A new recommendation issued Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force against routine PSA testing for healthy men age 50 and older goes too far, says a prostate cancer expert at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.  “Routine PSA screening is not necessary for most men,” said Gerald Andriole, MD, chief of urologic surgery, who acknowledges that widespread testing has led many men with slow-growing tumors to be over diagnosed and over treated with aggressive therapies. “But that doesn’t mean that some men don’t …

A popular way to beat the heat is by noshing on ice cream, snow cones and frozen treats (not to mention the hot dogs, potato chips and hamburgers that frequent summer cookouts). While sugar-packed snacks and foods high in fat are often the treat of choice, try a “summer swap out” to help your family have a more balanced diet. Abby Herrick, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer on staff at Des Peres Hospital's MyNewSelf Surgical Weight Loss Program, shared some tips and recipes. “At the grocery store, fill you cart with fruits like bananas, apples, watermelon, grapes and berries…

You can wear a helmet to protect your head, gloves for your hands and safety glasses for your eyes. You also can take steps to protect your ears from hearing loss that can affect your ability to understand normal speech. Noise-induced hearing loss can occur painlessly and over an extended period of time. But it doesn’t have to. Dr. Richard Barnes, otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) and head and neck surgeon on staff at Des Peres Hospital, provides some guidance. “Hearing loss happens in the inner ear where small bones help transfer sound vibrations to different cells and …

When the weather turns nicer and bathing suit season threatens, I always have good intentions to get more exercise. But I don't always keep the commitment to myself. So, I turned to Abby Herrick, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer on staff at Des Peres Hospital's MyNewSelf Surgical Weight Loss Program, for some suggestions on how to make my fitness goals a reality. "Regular exercise can help you live longer and healthier, feel better and boost your energy level," Herrick said. "Incorporating physical activity into your schedule also can help you manage your weight and sleep …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday that 2011 was the worst year for measles in the US in the last 15 years, with 222 cases, a big jump from the more typical 60 cases a year. The main reasons for the outbreak? International travel and unvaccinated patients. According to the CDC, a full 200, or 90 percent of the cases of measles were associated with importations from other countries—either a US citizen picking up the disease during travel, a foreign national bringing it in from another country, or a non-traveler being exposed to the disease. Most patients (86 …

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, so I spoke with Ana Danielyan, MD, a board-certified internal medicine specialist on staff at Des Peres Hospital, about the effects of alcohol and how to identify if it is a problem. “People around you may notice that you have a problem before you do,” said Dr. Danielyan. “Some signs that you could have a problem with alcohol are that you think about drinking all the time, have tried to cut down on the amount you drink but can’t, drink more often than you plan to or more than you should, or family or friends have told you that you have a problem.”  …

According to the American Diabetes Association, before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "prediabetes"—blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 79 million American adults have pre-diabetes. The lifetime risk of developing diabetes for people born in the year 2000 is one in three for men and two in five for women. I spoke this week with Dr. Demetrios Politis, a family practice physician on staff at Des Peres Hospital, about what we need to…