Linda Fugate PhD

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that most commonly affects women under the age of 50. The skin, joints, kidneys, and brain are the primary sites affected. Women with ...

The death of a young Navajo man in 1993 alerted Americans to the risk of hantavirus infection. Since that time, cases have been reported in 32 states. The Centers for Disease Control and ...

Antibiotic resistance of important bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus motivates researchers to look for antibiotic potential in different sources. Honey is a promising candidate. Dr. P. H. ...

Autoimmune diseases in general are difficult to diagnose, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association web site. Dr. S. Zeerleder of the University of Amsterdam, the ...

A Texas law that took effect in January 2012 requires nearly all college students to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. Jessica Vess of KVUE News reported that the state legislature ...

Antibiotics are not appropriate for most acute respiratory infections, according to a report by Linda F. McCaig of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, patients continue ...

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that can cause serious illness in patients with compromised immune systems, including rheumatoid arthritis patients who take immunomodulatory drugs. ...

Colds, allergies, and sinus infections can block the nasal passages with mucus and swelling. Neti pots are widely available to irrigate the nose with salt water. Dr. James T. C. Li provided a ...

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria that often lives on the skin without causing harm. When it penetrates the skin through a cut, sore, or surgical intervention, it can cause staph ...

Both Steve Jobs and Ralph Steinman made the news for their deaths from pancreatic cancer in 2011. Steve Jobs was the wealthy businessman who ran Apple Computer. Ralph Steinman was a scientist who ...

An appendectomy is surgery to remove the appendix, which is a small extension of the intestines. Appendectomy is the most common emergency surgery performed worldwide. It is the standard ...

Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death. The American Cancer Society estimates 26,190 new cases in the United States and 19,590 deaths for 2011. Liver transplantation is the ...

Tetanus remains a rare but life-threatening disease, caused by the toxin of a spore-forming bacterial species. The bacteria and their spores are widely distributed in soil. The Centers for Disease ...

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common type of primary brain cancer. Current treatments with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are less successful against brain cancers than against other ...

Pomegranates are sweet, tasty fruits that have been valued since ancient times for their health benefits as well as their flavor. Julie Jurenka provided a review. The Ayurvedic and Unami systems ...

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Early detection and treatment are easy in principle, but in practice many of these cancers are diagnosed only after they have metastasized. The ...

Rhinosinusitis is the medical term for inflammation of the nose and sinuses, caused by infection or allergies. It is a major health problem in the United States. Dr. Eli O. Meltzer of the Allergy ...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in U. S. females. The American Cancer Society estimates 71,340 deaths from lung cancer in American women in 2011. For men, the number is only ...

Autoimmune disease is a major cause of illness and disability for women. There are over 100 serious illnesses caused by the autoimmune process. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association ...

Urban air pollution from automobile traffic contains low levels of carcinogens in the form of ultrafine particles. Since large population numbers are exposed to this type of pollution, even a ...

Tuberculosis is the infection most likely to cause death in HIV patients, according to a series of articles in the October 20, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Treating the two ...

Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer in the number of cases diagnosed in the United States, and it is one of the top cancer killers for both men and women. Fortunately, most cases can ...

Bronchitis is a common complication of viral respiratory infections, including colds and flu. It is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the main air passages in the lungs. The U. S. National ...

Higher socioeconomic status is usually associated with better health, but the opposite is true for breast cancer patients. A Canadian study of 226,169 cases showed that women from higher income ...

Whooping cough is on the rise in teenagers and adults, even though they were vaccinated as young children. Jennie S. Lavine of Pennsylvania State University and colleagues investigated the trends ...

Radiation therapy is a common part of cancer treatment. Advances in both imaging technology and radiation delivery provide more a more specific attack on the cancer with less damage to surrounding ...

The respiratory infection diphtheria has been almost eradicated by vaccines. But not quite. Most of us hear about it only in terms of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine. The ...

No one wants to be cured of cancer just to die of a heart attack. Unfortunately, many of the chemotherapy agents used to treat cancer have damaging effects on the heart. Physicians must carefully ...

Pneumonia remains a major health issue, even with the availability of antibiotics and vaccines. The medical literature includes distinctions between community acquired pneumonia (CAP), ...

Vulvar cancer is one of the least well-known cancers of the female reproductive system. It develops in the external female genitals, known as the vulva. The U. S. National Library of ...

Children still die from influenza in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages better vaccination coverage to prevent these deaths. Lenee Blanton and ...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women. Overall, lung cancer rates are on the decline along with rates of tobacco usage. However, there are ...

Sore throat is one of the most common symptoms that sends people to doctor's offices. Antibiotics can help if the cause of a sore throat is bacterial, but most cases are caused by viruses. Dr. ...

Multiple myeloma is an exceptional cancer in terms of its prognosis. A recent study from Statistics Canada showed that patients who survive their first five years with multiple myeloma have only a ...

Adult encephalitis can be a serious illness that is difficult to diagnose. It is characterized by inflammation of the brain, and may be caused by a variety of infections. Clare Huppatz and ...

Breast cancer can relapse more than 25 years after diagnosis. During the time between initial treatment and relapse, cancer cells are considered to be in a state of dormancy. Lisa Willis of ...

Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. According to the Medline Plus web site, gastroenteritis is not really a type of flu ...

Esophageal cancer is second only to pancreatic cancer in its lethality, according to a 2011 study from Statistics Canada. Larry F. Ellison and colleagues reported that only 13 percent of ...

Dengue is the most common vector-borne viral disease in the world, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For United States residents, dengue threatens ...

The risk of death from cancer is usually greatest in the first few years. Many studies have focused on five-year survival rates at diagnosis, but these numbers do not apply to individuals who have ...

Tuberculosis is still a threat to residents of the United States, even though antibiotics have been available to treat it for many decades. Unlike HIV/AIDS and influenza, tuberculosis is caused by ...

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are not enough to cure all cancers. Photodynamic therapy is a newer approach with potential to improve treatment outcomes. “Although still emerging, it is ...

Psoriasis is characterized by red scaly patches on the skin, but this autoimmune disease is more than skin deep. It is associated with pain, physical disability, psychological distress, and ...

Minimally invasive surgery is more work for the surgeon, but offers important benefits for the patient. Patients with early stage cervical cancer now have the option of laparoscopic hysterectomy. ...

Like killer bees, the insects that transmits Chagas disease have crossed the Mexican border into the southern United States. The University of Texas at Austin online newspage reported on October ...

Antioxidants in the diet may help prevent cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute's web site. Fruits, vegetables, and spices are natural sources of antioxidants. Saffron is a spice made ...

Socio-economic status can have health effects. A group of researchers led by Katia M. Charland of Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts, studied the relative rates of influenza infection in ...

The spice saffron is in the news for its cancer fighting ability. Nathan Seppa reported in the October 8, 2011 issue of Science News that saffron was successful in preventing liver cancer in an ...

Staphylococcus aureus causes a wide variety of infections. Its growing resistance to antibiotics has raised concerns about more serious outcomes. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known ...

Many people infected with hepatitis B (HBV) have few or no symptoms, and do not realize that they have the disease. The virus can live for years in the liver until it is reactivated by conditions ...