COVID-19 – Breakthrough Infections

Angie SzumlinskiNews

We are all hearing about friends and family members who are “up-to-date” with the COVID-19 vaccine and still become infected with COVID-19. So, what’s the deal? You roll up your sleeve, get boosted, and yet still become sick? Hardly seems fair right? Well, thanks to some friendly researchers, we may soon have a way to accurately measure the effectiveness of …

Can You Hear Me Now?

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Whew! What a journey we have been on the past 2 ½ years, and the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a crazy time warp for us now, thank goodness! That said, I read an interesting article on a study that was performed on how important hand washing and cell phone disinfecting can help reduce the spread of infection! Sure, we …

Java and Longevity

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Hooray! Finally! I guess if you wait long enough good things CAN happen! In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers evaluated the association of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened coffee with all-cause mortality. Of course, this publication came out AFTER I decided to give up my hazelnut Coffee Mate! In previous studies, they did not distinguish …

Obesity

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Honestly, if you go by the weight charts and the BMI guidelines, almost everyone I know is “obese”. Sure, most everyone I know has a few extra pounds they carry around but obese? Surely not in my mind but I am not the expert. Some interesting research on the subject of obesity was conducted at the Center for Healthy Eating …

What Did You Say?

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation in a crowded restaurant with a companion who is hard of hearing? You know who I’m talking about, the friend who insists they don’t need a hearing aid, it is the acoustics in the room? Well, there may be some good news for both of you in the near future, you …

Infomercials and You

Angie SzumlinskiNews

We are constantly being inundated with infomercials, “if you eat this you will look like Tom Cruise,” “If you drink this you will look like Marilyn Monroe.” At the end of the day, we are who we are, a capsule of beet powder will not change that! That said, there is some good news from the Frontiers of Nutrition that …

Hoarding

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Definition: A persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions regardless of their actual value. Do you know anyone (or are you one) who cannot part with things? Do you have Christmas cards from 1981 hanging on your cupboard doors? Is it difficult to walk through your home without feeling like a mouse in a maze? Maybe, just maybe, you have …

Exercise!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

I know, I talk about this a lot, you would think I was the most fit person on earth, NOT! However, we all know there are benefits to daily exercise, whether it be a way to control our weight, lighten our mood, or strengthen our muscles, whatever your reason, we all know there are benefits. Sure, some benefits may take …

Diabetes and You!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

As healthcare providers, we are aware of the risks associated with untreated diabetes including kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to name a few. Pretty depressing, huh? Well, there is good and bad news. First, the bad news, 13% of all US adults have diabetes and 34.5% meet the criteria for pre-diabetes. Now some good …

COVID and Diabetes

Angie SzumlinskiNews

In a recent study, researchers found that people with diabetes are 1.76 times more likely to die from COVID, 1.59 times more likely to be admitted to ICU, 1.44 times more likely to require ventilation, and 2.88 times more likely to be classed as severe or critical when compared to patients without diabetes. Honestly, this isn’t really surprising if you …