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MayoClinic.com
Cord blood banking: Should I consider it?

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Cord blood banking — Understand the difference between public and private cord blood donation. Sponsored by:Chemotherapy.com - http://www.chemotherapy.com
Recipe: Baked ziti with vegetables

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Baked ziti with vegetables — one of many healthy recipes from Mayo Clinic. Sponsored by:Chemotherapy.com - http://www.chemotherapy.com
Memory loss: When to seek help

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Memory loss in Alzheimer's follows a pattern distinct from that of normal memory loss. Sponsored by:Chemotherapy.com - http://www.chemotherapy.com
Recipe: Basil butter and sun-dried tomato sauce

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Basil butter and sun-dried tomato sauce — one of many healthy recipes from Mayo Clinic. Sponsored by:Chemotherapy.com - http://www.chemotherapy.com
Fitness ball exercises: Good for my abs?

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Fitness ball exercises can add variety and challenge to your ab workouts. Sponsored by:Chemotherapy.com - http://www.chemotherapy.com

Medpagetoday
Rebound Acid Reflux with PPIs May Induce Dependence (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 2:42 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- Proton-pump inhibitors may cause or aggravate the very acid-reflux symptoms they are used to treat, according to a randomized trial.
Tab for Senate Healthcare Reform Bill Drops to $611 Billion

2 Jul 2009 | 2:28 pm

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- With a cost of about $611 billion over 10 years, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee's healthcare reform bill comes in significantly lower than the expected trillion-plus price tag.
ASMBS: Gastric Banding Less Effective than Other Procedures (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 1:23 pm

DALLAS (MedPage Today) -- Patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding achieved less weight loss and less improvement in comorbid conditions than those who had gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.
FDA Approves Heart Drug After New Trials

2 Jul 2009 | 12:07 pm

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA has approved the antiarrhythmic dronedarone (Multaq) for treatment of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, the drug's developer announced today.
Clinical Pathways Improve Joint Replacement Outcomes (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 pm

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (MedPage Today) -- Organizational strategies known as clinical pathways can significantly improve the quality of care, shorten hospital stays, and reduce the cost of hip and knee joint replacements, a meta-analysis found.

WebMD Health
Fattest State Weighs Its Options

1 Jul 2009 | 5:15 pm

It's official, again. For the fifth year in a row, Mississippi is still the nation's heaviest state -- ground zero for obesity in the U.S.
Celiac Disease Cases Are on the Rise

1 Jul 2009 | 4:32 pm

Celiac disease -- the digestive disorder treated by banning wheat and other grains containing gluten from the diet -- is four times more common in the U.S. today than it was 50 years ago, a study shows.
Baby Born After Ovarian Transplant

1 Jul 2009 | 3:02 pm

French doctors report that a woman who banked her ovarian tissue before sickle cell anemia treatment had a baby girl after getting her ovarian tissue transplanted back into her.
Genetic Pattern Found in Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

1 Jul 2009 | 12:35 pm

A vast number of common gene variants come together in a perfect storm to increase risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, new studies reveal.
Cholesterol OK? Statins Still Help Heart

1 Jul 2009 | 10:15 am

Millions of people without established heart disease could benefit from cholesterol-lowering statin therapy even if they don't have high cholesterol, a new analysis suggests.

New York Times: Health
Well: Eating to Fuel Exercise

By TARA PARKER-POPE

2 Jul 2009 | 11:33 am

Sports nutrition expert Leslie Bonci talks about the best time to eat before and after exercise.
President Pushes Health Plan as an Economic Boon

By JEFF ZELENY

2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am

At a town-hall-style meeting, President Obama pushed his proposal for a health care overhaul as a cost-saver rather than an expenditure.
Skin Deep: Seeking Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes

By CAMILLE SWEENEY

2 Jul 2009 | 4:07 am

From fertile to post-fertile, many women are using natural methods to ease menopause symptoms.
Suicide Warnings for 2 Anti-Smoking Drugs

By GARDINER HARRIS and DUFF WILSON

1 Jul 2009 | 11:39 pm

Federal drug regulators warned that patients should be watched closely for signs of serious mental illness.
The Work-Up: Insured, but Bankrupted by Health Crises

By REED ABELSON

1 Jul 2009 | 4:28 pm

Some people counted as medically insured have coverage so meager that a medical crisis means financial calamity.

Smartbrief: The American College of Gastroenterology
Ulcerative Colitis: Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial of Budesonide-MMX (CB-01-02) 6 mg and 9 mg

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New -More-
Patient Perspective

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

"When we live with chronic illness, it's easy to get caught up in the every day crap -- the pain, the exhaustion, the confusi -More-
Trial stopped due to success of pancreatic tumor drug

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

A Phase III clinical trial of sunitinib or Sutent was stopped early after the drug showed significant improvement in progress -More-
Study: Constipation carries risk of other complications

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Constipation can increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fecal incontinence, colonic conditions and urolo -More- When Ulcerative Colitis flares... you may be able to relieve symptoms with topical flare therapy. Click here to download a patient information fact sheet to discuss a treatment option with your doctor.
Obesity: Fighting the bulge

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Do you weigh more than you should? If your goal is to shed excess pounds, you're not alone. -More-

Johnson & Johnson Health
People Who Have Cancer, embed version

2 Jul 2009 | 1:34 pm

People Who Have Cancer, embed version A social worker at a Boston hospital, who counsels patients with cancer, discovers that she herself has breast cancer. ©Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. 2009 From: JNJhealth Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 02:40 More in People & Blogs
10-minute clean up for kids!

1 Jul 2009 | 10:43 am

10-minute clean up for kids! Jendi, from Jendisjournal.com, demonstrates and efficient and FUN way to clean up clutter. From: JNJhealth Views: 16 0 ratings Time: 02:19 More in People & Blogs
People Who Have Cancer, part three

25 Jun 2009 | 2:03 pm

People Who Have Cancer, part three A social worker at a Boston hospital, who counsels patients with cancer, discovers that she herself has breast cancer. Neither Johnson & Johnson nor any of its operating companies (Johnson & Johnson) are responsible for third-party materials appearing on the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel, including but not limited to linked third-party videos, linked third-party sites, and third-party advertisements. J&J does not control or endorse this third-party content and makes no representations ... From: JNJhealth Views: 65 0 ratings Time: 01:59…
People Who Have Cancer, part two

25 Jun 2009 | 10:14 am

People Who Have Cancer, part two A social worker at a Boston hospital, who counsels patients with cancer, discovers that she herself has breast cancer. Neither Johnson & Johnson nor any of its operating companies (Johnson & Johnson) are responsible for third-party materials appearing on the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel, including but not limited to linked third-party videos, linked third-party sites, and third-party advertisements. J&J does not control or endorse this third-party content and makes no representations ... From: JNJhealth Views: 54 1 ratings Time: 02:22 More…
People Who Have Cancer, part one

24 Jun 2009 | 1:15 pm

People Who Have Cancer, part one A social worker at a Boston hospital, who counsels patients with cancer, discovers that she herself has breast cancer. Neither Johnson & Johnson nor any of its operating companies (Johnson & Johnson) are responsible for third-party materials appearing on the Johnson & Johnson Health Channel, including but not limited to linked third-party videos, linked third-party sites, and third-party advertisements. J&J does not control or endorse this third-party content and makes no representations ... From: JNJhealth Views: 921 0 ratings Time: 02:39 More…

CNN: Health
July 4th fireworks: Fun but dangerous, feds warn

2 Jul 2009 | 2:29 pm

Before lighting up that patriotic sparkler this weekend, remember to play it safe.
Aborigines at higher risk of swine flu

2 Jul 2009 | 3:43 am

Australia's Aboriginal people are at greater risk from the H1N1 virus, the country's health minister has warned.
AMA open to government-funded insurance option

1 Jul 2009 | 4:45 pm

The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation's doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.
Anti-smoking drugs to carry mental-health warnings

1 Jul 2009 | 3:11 pm

Two popular anti-smoking drugs will now carry warnings about the risk of severe mental health problems, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.
Mississippi tops U.S. obesity rankings

1 Jul 2009 | 1:44 pm

Mississippi has kept its U.S. heavyweight title for a fifth straight year, among both adults and children.

The Treatment
Here We Go Again: How to Read Those HELP Numbers

Jonathan Cohn

2 Jul 2009 | 5:19 am

Is it possible that everybody is misinterpretating the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of the Senate HELP bill...again?Yup.So far I've seen two different set of interpretations. One, the most common, is that the HELP committee figured out how to cover almost everybody--97 percent of the population--while requiring around $600 billion in outlays. (Woot woot!)The other is that the Senate HELP bill means reform is still leaving out 20 to 30 million people, while raising the deficit by $600 billion. (Boooooo.)Which one is right? Neither, actually--although, in fairness, it's a…
EXCLUSIVE: The *Real* HELP Bill. And It's Much Better.

Jonathan Cohn

1 Jul 2009 | 3:58 pm

A few weeks ago, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions set off an uproar when it submitted a work-in-progress for scoring by the Congressional Budget Office. The bill was missing major pieces, including a requirement that employers contribute towards the cost of their workers' coverage. And the resulting estimates looked awful: It would reduce the number of people without insurance by less than half, in part because a ton of people would drop or lose their employer-sponsored coverage.It was a meaningless set of numbers. You couldn't really tell much until the final bill,…
Sanders to Baucus, Fellow Dems: Who's In Charge Here?

Jonathan Cohn

1 Jul 2009 | 10:59 am

The quote of the day comes from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, in a telephone interview with Ezra Klein. And it's about Senator Max Baucus' effort to forge bipartisan health reform through a so-called "Coalition of the Willing": The Coalition of the Willing sounds a bit strange to me. You have a Democratic president and a Democratic majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate, and the coalition that is determining health-care policy are seven people, including four Republicans? I have a lot of respect for Max Baucus. I know he's working very hard. But I think his…
Second Opinions

tnr1.com

1 Jul 2009 | 8:34 am

Harold Pollack, is a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and Special Correspondent for The Treatment. In Tuesday’s Los Angeles Times, Rahul Rajkumar and I chide the American Medical Association for its guild-like special-interest stance in the debate over health reform. We were hardly alone. While our op-ed was in the queue, Jonathan Cohn, Ezra Klein, and Nicholas Kristof noted the AMA’s history of opposition to many progressive public health policies. Watching this latest twist in the health reform debate, I’m struck by extent that the AMA…
The Perils of Compromise, '80s Flashback Edition

Jonathan Cohn

30 Jun 2009 | 4:04 pm

Everybody knows that President Obama has learned the lessons of 1994. But what about the lessons of 1988? That's when the Catastrophic Medicare Act passed with broad bipartisan support, only to suffer a backlash that led to its repeal within two years. The trouble was that the law didn't offer immediate, tangible benefits, so that seniors started questioning whether the initiative was really worth it--particularly since Congress, in its determination to make the initiative self-financing, imposed both new taxes and premiums. Any of this sounding familar? I think so, as I explain in my…

American Medical News
AMA meeting: AMA reaffirms stance in health system reform debate

The Association keeps its options open on public plan issue amid calls from some delegates to take a stand.
AMA meeting: Don't shortchange specialists to fund care model

The AMA will ask CMS to help practices become patient-centered medical homes and to support models that allow non-primary care doctors to qualify.
Reform bills give some lawmakers sticker shock

The Finance Committee delays hearings on national health system reform legislation, while House leaders unveil a Medicare pay formula replacement.
First draft of EHR "meaningful use" definition unveiled

But the national health IT chief asks for revised recommendations, which will help determine who gets stimulus dollars.
Biologics don't need long market exclusivity, FTC says

But a generic biologics pathway bill that would grant at least 12 years of protection continues to attract co-sponsors.

Newswise: MedNews
Healthcare 411 Podcast Tip Sheet for July 1, 2009

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

In this week's Healthcare 411 podcast from AHRQ, stories about asthma care; integrated electronic medical records; and patient safety advisory councils.
Tick, Tick, Tick...Lyme Season has Begun, Physician Warns

2 Jul 2009 | 1:45 pm

The persistent cool and damp weather in the Northeast this spring put many outdoor activities on hold. With the weather finally improving, many people will head outdoors, and when they do, they are likely to ticks lurking, ready to latch onto the next warm-blooded body that comes by. "And that could spell serious health trouble," warns Dr. Chad Richmond, a UMDNJ family physician.
Sports Injuries Cause 1 in 5 Emergency Department Visits for Kids

2 Jul 2009 | 1:10 pm

Sports-related injuries such as bruises, scrapes and broken bones accounted for 22 percent of hospital emergency department visits for children ages 5 to 17.
Academy Sends Congress a Solution to Fix Broken Physician Payment System

2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 pm

The American Academy of Neurology Professional Association has sent a letter to Congress offering a solution to fix the way physicians are reimbursed under Medicare for treating patients with severe or disabling chronic conditions, such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, ALS, epilepsy and stroke. Several other physician and patient groups have signed onto the letter.
Prostate Cancer Patients Disease Free After Five Years Likely to be Disease Free After 10 Years

2 Jul 2009 | 12:45 pm

Prostate cancer patients who receive brachytherapy and remain free of disease for five years or greater are unlikely to have a recurrence at 10 years, according to a study in the July 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Medical News Today
FDA Panel Votes To Restrict Acetaminophen

2 Jul 2009 | 11:00 am

An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Tuesday to recommend new restrictions on the popular pain relief drug acetaminophen (known in many other countries as paracetamol), which is found in many US top selling over the counter medications such as Tylenol, aspirin-free Anacin, Excedrin, and also in prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals Completes Patient Accrual In Initial Phase 2 Study Of PH-10 For Atopic Dermatitis

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has completed patient accrual for its Phase 2 study of PH-10 for atopic dermatitis. PH-10 is the Company's topical drug for the treatment of dermatologic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that includes some forms of eczema.
Minimise Risks Of Phone Consultations, Warns Summons, Scotland

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

GP phone consultations carry definite risks, warns an article in the current edition of Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) magazine Summons today (Thursday, 2 July). Latest data suggests that between a tenth and a fifth of all daytime contacts between patients and GP surgeries are by phone, says the article, by GP and GP trainer Dr Malcolm Thomas.
Connecticut Health Department Urges Food Safety When Grilling Outdoors

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Summer is the season for sizzling - steaks, chicken, ribs, veggie kabobs and much more. The Connecticut Department of Public Health reminds everyone that food safety is essential when grilling outdoors and offers tips to ensure that family barbecues and backyard picnics remain fun, healthy outings.
New UK Drive To End Malaria Deaths

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

An additional 30 million bed nets, the development of life-saving new treatments and new funding to increase access to anti-malarial drugs are announced today in a package of measures by International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, as the UK continues its fight to rid the world of malaria.

What's Hot in Health
Taking Risks Is Part of Life

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm
Small Changes to Get Healthier

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm
6 Summer Health Hazards

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm
Can You Save Workouts for the Weekend?

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm
Can Money Really Buy Happiness?

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm

Health News
Cystic Fibrosis Treatment May Cause Hearing Loss

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pm
Study Casts Doubt on Low IQ's Role in Early Death

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pm
Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Often Overweight

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pm
New Drug Could Work Against Leukemia

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pm
Cancer Endangers Some Wildlife Species

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 pm

Reuters Health eLine
Milk at breakfast may mean less hunger at lunch

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having a glass of skim milk instead of fruit juice at breakfast may help people feel more full all the way up to lunch, a small study suggests.
Using the Internet to help young smokers quit

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is leading a $2.9 million National Cancer Institute project to increase demand for evidence-based, Internet-based smoking cessation treatment for young adults aged 18 to 24 years.
Glaucoma patients overrate their eyedrop skills

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although more than 90 percent of patients taking ocular medication reported feeling confident about their eyedrop instillation technique, less than one third actually demonstrated adequate skills, researchers report in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Outdoor athletes have heightened skin cancer risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Athletes involved in outdoor sports, even winter ones, may be at higher-than-average risk of skin cancer, according to a research review.
Father's depression may affect infant's colic

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Excessive crying in infants, otherwise known as colic, has been linked to symptoms of depression in the mother. Now a study conducted in the Netherlands links infant colic to depression in the father as well.

Health News: More Natural Health
Sensa Weight-Loss System

It’s not every day that a new weight-loss fad crosses your path—or is it? Diets, supplements, and exercise gadgets tempt you at every turn, but most have been proven as unsuccessful and even dangerous (think Fen-phen and Hydroxycut). The Sensa Weight-Loss System is not new, not a fad, nor is it a diet.read more
Waistlines Across America Continue to Grow

Obesity rates continue to increase across all 50 states, and eight of the top 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the south. Mississippi tops the list for the fifth consecutive year with the highest number of obese adults, with Alabama coming in second. As American’s waistlines continue to grow, so does concerns for higher health care costs. With the continued growth in obesity and health problems associated with the condition, the U.S. could be facing even greater issues than once expected with our health care system. read more
Beware: Assistance Devices Can Cause Falls in Elderly

Each year, an estimated 47,312 elderly patients are treated in emergency departments across America for injuries sustained from falls involving walkers and canes. This accounts for almost 3 percent of all falls occurring among the nation’s seniors aged 65 and older.read more
Damaged Sperm May Be Improved Through Frequency of Sex

Couples with fertility problems receive varying recommendations for conceiving depending on their doctor’s opinions. The medical community has long debated whether refraining from sex for several days would improve the chance of pregnancy for couples hoping to conceive. Some doctors are now recommending the best way to have a baby is to have more sex.read more
New Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Shows Promising Results

Treatments for conditions and diseases are as unique as the patients themselves, which means that what works for one person may not work for another. This often poses a challenge in finding an effective and tolerable medication. For instance, severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic disease mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints, is often treated with one of three, or a combination of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNF-a); etanercept, adalimumab or infliximab.read more

Washington Post
Arlington Man's Death Is Second Tied to Swine Flu in Va.

Clarence Williams

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

An Arlington County area man whose health was already compromised has died after coming down with swine flu, becoming Virginia's second fatality related to the virus, state health officials said.
Odenton Couple Has Brand-New Quadruplets

Post

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Doctors at Howard University Hospital successfully delivered quadruplets yesterday and said Folashade Omoyele and her three sons and daughter were doing well.
Featured Advertiser

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm
Obama Holds Health-Care Forum in Virginia

Michael D. Shear and Jose Antonio Vargas

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

President Obama offered a wonkish defense of his embattled health-care reform effort during an hour-long town hall meeting in Northern Virginia yesterday that featured seven questions, including one sent via Twitter and several from a handpicked audience of supporters.
Dog 'Guilt' Probably Just Reaction to Owners' Cues, Study Finds

Rob Stein

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Many dog owners have had this experience: Arriving home, they discover their pooch looking sheepish, with its head down, ears pulled back, tail tucked between the legs, maybe slinking behind the sofa. Puzzled, they soon discover the reason: a favorite pair of shoes chewed to pieces, or perhaps the...

digg.com: Stories / Health / Popular
Crazy July 4th Injuries and How To Prevent Them

2 Jul 2009 | 4:10 pm

“On the Fourth of July most accidents happen because of stupidity,” Ben Abo, a veteran emergency medical technician, says. “That is my job security.”
Summer Skin Hazards Pictures Slideshow: Stings, Bites, Burns

2 Jul 2009 | 3:30 pm

Don't let spider bites, sunburn, poison ivy, chigger bites, and jellyfish stings sabotage your healthy skin. This slideshow illustrates what to watch for - so you can stay safe this summer.
Play Doctor … On Yourself: 16 Things To Do Between Checkups

2 Jul 2009 | 2:10 pm

The fact is that while your doctor may see you every once in a while, you live in your body every single day, and that makes you the best judge of your own health -- if you know what cues to look for. Here are 16 ways to play doctor detective – on yourself.
Gene Clues to Schizophrenia Risk

2 Jul 2009 | 11:20 am

Scientists identify thousands of tiny genetic variations which raise the risk of schizophrenia.
Canadian HIV vaccine ready for human tests in the U.S.

2 Jul 2009 | 2:20 am

An HIV/AIDS vaccine developed in Canada has passed safety tests in animals and the researchers are awaiting approval to begin human trials in the U.S.

ABC News: Political Radar
Interactive: Talking to Your Doc About Pain

2 Jul 2009 | 11:05 am

Use this handy interactive to help you and your doctor discuss your chronic pain problems.
Obese Patient Needs a Special $1K Ambulance Ride: Who Foots the Bill?

2 Jul 2009 | 9:50 am

Bariatric ambulances, services are more popular, but some patients pay the bill.
Did Michael Jackson Get His Diprivan?

2 Jul 2009 | 9:27 am

A nurse says the pop star demanded the risky anesthetic in his last days.
No Vicodin? No Fear! Alternatives Exist

2 Jul 2009 | 8:11 am

Doctors say even if the FDA bans combination drugs, relief is still possible.
WATCH: Compete With Your Friends to Lose Weight

2 Jul 2009 | 6:19 am

The Fit Shack
3 Ways Anger Can Help You Lose Weight

JoLynn Braley

1 Jul 2009 | 8:06 pm

Yes, it’s true…anger can help you lose weight, however read this entire article in order to get the full gist of what I am suggesting here. Anger is An Emotion Like Any Other Anger is an often misunderstood emotion. Many are brought up to believe that they should never feel angry or even worse, to never feel emotion. How sad is that? Human beings are made up of emotion and if you don’t allow yourself to feel, then you’re not fully living. While Anger is not the highest vibing emotion you can express and feel about yourself (yes, about yourself, it’s always about…
Lose Weight & Get Fit by Mastering Your Emotions

JoLynn Braley

29 Jun 2009 | 12:47 pm

Have you ever considered that you could lose weight and get fit by mastering your emotions? Did you ever think you’d hear someome suggest that you “get emotional” to lose weight and get fit? Well read on dear friend and you’ll get the meaning of what I’m sayin’… Lose Weight & Get Fit by Mastering Your Emotions This week at The Fit Shack it’s all about your emotions. Let’s face it - your emotions are, bottom-line, where it’s all at, and I don’t mean only when it comes to the topic of emotional eating. What you ARE is…
Vacation Weight Gain - Guaranteed?

JoLynn Braley

22 Jun 2009 | 6:14 pm

I recently returned from a week’s vacation in Florida with my family and it was quite interesting because…I didn’t bring vacation weight gain home with me! You MUST Gain Weight on Vacation? Do you believe that you must gain weight on vacation? Are you someone who forces yourself to diet (no fun!) so that you can lose weight before vacation to “let it all go” while on vacation and gain 10 pounds? Have you ever heard anyone say that if you take a cruise you always gain weight? These are all thoughts and if you believe them for yourself, you’re right! You…
5 Excuses That Will Keep You Fat

JoLynn Braley

3 Jun 2009 | 9:13 pm

One issue that is rampant among those who use food in an attempt to feel better, to procrastinate, out of boredom, or for any other reason than physical hunger is the issue of Excuses. Excuses will keep you fat and excuses will keep you stuck. Excuses will also help you to continue to create more of what you already have - negative emotions and an unhealthy, fat, feel-bad body. Excuses Excuses Excuses There are so many excuses you can always come up with that will keep you fat, stuck, and unhappy and I’ve selected the top 5 today. Oh, and how do I know that excuses are so prevelant…
Happy Half Year, It’s Almost New Year’s!

JoLynn Braley

1 Jun 2009 | 8:11 pm

Hey, it’s June 1st! Happy beginning of the second half of your year, 2009. My question for you today is…. Where do you wish to be 6 months from today? What will you create over these next 6 months? Will you choose to create a healthy, fit, toned, sexy body for yourself? Or, if you are currently living in an overweight, unhealthy, lethargic body, will you choose to continue to create more of the same? NOW Is Your Moment If you made a New Year’s Resolution 6 months ago that 2009 was going to be your year to Finally Do It, and you took action on that commitment you made to…

Live Well 360°
How Shiny Is Your Self Esteem?

Guest

30 Jun 2009 | 8:41 am

A Guest Post by Nicolle Sisia Tonight was no different than any other night. I was on my evening walk, singing a new Bruce Springsteen tune when I saw a penny in the road. Don’t get me wrong, I’m... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Rest In Peace

Sheila

25 Jun 2009 | 3:53 pm

Let this be a reminder to us to live our best life… each and every day that we have. Regardless of what your views are of the man, the message is clear. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The New Site Design and Logo Are Here!

Sheila

22 Jun 2009 | 8:04 pm

Tada! Much more to come… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Why Are You Here?

Sheila

18 Jun 2009 | 7:18 am

Seems like a simple question, right? One that could be taken at face value, and answered quickly and easily by stating why you have arrived at any one specific location, like the grocery store or... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Benefits of Turmeric Extract

Sheila

5 Jun 2009 | 8:15 am

Researchers confirm antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin and its possible therapeutic usage against different pathological conditions. One of the best natural disease fighting... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

MSNBC
Heart attack survivors not told of study dangers

2 Jul 2009 | 3:52 pm

A federal investigation has found that heart attack survivors enrolled in a study of a controversial alternative medicine treatment were not told enough about potential dangers from the drug being tested, including death.
New swine flu inefficient in attacking people

2 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pm

With swine flu continuing to spread around the world, researchers say they have found the reason it is — so far — more a series of local blazes than a wide-raging wildfire.
Advocates are back with real health care stories

2 Jul 2009 | 2:27 pm

Thousands of people are now telling their stories on videos, ads and Web sites on both sides of the health care debate.
Oops! Why we say what we’re trying to hide

2 Jul 2009 | 1:49 pm

Scientists have figured out one surprising reason why we make social gaffes we desperately wish to avoid: The very act of trying to avoid saying or doing something can cause it to happen.
400,000 cribs recalled after 8-month-old dies

2 Jul 2009 | 8:03 am

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that Simplicity Inc. is recalling about 400,000 cribs that put babies at risk of death by suffocation.

Canadian Medicine
Recent severe cases of H1N1 flu worry health officials

29 Jun 2009 | 1:54 pm

In a teleconference with reporters this afternoon, federal health officials provided an update on the current state of the Canadian government's response to the H1N1 flu pandemic.Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq -- who has kept a fairly low profile in her time at the helm of Health Canada throughout the H1N1 response as well as the radioisotope shortage crisis -- was in attendance but said little besides mentioning that she'd be traveling to Mexico soon alongside foreign governments' delegates to discuss at a World Health Organization meeting how to deal with the expected resurgence of the H1N1…
David Caplan aims for better, cheapter healthcare

29 Jun 2009 | 6:47 am

It's been said that the Canadian model of healthcare insurance promises three things: high-quality care, for everyone, quickly. Reality falls short of the promise, of course. As the saying goes: pick two.But David Caplan (left), the man selected to follow the controversial George Smitherman as health minister of Ontario a year ago this month, intends to make good on that promise. Universal coverage is a given, of course, but as for quality and efficiency -- well, let's just say that Canada is no Andorra. Maintaining a high level of quality has in some cases meant reduced access and longer…
What's in the news: Jun. 26 -- Manitoba First Nations declare H1N1 emergency

26 Jun 2009 | 2:11 pm

Manitoba First Nations declare H1N1 flu emergencyChiefs of Manitoba First Nations have declared a state of emergency as the H1N1 flu pandemic ravages their already-troubled communities.The chiefs lay the blame for the virus's quick spread on the federal and provincial governments, whom they say failed to act early enough."No one is taking responsibility," David Harper, of the Garden Hill First Nation, told the Winnipeg Sun. "We've crossed the line. We've had enough." [Winnipeg Sun]One point of contention is that deliveries of hand sanitizer were delayed because of concerns that the…
New health ministers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia

25 Jun 2009 | 1:50 pm

NB replaces health minister in midst of crisisAfter a calamitous and bruising weeks-long battle with the province's physicians, New Brunswick Health Minister Mike Murphy has been removed from the health ministry and sent to run the justice department.Mary Schryer (left) has been named the new health minister. [CBC News]Of course, that's hardly a demotion or a sign that Premier Shawn Graham is going to reverse the decision that precipitated the fight with the doctors -- the government's recent recession-influenced decision not to honour the agreement on raises it came to with the doctors'…
New Brunswick breaks deal with doctors

22 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am

The New Brunswick government followed through on Health Minister Mike Murphy's (left) threats and, last Thursday, passed Bill 93, effectively eliminating the wage increases the province's physicians had been promised in negotiations last year. [Bill 93, New Brunswick Legislative Assembly (PDF)]The New Brunswick Medical Society's reaction was -- not surprisingly -- one of disappointment but not surprise. Society president Dr Ludget Blier (right) issued a statement condemning the government and making clear that physicians don't intend to take this provocation lightly. In other words: you'll be…

Yahoo! News: Health News
Antibiotics May Boost Risk for Recurrent Ear Infection (HealthDay)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pm

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Repeated use of antibiotics to treat acute ear infections in young children increases the risk of recurrent ear infections by 20 percent, according to researchers in the Netherlands who called for more prudent use of antibiotics in young children.
TV ads trigger mindless eating, researchers say (HealthDay)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pm

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Watching food ads on TV leads to a boost in snacking among children and adults, increasing the risk of weight gain, U.S. researchers say.
Clinical Trials Update: July 1, 2009 (HealthDay)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pm

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com and CenterWatch:
Obesity Rates Continue to Climb in U.S. (HealthDay)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pm

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- The rates of adult obesity in the United States increased in 23 states during the past year and did not decrease in any state.
Growth Hormone May Build Muscle in Older Men (HealthDay)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 pm

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly men who exercised and received the growth hormone known as "mechano growth factor" (MGF) showed increased muscle mass, according to a British study.

WHO news
New drug being tested in Africa for river blindness

1 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

1 July 2009 -- The clinical trial of a drug that could eliminate river blindness is being launched in three African countries. Also known as onchocerciasis, this disease is one of the leading infectious causes of blindness across Africa.
Working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO strengthened

25 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

26 June 2009 -- Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, today met Mr Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, during an official visit to the country. The visit has seen the strengthening of the working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO.
Call to protect hospitals, schools from impact of disasters

18 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am

18 June 2009 -- WHO and UNICEF today called on governments to strengthen risk reduction measures so that health and education systems are able to cope with disasters.
WHO welcomes sanofi-aventis's donation of vaccine

17 Jun 2009 | 12:15 pm

17 June 2009 -- WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has welcomed the announcement by sanofi-aventis to donate 100 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus.
Pedestrians, cyclists among main road traffic crash victims

15 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

15 June 2009 -- The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.

Fox News
400,000 Cribs Recalled Due to Suffocation Risk

2 Jul 2009 | 10:11 am

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that Simplicity Inc. is recalling about 400,000 cribs that put babies at risk of death by suffocation.
Parents Get $200G After Son, 3, Dies From Botched Op

2 Jul 2009 | 7:02 am

The parents of a 3-year-old boy who died after an Oregon doctor operated on him have agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit for $200,000.
Swine Flu May Not Spread Like Regular Flu

2 Jul 2009 | 3:16 am

The new H1N1 influenza strain may be just a little less catching than seasonal flu, but seems a little better able to cause stomach upsets, researchers reported on Thursday.
Diabetic-Friendly Dinners

1 Jul 2009 | 11:41 pm

Calling all diabetics: It's time to feast on baby chicken, burgers and steak frites - without collapsing into an insulin-induced coma.
Surgeon Gets Miracle Rep, Revived Patient 'Dead' 2 Hrs

1 Jul 2009 | 11:36 pm

A world-renowned surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center has pioneered a way to revive people that most doctors would have long written off, including a woman whose heart had stopped for 2 1/2 hours.

Velocity Wellness Center podcast with Dr. Mike Okouchi
2 Jul 2009 | 10:56 am

mike@akdocmike.com

2 Jul 2009 | 10:56 am

Technorati Tags: Dr. Mike Okouchi, health, Irvine Chiropractor, Velocity Wellness Center, Wellness
30 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pm

mike@akdocmike.com

30 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pm
29 Jun 2009 | 9:48 pm

mike@akdocmike.com

29 Jun 2009 | 9:48 pm
Cholesterol drugs for prostate cancer prevention?

mike@akdocmike.com

28 Apr 2009 | 8:48 am

Recently a study came out and stated that cholesterol drugs known as statins helped to prevent prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. (Source) As soon as I read this, a red flag popped up for me. Why you may ask? Well look at this statement made in the article: One study found that men who were taking statins before undergoing surgical removal of their prostate had a lower risk of having the cancer return. “The use of statins at the time of surgery was associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of recurrence of prostate cancer,” said lead researcher Dr. Robert J.
Environmental Toxins and developmental disorders

mike@akdocmike.com

20 Apr 2009 | 9:49 am

Technorati Tags: ADHD, Autism, Toxins

Calorielab
Food, Inc. presents dark view of American food industry

sarah

2 Jul 2009 | 1:58 pm

If you want to be disturbed about the state of food in America or want to learn more about where your food comes from, the documentary “Food, Inc.,” now playing in theaters throughout the country and opening in more all the time can help you out. If you’re a big follower of the industrial food story that’s been cropping up in the media since the publication of Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation (he’s also a narrator in “Food, Inc.”) you might not find a lot new in this movie, but for others it may be a wakeup call about the problems of industrial…
Keeping your kids moving when school’s out, and part three of the fat trainer’s tale

robert

2 Jul 2009 | 7:46 am

To play’s the thing USA Today just ran a cover story in its Life section about getting your kids to exercise during summer vacation, the gist of which was that all the genuinely healthy physical activities are, in the Internet Age, retro, if not downright archaic. The article specifically urged parents to get the kids involved in “the games you played as a kid.” Beyond question, that would be a boon to the kids’ health, but exactly how you get them to do that in our online world, other than by paying them or shutting off the electricity, the article did not make clear.
Nibbles: C-reactive protein may not signal heart disease, vegetarians have lower cancer risk and wonky veg allowed in EU

sarah

1 Jul 2009 | 3:28 pm

Study finds no link between protein and disease Two studies out this week shed doubt on the idea that levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the body, is a useful predictor of whether a person will develop heart disease. One study found no link between the two, highlighting that the protein is just a marker of inflammation, while another said it might help predict who will get heart disease but is no help to doctors trying to develop a treatment for a particular patient. The good news is we already know a lot of things that can up the risk of heart disease and don’t…
Handicapping the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest

sarah

1 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

If you love watching people shove tons of food into their mouths in a very short time, July Fourth is your holiday. That’s the day of the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, which in recent years has come down to just two men: American Joey Chestnut and Takeu Kobayashi from Japan. Chestnut has won the coveted mustard yellow belt two years running, while Kobayashi has taken the prize an unprecedented six times. Last year’s bout was considered particularly historic, given that it was the first time the contest used a 10-minute time limit and resulted in a tie that led to a…
A bunch of fruits and nuts: On natural energy bars

caroline

1 Jul 2009 | 5:33 am

If you’ve taken a stroll down the energy bar aisle lately, you’ve likely noticed that the number of choices continues to grow by the day. One particular niche of this market that has expanded by leaps and bounds recently is that of the fruit and nut bars. Most of these bars consist of simply that: dried fruit, along with assorted nuts, and perhaps a few spices thrown in for enhanced flavor. What makes these bars stand out from other energy bars is their “bare bones” composition. Unlike other chemical- and supplement-laden varieties, brands such as Larabar, PURE bar, Clif Nectar, and…

Diet Blog
[Forum] Starting My Weight Loss Journey

contactus@diet-blog.com

2 Jul 2009 | 3:36 am

From Diet Blog Share: I've heard that it's much easier to start a healthy lifestyle and exercise routine if you have people to support you - this is my way of doing that. I started Monday (yes, very new), and I did an excercise video called "Zumba," which was amazingly fun and quite difficult, since I have let myself go. I also went swimming for about an hour. The only thing that's difficult now is my eating habits. I like the feeling of working out, but it's the eating that has been a consistent problem all my life, and I am determined to break it. I see how much weight I've gained and I am…
13 Big Fat Dieting Myths

contactus@diet-blog.com

2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

SXC: Lusi Wouldn't you agree the diet industry is saturated with unhealthy weight loss misconceptions? This has helped lead to an explosion of behaviors, which do little to encourage good health and well-being in the long run. I hate the fact that in our day and age for some people "health" equals "fad dieting!"Continue reading...
[Forum] Weight Loss Plateau Following Gastric Bypass

contactus@diet-blog.com

2 Jul 2009 | 2:50 am

From Diet Blog Share: Since having my gastric bypass I've lost 100 pounds, but now I seem to be hitting a wall. I'm maintaining my weight loss, but I need to lose another 60 pounds. How can I get the scales to move again? Has anyone had a gastric bypass and then experienced a weight loss plateau? I need some help and suggestions on how to start the weight loss again. Thanks Tami
It's the "Exercise Freaks" Causing Healthcare Strain!

contactus@diet-blog.com

1 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

Exercise has been taking a beating in the media over the past couple of years. Pop diet book gurus and other "experts" vying for edgy, publicity-grabbing attention are telling us that exercise is useless for fat loss. At least everybody agrees that exercise is "good for us". Well, almost everybody... Rush Limbaugh, the acerbic right-wing radio personality, proclaims that it is the "exercisers" who are responsible for escalating health care costs. Here's what Rush had to say:Continue reading...
[Forum] Self Hypnosis for Dieting

contactus@diet-blog.com

30 Jun 2009 | 3:30 am

From Diet Blog Share: Does anyone have experience using self hypnosis CD's for dieting? I'd love to hear your suggestions, and if you would recommend. Thanks!

Starling Fitness
Hey, Good Looking!

Laura Moncur

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

My friend, Jere, had a strange incident the other day. It was wonderful reading it: Blind Prophecy » Hey, good looking! You know how sometimes you’re walking down the street casually glancing in the windows of the various shops on a sunny day. And then you pass a shop where you see a cute guy inside the store, so you slow your pace just a bit. And in the space of time it takes to walk one more step, you think, “He’s cute… “But he’s probably in a relationship or out of my league… Read the rest here: Blind Prophecy » Hey, good looking! I don’t want to ruin the end of the…
Parade of Homes: Home Gym

Laura Moncur

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

In Utah, the home builders periodically have The Parade of Homes, where they showcase their building skills. It allows normal people like me to tour huge mansions. Most of the time, I don’t care at all for the homes. They are so large that I can’t even imagine keeping them clean, much less living in them. This year, however, I did fall in love with one aspect of one of the homes: The Canterbury Gym. The house was on Canterbury Lane and their personal exercise room was gorgeous. On the wall was the following quote: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a…
Twitter Updates for 2009-06-30

30 Jun 2009 | 11:59 pm

“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” - Thomas Jefferson http://tqpage.com/3020 # Try this oatmeal pancake recipe when I get the chance. http://tinyurl.com/lwnkug # Powered by Twitter Tools.
PostSecret: Monster

Laura Moncur

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

This postcard from PostSecret reminded me of my high school days. There is a weekly pill box with a tab from Monster Energy Drink in the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday sections. It reads: I haven’t eaten since Sunday. When I was in high school, I thought the way to lose weight was to just not eat. Back in the Eighties, they didn’t know as much about metabolism as they do now (even now, they have just scratched the surface of human physiology). I remember starting some new diet pills and I decided that I could drink as many Diet Cokes as I wanted, but I…
Amazing Runner Photos For Inspiration

Laura Moncur

29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

I was browsing through Flicker the other day and I found these runner photos. I thought you’d like to see them.

Fat Man Unleashed
Listening to Your Body, Resting the Warrior Mentality

Israel Lagares

2 Jul 2009 | 2:36 pm

Your body talks to you. Didn’t you know that? Not like the kid in Look Who’s Talking or the dog in Look Who’s Talking, Too (starring a slimmer, younger John Travolta), but it gives you signs that you need to learn to respect. Letting the Warrior Mentality Rest Sometimes you can get carried away with the hardcore workouts, the pounding, the sweating, the minor aches…and sometimes you need to just stop. Personally, it’s hard for me to take a few days off from training. Especially when I am in such a groove with my workouts and weight loss. There have been many…
Weekly Weigh-In: 302.4 Lbs.

Israel Lagares

30 Jun 2009 | 8:26 am

I finally weighed myself after a few months of not weighing in and the result was a measly 302.4 lbs. Yuck. I was seriously aiming for the 290s at the very least. Not much I can do but keep on keeping on, right? I’ll be under 300 next week!!! I guarantee it! This is what happens when you slack off for a while then kick but for 2 months. I suppose I put on weight when I was slacking off and just ended up losing that weight that I put back on. Which sucks because it has kept me at a constant yo-yo for 302 lbs to 320+ lbs. I came up with a solution. I will be working my ass off, literally,…
Become the MASTER of Your Life!

Frank Cruz

28 Jun 2009 | 3:34 pm

Master: a leader; a person with the ability or power to use control; a person who is in command; a victor or conqueror; to rule or direct, to triumph over or to OVERCOME. Who is in control of you? Are you aware of the fact that the majority of human beings are controlled by there environment? Our surroundings have a direct impact on our emotions, our emotions trigger thoughts in our minds, and the thoughts in our minds send signals through our bodies which cause us to do what we do. So in reality most of us are controlled by what we see in our environment, rather then what our environment…
Taste Test: Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blends

Josie Maurer

20 Jun 2009 | 8:45 am

If I had known beforehand that Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blend would cause such a ruckus….well, I would have bought it anyway. My Taste Test Crew got bent out of shape and took sides as opinions flared in the heated discussion over whether this frozen yogurt is good or gross. Tart Honey is a new, weird-named flavor in Edy’s line of Slow Churned Yogurt Blends. But what the heck are Yogurt Blends? It’s Edy’s collection of “cultured frozen dairy desserts using a unique crafting process that gives you incredibly rich flavor and a creamy texture.” Yogurt Blends…
Introducing A Former Fat Man

Frank Cruz

18 Jun 2009 | 9:15 am

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Frank Cruz a former fat man who’s almost completely unleashed. Those cold chains of confinement are weakening little by little. I have been tied down and boxed in for many years. Consumed with exaggerated amounts of food, my stomach was a lot like a bottomless pit. I had an appetite that could not be satisfied. Growing up I was a pretty confident guy, I never had a problem getting the girl I wanted in high school. Although I was always heavy set, I carried my weight well. But after getting married and having my son, I swelled up faster then a hot air…

EcoSalon
School Uniforms: Sustainable Garb for the Under-17 Crowd

Luanne Bradley

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm

Perhaps the most compelling argument you can make to your teenage daughter about wearing a school uniform is that the pleated skirt looks totally amazing with Uggs. “Your legs look sooo long, honey!” Tell your son girls have always had a weakness for the classics. Google Gregory Peck. Naturally, there’s a more substantive argument new generations will surely learn soon enough. Doing one’s part in the collaborative effort to reduce consumption outweighs the fleeting thrill of showing up looking ravishing in something new. From a mom who can’t seem to pry her two…
Pot Your Plants in PAD’s Recycled Aluminum Pod

Kim Derby

2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

Say that six times fast, and then find your favorite pair of gardening gloves and let’s play with dirt. These pots are worthy of plenty of playtime. Whether you want to grow your green indoors or out, the metal spun recycled aluminum Pod by PAD is the perfect planter. It’s sturdy, lightweight and powder coated in a choice of six sexy colors. (Say that six…never mind). The Pod comes in two simple styles (both 16” D x 10” H). And if your space calls for it, choose one of the steel stands (15” or 22” high) for a layered effect. There’s something seriously eye-catching about these…
Do You Know These 9 Natural Tooth Care Tips?

Sarah Irani

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

A few years ago, a dentist told me I’d need dentures by the time I was 50 – that’s how bad my teeth and gums were. Granted, they didn’t look bad – my teeth are strong, straight and pearly white – but my gums were already declining. I was brushing twice a day, but I wasn’t flossing and I was eating plenty of sweets. After two root canals (and I’m only 30!), I take much better care. I still don’t floss as often as I should, but at least it’s more than I used to. I’d like to save my teeth, and save money too. Here are my natural…
Going Green Means Living Blue

Liz Lewis

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

According to Blue Living Ideas, four out of every 10 people in the world are affected by water scarcity. As our world’s population explodes, the problem will only get worse if action is not taken to stop wasting and start conserving the water we have. Sure, there are many large scale non-profit organizations, worldwide and regionally, who are working out how to deal with this growing water problem. But there’s also plenty that each of us can do to help conserve water – everything from fixing dripping taps to taking naval showers. Simple steps to be sure, but add…
Riding the Scenic West Highlands Railway

Caitlin Fitzsimmons

2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

It is often said that “it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.” I have never fully subscribed to this theory, at least when it comes to travel. In my experience, there are some destinations that involve a long and unrewarding journey but make up for it in the end. On the other hand, there is a valid point to the expression. From an environmental standpoint, the way you travel is much more important than where you are going. There are also some trips where the journey itself is far more than a way to get from A to B. Rail fits the bill on both counts. It is an…

MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com
CMS Proposal for Policy and Payment Change in 2010

Larry Benz

2 Jul 2009 | 6:23 am

What do these potential changes mean for PT? I haven’t a clue-do you? Some of my takes: -we are still looking at a 21.5% reduction in 2010 but it might actually be more given the “redistribution” in codes which have to be balanced. This might mean that it could be a more draconian cut than 21.5. On the other hand, we have been exposed to supposed cuts since 2002 and yet a reprieve has always occurred. The whole SGR has faulty premises acknowledged by almost everybody and in the context of bigger reform, I would have a hard time believing that something won’t change -looks like…
A Rally For a Better Strategy-Questions, Questions

Larry Benz

28 Jun 2009 | 5:15 am

While only 603 participated in a virtual healthcare rally done by APTA, it is certainly a good start and a unique way to get the troops corraled. It is also laudable that the collaterals and position of PT perspective in healthcare reform have been published. Unfortunately, they provide as much excitement as the fine print on a mattress tag. We have documented in the past that what is missing from these efforts is the advocating for the wrong audience. Reform is supposed to be about addressing societal needs. While I acknowledge that I have more questions than solutions for these…
A New Poster Child(s)

Tim Flynn

27 Jun 2009 | 7:32 am

Farah Fawcett was a complex individual who shared a very public account of the high and lows of her battle with cancer up until her death this week. For many of us (that are old enough) we vividly recall 1976 Life magazine image of Farah which would eventually sell more than 12 million copies and become the best-selling poster of all time. As I was sipping my coffee this morning I wondered "could there ever be another Texan that had the hair and smile" that could ignite a generation of style and fantasy. Fortunately the Foundation for Physical Therapy…
Health Care Reform and Physical Therapists

Selena Horner

25 Jun 2009 | 3:31 am

When I hear "rally," I immediately envision "rally caps" and baseball and the hope and excitement of a cohesive team coming from behind to win the game.So, okay, what I envision when I hear "rally" is very, very different than a "virtual rally."This evening the American Physical Therapy Association hosted a "virtual rally" to help physical therapists make an impact on health care reform.By October 31, 2009 President Obama wants a bill on his desk for him to sign. He's waiting for a health care reform bill that takes into consideration his suggested 8 principles.Do you wonder how the…
Physical Therapists and Moving Forward

Selena Horner

24 Jun 2009 | 8:02 am

What's beer got to do with it? A lot. Michigan Brewing Company does it right. Greater success and growth happens the more you rely or network with others. This company is an excellent example of how creating beer can be so much more than creating beer. This company has embedded itself in the community and win-win relationships have occurred. At the same time, this company also forged a relationship with an individual who was instrumental in changing Michigan law. The change is better from a business perspective for this company and others…

Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters
The 59th Circle Time: The Show and Tell Weekly Thread

Lollipop Goldstein

1 Jul 2009 | 2:51 pm

Show and Tell is wasted on elementary schoolers. Join several dozen bloggers weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0. Everyone is welcome to join, even if you have never posted before and just found out about Show and Tell for the first time today. So yank out a photo of the worst bridesmaid's dress you ever wore
IComLeavWe: July

Lollipop Goldstein

29 Jun 2009 | 9:59 pm

There is a new way to sign up. Please read the directions below.Welcome back to IComLeavWe. It stands for International Comment Leaving Week, but if you say it aloud, doesn't it sounds like "I come; [but] leave [as a] we"? And that's sort of the point. Blogging is a conversation and comments should be honoured and encouraged. I like to say that comments are the new hug--a way of saying hello,
Read Along: Barren Bitches Book Tour #19

Lollipop Goldstein

28 Jun 2009 | 6:01 pm

Welcome to the nineteenth tour of the Barren Bitches Book Brigade--a book club from the comfort of your own living room. Grab a cup of coffee and start clicking away at the links below.Just to explain, this book club is entirely online and open to anyone (male or female) in the infertility/pregnancy loss/assisted conception/adoption/parenting-after-infertility world (as well as any other related
Ferris Wheel

Lollipop Goldstein

28 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

children mentioned...They may have entered as always with their hands over their ears and they may have ducked out of a few lines after waiting in them for a few minutes, but the twins actually went on the rides at Funland (a series of carnival rides at the beach) this year and we didn't even need to ask the operators to stop them mid-ride this time around.I was that parent who was jumping up and
Friday Blog Roundup

Lollipop Goldstein

26 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Last Sunday night, as I was brushing my teeth (please don't ask me why I was doing this next act while I was brushing my teeth), I was feeling my right breast and paused from completing the circular motion my periodontist taught me to explore the no-man's-land between arm pit and areola.I found a lump.It felt like the end of a pencil eraser. Like someone had made a tiny replica of a volcano and

Children's Village Expansion Campaign
Campaign Giving

Ali M.

15 Jun 2009 | 8:21 am

Two Great Campaign Gifts in Today! The Florence Wight Guild from Memorial Hospital just brought us a check for $13,000 for the expansion campaign. They worked very hard staging their annual Field Day event to raise this. Thank you SO MUCH! The Washington Dental Service Foundation has granted $166,000 to expand the children’s dental clinic at Children’s Village. We have recently solicited our dental community for matching funds, and are eagerly waiting for our local dentists to make their gifts in next week’s mail. This brings our campaign gifts and pledges to (drum roll,…
“Biggest Loser” Contest Benefits Area Children

Diane P.

5 Jun 2009 | 2:47 pm

Advanced Life Systems Employee Contest Proceeds Benefit Children’s Village What started as a simple employee competition turned into something much more. Advanced Life Systems of Yakima medics and staff come together for better health and a bigger cause – helping special health care needs children in the Yakima Valley. Their “Biggest Loser” contest consisted of 17 employees and raised $1,381 for Children’s Village Capital Campaign. On Friday, June 5th at 9:00 a.m., Advanced Life Systems’ contest winner Brian Wakeman, and Woody Woodcock of Advanced Life Systems, will be…
Children’s Miracle Network: Yakima

Ali M.

29 May 2009 | 1:20 pm

Click on the balloon to make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon and support your local CMN hospital. The link will take you to the Children’s Miracle Network website.
Children’s Village: A benefit in our lives

admin

28 May 2009 | 9:51 am

[See post to watch Flash video]
Memorial Hospital and Children’s Village recognized by non-profit group

Ali M.

28 May 2009 | 8:58 am

Memorial Hospital and Children’s Village recognized by non-profit group From the left, Patty Hayes, Director of WithinReach, Mary Jo Managerelii, representing Yakima Neighborhood Health Services, Gail Weaver from Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and Diane Patterson from Children’s Village. Washington’s WithinReach program will honor Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Children’s Village (Trustee Partners: Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinics, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, EPIC and The Memorial Foundation), and Yakima…

medLine Plus
Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots

1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

Source: National Institute of Mental Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia
Increasing Alcohol Use Tied to More Hospitalization

1 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

Heavy drinkers were affected most, but link holds for even mild use, study finds Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Alcohol, Health Facilities, Men's Health
Device Shows Promise to Treat Cerebral Palsy Type

1 Jul 2009 | 2:34 pm

Zapping the brain with a mild electrical current appears to help patients with a difficult-to-treat form of cerebral palsy, French researchers said on Wednesday. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Cerebral Palsy, Movement Disorders
With Medicare Plan, Drug Spending May Be Up

1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Researchers suspect overuse as a cause, but note that other costs are down Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topic: Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
Drugs May Not Slow Kidney Damage in Diabetes

1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Study uncovers possible benefit, though, in stemming vision loss Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Blood Pressure Medicines, Diabetic Eye Problems, Diabetic Kidney Problems

Mizfit Online
The not so scary side of BOOT CAMPS (guest post).

MizFit

2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 am

*The “Not So Scary” Side of Boot Camps* When you think of Boot Camp, I am guessing you are picturing some drill sergeant standing over you, sticking your face in the mud as she tells you to “Do 10 more!” That is what I picture when I hear those words, so I totally understand. When you look up the word Boot Camp on the internet, you get things such as: *-Camp for training military recruits* *-Boot camps have been part of the correctional and penal system of the United States since the early 1980s. Modeled after military recruit training camps, the programs are based on shock…
Halfway through year: goals revisited (video post).

MizFit

1 Jul 2009 | 12:46 am

Yep, People. It’s here. It’s today. We’re mid-way through 2009. Whether you set formal resolutions or goals or not we all have at least a few things we hope to achieve before 2009 draws to a close. Where you at? Please to hit us all up in the comments. You *know* I’ll be there & oversharing…
Operation Beautiful.

MizFit

30 Jun 2009 | 12:48 am

Subtitle: Im a little late to this soiree—but better late than never. To know me at all is to know that my primary goal in this life is to raise my daughter to love herself & to realize that simply by being who she is that she’s ENOUGH. (Mother’s Day 2009 flashback) What I wish for her is this: My secondary goal in this life is to help as many other people as I can realize this about their own damn selves. If I can help one person (notice I did not say woman or female as this feeling of being not enough crosses all barriers) realize s/he’s beautiful & strong…
What? Me worry? (video post).

MizFit

29 Jun 2009 | 1:00 am

(The gratitude post I mention.) So there ya go, People. My question for you: What things in your life do you ruminate upon/fret about so *vigorously* you’re accidentally praying for them to occur? Please to hit us all up in the comments.
Winner of the Go Red BetterU gift pack…

MizFit

29 Jun 2009 | 12:45 am

Alexandra Webster! Email me (MizFit8 at Yahoo dot com) and your prize shall be on its way.

HEALTH RANKER
U.S. orders suicide warnings on two anti-smoking drugs

oswegoguy

2 Jul 2009 | 5:59 am

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Wednesday ordered Pfizer Inc and GlaxoSmithKline PLC to add strong "black box" warnings on their anti10 Vote(s)
Are these the signs of teen depression? What is the best way to treat the teen depression?

iMedixHealth

1 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pm

What is the best way to treat the teen depression? My son is depressed badly which a cause of concern to me is. He is now lacking interest both in..12 Vote(s)
Study Suggests C-Reactive Protein Doesn’t Cause Heart Disease

healthisbad

1 Jul 2009 | 11:28 am

WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2009 (Health.com) - High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood probably don't cause hardening of the arteries or heart 4 Vote(s)
FDA Confirms E. Coli O157:H7 In Prepackaged NestlÃ© Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough

ffnstuff

1 Jul 2009 | 6:50 am

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has found E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that can cause serious food borne illness) in a11 Vote(s)
Panel Recommends Ban on 2 Popular Painkillers - New York Times

webmatt

1 Jul 2009 | 6:19 am

ABC NewsPanel Recommends Ban on 2 Popular PainkillersNew York TimesADELPHI, Md. - A federal advisory panel voted narrowly on Tuesday to recommend a b4 Vote(s)

A Trail Runner's Blog
Digging Deep At The Western States 100

Scott Dunlap

30 Jun 2009 | 4:16 pm

I’ve been told that a 100-mile ultramarathon can be a one day journey of every possible emotion a person can conjure. My first Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run this last Saturday confirmed that for me. I was brought to my knees, both physically and spiritually, but was able to rise again and again thanks to a new source of will and the support of my crew and friends. One run, two sunrises, and an infinite dose of appreciation for this race, this sport, and the amazing community behind it.My journey to Western States has been a long one. It started four years ago when I applied for a…
Raven Craft - The Man Who Ran 100,000 Miles

Scott Dunlap

23 Jun 2009 | 1:11 pm

On March 29th, 2009, Robert "Raven" Craft hit an incredible milestone. By running eight miles a day for 34 consecutive years (all on sand, mind you), he completed 100,000 miles! And then kept going. Will the real Forrest Gump please stand up!ESPN did the following piece of this fascinating guy and his lifelong obsession. Now THAT'S dedication. You can see a cleaner version of the video on his Web site.And here's the original Forrest Gump footage, played to the soundtrack of A Flock of Seagulls.
Compression tights and clothing - worth it? (2XU and Opedix reviews)

Scott Dunlap

21 Jun 2009 | 9:59 am

I’ve been experimenting with compression clothing for training and recovery over the last few months, and am coming to the conclusion that they are helpful in many cases. If others are finding the same thing, I suspect we’re going to see a lot more crazy compression products and outfits over the coming years. After trying a number of products, the 2XU compression calf guards and Opedix R1 compression tights both got my thumbs up and rotation of regular use.Compression clothing has been around for decades, known to many as the “grandma socks” hosiery that people wear post-surgery to…
The Crew-tial Success Element for Succeeding at Western States

Scott Dunlap

18 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

In the last few days, I've developed a special appreciation for one of the crucial elements to success in a 100-mile race - my crew. I haven't done too many of these 100-milers, so like many, I often read a list of finishers for a race and think "good for her/good for him". I tend to forget there is an army of people behind each name making sure they get to the finish in one piece.The Western States 100 looks especially trying for crew members. Not only is it point to point, but you've got to hustle up and down crazy roads, hike miles into aid stations with coolers of ice, stay up all night,…
Texas high school track star earns team title all by herself....AGAIN (Baltimore Sun)

Scott Dunlap

12 Jun 2009 | 11:27 am

I don't know if we should call Bonnie Richardson of Rochelle, TX, a track star or a rock star. As the sole track team representative for her 14-person graduating class at Rochelle High, she won four individual medals in five events, bringing home the Texas 1A track team trophy single-handedly for the second year in a row. Wow!Small-town Texas track star Bonnie Richardson repeats as team champion by herself AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The best small high school track team in Texas is once again a freckle-faced girl named Bonnie Richardson.Valedictorian of her 14-student senior class in the tiny…

Marijke: nurse turned writer
Toddler survives Yemenia Airbus crash

Marijke Durning

30 Jun 2009 | 3:44 am

A gift of hope was given when a toddler was reported to be found alive after a plane crash into the Indian Ocean. Just imagine the reactions of the rescuers who found the child alive:CBCNew York TimesNews like plane crashes are so sad. Flying is still a very safe mode of transportation, but if a plane goes down, there's so little that can be done. Let's hope this story of a child alive is true. I think we need to hear good news like that.
Pms - Phenobarbital (60 mg) Being Recalled in Canada due to Risk of Accidental Overdose

Marijke Durning

26 Jun 2009 | 3:28 pm

I came across this press release from Health Canada. Important information if you take pms-phenobarbitol:June 26, 2009 For immediate release OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers that all lots of the prescription drug pms - Phenobarbital tablets in the 60 milligram (mg) format (DIN 00178810) are being recalled because some oversized tablets were recently found on the Canadian market. The oversized tablets were found to contain more Phenobarbital than the label indicates, exposing patients to the potential risk of accidental overdose. The Canadian distributor, Pharmascience Inc. of…
Do we have to know? Michael Jackson "investigation"

Marijke Durning

26 Jun 2009 | 1:37 pm

Well, it's been just a little over 24 hours now since the music world was rocked by the news of Michael Jackson's death. Whether you thought him odd or a genius, there's not taking away his musical talent and the many ways he changed and helped grow the music scene since the 70s and 80s.But now, the reports are abounding about what may have caused his death, his alleged addictions, his illnesses, his private doctor. In the car just now, I heard a report that the L.A. police want to speak with the physician who was with Michael when he died - problem is, they can't find him.What does concern…
Exercise/Gym Bootcamps?

Marijke Durning

18 Jun 2009 | 9:46 am

What do you think about the exercise or gym bootcamps many fitness trainers are offering? They're intense sessions that are meant to get you into shape fast in anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.The thing I'm wondering about is the intensity of the bootcamps. Just as extreme diets don't work over the long term to lose weight and keep it off (for the most part), I was thinking that this would likely be the same with exercise.Also, we're always being warned to start a new exercise program gradually and to be sure that we're doing what is right for your level. So, how can I, a 48-year-old…
It's been way too long - pandemic musings

Marijke Durning

16 Jun 2009 | 6:57 pm

Between the pandemic preparation (part of my job), blogging for Blisstree.com and my other freelance work, this blog has taken a big hit.What's really interesting though, is that I keep getting a consistent number of hits every day as people find my information through search engines, mainly Google.The pandemic thing is the big thing in my life right now. People are either freaking out over the sky falling in or they're not believing a word that's said. I kind of wish people would fall into the middle somehow.There's no need to freak. A level 6 pandemic just means that the virus has spread…

Clinical Cases and Images - Blog
Social Media Thoughts

2 Jul 2009 | 4:54 am

From my Twitter account:Scientists use Gmail - more and more of the email correspondence addresses in PubMed abstracts are @gmail.com. It makes sense, if one moves to a different university, the old .edu email does not work anymore.PeRSSonalized Medicine vs Clinical Reader http://is.gd/1kk4e - In my experience, Google Reader is more powerful, simpler & gets the job done.Mayo Clinic gets its own AllTop aggregation page http://mayo-clinic.alltop.com - First hospital to be "honored" this way?"In case of fire, resist every urge to tweet about it, and leave building in calm orderly fashion."…
Health News of the Day

2 Jul 2009 | 4:53 am

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in a bullet points format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day.Dr. Matthew Mintz: "Lantus Causes Cancer! Why Doesn't Anyone Seem Care?" - Insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) stimulates tumor growth. Lantus has a greater affinity for IGF-1 than human insulin. Levemir that has very little affinity for IGF-1 receptor (less than even human insulin) and is as effective as Lantus http://bit.ly/wv8d5Evidence does not support using probiotics…
Video: Twitter Search in Plain English

2 Jul 2009 | 4:27 am

The CommonCraft team has a new video explaining how to use Twitter as a search tool.
Health News of the Day

1 Jul 2009 | 10:03 pm

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in a bullet points format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day.Recurrent mouth ulcers (aphthous stomatitis) may suggest celiac disease http://is.gd/1jvwIClinical Image: 17 broken needles in the neck of a heroin addict http://bit.ly/2ArqglGreat set of videos about Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine http://is.gd/1iItVThe doctor will text you now: is there a role for the mobile telephone in health care? BMJ…
Heat In Parked Car Turns Deadly In 5-10 Minutes

1 Jul 2009 | 4:37 am

From KETV.com:"On an 80-degree day this month, a Children's Hospital and Medical Center expert placed a gauge inside a car to show how fast the environment becomes deadly.The gauge read 91.4 degrees when first placed inside the parked car. With the windows up, the Greenhouse Effect kicked up the heat at a critical rate. Not even five minutes later, the temperature was climbing past 99 degrees.At 10 minutes in the car, the temperature was up to 106.2 degrees -- hot enough to kill a person."References:Heat In Parked Car Turns Deadly In Minutes. KETV.com.Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public…

HealthNewsReview.org
Medtronic's Infuse a hit in growth of spine fusion

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

(3 stars)A noticeably different framing in this story than in others we reviewed on the same topic. But this one comes from the paper in the city where one of the product manufacturers is headquartered.
Bone-Growth Proteins Show Risk in New Study

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

(4 stars)A clear alert on potential hazards of using bioengineered proteins to promote bone growth in spinal fusion for upper spine pain. But it doesn’t discuss nonsurgical alternatives or costs.
Stem Cells and Weakened Hearts

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

(1 star)CBS claimed an "exclusive" on this "cutting edge, trailblazing, major advance." But it didn't emphasize that there is no evidence of benefit. And it didn't discuss potential harms or other options.
Essure tubal coil permanent birth control catching on

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

(3 stars)Story gave an incomplete picture of harms, complications and followup required with the device. Didn't adequately compare cost or effectiveness with other methods.
Major Cancer Breakthrough?: New Drug Potential "Holy Grail" For Treatment

24 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

(0 stars)Worst of the three network TV segments we reviewed on this same PARP inhibitor study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Just call it a breakthrough and the holy grail and call it a day.

Postpartum Progress
Poem from a Mom with Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Katherine Stone/Postpartum Progress

1 Jul 2009 | 9:06 pm

Arriving on Christmas day with those beautiful pink chubby cheeks and eyes of curiosity…. So tiny, so beautiful, this life filled baby squirming, watching, anticipating. A new life… what mother could ask for more. Ten little fingers, ten little toes, a beautiful healthy baby girl. Home from the hospital it all feels surreal, this baby to treasure. We celebrate she’s here! What happened next, I wish I understood. Oh if I could. Darkness and fear have settled in. It’s all too much where do I begin? Postpartum they call it and promise it won’t last. It’s been twelve weeks. I just…
Pundits Ponder Whether Palin Had Postpartum Depression

Katherine Stone/Postpartum Progress

1 Jul 2009 | 2:27 pm

I just LOVE it when pundits and politicians talk about postpartum depression. In the latest issue of the magazine Vanity Fair, Todd Purdum writes this in his article on former Vice Presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin and the 2008 Presidential campaign: "Some top aides worried about her mental state: was it possible that she was experiencing postpartum depression? (Palin's youngest son was less than six months old.)" Purdum doesn't go into why Palin's aides would have thought that. In the paragraph in which he refers to postpartum depression, his only explanation is that…
Editor Seeking First-Person Account of PPD for Book

Katherine Stone/Postpartum Progress

1 Jul 2009 | 3:50 am

Professor Craig LeCroy at the Arizona State University School of Social Work is editing a book on first-person accounts of mental illness. He is looking for a first-person account of postpartum depression. It should be about 6-15 pages in length. If you'd like to submit one, you can reach him at craig.lecroy@asu.edu.
How Spirituality Can Impact Recovery from Postpartum Depression

Katherine Stone/Postpartum Progress

30 Jun 2009 | 7:17 am

I noticed a flurry of blog posts on religion and depression in the last couple of weeks, and decided I'd share them all with you in a single post, as I know for many of you spirituality is an important part of your recovery. Last week, Lauren Hale at Sharing the Journey hosted a discussion about religion and spirituality and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. If you scroll down and read the comments, you'll see a brief but very nice discussion of this topic from some of Lauren's readers, including one woman who is an atheist and who blogs about her PPD experience. I LOVE to see these…
Dads Needed for Online Research on Experience of New Fatherhood

Katherine Stone/Postpartum Progress

29 Jun 2009 | 10:12 pm

Dr. Will Courtenay is seeking participants for research to better understand the experiences of dads with their babies. He is conducting the study in collaboration with the Center for Men and Young Men at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Participants will complete an online survey about their experiences as a father and their attitudes on a variety of topics. The survey is completely anonymous and takes 20-25 minutes to complete. It is open to men over 18 years of age who have had a baby or babies within the last 12 months. All fathers of babies are invited to participate, including…

Medgadget
Where Are Medicare Stories at BarackObama.com?

Michael

2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pm

We rarely delve into politics. But if we must, Independence Day is probably a good occasion. So over coffee and a brioche, we were reading Health Care Stories for America @ BarackObama.com. There we noticed an interesting pattern: scolding of health insurance companies is on at full steam, but no one wants to talk about the elephant in the room: Medicare. And that's where the real health care dollars are being sucked in, like into a giant black hole. Don't believe our independent Medgadget team of doctors? Ask practically any other physician, and he or she will tell you about real horrors.
Smoother GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis Gets Approved in US

Michael

2 Jul 2009 | 1:18 pm

W. L. Gore & Associates just received FDA's OK to market an updated version of the firm's GORE VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis indicated for "improving blood flow in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in superficial femoral artery lesions with reference diameters ranging from 4.0 - 7.5 mm [and] in iliac artery lesions with reference vessel diameters from 4.0 – 12 mm" The modification is a result of the precision laser trimming technology which enables the removal of excess material at the device margin, resulting in a contoured edge. The device is the only stent-graft…
WellAWARE Passive At Home Sensors Help Monitor Independent Elderly

Michael

2 Jul 2009 | 12:51 pm

Elderly folks tend to prefer to live in their own homes as the years pass, but the potential for accidents to happen leads many to seek nursing homes or to live with family. Dana Blankenhorn at ZDNet Healthcare is reporting on technology from WellAWARE Systems (Charlottesville, Virginia) that monitors people in their homes with sensors in beds, bath tubs, and generally throughout the living space. Dana Blankenhorn reports: At this writing, 60 facilities have the WellAWARE system, company officials told ZDNet. WellAWARE is offering a system of sensors that track a patient’s movement…
New Imaging Technology Monitors HER2 Protein

Michael

2 Jul 2009 | 12:37 pm

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute have devised a new method to watch for the presence of the HER2 protein, a commonly expressed marker of breast cancer. As you can imagine, the implications for this technology could be immense, from doing research on pathophysiology of breast CA to developing protocols for treatment. From the statement issued by the National Cancer Institute: ... the research team used an imaging compound that consists of a radioactive atom (fluorine-18) attached to an Affibody molecule, a small protein that binds strongly and specifically to HER2. Affibody…
Computer Simulations Extend Abilities of Shape Memory Alloys

Michael

2 Jul 2009 | 12:04 pm

As medical devices become smaller and more complex because of the ever increasing demand for greater precision in clinical and research applications, the need for smart materials is also on the rise. Many metal alloys are able to "remember" a specific shape they were in before transformation, the best example being self expanding coronary stents. Although memory retaining alloys are already being used in many fields of medicine, researchers from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are using computers to extend the application of these materials. With the help of these simulations, the scientists have…

KevinMD.com
Should Steve Jobs talk more openly about his pancreatic cancer?

Kevin

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm

As you have read here and elsewhere, Apple’s Steve Jobs recently underwent a liver transplant for a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He, however, is not talking publicly about his case, and Apple is tightly controlling the information surrounding Mr. Jobs’ health. Certainly, he is entitled to his medical privacy, but there are some who believe he should use his stature and celebrity to raise the awareness of pancreatic cancer. It is indeed one of the most dire diagnoses, with an often fatal prognosis. Perhaps it is because of the dismal statistics that funding for pancreatic cancer…
Is Chantix safe, and why Zyban, or bupropion, also received a black box warning

Kevin

2 Jul 2009 | 5:58 am

Popular smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban received black box warnings from the FDA, the strongest of its kind. Chantix, in particular, is quite effective in helping patients to quit smoking, but has been dogged by instances of increased suicidality, especially in those already having a psychiatric diagnosis. As this report in MedPage Today states, “Reports of behavioral changes, depressed mood, agitation, hostility, and suicidal thoughts and behavior associated with use of the drugs have been submitted to the FDA’s adverse event reporting system.” The typical Chantix…
Did propofol, or Diprivan, kill Michael Jackson?

Kevin

1 Jul 2009 | 12:54 pm

As predicted, the details surrounding the singer’s death continue to get more bizarre. Recent reports have stated that the powerful anesthetic Diprivan, generically known as propofol, was found in the singer’s house. Apparently, according to a nurse, Jackson “was begging for the powerful sedative to help him get over insomnia.” There are zero circumstances where propofol should ever be used for insomnia. This medicine is used for general anesthesia or to sedate patients in the intensive care unit who are intubated and on a ventilator. In fact, patients have to be…
Why removing the tax breaks for non-profit hospitals could be dangerous

Kevin

1 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm

It’s because of the unintended consequences, of course. In their regular column in Slate, physicians Zachary Meisel and Jesse Pines talk about the recent attention that non-profit hospitals are garnering. The problem is this. Many are acting like for-profits, and in some cases, have been caught mistreating the uninsured and those who are on Medicaid. So, when money is tight, you hear stories like this one a few weeks ago in the Boston Globe, which takes another shot at their favorite target, Partners HealthCare. But threatening the tax breaks of non-profit hospitals can backfire. For…
America’s failed attempt at a single-payer system, the Indian Health Service

Kevin

1 Jul 2009 | 8:00 am

Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, the United States has already tried its hand at a pseudo-single-payer system. The VA is one example. Another, albeit less highly publicized, is the Indian Health Service. (via WhiteCoat) Based on an agreement in 1787, the government is responsible to provide free health care to Native Indians on reservations. And, as you can see from this scathing story from the Associated Press, that promise has not been kept. The numbers don’t lie: American Indians have an infant death rate that is 40 percent higher than the rate for whites. They are…

Colette Bouchez on...
Study: Eat This & Burn More Fat !

Colette Bouchez

27 Jun 2009 | 5:36 pm

A new study shows a common salad ingredient could be the key to weight loss. Here’s how to eat away the pounds! - By Colette BouchezIf you’re old enough to remember platform shoes (the first time around :), disco balls and KC and The Sunshine Band, then you probably also remember one of the hottest weight loss crazes of the 1970's - The Vinegar and Lecithin Diet. This one combined lecithin supplements, with a spoonful of apple cider vinegar after every meal - and was once touted as the fat burning revelation of the decade. Of course it soon went the way of pretty much all other fat…
Cosmetic Safety On The Line

Colette Bouchez

21 Jun 2009 | 9:01 pm

A new book asserts that the rise in breast cancer is directly linked to chemicals in cosmetics and personal care items. But is it true? Here's what you need to know - Colette BouchezIt seems to be a headline that just won't go away: The safety of cosmetics and personal care is challenged time and again.Such is the case with a brand new book titled No Family History, (Rowman and Littlefield Publishers) by Sabrina McCormick, PhD, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in Pennsylvania.Indeed, according to McCormick, women are being set up for the health hit of a lifetime – and our weapon of…
Cool Off - With Pillows That Provide Sweet Relief!

Colette Bouchez

10 Jun 2009 | 9:01 pm

Having a hot flash? Or maybe it really is hot in here! Either way a new book takes a look at the latest cache of Cool Pillows . Find out what really works to keep you cool this summer! - By Colette BouchezIf you thought those heating bills were a strain this winter, experts say we're in for an even greater sticker shock this summer, when those AC electric bills come pouring in! In fact, with utilities going up nationwide, some predict it's going to be tough keeping cool and paying the mortgage this summer!If this also happens to be your season of hot flashes and night sweats … well take it…
Study: Sweet Fiber Curbs Appetite -Boosts Weight Loss

Colette Bouchez

29 May 2009 | 1:59 am

The key to controlling your weight is controlling your hunger – and now a new study sheds light on a natural food ingredient that can help you do just that ! - By Colette Bouchez As anyone who's ever tried to diet can tell you, the key to losing weight is not controlling what you eat – it's controlling your desire to eat it! I'm talking about appetite – and how the ability to control your hunger pangs and the desire to quench them is key to weight control.But if a new study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is right, that key is about to open a headlock on…
Study: Could Depression Be Sign of Hidden Cancer?

Colette Bouchez

22 May 2009 | 12:44 am

A new study suggests that in some people depression may be an early warning sign of cancer, appearing long before other obvious symptoms occur. Here's what you need to know. - Colette BouchezIf a new study proves to be right, the first line of defense for patients suffering with depression may not be that all-too-common prescription for an antidepressant, but instead a medical workup designed to hunt down hidden tumors. That's the interesting premise just published in a study on line in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Here, neuroscientists from the University of Chicago…

SharpBrains
The Best Memory Tests: Mini-Mental and Beyond (Alzheimer's Action Plan)

Dr. Murali Doraiswamy

27 Jun 2009 | 5:36 pm

(Editor's Note: I recently came across an excellent book and resource, The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems, recently released in paperback. Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, one of the authors and leading Alzheimer's expert, kindly helped us create a 2-part article series to share with SharpBrains readers advice on a very important question, "How can we help the public at large to distinguish Alzheimer's Disease from normal aging --- so that an interest in early identification doesn't translate into unneeded worries?" What…
Free Brain Fitness Webinar

Alvaro Fernandez

25 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg and I, co-authors of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, will cover the main highlights from our new book and address the questions submitted by readers. When: Tuesday July 21st, 10am Pacific Time; 1pm Eastern Time. How to Register: Click HERE for more information and to Register. Title: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews, to Keep Your Brain Sharp Book description: While most of us have heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” very few understand what “it” means, or how to properly “use…
Kindle version of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness

Alvaro Fernandez

23 Jun 2009 | 9:34 pm

Given the fact I love Kindle, and some of our Twitter friends had been asking for a Kindle version of our new book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness...well, here it is: Amazon.com: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (Kindle Edition, $9.99) The book has also received two excellent new endorsements: "Kudos for an excellent resource! This SharpBrains Guide is full of top notch information, provides practical tips and helps separate hype from hope in the brain health arena." --- Elizabeth Edgerly, Ph.D., Chief Program Officer, Alzheimer's Association "The SharpBrains'…
Debunking 10 Brain Training/ Cognitive Health Myths

Alvaro Fernandez

20 Jun 2009 | 10:52 am

Think about this: How can anyone take care of his or her brain when every week brings a new barrage of articles and studies which seem to contradict each other? Do supplements improve memory? Do you need both physical and mental exercise –or is one of them enough? Which brain training approach, if any, is worth one's time and money? We tried to address these questions, and many others, in our recent book, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (182 pages, $24.95), that we presented at Games for Health Conference last week. The book is the result of over two years of extensive research…
Brain Teasers on Brain Training/ Games for Health Conference

Alvaro Fernandez

16 Jun 2009 | 8:07 pm

Given the whole distracting "controversy" of whether Nintendo Brain Age "works" or not, I have started to use the following "brain teasers" in my talks in order to help the audience gain a more useful perspective of what is going on. They worked great both in the Medicare Readmissions Summit in DC a few weeks ago, and at the Games for Heath Conference last week. Q: How many soldiers in the US Army have gone through computerized cognitive testing before being deployed, and why? A: Over 150,000, in order to establish an objective starting baseline and identify…

Peace With Cake
Smart Choices Success Circle: Key ingredients for creating winning lifestyle change

melissa

22 Jun 2009 | 2:45 pm

Announcing The Smart Choices Success Circle Calling all smart savvy women who are BEYOND sick-and-tired of struggling with food, weight, and their eating: I've designed the program you've been asking for–a Mastermind Community for smart capable women who want to make peace with food, get off the diet roller coaster, and start living the life they hunger for. Accountability, motivation, help and active support–it's all here. The Smart Choices program is designed to be effective, accessible, and easy to use. This innovative program provides the tools, support, and…
Emotional Eating Coaching Tips: Clutter, stress, and overwhelm

melissa

18 Jun 2009 | 1:03 pm

Clutter–physical and mental excess–adds to stress and overwhelm. If you are an emotional eater, you probably know that attention to non-food triggers can have a powerful impact on your overeating. Besides, taking charge of clutter just feels good. An exercise that my clients appreciate is to focus for several days on identifying the things in your environment, or inside your head, that are not ideal, aren't how you want them to be, but have been that way for so long that you've just developed the art of "not noticing" them. Spend a few days noticing those…
Are you busy reinventing the wheel when you could be enjoying success?

melissa

16 Jun 2009 | 12:22 pm

You have a lot on your plate and a lot of things that are important to you. You've decided that you want to make health or lifestyle changes and spend more of your valuable energy on yourself. You want to feel better and be more of the person you know you can be. The question is, "How do you actually make it happen?" How do you keep your goals on your radar? How do you remember to say no to other requests that interfere? How do you stay strong in your resolve and how do you keep moving forward when you aren't sure how to do it or if you even want to? In the years that I…
Emotional Eating Tip: Don’t downplay the little things.

melissa

15 Jun 2009 | 3:55 pm

When we feel off track or out of control or out of our routine, it’s easy to fall into overwhelm. When things are not going smoothly, it often feels like a very big deal to start getting back on track. Sometimes it seems like such a big deal that we have a hard time getting back into action. It really doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is, it’s not big dramatic actions that indicate whether we are on or off track—whether we are moving in the direction we want to be. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s our attention to the little things that indicates how we are doing. By…
Smart Busy Women and Emotional Eating: Listen to the teleseminar

melissa

3 Jun 2009 | 10:19 am

Last week's teleseminar, Why Smart Successful Women Struggle With Food, Weight, and Emotional Eating and How to Take Control was a huge hit. The topic clearly hit a nerve. I had more sign ups and more questions submitted for this teleseminar than any previous class I've held. I covered a lot of important information on the call about why overeating and emotional eating can be a particularly tricky issue for competent, busy women juggling multiple responsibilities. If you missed the call, you can still access the recording here. Take good care, Melissa Tweet This Post …

Schwitzer health news blog
Post ombudsman calls pay-for-access health forum a public relations disaster

schwitz

2 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pm

Andrew Alexander writes: "For a storied newspaper that cherishes its reputation for ethical purity, this comes pretty close to a public relations disaster."...
Goozner wonders why everyone is shocked over WPost story

schwitz

2 Jul 2009 | 10:07 am

The Politico.com story about the Washington Post "pay for access" proposal isn't astonishing to Merrill Goozner, who writes: It's a long standing practice by one of the few sections of the news business that remains profitable -- the newsletter and...
How do Minnesota breast cancer advocates view Klobuchar's support of controversial early breast screening bill?

schwitz

2 Jul 2009 | 9:13 am

I think I got Susan Perry of MinnPost.com turned on to the controversy surrounding the bill co-sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Regardless of how she got inspired, Perry is now all over the story, adding a...
WPost responds to "pay for access" allegation

schwitz

2 Jul 2009 | 9:02 am

Politico.com has posted the response it got from the Washington Post. The new posting reads: The Washington Post has now responded to POLITICO's report this morning that the paper is arranging salons for lobbyists at the home of publisher Katharine...
Politico.com makes damning accusation against WPost

schwitz

2 Jul 2009 | 8:31 am

Mike Allen reports: For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post is offering lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few" -- Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and the paper's own reporters and editors. The astonishing offer...

The Health Care Blog
Commentology

Matthew

2 Jul 2009 | 6:34 am

Futurist Jeff Goldsmith's analysis of issues that could cause problems for any health reform effort that eventually emerges from the foodfight in Washington this summer provoked a wide range of reader replies. ("No Country For Old Men") Goldsmith wrote in...
Is Wal-Mart Leading the Charge on Health Reform?

Matthew

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 am

By RAHUL PARIKH Last Wednesday's headline in the Wall Street Journal may have surprised you. It read: "Wal-Mart Backs Drive to Make Companies Pay for Health Coverage." The article discussed Wal-Mart's open support for an employer mandate requiring all but...
Biggest and best month ever on THCB

Matthew

2 Jul 2009 | 4:29 am

By Matthew Holt By the time most of you read this, I’ll be heading to England to tell those Limeys how to do healthcare right the American way….or something like that, and then off to China. I’ll be back in...
Careful What You Wish For

Matthew

1 Jul 2009 | 5:57 am

By THE INCIDENTAL ECONOMIST On the left are those who would like health reform to include a strong public plan, one that could negotiate large provider discounts, driving down the cost of medical care. On the right are those who...
Implementing a Modern Hospital Website

Matthew

30 Jun 2009 | 8:24 am

By JOHN HALAMKA Over the past two years, I've witnessed a transition in modern website design from plain text and static information to multimedia centric and interactive. I've written about the new BIDMC website we implemented to meet patient expectations...

NHS Blog Doctor
Solicitors ripping off the NHS

Dr John Crippen

30 Jun 2009 | 9:37 am

Those solicitors are at it again. We have all lost count of the £millions of compensation that was meant for coal miners but ended up lining the pockets of our not so learned friends. If solicitors are not ripping of the miners, they are out chasing ambulances or grave robbing. Compensation for medical mishaps is big, big business and a lot of solicitors have jumped on the bandwagon.Liverpool solicitors E. Rex Makin acted for some of the parents in the Alder Hey Organ scandal.They slipped a bill into the NHS for £4,479,957.06As NHS BLOG DOCTOR regular readers know, the best way to make a…
Gordon Brown admits that Labour health and education policies have failed

Dr John Crippen

29 Jun 2009 | 3:17 pm

Mr & Mrs Tyler are on holidayA brilliant bit of bile from the DK.There is a serious point, though. There usually is when the DK is bilious. The point is quite straight forward. The government is to recruit, and finance, 100,000 personal private tutors to supplement the education system.Personal fucking tutors? I though that the education system under NuLabour was the best in the known world—what the hell do you need personal tutors for? Unless, of course, you have bollocksed up the education system which then begs the question—why the bloody hell do you think you'll be able to run a…
Dishonest paramedics

Dr John Crippen

29 Jun 2009 | 11:54 am

May be safer than an ambulanceI was called to see Mrs Johnson today. She is 78, lives with her husband, and suffers from COPD which is troublesome but stable. The details on the call request were "bad diarrhoea". She was, as always, apologetic when I arrived. But she looked unusually frail. Her husband said she was not drinking. She had had the diarrhoea for two days. Yesterday, Sunday, she was so bad that her son called an ambulance. I looked at the paramedic report. The box next to "Refused hospital admission" was ticked, and the form was signed by Mrs Johnson.I asked Mr & Mrs Johnson…
The Pink List

Dr John Crippen

28 Jun 2009 | 1:49 am

The short post below, "Cultural Differences", attracted a lot of attention. Gender will never be irrelevant. Sexuality should be. Today, the Independent on Sunday publishes its annual "Pink List". Peter Mandelson is, of course, at number one.Our very own Iain Dale slips in at number 26, up from last year's position of 49. He writes an accompanying article entitled Tory bedfellows can be anything but homophobes. The Pink List makes Iain less eminent than David Starkey, Gok Wan and Ben Bradshaw but more eminent than Alan Duncan and Nick Brown. He will have to live with that. (He seems to be…
Cultural differences

Dr John Crippen

23 Jun 2009 | 8:05 am

We have four female partners. They are all part time.One was on maternity leave. One was on holiday. One was not on that afteroon. The other had finished her early afternoon sugery and was off doing the school run. So, as occasionally happens, there were only male doctors available. I was "duty doctor". A female patient phoned to say that she had been in an RTA that morning. A car had driven into the side of her car. Not hurt. A bit shaken up. She was 29 weeks into her second pregnancy. No pain. No bleeding. She felt that the baby was "more active than usual".Does not sound too serious, but…

Bad Science
Steve Connor is an angry man

Ben Goldacre

1 Jul 2009 | 3:44 am

We’re having a meeting in a pub tonight, it’s free to get in and open to all, we’ll talk about the problems with science journalism. Apparently science journalists won’t tolerate this. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-connor-lofty-medics-should-stick-to-their-day-job-1724485.html Steve Connor: Lofty medics should stick to their day job Science Notebook: Doctors claim media coverage is “lazy, venal and silly” Independent, Tuesday, 30 [...]
I’m doing a talk at Glastonbury, Saturday 5pm Green Fields Speakers Tent

Ben Goldacre

24 Jun 2009 | 5:22 am

Walk up the hill towards the Stone Circle, turn right at the homeopathy tent (if it’s in the same place this year), down Healing Broadway, nice big green tent on the right organised (among others) by my mate Shane Collins from t’ Green Party. I’ll be talking at 5pm on Saturday, just after Tony Benn, [...]
World Conference of Science Journalists – Troublemakers Fringe, Penderel’s Oak Pub, Holborn, 1st July 8pm – Midnight

Ben Goldacre

24 Jun 2009 | 5:05 am

Come and see me, Vaughan from Mindhacks.com and Petra from drpetra.co.uk talk in a pub on Wednesday. Next week the World Conference of Science Journalists will be coming to London. A few of us felt they were might not adequately address some of the key problems in their profession, which has deteriorated to the point where [...]
Steorn perpetual motion machine, amazingly, may not work: independent jury resigns

Ben Goldacre

23 Jun 2009 | 4:42 am

For those who care about follow-ups: http://stjury.ning.com/forum/topics/jury-announcement Jury Announcement In August 2006 the Irish company Steorn published an advertisement in the Economist announcing the development of “a technology that produces free, clean and constant energy”. Qualified experts were sought to form a “jury” to validate these claims. Twenty-two independent scientists and engineers were selected by Steorn to form this [...]
Behind the curtains

Ben Goldacre

19 Jun 2009 | 4:10 pm

Ben Goldacre The Guardian Saturday 20 June 2009 When is a conversation public, an act of performance, and when is it private? This problem rears its head with greater frequency in the age of the internet, as more discussions are publicly accessible without necessarily, in the minds of the participants, being for the public. In everyday [...]

Healthy Reader
How Safe Is Flouride In Our Drinking Water?

Conner Flynn

2 Jul 2009 | 9:51 am

There’s a huge debate about flouride in our water. We have had flouride in drinking water since the sixties when it was thought to help with tooth decay. Modern research has now shown us that it can have harmful side effects and the amount should be lowered. Hell, we should get rid of it. In fact, the World Health Organization wants much lower levels. It has been connected with all sorts of things, like bone cancer and even 10,000 cancer deaths annually. The problem has to do with the fact that what they add is a waste product. It’s mainly silicoflouride, a waste product of the…
Mississippi Is The Fattest State

Conner Flynn

1 Jul 2009 | 1:18 pm

Mississippi’s still the fattest state, but Alabama is a close second. Yep, it’s that time again. Time for the nation’s annual obesity rankings. The good news is that Colorado is pretty lean. The bad news is that that is about all the good news there is. In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese, according to a report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over just the past year, and sadly no state experienced a noteworthy decline. It’s news that affects us all.
Use Acupuncture To Fight Insomnia

Conner Flynn

30 Jun 2009 | 10:48 am

Many people swear by acupuncture for a variety of health related issues, but did you know it can also help fight insomnia? Some studies say that it’s effective 90% of the time. Insomnia is caused by a lack of serotonin. Acupuncture increases serotonin, which is related to melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Acupuncture stimulates the body in such a way that it balances out. Needles are inserted at various locations. The length of the treatments vary but are typically about 45 minutes, a few times a week. Many people say that they sleep better after the treatment. It’s…
Too Much Sugar Causes Wrinkles?

Conner Flynn

29 Jun 2009 | 1:59 pm

Like most health topics there are several schools of thought regarding what causes wrinkles. Sugar is one culprit that supposedly will make you more wrinkly. Sugar triggers a natural process called glycation, which is the same chemical reaction that turns meat brown when you cook it. The sugars bind with tissues to form molecules called advanced glycation end products(AGEs), which are harmful and damage elastin and collagen. Your skin needs those two substances to stay supple and elastic. AGEs also damage the kidneys, brain and other essential organs. Sucks for all of us sugar fiends, but…
Baldness Treatments That Work

Conner Flynn

26 Jun 2009 | 9:02 am

Men’s Health has an interesting article on baldness treatments, if you happen to be a Jean Luc Picard or George Costanza and need some extra help. These days there are more baldness treatments than ever and they claim that some actually work. It might be worth checking out. Whether it’s pills, plugs, lasers, surgery, lotions or potions, men like to have a full head of hair to make them feel and look complete. The article may help you sort out the scams from actual things that might help. Unless you are the type of guy who just wants to use that spray can stuff and paint your bald…

Respectful Insolence
They don't call it "cheat-lation" for nothing (updated)

2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 am

Last year, a seeming victory for the protection of human subjects from being subjected to pseudoscience. It began when Kimball C. Atwood IV, MD; Elizabeth Woeckner, AB, MA; Robert S. Baratz, MD, DDS, PhD; and Wallace I. Sampson, MD published a lengthy criticism of the NIH Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) in Medscape, pointing out that it was a boondoggle that was not only not based on sound science but was in fact risky to patients and riddled with conflicts of interest and administered by highly dubious practitioners. If you want to know just how bad the National Center for…
Senator Tom Harkin pulls a fast one: Alternative medical practitioners will be part of the "healthcare workforce" under health care reform

2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 am

Earlier this year, I wrote about Senator Tom Harkin's attempt to hijack President Obama's health care reform plans in order to inject quackery in the form of "alternative" or "integrative" medicine into the effort. Specifically, he wants to legitimize quackery by including it in any federal plan under the guise of "preventative care." He even went so far as to invite the Four Horsement of the Woopocalypse into the Senate to testify and castigate the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine for being too scientific and not proving that any of his favored woo works. Of course,…
CBS News' resident anti-vaccine propagandist Sharyl Attkisson dives into breast cancer crankery

1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Remember Sharyl Attkisson? She's the CBS reporter who can really bring home the crazy when it comes to vaccines and autism, laying down some serious crankery (complete with many logical fallacies) and hit pieces on Dr. Paul Offit. Indeed, at times she gives Mike Adams a run for his money when it comes to laying down the pseudoscience and crankery. Worse, she appears to be in bed with at least one of the bloggers at the antivaccine propaganda blog Age of Autism for the purpose of bringing antivaccination lunacy to the masses by assisting them in smearing Voices for Vaccines. Indeed, aside from…
The ghoul returns again to feast on the flesh of celebrities

30 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

I waited. I knew it was coming. It had to. History was on my side. My quarry was nutty, but in a way exceedingly predictable. it wasn't so much that I knew exactly what he would do. He wasn't predictable in that way. It was that I knew he would do something crazy. Actually, on second thought, I did know what he was going to do. I had only to consider how ghoulishly he treated Tony Snow and Bernie Mac, and Tim Russert and how he leapt at the opportunity to abuse Christina Applegate. To him, when a dying celebrity like Patrick Swayze rejected quackery, it was more than he could stand. Whenever…
Another call to help vaccinate Las Vegas!

29 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pm

On Friday, I posted a plea for donations to the JREF effort to help poor families vaccinate their children against childhood diseases. Over the weekend DuWayne Brayton did me one better with his plea: I have been where a lot of those families are. While $25 may not seem like a hell of a lot to most people, when you are to the point where you have to ration your eating to five or six meals a week, to ensure your children get enough to eat, that works out to being a lot of meals you will miss that month. And I can also attest, trying to functionally work when you're only eating one meal, ever…

World of Psychology
Breakthrough for Schizophrenia and Bipolar

John M Grohol PsyD

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm

Earlier today, we reported that NIMH-funded researchers at three different genetic research institutes from around the world collaborated and published three new studies yesterday in the journal, Nature, that suggested a true breakthrough in our understanding of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And to think that just earlier this week, I was dismissing the largely inconclusive findings of genetics research in mental illness. One of the researchers commented on the findings: “There was substantial overlap in the genetic risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that was specific to…
Declaring Independence from Fear

John M Grohol PsyD

2 Jul 2009 | 8:42 am

Independence Day in the U.S. is the day that America declared its independence from a tyrannical government, but real independence took many longer, hard years of war. The sacrifice of tens of thousands of people was needed first, before our declaration of independence had any real effect. And so it is with any change in our lives. We can make the declaration, “Today, I’m going to start losing weight,” or “Today, I’m going to try and reply to every cognitive distortion by examining the evidence and answering it back.” But declarations are only starting…
Why Do Kids Behave the Way They Do? Listen to Doctor Radio this July 4th

John M Grohol PsyD

1 Jul 2009 | 12:04 pm

Ever wonder why kids behave the way they do? Satellite radio Sirius XM and a team of medical experts from NYU Langone Medical Center have the answer with a special on the Doctor Radio channel on July 4th. Doctor Radio is heard on SIRIUS channel 114 and XM channel 119. 24 Hours About Our Kids is a July 4th weekend marathon of Doctor Radio’s weekly child psychiatry and psychology show, exploring important topics that all parents and kids face today including ADHD, mood disorders, the effects of online social networking, issues related to coming out of the closet, Autism, depression and…
Dads, Daughters and Body Image

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.

1 Jul 2009 | 4:59 am

We’ve already talked about how moms and daughters can help boost each other’s body image. However, moms aren’t the only influential ones. Dads, too, play a pivotal role in shaping their daughter’s body image. And parents today have a lot to contend with; our society isn’t getting any easier on girls (or boys). It’s tough enough on full-grown women to navigate the treacherous world of women’s magazines, double-zero clothing and weight-loss ads. Add to that peer teasing and cyberbullying, and it’s understandable why some dads are voicing their concern. Paul Nyhan in The Seattle…
More Psych Tweeps

Sandra Kiume

30 Jun 2009 | 12:45 pm

Out of fairness I couldn’t put us in the top ten list, but PsychCentral tweeps have some great Twitter accounts. @docjohng (our fearless leader) @aliciasparks (glamorous author, Celebrity Psychings editor, World of Psychology contributor) @dr_aletta (therapist/life coach, World of Psychology contributor) @summerberetsky (mental health writer, World of Psychology contributor) @channelNvideo (me, editor of Channel N, features extra neuro/psych videos and new media talk) @unsuicide (me again, a suicide prevention peer resource with positive, practical info and support) @psychcentral (feeds…

MoJo Blog Posts: blue marble
New El Niño Making More Hurricanes

By Julia Whitty

2 Jul 2009 | 3:25 pm

El Niño years typically produce fewer Atlantic hurricanes. But that seems to be changing. According to a report in this week's Science a new kind of El Niño is appearing, one birthed in the Central not Eastern Pacific. It's called El Niño Modoki, from the Japanese meaning: similar but different. What's different about El Niño Modoki is that its Central Pacific warming is associated with a higher-than-average hurricane frequency and a greater potential for those storms to make landfall along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and Central America. Why El Niño is…
Eco-News Roundup Thursday July 2

By Jen Phillips

2 Jul 2009 | 3:43 am

Environment, health, and energy-related stories from our other blogs you might have missed yesterday. Baby Blues: Ex-McCain camp grumps about dealing with Palin's post-partum depression. Dept. of TCB: Obama is doing what he has to to pass healthcare bill. Thank You, Jesus: God tells Joe the Plumber NOT to run for Congress. For now. Bill Breakdown: So, what's the Waxman-Markey bill going to do exactly? Ugly American: Todd Stern will have to convince India and China to reduce emissions, not easy to do when our own come-lately climate bill barely passed.
Report: States Wasting Stimulus Funds on New Roads

By Josh Harkinson

1 Jul 2009 | 4:45 pm

A report released this week by two public interest groups found that states are on average using nearly a third of their stimulus transportation funds to build new roads while often ignoring a huge backlog of necessary street repairs and public transportation investments. Produced by a transportation consulting firm for CalPIRG and Smart Growth America, the report paints a particularly ugly picture in California, which has has spent more than 80 percent of its $2.6 billion in transportation stimulus money. Forty three percent of that money went to build new road projects, even as about…
The Cell Phone Cancer Question, Again

By Kiera Butler

1 Jul 2009 | 3:30 pm

The debate over whether electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and other wireless technology causes cancer rages on. Yesterday, an advocacy group called the National Institute for Science, Law, and Public Policy sent a letter to journalists and lawmakers urging them to "learn about the health consequences of microwave radiation exposure from cell phones, neighborhood antennas, wireless networks, wireless routers, DECT portable phones, and the potential health consequences of further chronic exposures from wireless broadband and new wireless utility technologies." The folks…
Despite Pledge, ExxonMobil Still Funding Climate Change Deniers

By Josh Harkinson

1 Jul 2009 | 2:26 pm

ExxonMobil isn't just in denial about climage change, it's in denial about its own denial. Despite a pledge in 2008 to discontinue contributions to groups "whose position on climate change could divert attention" from the need for clean energy, the company went right on funding them, the Guardian reports. Recently released company records reveal that ExxonMobil handed over $75,000 that year to the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas and $50,000 to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. Both NPCA and Heritage oppose siginficant action on climate change and…

Pharma Marketing Blog
A "Hubble" View Into the Pharma Cosmos

John Mack

1 Jul 2009 | 8:54 am

Edwin Powell Hubble -- the astronomer after whom the telescope in space is named -- was the first astronomer to find observable evidence that the universe is expanding. He also observed what he determined to be galaxies beyond our own, opening up the study of space beyond the Milky Way.Click on the image on the right, which was taken by the Hubble telescope. Each of those dots is a galaxy! Surely there is a planet revolving around one of the zillions of stars in one of these zillions of galaxies where there is a pharmaceutical industry and an FDA similar to ours, with one difference: that…
Genuine Conversation: The Big Kahuna of Social Media Marketing

John Mack

1 Jul 2009 | 3:25 am

[Make that "Genuine HUMAN Conversation." See comments to this post.]The best scene in the 1999 movie The Big Kahuna (see wikipedia review) comes at the end when Phil (played by Danny Devito) -- a world-weary "marketing representative" (ie, sales person) for an industrial lubricants company -- puts down Bob (played by Peter Facinelli) -- an idealist R&D guy.Bob has just come back from a late night conversation with a rich businessman (The Big Kahuna) that Phil and his partner Larry (played by Kevin Spacey) have been trying to close a deal with. Bob, however, only talked about Jesus with…
What Pharma Should NOT Learn from P&G and Pringles

John Mack

29 Jun 2009 | 5:14 am

My fellow blogger Jonathan Richman suggested that pharmaceutical marketers should follow the lead of P&G to create banner ads similar to the award-winning Pringles ad that Jonathan's agency created (see "What Pharma Can Learn from Pringles").Jon, Congrats on the Pringle banner ad award! (See and play with the ad here.)Jon suggests this ad could be a model for pharma:"Imagine that Pringles was a pharma product for a minute. There’s no fair balance here, but it wouldn’t require it. The brand name is mentioned (if you click a few times), but nowhere does it include the 'indication:'…
Does Novo's Editing Suck the Life Out of Charlie Kimball? Yes, by Some Objective Measures.

John Mack

29 Jun 2009 | 3:34 am

Last week I compared the personal Twitter account of racecar driver and diabetes patient Charlie Kimball (@charliekimball) with Novo Nordisk's Levemir-branded Race with Insulin Twitter account (@racewithinsulin), which supposedly features tweets made by Charlie. In that post, I noted that the latter account is a distorted mirror of the former. In fact, it appears that Novo Nordisk is rewriting a select number of Tweets from @charliekimball to create the Race With Insulin account (see "Novo Nordisk Selectively Copies & Edits Kimball's Tweets").It's no surprise that Novo Nordisk would edit…
Acromegaly Answers Blog Raises Interesting Regulatory Question

John Mack

26 Jun 2009 | 9:42 am

My friend @skypen just Tweeted me this request: "John, interesting social media initiative by Tercica for niche patient community. Would love your thoughts." See his summary post "Compass launches blog and webinars for niche community."I'll focus on the Acromegaly Answers Blog, which "posts blogs from patients, caregivers, patient service specialists, nurses, doctors and others who live with and manage acromegaly every day." Ipsen, a global pharmaceutical "Group" based in France, sponsors this blog.According to MedAdNews, "Comments are approved by the med legal team and is moderated in…

Running a hospital
A real power bar

Paul Levy

1 Jul 2009 | 9:24 am

It's lunch time and time to report that BIDMC has recreated the famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is now available for sale in our cafeterias. Click on the image to enlarge and read closely to find the special ingredient.
ENFP or ENTP?

Paul Levy

1 Jul 2009 | 1:49 am

As we move towards a holiday weekend (here in the US), we'll shift to a couple of days of less hefty topics to help you start relaxing. Blogs are pretty narcissistic by nature, but this post is as self-centered as they come. Skip it right now if you are concerned.I thought it would be fun to take a Myers-Briggs personality test. It has been many years since I did so, and I forgot what I am like, so I asked one of our HR people to set it up for me.The results are back and are presented above. I appear to be an ENFP, which stands for extraversion, intuition, feeling, and perceiving. But, the…
Summer Report to the BIDMC Staff

Paul Levy

30 Jun 2009 | 2:08 am

Regular readers know that I believe in administrative, as well as clinical, transparency in our hospital. I have trouble understanding why this is unusual, but I know that it is. I just can't imagine trying to solve the problems of an organization and having a common sense of purpose and direction unless everybody is aware of what's going on.Many of youfollowed our efforts of dealing with a budget shortfall earlier this year. I sent out the following email to the staff yesterday to offer a follow-up.Dear BIDMC,Back in March, I promised I would report back to you on budget and financial issues…
Please come clean on the public health plan

Paul Levy

28 Jun 2009 | 2:53 pm

A few days ago, I wrote about the inconsistencies in the President's and Congressional descriptions of a public health insurance plan and suggested that it had other purposes than the ones they were describing. I now find a kindred spirit in Clive Crook at The Atlantic, who notes:[I]t is surely disingenuous to say that a public plan can be just another competitor. How can just another competitor "keep them [the private insurers] honest"? If the public plan makes a difference it will be because of its market and political power, and because of its ability to attract subsidy--in short, because…
Scene from Fair Oaks

Paul Levy

26 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pm

This picture was just too cute not to post it, to carry you through the weekend. Here is the explanation from the mother about her son's first "official run."We live in Fair Oaks, in which our "Old Village" area features a little park that's populated by a band of chickens. There are many varieties, and some of the roosters have spectacular, colorful plumage. We go to the park and feed them, and they wander around the Village, even at the fine outdoor restaurant. It's our trademark; although some would prefer that our oaks, bluff, and beautiful reach of the American River would take…

Emergiblog
Healthcare and the Headache

Kim

24 Jun 2009 | 12:25 pm

Well, apparently they call a nurse! Either that or Nurse Nellie caused the headache. But we know that nurses never cause doctors to have headaches, so that can’t be what’s happening. Ha! Trust me, there have been a few doctors over the years that have given me major headaches and I have no doubt that I have been the impetus behind a few MD migraines myself! Man, re-entry sucks. Four days of Nascar. If it didn’t have four wheels, it did not exist for me last weekend. You don’t just attend a Nascar race; you absorb it. Eventually, you re-enter the real world. The…
Kasey Kahne Wins Infineon and This Nurse is Nuts for Nascar!

Kim

21 Jun 2009 | 10:46 pm

Oh. My. God. He did it. He actually did it! Kasey Kahne won the Infineon road course today. I was SO THERE! I am sunburnt, can’t walk for the blisters and am so dehydrated I may not void for a week. Okay, that was TMI. But all of that pales in comparison to the thrill of watching MY race driver hold off Tony Stewart over and over and over again to win a road course that no one on earth expected him to win But that’s Kasey. I am so damn excited right now I can hardly stand it. The race has been over for almost six hours and I haven’t come off the high I get just watching…
And She’ll Have Fun Fun Fun Till Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away…

Kim

19 Jun 2009 | 9:48 pm

Meet the newest driver in the Nascar garage! Me! Don’t let my presence in the #18 fool you, I am not a fan of Kyle Busch. It was the only car available. Tomorrow I will be meeting Kasey Kahne. Lord have mercy! This is where I am. Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. The heart of the wine country. Just off the raceway there are lush vineyards that produce world famous wines. The track itself looks like the Sahara Desert. And it is just about as hot with very little shade. It can also be a wee bit hazardous to your health, and I’m not talking hearing loss (although nothing, and I mean…
Patients for a Moment: A New Blog Carnival Hits the Scene!

Kim

18 Jun 2009 | 11:24 am

Well, it’s about time! There is a new blog carnival in town and this time it’s all about the patients! Which means it’s all about you and me, because all of us, at one time or another, are the patients. The new carnival, Patients for a Moment is the brainchild of patient blogger Duncan Cross. The first edition is up and if first impressions are lasting, this should be one successful carnival! Head on over, check it out and most definitely consider sending in a post for edition #2! Side note: Tuesday was my 30th wedding anniversary; my husband and I were treated to dinner…
I See You in a Different Light

Kim

16 Jun 2009 | 1:39 pm

Well, somebody likes their job, I must say. Although I can’t figure out why she is smiling. Her cap looks like conjoined coffee filters! Conjoined coffee filters that somebody sat on! Maybe she doesn’t realize it’s squished, and would die of embarrassment if she knew! I wanted to take a moment and thank the two companies whose support of Emergiblog through their advertising is appreciated more than I can say. Both Scrubs Gallery and NurseConnect provide support for many of the nurse bloggers, and I am proud to have them on Emergiblog. If you have not had a chance to check…

WHO news
New drug being tested in Africa for river blindness

1 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

1 July 2009 -- The clinical trial of a drug that could eliminate river blindness is being launched in three African countries. Also known as onchocerciasis, this disease is one of the leading infectious causes of blindness across Africa.
Working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO strengthened

25 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

26 June 2009 -- Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, today met Mr Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, during an official visit to the country. The visit has seen the strengthening of the working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO.
Call to protect hospitals, schools from impact of disasters

18 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am

18 June 2009 -- WHO and UNICEF today called on governments to strengthen risk reduction measures so that health and education systems are able to cope with disasters.
WHO welcomes sanofi-aventis's donation of vaccine

17 Jun 2009 | 12:15 pm

17 June 2009 -- WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has welcomed the announcement by sanofi-aventis to donate 100 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus.
Pedestrians, cyclists among main road traffic crash victims

15 Jun 2009 | 10:00 am

15 June 2009 -- The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.

PharmaGossip
Michael Jackson - rehearsals were going well

2 Jul 2009 | 2:44 pm

Embedded video from CNN Video
Chip fat!?

2 Jul 2009 | 10:33 am

New research released today from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s Scottish office, reveals that Scots are acting dangerously in the sun by using moisturisers, baby lotion and chip fat instead of high factor sun lotions.More
Define "ego"

2 Jul 2009 | 3:13 am

This might help.
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2 Jul 2009 | 1:49 am
Don't like twitter?

2 Jul 2009 | 12:56 am

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Our Bodies Our Blog
Trading Women’s Health for Votes: Legislators Call for Excluding Abortion Services from Government Health Plan

Nineteen House members sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stating that they will not vote for health care reform legislation "unless it explicitly excludes abortion funding from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." Right-o. Because nothing says "crafting broad support" than cutting off health services ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]
List of Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities Released

We've mentioned in previous posts that comparative effectiveness research (research that directly compares the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness) received funding in the stimulus bill, and that the Institute of Medicine was gathering public input in order to inform a report providing specific recommendations to Congress for ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]
Political Diagnosis: Roadblocks and Lines (Not) Drawn in the Sand - the Week in Health Reform

This Week’s Super Fun Health Reform Graphic: The Kaiser Family Foundation's side-by-side comparison of healthcare reform proposals now includes details about the House Tri-Committee proposal (discussed here last week). Check it -- We also direct your attention to the Center for Policy Analysis, a resource for information on progressive health reform. ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]
Two Hospitals to Address Access to Care for Patients with Disabilities

Despite ADA regulations regarding accessibility of public buildings, people with disabilities often face barriers to accessing healthcare that are not addressed by the law, including a lack of appropriate staff training and accessible equipment. A report in Friday's Boston Globe indicates that two nationally known, Harvard-affiliated area hospitals - Massachusetts ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]
Double Dose: Pregnancy, Prison and HIV

Woman Shackled During Labor Sues State: A former inmate at the Washington Corrections Center for Women who was shackled while in labor is suing the state of Washington for violating her constitutional rights. Read the full complaint here (pdf). The Seattle-based women's rights organization Legal Voice filed the federal lawsuit last ... [This is a content summary only. Click the headline to visit Our Bodies, Our Blog for the full post, links, other content and more!]

Wall St Journal: Health Blog
Big Bang Theory for July 4: Leave It to the Professionals

Shirley S. Wang

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Before the Health Blog heads off for the Fourth of July weekend, we offer a reminder about this holiday’s big downside: firework-related injuries. Some 70% of such injuries last year occurred between June 20 and July 20, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. There were nine firework-related deaths and 7,000 injuries in 2008, down from 11 deaths and 9,800 injuries the year before, says that the CPSC. (See here for more history.) Half of these type of injuries are burns, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hands and fingers are the most vulnerable body parts. For…
The Need for New Research to Include Old Patients

James A. White

2 Jul 2009 | 12:30 pm

One thing health-care practitioners know about treating the elderly is that they don’t know enough about treating the elderly. The point is underscored today by Richard C. Frank, a doctor who writes in a WSJ.com guest column about a 83-year-old patient with heart problems seeking aggressive treatment to fight non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer is often curable but there is precious little information about how much an elderly patient with a weak heart — or other serious conditions, for that matter — can handle the normal rigors of anti-cancer treatment. Frank writes:…
Medicare May Pay More for Primary Care, Less for Procedures

Jacob Goldstein

2 Jul 2009 | 9:53 am

We mentioned yesterday that the feds are proposing their annual tweaks to the way Medicare pays doctors. But we were so busy geeking out on a proposed accounting change that we neglected to mention a few other details likely to be of interest: Namely, the feds want to increase Medicare payments to primary-care docs, and decrease payments to some specialists. This is something that’s been bandied about for awhile, and there have been some small shifts in this direction. Still, specialists argue that they often have to train years longer than primary care doctors, and deserve higher pay.
Multaq Approval Marks Comeback for Sanofi’s Heart Drug

Shirley S. Wang

2 Jul 2009 | 9:48 am

Multaq, Sanofi-Aventis’s treatment for heart-rhythm disorders, has made a comeback. Rejected by the FDA in 2006 because of safety concerns, the agency has approved Multaq, the company announced today. The drug approval is the French drug maker’s first major U.S. approval in seven years, according to Bloomberg. Late last year, Sanofi decided to discontinue development of obesity drug Acomplia, which was once thought to have much promise. Lately, the company has faced questions lately about whether its diabetes drug, Lantus, is linked to cancer. Sanofi has predicted that Multaq,…
J&J Antes Up $1 Billion for Alzheimer’s Push With Elan

Shirley S. Wang

2 Jul 2009 | 7:54 am

Health-care giant J&J is making a $1 billion bet for a stake in Irish drug maker Elan and will invest an additional $500 million in Elan’s closely watched experimental bapineuzumab that is in late-stage studies to treat Alzheimer’s, the companies announced this morning. With the deal, Elan essentially turns over to J&J the development rights of bapineuzumab, which Elan has been developing in partnership with Wyeth (soon to be bought by Pfizer). But the compound isn’t as promising as it initially appeared to be, which resulted in severe punishment of Elan’s…

USA TODAY: Health
Obama takes health care pitch to Virginia

1 Jul 2009 | 8:50 pm

At an emotional forum in Virginia, President Obama hugged a cancer patient Wednesday and vowed to bring greater efficiency and ...
Jackson's hospital known for 'raising the dead'

1 Jul 2009 | 4:42 pm

When Michael Jackson went into cardiac arrest, rescuers took him to a place known for bringing the dead back to life. A world-renowned ...
12 hospitalized in possible E. coli beef outbreak

1 Jul 2009 | 4:02 pm

Federal health officials say at least 12 people have been hospitalized in connection with a possible E.coli outbreak in beef ...
CDC: Private health care coverage at 50-year low

1 Jul 2009 | 3:59 pm

The percentage of Americans with private health insurance has hit its lowest mark in 50 years, according to two new government ...
FDA: Stop-smoking drugs Chantix, Zyban must carry suicide warning

1 Jul 2009 | 3:23 pm

The smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban must now carry a boxed warning the strongest type possible about the risk of ...

Wellness Health News
Heavy internet use linked to obesity in Hong Kong students

2 Jul 2009 | 7:15 am

Hong Kong (dpa) - University students who spend hours a day onlineare more likely to be overweight and to have health problems,according to a Hong Kong survey Thursday. The study by Hong Kong's Chinese University found that nearly 15per cent of first year students spend more than four hours a dayonline. Among heavy internet users, 8.5 per cent are overweight comparedto less than 4 per cent of light internet users, the survey involvinginterviews with more than 2,000 students found. More than 10 per cent of heavy internet users admitted skippingmeals, compared to less
Energy drink abuse worries health pros

2 Jul 2009 | 7:07 am
Careful 'pain killers' don't become a killer

2 Jul 2009 | 7:07 am
Vegetarian diet weakens bones: Australian research

2 Jul 2009 | 6:41 am
Increase in celiac disease baffles doctors

1 Jul 2009 | 6:19 pm

ROCHESTER, Minn., Jul 1, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is more than four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, U.S. researchers say. Dr. Joseph Murray of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., also found that subjects who did not know they had celiac disease were nearly four times more likely than celiac-free subjects to have died during the 45 years of follow-up. "Celiac disease has become much more common in the last 50 years, and we don't know why," Murray said in a statement. "It now

Healthscout Top Stories
Why Swine Flu Differs From Seasonal Flu

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Pandemic virus affects lungs and stomach, whereas seasonal flu doesn't, researchers say.
C-Section Stress Could Alter Baby's Immune Cells

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

And that might raise odds for diabetes, asthma later on, researchers say.
Increasing Alcohol Use Tied to More Hospitalization

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Although heavy drinkers were affected most, link held for even mild drinking, study finds.
Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Often Overweight

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Study explores weight problems faced by youngsters with the disease.
Another Genetic Link to Testicular Cancer Is Found

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Discovery may help explain why disease runs in families.

CBS News: Health
Few Survive Cardiac Arrest, Even With CPR

2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 pm

Study: Odds of Survival After Hospital CPR Haven't Improved in More than a Decade
400K Cribs Recalled for Suffocation Risk

2 Jul 2009 | 2:30 pm

Simplicity Drop Side Cribs Recalled in Wake of 8-month-old's Death
Jackson's Hospital Has "Raised the Dead"

2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

UCLA Medical Center Has Surgeon Who Has Pioneered Reviving Victims of Cardiac Arrest
FDA Panel Sounds Alarm On Painkiller Doses

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Experts Warn Of Overdoses On Tylenol, Other Painkillers With Acetaminophen; Say Vicodin, Percocet Should Be Eliminated
Video: A Beach Getaway Workout

2 Jul 2009 | 6:33 am

On vacation, the warm sand along with your beach gear make a great combo to help you workout. Maggie Rodriguez gets tips from experts Fred and Elisabeth who run Exhale Spa's Core Fusion program.

Fat Fighter TV
New Report: Americans getting fatter and fatter…

FatFighter

1 Jul 2009 | 5:39 pm

Obesity rates are still going up, up, up! A new report finds the number of obese adults has increased in 23 states and did not go down in any states in the past year. In other words, we are fatter now than we were a year ago. The report – F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009 – comes from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It shows Mississippi has the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent – the fifth year in a row the state has topped the list. Colorado has the lowest rate of obese adults – 18.9…
Back to Basics: Your guide to 7 summer calorie-burners

FatFighter

1 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

In the summer, I like to exercise outside as much as possible – soak in enough sun (with sunscreen on, of course!) to make up for all those dreary winter months. I almost always wear my heart rate monitor to track the calories I burn. But this simple guide from the American Council on Exercise can help you get a general idea of how much you’re burning doing these 7 popular summer activities… so burn, baby, burn! Walking at 4 MPH 120 pound person burns 4.5 calories/minute 180 pound person burns 6.8 calories/minute Hiking 120 pound person burns 4.5 calories/minute 180 pound…
How do YOU fight fat? (Starring Trish from I am Succeeding)

FatFighter

30 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am

Need new ideas on how to fight fat? Want to share your tips and tricks with others? Then you gotta stop by the FatFighterTV Video Forum – all the details here. Today’s featured video from the forum is from Trish – a stay-at-home mom who tracks her weight loss journey over at I am Succeeding – a great place to go to give and get support, so stop by! But first, check out how Trish fights fat with her Wii moves! Want to join in the fun? It’s easy! All you have to do is make a short video (like 30 seconds or less) that answers the question, How do YOU fight fat? Show us one…
News Nugget: Can athletic seals help kids get moving?

FatFighter

29 Jun 2009 | 7:31 pm

What do five northern fur seals have to do with kids and exercise? A new exhibit at the New England Aquarium is designed to inspire the obese generation of kids to get moving. The “Move It!” program has seals stretching, jumping, and swimming, while panels around the aquarium show the moves and encourage children to try them. Some kids will even be allowed to exercise with the seals. Want more News Nuggets? Follow me on Twitter! __________________________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE copy of "Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals"…
PB2 giveaway

FatFighter

29 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am

If you love peanut butter as much as I do – which is VERY MUCH – but wish you could ditch a lot of the calories and fat, PB2 is coming to your peanut butter-loving rescue! I just ordered some a few weeks ago and I’ve been adding it to my almost-daily protein shakes and I love it! . So, what is PB2? It’s powdered peanut butter with WAY fewer calories and MUCH less fat: 2 tablespoons of regular peanut butter have 200 calories and 16 grams of fat 2 tablespoons of PB2 have 53 calories and 1.87 grams of fat Wow, huh?! How do they do that??!! The folks who make PB2 over at…

Women's Health News
Where is MedlinePlus in Google Drug Search Results?

Rachel

2 Jul 2009 | 2:44 pm

Perhaps my fellow medical librarians recall this differently, but it seems to me that when I do a Google search for a drug, I used to get MedlinePlus drug information as one of my top results. This suited me well, given that MedlinePlus is a National Library of Medicine resource, isn’t trying to sell me anything, and can be relied upon generally for quality information. FDA news and alerts and other expected resources also used to rank fairly high (in my recollection). Now, when I do drug name searches, I’m getting drug homepages (which I expect), along with things like rxlist,…
At Our Bodies Our Blog: Research Priorities, and More BS Posturing on Women’s Health for Political Gain

Rachel

2 Jul 2009 | 2:24 pm

Yesterday at Our Bodies Our Blog, I posted about the list of priorities for comparative effectiveness research compiled in an Institute of Medicine report as part of the process for allocating funds for this research from the stimulus package. It’s really more interesting than that sentence makes it sound. Several women’s health and childbirth-related topics made the list. Check it out. Christine has something more urgent today, Trading Women’s Health for Votes: Legislators Call for Excluding Abortion Services from Government Health Plan. Apparently “Nineteen House members…
Assorted FDA-related Updates: Transparency, Tylenol, and Cookie Dough

Rachel

30 Jun 2009 | 4:50 pm

The FDA has a transparency blog up at http://fdatransparencyblog.fda.gov/ where the agency is asking the public for comments on how they can do better at being transparent. For example, question 3 is “What tools, techniques, processes, or other mechanisms should FDA use to be more effective in providing useful and understandable information?” There are very few comments thus far, so go on over and share your thoughts. FDA Confirms E. Coli O157:H7 in Prepackaged Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough. Do not want. I’d be interested in knowing how many of the infected…
Last Minute Clicks Needed at ScienceBlogs – Click by the End of Today (June 30)

Rachel

30 Jun 2009 | 4:24 pm

Just a reminder that several bloggers over at ScienceBlogs are donating their blog revenue from June to Doctors Without Borders as part of their Silence is the Enemy campaign “to draw more attention to the sexually abused around the globe and to encourage everyone to talk about it and act.” As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, the campaign has a particular focus on mass rape as a weapon. Right now, a bunch of the participating bloggers are highlighted at the stop of the ScienceBlogs site. Because their revenue (and donation amount from each blogger) is affected by their…
Sunday News Round-Up, Monday Style

Rachel

29 Jun 2009 | 4:51 pm

Lauredhel just went and threw water in the hot skillet of oil that is the breastfeeding vs. formula feeding debate online. She has some demands for “those who think that society has ‘gone too far’ in supporting breastfeeding, that mothers who formula feed are demonised and breastfeeding mothers aren’t.” You may have heard radio bits from StoryCorps, the public radio project that travels the country collecting stories from folks. There is a new related project, StoryCorps OutLoud, “project to record and preserve the voices of LGBTQ individuals across the…

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News
Acid-reducing Medicines May Lead To Dependency

2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 pm

Treatment with proton pump inhibitors for eight weeks induces acid-related symptoms like heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia once treatment is withdrawn in healthy individuals. Data suggests proton pump inhibitors can induce acid-related symptoms in healthy adults.
CPAP Treatment Linked To Lower Mortality In Stroke Patients With OSA

2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 pm

Stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea who undergo treatment with continuous positive airway pressure following their stroke may substantially reduce their risk of death.
Brain Functions That Can Prevent Relapse Improve After A Year Of Methamphetamine Abstinence

2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 pm

Researchers report that it takes at least a year for former methamphetamine users to regain impulse control. The results tell recovering substance abusers, their families and drug-treatment specialists that it can take an extended period of time for the brain functions critical to recovery to improve.
Virus-gene Therapy Combination Against Melanoma Under Testing

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Researchers are injecting a modified herpes virus into melanoma tumors, hoping to kill the cancer cells while also bolstering the body's immune defenses against the disease.
What Should A Teenage Girl Do If She Finds A Lump In Her Breast?

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

If a lump is found in the breast of an adolescent girl, she often will undergo an excisional biopsy. However, breast cancer is rare in adolescents, and the vast majority of teenage breast lumps are benign. A recent study suggests that a breast ultrasound might eliminate the need for biopsy in many cases.

BBC News: Health
WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'

2 Jul 2009 | 3:50 pm

The UN's top health official tells a swine flu forum in Mexico that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable.
Fergus On Flu

2 Jul 2009 | 6:33 am

The H1N1 vaccine is ready, but you can't have it yet
Sound waves offer prostate hope

1 Jul 2009 | 4:12 pm

An experimental therapy using sound waves may offer people with early stage prostate cancer an alternative treatment.
Gene clues to schizophrenia risk

1 Jul 2009 | 4:04 pm

Scientists identify thousands of tiny genetic variations which raise the risk of schizophrenia.
US obesity problem 'intensifies'

1 Jul 2009 | 9:13 am

Obesity rates in the US have surged over the last year with numbers rising in 23 out of 50 states, a report shows.

CBC: Health News
Doctors take N.B. government to court over fee freeze

2 Jul 2009 | 12:25 pm

The New Brunswick Medical Society has taken its fight against the provincial government's two-year fee freeze to the next level by launching its promised court action.
Antipsychotic drug use spiralling in kids, research says

2 Jul 2009 | 11:53 am

Medical research out of the University of British Columbia suggests the number of children taking medications known as atypical antipsychotics has increased tenfold over the past decade, CBC News has learned.
Swine flu cases worldwide surpass 77,000

2 Jul 2009 | 7:30 am

The number of swine flu cases worldwide has reached more than 77,000, including 332 deaths, says the World Health Organization.
Canadian HIV vaccine ready for human tests

1 Jul 2009 | 5:47 am

An HIV/AIDS vaccine developed in Canada has passed safety tests in animals and the researchers are awaiting approval to begin human trials in the U.S.
Alberta Health faces $1.1B budget shortfall

30 Jun 2009 | 5:38 pm

Alberta's health-care system is wrestling with a $1.1 billion deficit and officials are promising changes to bring down spending.

MedPageToday.com
Rebound Acid Reflux with PPIs May Induce Dependence (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 2:42 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (MedPage Today) -- Proton-pump inhibitors may cause or aggravate the very acid-reflux symptoms they are used to treat, according to a randomized trial.
Tab for Senate Healthcare Reform Bill Drops to $611 Billion

2 Jul 2009 | 2:28 pm

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- With a cost of about $611 billion over 10 years, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee's healthcare reform bill comes in significantly lower than the expected trillion-plus price tag.
ASMBS: Gastric Banding Less Effective than Other Procedures (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 1:23 pm

DALLAS (MedPage Today) -- Patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding achieved less weight loss and less improvement in comorbid conditions than those who had gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.
FDA Approves Heart Drug After New Trials

2 Jul 2009 | 12:07 pm

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA has approved the antiarrhythmic dronedarone (Multaq) for treatment of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, the drug's developer announced today.
Clinical Pathways Improve Joint Replacement Outcomes (CME/CE)

2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 pm

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (MedPage Today) -- Organizational strategies known as clinical pathways can significantly improve the quality of care, shorten hospital stays, and reduce the cost of hip and knee joint replacements, a meta-analysis found.

Forbes: Health
Living Alone Increases Odds of Developing Dementia

2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

Losing a partner through divorce or death in middle age may triple the risk, study shows
Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Often Overweight

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Study explores weight problems faced by youngsters with the disease
Cancer Endangers Some Wildlife Species

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Effective conservation can help reduce threat, expert says
Odd Behaviors on Ambien Linked to Brain Circuitry

2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 pm

When the sleep aid shuts down one set of neurons, another set wakes up: study
Why Swine Flu Differs From Seasonal Flu

2 Jul 2009 | 11:00 am

Pandemic virus affects lungs and stomach, whereas seasonal flu doesn't, researchers say

Environmental Health News
Climate's smoky spectre.

jpmyers@ehsic.org

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Recent research suggests that lowly soot particles--black carbon-- could be responsible for a large fraction of Arctic warming. In SE Asia, studies suggest that it is choking the moisture supply for the Indian monsoons and contributing to the retreat of mountain glaciers that provide fresh water for more than a billion people.
Sinking finances throw Iceland's 'hydrogen-based economy' into the freezer.

jpmyers@ehsic.org

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

The financial crisis that brought Iceland to the brink of bankruptcy has postponed this volcanic island's ambitious dream of ditching fossil fuels and transforming itself into the world's first hydrogen-based economy.
Sea level rise: It's worse than we thought.

jpmyers@ehsic.org

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Scientists are more than a little astonished at the rate at which our planet's frozen frontiers seem to be responding to global warming, as more ice is sliding into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise faster and faster.
'Lone voice' finds place in debate.

jpmyers@ehsic.org

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

For a man who's quick with a smile and a handshake, Tyson Slocum has earned a reputation around Washington as a fiery prophet.
An insurance plan for climate change victims.

jpmyers@ehsic.org

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

As Western governments dither at the negotiating table over how to help the world's poorest people cope with climate change, some unlikely saviours have stepped up to the plate: the giants of the global insurance industry.

Disaboom Health Articles
Best Exercises for Multiple Sclerosis

Lori Batcheller <br/>

30 Jun 2009 | 1:31 pm

Prior to the mid-1960s, most doctors recommended that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) avoid exercise since they believed that physical and psychological stress would worsen symptoms. It was also commonly thought that people with MS would not tolerate exercise since fatigue affects about 85 percent this population. Since then, studies have shown that being sedentary can actually contribute to fatigue and muscle wasting. Today a regular exercise program geared toward the individual is recommended...(read more)
Diabetes: Does It Have to Doom Your Sex Life?

Yvonne K. Fulbright, Ph.D., M.S.Ed.

23 Jun 2009 | 5:15 am

Having trouble attaining or maintaining erection? For many males, this can be one of the first signs of diabetes, a link that humans established long ago. In his medical encyclopedia, Persian physician Avicenna (960 – 1037 AD) first mentioned the “collapse of sexual function” as a specific complication of diabetes. Yet it is only recently that the medical community has started openly discussing how to take charge of your sex life while managing diabetes. While known best for causing erectile dysfunction...(read more)
RSD Patient Gets Relief Through Medical Marijuana

Lori Batcheller<br/>

23 Jun 2009 | 4:27 am

Deb Aughenbough knows firsthand how helpful marijuana can be in reducing the symptoms of chronic pain. In 1992, after suffering a left knee sprain, Deb developed constant burning pain in her leg. Her leg turned red, then blue. The illness then began to affect her right leg, eventually resulting in Deb’s need to use a wheelchair. At first misdiagnosed by doctors, Deb finally received the diagnosis of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) months after it developed. By then she was taking 27 medications...(read more)
Exercise for Osteoporosis Prevention

Lori Batcheller<br/>

22 May 2009 | 11:02 am

An estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, a gradual weakening of the bones that makes them more susceptible to fracture, especially of the hips, spine and wrists. Another 18 million Americans have low bone mass, or osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. While osteoporosis is most prevalent in postmenopausal women, men and younger women are also susceptible. The key to preventing osteoporosis is strengthening the bones through exercises when we’re young—we build our maximal bone mass...(read more)
Quadriplegic Autobiography Reveals Happy Life

Debbie Marsh, Disaboom

14 May 2009 | 11:02 am

A freak accident left author Robert Prondzinski a quadriplegic at the age of 17. Forty-four years later, he talks about the ensuing years with a mixture heavy on humor and deep contentment, light on self-pity and outrage in his book Another Fine Mess You’ve Gotten Us Into: The Life and Adventures of a Quad . The beauty of his story is that it appears that’s exactly how Prondzinski sees himself: a fortunate and happy man who’s had to negotiate a few bumps on the road of life. Living in a Wheelchair...(read more)

Public Health News Headlines from Johns Hopkins
Sightseeing Helicopter Crashes in Hawaii Decrease Following FAA Regulations

26 Jun 2009 | 9:00 am

An emergency rule intended to reduce the number of deaths and injuries associated with Hawaiian air tours was followed by a 47 percent reduction in sightseeing crashes, according to a new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy.
Cost-Effective Measures Could Stop Child Pneumonia Deaths

1 Jun 2009 | 9:30 am

Implementing measures to improve nutrition, indoor air pollution, immunization coverage and the management of pneumonia cases could be cost-effective and significantly reduce child mortality from pneumonia, according to a study led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers found that these strategies combined could reduce total child mortality by 17 percent and could reduce pneumonia deaths by more than 90 percent.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Awards Dean's Medal to David Oshinsky

20 May 2009 | 1:00 pm

Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has awarded the Dean's Medal—the School's highest honor—to historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Oshinsky. The Dean's Medal recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of public health. Oshinsky was presented with the Dean's Medal on May 20 at the Bloomberg School of Public Health's convocation ceremony in Baltimore, Md. He also presented the convocation keynote address.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Awards Dean's Medal to Richard Horton

18 May 2009 | 2:00 pm

Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has awarded the Dean's Medal—the School's highest honor—to Richard Horton, editor of the renowned medical journal The Lancet. The Dean's Medal recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of public health.
Study Finds Novel Genetic Risk Factors for Kidney Disease

11 May 2009 | 7:30 am

A team of researchers from the United States, the Netherlands and Iceland has identified three genes containing common mutations that are associated with altered kidney disease risk. One of the discovered genes, the UMOD gene, produces Tamm-Horsfall protein, the most common protein in the urine of healthy individuals. Although the Tamm-Horsfall protein has been known for almost 60 years, its functions are not well understood and its relationship to chronic kidney disease risk was not known previously.

Medical News Today: Pediatrics
Governor Rell: State Of Connecticut To Receive $3.75 Million Grant To Enhance Heath Care Access For At-Risk Mothers

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving $3.75 million federal grant to expand access to health care in Hartford for low-income women nearing childbirth to ensure their newborns get a healthy start. "Our children are our most precious resource and the health of a child is intrinsic to the health of the mother," stated Governor Rell.
Michigan Report Shows Decline In Teen Pregnancy, Improvement In Prenatal Care

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Michigan from 1992 to 2007 experienced improvements in rates of teenage pregnancies, smoking among pregnant women, and six other indicators of maternal and infant health, though there was an increase in out-of-wedlock births and low-birthweight infants, according to a Michigan League for Human Services report issued Tuesday, the
Sepracor Provides Update On Clinical Trials For SEP-225289 And LUNESTA(R) Pediatrics

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Sepracor Inc. (Nasdaq: SEPR) announced that it has completed the analysis and validation of the preliminary results of a Phase II, 514-patient study evaluating the efficacy and safety of SEP-225289 for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, including patients with melancholic and atypical features.
Liver Transplantation After Drug Induced Acute Liver Failure Examined By Study

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Liver transplantation offers a good chance for survival for patients with drug induced acute liver failure, however, certain pre-transplant factors are associated with worse outcomes. Patients who are on life support, who have elevated serum creatinine, and children whose liver failure was caused by antiepileptic drugs did not fare as well after transplantation. These findings are in the July issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons.
Post-Surgery Distress In Children Eased By Hormone Treatment

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

A scary unknown for many children, the prospect of surgery can cause intense preoperative anxiety. While some amount of stress is normal, what many parents do not know is that extreme anxiety before surgery can contribute to the occurrence of emergence delirium, a distressing incidence of acute behavioral changes experienced when "waking up" from anesthesia.

Medical News Today: Public Health
Illinois Department Of Public Health Director Offers Tips For A Safe And Healthy Holiday Weekend

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold wants to remind you of some steps you can take to ensure a safe and healthy Fourth of July. Food Safety Picnics and cookouts top the list of summer activities. But remember, special precautions need to be taken when preparing and serving food during warm weather to avoid foodborne illnesses like salmonellosis.
HCL Welcomes Government Proposals For More Flexible NHS, UK

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

HCL plc, the UK's largest health and social care recruitment agency, said the Government's proposals to reform the NHS by devolving power to frontline professionals and patients will mean a greater need for flexible staffing and more collaboration between the public and private sectors. The Government strategy document "Building Britain's Future", outlines proposals to reduce bureaucracy in the NHS and give patients enforceable rights to high standards of care.
Ad Update: Religious Groups Back Reform, Unions Target Senators' Tax Plans

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

"Labor unions are showing their increasing displeasure over [health reform] financing proposals that target their healthcare benefits by launching attack ads against key lawmakers, causing the Senate's leading advocate of taxing such benefits to seek an end to one especially aggressive campaign," Congress Daily reports.
Veterans Affairs Provides Underused Monthly Pension Benefit While Medicaid Receives Increased Attention

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Medicaid receives increased attention while an underused, special monthly pension benefit called Aid and Attendance can help veterans, and spouses, with assisted living.
The United Nations To Launch "Texting4Health" In Uganda

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

The UN is launching, on Wednesday the 1st of July 2009, a ten-day initiative intended to reach out to 10,000 people in Uganda through mobile phones to demonstrate the reach and potential use of mobile phones in health information and promotion. The initiative, "Texting4Health" will invite residents of Uganda's second largest commercial city of Jinja to participate in a short health quiz using text messages.

Men's health News From Medical News Today
Prostate-Specific Antigen: To Test Or Not To Test, From Harvard Men's Health Watch

2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

One of the most controversial issues in men's health is whether men should routinely have a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer. Some experts argue that PSA testing saves lives by helping detect this common form of cancer early. Others say it triggers unnecessary treatment that disrupts many more lives than it saves.
History Of Periodontitis Linked To Cerebrovascular Disease In Men

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The potential role of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the gums, in the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly ischemic stroke, has received growing attention during the last decade. A new study is the first prospective cohort study to use clinical measures of periodontitis to evaluate the association between this disease and the risk of cerebrovascular disease.
Condom Distribution Program In Los Angeles County Jail Might Be Expanded

1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is considering expanding an eight-year-old program at Men's Central Jail that distributes condoms in a unit for gay men, the Los Angeles Times reports. Under the program, an outreach worker from the nonprofit Center for Health Justice visits the jail once weekly to distribute about one condom per inmate to the unit's 300 inmates.
Daily Sex Helps To Reduce Sperm DNA Damage And Improve Fertility

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Daily sex (or ejaculating daily) for seven days improves men's sperm quality by reducing the amount of DNA damage, according to an Australian study presented to the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam.
HIV Diagnoses Among Men In New Orleans Growing, Large Increases Reported Among Blacks

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

HIV diagnoses among all men in Louisiana declined from 1997 to 2006, but increased in 2007 and 2008 - diagnoses in the New Orleans metropolitan area alone increased by 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, according to the Louisiana Office of Public Health, the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. Of particular concern are the increases among black men in New Orleans.

Blisstree » Diseases & Conditions
FDA Warning: Smoking Cessation Meds

Marijke Durning, RN

1 Jul 2009 | 6:10 pm

The stop-smoking market is huge, from the do-it-yourself treatments to alternative medicine to pharmaceutical medicines. Over the past few years, medications like Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban and Wellbutrin (buproprion) have been used by many people, some successfully, some not. One problem with these medications is that they seem to have an adverse effect on some people who take them and these can be quite serious. According to a press release issued by the FDA: These symptoms include changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and attempted…
Screening Infants For Hip Problems

Marijke Durning, RN

1 Jul 2009 | 5:54 pm

If you’ve had a baby, chances are during a physical exam, you’ve seen his or her hips being checked by the doctor. Usually, this is done by lying the baby on the back and spreading the legs in such a way (knees bent) to see how the hips are working. The reason for this check is the doctors are looking for hip dysplasia , an abnormality of the hips where the joint doesn’t work properly and can easily slip out of place and become dislocated. Serious cases are usually noticed but some babies don’t have an obvious case and may get missed. It may not seem to be a serious…
Wal-Mart Backs Employer Health Ins.

Cherie Burbach

1 Jul 2009 | 3:17 pm

Wal-Mart Stores says it supports healthcare reform that will require employers to provide health insurance to employees. Most larger firms are against this, so Wal-Mart is setting itself apart from the trend. Under the new healthcare legislation that is being considered, “lawmakers have proposed mandating that all but small employers provide insurance for workers or help pay for” the 46 million uninsured people in the U.S. I have to wonder if other firms will follow this lead, and vocally support employer mandated healthcare like Wal-Mart? Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post…
Tylenol: How Much Is Too Much?

Marijke Durning, RN

1 Jul 2009 | 5:03 am

Have a headache? Take a Tylenol or some other brand of acetamenophen, right? Howe about a toothache? Menstrual cramps? Broken arm? There are many types of over-the-counter pain relievers available to the consumer, namely acetaminophen, ibuprofen (Advil) and ASA (Aspirin). And, for many people, they’re very effective. The problem is, who is monitoring how much of these medications they take and how often? It must be safe! “I can buy it off the shelf, it’s got to be safe.” Sound familiar? That’s the way many people think about medications they can just walk in and…
Celiac Disease Becoming More Common

Marijke Durning, RN

1 Jul 2009 | 4:02 am

Over the past few years, I’ve heard of several people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease . Most large grocery stores now have sections that contain gluten-free products , the only type of food those with celiac disease can eat. Why is it this? Has there been a rise in number of people with celiac disease or is it just being recognized more? Researchers were puzzled too, so they undertook a study to find out. According to a press release issued by the Mayo Clinic: “Celiac disease has become much more common in the last 50 years, and we don’t know why,” says…

Yahoo!: Health
Federal probe finds problems with chelation study (AP)

2 Jul 2009 | 9:05 am

AP - A federal investigation has found problems with a controversial study of an alternative medicine treatment for heart attack survivors.
Increasing Alcohol Use Tied to More Hospitalization (HealthDay)

2 Jul 2009 | 9:04 am

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- The more alcohol men drink, the more time they spend in a hospital, research from the United Kingdom has found.
Health Tip: Straining the Hamstring (HealthDay)

2 Jul 2009 | 9:04 am

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- A hamstring injury can sideline an athlete or exercise buff for quite a while.
Health Tip: Controlling Asthma (HealthDay)

2 Jul 2009 | 9:04 am

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Medication used to control asthma may be used every day, without the fear of becoming addicted, the American Academy of Family Physicians says.
Monthly Pet Pill Could Kill Fleas, Ticks (HealthDay)

2 Jul 2009 | 9:04 am

HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Controlling ticks and fleas is drudgery for countless pet owners. Now, researchers report they're closer to developing a monthly pill that would conveniently rid cats and dogs of these disease-carrying invaders.

A Junk-Foodaholic's Journey to a Healthy LIfestyle
If Vacations Are For Resting, Why Am I So Tired?

1 Jul 2009 | 10:35 pm

We had a wonderful vacation in Eastern North Carolina, but it's always good to be home. Our little toddler, Brady, was a trooper on the airplane. On the way to North Carolina, he was super-hyped up, which kept him from sleeping. But thank the Lord... he did sleep on both legs of the flight back home.Running around after Brady kept me from being able to lay out by the pool or on the beach (insert lots of sympathy here). Brady had a blast playing on the beach the first day. But after he gulped down some salt water, he decided to stay out of that salty-wet-stuff altogether! The thing Brady…
Headed to the Beach!

18 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The picture above is similar to our view from the condo. If you look straight across, you can see the balcony of the condo we'll be staying in. We leave for North Carolina tomorrow and we'll be gone for a week.In lieu of dropping, Paul and I will be frolicking on the beach with the family. Don't be too jealous! Hehehehe! It will be hard leaving eastern North Carolina and going back to Arkansas, that's for sure! What do I want to be when I grow up? A beach bum!We will spend four days at the beach condo and the remainder of the time, we'll be hanging out at Paul's Mom's house in Rocky Mount and…
You Have To Walk Before You Can Run

11 Jun 2009 | 3:30 pm

Last week, I ran on Wednesday and Friday. For this week, I ran Monday and again this morning. I didn't run Wednesday morning due to a work conflict. Unfortunately, my job sometimes requires me to log on from home at odd hours of the night. So as it turned out, I had to do some work at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Since I need more than four hours of sleep to function properly, I decided to wait until this morning to run.I am always amazed at how quickly the human body adapts to exercise. When I first started running (June 1), I could only run for 45 seconds at a time and as I went on, my…
Running: From Thinking About It To Actually Doing It!

3 Jun 2009 | 9:59 pm

Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about running.My background in running involved a very short stint as a long-distance runner on the track team. I dropped out due to my hatred of long-distance running. I wanted to run the 100- 200- and 400-meter dashes. But alas, I didn't make the cut.I kept thinking about how much running all the contestants on The Biggest Loser do. Though they work out with weights and do body-weight exercises - for the most part, they do a lot of running. In fact, the moment their fat-butts hit the ground of The Biggest Loser campus, they are running. Seeing them…
3 Things I Learned About Heel Pain

2 Jun 2009 | 3:50 pm

My Personal Hell Heel ExperienceAs some of you know, I've been experiencing intense heel pain for over a year. I injured my feet last spring, running high school bleachers with my kids, Rachael and Dylan. The following day I could barely walk - my heels were throbbing!Before this injury, I had never experienced foot pain. So I thought my feet would eventually heal on their own. Even though the pain subsided from a '10' to about a '6', it was still enough pain to make me thoroughly miserable. My heel pain was most intense upon getting out of bed in the morning and again at the end of the day,…

Canadian Online Health News
Swine flu transmission studies suggest new virus is here to stay:experts

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

TORONTO - Swine flu viruses are missing at least two key features seen in all flu viruses present and past that transmit well among people and yet the viruses are spreading quite efficiently, two new studies suggest.
Melanoma on the rise in young as number of dermatologists shrinks

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Canada's dermatologists say skin cancer rates, including deadly melanoma, are on the rise among young people just as the number of skin specialists is set to decline.
Doctors nix idea of 'flu parties' to get immunity in case virus becomes deadlier

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

TORONTO - As a reason for a party, this one is getting a big thumbs down from public health officials.
Canada's in the spotlight as debate on health care reform rages in the U.S.

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

WASHINGTON - It's rare that anything to do with Canada is front and centre in the minds of Americans, but the Canadian health-care system has been a hot topic of discussion over the past few weeks as Capitol Hill legislators work on a massive health-care overhaul.
Fawcett's death from rare disease may remove stigma from a taboo topic: experts

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

ATLANTA - In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus.

MSNBC: More Health
Q&A: What's the problem with taking Tylenol?

1 Jul 2009 | 12:03 pm

Fearing rising rates of liver damage caused by a popular painkiller, federal Food and Drug Administration advisers recommended yanking popular drugs and lowering daily doses of acetaminophen.
FDA panel votes to eliminate Vicodin, Percocet

1 Jul 2009 | 10:12 am

Government experts called for sweeping safety restrictions Tuesday on the most widely used painkiller, including reducing the maximum dose of Tylenol and eliminating prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet.
Insomniac Michael Jackson begged for sedative

30 Jun 2009 | 4:05 pm

Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with Jackson.
Bone growth agent linked to neck problems

30 Jun 2009 | 1:29 pm

Safety questions arose last year about BMP, a bone growth agent used in fusion surgeries in the neck region, a use not approved by federal regulators.
Boston hospitals promise better accessibility

26 Jun 2009 | 5:38 pm

Two major Boston teaching hospitals are pledging to spend millions of dollars to make their facilities more accessible and their staff more sensitive to the needs of the disabled.

Men's Health Home Page
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Medscape Medical News Headlines
SNM 2009: Lemon Juice Reduces Radiation Exposure to Parotid

2 Jul 2009 | 1:49 pm

Thyroid cancer patients are able to maintain salivary gland function with the addition of lemon juice to therapy. Medscape Medical News
Ferumoxytol Approved to Treat Iron Deficiency Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease

2 Jul 2009 | 1:03 pm

Ferumoxytol injection may be more effective than oral iron for anemic patients in all stages of chronic kidney disease. Medscape Medical News
ISSTDR 2009: Internet-Based Testing Improves Screening for Chlamydia Among Men

2 Jul 2009 | 12:55 pm

Internet-based chlamydia testing at home widens access to young people, and new DNA hybridization technology provides results at point of care. Medscape Medical News
Bone Mineral Density Monitoring May Not Be Needed Up to 3 Years After Starting Bisphosphonates

2 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

A study suggests that monitoring bone mineral density in postmenopausal women in the first 3 years after starting treatment with a potent bisphosphonate is unnecessary and may be misleading. Medscape Medical News
Proton-Pump Inhibitor Withdrawal May Cause Rebound Acid Hypersecretion

2 Jul 2009 | 11:24 am

A study shows that proton pump inhibitor therapy for 8 weeks induced acid-related symptoms in healthy volunteers after withdrawal, suggesting that rebound acid hypersecretion has clinical implications. Medscape Medical News

Reuters: Health News
Birth weight appears associated with leukemia

2 Jul 2009 | 3:43 pm

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There may be an association between high birth weight and an increased risk of overall leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) appears to be associated with the high and low extremes of birth weight.
Washington to give antiviral drugs to WHO

2 Jul 2009 | 3:22 pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Thursday it will give 420,000 treatment courses of Tamiflu to the Pan-American Health Organization to help fight the new H1N1 influenza virus in Latin America and the Caribbean.
New flu may not spread like regular flu

2 Jul 2009 | 2:01 pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new H1N1 influenza strain may be just a little less catching than seasonal flu, but seems a little better able to cause stomach upsets, researchers reported on Thursday.
WHO chief identifies "warning signs" of severe flu

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

GENEVA (Reuters) - H1N1 influenza is causing mild symptoms that go away without medication in most patients, but care-givers should be alert for warning signs of severe cases, the head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
Glaucoma patients overrate their eyedrop skills

2 Jul 2009 | 1:41 pm

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although more than 90 percent of patients taking ocular medication reported feeling confident about their eyedrop instillation technique, less than one third actually demonstrated adequate skills, researchers report in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases
Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots

1 Jul 2009 | 12:45 pm

A trio of genome-wide studies -- collectively the largest to date -- have pinpointed a vast array of genetic variation that cumulatively may account for at least one third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia. One of the studies traced schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in part, to the same chromosomal neighborhoods.
Imaging Technique Allows Researchers to Monitor Protein Changes in Mouse Tumors

1 Jul 2009 | 9:05 am

A new imaging technique can monitor, in living mice, the HER2 protein found in above-normal amounts in many cases of breast cancer as well as some ovarian, prostate and lung cancers. This new approach, once validated in mice and pending further experiments, could provide a real-time noninvasive method for identifying tumors in humans who express HER2 and who would be candidates for targeted therapy directed against this protein. It may also provide real-time information that will help clinicians optimize treatment for individual patients. The study, published in the July 2009 issue of The…
Dynasty: Influenza Virus in 1918 and Today

30 Jun 2009 | 6:10 am

The influenza virus that wreaked worldwide havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. In an article published online on June 29 by the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and they describe how the novel 2009 H1N1 virus now circling the globe is yet another manifestation of…
Gene Expression Findings a Step Toward Better Classification and Treatment of Juvenile Arthritis

29 Jun 2009 | 9:01 am

Scientists have discovered gene expression differences that could lead to better ways to classify, predict outcome, and treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Eventually such findings could enable doctors to target more aggressive treatment to children at risk of more severe arthritis, while those likely to have milder disease could be spared the stronger treatments that carry a greater risk of side effects. The researchers were supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Second Gene Linked to Familial Testicular Cancer

29 Jun 2009 | 6:30 am

Specific variations or mutations in a particular can gene raise a man's risk of familial, or inherited, testicular germ-cell cancer, the most common form of this disease, according to new research by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. This is only the second gene to be identified that affects the risk of familial testicular cancer, and the first gene in a key biochemical pathway. The study appeared online June 23, 2009, in Cancer Research.

THE MEDICAL NEWS
Drink milk to lose weight!

2 Jul 2009 | 4:33 pm

According to the latest research milk helps satisfy hunger by making people feel full and could be useful in weight loss.
Concern over case of drug resistant swine flu

2 Jul 2009 | 4:30 pm

The influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak has now spread to almost all corners of the world - the last update, # 56, from the World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are now a grand total of 77,201 confirmed cases including 311 deaths.
Doping drug does little to improve cyclists' performance

2 Jul 2009 | 4:23 pm

Scientists in New Zealand say many top cyclists may be putting their health at risk for no competitive gain by taking the doping drug pseudoephedrine.
Young black women prone to gain more unhealthy abdominal fat than Hispanics, study shows

1 Jul 2009 | 7:07 pm

Black women ages 20 to 29 have increased amounts of unhealthy abdominal and visceral fat than Hispanic women the same age, and young women of both age groups have more as compared to their elders, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
New prostate cancer metastasis prediction method

1 Jul 2009 | 7:01 pm

Cancer experts at Johns Hopkins say a study tracking 774 prostate cancer patients for a median of eight years has shown that a three-way combination of measurements has the best chance yet of predicting disease metastasis.

Iowa Avenue
Food, Inc. (2009) Final Trailer 1

Susana
Are you too old to exercise?

Lisa Nelson

A Swedish study followed 2,205 men for over 20 years looking at age and exercise. The study found death rates to be highest among men who were sedentary at the start of the study and lowest for the most active men. Interestingly, men who began an exercise program at age 50 had decreased the risk of death after 10 years of being active to the level of those who had always been active. Let’s see if I can say that another way. . .if you have been sedentary all your life and begin a physical activity program “late”, you can still reap the benefits and decrease your risk of death to the same…
Why Have I Stopped Losing Weight?

Diana Young, RD, LD/N, CDE

Hello, I have been dieting and exercising for about 4 months and I’ve lost 15 lbs. I am 30 yrs old, 5′8″ and 162 lbs. In the last 3 weeks I have been exercising 6 days a week for about 30 minutes a day, either with boot camp-type interval training or an elliptical machine. I’m eating about 1200-1350 calories a day. The past 3 weeks my weight loss has slowed and I even gained a pound the first day of my period. What would cause me to gain weight? I’ve had a weight problem since I was 13 or so and my dream is to be 140-145. I have never really had success on diets until recently.
The Skinny on Obesity

David

From Blue Shield: Americans have been packing on the pounds and coping with the consequences of being overweight. Type-2 diabetes and heart disease are just two of the chronic ill effects associated with obesity. Getting your weight under control is critical to long-term health. This month, we give you the skinny on obesity, its causes and treatments, and include tools and a fun tip for losing weight safely. Obesity – A Modern Epidemic Obesity affects about 30 percent of the U.S. population – and it’s been increasing year after year. Still, it’s a disease that can be treated with…
Food Inc.

Susana

A must see powerful documentary... in theaters now! This is just a sample... :(

MedicineNet Daily News
Celiac Disease Cases Are on the Rise

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Title: Celiac Disease Cases Are on the RiseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 7/2/2009Last Editorial Review: 7/2/2009
Your Surroundings Mirror Your Beliefs

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Title: Your Surroundings Mirror Your BeliefsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 7/2/2009 7:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 7/2/2009
Drugs May Not Slow Kidney Damage in Diabetes

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Title: Drugs May Not Slow Kidney Damage in DiabetesCategory: Health NewsCreated: 7/2/2009 7:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 7/2/2009
Health Highlights: July 1, 2009

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Title: Health Highlights: July 1, 2009Category: Health NewsCreated: 7/2/2009 7:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 7/2/2009
TV Ads Trigger Mindless Eating

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Title: TV Ads Trigger Mindless EatingCategory: Health NewsCreated: 7/2/2009 7:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 7/2/2009 7:00:01 AM

AP Top Health News At 5:42 p.m. EDT
World health officials tackle swine flu challenges

2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 pm

Swine flu is running wild in the Southern Hemisphere and is spreading rapidly through Europe, with Britain projected to reach 100,000 daily cases by the end of August. The virus is even showing signs of rebounding in Mexico.
Advocates are back with real health care stories

2 Jul 2009 | 2:42 pm

When carpenter Greg Douglas rolled his pickup truck, his toolbox hit him and smashed his ribs and collarbone. After a month in the hospital, the medical bills hit him even harder, totaling $165,000.
Federal probe finds problems with chelation study

2 Jul 2009 | 2:42 pm

A federal investigation has found that heart attack survivors enrolled in a study of a controversial alternative medicine treatment were not told enough about potential dangers from the drug being tested, including death.
Study: New flu inefficient in attacking people

2 Jul 2009 | 2:33 pm

With swine flu continuing to spread around the world, researchers say they have found the reason it is _ so far _ more a series of local blazes than a wide-raging wildfire. The new virus, H1N1, has a protein on its surface that is not very efficient at binding with receptors in people's respiratory tracts, researchers at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.
Fawcett's death spotlights a rare cancer

2 Jul 2009 | 8:14 am

In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus.

HealthWorld Online: Top News Stories
Fathers' Alcohol Use May Significantly Affect Their Adolescent Childrens' Use of Alcohol and Drugs According to New Nationwide Study

1 Jul 2009 | 8:47 pm
New Poll Finds Disease Prevention is Top Priority for Americans in Health Reform

28 Jun 2009 | 7:55 pm

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a new public opinion survey today which finds that Americans rank prevention as the most important health care reform priority, and overwhelmingly support increasing funding for prevention programs to reduce disease and keep people healthy.
Shifting America from sick care to genuine wellness

28 Jun 2009 | 1:04 pm

With the Senate health committee convening daily to craft a comprehensive health reform bill, the basic outline of this landmark legislation is now clear. Yes, it will ensure access to affordable, quality care for every American. But, just as important, it will hold down health care costs by creating a sharp new emphasis on disease prevention and public health.
Picnic food safety greater concern in hot weather - Expert recommends more care in handling, preparation and storage

26 Jun 2009 | 9:31 am

“Another thing that can spoil a picnic or other outing is food-borne bacteria from improperly handled, prepared or stored foods,” said Rebecca Dittmar, AgriLife Extension associate for food protection management. “Hot temperatures accelerate the production of bacteria that contain toxins which may cause food poisoning,” Dittmar said. “Typically you can't see, smell or taste food-borne bacteria.”
One in four worrying test results not revealed to patients

24 Jun 2009 | 5:54 pm

We're always being told that we should have regular screening tests as they're an effective way to catch cancer and other diseases, especially in their early stages, but, astonishingly, there's a good chance the doctor won't do anything with the results if they do indicate a problem.

Medical Headlines From Ivanhoe.com
New Predictors of IVF success

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

In-vitro fertilization treatments (IVF) yield unpredictable results; the national success rate is between 30 and 40 percent for women under 38 years. New research may identify genetic predictors for the potential outcome for IVF patients.
Study: Rotator Cuff Treatment Provides Immediate Tendonitis Relief

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

A minimally invasive procedure to treat shoulder pain caused by tendonitis in the rotator cuff provides immediate and lasting relief, according to a new study.
Gene Therapy for Brain Cancer

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Researchers have identified a protein released by dying brain tumor cells that provides an effective way to gauge the effectiveness of a novel gene therapy treatment for brain cancer. The finding paves the way for a Phase 1 clinical trial expected to begin in late 2009.
Questionable Biomarkers for Heart Risk

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Doctors know risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking put people at increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Heart Disease Markers Linked to Sleep in Women

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Women who get less sleep are more likely to have higher levels of biomarkers linked to heart disease.

BioMed Radio - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Insomniac fruit flies

Jim Dryden, Associate Director of Broadcast Services

25 Jun 2009 | 2:48 pm

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have created a line of fruit flies that may someday help shed light on the mechanisms that cause insomnia in humans. The flies, which only get a small fraction of the sleep normal flies get, resemble insomniac humans in several ways, and the researchers say this model has clear potential to help them learn more about the causes of insomnia. Someday, it may even help them develop ways to test for or treat those causes in the clinic. BEDTIME CAN BE VERY STRESSFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SLEEP, BUT STRESS ISN’T THE ONLY THING…
Insomniac fruit flies (1:00)

Jim Dryden, Associate Director of Broadcast Services

25 Jun 2009 | 2:47 pm

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED A LINE OF FRUIT FLIES THAT MAY BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE MECHANISMS THAT CAUSE INSOMNIA IN HUMANS. REPORTING IN THE JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, THEY SAY IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FLIES RESEMBLE HUMANS WITH INSOMNIA IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT WAYS. JIM DRYDEN HAS MORE… IN THESE DAYS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING, THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS BRED THESE FLIES TO HAVE INSOMNIA IN THE WAY THAT BOTANISTS IN THE MIDDLE AGES MIGHT HAVE BRED A NEW TYPE OF ROSE, OR DOG BREEDERS MIGHT HAVE CREATED A CHIHUAHUA. FIRST, THE RESEARCHERS OBSERVED THE BEHAVIOR OF…
Eczema linked to asthma

Jim Dryden, Associate Director of Broadcast Services

19 Jun 2009 | 1:10 pm

Many young children who get a severe skin rash also go on to develop asthma months or years later. Doctors call the progression from eczema, or atopic dermatitis, to breathing problems the atopic march. Now scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered what might be the key to the atopic march. They've shown that a substance secreted by damaged skin circulates through the body and triggers asthmatic symptoms in laboratory mice. They believe the same basic mechanism also may be driving the cascade in humans. CHILDREN WITH ECZEMA ARE AT MUCH HIGHER RISK FOR…
Eczema linked to asthma (1:00)

Jim Dryden, Associate Director of Broadcast Services

19 Jun 2009 | 1:10 pm

CHILDREN WITH THE SKIN RASH CALLED ECZEMA ARE AT APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES THE RISK OF DEVELOPING ASTHMA AS THE REST OF THE POPULATION. IN THE PAST, HOW A SKIN RASH CONTRIBUTED TO LUNG INFLAMMATION HADN’T BEEN CLEAR, BUT WORKING WITH MICE, A TEAM OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS MAY HAVE CONNECTED THE DOTS. JIM DRYDEN HAS MORE… THE PROGRESSION FROM ECZEMA TO ASTHMA IS WHAT SCIENTISTS CALL THE ATOPIC MARCH. SOME HAD HYPOTHESIZED THAT BOTH ECZEMA AND ASTHMA WERE CAUSED BY THE SAME GENETIC DEFECT. OTHERS FIGURED THAT WHEN A CHILD WITH ECZEMA SCRATCHED HIS OR HER ITCHY SKIN, PERHAPS THAT…
Surgery to remove excess skin

Jim Dryden, Associate Director of Broadcast Services

11 Jun 2009 | 2:39 pm

In recent years, rates of obesity have skyrocketed in the United States and in other developed countries. That’s led to a lot more dieting, exercising and weight-loss surgery. Thousands of people have managed to lose their excess weight, but for those who lost the most weight, there’s another problem: excess skin. When someone loses 10, 20 or 30 pounds, their skin can shrink and tighten up, but when a person loses 80, 100, 150 or 200 pounds, there is just too much skin for it to tighten and disappear. The only way to get rid of it is to remove it, and that’s exactly what plastic…

NewsRx Latest News
Multiple Sclerosis: Research on multiple sclerosis described by scientists at Centocor, Inc.

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: Cost-effective measures could stop child pneumonia deaths

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm
Emergency Medicine: Studies from Geelong Hospital reveal new findings on emergency medicine

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm
Elsevier: Screening for left ventricular dysfunction may have less value than thought

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm
Life Sciences: Data on life sciences discussed by researchers at University of Essex, Department of Biological Science

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Chiropractic News
2009 July 1 Chiropractor Classifieds

30 Jun 2009 | 1:57 pm

By chiropracticclassifieds.com The month of June featured lots of new chiropractic classified advertisements placed in the categories of practices for sale, chiropractic jobs, employment opportunities, and equipment for sale by private parties. Nearly all the practices for sale are listed in the United States, but there are some in Canada as... This is a planetchiropractic content summary feed. Visit www.planetchiropractic.com for complete content, links, and related media. - Cheers!
Common Sense Classified Advertising Awareness

29 Jun 2009 | 2:10 pm

By Michael Dorausch, DC Classified advertising online has experienced a steadily growing pace during the past decade. While millions of people have bought and sold items, bartered goods and services, and even made pet adoptions, taking precautionary measures when using online services is still a good practice. Just as you would look both ways... This is a planetchiropractic content summary feed. Visit www.planetchiropractic.com for complete content, links, and related media. - Cheers!
H1N1 Flu Formerly Known As Swine

29 Jun 2009 | 6:54 am

By Darrel Crain, DC Just when the flu "formerly known as swine" was losing its headline luster for being too mild and ordinary a bug, the first global influenza pandemic in 41 years was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). On June 11, 2009 the WHO raised the pandemic warning to level 6, the highest possible alert. Officials point out... This is a planetchiropractic content summary feed. Visit www.planetchiropractic.com for complete content, links, and related media. - Cheers!
2009 Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon Results and Photos

27 Jun 2009 | 4:15 am

By Daria Belov More than 25,000 hit the streets for this years 2009 Seattle Marathon. Billed as the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, runners and walkers alike, took to the pavement for 26.2 miles of outdoor rock and roll excitement. With live bands performing at every mile, and thousands of cheer leading people lining the 26.2 mile course, made... This is a planetchiropractic content summary feed. Visit www.planetchiropractic.com for complete content, links, and related media. - Cheers!
ICPA Certification Program Classes Starting Fall 2009

25 Jun 2009 | 6:58 am

By Daria Belov Continuing education for the chiropractic industry has some new locations coming this fall, thanks to expanding programs from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, in cities like Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Toronto. Planet Chiropractic received notification from the ICPA regarding their practitioner certification... This is a planetchiropractic content summary feed. Visit www.planetchiropractic.com for complete content, links, and related media. - Cheers!

Mercola newsletters
Obama's Plan to Change U.S. Health Care System Will Cost Nearly Two TRILLON Dollars

Doctor Mercola

1 Jul 2009 | 4:36 pm

Mercola Newsletter Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx July 2, 2009 - Issue 1290 The newsletters are also available via RSS: http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx Obama's Plan to Change U.S. Health Care System Will Cost Nearly Two TRILLON Dollars If you believe that Obama’s plan will benefit health in the US you are in for a rude awakening. Agave: A Triumph of Marketing over Truth Is agave nectar a safe sweetener … or a deceiving creation of marketing spin? Quick and (Almost) Painless Ways…
What's Your Best Advice for Dandruff? Here's Mine...

Doctor Mercola

29 Jun 2009 | 3:15 pm

Mercola Newsletter Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx June 30, 2009 - Issue 1286 The newsletters are also available via RSS: http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx Is Your Glass Bakeware Really Trustworthy? Did you select glass bakeware as your alternative to toxic Teflon? Discover why glass may not be your safest option either... And Get FREE SHIPPING on your ENTIRE ORDER! What’s Your Best Advice for Dandruff? Here’s Mine… Are you using the most effective strategies to get your dandruff…
Stop! Read This BEFORE You Get that Mammogram...

Doctor Mercola

26 Jun 2009 | 2:18 pm

Mercola Newsletter Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx June 27, 2009 - Issue 1289 The newsletters are also available via RSS: http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx Is Your Glass Bakeware Really Trustworthy? Did you select glass bakeware as your alternative to toxic Teflon? Discover why glass may not be your safest option either... And Get FREE SHIPPING on your ENTIRE ORDER! Stop! Read This BEFORE You Get that Mammogram... Vital information that every woman needs to know. Your Diet Can Reduce…
Should You Ditch Your Glass Bakeware?

Doctor Mercola

24 Jun 2009 | 4:56 pm

Mercola Newsletter Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx June 25, 2009 - Issue 1288 The newsletters are also available via RSS: http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx Should You Ditch Your Glass Bakeware? Did you select glass bakeware as your alternative to toxic Teflon? Discover why glass may not be your safest option either... Must-Know Tips to Keep Your Pet's Ears Healthy Simple and effective tricks you can use to prevent and safely treat your pet’s ear problems. How To…
Who Knew Preventing Kidney Stones was This Easy?

Doctor Mercola

22 Jun 2009 | 2:18 pm

Mercola Newsletter Please use this link if you are having problems reading this newsletter: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/current.aspx June 23, 2009 - Issue 1287 The newsletters are also available via RSS: http://rss.mercola.com/NL/rss.aspx Why Does Your Stomach Fail at Digestion? Do you occasionally experience bloating, gas or indigestion... or avoid certain restaurants or food so you don't pay a penalty for it? Then take this quiz to discover how you can improve your digestion... And Get FREE SHIPPING on your ENTIRE ORDER! Who Knew Preventing Kidney Stones was This Easy? Simple and…

NaturalNews.com
The Michael Jackson Diet That Could Have Saved Him from Death by Western Medicine

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

(NaturalNews) There's no question that Michael Jackson was killed by western medicine. Autopsies reveal a devastating pattern of drug injections, bone mineral loss (he suffered rib fractures when administered CPR) and hair loss. When he died, his stomach contained not food, but half-digested pharmaceuticals (http://www.s2smagazine.com/node/1206).As stated in a previous NaturalNews article (http://www.naturalnews.com/026517_Michael_Jackson_drugs_pharmas.html), I believe Michael Jackson was chemically abused by his handlers in some sort of twisted, pharmaceutically-powered profit motive. But…
Common Chemo Drug Kills Women

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

(NaturalNews) Chemotherapy drugs used in standard cancer treatments are associated with a huge list of side effects, from hair loss and nausea to nerve pain, sexual problems and mouth sores. Now a new study from the Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) pharmacovigilance program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has identified another side effect caused by a commonly used chemotherapy drug -- death.A startling number of women have died from a severe allergic reaction after being injected with Cremophor-based paclitaxel, a solvent-administered taxane…
Solutions for Forced Vaccinations and Flu Pandemics

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

(NaturalNews) In response to several readers concern over the issues presented by the article Watch Out for Flying Syringes, GMO Food Vaccines, and Forced Vaccinations, here are some solutions. Most of the solutions suggested are for vaccination induced disease syndrome (VIDS) or post vaccination syndrome (PVS). Some are for the flu itself.Especially among the very young whose immune systems are not fully developed, there have been many almost immediate, terrible consequences of VIDS or PVS. Understand that though you may have had vaccinations and walked away on your own two feet, there are…

In the Pipeline
Jargon Will Save Us All

2 Jul 2009 | 4:21 am

Moore's Law: number of semiconductors on a chip doubling every 18 months or so, etc. Everyone's heard of it. But can we agree that anyone who uses it as a metaphor or perscription for drug research doesn't know what they're talking about? I first came across the comparison back during the genomics frenzy. One company that had bought into the craze in a big way press-released (after a rather interval) that they'd advanced their first compound to the clinic based on this wonderful genomics information. I remember rolling my eyes and thinking "Oh, yeah", but on a hunch I went to the Yahoo! stock…
Blogroll Update

1 Jul 2009 | 10:05 am

Time for a quick blogroll update. Heading into the various science and pharma blog category over on the left are PK/PD, BBSRC/Douglas Kell, and Sigma-Aldrich ChemBlogs. Enjoy!
Vanda Comes Back From the Dead

1 Jul 2009 | 4:29 am

I wrote last summer about Vanda Pharmaceuticals and their difficulty getting a new antipsychotic Fanapt (iloperidone) through the FDA. At the time, they'd received one of those wonderful requests for more information from the agency, of the kind that spread cheer whenever they appear. I couldn't see how the company could clear this up without (probably) having to spend a lot of money that it didn't have, and I was very pessimistic about their survival. And I was wrong. Big-time. Vanda received approval for iloperidone, in what is a major surprise not just for me, but for the company's hardy…
Voluntary, You Say?

30 Jun 2009 | 8:19 am

Sanofi is saying "no layoffs" in their announcement today, but is instead counting on "voluntary staff departures". Here's the press release, courtesy of Fierce Biotech, notable for its relentless insistence on not capitalizing the name of the company. I'm not sure how those voluntary departures are supposed to work - I can tell you it would take a lot to get anyone in R&D to volunteer to leave their job in this climate. So, generous - very generous - buyouts are one way, and sheer attrition is another (although turnover must not be so high these days either, with fewer places to go). The…
Devils, Metals, and Details

30 Jun 2009 | 4:28 am

Organic synthesis as we know it can't go on without metal-catalyzed bond-forming reactions. There are too many of them, and they're just too useful. Palladium's the workhorse, followed by copper, then you've got rhodium, nickel, and a host of others (gold's been popular the last few years). We have a. . .fairly good idea of what's going on in these reactions, but not quite good enough. If we really understood all the factors involved, there wouldn't be six garbonzillion different sets of conditions for these things, would there? A short paper's just come out in Angewandte Chemie that…

Anti Aging News Updates
Good News About Prostate Cancer and Green Tea Extract

GiGi

2 Jul 2009 | 10:37 am

A new study has been released that links green tea extract with helping to slow progression of prostate cancer. If you remember, I talked about prostate cancer and green tea in this article:
Anti Aging Video - Quick Tips For Overall Health

GiGi

26 Jun 2009 | 10:11 am

Here's a quick anti aging video I found that covers foods to eat, supplements and skin care. You may know some of this already, but some of it may be new.
Easy Anti Aging: Start With Your Tap Water

GiGi

23 Jun 2009 | 5:35 pm

You've probably heard about the dangers of tap water. On the other hand, you've probably heard that most bottled water is no better than tap water. And who wants to waste all that plastic?
Longevity Now…It All Comes Together

GiGi

23 Jun 2009 | 12:38 pm

After much hoopla - (and some great videos!) David Wolfe tells you what is included with his new Longevity Now program.
Does Being Healthy Feel Like A Chore?

GiGi

22 Jun 2009 | 8:33 am

Discipline was a word that make me CRINGE. But these days we have to develop some level of discipline to wage the war against the avalanche of toxins, dangerous junk foods, and addicting chemicals we face day in and day out.

Healthbolt
Mixed Reality Humans Teach Med Students

Liz Lewis

1 Jul 2009 | 9:10 pm

It’s not all textbooks and anatomy labs for medical students these days. Advances in computer technology has opened up many new ways to help these future doctors. Take for example this pilot study by the University of Florida, the Medical School of Georgia, and a couple of other universities. They are using a ‘mixed reality human’ consisting of a life size computer avatar on a flat screen TV and a mannequin with a prosthetic breast. Her name is Amanda Jones and her job is to help teach students how to perform breast exams, an intimate procedure that once could only be learned ‘on the…
Can wine tasting led to tooth erosion?

Liz Lewis

30 Jun 2009 | 9:12 pm

Pity the poor wine makers, tasters, and judges. Researchers in Australia are finding that they are at a higher risk of tooth erosion. Of course, tooth erosion can happen to anyone, but those who are constantly tasting wine are much more susceptible due wines acidic nature. Acid dissolves the calcium and phosphate from teeth’s enamel surfaces, a process that is irreversible. Researchers aren’t advocating that professional wine assessors give up their job but they are suggesting that they look at ways of protecting their teeth. Ways they can do this include drinking plenty of water to…
Bodibeat Syncs Music to Your Heartbeat

Liz Lewis

29 Jun 2009 | 9:23 pm

I just love finding new gadgets that you really don’t need but sure would like. Here’s my latest find - the Yamaha Bodibeat It’s an amazing music player that will synchronize your tunes to your heart beat. Strap it to your arm and then get stuck in to your exercise routine. As you get moving and warming up, the Bodibeat will start shuffling the play list according to your heart rate. During warm up, it will play some mellow and quiet music. But soon, as you hit your stride, so too will the Bodibeat, matching your playlist’s beats per minute to your heart rate. It’s loaded with a…
NYC Subways: Hazardous to Your Hearing

Liz Lewis

29 Jun 2009 | 12:22 am

New York City and subways go together like bacon and eggs or coffee and donuts. But subways, like bacon and donuts, aren’t necessarily good for you. Seems a new study that compared the numerous mass transits modes available in NYC has found that subways, with noise levels ranging between 80 and 102 decibels, were the loudest means of transport around. That’s not good. The EPA and WHO both recommend that in order to protect your hearing your daily average level of noise exposure should be no more than 70 decibels. To give you an idea of the level that is, normal conversation is between…
A ‘Coffee’ Breath Mint ?

Liz Lewis

27 Jun 2009 | 5:13 pm

A ‘Coffee’ Breath Mint ? Sounds a little strange given that coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, can make someone’s breath smell, to honest, not so good. But new research from Israel has turned up a coffee extract that can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. This surprised even the researchers. Expecting to find that coffee did indeed cause bad breath, they found instead some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath. Prof. Mel Rosenberg, the lead researcher, now aims to isolate the bacterial-inhibiting molecule in coffee. If he’s successful, it…

mindbodygreen: Body
Get Subtle with Chanting

healingyoga

1 Jul 2009 | 9:14 am
Gaia Napa - eco hotel meets urban oasis

daisy29

1 Jul 2009 | 6:02 am

At California's Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, guests exit Highway 29 and enter an urban oasis landscape dusted with desert dry appeal. From the outside, the entrance of Gaia (which means 'Mother Earth' in Greek) looks less like an eco escape and more like a peculiar pod that juts forth, although not disruptively, among its surroundings. The hotel
Brooke Shields Still Fits Into Those Calvins

jolenehart

30 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

Brooke Shields says that she still fits into the famous Calvin Klein jeans that she wore in her controversial 1980 ad- find out how she stays in shape!
How to make healthy homemade sauerkraut

winnieab

30 Jun 2009 | 7:35 am

How to easily make healthy sauerkraut at home with little more than 1 head of cabbage, salt, and a quart sized glass mason jar.
Is Your Diet Supporting Your Yoga Practice?

healingyoga

29 Jun 2009 | 8:03 am

Mindbodygreen: Mind
5 Mistakes NOT to Make in Marriage

dagny

1 Jul 2009 | 10:35 am

(1) Demanding "gold stars" (2) Using a snappish tone (3) Getting angry about a fixed trait (4) Score-keeping (5) Taking your spouse for granted. For more on these 5 pitfalls...
The Most Powerful Way to Get Unstuck

goodkarma

29 Jun 2009 | 3:16 am

Have you ever thought about why you get stuck? I'm sure you have. There are entire industries built around productivity. There are multitudes of books, seminars, webinars, podcasts, blog posts, desktop apps, email apps, mobile
I am water

paulrf

26 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am

CoupleDumb shares more therapeutic revelations.
Shadow Boxing

paulrf

26 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am

Couples therapy is to a healthy marriage as peanut butter is to bananas.
Eight Strategies to Boost Your Happiness.

reggoldman

26 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am

I remember exactly where I was when I got the idea for the Toolbox. I was walking up Lexington Avenue, between 77th Street and 78th Street, when I thought, 'Wow, it would be great to have a site where people could chart their resolutions.' About ten steps later

The Insomnia Blog by Sleep Doctor Michael Breus, Ph.D.
Nap vs. Caffeine vs. More Nighttime Sleep?

Dr. Mike

24 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pm

If a 20-minute nap, a cup of joe, and more shuteye at night were in a cage match, who would win for reducing that classic afternoon “dip”? The answer is: (in order of effectiveness) Nap Caffeine Then more nighttime sleep A new study just released proves the power of a nap over a jolt of caffeine and even more sleep at night. It’s actually the first such study to look at all three methods for combating the afternoon lull that’s commonly experienced—and which is a very normal physiological response to the body cycling through its natural rhythms during the day. Just because you feel…
Mattress Money Stasher Throws Out a Million!

Dr. Mike

22 Jun 2009 | 12:09 pm

The story reads like something out of a sitcom or a joke that doesn’t have a punchline. Woman stashes life savings to the tune of $1 million in her mattress. Woman throws out the mattress by mistake. After a day goes by, she remembers her major gaffe and frantically searches for her fortune in three different landfills. Finds nothing. One of the managers at a rubbish site suggests a homeless person picked up the mattress and probably has no idea he could give up the park bench and check into the Ritz. Some of you may have heard of this crazy, true story last week in the news. To my…
Sleep on the Government’s Agenda

Dr. Mike

16 Jun 2009 | 7:58 am

Has someone been falling asleep in Congress? I was delighted to hear that Florida Congressman Gus Bilirakis has just introduced a sleep apnea awareness resolution to the House of Representatives. The goal is to raise public awareness of this serious condition and encourage all Americans to educate themselves—and others—about the consequences and potential treatments of sleep apnea. Perfect timing given the fact the President is about to focus on health care. I’ve been talking about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for years trying to raise awareness and help people successfully treat it.

Whole Food And More
High Carb Diets Increase Risk For Heart Problems

Robin Plan

30 Jun 2009 | 2:19 pm

How High Carbohydrate Foods Can Raise Risk For Heart ProblemsDoctors have known for decades that too much carbohydrate-laden foods like white bread and corn flakes can be detrimental to cardiac health. In a landmark study, new research from Tel Aviv University now shows exactly how these high carb foods increase the risk for heart problems."Looking inside" the arteries of students eating a variety of foods, Dr. Michael Shechter of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and the Heart Institute of Sheba Medical Center — with collaboration of the Endocrinology Institute —…
Crofter's Organic Superfruit Spreads - Review (Move Over Welches Jelly)

Robin Plan

30 Jun 2009 | 9:55 am

New Superfruit Spread for us Organic Fanatics!Crofter's Organic Superfruit Spreads are great for family's on the organic, fair trade, health food train! Read on for my review and then find the fruit spreads at your favorite grocer.I love a good Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich made with my homemade peanut butter and grape jelly. I've never been too picky about jelly because we don't use it very often (a jar lasts over a year). I was intrigued when I got an offer to sample an Organic Superfruit Spread. I love "organic" and "superfruit" so I quickly gave a YES, I want to sample this new…
Fun Summer Sparkling Water Review: R.W. Knudsen Family Sparkling Essence

Robin Plan

26 Jun 2009 | 8:03 am

I've been trying to drink more water because I know water is a way to remove daily toxins from my body. Problem is, I get bored with water and forget to drink enough. That was before I tried samples of a new sparkling water from R.W. Knudsen Family, Sparkling Essence. I like the name, it makes water feel like a fun, healing, soothing tonic! I chilled the cans the day they came in the mail (yes I was sent samples). My son couldn't wait and tried the blueberry. Mistake #1, chill before drinking for best taste.What makes this "water" special?First - Zero Calories! I've been working on eating…
What's On Your Food? Test For Pesticides!

Robin Plan

24 Jun 2009 | 11:14 am

Pesticides…on our food, even after washing;…in our bodies, for years;…& in our environment, traveling many miles on wind, water and dust.The average child gets 5+ servings of pesticides in their food and water each day.The pesticide Atrazine is so toxic it is banned in Europe, but it is used so widely in the U.S., that it is found in 71% of the U.S. drinking water.Currently, over 400 pesticides can be legally used in the U.S. For example, apples can be sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different pesticides. None of these chemicals are present in organic foods.According to the US…
Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough Recalled- 2009

Robin Plan

21 Jun 2009 | 10:21 am

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie DoughNestle Voluntarily Recalls all Varieties of Prepackaged, Refrigerated Toll House Cookie DoughThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home…

TubaDuba: Fitness, Health and Sports Technology
Parkour, Function Like a Robot in Nikes

30 Jun 2009 | 7:02 am

The Runner -Exploit yourself- from BLR_VFX on Vimeo.You have to sit back and think, (a) it would be great to be younger to learn all the new cool stuff, (b) that you won't get hurt doing all this cool new stuff, functioning like a robot would help both (a) and (b). This spot from Nike shows just how cool defying gravity can be, plus someone had to do the initial movements for someone to create it in 3D. Hey be Free or at least where Nike Frees
Merida has introduced the TimeWarp!

29 Jun 2009 | 9:40 am

New features to a standard TT bike. Having the ability to move the headset around depending on the event is remarkable, well Merida has done just that. The key is the Modular Head Tube System, allowing different setup and handle bars to be interchange without having to get another bike. Nice work.
iPhone 3Gs, can this be the end to watches!

23 Jun 2009 | 7:45 am

Slowly creeping up on watches is the iPhone 3Gs. Along with the iBikePak and MapMyRun.com you have a complete system. The only problem I see is the running, the iPhone is a bit big to be strapped to your arm. A chest or waist strap could be cool. Having a bike computer, watch, gps, shoe pod, etc. just seems wasteful. You might not think that this has changed the health arena, and Apple might not be the device for you but in a year from now most every phone will have some sort of app that will allow tracking.
RAGGEDedge Gear, can you say recycle!

18 Jun 2009 | 9:46 am

Well there is nothing better than finding ways to recycle, RAGGEDedge Gear has done that for sails. no need to have all those sails sitting wasting away in your trailer or basement.Many through them away or try to sell them to whom ever buys your boat, sometimes more often than not they are thrown away.Their story. We are a family company. RAGGEDedge started out as one of Susan's wild hairs; one more way for her to use her sewing & design skills for an exciting new project. We started to sail, and she started to make bags for us out of used sails. By request, and by word of mouth, RAGGEDedge…
Exact Altitude + GPS

15 Jun 2009 | 5:56 am

Again the new iPhone is really going to change the way that we look at devices, do you need a GPS+Phone+Watch. Think again,all that is left to do is buy attachments for the bike and the car. Well the attachment need to be waterproof! other than that this is a done deal. Exact Altitude + GPS + GPS is an altitude measurement tool, which can tell you the altitude of the ground of the current point you are. Exact Altitude uses an online service and also a built in database. You can see all the information from all sources, but there's a bigger display which shows you the most exact information.

PaulsHealthBlog
What's Really in Those Pops?

1 Jul 2009 | 8:44 am

77 IngredientsThis new website describes the what and why in the little Pops I take everyday. After three years, I wouldn't have a day go by without popping my Purple and Green Pops.Anyway, see what you think. What's not in them might be as important as what is in 'em.And yes, I sell The Pops™ too.Until next time,Eat Well. Live Well.Nutrition doesn't have to be hard. That's why there's The Pops™ and ER Fat Burn © 2009 Thanks for reading. Please feel free to peruse my blog for more great content. Websites: The Experts Agree On Something. Finally. | Are Your Vitamins Safe? | WFN…
The Fat Burning Banana

1 Jul 2009 | 8:04 am

Resistant Starch Increases Fat MetabolismEating bananas can aid weight loss in more ways than one. While their prebiotic fiber helps curb appetite, bananas also have another weight-loss component, aptly called "resistant starch." This indigestible fiber ferments in your large intestine, creating by-products (butyrates) that block conversion of some carbohydrates into fuel, forcing the body to burn fat stores instead.A University of Colorado study found that an increase in the amount of resistant starch contained in a meal "significantly increased post-prandial lipid oxidation and therefore…
Headed To The Beach!

19 Jun 2009 | 9:36 am

Summer Winds, Atlantic Beach, North CarolinaEvery summer, we make the trip to North Carolina to visit my mother. Not only does she get to see the grandkids, but we get some great food at her restaurant, The Hunter Hill Cafe. I need some eastern North Carolina barbecue already!While there, we always head down to the beach, just a little over two hours away. My aunt and uncle own a nice condominium, Summer Winds, at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. It is right off the ocean and the view is awesome.It will be tough when it's time to leave and come back to Arkansas.Until next time,Eat Well. Live…
Nonfat Milk Linked To Prostate Cancer

18 Jun 2009 | 12:36 pm

A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology has found there may be a link between the consumption of non-fat or low-fat milk and an increased risk of prostate cancer. This report runs counter to the idea that it was the vitamin D and calcium in milk that led to an increase in prostate malignancies.In the study's overall analysis of food groups, the consumption of dairy products and milk were not associated with prostate cancer risk. Further analysis, however, suggested that low-fat or nonfat milk did increase the risk of localized tumors or non-aggressive tumors, while whole milk…
T-minus 80 Days and Counting!

17 Jun 2009 | 1:17 pm

September 5th, the season opening kickoff, cannot get here fast enough!GO PIRATES!Until next time,Eat Well. Live Well.Nutrition doesn't have to be hard. That's why there's The Pops™ and ER Fat Burn © 2009 Thanks for reading. Please feel free to peruse my blog for more great content. Websites: The Experts Agree On Something. Finally. | Are Your Vitamins Safe? | WFN Affiliate© 2008 Thanks for subscribing to my feed. Please visit my blog for more great content.My Other Websites: Are Your Vitamins Safe? Whole Food Nation Whole Food Nation Affiliate Link

Hospital Impact
Collaborative confessions

1 Jul 2009 | 10:55 am

by Dr. Kenneth H. Cohn One of the wonderful privileges of being a guest blogger on Hospital Impact is that any time I need inspiration, I have always been able to find it in someone else's posts. So it was with Christopher Cornue's insightful, "Where did all the strategists go?" Chris makes the point that as a result of the recession, people who plan strategy have become an endangered species, as hospitals focus on cost-containment and daily survival. His comments have prompted me to tell my own story. Like a news reporter who warns the audience before showing graphic footage, I apologize…
Where did all the strategists go?

24 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

by Christopher Cornue Over the past several months, I've noticed a significant shortage of a very important role in hospitals--that of the strategist or planner. These are the folks that understand the market dynamics, the new innovative approaches to care, niches that may exist for evolving technology and are able to collaborate with leadership to develop a vision for the organization's future. I believe this type of individual is absolutely necessary for the success of an organization, especially during this "economic downturn"--what better way for a hospital to stay ahead of their…
15 free iPhone healthcare apps

23 Jun 2009 | 7:35 am

http://tiny.cc/qaETz With the recent release of Apple's iPhone 3G S, FierceMobileHealthcare decided to take a brief look at 15 commonly used free healthcare apps for the iPhone according to sites like apptism, iAppHealth and Apple. Click here to get started.
'It takes a village'

19 Jun 2009 | 8:40 am

by John Domansky Marketing and promoting a hospital or health system is not just a marketing department's responsibility these days--I believe that it is the responsibility (and obligation) of all of the employees. In other words, a "Village" is needed to market and promote the great things that are going on in hospitals on a daily basis. [More:] With the ongoing technology and Internet revolution, the tools that are available to market and promote hospitals are ever changing. Today social media (aka SoMe) is fast becoming part of our everyday world. SoMe tools are being adopted and…
Bullying in the hospital workplace

16 Jun 2009 | 11:46 am

by Nick Jacobs Frontiers of Health Services Management published its summer 2009 report on Bullying in Healthcare recently. In this edition, they took an in-depth look into the problems of bullying in the workplace. As many of you know, I have been pontificating about the devastating impact of bullying for a dozen years now, and between the Joint Commission's stand and features like this one, the topic is finally beginning to get the attention that is needed to address the absolutely horrible outcomes prompted by those individuals in healthcare who have long lived as bullies. [More:] With…

A Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey
It's Only a Matter of Time

26 Jun 2009 | 5:25 am

This article was originally published at dadomatic.com.Have you read that book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell?You haven’t? You must not want your kids to succeed. In it Gladwell provides evidence that the only difference between so-so violin players and master violin players is the amount of hours they practiced. The masters put in about 10,000 hours of practice before hitting twenty years old. The so-so players? Only 8000. That’s only 1.466 hours of practice a day, seven days a week for fifteen years. What slackers! If only their parents had driven them from age five on to practice a…
Borderline Personality Disorder - An Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread

19 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am

Personal Health - An Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread - NYTimes.comThis is an interesting article on Borderline Personality Disorder, something I was diagnosed with when I qualified for Social Security Disability in 1995. I have come to believe that the diagnosis was in error since I don't manifest any of the symptoms. I suspect my Depression, Anxiety Disorder, ADHD, and Chronic Motor Tic Disorder provided a cornucopia of symptoms that perhaps confused my psychologist at the time. Also, I'm sure the fact that I was experiencing suicidal ideation contributed as well. What was most…
Where Do You Go to Find Peace from the Stress of the World?

6 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pm

A different treatment of my new favorite place - using CameraBag Originally uploaded by Darkstream. Such busy weeks these last few have been. I've been busy wrangling contract details with a magazine, rewriting the first three chapters of my novel, saving my marriage, saving the world, dealing with drama, ticking, forgetting stuff, and being thoroughly distracted that I haven't blogged much. Twitter has taken up the full brunt of my creative output. That's a bit sad, isn't it?As I finish reviewing some manuscripts for a writer's conference ( WIFYR) I'm attending all next week, I thought I'd…
The Quiet Riot

4 Jun 2009 | 9:21 pm

My Woeful Tale about ADHD and Background Noise.One aspect of AD/HD that drives me bonkers is my inability to close out background noise. In fact, a better way to describe it would be to say that foreground and background noise switch within the addled confines of my mind. This is one reason I despised taking exams at the testing center during my time at BYU. After passing through metal detectors and receiving a deep body cavity search, my pockets would be emptied out by use of gravity waves. These waves would be generated by very tall athletes lifting me heavenward by the ankles while shaking…
Please share in my joy. I'm FREE!

4 Jun 2009 | 2:21 pm

Big news. We crossed a milestone yesterday.Mobile post sent by TheLaughingImp using Utterli. Replies. mp3

Cancer Research UK - Cancer news
Number of Britons diagnosed with alcohol-related cancers exceeds Wimbledon's Centre Court

1 Jul 2009 | 4:52 am

Over 20,000 people are diagnosed with an alcohol-related cancer each year in the UK - more than enough to fill Wimbledon's Centre Court.
Benefits of international tobacco smuggling protocol would outweigh costs

1 Jul 2009 | 4:48 am

An international protocol on the illicit trade in tobacco products could reduce smuggling by up to 80 per cent in the UK, prevent 760 deaths per year and save the nation ?5.7 billion, major new research suggests.
Vegetarians less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters

1 Jul 2009 | 1:50 am

Vegetarians are 12 per cent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday).
Sound waves treat prostate cancer with fewer side effects

1 Jul 2009 | 1:43 am

An Experimental cancer therapy for prostate cancer may be able to treat men without surgery and offer fewer side effects according to the results of a UK study published in the British Journal of Cancer* today (Wednesday).
Charities launch groundbreaking research centre in Newcastle

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

The opening of a unique centre today (Wednesday) will put Newcastle at the forefront of cancer research and bring benefits to patients in the North East.

Cancer Research UK - Science Update
New drugs need new trials

Kat Arney

29 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

Clinical trials are an essential part of cancer research. Only by testing new treatments in patients can we truly know if they are effective, find out what dose to use, and check for side effects. In a recent study published in the British Journal of Cancer, Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have found that traditionally designed clinical [...]
What are antioxidants, and are they good for us? (part 2)

Henry Scowcroft

25 Jun 2009 | 8:33 am

Yesterday, in the wake of an ASA ruling over antioxidants in green tea, and a US research paper that suggested that some cancer patients were taking them in large quantities, we looked at what antioxidants were, and how they occur in our bodies. And we showed that the idea that ‘antioxidants = good’ is a huge [...]
What are antioxidants, and are they good for us? (part 1)

Henry Scowcroft

24 Jun 2009 | 5:16 am

Thanks in part to intensive marketing by the food and supplement industries, there’s a widely held belief that if something contains ‘antioxidants’ it’s automatically good for us. But the scientific evidence behind this claim is pretty thin on the ground – thin enough to lead the Advertising Standards Authority to ask tea-makers Tetley to withdraw their [...]
New tobacco measures are one step closer to becoming law

Henry Scowcroft

19 Jun 2009 | 9:00 am

In early June, MPs in the House of Commons debated a new Health Bill that, if passed, would introduce several new measures designed to protect children from accessing tobacco products and from insidious tobacco marketing. While the bill was passed at this stage, we still need your support to urge the Government to go further with [...]
Sunbeds update: experts call for tighter regulation

Ed Yong

19 Jun 2009 | 3:58 am

Last year, we blogged about the link between sunbeds and skin cancer, and discussed some of the regulations that we’d like to see to encourage people to make informed choices about their risk. These included restricting the use of sunbeds to over 18s, providing information on risks to users and ensuring that all use is supervised by trained staff. These [...]

Crossover Healthcare
The Myth of Prevention and EHR’s?

Scott Shreeve, MD

23 Jun 2009 | 9:31 am

Prevention (prĭ-vĕn ’shən) n. Preventing or slowing the course of an illness or disease Intended or used to prevent or hinder; acting as an obstacle Carried out to deter expected aggression by hostile forces. I was just referred this article which I found to be thoughtfully crafted. Abraham Verghese is a Professor and Senior Associate Chair for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University. I found the article interesting, by somewhat anachronistic in terms of his perception of prevention and electronic medical records. First, he raises an important point about the many…
#FAIL! Proprietary EHR Lock In through CCHIT

Scott Shreeve, MD

16 Jun 2009 | 4:35 pm

Lame (lām) adj. Disabled so that movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible: Weak and ineffectual; unsatisfactory: I just saw some seriously lame legislation proposed out of New Jersey by some ill-informed congressional lackey MANDATING that all EHR’s be certified through CCHIT. This is absolutely ridiculous. Do you really want to outlaw Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault in the Garden State? I mean get real! The unintended consequences of such legislation is highly problematic and well described by David Kibbe, Fred Trotter, Ignacious Valdez, Neil Versel, and others. I…
VistA – Its Now or Never

Scott Shreeve, MD

1 Jun 2009 | 2:54 pm

Never (nĕv’ər) adv. Not ever; on no occasion; at no time Not at all; in no way; absolutely not Recently president Barack Obama told his Organizing for America fanbase that is was “Now or Never” for healthcare reform, “If we don’t get it done this year we are not going to get it done.” While this is a little dramatic, I think the point is that the stars are truly aligned to actually get something done this year. We are beyond life support in healthcare, let alone worrying about the ~50 trillion of unfunded healthcare liabilities already obligated as part…
Transcript to Transformation: Twitterview with @Berci

Scott Shreeve, MD

26 May 2009 | 2:52 pm

Twitterview (twĭt’ər vy�

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