Matt McMillen

Portland

Health Writer at Freelance

freelance health writer @webmd @diabetes4cast

Featured in: Favicon

webmd.com

medscape.com Favicon

aarp.org

medicinenet.com Favicon

healthcentral.com Favicon

newsbreak.com Favicon

besthealthmag.ca Favicon

cnn.com

healthnews.com

Articles

The COPD Treatment That’s Vastly Underutilized

1 week ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) helps people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to breathe better and live a healthier, more comfortable life. It’s use, particularly after hospitalization, is recommended by lung specialists and endorsed by the latest COPD treatment guidelines.
What’s the Connection?

1 month ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen |Avinainder Singh

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) can lead to heart failure, but this condition’s first symptoms often make themselves felt in an unexpected part of your body: your wrists. ATTR-CM develops when your liver produces misshapen transthyretin proteins. This protein routinely delivers vitamin A and a hormone called thyroxine to various parts of your body.
Doctor-Approved Tips for Caring for Yourself With HCM

1 month ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a chronic type of heart disease that causes your heart’s main pumping chamber to enlarge. It has no cure, but there’s plenty that you can do to live comfortably with HCM and protect yourself from the rare but real dangers that can come with this disease. According to the latest HCM treatment guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, most people with HCM will have few, if any, symptoms or require major treatment.
The Potential Link Between Statins and myasthenia gravis

1 month ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Is there a link between cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and a rare autoimmune muscle-weakening disease called myasthenia gravis (MG)? Researchers have been reporting on a potential connection for at least 20 years, leading several health organizations, including those in Canada, the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, to release statements on the topic in 2023.
UC and Hashimoto’s: What’s the Connection?

2 months ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

If you have one autoimmune disease, you have a higher risk of developing another. Such diseases include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and ulcerative colitis (UC)—two conditions that are particularly prone to co-occurring with other autoimmune diseases. But how are these two specific conditions linked to each other, and does one cause the other? A new study from China has attempted to find the answer.
Keto Diet for IBD: A Case Report

2 months ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

If you have an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, then you’ve probably heard the advice to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But what if eating a diet that was pretty much the exact opposite of that plan could help improve your symptoms?
Surgery vs. Medication for Afib

2 months ago | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

If you’re one of the more than 5.5 million American adults who have atrial fibrillation (Afib), you probably know that it can raise your risk of stroke and heart failure. Afib is a serious condition, but it can be managed with medications, surgery, or a combination. The treatment path you and your doctor choose depends on many factors, including your symptoms, overall health, side effects that you experience, and how you want to live your life.
Most Common Risk Factors for Atrial Fibrillation

Jan 21, 2025 | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Atrial fibrillation disrupts the electrical signals in your heart, causing the upper chambers (or atria) to beat too fast and erratically, so your heart can’t pump blood efficiently. The biggest concern for people with Afib: a blood clot caused by Afib can travel to your brain and trigger a stroke. The American Heart Association estimates that five million Americans have Afib. If you’re one of them, you’re likely wondering what caused it.
Complications of Afib You Need to Know

Jan 21, 2025 | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a common and potentially life-threatening arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that causes your heart to beat erratically and faster than it should, often dangerously fast. A normal resting heart beats about 60 to 100 times a minute. In Afib, it may beat 500 times every 60 seconds. Afib can make you dizzy, fatigued, short of breath. It also can cause you to pass out.
What Is the Difference Between Hereditary vs. Wild Type ATTR-CM?

Dec 27, 2024 | healthcentral.com | Matt McMillen

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is a deadly form of heart disease that can lead to heart failure and other serious complications. Researchers estimate that . In 2019, the first-ever drug for the disease became available, prompting doctors to screen patients for it, with 5,000 to 7,000 new cases being diagnosed annually since. There are two types of ATTR-CM: hereditary (hATTR-CM), caused by a gene mutation, and wild-type (wtATTR-CM), which has no known cause.