Category Archives: Chronic Disease

National Alzheimer’s Disease Month: The Connection between Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes

November 12, 2019

Celebrated as National Alzheimer’s Disease Month, the month of November is recognized as a nationwide opportunity to raise awareness for those afflicted with the disease. Currently, there are an estimated 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – the 6th leading cause of death in the nation. Alzheimer’s disease has seen a dramatic increase in mortality rate of 145% since the year 2000 and continues to grow in incidence.

Although AD mostly affects individuals over the age of 65, early-onset Alzheimer’s may be more prevalent than previously thought, occurring at a rate of close to 6%, rather than the 1-2% rate presumed from prior studies. The number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s is growing quickly; projections forecast that by 2050 the number of people living with AD in the United States will grow to approximately 14 million.

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Chronic Inflammation and Cognitive Impairment

June 12, 2019

Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death across the globe and their prevalence is projected to rise persistently over the next few decades in the United States. Although inflammation occurs naturally in the body and the majority of the population will experience acute inflammation at some point in their lifetime, it may trigger the beginning of a disease process if left untreated. Tissue death and the thickening or scarring of connective tissue are just some of the detrimental outcomes related to ongoing inflammation. Prolonged or chronic inflammation can lead to long-lasting damage of the heart, brain, and other organs, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality rates.

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Medical Marijuana Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

March 28, 2019

As state legislatures continue to legalize medicinal marijuana, both healthcare practitioners and patients alike are beginning to embrace cannabis as a potential treatment for an array of chronic diseases and disorders. Cannabis is rapidly becoming an accepted and even preferred form of treatment, most commonly used for chronic pain management.  Patients whose symptoms require highly sedative medications such as opiates are progressively reaching for clinical cannabis in hopes of evading unwanted side effects and returning to normal functioning.

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