By Adam Gracon, MD, PharmD, FACS, and Sharon Holloway, MS, M
Donation after circulatory death (DCD) refers to organ donation from patients who do not meet brain death criteria but have life-sustaining therapy withdrawn due to a non-survivable condition. After withdrawal of care, the patients heart stops and death is declared based on circulatory criteria (no pulse or blood pressure). Unlike donation after brain death (DBD), DCD organs ... Continue Reading
By Adam Gracon, MD, PharmD, FACS
Organ transplantation has transformed from experimental surgery into a cornerstone of modern medicine, saving thousands of lives each year. In just over half a century, the United States has built a robust transplant system — from the first successful kidney transplant in 1954 to the one-millionth organ transplant performed in 2022. The history of organ transplantation in ... Continue Reading
By Jen Franks and Everett Wilkerson, CFP®
A dementia diagnosis is life-altering for both individuals and their families. The road ahead can be overwhelming, but a structured approach to caregiving and financial planning may help manage challenges. This guide outlines caregiving strategies and essential financial considerations after a dementia diagnosis. Caregiving: A Vital Role in Dementia Care Step 1: Develop a ... Continue Reading
By Steven L. Jaffe, MD
An epidemic of emotional problems in our adolescent/young adult population has received wide acknowledgment. Important issues contributing to this increase of anxiety, depression and self-harm behaviors includes the influence of psychosocial stressors, social media, bullying, trauma and the lack of school attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The possible role of THC has ... Continue Reading
By Chantale Branson, MD
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. The disease is part of a wider group of disorders known as alpha-synucleinopathies, which include multiple system atrophy (MSA) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). They are characterized by the clinical diagnosis of ... Continue Reading
By Attila Dos Santos and Douglas Stuart, MD
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) constitute the newest and most rapidly developing group of drugs in the current medical market. Three have been approved by the FDA thus far for the management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD): lecanemab (Leqembi), aducanumab (Aduhelm), and most recently, donanemab (Kisunla). Lecanemab and donanemab were approved by the standard process by the FDA in ... Continue Reading
By Jeffrey English, MD
Imaging in patients with suspected Alzheimer’s disease has generally been performed to exclude other diagnosis and to detect other comorbidities. With emerging ability to detect distinct pathological features, proteins and structural abnormalities pre-mortem, there is hope that imaging will help differentiate forms of dementia early on. Imaging can also aid in the monitoring of ... Continue Reading
By Theophilus Lazarus, PhD, and Feng Yang, PhD
Despite the fast-growing population of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its disastrous consequences, there is no cure for AD. Fortunately, a two-decade longitudinal study suggested that AD is not an unavoidable consequence of aging, and prevention or delay in dementia development may be achieved by modifying the exposure to certain risk factors. Significant new ... Continue Reading
By Chadwick Hales, MD, PhD
Memory loss occurs in most people with aging. It is challenging to determine whether symptoms are normal or indicative of something more sinister, like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting cognition. Answering this question is more important than ever since new therapeutic advancements likely work best when started as soon as memory ... Continue Reading
By Matthew Busse and Yulia Salamatova, DO
Several conditions can closely resemble Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in their cognitive and functional decline, leading to potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Recognizing these Alzheimer mimickers is critical for clinicians to ensure accurate diagnosis and avoid ineffective treatments. Among the most notable mimickers of AD are normal pressure hydrocephalus ... Continue Reading
By Sarah Wells and Joash T. Lazarus, MD
Despite recent novel advancement in pharmacotherapies for dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is renewed focus on modifiable risk factors for both disease prevention and progression. Here we review the data relevant to the key areas in this regard, namely nutrition, sleep and exercise. In our experience there is a great community and patient ... Continue Reading
By Lindsay Stephenson, MD
Children are not small adults. Because this statement seems so obvious, we often spend little time and energy thinking about their differences. The unique properties of the pediatric musculoskeletal system result in distinct patterns of injury and establish an alternative natural history. These variations are fundamental to the differing orthopedic care and treatment options ... Continue Reading
By Eric Kiskaddon, MD
There are more than 1 million hip and knee replacement surgeries performed in the United States each year, primarily for patients experiencing debilitating arthritis pain in those joints. That number is expected to grow considerably as the population ages and looks to maintain an active lifestyle. However, despite being one of the most common elective orthopedic procedures ... Continue Reading
By Michael J. Priola, MD
When a health condition affects your child’s quality of life or keeps them from doing what they love, your family can rely on Wellstar Pediatric Orthopedics to provide compassionate, comprehensive care. As your child grows, so do their bones and joints, and they need specialized expertise—whether they have broken a bone on the playground or have an orthopedic condition present ... Continue Reading
By Wedad Rahman, MD
Nearly 38 million people in the United States and 830 million worldwide live with diabetes mellitus (DM), and the burden of this disease in both cost and mortality continues to rise. Glucose detection is a cornerstone of DM and was initially used to confirm diagnosis before effective anti-hyperglycemic drugs were available. The discovery of hypoglycemia-inducing diabetes ... Continue Reading
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