Martin's Must-Reads

Martin's Must-Reads

By Betty Martin, Mark MartinArtsBooks
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Martin's Must-Reads episodes

  • To Your Health: Reducing HIV Infection and Prep
    Virtually eliminating the spread of HIV? Ten years ago ,the idea that we could end new cases of HIV spread through sexual contact would have been seen as a pipe dream. But, thanks to pharmaceutical advances, a new drug in the United States has the potential to make those dreams a reality. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, more commonly known as PrEP, is a pill that, if taken daily, can reduce the risk of contracting HIV from sexual contact by up to 99%. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Intuitive Eating
    Have you seen the memes on social media joking about gaining weight while staying home? Claire Mysko, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, notes that these weight-gain memes and comments are damaging to all of us, and particularly to people who are personally affected by eating disorders. The Harvard Health Blog states that staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to increased anxiety and boredom which can cause people to abandon their healthy eating intentions and
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Beware COVID-19 Scams and Misinformation
    The Cornell Alliance for Science states that as the COVID-19 crisis worsens, the world also faces a global misinformation pandemic. Beware misinformation, conspiracy theories, and scams related to COVID-19. Harvard School of Public Health notes that the amount and nature of information available to the public is changing and evolving constantly which has only served to make effective communication harder. Because there is no real cure and no vaccine yet, people are frustrated. When people lose
    2 min
  • To Your Health: COVID-19 and Masks
    In an advance publication of The Lancet , the authors provide recommendations regarding masks that have already changed before the article went to print. One thing that has remained the same is that unless you have been diagnosed with the virus, or are caring for someone who has been confirmed as infected with the virus you do not need the type of personal protective equipment, or PPE, used by healthcare professionals. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95
    2 min
  • To Your Health: You Really Should Take Your Medicine
    According to an article by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in five new prescriptions are never filled, and among those filled, approximately 50% are taken incorrectly, particularly with regard to timing, dosage, frequency, and duration. Adherence to prescribed medications is associated with improved clinical outcomes for chronic disease management and reduced mortality from chronic conditions. Conversely, nonadherence is associated with higher rates of hospital
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Sleep Apnea
    We often think of snoring as annoying or embarrassing, but we don’t usually think of it as deadly. However, it can be a symptom of sleep apnea, an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs while the patient is asleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and life-shortening consequences: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, automobile accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel, diabetes, and depression.. The University of Wisconsin found over an 18-year period, people
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Metabolic Syndrome Is Diagnosed By A Combination Of Factors
    When you can’t decide which entree sounds best to you at a restaurant, you may order a combo platter. When doctors couldn’t decide which risk factor was the deadliest, they created a name for this combo platter: metabolic syndrome. While no universally accepted definition of the metabolic syndrome, or Met Syn, exists, various organizations agree, according to the Encyclopedia of Lifestyle, Medicine and Health , that Met Syn is diagnosed by a combination of 3 or more of the following factors:
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Autism
    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social communication and the presence of restrictive interests, repetitive behaviors, and sensory symptoms, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5. EasterSeals Midwest reports Autism affects 1 in 40 children in the United States. April is Autism Awareness month. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development states, the name ‘autism spectrum disorder’ reflects
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Blue Light
    The next time you visit the eye doctor and need to update your glasses prescription, you may be asked if you want blue-blocking lenses. However, it wouldn’t be for the health of your eyes. Contrary to what some blue-light blocking glasses retailers might suggest, The American Academy of Ophthalmology says you don’t need them and has gone on record as not recommending any kind of special eyewear for computer users. The organization says blue light from digital devices does not lead to eye disease
    2 min
  • To Your Health: Endometriosis
    That time of the month. A visit from your friend. The curse. Aunt Flo. There are so many euphemisms for menstruation that sometimes women and girls get the message they really shouldn’t mention it. Perhaps that’s why one of the mottos of the Endometriosis Association is “Let’s Talk About It.” March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month. The condition gets its name from the word endometrium, the tissue that normally lines the uterus or womb. Endometriosis happens when this tissue grows
    2 min

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There are one million new books published each year. With so many books and so little time, where do you begin to find your next must-read? There’s the New York Times Bestseller list, the Goodreads…