elnathan Blog

Aches and pains during pregnancy aren’t uncommon, but a new study suggests pregnant mothers may have cause to worry about headaches under certain circumstances. The researchers, from the Montefiore Health System and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Yeshiva University, have found that if a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and no history of headache then develops a headache that rapidly intensifies, she may be at risk for preeclampsia or other pregnancy complications. The research was published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, and the study authors said it is the largest study of its kind. "Our study suggests that physicians should pay close attention when a pregnant woman presents with a severe headache, especially if she has elevated blood pressure or lack of past headache history,” lead author Dr. Matthew S. Robbins, director of inpatient services at Montefiore Headache Center, chief of neurology at Jack D. Weiler Hospital of Montefiore, and as

Is it really possible that half of the population older than 70 has chronic kidney disease? International guidelines adopted in 2012 make it seem that way. They define the disease in terms of how efficiently kidneys filter the waste from our blood, a measure called the glomerular filtration rate . Healthy young people commonly have G.F.R.s of about 120. A G.F.R. lower than 60 or another marker of kidney damage (such as protein in the urine) for more than three months means chronic kidney disease. At which point, patients become scared. “When you’re told you have a disease, that’s a bad day,” said Dr. Ann O’Hare, a nephrologist at the University of Washington in Seattle who specializes in treating older adults. “Patients worry about dialysis , because that’s what they associate with kidney disease.” Chronic kidney disease causes no symptoms until its later stages, and most seniors with the diagnosis are told they’re at Stage 3, of five — sudden, unwelcome news. Bec