Bits of life through these blue eyes . .
Mar 4th, 2010 by Elaine
Today is a break from the usual health care gloom and doom and something sure to make you smile (or at least I hope so). I went to Kensington Metropark today and enjoyed the Black-capped Chickadee’s. They’re friendly and love visitors in their woods as long as you remember to bring along some seed.
Mar 2nd, 2010 by Elaine
(CBS) American kids snack three times a day and chips, candy and other junk foods now account for more than 27 percent of children’s daily caloric intake, according to a new study released Tuesday.
The new research comes as childhood obesity is soaring in the U.S. with more than 12 million American children – roughly 17 percent – considered overweight.
The spike in snacking added 168 calories per day to kids’ diets between 1977 and 2006, according to Carmen Piernas and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina reported.
"To put 168 extra calories per day in perspective: at 3,500 calories per pound, that translates to 17.5 extra pounds a year," says CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.
The research appears in Health Affairs Journal, which also cites a study showing the national prevalence of obesity among U.S. children ages 10-17 has grown from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007.
Study: Snacks Make Up 27% of Kids Calories – CBS News
Feb 25th, 2010 by Elaine
I hate to see what the numbers are for 2009, I’m sure it’s much worse.
Almost one-third of young adults in their 20s lacked health insurance in the United States in 2008, new statistics show.
The problem was more pronounced among men 20 to 29 years of age, 35 percent of whom went without coverage for medical care. As a result, these uninsured 20-somethings are less likely to visit a doctor on a regular basis, less likely to fill prescriptions and more likely to arrive at the emergency room.
Feb 24th, 2010 by Elaine
Strokes are on the rise among younger people, a group not traditionally considered at high risk for the debilitating condition, researchers report.
A total of 7.3% of stroke victims were younger than age 45 in 2005, up from 4.5% in 1993, says Brett M. Kissela, MD, of the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute.
The most likely culprits: rising rates of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes — the major risk factors for stroke — among younger people, Kissela tells WebMD.
The average age of stroke patients dropped from 71 in 1993 to 68 in 2005, he says.
Even among people under 45, strokes are still a relatively uncommon event, striking 25 of every 100,000 whites and 55 of every 100 blacks in 2005, he says.
The findings were presented at the American Stroke Association’s (ASA) International Stroke Conference 2010.
Feb 18th, 2010 by Elaine
Did anyone notice in your local paper today the county health ranking? Mine was on on the front page #1 healthiest county in the state of Michigan.
For the first time, the nation’s physicians, patients, and government officials can see how their county ranks in terms of health and longevity. Follow link below, click on your state and see how your county ranks.
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
Feb 17th, 2010 by Elaine
A new US study finds that more children are living with chronic health problems than in years past.
The study finds that as many as 1 in 4 children are living with chronic health problems, some of which are a direct result of their home environment.
Conditions such as obesity can lead to the onset of many a chronic health problem, ranging from diabetes and arthritis, to high blood pressure.
Feb 17th, 2010 by Elaine
Kellogg Co. has been told to fix sanitary violations at its Atlanta plant that were identified by inspectors investigating Listeria bacteria contamination of Eggo buttermilk waffles.
In a letter posted Tuesday on its Web site, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said inspectors observed workers cleaning equipment with high-pressure water that splashed near raw food ingredients, Bloomberg news reported.
In addition, a cart with uncovered trash was seen within six inches of raw food materials, and a worker who touched his nose and moustache failed to re-wash or use sanitizer on his hands before returning to work.
Feb 16th, 2010 by Elaine
An immediate-release form of the antidiabetic agent metformin has a dead fish odor that may cause patients to stop taking the drug, clinicians warned.
Metformin is known to cause adverse gastrointestinal effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, distention, and abdominal pain. Those side effects "often necessitate discontinuing the drug," a group of physicians and pharmacists wrote in a letter published in the Feb. 17 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
The olfactory side effect — a "stinky fish" smell — appears to have been previously unreported in medical literature, and physicians may be prone to confusing the nausea induced by the foul smell with the well-known gastrointestinal pharmacologic side effect from metformin, according to Allen L. Pelletier, MD, of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, and colleagues.
Feb 16th, 2010 by Elaine
Seeking a happier, healthier life? Go west, according to a new survey of more than 350,000 Americans. It finds that Rocky Mountain cities such as Boulder, Colo., or California towns like Santa Rosa have the highest concentrations of generally happy residents, USA Today reported.
The Gallup-HealthWays Well-Being Index, conducted in 2009, asked respondents to assess their finances, physical health, mental outlook, jobs and communities.
“Most of our highest-scoring cities are found out West and most of our lowest-scoring cities are in the South,” Gallup-HealthWays research director Dan Witters told USA Today.
According to a news release from the pollsters, the Top 5 cities in terms of well-being are Boulder, Colo.; Holland, Mich; Honolulu, Hawaii; Provo, Utah; and Santa Rosa, Calif. The nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., also made the Top 10, placing at number 8.
Feb 14th, 2010 by Elaine
Health insurer Anthem Blue Cross will postpone its much-criticized plan to raise rates for some California residents who buy insurance on their own, after reaching a deal Saturday with state regulators.
Anthem’s planned rate hike, which the state estimates would affect about 700,000 customers, averaged 25% and would have been as high as 39% for some.
Anthem Blue Cross of California, based in Thousand Oaks, agreed to postpone the increase from March 1 until May 1 so California could have outside experts review the company’s complex and detailed plan filing, including data on the medical costs it expects to incur.
