September 3rd, 2010 by Felasfa Wodajo, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: 24-Hour Security Monitoring Service, 911, Accelerometer, Android Smartphones, Automatic GPS localization, Emergency Medicine, Fall Detection, Florida State University, General Medicine, iPhone App, iTunes, Medical Alert Bracelet, Medical Apps, OnCall Defender Medical Alert, OnCall Defender Panic Alert, Wireless EMT Alert Service
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OnCall Defender Medical Alert (available via iTunes) is an iPhone app that features 3G connection to a 24-hour security monitoring service. Via a subscription service, you can use your iPhone to send an emergency notification to the service after which local law enforcement or EMT services, depending on the type of alarm, will be dispatched.
The advantage over using 911 is that the monitoring service automatically receives GPS localization of your whereabouts and that you can cancel the emergency call within 15 seconds. The service costs $16.99 a month or $9.99 with a one-year subscription. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps*
September 3rd, 2010 by Jon LaPook, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research, True Stories
Tags: Adenomatous Polyp, Benign Polyps, Colon Cancer, Colon Cancer Screening Test, Colonoscopy, Colorectal Health, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Family Medical History, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, Gastrointestional Medicine, General Medicine, Internal Medicine, Katie Couric Effect, Lack Of Exercise, Obesity, Pre-Cancerous Colon Polyp, Preventive Medicine, Preventive Screening, Primary Care, Processed Meats, Public Awareness, Red Meat, Smokers, smoking, Too Much Alcohol
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Dr. Mehmet Oz just might be the last person on earth people would expect to get a colon polyp. He’s physically fit (he left me in the dust the last time we ran together), he eats a healthy diet, he doesn’t smoke, and he has no family history of colorectal cancer or colon polyps.
But several weeks ago, when Mehmet had his first screening colonoscopy at age 50, I removed a small adenomatous polyp that had the potential to turn into cancer over time. Statistically, most small polyps like his don’t become cancer. But almost all colon cancers begin as benign polyps that gradually become malignant over about 10 to 15 years.
Since there’s no way of knowing which polyps will turn bad, we take them all out. The good news is there’s plenty of opportunity to prevent cancer by removing these polyps while they are still benign. But only about 63 percent of Americans between ages 50 and 75 get screened for colorectal cancer. Read more »
September 3rd, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Association Vs. Causation, Cause-And-Effect, Evidence-Based Health Media, Fail To Educate Readers, Health Benefits of Coffee Consumption, Health Journalism, Inaccurate Health Reporting, Java, Media Inaccuracy, Misleading Patients, Observational Studies, Prevention Magazine, Science Journalism, Science-Based Evidence, Statistical Association, Super Foods
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The September issue of Prevention magazine inaccurately headlines the story “4 Ways Coffee Cures.” There’s no solid proof that coffee cures anything — unless some of you cure bacon with java, which I don’t want to know about.
What the story (below) did was to try to present a cute little graphic summary of observational studies that show a statistical association between increasing coffee consumption and fewer early deaths, fewer deaths from heart attack, fewer cases of dementia, and fewer cases of type 2 diabetes.
But such observational studies (they actually never cite the source — I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt that they’re citing observational studies) CAN’T establish cause and effect, therefore it’s inaccurate for the story to use terms like “cure,” “protective,” and “lowers (or reduces or slashes) your risk.” Besides being inaccurate, such stories fail to educate readers. They mislead.
We ask the editors of Prevention to read and understand our guide “Does the Language Fit the Evidence? Association versus Causation.”
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
September 3rd, 2010 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Anus, Baby Wipes, Dermatology, Derriere, Dr. Jeff Benabio, Itcy Bottom, Kathon CG, Keratin, MCI/MI, Methylchlorisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone, Moist Toilet Tissues, Moist Towelettes, Pre-Moistened Wipes, Pruritus Ani, Skin Care, Skin Irritants, Skin Rash
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Itchy behinds are part of my everyday. It shouldn’t be part of yours.
Itching on your bottom is usually a minor annoyance, but it can be debilitating. A patient of mine was unable to work because his derrière itching was so intense. A common cause of itching bottom, called pruritus ani, is allergic contact dermatitis.
Places where your skin transitions from outside to inside, such as the lips or the anus, are susceptible to dermatitis because your skin’s barrier is limited in these locations. Without a thick layer of keratin, irritants on the outside easily get into your skin. Moist toilet tissues, such as baby wipes or towelettes, might seem to get you cleaner than old-fashioned toilet paper, but chemicals in the wipes cause a rash in some people. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
September 3rd, 2010 by Lucy Hornstein, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Bereavement, Death Of A Loved One, Emotional Health, Emotional Support, Emotions, Family Medicine, Family Practice Management, General Medicine, Grief, Mourner's Rights, Psychiatry and Psychology, The Right To Mourn, What Mourners Deserve, When A Loved One Dies
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I seem to have had a run on bereavement recently, in that I’ve had several patients who have lost loved ones. Some have wound up in my office for unrelated complaints, only to have the grief spill out. I’ve become aware of the struggles of others via Facebook.
I’ve found this handout (from Family Practice Management several years ago) to be very useful. I keep copies in my office and hand them out when needed, but it occurs to me that having another way to disseminate this helpful information would be a good idea. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Dinosaur*
