Known as the Ironman, 60-year old Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. was diagnosed with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with the Brady Urological Institute, Mr. Ripken had a successful robotic radical prostatectomy to remove his tumor and is now deemed cancer free. Watch urologic surgeon Mohamad Allaf and Cal Ripken Jr. discuss his prostate cancer journey at Johns Hopkins and share his powerful message to men across the world.
Tag Archives: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Covid-19 Variants: ‘What You Need To Know’ (Video)
Health: American ‘Covid-19 Data In Motion’ (Video)
Video highlights of COVID-19 data trends as of December 13, 2020. This daily report shares critical data on the spread of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours.
For the latest news, trends, and expert insights on the coronavirus pandemic, visit the JHU Coronavirus Resource Center: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/
Explore COVID-19 trends around the world with our in-depth data tracking: New cases and cumulative cases: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/cumu…
Daily new cases, testing, and positivity ratio by U.S. state: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/t…
New cases by country: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-…
Medical Videos: “How Coronaviruses Work” (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
It’s one of the tiniest machines on the planet — about a hundred times smaller than the average cell. It’s so small that no scientist can spot it through a typical light microscope. Only with an electron microscope can we see its spiky surface. It’s not alive, and it’s not what most of us would think of as “dead.” This teensy machine seems to survive in a kind of purgatory state, yet it has traveled across continents and oceans from host to host, and brought hundreds of nations to a standstill. Despite its diminutive size, the novel coronavirus, dubbed SARS-CoV-2, has seemingly taken the world by surprise with its virulence.
Sleeping Better: Positions And Environment Matter (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
From Johns Hopkins Medicine:
“The sleep environment is something that can easily be fixed,” Salas says. By giving a little thought to positioning your body and bed, you might find your slumber is even sweeter.
For young, healthy people, sleep position is less important, Salas says. “But as you get older and have more medical issues, sleep position can become positive or negative.”
Consider these factors before you switch off the light:
- Back and neck pain: When it comes to alleviating pain, sleeping on your back is a mixed bag, Salas says. For people with neck pain, sleeping face up can sometimes make the pain worse. But many people find back sleep is helpful for alleviating low-back pain. If you have soreness in your spine, experiment with different positions and pillows to find what works for you.
- Snoring and sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea causes the airways to collapse during sleep, leading to pauses in breathing. It often goes hand-in-hand with snoring. Positioning yourself on your side or stomach can help the airways stay open to reduce snoring and alleviate mild apnea, Salas says.
- Reflux and heartburn: If you suffer from heartburn, sleeping on your right side can make symptoms worse, Salas says. That’s true for people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and for people who have heartburn for other reasons, such as pregnant women. Flip to your left side to cool the burn.
- Appearance: If you sleep on your side or stomach, you’ve probably noticed creases on your face when you wake up. “Over time, that can lead to breakouts or cause chronic changes to the skin,” Salas says. “If you’re concerned about wrinkles, it’s another reason to sleep on your back.”
Don’t underestimate the importance of optimizing your bedroom to help you get a good night’s sleep. Salas adds:
- Clean sheets: Wash sheets frequently and vacuum the mattress to rid it of dust and dander that can cause allergies and impair your sleep.
- Close the blinds: Use curtains or blinds to keep the room dim at night. But open the curtains (or head outside) in the morning to reset your internal clock.
- Location matters: Position your bed so you aren’t facing distractions such as a desk stacked with work or a blinking light.
Health Update: “New Coronavirus Test” From Johns Hopkins Medicine
New Coronavirus test developed by Johns Hopkins microbiologists Karen Carroll and Heba Mostafa, look to test as many as 1,000 suspected Covid-19 cases per day in the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Diet: “Skeptical” NY Times Health Writer Endorses Numerous Health Benefits Of 16+ Hour Fasting
From a New York Times article by Jane E. Brody (Feb 17, 2020):
“It takes 10 to 12 hours to use up the calories in the liver before a metabolic shift occurs to using stored fat,” Dr. Mattson told me. After meals, glucose is used for energy and fat is stored in fat tissue, but during fasts, once glucose is depleted, fat is broken down and used for energy.
I was skeptical, but it turns out there is something to be said for practicing a rather prolonged diurnal fast, preferably one lasting at least 16 hours. Mark P. Mattson, neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained that the liver stores glucose, which the body uses preferentially for energy before it turns to burning body fat.
For example, human studies of intermittent fasting found that it improved such disease indicators as insulin resistance, blood fat abnormalities, high blood pressure and inflammation, even independently of weight loss. In patients with multiple sclerosis, intermittent fasting reduced symptoms in just two months, a research team in Baltimore reported in 2018.
Medical Case Studies: Identifying Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (Johns Hopkins Video)
A Chinese patient initially diagnosed with lung cancer traveled to Johns Hopkins for a second opinion. Noticing inconsistencies in the scans, experts at #JohnsHopkins brought her case to the gastrointestinal tumor board. Working as a team, these experts deduced her condition is actually metastatic colorectal cancer and recommended a new, more targeted treatment plan.
Boomers Daily 