The city of Boston made front page news over the last few weeks due to the tragic marathon bombings and the events that followed. While this coverage has been extensive, there's some other news from Boston -- good news -- that hasn't been as widely broadcast. Massachusetts General Hospital, one...

As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat," and there are now even more reasons to choose your foods wisely. According to a new study, an unhealthy diet -- independent of calories consumed -- may increase your risk for developing kidney disease.

In this study of...

Whether you're conscious of it or not, urine has a long history of communicating valuable information. For centuries, mammals have used urine to mark their territory and ward off predators. For humans, the urinary color wheel sends us daily messages about our hydration status: Dark yellow clues you in to...

If you spend most evenings planted on the couch, chips in one hand and the remote in the other, you probably know you're not winning the healthy living award. While some habits are commonly accepted as unhealthy, there are other everyday behaviors that don't seem harmful but in actuality may...

The month of March is officially National Kidney Month, but for college basketball fans it's a month of basketball madness. Since kidney health and college basketball were both on my mind, I started to think about some of the similarities between preparing for a big basketball match-up and preventing injury...

Open up your medicine cabinet and you are likely to find a smattering of pill bottles and at least one type of pain medication. Most people don't realize that more than 66 percent of all prescription medications and a large class of over-the-counter pain medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs...

I've devoted more than 32 years, 8 months and 24 days of my life to the kidneys, but for 31 days each year all Americans have the opportunity to celebrate kidney health awareness. March is National Kidney Month and this year, March 14 is World Kidney Day.

Each year...

Thanks to Valentine's Day and American Heart Month, in February, the heart comes into the limelight. Since it's already illuminated, I want to expand the spotlight and broaden the focus.

The heart may be the main squeeze, but it relies on multiple partners, especially the kidneys. They...

New Year's Eve brings to mind NYC's Times Square, noisemakers and bubbly, but what a difference a day can make. The month of January signifies a fresh start, complete with a new perspective and for many, New Year's resolutions. All right, for some it may have looked a little more...

Aside from its historical significance, most of us associate Turkey Day with a huge dinner centered on the bird responsible for its moniker. Thanksgiving and food go hand and hand, rooted in the tradition of celebrating a successful harvest...

Alarm goes off. Maybe you hit the snooze button. Eventually a majority of us wake up, get ready for work, and head into the office. With a few deviations here or there, the rest of the day is probably pretty predictable: You sit down at your desk, open up your...

As you fire up the grill this weekend and enjoy the last days of summer surrounded by family, there's an important discussion you should have. It's about your family's health history. Most of us don't realize that our family tree plays a pretty important role in determining our own health....

The dog days of August are here, and we should all be on high alert for heat illness. This summer has been characterized by extreme heat and humidity -- two weather patterns that can equal a recipe for disaster. Heat illness occurs when body temperature exceeds a person's ability to...

High blood pressure, medically known as hypertension, affects 73 million Americans. A common misconception is that those with hypertension are excessively nervous or stressed out. In my practice, this is actually one of the most common questions that I am asked by a new patient. So I'll say...

One in three American adults have high blood pressure, a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. High blood pressure can damage the kidneys without any warning, but the news isn't all bad. By knowing your risk and keeping tabs on your numbers,...

This past week, I saw a patient by the name of Mona. While I care about all of my patients' well-being, my visit with Mona really struck me. She had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes four years ago, and her old medical records indicated that she had chronic kidney...

Kidney stones are one of the most common maladies to befall men, but lately women have been catching up. Over the past two decades, the incidence of kidney stones has doubled in both men and women -- more than 10 percent of men and 7 percent of women...

When it comes to screening for various diseases, an ounce of prevention was always thought to be worth a pound of cure. Recently, this old adage has been called into question. While potentially lifesaving, many health screening tests and procedures come at great emotional, physical and financial cost....

Last week I wrote about what's involved in matching donor kidneys with recipients. While the checklist I reviewed is used each time there's a potential match, the problem remains that there aren't enough organs to go around. Unfortunately, not everyone...

April is National Donate Life Month, and if you're thinking about donating a kidney, now would be the time to find out what it's all about. Did you ever wonder how they match potential organ donors with people who need organs? There are more than 92,000 people in...