Should You Give Up Sugar?

With obesity on the rise and high rates of type 2 diabetes, more people are attempting to give up sugar. It isn’t easy. Although scientific opinion is far from unanimous, there is tantalizing evidence that sugar can be as neurologically rewarding as some addictive drugs, helping to explain why it’s so hard to kick the… …

Hospice Photography Creates Legacy for Families

Wilma Jensen didn’t mind admitting that she was a little vain. The theater director, Red Hat Society chapter founder and one-time Avon Lady always wanted to look her best, a quality she shared with her two girls. “We know we look better with our eyeliner on,” said her daughter Erika Bender, now 37. “That’s how… …

Lag in Brain Donation Hampers Understanding of Dementia in Blacks

(This article appeared previously on Kaiser Health News.) The question came as a shock to Dorothy Reeves: Would she be willing to donate her husband’s brain for research? She knew dementia would steadily take Levi Reeves’ memories of their 57-year marriage, his remaining lucidity and, eventually, his life. But to let scientists take his brain… …

What’s Causing My Hand Pain and Tingling?

There are a number of diseases that can cause pain and tingling in the hands: osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis are among them. And then there are injuries such as fractures, dislocations and lacerations. Barbara Kain, 65, of Three Oaks, Mich., is all too familiar with hand pain. She suffers from a less common condition, De Quervain’s… …