September 27th, 2010 by JenniferKearneyStrouse in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News
Tags: Accidental Overdose, Accidental Poisoning, ACP Internist, American College Of Physicians, DEA, Drug Addiction, Health Hazard, Home Medicine Cabinet, Improper Drug Disposal, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Prescription Drug Abuse, Public Awareness, Public Health, Public Safety, Safety Hazard, The New York Times, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Unused Prescription Medications
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) coordinat[ed] “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day” this [past] Saturday [September 25th], encouraging people to turn in their unused prescription drugs. The agency hopes the event will help decrease rates of crime and addiction linked to prescription drug abuse, the New York Times reports.
From the DEA press release:
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
September 26th, 2010 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Aging Adults, Atrial Fibrillation, Dr. Bing, Dr. John Mandrola, Elisabeth Strout, Embrace Life, General Medicine, Happiness In Life, Healthy Aging, Hiccups of the Heart, Life Awareness, Life Reflections, Life's Imperfections, Life's Lessons, Living Life, Middle Age, Middle-Age Experiences, Moments In Life, Olive Kitteridge
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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
An intermission, the curtain has closed on youth, but the next act awaits.
Caring for hiccups of the heart, like atrial fibrillation for example, often throws me in front of the mirror, of middle age that is, and sadly the reflections show imperfections. Since I am middle aged myself, there are my own experiences. But everyday at work, on my job site, I see the effects of these same middle-age experiences on the atrium of my patients. The results are often profound. So must be the pressures.
I read a passage in the wee hours of the quiet morning, in the dark, with a flickering book light. It grabbed me. It is from Elisabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, Olive Kitteridge. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
September 25th, 2010 by JessicaBerthold in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: ACP Hospitalist, Doctor's Story, Dr. Kimberly Manning, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Health Nut, Health Problems From Bad Habits, Healthy Patient, High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Internal Medicine, Jessica Berthold, Life At Grady, Primary Care
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A version of the following post, by Kimberly Manning, FACP, appeared on the blog “Life at Grady.”
“My blood pressure is still borderline? Man!”
“Yeah…and from looking through the chart, it was 150/96 on your admission. It’s pretty much been that since you’ve been here, give or take a few points. That’s a little more than borderline, actually.” I paused for a moment, realizing that I sounded a bit discouraging. “I don’t think this would be hard to get under control at all, sir. I mean…you’re such a motivated patient, you know?”
I studied my patient carefully. He was in his late thirties, although he could totally pass for a twenty-something all day, every day. His skin looked like someone had grabbed him by the tip of his toe and uniformly dipped him in milk chocolate — not a single blemish anywhere.
“I eat right and I exercise…in fact, I’m a health nut! I’m really kind of surprised that my pressure keeps running high.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Hospitalist*
September 25th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Humor, Opinion, Research, True Stories
Tags: Diabetes Criminals, Diabetes Management, Diabetes Police, Doctor Patient Relationship, Dr. Bill Polansky, Dr. Steve Edelman, Endocrinology, Improving Diabetes Health, Individual Diabetes Needs, Kerri Morrone Sparling, Living With Diabetes, People With Diabetes, PWD, Six Until Me, Taking Control Of Your Diabetes, TCOYD
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At TCOYD [Taking Control Of Your Diabetes], one of the sessions I attended was about Diabetes Police (Healthcare Providers) and Diabetes Criminals (People With Diabetes). And I was a little taken aback by the title of the session, but we used it to our advantage when we walked into the session a few minutes after it had already started.
“Okay, we see a few late stragglers in here. It’s not like they had to be on time or anything,” Dr. Edelman quipped from the front of the room, giving us a smirk.
“I’m sorry we’re late. But what do you expect? We’re the criminals, man!” I shot back at him. And the crew of us “criminals” took up the last few rows, our smartphones at the ready to Tweet out the best of the session. (We were the total nerd row.
The charismatic team of Dr. Bill Polansky and Dr. Steve Edelman were running this session, and it was packed with both PWDs [people with diabetes], caregivers, and medical professionals. Bill and Steve took to the white board, asking first for complaints that PWDs have about healthcare providers. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
September 24th, 2010 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Barbara Ficarra, Cancer Prevention, Dietetics, Disease Prevention, Family Medicine, Food and Nutrition, General Medicine, Health In 30, Increase Cancer Risk, Internal Medicine, Lowered Risk, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Nutrients, Nutritional Supplements, Oncology, Preventive Health, Preventive Medicine, Primary Care, Sally Scroggs
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(Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center)
Aisles in grocery stores and pharmacies are stacked with vitamins, minerals, herbs or other plants that you take in pill, capsule, tablet or liquid form. And, many of us buy these supplements and take them regularly, hoping to lower our chances of getting cancer and other diseases.
But do supplements really work wonders? Should you take them to help prevent cancer? Our experts say beware.
“Don’t be fooled by the label on the bottle,” says Sally Scroggs, health education manager at MD Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center. “Researchers are still unsure about whether or not supplements actually prevent cancer.” Some studies have suggested that supplements may actually increase cancer risk by tilting the balance of nutrients in the body. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
