November 13th, 2010 by EvanFalchukJD in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
Tags: Asthma, Best Doctors, Chronic Disease, Compliant Patients, Depression, Diabetes, Disease Management, Doctor-Patient Communication, Eating Right, Empowered Patients, Evan Falchuk, Family Health History, Follow Your Doctors' Instructions, General Medicine, Getting Sick, Health Insurance, Health Tips, Healthcare Survivalist, Healthy Lifestyle, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Long Term Care, Obesity, Patient Empowerment, smoking
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There are plenty of “survivalists” out there who stock their basements with canned goods, getting ready for some unexpected (and unlikely) apocalypse. Meanwhile there are things that are much more likely to happen to you — like getting sick — which many of us don’t prepare for at all. So to help you get started, here are five important tips on how you can become a healthcare survivalist:
1. Take care of your chronic conditions. Whether it’s high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, asthma or any other kind of ailment, do what it takes to manage your own care. Take your medications and follow your doctors’ instructions. Why? Because if you don’t, your condition can get worse and lead to even more serious problems. As much of a pain as it may (literally) be, there’s a reason the old saying “an ounce of prevention” still resonates today — because it’s true.
2. Live a healthy lifestyle. Everyone gives you this advice, but with studies showing that 42% of Americans will be obese by 2050, it doesn’t seem to be getting through. Denial can wonderfully appealing; but when it comes to your health, it can also kill you. Stop smoking, exercise, and eat right. You may find that your employer has programs in place that will help you do all of those things, and many of them work. Why not give one of them a try? You can’t improve your life all at once, but you can start. Your life will be happier if you keep yourself healthy. So rather than whistling past the graveyard, jog past it. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at See First Blog*
November 13th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: Computer Safety, Fertility and Sterility, Laptop Heat, Male Laptop Users, Medgadget, Men's Health, Personal Technology and Health, Preventive Health, Preventive Medicine, Reproductive Health, Scrotal Hyperthermia, Scrotal Temperature, Testicles
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Male readers be advised! Using your laptop placed on your knees to read this post may cause your testicles to heat up quite significantly. However surprisingly, this is not due to the heat dissipated by many laptops, but rather due to the positioning of the legs. A study just published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility investigated ways to avoid the testicles from overheating while using a laptop computer.
Right and left scrotal temperatures were measured in 29 volunteers while working on the laptop in different positions: With closely approximated legs, with closely approximated legs with a lap pad below the laptop, and sitting with legs apart at a 70° angle with a lap pad below the laptop. After 60 minutes with closed legs, temperature increased about 2.4 degrees Celsius, using the lap pad yielded a slightly smaller increase of 2.1 degrees, while spreading the legs resulted in a modest increase of 1.4 degrees.
The authors conclude that prevention of scrotal hyperthermia in laptop users is not feasible, although we would like to disagree and suggest using a flat surface, such as a table or desk, to position your laptop in order to preserve your fertility.
Article abstract: Protection from scrotal hyperthermia in laptop computer users…
Image credit: Pitel…
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
November 12th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Backed By Science, Boob Job Cream, Consumer Safety, Cosmetic Products, Cosmetic Surgery, Daily Mail, Doctors Who Voice Their Concerns, Dr. Dalia Nield, Dr. Ramona Bates, Fear Of Retaliation, Increasing A Woman's Breast Size, Libel, Medical Product Claims, Non-Evidence-Based, Patient Safety, Plastic Surgery, Product Safety, Rodial Limited, Scientific Proof, Scientific Testing, Sense About Science, Suture For A Living, The London Clinic, Treatment Dangers, Women's Health
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Shouldn’t it be possible to voice a concern about a medical treatment, procedure, or claim without the fear of retaliation? If the claims are backed by science, then simply addressing my concerns would be enough.
Fear of retaliation silences discussion. Fear of retaliation makes it difficult to do the “right thing” when the public or an individual patient is at risk.
This incidence involves a British plastic surgeon threatened with libel action by the ‘Boob Job’ cream’s manufacturer after she voiced concerns/doubts of its effectiveness. Sense About Science has a great summary of the entire affair: “Plastic surgeon threatened for comment on ‘Boob Job’ cream.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
November 12th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, News, Research
Tags: ACP Internist, American College Of Physicians, Archives of Internal Medicine, Buy Doctors Lunch, CME, Conflict of Interest, Continuing Medical Education, Doctors As Industry Marketing Agents, Drug Companies, Drug Rep Lunches, Drug Samples, General Medicine, Industry Perks and Gifts, Industry Relationship, Industry-Supported Medical Education, Medical Ethics, Medical Marketing, Medicare spending, Pharma-Paid Lunches, Pharmaceutical Industry, Physician Payment Sunshine Act, Primary Care Physicians, Ryan DuBosar, Ties To Industry
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Physicians and particularly primary care doctors are reporting fewer industry ties than five years ago, according to a survey.
While 94% of doctors reported some type of perk from a drug or device maker in 2004, 83.8% did in 2009, researchers reported in the Nov. 8 Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers surveyed a stratified random sample of 2,938 primary care physicians (internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics) and specialists (cardiology, general surgery, psychiatry and anesthesiology) with a 64.4% response rate. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
November 12th, 2010 by GruntDoc in Better Health Network, News, Research
Tags: Blood Donation, Cancer Treatment, Dermatology, Genetic Match, Genetics, GruntDoc, Hematology, Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Nature, Oncology, Stem Cell Research, The Australian, Turning Skin Into Blood
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From The Australian:
Stem cell researchers have found a way to turn a person’s skin into blood, a process that could be used to treat cancer and other ailments, according to a Canadian study published today.
The method uses cells from a patch of a person’s skin and transforms it into blood that is a genetic match, without using human embryonic stem cells, said the study in the journal Nature.
Wow. Very cool. I wonder if hopefully someday this could be a replacement for random blood donation?
*This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc*
