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BY THE NUMBERS
Five Oft-Neglected Foot Problems
Temma Ehrenfeld 8/26/2008 12:00:00 AM
There's a reason we talk about "getting back on your feet" after an illness or staying "on your toes": healthy feet are necessary for an active life. Yet many doctors don't even look at a patient's feet during checkups, says Valley Stream, N.Y., podiatrist Andrew Shapiro, a spokesman for the American Podiatric Medical Association. That's a mistake, Shapiro argues, because foot problems rarely get better on their own. Feet tend to deteriorate with age, as the pad of fat on the sole slowly wears down and the effects of any structural problems--legs of unequal length, for example--accumulate. Untreated problems can alter a person's gait, bring on other ailments and make it painful to walk or exercise. And when things get bad enough that people limit their movements, inactivity becomes another threat to their health.
Is There a Surgical Cure for Diabetes?
Mary Carmichael 8/25/2008 12:00:00 AM
Diabetes is one of the oldest known diseases of the western world--diagnosed by Hippocrates, and named 300 years before the fall of Rome--but its cause was unknown for centuries until a surgeon stumbled upon it in 1889 with the help of a few unlucky dogs. Oskar Minkowski was curious about the pancreas; neither he nor anyone else knew what its function was. So he removed the organ from several dogs, who promptly after developed diabetes and died. By accident, Minkowski had discovered one of the functions of the organ: regulating insulin levels.
MY TURN
A Survivor's Tale
8/25/2008 12:00:00 AM
I am 49-years-old, attending college full time to obtain my associate's degree, working in fast-food, and HIV positive. I tested positive 18 years ago, and this is the third time since, that I've had to dramatically change my career goals in order to survive. Once again, I am back down to the basics; this time, that means being a student working a low-wage job.
Meds Shmeds, Gimme Fries
Claudia Kalb 8/23/2008 12:00:00 AM
Some time ago I interviewed the mother of a teenage daughter with type 1 diabetes. We talked about her child's treatment, new technologies and the search for a cure. Then she told me what was really on her mind: her daughter wanted to fit in at school; load up on french fries and ice cream, and stop taking her insulin. Teens and diabetes, in other words, are a volatile mix. And the same is true for other chronic conditions, including asthma, food allergies and HIV. Kids whose parents have monitored their sugar levels or dosed their pills for years must suddenly learn to take charge of their own health when what they really want to do is ditch the meds and hang out with their friends. "Testing the limits is a normal part of adolescence," says Dr. Paul Strumph, chief medical officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. "But they don't understand the long-term consequences."
FACT OR FICTION
Should You Tan to Avoid Vitamin D Deficiency?
Tina Peng 8/22/2008 12:00:00 AM
A slew of recent books and studies have touted the benefits of vitamin D and the perils of not getting enough vitamin D; some even encourage lying in the sun and taking vitamin supplements in order to prevent depression. But dermatologists say more time soaking up the rays isn't necessary—most Americans get all the vitamin D they need just by going outside in the course of their daily duties, and beyond that, it's easy to get adequate levels of the vitamin through nutrients in food. "Sunlight helps us produce vitamin D, but the amount of sunlight you need is so low that you could walk outside for probably five minutes and have enough," says Craig Austin, a New York-based dermatologist and founder of AB Skincare.
Q&A
And Katharine McPhee Heads For Hollywood
Ramin Setoodeh 8/9/2008 12:00:00 AM
The "American Idol" star makes her movie debut in "The House Bunny" as a pregnant sorority girl. She spoke to Ramin Setoodeh.