With winter less than two months away, now is a good time to prepare yourself for colder temperatures, especially if you have health conditions affected by lower temperatures.

Circulation, in particular, can be impacted by winter weather. Colder air narrows blood vessels in your toes, fingers and skin, causing heat loss. In turn, the heart works harder to pump blood throughout the body to maintain your body temperature. And when it does, it also raises the heart rate and blood pressure.

From annual physicals to acute care for minor injuries and illnesses that come up, primary care is an essential part of healthcare. But what happens when you need care beyond what a primary care physician or PCP can provide?

If you’ve taken part in the MDVIP Wellness Program, you may have had your blood tested for myeloperoxidase or MPO. It’s one of the tests that may be included when your doctor draws blood. MDVIP added this option so physicians would have an additional tool to better identify heart disease risk — elevated MPO levels are linked to heart attack risk.

Vegetarianism has gotten a lot of hype over the last 15 years. A lifestyle once written off as earthy crunchy, went mainstream around 2010.

There are many reasons people go vegetarian, with the most popular being health. Studies suggest a vegetarian lifestyle may help: 
•    Lower the risk for certain cancers
•    Manage weight 
•    Forestall type 2 diabetes
•    Prevent metabolic syndrome
•    Improve heart health

We all feel tired some of the time, and often it’s nothing a few restful nights of sleep can’t cure. Fatigue is also common when you’re suffering from allergies or fighting an illness or infection.

Medical conditions such as autoimmune disorders and fibromyalgia can also cause ongoing tiredness, and treatments like chemotherapy are major culprits of fatigue. Fatigue can also be a symptom of long COVID, when tiredness is typically accompanied by other indications.

Do You Really Need A CGM?

A future version of the Apple Watch may include the ability to measure blood sugar without a finger prick. While this is good news for people with diabetes who must regularly test their blood sugar, it’s also a response to the rising trend of Americans keeping tabs on their blood glucose levels.

There’s a new term for an epidemic you’re probably aware of: Diabesity. It probably sounds a little melodramatic, but it is the largest epidemic in human history, according to a study published in Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Chronic illnesses evolve over time, usually exacerbating as you age. Often, this means switching medications, making more lifestyle modifications or seeing additional specialists. But sometimes as an illness goes through its natural course, it no longer responds to curative care. This is when the illness transitions from chronic to terminal.

We’ve known for a while that dementia has a list of early indicators, including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and stroke. Research have now added low bone density to the list, according to a study published in Neurology.

It’s still summer, which means most people are spending time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. You’ll be happy to know that sun exposure helps boost vitamin D levels, raise serotonin levels, reduce the risk for autoimmune diseases, regulate genetics, decrease skin conditions and prevent nerve dysfunction.