Here are the Blogs in the
Ask Dr. Leavitt category.
Friday, 13 June 2014
Diabetes and Fruit
That's a great question. The answer is no. When it comes to people with diabetes and fruit, blood sugar levels are not so much about what fruit you eat, but how much of that certain fruit you eat. Many people believe that people with diabetes should not eat fruits because they
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Posted on 06/13/2014 10:39 AM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
You are definitely not alone. This is an issue I hear about quite often in my practice. The key to success for your weight loss is to look at it from each angle. First, it's important to get your thyroid checked with a simple blood test. You will need to look at the full thyroid panel, not just
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Posted on 01/18/2012 8:55 AM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland, which is located in your neck. The thyroid produces hormones-- thyroxine or T4 and triiodothyronine or T3, that affect how the body works (for example, controlling metabolism). With hypothyroidism, also commonly known as slow or sluggish thyroid,
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Posted on 11/12/2011 1:02 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
One common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is heartburn-like pain. But a number of other conditions can cause that burning feeling in your chest.
Most often, your family doctor will be able to identify whether you have heartburn or GERD by doing simple tests.
Nine
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Posted on 10/22/2011 9:39 AM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Hypothyroidism is a condition that happens when the thyroid does not make enough hormone. The thyroid gland is in the front of the neck just below the voice box. It releases hormones that regulate metabolism.
The most prevalent cause of hypothyroidism is inflammation of the thyroid gland,
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Posted on 10/19/2011 10:22 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis. This condition is chronic in nature with severe, brutal acute attacks. Gout has long been associated with diet, particularly eating too much meat, seafood (shellfish) and alcohol. Because of this, treatment for gout used to involve severe dietary restrictions,
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Posted on 10/11/2011 11:35 AM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Friday, 23 September 2011
Is it true that smoking causes wrinkles?
Yes. Premature wrinkles are great reasons to quit smoking, and the sooner the better. Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. These skin changes may occur after only 10 years of smoking.
The
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Posted on 09/23/2011 10:33 AM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Thursday, 22 September 2011
My resolution this year was to take better care of my health. I was diagnosed last year with metabolic syndrome. What can I do to fix this?
Metabolic syndrome is simply insulin resistance and inflammation within the body. It is also known as pre-diabetes or syndrome X. The American Heart Association
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Posted on 09/22/2011 5:02 PM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Thursday, 22 September 2011
For a while now, I have had abdominal pain. I thought it would go away, but it hasn’t. What could it be?
Sometimes new patients to my practice say they have lived with abdominal pain for years. They have been told it is in their head or that it is part of getting older. Nothing
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Posted on 09/22/2011 11:36 AM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
I have diabetes and check my blood sugar four times a day. Is there a better way of monitoring my blood sugar?
Yes, there could be. If you have non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, known as type 2 diabetes, daily blood glucose monitoring may not be necessary.
Two different blood tests
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Posted on 09/21/2011 3:46 PM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
I have been told I have high cholesterol. What is normal and how can I get there?
Reaching your cholesterol goal is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol, is directly associated with increased risk of heart disease, coronary artery disease,
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Posted on 09/21/2011 12:12 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
It seems the older I get, the more I keep forgetting. What can I do to find out if I have Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s dementia and memory loss in general are very common areas of concern for patients in my clinic. Many have family members or friends who have Alzheimer’s dementia
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Posted on 09/21/2011 12:09 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
I’ve been told I have high blood pressure. What is normal blood pressure and what can I do to get there?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is elevated arterial blood pressure in your system.
Normal blood pressure is <120/80mmHg.
Prehypertension is 120-139/80-89mmHg.
Stage
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Posted on 09/21/2011 12:03 PM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
My doctor started me on a statin drug for high cholesterol, but I've heard about bad side effects with this type of medicine. Is there anything else I can try?
In treating high cholesterol, there are many factors to consider. Treatment depends on which part of the cholesterol is high (LDL,
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Posted on 09/20/2011 6:23 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Monday, 19 September 2011
I have been reading about early-onset dementia. What exactly is it?
Early onset dementia is a disorder that is usually hereditary in nature. It is typically seen in patients before age 55. Alzheimer’s dementia usually occurs after the age of 65. Geneticists have mapped out several
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Posted on 09/19/2011 6:14 PM by Paul J. Leavitt, M.D.
Monday, 19 September 2011
I am hearing a lot of talk about Vitamin D3; why is it important to check my level?
In recent years, there has been an increase in Vitamin D deficiency. Studies report that nearly half of the U.S. population suffers from lack of Vitamin D. So why is having enough Vitamin D important?
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Posted on 09/19/2011 5:15 PM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Q. As I have gotten older I notice I bruise easier than I use to. Sometimes I'll have a bruise on my arm and not even remember bumping it on anything. Is this something to be concerned about?
A. Many times people will wonder, "Now when did I do that?" as they look
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Posted on 09/18/2011 3:01 PM by Dr. Paul Leavitt
