Hemodialysis schematic - larger image below

(Best Syndication News) Diabetes was discussed on the Oprah Winfrey Show Thursday. “People are dropping like flies” and diabetes especially affects the African American Community, according to Oprah.

“I have a radical goal in the next 60 minutes to save millions of lives,” the talk show host opened her show with. As a heart surgeon, Dr Mehmet C Oz, says he sees people with diabetes all of the time. In the United States alone there are 80 million people who have diabetes or on the verge of getting it and there are another 6 million people who have it and don’t know it.

Americans spend $174 billion a year on the disease and that will double in 25 years. That is more than AIDS and all of the cancers combined. “At this rate it will bankrupt our health care system,” Oprah said.

Larynx and Epiglottis

(Best Syndication News) On Wednesday’s Dr. Oz Show, the doctor talked about weight loss and hiccups. Apparently hiccups are a survival mechanism. But what really causes them?

How Do We Hiccup:

One guest thought gas caused hiccups. Without telling her if she was right, Oz explained what causes hiccups. An animation helped explain it. When the diaphragm pops down, the lungs are “sucked” down. This is a traditional way for us to move air in and out of the lungs.

When we hiccup the diaphragm spasms, and when that happens it dramatically pulls the lungs down. This can cause a hiccup and the sound we hear.

Varicose Veins

(Best Syndication News) There is a difference between varicose and spider veins, according to Dr Mehmet C Oz. The doctor said this is one of the most common and treatable complaints heard from women.

“In fact, about half of you are living with it right now,” Oz said. “They are called spider veins.”

How They Form:

He called Marsha up to the stage to help with the demostration. There is a difference between spider and varicose. A graphic illustrated the point. Blood circulates through the veins in the leg. After a while they “engorge” and become bigger. The blood begins to rush back to the feet causing changes in the wall of the vein. As they get larger they become more “torturous”.

BSN Stock Photo

[Best Syndication News] January is gone, not it is make it or break it for those New Year's Resolutions that you have made. You might be thinking that you will have to join a gym, or maybe you did and you can't find enough time to actually go to the gym at a decent hour. So what do you do?

There are some options out there, and you don't have to go broke doing it. The problem often faced with working out is the boredom of the same old routine. If you walk all the time, pretty soon that will be boring. So the best thing to do if you find that boredom has set in is to have different activities during the week to break up the monotony. Read more below.

Grapefruit

(Best Syndication News) A report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that heart patients should avoid some herbal remedies including St. John's wort, gingko biloba, and garlic. Patients should also avoid grapefruit juice. These substances may interfere with medications.

Here are some examples:

St. John's wort is known for helping patients with depression but it can also reduces the effectiveness of medications contributing to recurrences of arrhythmia and high blood pressure. It can also increase in blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk for future heart problems.