To contact us Click HERE
Last week the state Senate approved on party lines a bill that would make lawsuits against nursing homes go through a review panel first. Republicans supported the bill and Democrats voted against it in a 23-12 vote that marked the clearest partisan split in the Senate in this year's legislative session.
Senate Bill 9 would create medical review panels of three physicians and an attorney moderator to hear complaints against long-term care facilities and vote on whether the suit had enough merit to go to court. The bill's sponsor, Senate Health and Welfare Chairwoman Julie Denton, R-Louisville, declind to answer an opposign senator's questions about the bill. She said in introducing it that the panel would be advisory but its opinion would be admissible in court and would curb such lawsuits, reports Jack Brammer of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Bills like this have failed in years past and could have diverse implications for Kentucky communities and nursing homes. At least one Kentucky newspaper looked around and found that lawsuits are one reason Extendicare Health Services Inc. shed management responsibilities last year for all 21 of its facilities in Kentucky, reports Nick Tabor of the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville.
Without Extendicare management in Western Kentucky, the volume of nursing-home lawsuits in the region appears to be shrinking, Tabor reports. In recent years, nearly all the Christian County cases that have been closed were dismissed through settlements, not by judges declaring them unfounded. This suggests the bill would minimally affect the county, writes Tabor. Other Kentucky communities may be affected differently; judges differ from circuit to circuit.
Although the bill passed the Senate, it appears to be on its deathbed in the House. Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, who chairs the House Health and Welfare Committee, joked about its prospects to Tabor: “I can’t make any predictions about the bill this time, but I’ve called in three priests to have the last rites ready.” If nursing homes received this new layer of protection, he said, hospitals and day-care centers would want it too.
A similar bill died in Burch's committee last year; this version is being supported by television and radio commercials urging viewers and listeners to call their legislators in support. When Extendicare announced last spring it was transferring management of all its Kentucky facilities to a Texas company, it cited Kentucky’s “worsening litigation environment” and said tort reform seemed unlikely here.
Bernie Vonderheide, director of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, said most so-called “frivolous” lawsuits would cease if the state imposed minimum staffing requirements on nursing homes, his group's main legislative goal. (Read more)
24 Şubat 2013 Pazar
Poll finds four out of five Kentuckians are comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner or physician assistant for routine care
To contact us Click HERE
New poll figures indicate the majority of Kentuckians are comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or mid-level clinician for their routine care, especially if they have been treated by such clinicians. The findings come as the General Assembly considers a bill that would allow physician assistants to practice more independently.
In the Kentucky Health Issues poll last fall, 79 percent of Kentucky adults said they would be comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner for routine health care, and half of those people said they would be very comfortable. Eighty-one percent said they would be comfortable seeing a physician assistant for routine health care, and 42 percent of those respondents said they would be very comfortable.
Reported comfort was higher among people who had received care from a nurse practitioner or physician assistant in the past year; 86 percent of those people said they would be comfortable seeing an NP again for routine care. Eighty-eightpercent of those who had received care from a PA in the past year said they would be comfortable doing that again.
The poll also inquired about a proposed new “mid-level” profession: advanced dental hygiene practitioners. These practitioners would provide routine dental care, including diagnostic and preventive services such as filling cavities. Although advanced dental hygiene practitioners cannot currently be licensed to practice in Kentucky, polling data indicated 73 percent of Kentucky adults would be comfortable with such a practitioner providing routine dental care.
"As providers move to create a system of care that includes a range of skill sets and training in its care teams, new strategies emerge that hold promise to increase access to affordable care – not just in urban centers but also in rural and underserved communities,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsored the poll. “The data suggest that the public is very receptive to health care services from different types of clinicians.”
The poll, co-sponsored by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, was taken Sept. 20through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University ofCincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults throughout Kentucky wasinterviewed by landline and cell telephones. The poll's margin of error is plusor minus 2.5 percentage points. (Read more)
In the Kentucky Health Issues poll last fall, 79 percent of Kentucky adults said they would be comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner for routine health care, and half of those people said they would be very comfortable. Eighty-one percent said they would be comfortable seeing a physician assistant for routine health care, and 42 percent of those respondents said they would be very comfortable.
Reported comfort was higher among people who had received care from a nurse practitioner or physician assistant in the past year; 86 percent of those people said they would be comfortable seeing an NP again for routine care. Eighty-eightpercent of those who had received care from a PA in the past year said they would be comfortable doing that again.
The poll also inquired about a proposed new “mid-level” profession: advanced dental hygiene practitioners. These practitioners would provide routine dental care, including diagnostic and preventive services such as filling cavities. Although advanced dental hygiene practitioners cannot currently be licensed to practice in Kentucky, polling data indicated 73 percent of Kentucky adults would be comfortable with such a practitioner providing routine dental care."As providers move to create a system of care that includes a range of skill sets and training in its care teams, new strategies emerge that hold promise to increase access to affordable care – not just in urban centers but also in rural and underserved communities,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsored the poll. “The data suggest that the public is very receptive to health care services from different types of clinicians.”
The poll, co-sponsored by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, was taken Sept. 20through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University ofCincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults throughout Kentucky wasinterviewed by landline and cell telephones. The poll's margin of error is plusor minus 2.5 percentage points. (Read more)
Three Kentucky health departments in first group up for national accreditation; requires local health assessment, improvement plan
To contact us Click HERE
By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News
Three Kentucky health departments are among the first in the nation to be considered for national accreditation, a process that could help improve patient care and put the agencies in closer touch with their communities' needs.
The national Public Health Accreditation Board will make its first accreditation decisions next week. Among the first group being considered are the Franklin County Health Department, the Three Rivers District Health Department in Carroll, Gallatin, Owen and Pendleton counties, and the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department, in Boone, Grant, Kenton and Campbell counties.
The decision will be a historic one, and this is an exciting time for the board and Kentucky, said board Chair Dr. Douglas Scutchfield, professor of health services research and policy at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.
The accreditation program was launched in September 2011 after a seven-year development process aimed at advancing quality and performance and value in the departments, and their accountability to stakeholders, Scutchfield said.
Departments are assessed by rigorous standards tested in 30 diverse health departments across the country to ensure essential public health services are provided in the community, according to the board's website. Two of the 12 "domains" of the standards deal with administration and governance. In Kentucky, state law makes county health boards responsible for the health of the county. Counties served by district health departments still have county boards.
Accreditation can help a board and department identify opportunities to improve performance and management, and to improve relationships with the community, since the process requires a community health assessment, a community improvement plan and a strategic plan to address the need of the community, said Scutchfield.
The process, often called "Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships," can help boards and departments be better prepared to proactively respond to emerging and re-emerging health challenges. For a PDF of Franklin County's MAPP document, click here.
The accrediting board has received 108 applications from health departments around the nation: 13 state health departments, 94 local health departments and one tribal agency. In addition to the three Kentucky agencies being considered in the first group, the other Kentucky departments that have applied for accreditation and are awaiting site visits are Lexington-Fayette County, Barren River District, Madison County and Christian County, Jill Midkiff, chief spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an email.
The accreditation process encourages departments to move away from the "silo" model to collaborate with community programs. In Christian County, it has changed the way department employees view their jobs, because they have to continuously reflect on their methods and brainstorm for ways to improve, Health Department Director Mark Pyle told Nick Tabor of the Kentucky New Era.
"Accreditation will likely open new revenue streams," Tabor writes. "But in a way, the process matters more than the status designation."
Midkiff said, "In addition to benefiting from the process itself, our federal and state resources in public health are increasingly shrinking, we are being asked to do more with less. And there is a need for transparency within agencies."
Midkiff said accreditation "may make the agency more competitive for grants in the future. We are actually seeing quality improvement and performance management requirements being written in many federal grants now, so it is being expected at the national level."
Although accreditation is completely voluntary, it is being encouraged for local health departments by the state Department for Public Health, which is in the process of applying for its own accreditation in 2014. Midkiff said the department just completed its state health assessment, which is now being reviewed, and is beginning to assemble partners to write a state health improvement plan, which should take about a year.
Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
Kentucky Health News
Three Kentucky health departments are among the first in the nation to be considered for national accreditation, a process that could help improve patient care and put the agencies in closer touch with their communities' needs.
The national Public Health Accreditation Board will make its first accreditation decisions next week. Among the first group being considered are the Franklin County Health Department, the Three Rivers District Health Department in Carroll, Gallatin, Owen and Pendleton counties, and the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department, in Boone, Grant, Kenton and Campbell counties.
The decision will be a historic one, and this is an exciting time for the board and Kentucky, said board Chair Dr. Douglas Scutchfield, professor of health services research and policy at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.
The accreditation program was launched in September 2011 after a seven-year development process aimed at advancing quality and performance and value in the departments, and their accountability to stakeholders, Scutchfield said.
Departments are assessed by rigorous standards tested in 30 diverse health departments across the country to ensure essential public health services are provided in the community, according to the board's website. Two of the 12 "domains" of the standards deal with administration and governance. In Kentucky, state law makes county health boards responsible for the health of the county. Counties served by district health departments still have county boards.
Accreditation can help a board and department identify opportunities to improve performance and management, and to improve relationships with the community, since the process requires a community health assessment, a community improvement plan and a strategic plan to address the need of the community, said Scutchfield.
The process, often called "Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships," can help boards and departments be better prepared to proactively respond to emerging and re-emerging health challenges. For a PDF of Franklin County's MAPP document, click here.
The accrediting board has received 108 applications from health departments around the nation: 13 state health departments, 94 local health departments and one tribal agency. In addition to the three Kentucky agencies being considered in the first group, the other Kentucky departments that have applied for accreditation and are awaiting site visits are Lexington-Fayette County, Barren River District, Madison County and Christian County, Jill Midkiff, chief spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an email.
The accreditation process encourages departments to move away from the "silo" model to collaborate with community programs. In Christian County, it has changed the way department employees view their jobs, because they have to continuously reflect on their methods and brainstorm for ways to improve, Health Department Director Mark Pyle told Nick Tabor of the Kentucky New Era.
"Accreditation will likely open new revenue streams," Tabor writes. "But in a way, the process matters more than the status designation."
Midkiff said, "In addition to benefiting from the process itself, our federal and state resources in public health are increasingly shrinking, we are being asked to do more with less. And there is a need for transparency within agencies."
Midkiff said accreditation "may make the agency more competitive for grants in the future. We are actually seeing quality improvement and performance management requirements being written in many federal grants now, so it is being expected at the national level."
Although accreditation is completely voluntary, it is being encouraged for local health departments by the state Department for Public Health, which is in the process of applying for its own accreditation in 2014. Midkiff said the department just completed its state health assessment, which is now being reviewed, and is beginning to assemble partners to write a state health improvement plan, which should take about a year.
Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
Deaths by overdose, mainly of prescription drugs, hit a new record in U.S. in 2011; a huge problem in Kentucky
To contact us Click HERE
Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. rose for the 11th straight year and accidental deaths involving addictive prescription drugs overshadow deaths from illicit narcotics, new federal data show.
In 2010, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide, and prescription drugs were the cause of nearly 60 percent of them. As in recent years, opioid drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin were the biggest problem, contributing to three-fourths of medication-overdose deaths, report Lindsey Tanner and Mike Stoppe of The Associated Press.
Anti-anxiety drugs including Valium were involved in almost 30 percent of medication-related deaths. Most were unintentional overdoses; 17 percent were rules suicides. The data were reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In Kentucky, drug abuse is epidemic and more than 1,000 Kentuckians a year die from prescription-drug overdoses, more than the number who die in car accidents, according to a 2012 Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet report. About 85 percent of Kentucky's drug-related deaths were accidental and approximately 2 percent were suicides, according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The number of drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky rose a staggering 296 percent from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, the record number of deaths reflected the national trend and also involved opioid painkillers, according to a study by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center.The highest rates of overdose deaths during the study period were concentrated in Eastern Kentucky and among men, reports Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Many doctors and patients don't realize how addictive these prescription drugs can be, and that they're too often prescribed for pain that can be managed with less risky drugs, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the CDC. He said the data show a need for more prescription drug monitoring programs at the state level, and more laws shutting down "pill mills" -- doctor offices and pharmacies that over-prescribe addictive medicines, AP reports.
That was the aim of House Bill 1, passed in last year's legislative session. The Kentucky All-Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system has undergone several changes since the bill's passage to help crack down on so-called pill mills.
Last month, a federal panel of drug safety specialists recommended that Vicodin and dozens of other medicines be placed in a more restrictive drug category, which would make them harder to prescribe. Refills wouldn't be allowed without a new prescription, and faxed or called-in prescriptions wouldn't be accepted; only a handwritten prescription from a doctor would be allowed.
In 2010, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide, and prescription drugs were the cause of nearly 60 percent of them. As in recent years, opioid drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin were the biggest problem, contributing to three-fourths of medication-overdose deaths, report Lindsey Tanner and Mike Stoppe of The Associated Press.
Anti-anxiety drugs including Valium were involved in almost 30 percent of medication-related deaths. Most were unintentional overdoses; 17 percent were rules suicides. The data were reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In Kentucky, drug abuse is epidemic and more than 1,000 Kentuckians a year die from prescription-drug overdoses, more than the number who die in car accidents, according to a 2012 Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet report. About 85 percent of Kentucky's drug-related deaths were accidental and approximately 2 percent were suicides, according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The number of drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky rose a staggering 296 percent from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, the record number of deaths reflected the national trend and also involved opioid painkillers, according to a study by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center.The highest rates of overdose deaths during the study period were concentrated in Eastern Kentucky and among men, reports Bill Estep of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Many doctors and patients don't realize how addictive these prescription drugs can be, and that they're too often prescribed for pain that can be managed with less risky drugs, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the CDC. He said the data show a need for more prescription drug monitoring programs at the state level, and more laws shutting down "pill mills" -- doctor offices and pharmacies that over-prescribe addictive medicines, AP reports.
That was the aim of House Bill 1, passed in last year's legislative session. The Kentucky All-Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system has undergone several changes since the bill's passage to help crack down on so-called pill mills.
Last month, a federal panel of drug safety specialists recommended that Vicodin and dozens of other medicines be placed in a more restrictive drug category, which would make them harder to prescribe. Refills wouldn't be allowed without a new prescription, and faxed or called-in prescriptions wouldn't be accepted; only a handwritten prescription from a doctor would be allowed.
If Republican governors are agreeing to expand Medicaid after lobbying by hospitals, can Beshear be far behind?
To contact us Click HERE
By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's surprising announcement that he would use federal health-care reform money to expand the Medicaid program to households earning up to 138 percent of the poverty level "means the dominoes are falling," says Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a consumer group that lobbied for the law. And another domino seems likely to be Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, without involvement by the state legislature.
Beshear has said he will expand Medicaid if Kentucky can afford it, and has mentioned that the state can reserve the right to pull out of the deal in 2017, when it must start paying a small but increasing share of the cost, reaching 10 percent in 2020. Scott used the same qualification.
Pollack told The New York Times that the message sent by seven Republican governors' acceptance of the deal is “Even though I may not have supported and even strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act, it would be harmful to the citizens of my state if I didn’t opt into taking these very substantial federal dollars to help people who truly need it.” The GOP governors (of states outlined in Times map below) have said they will expand the program partly to protect rural hospitals and the poor.
"The change of heart for some Republican governors has come after vigorous lobbying by health industry players, particularly hospitals," the Times notes. "Hospital associations around the country signed off on Medicaid cuts under the health care law on the assumption that their losses would be more than offset by new paying customers, including many insured by Medicaid. . . . Every few days, state hospital associations and advocates for poor people issue reports asserting that the economic benefits of expanding Medicaid would outweigh the costs." (Read more)
Kentucky Hospital Association President Michael Rust said the trade group is for "universal coverage" by whatever means but is not lobbying Beshear for Medicaid expansion. "We assume he is" going to expand it, Rust said in an interview today. He said the association has not taken a position on bills that would require legislative approval of expansion and the health-insurance exchange being set up under the reform law. The legislation, Senate Bill 39 and SB40, passed the Republican-controlled Senate on party-line votes today, and are expected to die in the Democratic-majority House.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the bills were aimed at reining in "big daddy government." Here's a video from cn|2:
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
Kentucky Health News
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's surprising announcement that he would use federal health-care reform money to expand the Medicaid program to households earning up to 138 percent of the poverty level "means the dominoes are falling," says Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a consumer group that lobbied for the law. And another domino seems likely to be Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, without involvement by the state legislature.
Beshear has said he will expand Medicaid if Kentucky can afford it, and has mentioned that the state can reserve the right to pull out of the deal in 2017, when it must start paying a small but increasing share of the cost, reaching 10 percent in 2020. Scott used the same qualification.
Pollack told The New York Times that the message sent by seven Republican governors' acceptance of the deal is “Even though I may not have supported and even strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act, it would be harmful to the citizens of my state if I didn’t opt into taking these very substantial federal dollars to help people who truly need it.” The GOP governors (of states outlined in Times map below) have said they will expand the program partly to protect rural hospitals and the poor.
"The change of heart for some Republican governors has come after vigorous lobbying by health industry players, particularly hospitals," the Times notes. "Hospital associations around the country signed off on Medicaid cuts under the health care law on the assumption that their losses would be more than offset by new paying customers, including many insured by Medicaid. . . . Every few days, state hospital associations and advocates for poor people issue reports asserting that the economic benefits of expanding Medicaid would outweigh the costs." (Read more)Kentucky Hospital Association President Michael Rust said the trade group is for "universal coverage" by whatever means but is not lobbying Beshear for Medicaid expansion. "We assume he is" going to expand it, Rust said in an interview today. He said the association has not taken a position on bills that would require legislative approval of expansion and the health-insurance exchange being set up under the reform law. The legislation, Senate Bill 39 and SB40, passed the Republican-controlled Senate on party-line votes today, and are expected to die in the Democratic-majority House.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the bills were aimed at reining in "big daddy government." Here's a video from cn|2:
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
23 Şubat 2013 Cumartesi
Aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids work together to fight inflammation
To contact us Click HERE
Experts tout the health benefits of low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like flax seeds and salmon, but the detailed mechanisms involved in their effects are not fully known. Now researchers reporting in the February 21 issue of the Cell Press journal Chemistry & Biology show that aspirin helps trigger the production of molecules called resolvins that are naturally made by the body from omega-3 fatty acids. These resolvins shut off, or "resolve," the inflammation that underlies destructive conditions such as inflammatory lung disease, heart disease, and arthritis.
"In this report, we found that one resolvin, termed resolvin D3 from the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, persists longer at sites of inflammation than either resolvin D1 or resolvin D2 in the natural resolution of inflammation in mice," explains senior author Dr. Charles Serhan of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "This finding suggests that this late resolution phase resolvin D3 might display unique properties in fighting uncontrolled inflammation."
The researchers also confirmed that aspirin treatment triggered the production of a longer acting form of resolvin D3 through a different pathway. "Aspirin is able to modify an inflammatory enzyme to stop forming molecules that propagate inflammation and instead produce molecules from omega-3 fatty acids, like resolvin D3, that help inflammation to end," explains coauthor Dr. Nicos Petasis of the University of Southern California.
Experts tout the health benefits of low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like flax seeds and salmon, but the detailed mechanisms involved in their effects are not fully known. Now researchers reporting in the February 21 issue of the Cell Press journal Chemistry & Biology show that aspirin helps trigger the production of molecules called resolvins that are naturally made by the body from omega-3 fatty acids. These resolvins shut off, or "resolve," the inflammation that underlies destructive conditions such as inflammatory lung disease, heart disease, and arthritis.
"In this report, we found that one resolvin, termed resolvin D3 from the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, persists longer at sites of inflammation than either resolvin D1 or resolvin D2 in the natural resolution of inflammation in mice," explains senior author Dr. Charles Serhan of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "This finding suggests that this late resolution phase resolvin D3 might display unique properties in fighting uncontrolled inflammation."
The researchers also confirmed that aspirin treatment triggered the production of a longer acting form of resolvin D3 through a different pathway. "Aspirin is able to modify an inflammatory enzyme to stop forming molecules that propagate inflammation and instead produce molecules from omega-3 fatty acids, like resolvin D3, that help inflammation to end," explains coauthor Dr. Nicos Petasis of the University of Southern California.
Latest Health Research - Summary
To contact us Click HERE
Aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids work together to fight inflammation
OMEGA-3s Inhibit Breast Cancer Tumor Growth
Study: Resveratrol shows promise to protect hearing, cognition
Diet high in glycemic index foods/dairy products =acne
Eat a large variety of foods = healthiest sleep patterns
A diet of resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal cancer
Coffee Drinking and Mortality?
Sitting Time Associated With Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases
Physical activity enhances cognition
Calcium Supplements May Raise Odds of Heart Death in Women
Folic acid supplements early in pregnancy may reduce child's risk of autism
Vitamin D Potency Varies Widely in Dietary Supplements
Vitamin D, Omega-3 May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found in Alzheimer's
Green Tea and Red Wine Extracts Interrupt Alzheimer's Disease Pathway in Cells
Southern diet could raise your risk of stroke
Large Amounts of Vitamin C Increase Risk of Kidney Stones
Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women
High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of cardiovascular disease death in men
Low vitamin D levels may increase risk of Type 1 diabetes
Alcohol + diet drinks may increase intoxication
Olive oil component alleviates intestinal inflammation
Aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids work together to fight inflammation
OMEGA-3s Inhibit Breast Cancer Tumor Growth
A lifelong diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit growth of breast cancer tumors by 30 per cent, according to new research from the University of Guelph. The study, published recently in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, is believed to be the first to provide unequivocal evidence that omega-3s reduce cancer risk.
Study: Resveratrol shows promise to protect hearing, cognition
Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Diet high in glycemic index foods/dairy products =acne
A diet high in glycemic index foods and dairy products is now linked to acne, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The study also suggests using medical nutrition therapy (MNT) as a form of acne treatment. The findings support rising evidence of a link between diet and acne.
Eat a large variety of foods = healthiest sleep patterns
People who eat a large variety of foods, considered an indicator of a healthy diet, are also the ones with the healthiest sleep patterns, according to a new study in the journal Appetite.
A diet of resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal cancer
Resistant starch is found in peas, beans and other legumes, green bananas, and also in cooked and cooled starchy products like sushi rice and pasta salad. You have to consume it at room temperate or below – as soon as you heat it, the resistant starch is gone. But consumed correctly, it appears to kill pre-cancerous cells in the bowel
Coffee Drinking and Mortality?
A large study in the Journal of Caffeine Research of nearly half a million older adults followed for about 12 years revealed a clear trend: as coffee drinking increased, the risk of death decreased.
Sitting Time Associated With Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases
The more you sit, the higher your risk of chronic diseases says a study that is published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Physical activity enhances cognition
Calcium Supplements May Raise Odds of Heart Death in Women
Folic acid supplements early in pregnancy may reduce child's risk of autism
Vitamin D Potency Varies Widely in Dietary Supplements
Vitamin D, Omega-3 May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found in Alzheimer's
Green Tea and Red Wine Extracts Interrupt Alzheimer's Disease Pathway in Cells
Southern diet could raise your risk of stroke
In the first large-scale study on the relationship between Southern foods and stroke, researchers characterized a Southern diet by a high intake of foods such as fried chicken, fried fish, fried potatoes, bacon, ham, liver and gizzards, and sugary drinks such as sweet tea. In addition to being high in fat, fried foods tend to be heavily salted.
Large Amounts of Vitamin C Increase Risk of Kidney Stones
Sunlight may help ward off rheumatoid arthritis in women
High supplemental calcium intake may increase risk of cardiovascular disease death in men
Low vitamin D levels may increase risk of Type 1 diabetes
Alcohol + diet drinks may increase intoxication
Olive oil component alleviates intestinal inflammation
Thousands Of Americans Register for NVIC's New Advocacy Portal During Vaccine Awareness Week
To contact us Click HERE
by Barbara Loe Fisher
Thousands of Americans living in all 50 states took action and registered for the new NVIC Advocacy Portal at www.NVICadvocacy.org during Vaccine Awareness Week (Nov. 1-6, 2010) co-sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) and Mercola.com. The NVIC Advocacy Portal, a free, online interactive database and communications network to help Americans protect and expand vaccine exemptions in state vaccine laws, was launched during the joint weeklong effort to raise public awareness about vaccine safety and informed consent issues.
More Than Two Million People Reached
More than two million people were reached during Vaccine Awareness Week through a series of articles and videos about vaccination published on Mercola.com. In a
joint press release issued Nov. 8, Dr. Joseph Mercola urged Americans to join with NVIC and Mercola.com and organize to protect vaccine choices.
"Americans should be free to say "yes" or "no" to using vaccines without being harassed or punished for the informed decision they make," said Dr. Mercola. "Like any drug or medical procedure a doctor recommends, getting a vaccine is a personal health choice and the voluntary consent of the patient is absolutely necessary."
Topics of articles about vaccination published on Mercola.com during Vaccine Awareness Week, included:
· NVIC Advocacy Portal
· Influenza
· Chickenpox & Shingles
· Hepatitis B
· HPV & Gardasil
· Vaccine Mandates & Big Business
Leveling the Playing Field in State Legislatures
Dawn Richardson, NVIC Director of Advocacy, who designed the web-based vaccine choice advocacy communications network, developed the Advocacy Portal to make it easier for average citizens to make their voices heard in state legislatures where vaccine exemptions are under attack.
Dawn said 'This is a dream for smart phone users who can be viewing a vaccine legislative action alert in their state, while also being able to get in immediate contact with their elected legislators to voice their opinion. We, the people, don't yet have the money to fight drug company lobbyists and doctors, who are camped out in state legislatures pushing for more vaccine mandates and the elimination of vaccine exemptions. This gives us an effective tool to help level the playing field."
Those who register on the NVIC Advocacy Portal become NVIC Advocacy Team Members and have access to:
· complete, up-to-date contact information for legislators
· vaccine tutorials
· webinars and conference calls
· tips for communicating with legislators and health officials
· web stickers for posting on websites, blogs, Facebook, MySpace
· urgent Action Alerts notifying NVIC Team Members about breaking vaccine legislation news
· online state and national vaccine newsletters
· "Tell a Friend" feature to send an online invitation to family and friends to join the NVIC Advocacy team
Getting Serious About Defending Informed Consent Rights
NVIC developed the NVIC Advocacy Portal because we know it is time to get serious about legally defending the human right to informed consent to medical risk-taking in America. Big medical organizations and doctors with financial ties to vaccine manufacturers are advocating for the elimination of vaccine exemptions in state vaccine laws. We cannot allow ourselves to become captive consumers of every new vaccine that drug companies produce.
NVIC is committed to making our Number One priority in the second decade of the 21st century the protection of the legal right for all Americans to make fully informed, voluntary decisions about vaccination for themselves and their children. NVIC is working to make sure that every state vaccine law includes:
· a medical exemption that does not require approval of state or federal government health officials;
· a religious exemption that is not questioned by doctors or government officials; and
· a conscientious belief exemption that allows citizens to obey their conscience and their personal or philosophical beliefs regarding vaccination.
NVIC & Mercola.com: Partners Since 2008
NVIC's partnership with Mercola.com, which ranks in the top five most visited health information websites in the world, is strengthening and expanding NVIC's three decade call for the institution of informed consent protections in US vaccine laws. Mercola.com hosts NVIC.org and NVICadvocacy.org and has worked with NVIC since 2008 to research and disseminate referenced information about vaccination and health.
Click here to make a comment and watch a video interview Dr. Mercola conducted on taking action NOW to protect vaccine choices.
Become an NVIC Facebook Fan and get a free vaccine report from NVIC.
Click here to register for the free NVIC Advocacy Portal.
Click here to make a donation to NVIC.
Let's Go to Nepal
To contact us Click HERE
The Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked state in South Asia that is known for its rich geography and holds 8 of the world's 10 tallest mountains- including Mount Everest, the highest place on earth.
If you are an adventure traveler then Nepal is your destination! Nepal is an extremely diverse country with a wide variety of activities to suit every traveler. Other than the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges, Nepal holds the Mid-Hills of rolling green terraced paddies and lush forests, and the jungles and plains of the hot and dusty Terai. Throughout all this, there are the white waters of Nepal's many rivers that race down from the Himalayas.
A few quick facts about Nepal:
-The Climate: Nepal's climate ranges from the steamy humid jungle to the freezing mountains and everywhere in between. FromOctober to February, woolen sweaters and jackets arenecessary. Short or long sleeved shirts are good from March through May. FromJune to September, light and loose garments are advisable.
-The Currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee, denoted by the ISO code NPR. It is abbreviated as Rp. Check current exchange rates.
-The Language: Nepali is the official language of Nepal; it is derived from Sanskrit and was formerly known as Khaskura. Useful phrases in Nepali.
Though Nepal is a developing country it is rich in culture and relies on tourism to bring in wealth and awareness of the beauty that Nepal has to offer the world. Stay tuned for the rest of the month as we highlight some of the fantastic experiences that Nepal has to offer.
If you are an adventure traveler then Nepal is your destination! Nepal is an extremely diverse country with a wide variety of activities to suit every traveler. Other than the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges, Nepal holds the Mid-Hills of rolling green terraced paddies and lush forests, and the jungles and plains of the hot and dusty Terai. Throughout all this, there are the white waters of Nepal's many rivers that race down from the Himalayas.
A few quick facts about Nepal:
-The Climate: Nepal's climate ranges from the steamy humid jungle to the freezing mountains and everywhere in between. FromOctober to February, woolen sweaters and jackets arenecessary. Short or long sleeved shirts are good from March through May. FromJune to September, light and loose garments are advisable.
-The Currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee, denoted by the ISO code NPR. It is abbreviated as Rp. Check current exchange rates.-The Language: Nepali is the official language of Nepal; it is derived from Sanskrit and was formerly known as Khaskura. Useful phrases in Nepali.
Though Nepal is a developing country it is rich in culture and relies on tourism to bring in wealth and awareness of the beauty that Nepal has to offer the world. Stay tuned for the rest of the month as we highlight some of the fantastic experiences that Nepal has to offer.
It's Not Too Late To Vaccinate Against Influenza
To contact us Click HERE
We are currently in the midst of National Influenza Week. It's not too late to vaccinate!
It is important to vaccinate against the flu now if you haven't already. Flu activity doesn’t usually peak until January or February in the United States and can last as late as May. Please call Passport Health at 1-888-499-PASS to make an appointment in one of our convenient locations.
It is important to vaccinate against the flu now if you haven't already. Flu activity doesn’t usually peak until January or February in the United States and can last as late as May. Please call Passport Health at 1-888-499-PASS to make an appointment in one of our convenient locations.
22 Şubat 2013 Cuma
Health Benefits of Coming Out
To contact us Click HERE
Sometimes we need a study to tell us what is obvious. A new Canadian study published in Psychosomatic Medicine shows gays, lesbians and bisexuals who "come out" about their sexuality are less anxious, burnt out and depressed than those who stay in the closet. AND they are even less anxious than straight people of similar age!
The researchers studied 87 men and women around 25 years old of various sexual orientations. They measured stress hormone levels, 21 bio markers related to immune function and symptoms of depression and found that the subjects who were open about their sexuality were the most mentally healthy compared to those who were still in the closet. Gays and lesbians who were honest with family and friends about their orientation no longer had to live a double-life and pretend to be something they weren't.
This study helped explain another study published last year in the American Journal of Public Health. That one found that after Massachusetts enacted its same-sex marriage law in 2003, there was a significant drop in medical and mental health care visits by gay men. Of course costs also went down.
It isn't a surprise that living an authentic, honest life and being open with one's values is a building block for emotional and mental health. It is stressful to lie, hide or feel ashamed about one's self and stress hormones are released that contribute to anxiety, depression and even heart disease. I see patients all the time that are ill because if "dis-ease" more than disease. When we push feelings inside and don't deal with problems directly, it manifests in impaired immune systems, poor sleep, anxiety and disease.
So now we have at least two studies that show living honest, authentic lives are associated with better health. I think we knew that all along.
Sometimes we need a study to tell us what is obvious. A new Canadian study published in Psychosomatic Medicine shows gays, lesbians and bisexuals who "come out" about their sexuality are less anxious, burnt out and depressed than those who stay in the closet. AND they are even less anxious than straight people of similar age!The researchers studied 87 men and women around 25 years old of various sexual orientations. They measured stress hormone levels, 21 bio markers related to immune function and symptoms of depression and found that the subjects who were open about their sexuality were the most mentally healthy compared to those who were still in the closet. Gays and lesbians who were honest with family and friends about their orientation no longer had to live a double-life and pretend to be something they weren't.
This study helped explain another study published last year in the American Journal of Public Health. That one found that after Massachusetts enacted its same-sex marriage law in 2003, there was a significant drop in medical and mental health care visits by gay men. Of course costs also went down.
It isn't a surprise that living an authentic, honest life and being open with one's values is a building block for emotional and mental health. It is stressful to lie, hide or feel ashamed about one's self and stress hormones are released that contribute to anxiety, depression and even heart disease. I see patients all the time that are ill because if "dis-ease" more than disease. When we push feelings inside and don't deal with problems directly, it manifests in impaired immune systems, poor sleep, anxiety and disease.
So now we have at least two studies that show living honest, authentic lives are associated with better health. I think we knew that all along.
Baby Boomers Health Lags
To contact us Click HERE
The baby boomers are strictly identified as being born between 1946-1964. The boom lasted 19 years and delivered 76 million total births. "Leading Edge" boomers were between 1946 and 1955. They were the generation that were the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation that had ever lived. They were special and expected to have better lives than their parents.
Well, those leading edge boomers are now middle age and getting AARP bulletins. And a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals their overall health status was lower than prior generations, with only 13.2% reporting 'excellent' health compared with 32% of individuals in the previous generation (P < .001). To really paint the picture, researchers reported more than twice as many baby boomers used walking assist devices (6.9% vs 3.3%), more were limited in their work by disability (13.8% vs 10.1%), and 13.5% vs 8.8% were coping with some type of functional limitation.
But wait...that's not all.
In addition, more baby boomers are obese compared with the previous generation (38.7% vs 29.4%), and they reported exercising significantly less often (35.0% vs 49.9% exercised >12 times per month). In fact, more than half the baby boomer respondents said they engaged in no regular physical activity (52.2% vs 17.4%).
How can this be? The baby boomers have the benefit of great scientific research, all the health information in the world available on the internet and they are fat and sedentary?
These same baby boomers make up 26.1% of the U.S. population. That is a lot of unhealthy people.
So if we piece this study together it means that these baby boomers may live a few years longer than prior generations but they are more likely to suffer chronic illness and be unable to care for themselves.
As a baby boomer myself, I find this study to be alarming and depressing at the same time. It's not too late for boomers to save themselves and save their children from the burden of caring for them. They can start with learning the toxic effects of sugar and pre-packaged foods. Instead of going to Wallmart and buying more stuff we don't need, how about starting a rooftop garden or a walking group with friends. Buy a pedometer and a blood pressure monitor and take charge of your health.
I know this sounds preachy but this is just plain "messed-up" (as my 17year old would say). Baby Boomers, save yourselves! I don't want to watch everyone in an electric cart as I get older and I know there won't be enough doctors to take care of all of the chronic disease.
The baby boomers are strictly identified as being born between 1946-1964. The boom lasted 19 years and delivered 76 million total births. "Leading Edge" boomers were between 1946 and 1955. They were the generation that were the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation that had ever lived. They were special and expected to have better lives than their parents.Well, those leading edge boomers are now middle age and getting AARP bulletins. And a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals their overall health status was lower than prior generations, with only 13.2% reporting 'excellent' health compared with 32% of individuals in the previous generation (P < .001). To really paint the picture, researchers reported more than twice as many baby boomers used walking assist devices (6.9% vs 3.3%), more were limited in their work by disability (13.8% vs 10.1%), and 13.5% vs 8.8% were coping with some type of functional limitation.
But wait...that's not all.
In addition, more baby boomers are obese compared with the previous generation (38.7% vs 29.4%), and they reported exercising significantly less often (35.0% vs 49.9% exercised >12 times per month). In fact, more than half the baby boomer respondents said they engaged in no regular physical activity (52.2% vs 17.4%).
How can this be? The baby boomers have the benefit of great scientific research, all the health information in the world available on the internet and they are fat and sedentary?
These same baby boomers make up 26.1% of the U.S. population. That is a lot of unhealthy people.
So if we piece this study together it means that these baby boomers may live a few years longer than prior generations but they are more likely to suffer chronic illness and be unable to care for themselves.As a baby boomer myself, I find this study to be alarming and depressing at the same time. It's not too late for boomers to save themselves and save their children from the burden of caring for them. They can start with learning the toxic effects of sugar and pre-packaged foods. Instead of going to Wallmart and buying more stuff we don't need, how about starting a rooftop garden or a walking group with friends. Buy a pedometer and a blood pressure monitor and take charge of your health.I know this sounds preachy but this is just plain "messed-up" (as my 17year old would say). Baby Boomers, save yourselves! I don't want to watch everyone in an electric cart as I get older and I know there won't be enough doctors to take care of all of the chronic disease.
New Info on Tennis Elbow
To contact us Click HERE
New information has come out on what works and what doesn't work for lateral epicondylitis...aka: tennis elbow. A new study published in JAMA will change how we have treated this condition for decades.
Being a tennis player myself, I have suffered from this condition. The outside elbow, where the lower arm tendon inserts on the epicondyle bone gets inflamed and swinging a racket or even lifting a carton of milk out of the refrigerator can cause excruciating pain. This is a very common condition and can be caused by any repetitive motion of that muscle. One of my patients got it from clipping roses. Traditionally the treatment is anti-inflammatory medication (ibuprofen, aleeve), ice and rest. For serious cases, physiotherapy and injection with a corticosteroid has always proved effective in my practice.
The researchers found, however, that patients treated with a single corticosteroid injection had a 14% greater chance of poor outcome and a 77% increased risk for re-injury at 1 year relative to placebo. Eight weeks of physical therapy appeared to have no long-term benefit with the exception of decreased analgesic use.
The researchers compared corticosteroid injection with placebo injection and found no difference at one year. The corticosteroid injection did reduce pain at four weeks compared to placebo injection. At 26 weeks that corticosteroid injected patients did worse than the placebo injection. Physiotherapy patients had better pain relief at 4 weeks but no difference at one year.
How can we explain these results? The decreased pain relief at 4 weeks may have allowed the patient to resume activity or engage in excessive activity before the healing was complete. Pain is the body's way of telling us to do something different.
The take home message here is that we need to be willing to change our treatment modalities as new evidence is presented. Lateral epicondylitis is a condition that will benefit short term from physical therapy and corticosteroid injections should not be done. As difficult as it is for a tennis player, resting the tendon and allowing the body to heal is the best medicine.
New information has come out on what works and what doesn't work for lateral epicondylitis...aka: tennis elbow. A new study published in JAMA will change how we have treated this condition for decades.Being a tennis player myself, I have suffered from this condition. The outside elbow, where the lower arm tendon inserts on the epicondyle bone gets inflamed and swinging a racket or even lifting a carton of milk out of the refrigerator can cause excruciating pain. This is a very common condition and can be caused by any repetitive motion of that muscle. One of my patients got it from clipping roses. Traditionally the treatment is anti-inflammatory medication (ibuprofen, aleeve), ice and rest. For serious cases, physiotherapy and injection with a corticosteroid has always proved effective in my practice.
The researchers found, however, that patients treated with a single corticosteroid injection had a 14% greater chance of poor outcome and a 77% increased risk for re-injury at 1 year relative to placebo. Eight weeks of physical therapy appeared to have no long-term benefit with the exception of decreased analgesic use.
The researchers compared corticosteroid injection with placebo injection and found no difference at one year. The corticosteroid injection did reduce pain at four weeks compared to placebo injection. At 26 weeks that corticosteroid injected patients did worse than the placebo injection. Physiotherapy patients had better pain relief at 4 weeks but no difference at one year.
How can we explain these results? The decreased pain relief at 4 weeks may have allowed the patient to resume activity or engage in excessive activity before the healing was complete. Pain is the body's way of telling us to do something different.
The take home message here is that we need to be willing to change our treatment modalities as new evidence is presented. Lateral epicondylitis is a condition that will benefit short term from physical therapy and corticosteroid injections should not be done. As difficult as it is for a tennis player, resting the tendon and allowing the body to heal is the best medicine.
Technology and Health Care
To contact us Click HERE
One of my tennis friends asked me about new innovative smart phone technology and why it hasn't been embraced in health care. She had just watched a video about Dr. Eric Topol, Chief Academic Officer at Scripps Health in San Diego, and his demonstrations of how a smart phone could monitor blood sugar, take EKGs and cardiac ultrasounds and really deliver health care to the patient at home.
My friend's question; "If this technology is here, why isn't it being used?"
According to Dr. Topol, new apps for the smart phones could eliminate 80% of echocardiograms that are done in facilities at costs between $300-$1500 each. Having patients come into the office when they experience symptoms or for diabetics to get their blood sugar regulated could be eliminated. New technology could be data driven and personalized and save millions of wasted dollars in health care. So why is medicine so far behind the innovation curve?
The answer: No-one pays for it.
Why aren't all physicians using email to communicate with patients and save them an office visit? The politically correct answer is "remote medicine is not as good as seeing the patient in person and making sure the diagnosis is correct". The real answer is: No-one pays for it.
United States health care has complicated payment systems for work done. The payor for health care services is either Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) or hundreds of different (for-profit) insurance companies. CMS sets the payment rules that everyone follows. Medicare and all insurers will only pay for face to face visits. Reimbursement is for doing more and the more you do the more you get.
The doctor that tries to save a patient time and travel by covering a number of problems in one office visit will not be rewarded and, in fact, will be reimbursed less. If you do a skin biopsy on the same day you do a visit for arthritis flare, CMS and insurance companies will not pay for both things. Do them on separate face to face visit days and...voila...a better reimbursement for your time and skill.
Email, remote monitoring, remote echocardiograms, discussing tests via a smart phone are freebies. No patient visit means no reimbursement. The cost of putting in high technology is borne by the physician too.
Most physicians and hospitals and surgery centers and labs and pharmacies are happy with this status quo. There is great fear of change and so we continue to spend more on health care than any Nation in the world. We do wasteful mass screenings and 1/3 of all prescriptions are a waste. People who need care are not getting it and others are getting too much that they don't need.
ObamaCare is trying to make some gradual changes by supporting pilot programs to change the way healthcare is delivered. But it is slow going and innovative answers are out there. If we could just figure out how to pay for services, while using new cost-saving technology we would all be following Dr. Topol's future dream.
One of my tennis friends asked me about new innovative smart phone technology and why it hasn't been embraced in health care. She had just watched a video about Dr. Eric Topol, Chief Academic Officer at Scripps Health in San Diego, and his demonstrations of how a smart phone could monitor blood sugar, take EKGs and cardiac ultrasounds and really deliver health care to the patient at home. My friend's question; "If this technology is here, why isn't it being used?"
According to Dr. Topol, new apps for the smart phones could eliminate 80% of echocardiograms that are done in facilities at costs between $300-$1500 each. Having patients come into the office when they experience symptoms or for diabetics to get their blood sugar regulated could be eliminated. New technology could be data driven and personalized and save millions of wasted dollars in health care. So why is medicine so far behind the innovation curve?
The answer: No-one pays for it.
Why aren't all physicians using email to communicate with patients and save them an office visit? The politically correct answer is "remote medicine is not as good as seeing the patient in person and making sure the diagnosis is correct". The real answer is: No-one pays for it.
United States health care has complicated payment systems for work done. The payor for health care services is either Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) or hundreds of different (for-profit) insurance companies. CMS sets the payment rules that everyone follows. Medicare and all insurers will only pay for face to face visits. Reimbursement is for doing more and the more you do the more you get.
The doctor that tries to save a patient time and travel by covering a number of problems in one office visit will not be rewarded and, in fact, will be reimbursed less. If you do a skin biopsy on the same day you do a visit for arthritis flare, CMS and insurance companies will not pay for both things. Do them on separate face to face visit days and...voila...a better reimbursement for your time and skill.
Email, remote monitoring, remote echocardiograms, discussing tests via a smart phone are freebies. No patient visit means no reimbursement. The cost of putting in high technology is borne by the physician too.Most physicians and hospitals and surgery centers and labs and pharmacies are happy with this status quo. There is great fear of change and so we continue to spend more on health care than any Nation in the world. We do wasteful mass screenings and 1/3 of all prescriptions are a waste. People who need care are not getting it and others are getting too much that they don't need.
ObamaCare is trying to make some gradual changes by supporting pilot programs to change the way healthcare is delivered. But it is slow going and innovative answers are out there. If we could just figure out how to pay for services, while using new cost-saving technology we would all be following Dr. Topol's future dream.
Price of Health Care a Mystery for Patients
To contact us Click HERE
You have a $5000 annual deductible and need a test or treatment. It should be easy to find out upfront what it will cost, right? Good luck with that one!
I've written before about the problems with health care price transparency and hidden costs but there hasn't seemed to be much improvement over the years. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that only 16% of hospitals surveyed were able to provide an estimate for the total cost of a hip replacement procedure.
The researchers surveyed 122 hospitals covering all 50 States and asked each hospital to estimate the cost of a hip replacement for a 62 year old, uninsured individual who would pay "out-of-pocket". They found that:
It is unlikely that they were comparing apples to apples. Some estimates failed to cover physician fees or all costs but still, the question was quite simple and direct. They also found no correlation between high cost and top-ranked hospitals and there is no data that shows certain high cost hip implants were better than cheaper options.
There is no way consumers can be "market driven, cost conscious" if they can't get accurate pricing information. And there is really no justification for the price variance. It can't be explained by quality outcomes or any other measure.
If you live in the USA, you cannot be an informed consumer of health care.
You have a $5000 annual deductible and need a test or treatment. It should be easy to find out upfront what it will cost, right? Good luck with that one!I've written before about the problems with health care price transparency and hidden costs but there hasn't seemed to be much improvement over the years. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that only 16% of hospitals surveyed were able to provide an estimate for the total cost of a hip replacement procedure.
The researchers surveyed 122 hospitals covering all 50 States and asked each hospital to estimate the cost of a hip replacement for a 62 year old, uninsured individual who would pay "out-of-pocket". They found that:
- Only nine of the 20 orthopedic hospitals and 10% of the other hospitals could provide a full cost estimate for hospital and physician fees after a minimum of five phone calls;
- 12 of the orthopedic hospitals could provide a complete cost estimate after the researchers contacted the hospital and affiliated physicians separately; and
- 54 of the remaining hospitals could provide a complete cost estimate after the hospitals and affiliated physicians were contacted separately.
- Many of the people they asked at hospitals seemed perplexed with the question and many times researchers were told they needed to make an office visit just to get an estimate.
It is unlikely that they were comparing apples to apples. Some estimates failed to cover physician fees or all costs but still, the question was quite simple and direct. They also found no correlation between high cost and top-ranked hospitals and there is no data that shows certain high cost hip implants were better than cheaper options.
There is no way consumers can be "market driven, cost conscious" if they can't get accurate pricing information. And there is really no justification for the price variance. It can't be explained by quality outcomes or any other measure.
If you live in the USA, you cannot be an informed consumer of health care. 21 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Feb. 21st Distinguished Scientist Seminar to Feature Dr. Thomas Vondriska
To contact us Click HERE
The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Dr. Thomas Vondriska, associate professor of anesthesiology, medicine and physiology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The lecture, titled "Systems Genomics of Chromatin Structure in Heart Failure," will take place Feb. 21, 2013, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA's main campus.
Dr. Vondriska trained at West Virginia University (BS in Biology), the University of Louisville (PhD in Physiology) and UCLA. Dr. Vondriska's lab is focused on chromatin structure and its regulation, particularly in the setting of heart disease. He also has many ongoing collaborations with investigators at UCLA and other institutions. Dr. Vondriska is a member of the Cardiovascular Research Laboratories (CVRL), the Molecular Biology Institute (MBI), and the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) graduate program at UCLA. To learn more about Dr. Vondriska, click here.
The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Dr. Thomas Vondriska, associate professor of anesthesiology, medicine and physiology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.The lecture, titled "Systems Genomics of Chromatin Structure in Heart Failure," will take place Feb. 21, 2013, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA's main campus.
Dr. Vondriska trained at West Virginia University (BS in Biology), the University of Louisville (PhD in Physiology) and UCLA. Dr. Vondriska's lab is focused on chromatin structure and its regulation, particularly in the setting of heart disease. He also has many ongoing collaborations with investigators at UCLA and other institutions. Dr. Vondriska is a member of the Cardiovascular Research Laboratories (CVRL), the Molecular Biology Institute (MBI), and the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) graduate program at UCLA. To learn more about Dr. Vondriska, click here.
USA Gold Humanism Honor Society Members Participate in 'Focus on Compassion' Week
To contact us Click HERE
In honor of the Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society's (GHHS) 3rd annual Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care, the University of South Alabama chapter of GHHS participated in several activities throughout the week to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine.
“This week reminded us of what is truly important – our patients,” said USA GHHS member Kaci Sims. “In the busy world of health care, one can become easily distracted. But at the end of the day, it's about that special patient connection – a squeeze of the hand, a smile from the heart, and offering help and hope to those who are hurting and need us the most.”
This year, GHHS members brought coffee and doughnuts to the nursing stations at the USA Medical Center and distributed “Thank You” cards to the nursing staff at USA Children's & Women's Hospital.
USA GHHS member Laura Jelf said Solidarity Day is a day to put others before yourself. “We must remember that something as simple as a smile or saying, 'Good morning!' goes a long way and can improve someone’s day," she said. Valentine’s Day goodie bags were also donated by the chapter to the ICU waiting rooms for the patient’s families. “We let the families of patients who are critically ill in the hospital this week know that we are thinking of them during this difficult time,” said USA GHHS member Sonia Savani. “Whatever small acts of kindness we can do to show our appreciation and support will not nearly be enough, but we hope that at the very least we can brighten a few days and make the people who deserve all the credit in the world feel even a little bit more appreciated.”
Other activities planned for the week include delivering flowers and handwritten notes to the nursing stations.
“We speak for all of our classmates when we say that it has been an absolute honor and privilege to be a medical student at USA, where patients are cared for with compassion on a daily basis by doctors, nurses, students and staff,” Savani said, “and where we are all called upon, as a very wise physician once said, ‘To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.’” (- Dr. Edward Trudeau)
The GHHS Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care was initiated after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to honor the humanistic actions of Dr. Randall Friese, the trauma surgeon who first treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The senior medical students of the USA chapter of GHHS are Laura Jelf, William Kilgo, Emile Kleyn, William Moore, John Moultrie, Sonia Savani, Kaci Sims and Joseph Wehby.
Click here to learn more about the USA chapterof GHHS. To view more photos from this year's events, click here.
 |
| On Solidarity Day - Feb. 14, 2013 - USA medical students wore red to symbolize unity and to act as a reminder of the importance of compassion and love in health care. Pictured above are senior medical students of the USA chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. |
 |
| As part of the Gold Humanism Honor Society's 3rd annual Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care, goodie bags were distributed to hospital ancillary and cafeteria staff to thank them for their contributions. |
In honor of the Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society's (GHHS) 3rd annual Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care, the University of South Alabama chapter of GHHS participated in several activities throughout the week to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine.
“This week reminded us of what is truly important – our patients,” said USA GHHS member Kaci Sims. “In the busy world of health care, one can become easily distracted. But at the end of the day, it's about that special patient connection – a squeeze of the hand, a smile from the heart, and offering help and hope to those who are hurting and need us the most.”
This year, GHHS members brought coffee and doughnuts to the nursing stations at the USA Medical Center and distributed “Thank You” cards to the nursing staff at USA Children's & Women's Hospital.
USA GHHS member Laura Jelf said Solidarity Day is a day to put others before yourself. “We must remember that something as simple as a smile or saying, 'Good morning!' goes a long way and can improve someone’s day," she said. Valentine’s Day goodie bags were also donated by the chapter to the ICU waiting rooms for the patient’s families. “We let the families of patients who are critically ill in the hospital this week know that we are thinking of them during this difficult time,” said USA GHHS member Sonia Savani. “Whatever small acts of kindness we can do to show our appreciation and support will not nearly be enough, but we hope that at the very least we can brighten a few days and make the people who deserve all the credit in the world feel even a little bit more appreciated.”
Other activities planned for the week include delivering flowers and handwritten notes to the nursing stations.
“We speak for all of our classmates when we say that it has been an absolute honor and privilege to be a medical student at USA, where patients are cared for with compassion on a daily basis by doctors, nurses, students and staff,” Savani said, “and where we are all called upon, as a very wise physician once said, ‘To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.’” (- Dr. Edward Trudeau)
The GHHS Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care was initiated after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to honor the humanistic actions of Dr. Randall Friese, the trauma surgeon who first treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The senior medical students of the USA chapter of GHHS are Laura Jelf, William Kilgo, Emile Kleyn, William Moore, John Moultrie, Sonia Savani, Kaci Sims and Joseph Wehby.
Click here to learn more about the USA chapterof GHHS. To view more photos from this year's events, click here.
February Med School Café - 'Surgical Treatment of Seizures'
To contact us Click HERE
The February Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Juan G. Ochoa, associate professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine.
His lecture, titled “Surgical Treatment of Seizures,” will take place Feb. 28, 2013, at the USA Faculty Club on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.
Dr. Ochoa, who is the medical director for the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) at USA, will lecture on epilepsy, a disorder that results from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures. Dr. Ochoa will provide the latest information on the causes of epilepsy as well as innovative care options, including surgical treatment.
The EMU, located at the USA Medical Center, is a collaborative environment that provides unique and highly specialized care with state-of-the-art technology for patients with epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
Dr. Ochoa received his medical degree from Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Columbia. He conducted his family practice residency at Jamaica Hospital in New York and his neurology residency at State University of New York. In addition, he completed a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at Montefiore Hospital Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in medical education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@usouthal.edu.
Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.
The February Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Juan G. Ochoa, associate professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine.His lecture, titled “Surgical Treatment of Seizures,” will take place Feb. 28, 2013, at the USA Faculty Club on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.
Dr. Ochoa, who is the medical director for the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) at USA, will lecture on epilepsy, a disorder that results from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures. Dr. Ochoa will provide the latest information on the causes of epilepsy as well as innovative care options, including surgical treatment.
The EMU, located at the USA Medical Center, is a collaborative environment that provides unique and highly specialized care with state-of-the-art technology for patients with epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
Dr. Ochoa received his medical degree from Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Columbia. He conducted his family practice residency at Jamaica Hospital in New York and his neurology residency at State University of New York. In addition, he completed a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at Montefiore Hospital Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in medical education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@usouthal.edu.
Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.
Feb. 28th Distinguished Scientist Seminar to Feature Dr. Troy Randall
To contact us Click HERE
The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Dr. Troy Randall, J. Claude Bennett Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The lecture, titled "Local Immunity to Tumors and other Antigens in the Peritoneal Cavity," will take place Feb. 28, 2013, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA's main campus.
Dr. Randall earned his bachelor of science degree in chemistry at the University of Denver and his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. In addition, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University.
Dr. Randall's lab is focused on pulmonary immunity to viruses, tumors and allergens; peritoneal immunity to tumors and commensal organisms; control of CD8 T cell responses to viruses and tumors; and local control of autoimmune/inflammatory T and B cell responses.
To learn more about Dr. Randall's research, click here.
The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Dr. Troy Randall, J. Claude Bennett Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The lecture, titled "Local Immunity to Tumors and other Antigens in the Peritoneal Cavity," will take place Feb. 28, 2013, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA's main campus.
Dr. Randall earned his bachelor of science degree in chemistry at the University of Denver and his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. In addition, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University.
Dr. Randall's lab is focused on pulmonary immunity to viruses, tumors and allergens; peritoneal immunity to tumors and commensal organisms; control of CD8 T cell responses to viruses and tumors; and local control of autoimmune/inflammatory T and B cell responses.
To learn more about Dr. Randall's research, click here.
New MRI Machine Provides Faster Scans, Better Images
To contact us Click HERE
Dr. Melanie Clark, assistant professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, said the USA Medical Center has recently installed a new, more technologically advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine that provides doctors the best diagnostic imaging available in our region.
An MRI is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases, an MRI gives unique information about structures in the body and may also show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.
USA’s new MRI machine is a 3 Tesla (3T) model, and it replaced the previous 1.5 Tesla model MRI machine. A Tesla is the unit of measurement quantifying the strength of a magnetic field.
Dr. Clark said the new machine is more convenient and provides better quality of care to patients because of the capability for faster scans and better images. When a patient moves during an MRI it can distort the image. As a result, the faster and more efficient the machine is, the better the image will be. Faster results also make the examination more comfortable for the patients.
Dr. Clark said the overall enhanced resolution and fine detail the machine provides allows the referring physicians and interpreting radiologists a clearer picture, which produces better results for the patient.
“This is the only 3 Tesla MRI machine in the Alabama Gulf Coast area, and it dramatically decreases the examination time for the patient, as well as improves the image quality significantly,” Dr. Clark said. “It enhances everyone’s experience - both the physician and the patient.”
Doctors order MRI scans to diagnose a host of medical conditions, including tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases, or infections. An MRI also may be done to provide more information about a problem studied with another type of scan.
Dr. Clark trained an extra year in musculoskeletal imaging. At the USA Medical Center, she primarily reads scans of bones and joints in orthopaedic patients.
“At USA, I am the specialty reader for these scans and use my training and expertise to give the highest level of care to our patients and qualified guidance to the residents I train,” she said. “I am always available to any patient or clinician if they have questions.”
Dr. Clark also does procedures for patients to enhance the MRI’s capabilities to diagnose problems and procedures to relieve pain in joints, such as a hip injection.
She said the combination of MRI machines at the USA Medical Center and USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, along with the expertise of the radiology faculty, provides patients an opportunity for care that they can only get from an academic medical center.
“The MRI machine at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital is an open MRI with a special, wider opening, which is less intimidating for children and those who have claustrophobia,” she said. “Our new 3T MRI at the USA Medical Center complements that technology and helps us provide an unprecedented level of care for our patients that is unique to the area.”
Dr. Melanie Clark, assistant professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, said the USA Medical Center has recently installed a new, more technologically advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine that provides doctors the best diagnostic imaging available in our region.An MRI is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases, an MRI gives unique information about structures in the body and may also show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.
USA’s new MRI machine is a 3 Tesla (3T) model, and it replaced the previous 1.5 Tesla model MRI machine. A Tesla is the unit of measurement quantifying the strength of a magnetic field.
Dr. Clark said the new machine is more convenient and provides better quality of care to patients because of the capability for faster scans and better images. When a patient moves during an MRI it can distort the image. As a result, the faster and more efficient the machine is, the better the image will be. Faster results also make the examination more comfortable for the patients.
Dr. Clark said the overall enhanced resolution and fine detail the machine provides allows the referring physicians and interpreting radiologists a clearer picture, which produces better results for the patient.
“This is the only 3 Tesla MRI machine in the Alabama Gulf Coast area, and it dramatically decreases the examination time for the patient, as well as improves the image quality significantly,” Dr. Clark said. “It enhances everyone’s experience - both the physician and the patient.”
Doctors order MRI scans to diagnose a host of medical conditions, including tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases, or infections. An MRI also may be done to provide more information about a problem studied with another type of scan.
Dr. Clark trained an extra year in musculoskeletal imaging. At the USA Medical Center, she primarily reads scans of bones and joints in orthopaedic patients.
“At USA, I am the specialty reader for these scans and use my training and expertise to give the highest level of care to our patients and qualified guidance to the residents I train,” she said. “I am always available to any patient or clinician if they have questions.”
Dr. Clark also does procedures for patients to enhance the MRI’s capabilities to diagnose problems and procedures to relieve pain in joints, such as a hip injection.
She said the combination of MRI machines at the USA Medical Center and USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, along with the expertise of the radiology faculty, provides patients an opportunity for care that they can only get from an academic medical center.
“The MRI machine at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital is an open MRI with a special, wider opening, which is less intimidating for children and those who have claustrophobia,” she said. “Our new 3T MRI at the USA Medical Center complements that technology and helps us provide an unprecedented level of care for our patients that is unique to the area.”
20 Şubat 2013 Çarşamba
Diet high in glycemic index foods/dairy products =acne
To contact us Click HERE
A diet high in glycemic index foods and dairy products is now linked to acne, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The study also suggests using medical nutrition therapy (MNT) as a form of acne treatment. The findings support rising evidence of a link between diet and acne.
Over 17 million people in the United States have acne, which generally occurs during their teen and young adult years. Acne can affect quality of life and lead to:
* anxiety
* depression
* social withdraw
Because of these unfavorable consequences associated with the skin condition, treatment for acne is crucial.
Previous studies have always associated diet to this common skin condition. Since the 1800s, research pinpointed chocolate, sugar, and fat as diet factors contributing to acne. However, starting in the 1960s, studies began disassociating diet from acne.
Jennifer Burris, MS, RD, of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University said:
"This change occurred largely because of the results of two important research studies that are repeatedly cited in the literature and popular culture as evidence to refute the association between diet and acne. More recently, dermatologists and registered dietitians have revisited the diet-acne relationship and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutritional therapy in acne treatment."
The researchers, led by Burris, conducted a literature review to examine evidence for the link between acne and diet during three time periods: early history, the rise of diet-acne myth, and recent studies.
The investigators took information from studies between 1960 and 2012 that examined acne and diet. The study factors that were analyzed were:
* design
* participants
* reference
* intervention method
* results and conclusions
* primary outcome
* covariate considerations
* limitations
The study showed that a high glycemic index/glycemic load diet and high dairy intake are the primary factors in establishing the association between acne and diet.
A diet high in glycemic index foods and dairy products is now linked to acne, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The study also suggests using medical nutrition therapy (MNT) as a form of acne treatment. The findings support rising evidence of a link between diet and acne.
Over 17 million people in the United States have acne, which generally occurs during their teen and young adult years. Acne can affect quality of life and lead to:
* anxiety
* depression
* social withdraw
Because of these unfavorable consequences associated with the skin condition, treatment for acne is crucial.
Previous studies have always associated diet to this common skin condition. Since the 1800s, research pinpointed chocolate, sugar, and fat as diet factors contributing to acne. However, starting in the 1960s, studies began disassociating diet from acne.
Jennifer Burris, MS, RD, of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University said:
"This change occurred largely because of the results of two important research studies that are repeatedly cited in the literature and popular culture as evidence to refute the association between diet and acne. More recently, dermatologists and registered dietitians have revisited the diet-acne relationship and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutritional therapy in acne treatment."
The researchers, led by Burris, conducted a literature review to examine evidence for the link between acne and diet during three time periods: early history, the rise of diet-acne myth, and recent studies.
The investigators took information from studies between 1960 and 2012 that examined acne and diet. The study factors that were analyzed were:
* design
* participants
* reference
* intervention method
* results and conclusions
* primary outcome
* covariate considerations
* limitations
The study showed that a high glycemic index/glycemic load diet and high dairy intake are the primary factors in establishing the association between acne and diet.
Study: Resveratrol shows promise to protect hearing, cognition
To contact us Click HERE
Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
The study shows that healthy rats are less likely to suffer the long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss when given resveratrol before being exposed to loud noise for a long period of time.
"Our latest study focuses on resveratrol and its effect on bioinflammation, the body's response to injury and something that is believed to be the cause of many health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, aging and hearing loss," says study lead author Michael D. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
"Resveratrol is a very powerful chemical that seems to protect against the body's inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss."
The study is published online this week ahead of print in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: http://oto.sagepub.com.
Hearing loss affects nearly one in five Americans. For most, hearing steadily declines with age. Noise-induced hearing loss, too, is a growing medical issue among American troops, with more than 12 percent returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with significant hearing loss.
Noise-induced hearing loss not only impacts a person's ability to hear, it can cause difficulties with sleep and communication, and even raises the risk for heart disease by increasing a person's blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar.
Dr. Seidman and his colleagues have published multiple papers exploring noise-induced hearing loss, as well as the use of resveratrol, a grape constituent noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The latest study focuses the inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss.
It was designed to identify the potential protective mechanism of resveratrol following noise exposure by measuring its effect on cyclooxygenase-2 (or COX-2, key to the inflammatory process) protein expression and formation of reactive oxygen species, which plays an important role in cell signaling and homeostasis.
The study reveals that acoustic overstimulation causes a time-depended, up-regulation of COX-2 protein expression. And, resveratrol significantly reduces reactive oxygen species formation, inhibits COX-2 expression and reduces noise-induced hearing loss following noise exposure in rats.
"We've shown that by giving animals resveratrol, we can reduce the amount of hearing and cognitive decline," notes Dr. Seidman.
Ultimately, these findings suggest that resveratrol may exert a protective effect from noise-induced hearing loss by the inhibition of COX-2 expression and reactive oxygen species formation, although other mechanism may also be involved.
Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
The study shows that healthy rats are less likely to suffer the long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss when given resveratrol before being exposed to loud noise for a long period of time.
"Our latest study focuses on resveratrol and its effect on bioinflammation, the body's response to injury and something that is believed to be the cause of many health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, aging and hearing loss," says study lead author Michael D. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
"Resveratrol is a very powerful chemical that seems to protect against the body's inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss."
The study is published online this week ahead of print in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: http://oto.sagepub.com.
Hearing loss affects nearly one in five Americans. For most, hearing steadily declines with age. Noise-induced hearing loss, too, is a growing medical issue among American troops, with more than 12 percent returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with significant hearing loss.
Noise-induced hearing loss not only impacts a person's ability to hear, it can cause difficulties with sleep and communication, and even raises the risk for heart disease by increasing a person's blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar.
Dr. Seidman and his colleagues have published multiple papers exploring noise-induced hearing loss, as well as the use of resveratrol, a grape constituent noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The latest study focuses the inflammatory process as it relates to aging, cognition and hearing loss.
It was designed to identify the potential protective mechanism of resveratrol following noise exposure by measuring its effect on cyclooxygenase-2 (or COX-2, key to the inflammatory process) protein expression and formation of reactive oxygen species, which plays an important role in cell signaling and homeostasis.
The study reveals that acoustic overstimulation causes a time-depended, up-regulation of COX-2 protein expression. And, resveratrol significantly reduces reactive oxygen species formation, inhibits COX-2 expression and reduces noise-induced hearing loss following noise exposure in rats.
"We've shown that by giving animals resveratrol, we can reduce the amount of hearing and cognitive decline," notes Dr. Seidman.
Ultimately, these findings suggest that resveratrol may exert a protective effect from noise-induced hearing loss by the inhibition of COX-2 expression and reactive oxygen species formation, although other mechanism may also be involved.
Thousands Of Americans Register for NVIC's New Advocacy Portal During Vaccine Awareness Week
To contact us Click HERE
by Barbara Loe Fisher
Thousands of Americans living in all 50 states took action and registered for the new NVIC Advocacy Portal at www.NVICadvocacy.org during Vaccine Awareness Week (Nov. 1-6, 2010) co-sponsored by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) and Mercola.com. The NVIC Advocacy Portal, a free, online interactive database and communications network to help Americans protect and expand vaccine exemptions in state vaccine laws, was launched during the joint weeklong effort to raise public awareness about vaccine safety and informed consent issues.
More Than Two Million People Reached
More than two million people were reached during Vaccine Awareness Week through a series of articles and videos about vaccination published on Mercola.com. In a
joint press release issued Nov. 8, Dr. Joseph Mercola urged Americans to join with NVIC and Mercola.com and organize to protect vaccine choices.
"Americans should be free to say "yes" or "no" to using vaccines without being harassed or punished for the informed decision they make," said Dr. Mercola. "Like any drug or medical procedure a doctor recommends, getting a vaccine is a personal health choice and the voluntary consent of the patient is absolutely necessary."
Topics of articles about vaccination published on Mercola.com during Vaccine Awareness Week, included:
· NVIC Advocacy Portal
· Influenza
· Chickenpox & Shingles
· Hepatitis B
· HPV & Gardasil
· Vaccine Mandates & Big Business
Leveling the Playing Field in State Legislatures
Dawn Richardson, NVIC Director of Advocacy, who designed the web-based vaccine choice advocacy communications network, developed the Advocacy Portal to make it easier for average citizens to make their voices heard in state legislatures where vaccine exemptions are under attack.
Dawn said 'This is a dream for smart phone users who can be viewing a vaccine legislative action alert in their state, while also being able to get in immediate contact with their elected legislators to voice their opinion. We, the people, don't yet have the money to fight drug company lobbyists and doctors, who are camped out in state legislatures pushing for more vaccine mandates and the elimination of vaccine exemptions. This gives us an effective tool to help level the playing field."
Those who register on the NVIC Advocacy Portal become NVIC Advocacy Team Members and have access to:
· complete, up-to-date contact information for legislators
· vaccine tutorials
· webinars and conference calls
· tips for communicating with legislators and health officials
· web stickers for posting on websites, blogs, Facebook, MySpace
· urgent Action Alerts notifying NVIC Team Members about breaking vaccine legislation news
· online state and national vaccine newsletters
· "Tell a Friend" feature to send an online invitation to family and friends to join the NVIC Advocacy team
Getting Serious About Defending Informed Consent Rights
NVIC developed the NVIC Advocacy Portal because we know it is time to get serious about legally defending the human right to informed consent to medical risk-taking in America. Big medical organizations and doctors with financial ties to vaccine manufacturers are advocating for the elimination of vaccine exemptions in state vaccine laws. We cannot allow ourselves to become captive consumers of every new vaccine that drug companies produce.
NVIC is committed to making our Number One priority in the second decade of the 21st century the protection of the legal right for all Americans to make fully informed, voluntary decisions about vaccination for themselves and their children. NVIC is working to make sure that every state vaccine law includes:
· a medical exemption that does not require approval of state or federal government health officials;
· a religious exemption that is not questioned by doctors or government officials; and
· a conscientious belief exemption that allows citizens to obey their conscience and their personal or philosophical beliefs regarding vaccination.
NVIC & Mercola.com: Partners Since 2008
NVIC's partnership with Mercola.com, which ranks in the top five most visited health information websites in the world, is strengthening and expanding NVIC's three decade call for the institution of informed consent protections in US vaccine laws. Mercola.com hosts NVIC.org and NVICadvocacy.org and has worked with NVIC since 2008 to research and disseminate referenced information about vaccination and health.
Click here to make a comment and watch a video interview Dr. Mercola conducted on taking action NOW to protect vaccine choices.
Become an NVIC Facebook Fan and get a free vaccine report from NVIC.
Click here to register for the free NVIC Advocacy Portal.
Click here to make a donation to NVIC.
Let's Go to Nepal
To contact us Click HERE
The Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked state in South Asia that is known for its rich geography and holds 8 of the world's 10 tallest mountains- including Mount Everest, the highest place on earth.
If you are an adventure traveler then Nepal is your destination! Nepal is an extremely diverse country with a wide variety of activities to suit every traveler. Other than the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges, Nepal holds the Mid-Hills of rolling green terraced paddies and lush forests, and the jungles and plains of the hot and dusty Terai. Throughout all this, there are the white waters of Nepal's many rivers that race down from the Himalayas.
A few quick facts about Nepal:
-The Climate: Nepal's climate ranges from the steamy humid jungle to the freezing mountains and everywhere in between. FromOctober to February, woolen sweaters and jackets arenecessary. Short or long sleeved shirts are good from March through May. FromJune to September, light and loose garments are advisable.
-The Currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee, denoted by the ISO code NPR. It is abbreviated as Rp. Check current exchange rates.
-The Language: Nepali is the official language of Nepal; it is derived from Sanskrit and was formerly known as Khaskura. Useful phrases in Nepali.
Though Nepal is a developing country it is rich in culture and relies on tourism to bring in wealth and awareness of the beauty that Nepal has to offer the world. Stay tuned for the rest of the month as we highlight some of the fantastic experiences that Nepal has to offer.
If you are an adventure traveler then Nepal is your destination! Nepal is an extremely diverse country with a wide variety of activities to suit every traveler. Other than the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges, Nepal holds the Mid-Hills of rolling green terraced paddies and lush forests, and the jungles and plains of the hot and dusty Terai. Throughout all this, there are the white waters of Nepal's many rivers that race down from the Himalayas.
A few quick facts about Nepal:
-The Climate: Nepal's climate ranges from the steamy humid jungle to the freezing mountains and everywhere in between. FromOctober to February, woolen sweaters and jackets arenecessary. Short or long sleeved shirts are good from March through May. FromJune to September, light and loose garments are advisable.
-The Currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee, denoted by the ISO code NPR. It is abbreviated as Rp. Check current exchange rates.-The Language: Nepali is the official language of Nepal; it is derived from Sanskrit and was formerly known as Khaskura. Useful phrases in Nepali.
Though Nepal is a developing country it is rich in culture and relies on tourism to bring in wealth and awareness of the beauty that Nepal has to offer the world. Stay tuned for the rest of the month as we highlight some of the fantastic experiences that Nepal has to offer.
It's Not Too Late To Vaccinate Against Influenza
To contact us Click HERE
We are currently in the midst of National Influenza Week. It's not too late to vaccinate!
It is important to vaccinate against the flu now if you haven't already. Flu activity doesn’t usually peak until January or February in the United States and can last as late as May. Please call Passport Health at 1-888-499-PASS to make an appointment in one of our convenient locations.
It is important to vaccinate against the flu now if you haven't already. Flu activity doesn’t usually peak until January or February in the United States and can last as late as May. Please call Passport Health at 1-888-499-PASS to make an appointment in one of our convenient locations.
19 Şubat 2013 Salı
No More Surveys Please!
To contact us Click HERE
Why not? Because most surveys are composed to get the answers desired, to limit what can be selected, and in general not very insightful. In the last three years, I would look forward to possibly completing a survey, but the more I completed, the more disappointed I became.
One common type of question is the ranking of several possibilities which expresses few of the choices I would have liked to have seen. Many were written to cover only what the people originating the survey wanted to see answered, not what the real world would like to answer or for some even what it is like in the real world of diabetes.
Then there are the questions which allow for one answer only and would have been better answered using a ranking. Who thinks these up? Is the person responsible even knowledgeable about diabetes? I really have to wonder!
Instead of selecting an answer from their list – why don't they allow for other answers that are probably more important to the people they what to complete the survey. Do I think some of the questions are idiotic? Very definitely. Until I can see all the questions being asked and decide if I even want to answer the questions, I will not take any more surveys. I am tired of selecting the answer or ranking and clicking enter or continue to see the next question.
Then there are the surveys to help the authors decide if you are a candidate for the questions they want to really ask and if you would be someone they want to take their survey or to participate in an online discussion. Those really irritate me and let me know that I will not be a part of something so narrowly focused as I am probably in total disagreement to begin with.
Now for the ones that make my blood pressure head for the stratosphere – in the next 17 months we will be bombarded with political surveys. Now maybe you will understand why I ditched the land line and went to a mobile phone with caller ID. Sorry folks, I will cast my vote the way I chose for the candidate I chose based on his/her stand on the issues – not that this can always be depended on as they soon learn to compromise. If they are compromising my health and issues I believe in, they won't receive my vote the next election.
If I have rubbed some people the wrong way, so be it. I have had it with the meaningless surveys!
One common type of question is the ranking of several possibilities which expresses few of the choices I would have liked to have seen. Many were written to cover only what the people originating the survey wanted to see answered, not what the real world would like to answer or for some even what it is like in the real world of diabetes.
Then there are the questions which allow for one answer only and would have been better answered using a ranking. Who thinks these up? Is the person responsible even knowledgeable about diabetes? I really have to wonder!
Instead of selecting an answer from their list – why don't they allow for other answers that are probably more important to the people they what to complete the survey. Do I think some of the questions are idiotic? Very definitely. Until I can see all the questions being asked and decide if I even want to answer the questions, I will not take any more surveys. I am tired of selecting the answer or ranking and clicking enter or continue to see the next question.
Then there are the surveys to help the authors decide if you are a candidate for the questions they want to really ask and if you would be someone they want to take their survey or to participate in an online discussion. Those really irritate me and let me know that I will not be a part of something so narrowly focused as I am probably in total disagreement to begin with.
Now for the ones that make my blood pressure head for the stratosphere – in the next 17 months we will be bombarded with political surveys. Now maybe you will understand why I ditched the land line and went to a mobile phone with caller ID. Sorry folks, I will cast my vote the way I chose for the candidate I chose based on his/her stand on the issues – not that this can always be depended on as they soon learn to compromise. If they are compromising my health and issues I believe in, they won't receive my vote the next election.
If I have rubbed some people the wrong way, so be it. I have had it with the meaningless surveys!
Old Guard Insists On Medical Resident's Initiation
To contact us Click HERE
I might have known that the old guard medical establishment would not give up easily. When I wrote this blog in January, I accused the old guard of using medical hazing like they were initiating college freshmen. Old habit dies hard, and the old guard has had to give way on first year residents, but after that it appears all bets are off until the next legal battle. In the interim, the initiations must go forward.
Never mind the errors medical residents will make and patients that may have their lives taken or damaged, medical initiation for medical residents must continue. Flying in the face of patient safety and reasonable work hours, effective July 1, 2011, medical residents can be scheduled to work up to 24 hours straight through and then have an additional 4 hours tacked on to their working schedule.
As patients, we can only hope that the teaching hospitals and all hospital with residents have excellent liability insurance and have their premiums paid up-to-date. It is not an, if this happens, but when it happens, patients lives are at risk and medical careers may be ended before even blossoming. But the old guard medical establishment feels this is the only way to teach medical students how to think on their feet and maintain medical initiation rites they had to endure.
Coauthor Lucian Leape, MD, an adjunct professor of health policy at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, in a press release accompanying the article said “the current system amounts to an abuse of patient trust.” Well said doctor! Therefore, any patient entering a teaching hospital must be aware that patient safety is not high on the priority list. The initiation rite of medical residents is top of the list and you as the patient will have your safety put at high risk by residents lacking in sleep and probably not at their best for functioning effectively.
I know that I will be hard pressed to remain in one of these situations once I have reestablished by cognitive abilities if I am taken there in an emergency situation. My wife has been told not to allow this.
What is not clear is how much rest time the medical residents get between 24 or 28 hours tours of duty. This has to be wearing on their psyche as well as a drain on their health.
Read the press release here.
Never mind the errors medical residents will make and patients that may have their lives taken or damaged, medical initiation for medical residents must continue. Flying in the face of patient safety and reasonable work hours, effective July 1, 2011, medical residents can be scheduled to work up to 24 hours straight through and then have an additional 4 hours tacked on to their working schedule.
As patients, we can only hope that the teaching hospitals and all hospital with residents have excellent liability insurance and have their premiums paid up-to-date. It is not an, if this happens, but when it happens, patients lives are at risk and medical careers may be ended before even blossoming. But the old guard medical establishment feels this is the only way to teach medical students how to think on their feet and maintain medical initiation rites they had to endure.
Coauthor Lucian Leape, MD, an adjunct professor of health policy at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, in a press release accompanying the article said “the current system amounts to an abuse of patient trust.” Well said doctor! Therefore, any patient entering a teaching hospital must be aware that patient safety is not high on the priority list. The initiation rite of medical residents is top of the list and you as the patient will have your safety put at high risk by residents lacking in sleep and probably not at their best for functioning effectively.
I know that I will be hard pressed to remain in one of these situations once I have reestablished by cognitive abilities if I am taken there in an emergency situation. My wife has been told not to allow this.
What is not clear is how much rest time the medical residents get between 24 or 28 hours tours of duty. This has to be wearing on their psyche as well as a drain on their health.
Read the press release here.
'White Coat Effect” Is For Real
To contact us Click HERE
Are you a person that takes your blood pressure at home? If so is it consistently lower than that taken in the doctor's office? If so, you may have “white coat effect” (or syndrome if your prefer) or an alternate problem that you have not been allowed to rest for the five minutes before they take your blood pressure. In some offices and clinics, there is a lengthy walk before arriving at the office where the doctor will see you.
This walk can be just enough to start to raise your blood pressure, and then some nurses insist that they take your BP just as soon as you sit down. So just remember that both can affect you blood pressure and the combination can add to the measurement in the doctor's office. Of course, there is a third alternative for men – the nurse may be very attractive – sorry, we won't go there.
Researchers at Duke University and the Durham, NC VA Medical Center have completed a study that supports the white coat syndrome. The study reports that blood pressure readings were consistently higher in the doctors' offices than those taken at home or even in the research setting. While doctors generally rely on one or two BP readings to determine if the patients need treatment for high blood pressure or if it is controlled sufficiently by patients already on medications. This study points out that changes need to be considered.
The researchers felt that repeated measurements taken at home may help give a more accurate display of blood pressure management that a single reading in a doctor's office. The research findings support the idea that the stress of a medical exam can cause large elevations in blood pressure. The researchers also stated that blood pressure normally fluctuates from hour to hour and from day to day, but even knowing this, they were surprised by the large differences between clinic and home readings.
The message for patients is that it is extremely difficult for doctors to know if BP is in or out of control without having multiple measurements. Because of the large differences between clinic and home readings, it is important to take home readings with you to the doctor as this can help the doctor make better decisions for you. Also be aware the some doctors do not accept home BP readings and will ignore them – possibly to your detriment. So discussion beforehand may be necessary.
Read two separate reports of the study here and here.
This walk can be just enough to start to raise your blood pressure, and then some nurses insist that they take your BP just as soon as you sit down. So just remember that both can affect you blood pressure and the combination can add to the measurement in the doctor's office. Of course, there is a third alternative for men – the nurse may be very attractive – sorry, we won't go there.
Researchers at Duke University and the Durham, NC VA Medical Center have completed a study that supports the white coat syndrome. The study reports that blood pressure readings were consistently higher in the doctors' offices than those taken at home or even in the research setting. While doctors generally rely on one or two BP readings to determine if the patients need treatment for high blood pressure or if it is controlled sufficiently by patients already on medications. This study points out that changes need to be considered.
The researchers felt that repeated measurements taken at home may help give a more accurate display of blood pressure management that a single reading in a doctor's office. The research findings support the idea that the stress of a medical exam can cause large elevations in blood pressure. The researchers also stated that blood pressure normally fluctuates from hour to hour and from day to day, but even knowing this, they were surprised by the large differences between clinic and home readings.
The message for patients is that it is extremely difficult for doctors to know if BP is in or out of control without having multiple measurements. Because of the large differences between clinic and home readings, it is important to take home readings with you to the doctor as this can help the doctor make better decisions for you. Also be aware the some doctors do not accept home BP readings and will ignore them – possibly to your detriment. So discussion beforehand may be necessary.
Read two separate reports of the study here and here.
'Dignity Therapy' Gives Comfort to Dying Patients
To contact us Click HERE
Dignity therapy involves a short course in psychotherapy that focuses on helping patients with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, that are capable of verbalizing themselves, to do so in a manner that allows them to feel that they can accomplish needed activities in the end-of-life setting.
It encourages these patients to heal family relationships and express themselves in what they desire for the following generations plus pass along information to the younger generations. This form of therapy also encourages saying things to loved ones that have remained unsaid to achieve closure. The therapist then helps the patient craft a meaningful document based on the 60-minute sessions.
By using dignity therapy for those that had less than six months to live, it helped them find some meaning and purpose to the end of life and to share their life's story and experiences with family members. When you talk to people about their life, you allow them to step out of the current situation and become the parent, business person or what their occupation was. This allows the patient to be someone and not just a number.
Getting to know the person, not the patient, allows them the opportunity to explain what their role has been in the family, the community, and express what they are happy about in what they have accomplished. The researchers comment that the patients who received dignity therapy “often has a quality-of-life experience that they could not have expected and although this is difficult to assess, it can be poignant and profound.
As an example, it is stated that a 56-year-old woman said: “Mostly, I want my family to know that I'm okay with dying and they must move on. The therapy showed me that I am not the cancer, I am still in here. I am so grateful for that because I lost myself.... It really helped me remember who I am.”
Several authorities who reviewed the study commented that this type of therapy should be offered to all patients with terminal illnesses. The feeling has been that if you don;t have a long time to be in therapy, it won't be helpful, but that is not true. Dignity therapy will help patients finish their lives on a positive note and can go far in healing familial relations that might be undone otherwise.
The transition from active treatment to palliative care is often difficult for patients and their families, and this can even be true for healthcare professionals intimately involved with the care of the patient. Psychotherapeutic interventions, such as dignity therapy, offer timely opportunities for patients and families to address important issues.
This stood out as an important issue in the study report. There are some other thoughts that are helpful in the results of the study that you can read here and another report here.
It encourages these patients to heal family relationships and express themselves in what they desire for the following generations plus pass along information to the younger generations. This form of therapy also encourages saying things to loved ones that have remained unsaid to achieve closure. The therapist then helps the patient craft a meaningful document based on the 60-minute sessions.
By using dignity therapy for those that had less than six months to live, it helped them find some meaning and purpose to the end of life and to share their life's story and experiences with family members. When you talk to people about their life, you allow them to step out of the current situation and become the parent, business person or what their occupation was. This allows the patient to be someone and not just a number.
Getting to know the person, not the patient, allows them the opportunity to explain what their role has been in the family, the community, and express what they are happy about in what they have accomplished. The researchers comment that the patients who received dignity therapy “often has a quality-of-life experience that they could not have expected and although this is difficult to assess, it can be poignant and profound.
As an example, it is stated that a 56-year-old woman said: “Mostly, I want my family to know that I'm okay with dying and they must move on. The therapy showed me that I am not the cancer, I am still in here. I am so grateful for that because I lost myself.... It really helped me remember who I am.”
Several authorities who reviewed the study commented that this type of therapy should be offered to all patients with terminal illnesses. The feeling has been that if you don;t have a long time to be in therapy, it won't be helpful, but that is not true. Dignity therapy will help patients finish their lives on a positive note and can go far in healing familial relations that might be undone otherwise.
The transition from active treatment to palliative care is often difficult for patients and their families, and this can even be true for healthcare professionals intimately involved with the care of the patient. Psychotherapeutic interventions, such as dignity therapy, offer timely opportunities for patients and families to address important issues.
This stood out as an important issue in the study report. There are some other thoughts that are helpful in the results of the study that you can read here and another report here.
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)