HealthU

Being that we’re in the peak of July and some of the hotter summer weeks—there’s nonstop barbecues and food-centric festivities popping up left and right. That being said, it can be easy to eat a little too much—which can almost turn into a habit. Betsy Varghese, M.D., a board certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group, packs our plates w...

Recently the world came together to celebrate the newest member of the royal family! On May 6th 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child, son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. We dive in with Kristen Aland, M.D., an OB/GYN with Hackensack Meridian Medical Group to learn how to get our bodies ‘baby ready’, the benefits of pre-natal vitamins, and more!

An agonizing, burning pain in her left breast plagued Billie Klecko, then 37, for weeks as she breast-fed her baby girl. “I felt like I had a hot coal under my skin,” she recalls. Frightened, but not discouraged, the Jackson resident decided to be proactive and discuss the symptoms with her primary care doctor — a week after her daughter’s first birthday in January 2017. After closer examination,...

On his last day as a stroke and telemetry observation nurse at JFK Medical Center, Phil Castillo was preparing to end his shift when he was struck with an unusually painful headache. The following Monday, he was set to start a training program to work in the operating room – he did not anticipate that he would end up in the operating room that night, as a patient. “Suddenly everything changed – I...

Emilia Clarke, known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones, revealed prior to the last season of the show that she suffered not one but TWO life-threatening brain aneurysms during her role as the mother of dragons. We dive in with Dr. Thomas Steineke M.D., Ph. D., chairman of Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Center Neuroscience Institute, to learn what a brain aneurysm...

Nitin Patel, M.D., a family medicine physician at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group, discusses a popular health and diet trend—one which involves partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time. That’s right, he’s talking all things intermittent fasting. He talks through the different variations and methods, possible health benefits of fasting safely and tips for someone looking t...

Everyone wants to be more informed before they visit their physician, but are there downsides to relying on internet search engines to tell us what we are feeling and why? Searching out our symptoms may put us at ease but it can also create anxiety, usually unjustified without consulting our doctor first. To get the medical professional's point of view, we ask our panel of Dr. Adrian Pristas, Corp...

From the first moment they kissed, Gary Bartnicki knew that he and Lynn would share a lifetime of love and happiness together. Unfortunately, Lynn was diagnosed with breast cancer in the 90’s, and after going into remission, in 2012 the cancer had returned and aggressively spread. Gary shares the journey of his life and love with Lynn, and praises the incredible care he and Lynn received when they...

A few months ago Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde actress, Selma Blair shared not only her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis but also did a Good Morning America interview showing the world how debilitating this disease truly is. It was inspiring to say the least. We dive in with Florian Thomas, M.D., M.A., Ph. D., M.S., director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center and chair of the Neuroscience Insti...

When the word “arthritis” is mentioned, most people tend to associate the condition with the elderly. However, this fails to include the nearly 300,000 children in the nation with some form of the disease. According to Ginger Janow, M.D., a pediatric rheumatologist at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group and Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, arthritis is a term used to encompass over 100...

This past March, long time host of Jeopardy, Alex Trebek announced that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. We dive in with Ronald Matteotti, M.D., a surgical oncologist who specializes in pancreatic cancer, to learn what this means for our favorite TV Game Show Host and what lifestyle changes we can make today to help keep pancreatic cancer at bay.

Talking about your private parts is something that you might want to keep, well, private. But let’s face it, ladies, sometimes we may have questions regarding our vaginal health. While a visit with an OB/GYN can feel awkward for some women, Louisa Essandoh, M.D., a board certified OB/GYN at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group, explains that not a single question exists that she hasn’t heard b...

The emergency department team members at Mountainside Medical Center have made a lifelong friend in Cardie Mortimer. The Verona, NJ resident has a unique story in visiting the ED on two separate occasions. Cardie shares his story and how the ED team members made him feel like a true VIP.

In 2019 there have been over 600 cases of measles confirmed in the United States, with many cases in our New Jersey/New York area and communities. How does this disease spread and what questions should parents ask when it comes to vaccinations for their children? We get the facts and learn more in a panel discussion with pediatrician, Amy Peardon, M.D., Julia A. Piwoz, M.D., FAAP, Chief, Section o...