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Loneliness is an emotion that, depending on how it's measured, affects somewhere between 25% and 50% of people in the United States. And it isn't just an unpleasant feeling. Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, and depression.

The definition of dementia is a decline in memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. I don't have dementia (at least as far as I know), but when I forget things like what I've already written about or can't remember the next thing I was supposed to say, it's hard not to wonder what the future holds. So, can we prevent dementia? Or at least reduce our risk of developing it?

In most people, RSV presents much like the common cold. But in infants, older adults, and people with certain medical conditions, this virus can be much more serious. RSV causes millions of respiratory illness episodes worldwide and is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the United States.

COVID hasn’t disappeared, and vaccines can still help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. In this week’s blog, I’m breaking down the different types of COVID vaccines, who should consider getting vaccinated, and why a sore arm or a day of feeling like you’ve been hit by a medium-sized SUV doesn’t mean you’ve actually caught COVID.

The flu is NOT just a bad cold. Trust me, having had it twice, I can tell you that ten days in bed is not my idea of a good time. The flu vaccine can help protect you from severe illness, hospitalization, and complications—even if it doesn’t prevent every infection. And getting vaccinated also helps protect the people around you, especially infants, older adults, and others at higher risk.

The importance of being an educated voter

Today marks 12 years since my dad passed and I had some thoughts. 1. Take a lot of videos. Pictures are fantastic, and smartphones have made taking them so easy. But videos—where you can hear voices, see mannerisms, and watch smiles widen—well, they can’t be matched. I cherish those videos of my dad from Christmas mornings now. He was always the one stuck using scissors and screwdrivers to open boxes and free toys from their impossible packaging. Meanwhile, my kids had torn o

This week, we’re talking about heart disease—and some of the less traditional risk factors for heart disease in women. A hand-drawn illustration of a light bulb with a heart inside, symbolizing the power of love and creativity, set against a red textured background. Now, a disclaimer before we get started: some of these risk factors are based largely on observational data, which means we still need more research to fully understand the connections. But I think they’re importa

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Approximately 44% of women in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. Most cardiovascular disease in women occurs after the age of 55, often after menopause. However, this does not necessarily mean there is a direct relationship between lower hormone levels and heart disease. That part is a little more complicated. Because apparently, our hormones couldn't just leave quietly—they had to make everythin

Nine years ago today, a 49-year-old woman took her last breath. She was my friend. I had known her for almost twenty years. Through medical school, residency, attendinghood, motherhood. She was quiet. Unassuming. A sharp contrast to the loud, obnoxious person I was almost thirty years ago when we met. She asked a lot of questions—to the point of seeming nosy. It was only after some time and maturity that I realized she was genuinely interested in learning about other people.

Your nervous system is the command center. Mission control. The situation room. And what happens when the main office has an inbox that has exploded?

September is Suicide Awareness Month. Not only do the leaves change color in September, but kids go back to school, schedules become filled with activities, meals are eaten in the car on the way to soccer practice, and feelings of overwhelm and loneliness can set in. September is a period of change. And for my friend, and many other women, sudden change—no matter how prepared you think you are—can be jolting to the system.

Women produce testosterone in the ovaries, adrenal glands, fat cells and skin cells. Sure, most females produce considerably less testosterone than males. BUT did you know that women actually produce more testosterone than estrogen? Testosterone helps support libido and sexual health. Testosterone also helps maintain bone density, muscle mass and red blood cells. And it plays a role in mood, energy and cognitive function—you know, those things that sometimes Testosterone a

Okay. Third college drop-off in six days. I promise next week we’ll get back to a medical topic. This one is the hardest. Why? Because it’s the last one. I am about to come home to a house that is decidedly emptier. And how do I feel? Old. That’s the word I keep coming back to. Old. I don’t know why, but I keep picturing the couple from the movie Up. And we all know how well that turned out for the wife. (If you don’t know, go watch the movie—but know that the first five minu

What does soiling the nest mean? Well—just what it sounds like. Shitting in your house. It's that period before a kid leaves home when the bickering seems to increase, the eye rolling becomes Olympic level, the nagging reaches new heights, and everyone suddenly finds everyone else incredibly annoying. And why do we soil our nests?

This week, I prepare to drop off all three of my kids at their respective colleges for the first time. Which, I guess, makes me what people call an empty nester. But why do they call it an empty nest? When baby birds grow up and fly away, the mama bird also abandons the nest. Yet in my case—and maybe yours—you have to return to the nest. So what exactly are you returning to?

Today, we’re continuing our discussion of the risks and benefits of estrogen. And this week, we’re tackling some of the bigger health concerns: heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and cancer. There is a lot of information here, so find a comfy chair and a fan (if you’ve got hot flashes, like me), and let’s get started.

Let's talk about estrogen: what it's actually approved to treat, where the evidence is strong, and where we're still waiting for better data.

So instead of a medical lesson this week, you get pure emotion. When my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I knew. I knew he was going to die from this horrible disease. You could tell me I was being negative. You could say I never gave him a chance. Maybe you're right.

Studies estimate that 45–70% of women experience depressive symptoms during perimenopause, compared with roughly 25–30% of premenopausal women. One small study even found that the risk of depression was 14 times higher during the two years leading up to menopause than during the preceding three decades. No wonder so many of us feel like we're losing our minds.