The name of the procedure is a mouthful, but the impact it’s having on patients is huge. It’s called transcatheter aortic valve replacement—TAVR for short—and it’s revolutionizing how patients with aortic valve disease are treated at Crozer Keystone Health System. “Put simply, TAVR involves the replacement of a diseased or malfunctioning aortic heart valve through a very small incision in the groin you cannot even…
The average trick-or-treater in America will consume around three cups of sugar (or about 7,000 calories of candy) on Halloween, according to one industry report. Buried beneath that mountain of sweets is an already pressing concern about the amount of sugar Americans (kids and adults alike) eat on a daily basis, the growing research that suggests that excess added sugar in the diet has strong…
From family dinners to telecommuting, psychologists have done their homework, according to research summarized in the October, 2019, issue of the APA Monitor on Psychology. According to family therapist Anne Fishel, research on the importance of family meals notes that “regular family dinners are associated with less depression and anxiety, lower rates of substance and tobacco use, lower rates of teenage pregnancy, and fewer behavioral problems…
Flu season is upon us—which means you’ll need a flu shot this fall if you haven’t already gotten one. Getting a flu shot isn’t a guarantee that you won’t get the flu. So, how much does it help, then? “The overall effectiveness of last year’s vaccine was 38 percent,” said Dorothy A. Slavin, M.D., F.A.C.P., an infectious disease physician at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. “While…
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15 to 24. “Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out When You or a Friend Is in Crisis,” by Kristi Hugstad, offers a prescriptive for averting teen suicide. After her husband completed suicide, Hugstad wanted to find effective ways to help others on the same path. While the highest suicide…
Unionville High School has partnered with Chester County Health Department to serve as one of their Flu Vaccine Clinics this year. All families and members of the community are encouraged to attend and receive a flu vaccine from the Health Department. No appointment is needed. Vaccine consent forms will be available onsite the day of the clinic. Consent forms can be completed ahead of time…
Every hero and heroine in every fairy tale is beset with obstacles. In meeting challenges with persistence, the protagonist of the story achieves a happy end. And so it is with real life people too. A recent study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology describes how goal persistence “and a positive approach to challenges was … associated with lower rates of disorders” such as…
Irritating as it can be, much of the pain and tenderness of a sunburn can usually be relieved with over-the-counter treatments and simple first aid. In extreme cases, however, a visit to a specialist may be warranted. If your sunburn becomes too painful to move or you start spiking a fever of over 101 degrees, it’s time to see a doctor at the Crozer Burn…
Ever get on a subway? Or any mode of public transit, especially in a city? Recently, I rode the T, the subway system of Boston and wondered about how we conjure up the “fear of others.” Encapsulated in a tunneled tube, people mostly are respectful of this anonymous intimacy of bodies without intrusion into another’s tiny piece of personal space. Jostled next to one another,…
There is no topic that hasn’t a psychological component. The recent issue of the American Psychological Association Monitor is full of reports that attest to this fact. Recently, the Monitor notes, the APA publicly debunked the physical discipline of children citing the solid longitudinal research that finds that such discipline does not improve behavior and, in fact, exacerbates emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. “Hitting children does not…
One of the major things someone caring for a dementia patient has to learn is to take care of themselves first. It’s not unlike an aircraft flight attendant telling passengers to put on their own oxygen mask first before helping to put one on a child or passenger having difficulty. That from Kelly McCarthy, the director of Memory Care and Engagement for LCB Senior Living,…