three to five years from when the symptoms first appear. However, about 10 percent of people with ALS survive for a decade or more.
Falls usually happen because gradual changes to bodies make walking difficult as part of the normal ageing process (e.g., poorer eyesight, muscle weakness), or caused by an illness or condition (e.g.,
low blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease); falls can cause fragility fractures, which are most common in bones of the spine, wrists and hips, and other injuries that require lengthy hospital care and long-term effects;
if you have fallen more than once in the past 6 months, you are more likely to fall again.
When the heat beats, blood is drawn into its two upper chambers, stayed there briefly and then pumped out forcefully through its two lower chambers. An arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat
(a problem with the rate or rhythm of heartbeat) occurs when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm, and it can lose coordination among its chambers; this breakdown can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath,
a heart attack or stroke. People who have Type 2 diabetes are 34% more likely to develop
an arrhythmia (or Afib) than people without diabetes.
The heart beats about 100,000 times per day (roughly 3 billion times during the course of an average lifetime); an adult heart beats about 60 to 80 times per minute (between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal).
The heart pumps about 5.7 liters of freshly oxygenated blood every minute (it can rise to more than 35 liters per minute when exercising), leaves the heart and enters the bloodstream throughout the body.
As of 6/2023 there were around 529 million people in the world living with diabetes, and more than 4.44 million deaths every year; 8 deaths every minute.
It's projected that this will more than 1.3 billion people with diabetes by 2050. The top 10 countries, in numbers of sufferers, are India, China, USA, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, Italy and Bangladesh.
Diabetes affects over 30 million American adults and children and 1 in 4 of them don’t know they have it; more than 84 million American adults have
prediabetes, and 90% of them don’t know they have it.
Around 30.3 million Americans have had diabetes, of which around 12.0 million people age 65 and older and about 193,000 Americans under age 20. Around 1.5 million Americans are
diagnosed with diabetes every year. The rates of diagnosed diabetes in adults by race/ethnic background are
7.4% of non-Hispanic whites,
8.0% of Asian Americans (of which 4.3% for Chinese, 8.9% for Filipinos, 11.2% for Asian Indians, and 8.5% for other Asian Americans),
12.1% of Hispanics (of which 8.5% for Central and South Americans, 9.0% for Cubans,
13.8% for Mexican Americans, and 12.0% for Puerto Ricans),
12.7% of non-Hispanic blacks, and 15.1% of American Indians/Alaskan Natives.
37.3 million people have diabetes—that’s 11.3% of the US population.
28.7 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes.
8.5 million people who have diabetes have not been diagnosed and do not know they have it.
96 million US adults have prediabetes.
26.4 million adults 65 or older have prediabetes.
In 2019, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the population, had diabetes. Nearly 1.9 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 244,000 children and adolescents Diagnosed and undiagnosed:
Of the 37.3 million adults with diabetes, 28.7 million were diagnosed, and 8.5 million were undiagnosed.
Diagnosed: 28.7 million people of all ages had been diagnosed with diabetes (8.7% of the population).
28.5 million were adults ages 18 years or older.
283,000 were children and adolescents younger than age 20, including 244,000 with type 1 diabetes.
Undiagnosed: 8.5 million adults ages 18 years or older had diabetes but were undiagnosed (23% of adults with diabetes were undiagnosed).
Among U.S. adults ages 18 years or older, 96 million—more than 1 in 3—had prediabetes in 2019.
People with the type 1 form of diabetes have an autoimmune disorder and are unable to produce sufficient amounts of the hormone insulin,
which is made by the pancreas; type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5% of all diabetes cases.
The vast majority of Americans with diabetes have type 2 form of the disorder, in which the body does not manage its insulin levels correctly; type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
People are at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes if they are overweight and age 45 or older, and physically active less than 3 times a week, or if they have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high.
Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose (blood sugar) get into your body’s cells for use as energy
With type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin.
With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood.
Diabetes can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and
kidney disease.
Diabetes is a long-term condition that causes high blood sugar levels; approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1, for which the body does not produce insulin; the rest 90% are type 2, for which the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function.
The most common diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, intense thirst and hunger, weight gain, unusual weight loss, fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal,
male sexual dysfunction, numbness and tingling in hands and feet.
In the U.S. about 40 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car. That's about one child every 10 days killed in a hot car. There were over 940 child hot car deaths since 1998.
Stents, small mesh tubes used to keep blood vessels open, have revolutionized the treatment of
coronary artery disease and other vascular conditions. The concept began in the 1960s with the development of balloon angioplasty, a procedure to widen narrowed arteries. The first coronary stent was implanted in
a human patient in 1986; these early stents were bare-metal, which helped prevent artery collapse but still had limitations, such as the risk of restenosis. The introduction of drug-eluting stents,
which release medication to reduce the risk of restenosis in 2000's; this innovation significantly improved patient outcomes. The modern bioresorbable stents, which dissolve over time, have been developed to further
reduce long-term complications.
A stroke and a heart attack are both serious medical emergencies, but they affect different parts of the body and have distinct causes and symptoms; both conditions require immediate medical attention.
Stroke - A stroke, also known as a "brain attack", occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients.
This can lead to brain cell death. There are two main types of strokes, ischemic (caused by a blockage in a blood vessel supplying the brain) and hemorrhagic (caused by a blood vessel in the brain bursting).
Symptoms of a stroke can include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body), confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, difficulty seeing in one or both eyes,
trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and a severe headache with no known cause.
Heart Attack - A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies.
This is usually caused by a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries. Symptoms of a heart attack can include chest pain or discomfort (which may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain),
pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach, shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
The most dangerous disease in the world is ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease). It occurs when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked.
This reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle, which can lead to chest pain (angina), heart attacks, arrhythmias, and other serious complications. Its symptoms may include
chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, pain in the upper body (neck, jaw, shoulders, arms, back), sweating, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or lightheadedness, and fast or irregular heartbeat.
Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for millions of deaths each year. Other highly dangerous diseases include stroke, respiratory infections,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancers.
LDL, known as "bad" cholesterol, should be under 130 for most people; 100 for people at high-risk; under 70 for those at the highest risk, such as those who have just survived a heart attack.
Cholesterol is assembled in the liver and released into the bloodstream, cholesterol and triglycerides form the core of all lipoproteins, triglyceride levels should be kept low; high density lipoproteins (HDL) are called good cholesterol, it removes cholesterol from the artery walls and the bloodstream; Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are considered bad cholesterol, it deposits cholesterol in the artery walls and begins
the process of atherosclerosis; 20% Triglycerides + HDL + LDL = Total Cholesterol.
One of major factors caused the cardiovascular disease is higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol and triglycerides are necessary for our life. While cholesterol is essential for body to work properly, triglycerides provide the fuel needed for body cells to function. Total cholesterol (TC) is an estimated measure bad cholesterol (LDL), good cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides.
TC = LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5). Goal: less than 200 mg/DL for TC.
LDL, or bad cholesterol, carried cholesterol to tissues in your body. Higher levels of LDL in your blood mean that cholesterol is being stick to your artery walls.
The arteries may develop a fatty buildup called atherosclerosis. Goal: less than 100 mg/dL
for LDL. HDL, or good cholesterol, carried cholesterol away tissues in your body. Higher levels of HDL in your blood mean that cholesterol is being
carried away from artery walls to the liver and then eliminated from the body. Goal:
greater than 60 mg/dL for HDL. Triglycerides are another fatty substance in the blood. Higher levels of
triglycerides in your blood mean larger thickening of the artery walls, which causes higher risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.
Goal: less than 150 mg/dL for Triglycerides. Some commonly prescribed medications lowering your cholesterol are:
Crestor,
Lescol,
Lipitor,
Pravachol and
Zocor.
The first heart transplant and subsequent ongoing research in cardiac transplantation at the University of Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital, where
Christiaan Barnard with his team performed the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant operation on 3 December 1967. The first heart transplant patient survived only 18 days, four of first 10 patients survived for more than one year, two living for 13 and 23 years.
Forty-nine consecutive heterotopic heart transplants were performed in Cape Town between 1974 and 1983, with moderately good results for that era; three of the first five patients of this 49-patient group survived more than 10 years.
Dr. Robert Jarvik implants a permanent artificial heart, the Jarvik 7, into retired dentist Barney Clark at the University of Utah on December 2, 1982. The heart, powered by an external compressor, keeps Dr. Clark alive for 112 days.
The next several implantations of the Jarvik-7 heart were conducted by Humana, a large health care insurance company. The second patient, William J. Schroeder, survived 620 days.
Dr. Norman Edward Shumway (February 9, 1923 – February 10, 2006) was a pioneer of heart surgery at Stanford University. Norman Shumway is widely regarded as the father of heart transplantation;
he successfully transplants a heart into 54-year-old steelworker Mike Kasperak, who survives for 14 days in 1968.
Stroke is the number three killer in the US, affecting almost 800,000 people each year.
Top risks for a stroke include high-fat diet, being single, being unhappy, being obese, smoking, and being born in the wrong demographic.
There are three types of muscles in the human body: cardiac, smooth and skeletal.
Cardiac muscle makes up the wall of the heart. Smooth muscles make up the walls of the intestine, the uterus, blood vessels, and internal muscles of the eye. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones; contraction of the skeletal muscles helps limbs and other body parts move.
The hardest working muscle is the heart. It pumps out 2 ounces (71 grams) of blood at every heartbeat. Daily the heart pumps at least 2,500 gallons (9,450
liters) of blood. The heart has the ability to beat over 3 billion times in a person’s life.
About 500,000 heart stent procedures are performed each year in the United States, and the researchers estimate that about a fifth of those are for people with stable heart disease.
Of those, about a quarter — or an estimated 23,000 procedures — are for people without any chest pain.
A stent is placed in a weak artery to improve blood flow and help prevent the artery from bursting, but it is not better at preventing a heart attack or prolonging survival than lifestyle changes,
such as exercising and taking statins to lower cholesterol.
More than 400 million people have cardiovascular illness worldwide; about 18 million people around the world died from heart disease in 2015. Those diseases were highest in countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and eastern and central Europe. Central and eastern Europe also had high heart disease-driven death rates,
alongside Iraq, Afghanistan and several island nations in the South Pacific. The lowest heart disease incidence was found in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Chile and Argentina. Risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, poor diet, high cholesterol, tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol use and obesity, are common throughout most of the world.
Cardiovascular diseases (CDVs) are the number one cause of death worldwide and accounts for 30% of all deaths, more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause.
An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% are due to heart attack and stroke.
Over three quarters of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries. South Asians (from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) with around 2 billion
people comprise 60% of the world’s heart disease cases, even though they make up only a quarter of the planet’s population. Asian descent, a growing population of about 5.4 million, have disproportionately higher risk of stroke, heart attacks and other cardiovascular ailments that are not
explained by widely known risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or smoking.
Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol using population-wide strategies.
A family history of early heart disease is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Over time, unhealthy lifestyle habits increase higher risk of coronary heart disease because they can lead to plaque buildup in the heart’s blood vessels. These include being physically inactive,
not getting enough good quality sleep, smoking tobacco or long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, stress, and unhealthy eating patterns.
Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease that develops when the arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Coronary heart disease is often caused by the buildup of plaque, a waxy substance, inside the lining of larger coronary arteries. This buildup can partially or totally block blood flow in the large arteries of the
heart. The risk of coronary heart disease goes up with the number of risk factors and how serious they are. Some risk factors such as high blood pressure
and high blood cholesterol can be changed through heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
Other risk factors, such as sex, older age, family history and genetics, and race and ethnicity, cannot be changed. The risk for coronary heart disease starts to increase around age 45 for men and 55 for women. People who deal with toxins, radiation, or other hazards, have a lot of stress at work,
sit for long periods, work more than 55 hours a week, work long, irregular, or night shifts that affect their sleep, have at higher risk of coronary heart disease.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally; most cardiovascular disease affects older adults. Cardiovascular diseases caused 17.9 million deaths (32.1%) worldwide in 2015,
up from 12.3 million (25.8%) in 1990. In the United States 11% of people between 20 and 40 have cardiovascular disease, while 37% between 40 and 60, 71% of people between 60 and 80, and 85% of people over 80 have cardiovascular disease. The average age of death from coronary artery disease in the developed world is around 80 while it is around 68 in the developing world.
Cardiovascular disease onset is typically seven to ten years earlier in men as compared to women; cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for men and women; men are more likely to have
chest pain; women are more likely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath, nausea and extreme fatigue.
Older people who take a low-dose aspirin (100 mg or less) daily may be 20 percent more likely to develop anemia than those who do not. Anemia develops when a person's blood produces a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells, which are needed to carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.
Anemia causes the lack of oxygen can make people feel tired or weak, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, or an irregular heartbeat. People often took low-dose aspirin, which can thin the blood and help prevent clots, in hopes of preventing a heart attack or stroke. However, taking low-dose aspirin is not effective for most people who have not already had a cardiovascular issue.
Heart attacks are about three times more likely to occur in the morning, when blood pressure and platelet activity are typically at their highest levels. Taking a daily aspirin helps thin the blood and prevent platelets from clumping, lowering the likelihood of heart attacks and stroke.
However, aspirin users were about 30 percent more likely to have a serious gastrointestinal bleeding event, a side effect of frequent aspirin use.
Heart attack, cardiac arrest and stroke generally often occur in early morning hours (between 5:00 AM and 12:00 PM) when the agreeability of thrombocytes is higher. A daily baby aspirin pill (81 mg), often recommended to lower the risks of heart disease,
can also reduce high blood pressure -- but only if it's taken at bedtime.
A highly anticipated trial results show that invasive procedures, stents and bypass
surgery are no more effective than drugs for stable heart disease, these should be used more sparingly in patients with stable heart disease and the decision to use them should be less rushed. The ability to implant
stents using a catheter inserted through blood vessels in the arm or groin have been clearly demonstrated to save lives in people who are suffering from a heart attack;
however, as heart medicines such as statins have improved, there has been active debate about whether stents and other invasive procedures are
more effective for people who aren’t in the throes of a heart attack but have stable heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease (CDV) killed 864,480 American in 2005; 151,000 of CDV deaths were under age 65. 16.8 million Americans
had a heath attack or angina; 6.5 million Americans had a stroke; 5.7 million live with heart failure; 309,000 Americans died from sudden heart attack.
About 6 million people each year go to hospitals with chest pain; however, only a small fraction are truly having a heart attack. CT scans are increasingly used to diagnose heart attack, but they put out a lot of radiation, which may raise a person's chances of developing cancer.
About 10,000 blood centers in 168 countries report collecting a total of 108 million blood donations globally, of which around 50% is collected in the high-income countries, home to 18% of the world’s population.
When people, who had a combination of jaw/left hand and chest pain, were brought to a hospital, they often had a EKG,
a chest X-ray, an ultrasound test and a CT scan within the first hour; the possibilities the doctors mentioned were terrifying, heart attacks.
The liver (located in the upper abdomen near the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, and pancreas), is essential for digesting food and ridding the body of toxic substances. It performs storing nutrients, removing waste products and worn-out cells from the blood, filtering and processing chemicals in food, alcohol, and medications, and producing bile that helps digest fats and eliminates waste products.
A liver hemangioma is a noncancerous (benign) mass in the liver made up of a tangle of blood vessels; these lumps,
which consist of blood vessels and are usually harmless, are common and are estimated to occur in up to 20% of the population. An estimated 5% of American adults have small liver hemangiomas that cause no symptoms and do not need treatment;
larger hemangiomas can cause pain or discomfort.
In 1748, Jacques Daviel (11 August 1696 – 30 September 1762), a French ophthalmologist, was the first modern European physician to successfully extract cataracts from the eye.
In the 1940s Harold Ridley (10 July 1906 – 25 May 2001), an English ophthalmologist, invented the intraocular lens and pioneered intraocular lens surgery for cataract patients, he introduced the concept of implantation of the intraocular lens which
permitted more efficient and comfortable visual rehabilitation possible after cataract surgery.
Cataracts are most commonly due to aging, but may also occur due to trauma, radiation exposure, be present from birth,
occur following eye surgery, having diabetes, smoking tobacco, or prolonged exposure to sunlight, and alcohol.
About 20 million people globally are blind due to cataracts. Cataract removal/surgery is one of the most common operations performed in the United States.
It also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward.
Cataract surgery (or lens replacement surgery) is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called "crystalline lens") that has developed an opacification,
which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraocular lens. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the development of the cataract,
causing impairment or loss of vision. During cataract surgery, a patient's cloudy natural cataract lens is removed, either by emulsification in place or by cutting it out.
An artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted in its place. Over 90% of cataract operations are successful in restoring useful vision, with a low complication rate. Day care, high volume, minimally invasive,
small incision phacoemulsification with quick post-op recovery has become the standard of care in cataract surgery all over the world.
The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (“Argus II”) is the world’s first approved device intended to restore some functional vision for people suffering from blindness. Argus II is approved for use in the United States and the European Economic Area.
In 2010, there were about 285 million peoplevisually impaired, of whom 39 million were blind; around 82% of people with blindness are over 50 years old and 90% of visually impaired people live in low- and middle-income countries
More than 5 million Americans (3.2 million are women and 1.8 million are men) are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and approximate 500,000 people died each year because of this disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s; more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease
and around 93,500 people died annually (rank #: 7). The time from diagnosis to death varies — as little as 3 or 4 years if the person is older than 80 when diagnosed to as long as 10 or more years if the person is younger.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to
interfere with daily life. People with Alzheimer’s have trouble doing everyday things like driving a car, cooking a meal, or paying bills. They may ask the same questions over and over, get lost easily, lose things or put them in odd places, and find even simple things confusing. As the disease progresses, some people become worried, angry, or violent.
One in 9 people over age 65 and nearly half of people over 85 have Alzheimer's disease. Of the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's,
an estimated 5.2 million people are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 people are under age 65.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.
Alzheimer's disease and changes in a person's sleeping behavior were linked, people who develop Alzheimer's
show changes in sleep years before their memory begins to decline. Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s, though initial symptoms may vary from person to person. A decline in other aspects of thinking, such as finding the right words, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment,
may also signal the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with
childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience
after having a baby; it's a common problem, affecting more than 1 in every 10 women within a year of giving birth, and one in 20 fathers experienced postnatal depression in the weeks after their child was born. A girl is more at risk of developing mental health problems if her father
has experienced postnatal depression. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns.
Tinnitus is the perception of noise (heard can be soft or loud) or ringing in the ears, and it occurs when there is no outside source of the sounds. It may also sound
like blowing, roaring, buzzing, hissing, humming, whistling, or sizzling. A common problem, tinnitus affects about 1 in 5 people. Almost everyone notices a mild form of tinnitus once in a while. It only lasts a few minutes; however, constant or recurring
tinnitus is stressful and makes it harder to focus or sleep.
Tinnitus is often more noticeable at night because surroundings are quieter. To make tinnitus less irritating, try to relax, get enough rest, and avoid loud places and sounds, and things that
may make tinnitus worse, such as caffeine, alcohol, and smoking. If these are not helpful, it may be a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder,
high blood pressure, an allergy, or anemia
(in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells). In rare cases, tinnitus is a sign of a serious problem, such as a tumor or
aneurysm. Other risk factors for tinnitus include temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), diabetes, thyroid problems, obesity, and head injury.
Urine is made up of excess water and waste products that have been filtered by kidneys from the body. Its natural light yellow color is due to excretion of a pigment found in your blood called urochrome.
If you are healthy, the color should be a pale yellow to gold. Normal urine color varies, depending on how much water you drink. Fluids dilute the yellow pigments in urine, so the more you drink, the clearer your urine looks; when you drink less, the color becomes more dark or yellow. Most people need
to empty their urine up to eight times a day; pregnant women and older people usually have to go more often than others.
If you notice you suddenly have to pee more often than usual, though, it could be a sign of a health problem like a urinary tract infections (UIT), diabetes, an enlarged prostate in men, vaginitis in women,
or a problem with the wall of your bladder called interstitial cystitis.
Bloody urine is common in urinary tract infections (UIT) and kidney stones. These problems usually cause pain; painless bleeding might signal a more-serious problem, such as cancer.
Red or pink urine can be caused by (1) diseases, such as urinary track infections, enlarged prostate, kidney cysts, and kidney or bladder stones; (2) foods, such as beets, blackberries and rhubarb); and (3) medications, such as Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) used to treat tuberculosis, and phenazopyridine
(Pyridium - a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort), and laxatives containing senna. Red or pink color can also be caused by your long-distance running.
Orange urine can result from medications, such as anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine);
phenazopyridine (Pyridium); some laxatives; and certain chemotherapy drugs. Orange urine along with light-colored stools can indicate the liver disease or bile duct.
If your urine is dark or orange along with pale stools and yellow skin and eyes, your liver might be malfunctioning.
Blue or green urine can be caused by (1) colored food dyes and dyes used for some tests of kidney and bladder function; (2) medications, such as amitriptyline, indomethacin (Indocin, Tivorbex) and propofol (Diprivan); and (3) medical conditions, such as familial
benign hypercalcemia, and UIT caused by pseudomonas bacteria.
Brown urine can result from (1) food, such as fava beans, rhubarb or aloe; (2) medications, such as antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine, antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl)
and nitrofurantoin (Furadantin), laxatives containing cascara or senna, and methocarbamol — a muscle relaxant; and (3)
medical conditions, such as liver and kidney disorders, kidney damage and urinary tract infections; and extreme exercise that leads to muscle injury.
Cloudy white urine can be caused by urinary tract infections and kidney stones.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes loss of kidney function over time and may lead to kidney failure or end-stage kidney disease. CKD can progress silently, and many people may not experience symptoms until the disease is advanced. Risk factors
include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney disease. Kidney diseases are a leading cause of death in the United States. More than 1 in 7 American adults may have CKD. As many as 9 in 10 don't know they
have it. About 360 people begin treatment for kidney failure (dialysis or kidney transplant) every day.
Few kidney diseases are known to be caused by direct viral infection of renal parenchymal cells. A kidney infection happens when bacteria or viruses get into kidneys; some kidney-tropic viruses, including the polyomaviruses BK and JC and the herpesvirus CMV, are common in the general population world-wide.
Dialysis fills the vital roles the kidneys play, cleaning the blood of toxins, balancing essential components including electrolytes, keeping blood pressure in check and removing excess fluids. It can be a temporary measure while the kidneys recover, or it can be used long-term if they do not.
Another unknown is whether the kidney damage caused by the virus is permanent.
There are approximately 7,000 different types of rare diseases, with more being discovered each day and disorders; it is estimated that 350 million people worldwide suffer from rare diseases. and approximately 50% of these people are children.
Rare diseases affect nearly 30 million Americans, but they’re difficult to diagnose, and treatment isn't always available, only 5% of rare diseases have FDA approved drug treatment.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, which is a mineral that was used in the United States. Mesothelioma is diagnosed in approximately 2,500 Americans each year with a
life expectancy of twelve months to eighteen months from the time of diagnosis. There are four types of mesothelioma: pleural, peritoneal,
pericardial, and testicular, which impact the cavity of lung, abdomen, heart and testes, respectively.
Pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma are the most common ones.
Polydipsia is the medical term for extreme thirst, which does not improve no matter how much a person drinks. It is not a disease by itself but can be an important symptom of certain health problems, such as
diabetes. Common diabetes mellitus symptoms include polydipsia, polyuria, extreme and uncontrolled hunger, blurred vision, extreme fatigue or lack of energy, genital itching, slow healing of wounds or cuts, weight change (gain or loss), frequent
or returning infections, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious health problems if it is not treated. The name for the disease, ‘syphilis’,
originates from an epic Latin poem Syphilis, sive morbus gallicus, ‘Syphilis, or the French disease'. The disease started with genital ulcers, then progressed to a fever, general rash and joint and muscle pains, then weeks or months later were followed by large, painful and foul-smelling abscesses and sores, or pocks, all over the body.
Muscles and bones became painful, especially at night. The sores became ulcers that could eat into bones and destroy the nose, lips and eyes. They often extended into the mouth and throat, and sometimes early death occurred.
Before the introduction of Penicillin in 1943, Syphilis killed 1000's people each year. The first Syphilis epidemic was occurred in Naples, Italy (called ‘Disease of Naples’) in 1495. When Syphilis first surfaced,
the English named it the ‘French disease’, the French called it the ‘Spanish disease’, Germans named it the ‘French evil’, Russians called it ‘Polish disease’, Poles called it ‘Turkish disease’, Turks called it
‘Christian disease’ and Japan called it ‘Chinese pox.’
Arsenic poisoning is a medical condition that occurs due to elevated levels of arsenic in the body. If exposure occurs over a brief period of time symptoms may include
vomiting, abdominal pain, encephalopathy, and watery
diarrhea
that contains blood. Long-term exposure can result in thickening of the skin, darker skin, abdominal pain, diarrhea, heart disease,
and numbness. Arsenic increases the risk of cancer. Exposure is related to skin, lung, liver, and kidney cancer among others.
Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms
that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders that often lead to attempt suicide. 1 out of 6 people in the U.S. succumb
to clinical depression during their lifetime. Experiences with major depressive disorder includes depressed moods, decreased energy, trouble concentrating, lost interest in activities, guilt of feelings of hopelessness, sleep disturbances,
appetite changes and suicidal thoughts or attempts.
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material which is formed in the kidneys from minerals
in urine. Kidney stones typically leave the body in the urine stream, and a small stone may pass without causing symptoms,
otherwise it leads to pain. About 9% of the U.S. population has a kidney stone, and in 2013 about 15,000 deaths globally because of kidney stone disease.
Benlysta is the only treatment on the market specifically for Lupus, a disease in which the body's immune system attacks healthy issue, including skin, joints, kidneys or the brain.
This prescription medicine is expensive; the patient needs to have at least 2 doses a month, each costs $3,330 per dose.
A human body has 206 bones, of which 54 in the hands and 52 in the feet.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which is a newly viral respiratory illness to humans since 2102; people infected with MERS developed severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and many of them have died.
Diagnostic error is the leading cause of medical malpractice claims in the U.S., 5-15% of diagnoses are estimated to have errors with an average of 60,000 deaths annually.
Body temperature varied from person to person, at different times of day and for many other reasons besides illness. It tends to be about one degree higher during the day than in the middle of the night.
The normal human body temperature averages 98.6; a temperature above 100.4, regardless of the normal range for an individual, is considered a universal sign of fever and suggests an illness
The generic high blood pressure (hypertension) drug Lisinopril
was prescribed and refilled around 37 million times by more than 7 million American Medicare patients at a cost of $307 million in 2013.
As of 2014 the U.S. annually spent about $317 billion (which comes from medical expensive and disability payments) on caring for over 9.6 million adults with a serious mental illness.
Scratching skin creates a mild amount of pain (in the skin), that can interfere with itching — at least temporarily — by getting nerve cells in the spinal cord to carry pain signals to the brain instead of itch signals.
Around 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. But a new study claims that
those who have slept with more than 20 women during their lifetime there is a 28% reduction in the risk of having prostate cancer (all types), and a 19% reduction for aggressive types of cancer.
One-third of the world's population is currently infected with the Tuberculosis (TB), which is an infectious disease that spreads through the air, but only 5-10% of people infected will become sick with the disease.
of all TB cases India alone accounted for 26%, and China and India combined accounted for 38% worldwide.
The "flu" or the seasonal flu is caused by the influenza virus and causes mostly upper respiratory problems while the "stomach flu"
is often caused by a number of viruses and causes gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
The number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the United States is around 300,000 with 96 percent of reported cases occurring in 13 states,
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
50% to 75% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have sleep problems; some have trouble falling or staying asleep; others wake up feeling less than refreshed or battle drowsiness during the day.
During sleep, the body produces cytokines, cellular hormones that help fight infections.
Research shows that most people require seven or eight hours of sleep to function optimally. Failing to get enough sleep night after night can compromise your health and may even shorten your life..
You can get cataracts in one eye or both eyes — but they can’t spread from one eye to the other; by age 80, most people either have cataracts or have had cataract surgery; cataract surgery is one of the most common operations in the United States
Anxiety or panic attacks are often accompanied by chest pain,
most likely caused by muscle contractions in the chest wall. The common external factors can cause anxiety panic attacks are stress at work/school, stress in a personal relationship (e.g.; marriage, love), stress from an emotional trauma (e.g.; the death of a loved one), financial stress, stress from a serious medical illness, and side effect of medication.
The population of people having blood type A include 40% of whites, 26% of blacks, 31% of Hispanics and 28% of Asians; type B: 11% of whites, 19% of blacks,
10% of Hispanics and 25% of Asians; type AB: 4% of whites, 4% of blacks, 2% of Hispanics and 7% of Asians; and type O: 45% of whites, 51% of blacks, 57% of Hispanics and 40% of Asians.
The longest living cells in the body are brain cells which can live an entire lifetime.
There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body.
Most surgeries to avoid are stents for stable angina, complex spinal fusion for stenosis, hysterectomy for uterine fibroids, and knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis.
Sixty five percent of those with autism are left handed.
The top causes of death in high-income countries are
Ischaemic heart disease (1.42m deaths in 2008; 15.6%),
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease (0.79m; 8.7%),
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers (0.54m, 5.9%),
Alzheimer and other dementias (0.37m, 4.1%),
Lower respiratory infections (0.35m, 3.8%),
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (0.32m, 3.5%),
Colon and rectum cancers (0.30m, 3.3%),
Diabetes mellitus (0.24m, 2.6%),
Hypertensive heart disease (0.21m, 2.3%), and
Breast cancer (0.17m, 1.9%).
The top causes of death in middle-income countries are Ischaemic heart disease (5.27m deaths in 2008, 13.7%),
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease (4.91m, 12.8%),
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.79m, 7.2%),
Lower respiratory infections (2.07m, 5.4%),
Diarrhoeal diseases (1.68m, 4.4%),
HIV/AIDS (1.03m, 2.7%),
Road traffic accidents (0.94m, 2.4%),
Tuberculosis (0.93m, 2.4%),
Diabetes mellitus (0.87m, 2.3%), and
Hypertensive heart disease (0.83m, 2.2%).
The top causes of death in low-income countries are
Lower respiratory infections (1.05m deaths in 2008, 11.3%), Diarrhoeal diseases (0.76m, 8.2%),
HIV/AIDS (0.72m, 7.8%),
Ischaemic heart disease (0.57m, 6.1%),
Malaria (0.48m, 5.2%),
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease (0.45m, 4.9%),
Tuberculosis (0.40m, 4.3%),
Prematurity and low birth weight (0.30m, 3.2%),
Birth asphyxia and birth trauma (0.27m, 2.9%), and
Neonatal infections (0.24m, 2.6%).
Globally, there are around 235 million people suffered from asthma,
a chronic disease of the the air passages of the lungs which inflames and narrows them. Most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and lower-middle income countries.
About 143,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2007, the most recent year with data, and 53,000 died of it.
It's recommended that for people between age 50 and 75 colonoscopy should be screening once every 10 years,
sigmoidoscopy every five years or an annual stool blood test.
The human feet have 52 bones, which is 25% of all the bones in the body. The foot is an intricate structure containing 26 bones with thirty-three joints,
107 ligaments, 19 muscles and multiple tendons that hold the structure together and allow it to move in a variety of ways.
20% reduction of heart-disease risk for those who most frequently got vigorous exercise, such as running, jogging, swimming laps, playing tennis, doing aerobics, or walking six miles or more a week.
There are 7 symptoms that suggest you have kidney damage: swelling (edema), poor appetite, weight loss, weakness, feeling tired, nausea or vomiting, and trouble sleeping.
People who had depression at some point in their lives were about a third more likely to suffer a stroke than those who haven't been depressed.
Possible causes of brain damage include prolonged hypoxia (shortage of oxygen), poisoning, infection, and neurological illness.
In the US, in 2010 there were about 1 billion physician office visits; number of visits per 100 persons is 332.2; percent of visits made to primary care physicians is 55.5%; most frequent principal illness-related reason for visit is cough; and most commonly diagnosed condition
is essential hypertension.
If you were admitted to hospital your chances of being subjected to an error (no dying) in your care would be something like 1 in 10. Your chances of dying due to an error in health care would be 1 in 300.
In addition to the chest pain, the other surprising signs of an unhealthy heart include neck pain, sexual problems, dizziness, faintness, or shortness of breath, indigestion, nausea, or heartburn, jaw and ear pain.
Night sweats is often associated with eye diseases, respiratory disorders, hyperactivity, anxiety, atopic dermatitis, medications, menopause, cancers and infections.
In the U.S. prostate cancer is a common cancer affecting 17% of men who are older than 65; 3% of old men died because of this disease
annually. There are some symptoms of this disease: urinary problems (e.g.; urgency, frequency, hesitancy, pain during urination), difficult in penile erection, painful ejaculation, blood in urine or semen, pelvic discomfort, frequent pain in lower back, belly or hip, swelling in the legs.
Men can develop the breast cancer disease; in the U.S., breast cancer in men accounts for less than 1% of breast cancer cases, and tends to strike men aged 60 and older.
As of 2/20/2011, more than 110,000 Americans are listed as waiting for organs, including 87,995 for kidneys; 16,108 for liver; 3,209 for heart; 1,802 for lung; 1,398 for pancreas; and 258 for intestine.
26,213 transplants were performed in the U.S. between January 2010 and November 2010. Average number of days that Americans wait for a transplant is 1,269 for kidney; 319 for liver; 168 for heart; 148 for lung; 260 for pancreas; and 142 for intestine.
Around 88,000 Americans need kidneys each year; however, only about 17,000 get kidneys, and more than 4,600 die because they did not get one in time.
People suffered from mild hypertension, which is a blood pressure reading of no higher than 160/100 mm Hg, took a 81-milligram tablet of aspirin in the evening had a significant reduction in their blood pressure. Those who took the aspirin in the morning had no reduction at all.
Every year around 18,000 American men learn they have prostate cancer.
In the U.S. every year surgeons performed more than a million hip and knee replacements. In 2008, number of joint replacements for knees was 616,617, hips (total): 277,399;
hips (partial): 108,491; shoulder (total): 26,178; shoulder (partial): 20,178; hand/finger/wrist: 2,338; and ankle: 1,554. Many patients will need to repair or replace their replacements 10 t0 20 years later.
Scientists have developed a blood test that could find a single cancer cell circulating in a person's blood.
The test will be used by oncologists as a diagnostic tool aimed at discovering as early as possible if a cancer has spread.
Allergies affect around 50 million people in the U.S. Dust mites cause allergies in about 20 million people, and about 10 million people are allergic by cats.
About 1 million people in the U.S. go to the hospital with a heart attack every year; 2 in 3 people survive their heart attacks, and 1 in 5 heart attack survivors develop major
depression.
Nervous system disorders, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are ones of many physical or medical conditions that contribute to
sexual dysfunction and diminish sexual desire.
Around 5.2 million people in the U.S. do not know they have diabetes. African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are almost twice as likely to get diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.
Stress symptoms commonly include exhaustion, irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions, such as sleeplessness, headache and elevated heart rate.
Stress is hurting physical and emotional health and contributing to some of the leading causes of death. Today 1 out of every 4 American are dealing with extremely high stress levels. The top 10
stress factors are money, work, economy, family responsibilities, relationships, personal health concerns, housing costs, job stability, health problems affecting the family, and personal safety.
As of today about 24 million U.S. adults have diabetes, most of them
type-2 diabetes linked strongly with poor diet and lack of exercise. Diabetes was the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S.,
and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults under age 75, as well as kidney failure, and leg and foot amputations not caused by injury.
Palliative care, which helps the gravely ill make the most of the time they have left, provided a surprising bonus for terminal
lung cancer patients. The patients who started soon after their diagnosis on palliative care along with usual cancer care lived nearly three months longer than people given only
standard cancer care. More than half of lung cancer patients have incurable diseases by the time they are diagnosed.
Young people with the kind of irregular heartbeat (known as a trial fibrillation) may be better off undergoing surgery to fix the problem instead of taking medication first.
Diabetes can cause heart disease, kidney failure, limb amputations and blindness
Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce or unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). It is a major risk factor for heart disease. People who are over 40 and overweight are more likely to develop diabetes.
As of 3/2011 more than 25 million Americans have diabetes (more than 90% have Type 2), but an additional 79 million people have pre-diabetes, in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not as high as in diabetes.
In 2009 diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. for people aged 25 years and older; 23.6 million people in the U.S. have diabetes; 11.2% of men and 10.2% of women have diabetes.
Black, Hispanics and American Indians have higher rates of diabetes
Diabetes is a silent disease; however, there are some symptoms of this disease: weight loss, increased urination, excessive thirst, fatigue and irritability, blurry vision tingling/numbness, hunger, skin problems, slow healing, and/or Candida infections.
Both parents’ ages linked to autism risk. When the father was over 40 and the mother under 30, the increased risk was 59 percent greater than for younger men.
By contrast, when the father was over 40 and the mother 30 or older, the risk of autism rose 13 percent.
About 25% of Asian-American adults have hypertension (i.e.; having blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 millimeters (mm) mercury (Hg)). Of which there is about 5.0% for the 20–39 age group,
26.5% for the 40–59 age group, and 59.6% for the 60 and over age group. There are around 15.4 million Asian people in the U.S., which primarily comprise persons of Chinese, Asian Indian, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese descent.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for more than heart disease; left uncontrolled, you may wind up with a disability, a poor quality of life or even a fatal heart attack. High blood pressure can
damage brain, kidneys, eyes, and heart; narrow arteries, cause sexual dysfunction and trouble sleep, and make bone loss.
Having high blood pressure (HBP) and
coronary artery disease (CAD) puts you at a greater risk of a
heart attack or
stroke. You can have HBP for years without knowing it because HBP itself usually has no symptoms. If your blood pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your
heart,
blood vessels,
kidneys, and other parts of your body. The numbers in a blood pressure reading include Systolic and
Diastolic. Systolic (the top number) is the maximum pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracting or squeezing. Diastolic (the bottom number) represents the pressure in the
arteries when the heart is at rest. The recommended blood pressure goal is below 140/90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). If your blood pressure is above that level, you may have HBP. The most common of medications to treat HBP in people who have CAD is
Beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate, reduce the heart's output of blood, and decrease the force of the heart beat.
There are 30 different blood types. However, most people have blood types: O, A, B and AB. Type O blood is the most common, it can help other Os and also people with AB, A and B blood types.
The next common one is type A, which can help other As and also people with AB blood types. Type B is one of the rarest blood types, it can help people with B, O, A and AB blood types.
Type AB is the rarest blood type of 4 common ones, it can help people with AB, O, B and A blood types. The major common blood types in the U.S. include O+: 37.4%; O-: 6.6%; A+: 35.7%; A-: 6.3%; B+ 8.5%; B-: 1.5%; AB+: 3.4% and AB-: 0.6%.
A new report released on November 10, 2010 by the CDC found that around 49.9 million Americans aged 18-64 went at least part
of the last twelve months without health care insurance coverage.
Around 46 million Americans under the age of 65 were without health insurance since 2007.
People who lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 can keep COBRA coverage under their former employer's plan for up to 18 months.
The economic-stimulus plan
provides a 65% subsidy for COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) premiums for up to 9 months for people who were laid off during this period
to find out if you qualify, go to dol.gov or call 866-444-3272.
If you have no insurance and/or your family has a low income, you and your family are eligible for joining the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (pparx.com), a
coalition of pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and patient advocacy groups that helps patients get free or discounted medications. Typically, as a member you can receive free medications or pays only $4 for a generic thyroid prescription.
If you've ever been hospitalized, do not make any decisions before you have received, and analyzed, all the bills. Once you've determined what you can afford, ask the hospital's credit officer for interest-free payments. If
the debt is truly unwieldy, ask for the Medicare rate (not the insurance rate) or a charity write-off.
In 2008, an estimated 57 million people died throughout the world. Of 1000 people died, 159 would have come from high-income countries, 677 from middle-income countries and 163 from low-income countries.
In 2008, cardiovascular (schaemic heart) diseases killed 7.3 million people worldwide, of which 6.2 million from stroke or another form of cerebrovascular disease.
Throughout the world in 2008, more than 8 million deaths were among children under five years of age, and 99% of them were in low- and middle-income countries.
The U.S. has fewer practicing physicians per capita than many similarly large
and wealthy countries with health care systems. The country has only 2.6 physicians per 1,000 people, which lags behind comparable countries, Austria (5.2), Switzerland (4.3), Germany (4.3), Sweden (4.1), Italy (4.0), Spain (3.9),Australia (3.7), Netherlands (3.2),
France (3.2), Belgium (3.1), United Kingdom (2.8) and Canada (2.7). However, the U.S. has slightly more licensed nurses, 17.5 per 1000 people, relative to comparable countries, it just lags behind South Korea (20.5), Sweden (19.7) and Belgium (18).
U.S.
hospitals have more employees than most comparable countries, but many are administrative workers; the country has 20.1 hospital employees (per 1,000 people), of which 9.5 handling administrative work, it's just behind Switzerland,
which has 25 hospital workers (per 1,000 people), of which 7.6 doing administrative jobs.
As of March 2019, there are 1,005,295 physicians
in the U.S., of which 479,856 are primary care doctors and 525,439 are specialist physicians; California has the largest number of physicians (112,906), and North Dakota has the lowest number (2,015).
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (January 18, 1856 – August 4, 1931) was the first African American general surgeon, who in 1893 performed the first documented, successful
pericardium surgery in the United States to repair a wound. A pericardial window is a cardiac surgical procedure to create a fistula –
or "window" – from the pericardial space to the pleural cavity to allow a pericardial effusion
(usually malignant) to drain from the space surrounding the heart into the chest cavity – where the fluid is not as dangerous; an untreated pericardial effusion can lead to cardiac tamponade and death.
Graduated from Northwestern University Medical School, Dr. Williams opened a private practice where his patients were white and black. Black doctors, however, were not allowed to work in American hospitals at that time;
as a result, in 1891, Dr. Williams founded the Provident Hospital and training school for nurses in Chicago, IL. Dr. Henry Dalton was the first American to
successfully perform pericardium surgery to repair a wound. Earlier successful surgeries to drain the pericardium, by performing a pericardiostomy were done by
Dr. Francisco Romero in 1801 and Dr. Dominique Jean Larrey in 1810.
Medical Billing Advocates of America, a group that helps patients handle medical bills, and Time Magazineanalyzed hundreds of bills from hospitals and revealed many overcharges on a patient’s itemized bill. For example, a Tylenol pill for $15, $53 for per pair of gloves, $8 for a grocery bag (to hold your personal items), $8 for a box of tissues, $53 for per non-sterile pair (sterile are higher), $10 for a plastic cup used to administer medicine, $23 for per alcohol swab, $17.50 for a color mark on the body for surgery, $20 for a blood pressure measurement,
$6.25 for a nurse to hand you medicine taken by mouth per instance, and $93.50 for cost of use of overhead light in operating room.
Hospital list prices aren't completely irrelevant; however, as they usually serve as a starting point for negotiations
with commercial payers. Hospital charges are essentially their list prices for medical services, which are different from the actual amount of money insurers, patients or the government ends up paying hospitals in exchange for the services.
The prices on a hospital's chargemaster bear little relationship to the amount most patients are asked to pay. That's because commercial insurers or government (e.g.; Medicare, Medicaid) negotiate discounts with healthcare providers on behalf of their members, and the costs are often less than the actual cost of care.
Hospitals' rising list prices primarily affect the uninsured and people with coverage but who seek care at hospitals outside of their insurance network. Many hospitals often allow low-income patients who are uninsured to receive free care or care for a reduced charge.
UnitedHealth Group is under criminal investigation by the U.S. DOJ
since the last summer for possible Medicare fraud. The authorities are examining whether UnitedHealth Group improperly influenced doctors to diagnose patients with conditions that would
justify higher payments from Medicare Advantage. If proven, this could constitute fraud by inflating the severity of patients' illnesses to increase government reimbursements. This kind of
practice has been scrutinized before in the Medicare Advantage industry, where some insurers have been accused of exaggerating patient conditions to maximize profits. The company has also
faced scrutiny over its billing practices in previous civil fraud investigation. UnitedHealth Group reported $400.3 billion in revenue for 2024, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth.
Graduates in 2000
Graduates in 2011
Graduates in 2024
Growth Rate of Graduates
Number of Schools in 2000
Number of Schools in 2013
Number of Schools in 2024
Growth Rate of Schools
Doctors Delivering Primary Care in 2014
Doctors Delivering Primary Care in 2024
Students' Average MCAT Score in 2024
Students' Average GPA in 2024
Average Retirement Age in 2024
If you don’t have coverage in 2014 you’ll have to pay a fee. In 2014 it’s $95 per adult ($47.50 per child) or 1% of income, whichever is higher. The family max is $285.
If you have coverage and want to explore Marketplace plans, you can. But if you have an offer of insurance from an employer, you may not be able to get lower costs on Marketplace insurance based on your income. It depends on whether the insurance you’re offered is considered affordable and meets minimum standards.
Medicare isn’t part of the Marketplace. If you have Medicare, keep it.
---------------------
Graduates in 2022
Graduates in 2011
Graduates in 2000
Growth Rate of Graduates
Number of Schools in 2022
Number of Schools in 2013
Number of Schools in 2000
Growth Rate of Schools
Doctors Delivering Primary Care (%)
Students' Average MCAT Score (2022-2023)
Students' Average GPA (2022-2023)
Non-cancerous tumors called fibroids and endometriosis, the abnormal growth of the lining of a woman's uterus, can lead to a miscarriage.
2. Higher Risk of any Chromosomal Disorder
At age 20: 1 in 526 births
At age 30: 1 in 385 births
At age 40: 1 in 66 births
At age 45: 1 in 21 births
Women are born with all the eggs they'll ever have. As a woman ages, her eggs also age. All genetic abnormalities increase as the egg gets older. The eggs are stored in the ovaries, and there is a potential for change over time.
3. Higher Risk of Down Syndrome
At age 25: 1 in 1,250 births
At age 30: 1 in 1,000 births
At age 35: 1 in 400 births
At age 40: 1 in 100 births
At age 45: 1 in 30 births
At age 50: 1 in 10 births
As a woman ages, the risk of delivering a baby with Down syndrome increases. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder often caused by an error in cell division. There are multiple types of Down syndrome, and the exact cause is not known.
4. Higher Risk of Gestational Diabetes
At age 20: 22 in 1,000 women
At age 25: 36 in 1,000 women
At age 30: 51 in 1,000 women
At age 35: 67 in 1,000 women
At age 40: 84 in 1,000 women
Pregnancy stresses the body, requiring the pancreas to produce more insulin. In older women, having a baby can trigger diabetes during pregnancy. As we get older our pancreas is less able to respond to those stressors.
5. Higher Risk of Pre-eclampsia
At age 20: 38 in 1,000 women
At age 25: 37 in 1,000 women
At age 30: 36 in 1,000 women
At age 35: 39 in 1,000 women
At age 40: 48 in 1,000 women
Pre-eclampsia is a sometimes deadly condition of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Often when a mother has pre-eclampsia, the baby needs to be delivered prematurely to save the lives of mother and baby.
Women as they get into their 40s may also have some hypertension already, and if they do, they have a higher risk of that being exacerbated during pregnancy.
Morning Fasting Blood Glucose for Diabetics
Insulin is a hormone produced by the
pancreas to control
blood sugar (Glucose).
Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both.
Glucose is vital to the human body because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and tissues. Chronic diabetes conditions include
type 1 diabetes and
type 2 diabetes.
When there is too much glucose in blood, it is classified as type 1 diabetes. When blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 1 diabetes, it is called type 2 diabetes. After many years, diabetes can cause many serious problems, such as eye problems
(which may lead to blind), foot/leg problems (which may be removed), heart attack, stroke, pain, tingling, loss of feeling, nerve damage, which causes digesting food problems, weakness, erection issues, and kidney damage.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), has no noticeable symptoms.
Having HBP and coronary artery disease (CAD) puts you at a greater risk of a
heart attack or
stroke. You can have HBP for years without knowing it because HBP itself usually
has no symptoms. If your blood pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your
heart,
blood vessels,
kidneys, and other parts of your body. The numbers in a blood pressure reading
include Systolic and
Diastolic. Systolic (the top number) is the maximum pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracting or squeezing. Diastolic (the bottom number) represents the pressure in the
arteries when the heart is at rest. The recommended blood pressure goal is below 140/90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). If your blood pressure is above that level, you may have HBP.
The most common of medications to treat HBP in people who have CAD is
Beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate, reduce the heart's output of blood, and decrease the force of the heart beat.
There are many different medicines that can be used to treat high blood pressure; these include Alpha blockers, Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, Angiotensin receptor blockers, Beta-blockers, Calcium channel blockers, Central alpha agonists, Diuretics, Renin inhibitors, including aliskiren (Tekturna), and Vasodilators.
There are about 100 prescribed medications for high blood pressure.
1. Stroke/Carotid Artery Ultrasound Test - Carotid ultrasound shows whether a waxy substance called plaque (plak) has built up in your carotid arteries. The buildup of plaque in the carotid arteries is called carotid artery disease.
The ultrasound test identifies plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, which is a leading cause of stroke.
2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound - An aneurysm
(AN-u-rism) is a balloon-like bulge in an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your body. The ultrasound
test checks for aneurysms in the abdomen. The danger lies in the risk of the aneurysm bursting or rupturing.
3. Electrocardiogram (EKG) - An electrocardiogram (e-lek-tro-KAR-de-o-gram), also called an EKG or ECG, is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity, which may predict pending heart attack.
4. Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Test - Peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) is a disease in which plaque (plak) builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs.
Leg cramps due to poor circulation could indicate something more serious. This screening measures the extremities for peripheral arterial disease.
5. Harding of the Arteries (ASI) Test - The Arterial Stiffness Index (ASI) measures the flexibility or hardening of the arteries. The
stiffer the arteries, the harder the heart has to work and the more long-term damage it will sustain.
B. Ultrasound of the Heart
Echocardiogram Ultrasound Test - Echocardiography (EK-o-kar-de-OG-rah-fee), or echo, is a painless test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart.
The pictures show the size and shape of your heart. They also show how well your heart's chambers and valves are working.. This ultrasound test is done to evaluate the valves and chambers of the heart in a noninvasive way and may detect enlargement
of the heart, valve abnormalities, blood clots, tumors and more.
C. Major Heart Tests
1. Physical Stress Test - Stress test provides information about how your heart works during physical stress.
It is used to determine the amount of stress that your heart can manage before developing either an abnormal rhythm or evidence of ischemia (not enough blood flow to the heart muscle).
2. Nuclear Stress Test (also called as "Cardiolyte" or "Thallium" or "Adenosine") - Nuclear stress test measures blood flow to your heart muscle both at rest and during stress on the heart.
It's performed similarly to a routine exercise stress test, but provides images that can show areas of low blood flow through the heart and areas of damaged heart muscle
Repeat colonoscopies within 10 years of a first test
Early imaging for most back pain
Brain scans for patients who fainted but didn't have seizures
Antibiotics for mild- to-moderate sinusitis unless symptoms last for seven or more days or worsen
Stress cardiac imaging or advanced non-invasive imaging in the initial evaluation of patients without cardiac symptoms unless high-risk markers are present
PAP smears on women younger than 21 or who have had a hysterectomy for a non-cancer disease
Advanced imaging or bone scans in patients with early-stage breast or low-grade prostate cancer
Bone scan screening for osteoporosis in women younger than 65 or men younger than 70 with no risk factors
Routine cancer screening on dialysis patients with limited life expectancies
World Health Organization (WHO)
- WHO, a United Nations organization providing health support to countries, monitoring and assessing health trends.
FDA.Gov
- ... providing information about infectious diseases, travel medicine and epidemiology, health data and statistics, diseases and conditions, emergencies and disasters,
environmental health, healthy living, injury, violence and safety, life stages and populations, workplace safety and health, ...
CDC.Gov
- ... providing information about drugs ... assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, food supply,
cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Cancer.Gov
- ... providing information about cancer with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and
the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.
HealthCare.Gov
- ... providing information about health care, insurance coverage options, Affordable Care Act impact for individuals, families, senior citizens, people with disabilities, young adults and employers.
Health.gov
- ... providing science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans.
GirlsHealth.gov
- ... helping girls (ages 10 to 16) learn about health, growing up, and issues they may face.
Medlineplus.Gov
- ... providing information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues. These include directories, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary,
easy-to-understand tutorials on common conditions, tests, and treatments, health information, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information
from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
AHRQ.gov
- ... providing about healthcare research and quality.
Harvard School of Public Health
- ... has been at the forefront of efforts to benefit the health of populations worldwide ... saving lives and lifting the burden of disease around the globe.
MedicineNet.com
- ... providing the trusted source for online health and medical information for consumers.
AfterDeployment.Org
- ... Supporting Service Members, their Families, and Veterans, with common post-deployment concerns ... providing self-care solutions targeting post-traumatic stress, depression, anger, sleep, relationship concerns, and other mental health challenges.
The United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
- ... providing safe harbors for manufacturers of medicines, dietary supplements, and other health care products, helping them to comply with regulatory requirements.
Health Care in America
- America's $2.2-trillion-a-year medical complex is enormously wasteful, ill-targeted, inefficient, and unfair. The best medical care is extremely good, but the rest is bad and falling apart ...
Innerbody - Interactive Human Anatomy
- ... providing information on human body, including appendix, bladder, brain, gallbladder, female genitals, heart, kidneys, large intestine,
liver, lungs, male genitals, pancreas, skin, spleen, small intestine, stomach, voice box, ... for improving health and well-being ...
Washington Post: Medical Mysteries
- Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) - Erratic Outbursts - ‘Ice Pick’ Headaches - Ferocious Back Pain -
“Adrenal Fatigue" - Simmering Pelvic Infection - Sore Throat ...
NPR: Health Care
- Prognosis Negative Again for Medicare - Better Tests Needed to Control Tuberculosis - Why Kids Curse - Tool Reassesses Osteoporosis Risk -
For Spring, an Attempt to Forgo Meat - Stopping Deaths From Incorrect Drug Doses - How to Get a Good Night's Sleep...
100 Wonderful Ways To Live To 100
- ... Be conscientious - Find reasons to laugh - Find a life purpose - Go nuts - Walk a lot - Try a little retail therapy - Be happy ...
HealthDay - -
... providing best-of-breed health information and online tools aimed at helping individuals take control of their well-being.
Health Central -
- ... providing medical information for patients and caregivers, and fosters a rich community of patients and experts who share their experiences,
"real-world" learning and support as they manage their day-to-day lives & health.
Medifocus - Trusted Medical Information
- ... providing unique in-depth health information that covers various medical issues, such as cancer, heart ailments, and chronic childhood conditions ...
The American Journal of Medicine
- publishing original clinical research of interest to physicians in internal medicine, both in academia and community-based practice ...
American Heart Association
- ... providing information about healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke ...
American Lung Association
- ... providing information and resources to prevent lung disease and promote lung health ...
American Cancer Society
- ... providing information & resources for cancer: breast, colon, prostate, lung and more.
There are more than 100 different types of cancer, but they all are a group of diseases of body's cells. When
normal cells lose their ability to limit and grow disorderly, their tissues will be produced too much
and tumors begin to form. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer; malignant tumors are cancer. The signs of cancer may include:
Change in bladder or bowel habits;
A sore that does not heal;
Unusual bleeding;
Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere;
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing;
Obvious change in a mole or wart;
Nagging cough or hoarseness.
These signs can be caused by cancer or by other problems. It's important to see a doctor if any of these symptoms lasts over 15 days. Don't wait for symptoms to become painful; pain is not an early sign of cancer.
Breast pain can be a symptom of cancer. Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are:
New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
Pain in any area of the breast.
Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is seldom detected at its early stages when it's most curable. This is because it often doesn't cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs. Its early warning signs of pancreatic cancer may include:
Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
Light-colored stools
Dark-colored urine
Itchy skin
New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that's becoming more difficult to control
Lightheadedness and shortness of breath without or without chest discomfort.
Discomfort in other areas of the body; symptoms can include pain, numbness, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms (especially the left one), jaw, neck, stomach, back, nausea and/or vomiting.
(Women are more likely than men to have neck and shoulder pain along with other symptoms).
Chest discomfort or pain that is crushing or squeezing in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or squeezing or feels like a heavy weight on the chest, or this goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Fact action can save lives; don't wait more than five minutes to call 911.
Posterior circulations strokes occurs when a blood vessel in the back part of the brain is
blocked causing the death of brain cells, the warning signs may include:
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, double vision or other vision problems.
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon (large intestine), that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. The signs of cancer may include:
Cramping and Abdominal Pain;
Bloody Stool;
Urgency;
Sleep Interruption;
Weight Loss;
Dehydration;
Frequency of Symptoms.
These signs can be caused by ulcerative colitis or by other problems. It's important to see a doctor if any of these symptoms occurs frequently. Don't wait for symptoms to become painful.
Warning Signs of Lung Disease
Early signs of lung disease are easy to overlook. The signs and symptoms can differ by the type of lung disease. Common signs are:
Lack of usual level of energy
Trouble breathing
Shortness of breath
Feeling like not getting enough air
Decreased ability to exercise
A cough that won't go away
Coughing up blood or mucus
Pain or discomfort when breathing in or out
Make sure to call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
Make sure to consult with your doctor if you have one or more these signs to prevent an asthma attack that happens when your airways narrow, which makes it hard for you to breathe in air, after being irritated.
There are four reliable COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), which are widely recognized in the world.
The effectiveness of these vaccines is varied ranging from 70% to 95%:
You may have side effects after having one of these vaccine injections, one or both doses. Most side effects of these vaccines have been minor. When side effects occur,
they typically last just a few days. This may be an enhanced reaction as the body is building immunity. Common side effects include:
Fatigue
Headache
Fever
Muscle aches
Chills
Nausea and vomiting
Pain or redness at the injection site
Painful, swollen lymph nodes in the arm where the vaccine was injected
If you have body aches, fever, fatigue, chills, and/or headaches, you may treat with fluids, rest, and take the following medicines (as needed): Tylenol (acetaminophen), Advil,
Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen sodium) or Aspirin.
If you have redness, itching, warmth at the injection site, you may be considered a mild allergic reaction, and you may treat with antihistamines, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine),
Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine) Zyrtec (cetirizine) or topical steroid creams like cortizone.
If side effects last more than 72 hours, contact your doctor. It takes up to 2 weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective.
The coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the CDC,
About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 people annually.
Every year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 190,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
About 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital.
High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (49%) have at least one of these three risk factors.
Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including: diabetes, overweight and obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.
The human brain cell can hold information as much as 400 terabytes.
Brain nerve impulses travel as fast as 170 miles per hour.
The brain operates at a power of 10-watt light bulb.
The brain uses over a quarter of the oxygen used by the human body.
Hundreds of billions of neurons carry electrical signals that control the body from the brain and the spinal cord.
The brain is much more active at night than during the day.
Diseases of the brain include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, which cause limitation of the normal function of the human brain.
The more you dream, the higher your I.Q.
Most dreams were only stored 2-3 seconds in the brain.
The colder when you sleep, the better chances you have bad dreams.
80% of the brain is water.
About 75% of human waste is made of water.
The average bladder holds about 400-800 cc of fluid.
The left lung is smaller than the right lung.
Lungs transport oxygen from the air you breathe into your bloodstream while taking away carbon dioxide, which is released into the air when you breathe out.
The lung capacity can be increased with regular exercise; a large lung capacity can send oxygen around the body faster and makes you healthier.
An average person breathes in around 11,000 liters of air every day, and when resting, the average adult breathes around 12 to 20 times a minute.
A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 miles per hour (mph).
A cough releases an explosive charge of air that moves at speeds up to 60 mph.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
The human heart has enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet high.
The heart beats more than 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime.
Most women’s hearts beat faster than men’s.
More than 20% of heart attacks occurred on Monday.
The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve a pen.
Liver can perform 500 different functions.
The small intestine in a human body can range between 18 and 23 feet long.
The large intestine is, on average, 5 feet shorter than the small intestine.
Earwax production is necessary for good ear health.
Your ears produce more earwax when you are afraid.
The average human head has about 100,000 hairs.
About one third of the human eyes have 20-20 vision.
Infants blink eyes only one or twice a minute while adults average around 10.
As humans grow older, the lens in the eye grows thicker.
Your nose continues growing throughout your entire life and has special cells that help you smell many different odors and recognize up to 50,000 different scents.
There are about 9,000 taste buds on the surface of the tongue, in the throat, and on the roof of the mouth.
The longest recorded time for a person without sleeping is 264 hours (11 days).
An average human drinks about 16,000 gallons of water in a lifetime.
Stress is the main factor caused most diseases.
Depression, high blood pressure and heart disease are common diseases caused by stress.
Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood the number is reduced to 206.
The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day.
The human body has more than 600 individual skeletal muscles, 40% of the body's weight.
At the age of 60, 60% of men and 40% of women will snore.
The noise level of normal speech is 60 decibels.
Normal snores average is equivalent to the noise level of normal speech.
We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening.
The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone.
The feet account for one quarter of all the human body’s bones.
Humans shed and regrow outer skin cells about every 27 days.
Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute.
People living in high altitudes have more red blood cells than people living at sea level.
Men have 1.5 gallons of blood as compared to 0.875 gallons for women.
An adult human body produces 300 billion new cells daily.
An adult human body contains approximately 100 trillion cells.
An adult human body carries about 25 trillion red blood cells, which make up about 45% of blood's volume.
Red blood cells, which are created inside the bone marrow of your bones, carry oxygen around the body.
Every hour, about 180 million newly formed red blood cells enter the bloodstream.
White blood cells, or leukocytes, make up about 1% of blood. This number is increased rapidly when a body responds to infection.
The most common blood type in the world is Type O, which can be given to people with type A and type B blood.
Two rarest blood types are AB and A-H; so far, the A-HA has been only found in less than 20 people.
Human blood races through arteries at 3 feet or 90 centimeters per second.
Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.
Right-handed people live, on average, 9 years longer than left-handed people do.
Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.
About 4% of the world’s population having sex on any given day.
The average duration of sexual intercourse for humans is 2 minutes.
The heart, which continuously pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body to sustain life,
beats 100,000 times per day, pumping 5 or 6 quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons of blood per day. Amazingly, it continues to beat even when it’s disconnected from the body.
A man's heart weighs less than 1 pound, and on average is 2 ounces heavier than a woman’s heart. A man’s heart beats slightly slower than a woman’s heart.
The sound of a heartbeat is caused by the heart valves opening and closing as they pumps blood. The valves open to allow blood to move in one direction and close to keep blood from backing up.
Skin physically protects bones, muscles, internal organs, blocks outside diseases, uses blood
to regulate your body heat, and allows you to feel and react to heat and cold.
A Cure for Ageing
