You need some blood cholesterol. You couldn’t live without it. But if you have too much cholesterol, your body can’t use it all, and the effects can be cardiovascular disease. Excess cholesterol builds up in your arteries. It combines with other substances to form fatty deposits, or plaque. Year after year, the plaque builds up,…
Hyperlipidemia means the levels of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood are too high. There are no hyperlipidemia symptoms, but the condition can have serious consequences for your health. Lipids perform a number of important and useful functions in your body. Too much of these fatty compounds, however, can be harmful. With…
PCSK9 inhibitors are an injectable, cholesterol-lowering medication for people who have tried other treatments and still have high cholesterol. This medication may be especially helpful if you’ve had high cholesterol throughout your life or if you have a genetic condition called hypercholesterolemia that is causing high cholesterol. PCSK9 inhibitors reduce your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also…
Both the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine are safe if you are a cancer patient, a cancer survivor or in the midst of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy or other course of treatment. The injectable vaccines do not contain live virus. The vaccines trigger an immune response using dead viruses. The American Cancer Society emphasizes…
There are many factors that affect good cholesterol levels for women: age, nutrition, lifestyle and menopause, to name a few. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in two places: Your liver produces it, and cholesterol comes from animal products you eat (think meat, eggs and cheese). Like many other things in life, cholesterol is not…
The Tdap vaccine is given to prevent tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The goal is to protect you against three potentially dangerous bacterial infections with a single shot. Children should receive a single dose of Tdap, preferably at age 11 or 12. Children under 7 should not receive the vaccine. Babies and…
There are two types of flu viruses that make people sick each year, influenza A and influenza B. Influenza A viruses are also present in animals. Influenza B viruses are only present in humans. Influenza A viruses are more common than influenza B among adults, and it is influenza A that causes seasonal flu epidemics…
Grandparents, other family members and caregivers need to make sure they’re up to date on the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine at least two weeks before meeting a newborn to protect against the potentially deadly disease. During flu season, everyone also needs to get their flu shot at least two weeks before meeting the new baby….
Thanks to a grant from the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation, Norton Healthcare and Jefferson County Public Schools are expanding a partnership to offer virtual medical care to students and staff at all 89 public elementary schools across Jefferson County over the next two school years. With parental consent, the Norton eCare School Telehealth program allows…
Strep throat season, which happens during late winter and early spring, is hitting the Louisville area. A sore throat often is considered to be a cold symptom, but allergies, dry air and even acid reflux could cause a sore throat. How do you know when it’s something that will pass versus time to see a…
Early flu symptoms can come on suddenly, usually within a few days of exposure to the influenza virus, and can include a fever. While fever is often thought of as a common flu symptom, not everyone who gets the flu runs a temperature. In addition to fever, common early flu symptoms include: Chills Body aches…
You may know blood pressure and cholesterol play a role in conditions like diabetes and heart disease, among others. But do you know how triglycerides fit in and whether you should have high triglycerides or low triglyceride levels? What are triglycerides? When you eat, your body turns excess calories, alcohol or sugar into triglycerides and…
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