August 22nd, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: British Medical Journal, Cesarean Section, Early Pregnancy Loss, Family Medicine, Family Planning, Getting Pregnancy, Induced Labor, Low Birth Weight, Miscarriage, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Pregnant Women, Preterm Delivery, Primary Care, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Outcomes, Women's Health
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About 15 to 20 percent of women who know they are pregnant will have a miscarriage. The loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks is considered a miscarriage. Many women suffer grief and shock after a miscarriage and fear there is something wrong with them or that they did something to cause it. But the reasons for miscarriage are usually not known. Women are often told to wait “a few months” to get pregnant again to let their bodies recover.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal looked at over 30,000 women who had a miscarriage in their first recorded pregnancy and subsequently became pregnant again. They found that women who conceived again within six months were less likely to have another miscarriage or problem pregnancy. They were even less likely to have a cesarean section, preterm delivery or infant of low birth weight. These women were more likely to have an induced labor.
The researchers wrote: “Women wanting to become pregnant soon after a miscarriage should not be discouraged.” These women had the best reproductive outcomes.
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
August 22nd, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: Age Limit For Doctors, Cardiology, Disability Pensions, Disabled, Dr. Iving Kroop, General Medicine, New York City Employees Retirement System, New York Post, NYCERS, NYPD, Older Doctors, Retirement Income, Too Old To Practice Medicine
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With apologies to the Beatles:
“When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,
Will you see need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m ninety four?”
From the New York Post:
Former NYPD chief cardiologist Dr. Irving Kroop retired in 1986 — when he was 70 — with a $64,364 disability pension awarded because of a bad heart, according to sources and city records.
All the while, he’s maintained a private practice in Brooklyn and moonlighted at NYCERS, the New York City Employees Retirement System, which paid him $14,479 last year to help determine whether other city workers should get disability pensions.
“Hats off to the man — he’s 94 years old but disabled? And still going strong?” said an incredulous Carol Kellerman, head of the Citizens Budget Commission.
Kroop, who gets $155 an hour as a private contractor for city’s civilian pension board, shuffles into examining rooms with a cane and oxygen tank, sources say.
This story presents an interesting dilemma in this era of shrinking retirement income for our seniors who want to continue to work. Should there be an age limit for practicing doctors? How do we assess if a doctor is “disabled” as they age? Should we care? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
August 21st, 2010 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: "Biologic" Heart, "Spiritual" Heart, A "Good" Heart, Agreeableness, Altruism, Antagonistic Personality Traits, Artery Wall, CardioBrief, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Health, Cardiovascular Risk, Carotid Artery Thickness, Compliance, Endothelium, General Medicine, Heart and Soul, Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Internal Medicine, Italy, Larry Husten, Modesty, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Primary Care, Psychology, smoking, Straightforwardness, Stroke, Tender-Mindedness
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I saw a prescient story that linked antagonistic personality traits and cardiovascular risk. It was simply impossible to ignore. Low hanging fruit, no doubt.
The article highlights an NIH-sponsored study [published in the August 16th journal Hypertension] that looked at the effects of antagonistic traits — agreeableness, per se — on heart health. Yes, you read it right — agreeableness. To quantify agreeableness, the researchers used a personality questionnaire which included six traits: Trust, straightforwardness, altruism, compliance, modesty, and my favorite…tender-mindedness.
Your hypothesis is probably right: People who were distrustful, cynical, manipulative, self-centered, and quick to express anger fared worse. But please don’t dismiss this as just another mundane study proclaiming the risks of an angry personality. The specifics of the findings and their implications really hit hard. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
August 21st, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Allure of Technology, Brain Activity, Brain Function, Charity Work, Dr. Frank Ryan, Driver Safety, General Medicine, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Safety, Multi-tasking, Primary Care, Public Safety, Safe Cars, Safe Cellphone Use, Text Messaging, Texting While Driving
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I’ll be honest — I’d never heard of Dr. Frank Ryan, a Hollywood plastic surgeon, until his tragic motor vehicle accident recently. Clients included actress Heidi Montag and boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
Although the California Highway Patrol investigation isn’t complete, rumors have suggested that Dr. Ryan may have been text messaging when driving. If this is true and an intelligent, well-trained doctor can fall prey to the allure of technology, then what does it mean for the rest of us?
First, realize that we can’t multitask. You have one brain. You can focus at one task at a time. Though laws allow hands-free cellphone calls, the issue isn’t trying to dial the phone but rather that the mind is engaged in the conversation and not on the road. Yes, we are all increasingly busy, but we can’t multitask. In fact, researchers have found that it takes more time and effort to refocus when we are distracted from one task to the other. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
August 21st, 2010 by AndrewSchorr in Better Health Network, News, Research, True Stories
Tags: Advances in Cancer Treatment, Andrew Schorr, Cancer Diagnosis, Head and Neck Cancer, Head and Neck Surgery, Michael Douglas, Oncology, Patient Power, Robotic Surgery, Throat Cancer, Treatment For Cancer
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There’s news that Hollywood star Michael Douglas, 65, is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Reporters say his doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery. But, believe me — when someone is diagnosed with any kind of head and neck cancer, as this is, it’s not an easy go.
My first encounter with it was with my friend Bob Moore, a former sales rep for a major pharmaceutical company. He was a positive, yet realistic guy. The disease and the toxic treatment a few years ago eventually took its toll and he passed on.
My dear friend Mike Piller, famous as writer and co-executive producer of the Star Trek television series, had a similar diagnosis. He did his research and traveled to the best centers. Surgery and radiation took away part of his jaw and his ability to taste and swallow. Of course his speech was affected. He was a trooper, but he never recovered.
In both cases the doctors did what they could to cut out or zap the cancerous tissue tucked away around a lot of critical structures. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog*
