Monthly Archives: May 2015

6 Things Your Looks Say About Your Health

Got lackluster locks? Or a scaly patch on an elbow? Your body may be trying to tell you something. “There are huge links between how we appear on the outside and what’s happening inside,” says Ramsey Markus, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Even the most common beauty woes,… Read More »

4 Habits That Set You Up for Good Luck

When Anna Z. moved to Chicago¸ one of the first things she did was join a meet-up group for Arabic speakers. “I love trying new things¸” she explains. “I saw this group and thought¸ ‘Why not?’” As luck would have it¸ the organizer was born and raised in Fez¸ Morocco¸ the city where Anna lived… Read More »

5 Sleep Problems Nobody Talks About

You drift off at night like a newborn baby yet can’t recall the last time you woke up truly refreshed. It may not seem that weird: “People tend to assume that because our modern lives are so hectic, nobody feels rested,” says Meir Kryger, MD, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. But the… Read More »

Health Wonk Review for May 21, 2015

It must be the upcoming Memorial Day holiday because this week’s edition of Health Wonk Review seems a tad shorter than usual. Under a dozen posts and just a handful focused on the ACA? Wow. Guess some folks sneaked off to the campgrounds early? Here’s a quick rundown of what you can find in this… Read More »

Under the radar: still too many underinsured in U.S.

The Affordable Care Act has taken a big bite out of the ranks of the uninsured. But the underlying cost of healthcare in the United States is so high that too many Americans remain underinsured – both in employer-sponsored insurance and in the individual market. Two surveys released this week document the toll that underinsurance… Read More »

Luis Lang wants to be Obamacare’s ‘poster child’

A week after Luis Lang’s story went viral, he’s had a change of heart about Obamacare. OK, that’s an immense understatement. The South Carolina man told me yesterday that he’s reached out to FOX News, to ABC, to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show. He’s been calling the Democratic National Party. Could I help him get word… Read More »

Four stories more deserving than Luis Lang’s?

Thirty-seven-year-old Vanessa Garrett is exactly the sort of person the ACA was designed to help. She’s battled a severe case of Crohn’s disease for the last decade, along with CVID (common variable immune deficiency) and HLRCC (hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer), the latter of which resulted in a nephrectomy for renal cell cancer. Garrett… Read More »

15 Factors That Affect a Woman’s Fertility

1 of 17 What causes infertility? by Amanda MacMillan Most people know that a woman’s fertility decreases as she gets older, but even during her most fertile (and otherwise healthy) years, lifestyle choices and external factors can affect a woman’s chances of having a healthy baby. “Women who want to increase their chances of… Read More »