Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used for health information. Millions of people turn to AI chatbots every day to ask medical questions — from minor symptoms to potentially life-threatening concerns.
Colorectal cancer isn’t just a concern for older adults anymore. Recent data show an alarming rise in cases among people under 50, making it the top cancer killer in this age group. High-profile cases, such as the untimely deaths of James Van Der Beek at 48 and Chadwick Boseman at 43, underscore that younger adults are not immune.
A cough is one of the most common reasons patients seek primary care medical attention. However, when a cough persists for weeks or months, it transitions from a temporary annoyance to a debilitating clinical issue. Chronic cough—defined as a cough lasting eight weeks or longer—affects approximately 16% of Canadian adults between the ages of 45 and 85. Beyond the physical discomfort, it frequently causes profound social, emotional, and psychological impairment, disrupting sleep, work, and overall quality of life.
When 37-year-old Katie Hulan developed a persistent cough, she thought it might be asthma. Her doctor prescribed inhalers, but they didn’t work. Within weeks, Katie was in the ER and received a diagnosis that shocked her: stage 4 lung cancer.
Every night, millions of people stop breathing without realizing it—not once, but sometimes hundreds of times. This is the hallmark of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition caused by the collapse of soft tissues in the throat during sleep. The most common treatment? A mask, a steady hum, and the whisper of pressurized air from a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.
World Obesity Day, observed annually on March 4, highlights the global health impact of obesity and the importance of preventive care. At Orleans Family Health Clinic, we recognize that weight management is about more than appearance—it’s a crucial factor in chronic disease prevention and family wellness.
Diabetes fasting risk varies by medication type, insulin use, prior hypoglycemia, kidney function, and overall control. This is not safely managed through guesswork.
High blood pressure remains one of the most common—and preventable—risk factors for serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, and even dementia. Nearly 1 in 2 adults in North America have high blood pressure (≥130/80 mm Hg), and many don’t even know it.
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In the world of preventative medicine, we often view vaccines through a single lens: preventing a specific illness. We encourage our older patients to get the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine to avoid the debilitating pain and potential long-term nerve damage (postherpetic neuralgia) associated with the virus. However, emerging research suggests that the benefits of this vaccine may extend deep into our cellular biology.
For years, one of the most common criticisms of GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, and Zepbound® has been the belief that once patients stop these medications, all the lost weight inevitably comes back.
While weight regain does occur for some patients, new real-world data suggest that this outcome is not universal—and that durable weight loss may be achievable for many patients with proper medical support.