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Study shows older parents more likely to have child with autism

A study has found that mothers older than 40 are about 50 percent more likely to have a child with autism than those in their 20s; the risk for fathers older than 40 is 36 percent higher than for men in their 20s.  (Getty Images)

A woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found.

"Although fathers' age can contribute risk, the risk is overwhelmed by maternal age," said University of California at Davis researcher Janie Shelton, the study's lead author.

Quite a detailed article about a study that links the risks of having an autistic child to the age of the parents, and in particular, the age of the mother. No mention here about vaccine additives.

Is it Obama’s fault that Anthem Blue Cross raises premiums?

Private insurance businesses are doing exactly what they have always done. When the sun shines they provide the best umbrella your money can buy and as soon as it rains they fold it up.

“Due to rising medical costs”

This is part of the famous line you get when the letter arrives from Anthem Blue Cross, or any insurance company, stating you will have to pay 39 per cent more on your monthly premiums. And if your outgoing is more then your incoming, it can ruin you.

Anthem Blue Cross has no qualms hiking rates for customers. Someone has to pay the highly compensated CEOs, such as Angela Braly, whose gets $10 million per year and off-the-books benefits with stock options.

If you wonder what corporate forces Obama is opposing, here’s a nice sample of health insurance companies “making hay while the sun shines” and taking every advantage of this time of change.

Sebelius asks Anthem Blue Cross to justify their premium hikes

FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2010 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. In a letter to the president of Anthem Blue Cross, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, she was very disturbed to learn of the planned increases, calling them "extraordinary." She said they were hard to understand in light of the profitability of Anthem's parent company, WellPoint Inc.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenetafile)

The Obama administration on Monday asked California's largest for-profit health insurer to justify plans to hike customers' premiums by as much as 39 percent, a move that could affect some 800,000 people.

In a letter to the president of Anthem Blue Cross, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she was disturbed to learn of the planned increases, calling them "extraordinary."

"I believe Anthem Blue Cross has a responsibility to provide a detailed justification for these rate increases to the public," Sebelius wrote. She said the company should also make public what percentage of customers' premiums go to medical care versus administrative costs.

I didn’t think the insurance industry would go down without a fight, but I never expected such blatant greed to come out at this sensitive time in history. See what we are up against?

First Lady leads fight against childhood obesity

First lady Michelle Obama walks through the White House east colonnade with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, second from right, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, as they meet regarding the childhood obesity initiative. Photo by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

(By Mark Wilson, Getty Images) First lady Michelle Obama and local students from Bancroft Elementary School and Kimball Elementary School harvest vegetables in the garden on the South Lawn of the White House Oct. 29.

WASHINGTON — Her daughters were 6 and 9, and Michelle Obama was like any other working mom — struggling to juggle office hours, school pick-ups and mealtimes. By the end of the day, she was often too tired to make dinner, so she did what was easy: She ordered takeout or went to the drive-through.

She thought the girls were eating reasonably well — until her pediatrician in Chicago told her he didn't like the weight fluctuations he was seeing.

EXCERPTS: First lady talks eating, exercise

U.S. MAPS: How environment impacts childhood obesity

"I was shocked because my kids looked perfectly fine to me," Obama says. "But I had a wake-up call." Like many parents, however, "I didn't know what to do."

I think this is a great cause for Mrs. Obama to take up, because it greatly affects the lifelong health of a person. The Obama family seems very trim and in shape, they serve as a good example of how to avoid obesity.

Children who sit down with the family for meals reduce by 40% their risk of obesity

Healthier: Children who sit down regularly with the family for a meal

Traditional family routines could stop children becoming obese, a study has claimed.

It found that ditching modern lifestyles for the way many lived decades ago could cut the risk by 40 per cent for four-year-olds.

And it revealed that while each rule - eating dinner with the family, getting lots of sleep and watching less TV - cuts the risk on its own, the effect was greater when all three were combined.

Study leader Dr Sarah Anderson said: 'The routines were protective even among groups that typically have a high risk for obesity.

'This is important because it suggests there's a potential for these routines to be targets for obesity prevention in all children.'

Is the idea of the “family meal” going away? I hope not, because it is a good time to talk and laugh. Rather, it is probably the lack of a family connection that fuels eating disorders. Don’t eat alone.

Third-hand smoke: still harmful to your health

Opening a window to air out a room while a cigarette burns does not eliminate the hazard of third-hand smoke

WASHINGTON — You know smoking is bad for you. You know inhaling someone else's smoke is bad for you. Now a US study says third-hand smoke -- tobacco residue clinging to surfaces -- is also bad for you.

When a cigarette burns, nicotine is released in the form of a vapor that collects and condenses on indoor surfaces such as walls, carpeting, drapes and furniture, where it can linger for months, said the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

"Our study shows that when this residual nicotine reacts with ambient nitrous acid it forms carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs," said Hugo Destaillats, a corresponding author of the study.

"TSNAs are among the most broadly acting and potent carcinogens present in unburned tobacco and tobacco smoke," he said.

Smoking is just too dangerous, not only for the smoker, but for everyone else. I hope if you needed one more good reason to quit smoking, this one does the trick for you.

Study links consumption of sugary soft-drinks to pancreatic cancer

Heath risk: Drinking sugary drinks is said to increase pancreatic stress

People who have at least two sugary fizzy drinks each week may be putting themselves at risk of deadly pancreatic cancer, scientists say.

A study found that consumer two or more calorific soft drinks a week increases the chances of developing the disease by 87 per cent, compared to people who avoid them.

The scientists who made the discovery are unsure whether fizzy drinks are to blame - or whether people who consume them are more likely to have unhealthy lifestyles that put them at greater risk of cancer.

Some studies, however, have shown that soft drinks trigger a spike in blood sugar which puts the pancreas under extra stress.

I have often thought that getting diagnosed with diabetes helped me improve my health by prompting me to cut out all sugary drinks and foods. Do you see it coming, a brand new tax on soft-drinks?

U.S. sees swine flu pandemic slowing in all states

Brigney Polio 4, reacts after getting a swine flu vaccination at Carlin Springs Elementary School in Arlington, Va., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP) Is the U.S. swine flu epidemic over? Federal health officials won't go so far as to say that, but on Friday they reported for the fourth week in a row that no states had widespread flu activity.
U.S. cases have been declining since October. An official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says swine flu cases are still occurring and are likely to continue a while longer at some level.
But another expert said a future large wave of cases now seems very unlikely. The expert, Vanderbilt University's Dr. William Schaffner, said the epidemic has "one foot in the grave."

I did not yet receive the swine flu vaccine, although I worried about getting the flu or a cold during my recent cataract surgery, now completed on both eyes. Sneezing and surgery don’t seems to go together, do they?

A daily pill that blocks serotonin production could prevent osteoporosis

Pill: Could prevent osteoporosis

A pill that blocks production of a natural chemical in the gut could potentially cure the common bone thinning disease osteoporosis, say scientists.

The drug prevents the synthesis of serotonin, best known for its functions in the brain.

It halted osteoporosis in mice and rats, and may be similarly effective in humans, researchers believe.

In the brain, serotonin assists the transmission of messages between nerve cells and has a big impact on mood.

But 95% of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut, where its major function is to inhibit bone formation, said the researchers.

By shutting off intestinal serotonin production, the scientists prevented osteoporosis in post-menopausal female mice.

This could be another one of those discoveries that makes a big difference in the length and quality of life, but I wonder how a human being can handle the serotonin depletion, would such a pill affect the mood, as well?

Free health screening may be the best preventative medicine

Bridgette Allen conducts a cholesterol test in the back room of Pop’s Barber Shop on Saturday. Pine Bluff Commercial/Ralph Fitzgerald

“Today is African-American HIV Testing Day, then you have the big one which is World Aids Day Dec. 1,” said Chinetta Davis of Jefferson Comprehensive Care. “This is kind of a piggyback on World Aids Day but it’s targeted toward African-Americans and it’s in February because it’s Black History Month.”

HIV screenings were conducted in the mobile health unit and nurses Alice Pridgeon and Bridgette Allen conducted blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol testing in the back room of Pop’s.
“It’s important that people know their HIV status and we want to raise awareness,” Davis said. “We evaluate people and if they’re positive they can start getting care.”
The initial idea of the HIV screening event was expanded to include other testing.

Our people need more free screening such as this, because so much damage can be done when you don’t know you have a disease such as diabetes or HIV. I think we will see much more of this in the near future as we get more health awareness.

Feb. 5 was a day for women to wear red in support of heart health awareness

Corkery/News

Samantha Harris ,Vivica Fox ,Jennie Garth , Kristi Yamaguchi and Susan Lucci (Dancing With The Stars Reunion) at the Red Dress Collection benefitting "The Heart Truth."

Spot a lady in red today, and chances are she isn't making a fashion statement - it's part of a health movement.

Feb. 5 is National Wear Red Day, when women across the U.S. are encouraged to don a red article of clothing to help build awareness for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of adult females.

Each year nearly half a million women die from heart disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), which sponsors the event.

I don’t think it’s too late to wear red, the idea being that someone asks you why you are wearing red, and you start a little discussion about women and heart disease. It could happen.

37 million Americans have trouble getting enough food

Multimedia Watch The Video

The Idaho Food Bank and 'Feeding America', the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, released findings of a new study showing a dramatic increase in the growth of hunger in Idaho. Food banks are working to keep up with the great need for food.

Food storage warehouses are seeing provisions come and go much faster than ever before. According to the study 'Hunger in Idaho 2010' more than 140,000 Idahoans received emergency food last year; this is a 59 percent increase from 2006.

Nationally, 'Feeding America' food banks provide free food assistance to 37 million people each year, including 14 million children, and 3 million seniors; this is a 46 percent increase from 2006.

No American should have to go hungry in this the land of plenty, and as far as medicine goes, I hope the medical world supports the many great organizations fighting hunger in this country.

Talk of jobs overshadows health care in Obama’s State of Union speech

In last week’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said he remains committed to reforming the nation’s health care system, but the president spent most of the speech concentrating on economic issues. PHOTO: AP

WASHINGTON—Stunned by the outcome of a special election in Massachusetts that ended their filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate and a wide-open road to pass health care reform legislation, top congressional Democrats are regrouping to develop new legislative strategies.

But amid clearly diminished congressional interest in the issue—as well as a shift in focus to reducing unemployment—it isn't clear whether a strategy will be developed, much less whether it will be successful, benefit observers say.

While President Barack Obama remains committed to enacting health care reform, the issue made up only a small portion of last week's State of the Union address, which was dominated by economic issues.

Did you hear the speech? Did you think healthcare reform was given enough mention? There is a great deal of momentum in the health area right now, it must be handled for the sake of 30 million people without health insurance, and the Republicans say they want to help. Good for them if it is true.

Scott Brown’s election slows down health care reform bills

The election of Republican Scott Brown as senator from Massachusetts has led Democratic leaders to slow down health system reform bills while they discuss alternatives. [Photo by AP / Wide World Photos]

AMA Immediate Past President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, stresses to reporters that it's time for Congress to stop temporary repairs and tackle a complete overhaul of the Medicare physician payment system. [Photo courtesy of AMA / Sam Hurd]

With a comprehensive health system reform effort effectively on hold after the victory of a Republican Senate candidate in Massachusetts, physician organizations are mobilizing to prevent Medicare doctor payment reform from also becoming a casualty of the altered political landscape on Capitol Hill.

The American Medical Association, other physician organizations and seniors groups were hoping to follow health reform passage with a long-term solution to the Medicare physician payment system, which is primed for a 21.2% cut starting March 1. But momentum on the broader reform effort came to a grinding halt when Massachusetts state Sen. Scott Brown defeated state Attorney General Martha Coakley in a Jan. 19 special election for the Senate seat vacated by the death of Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy last August.

One man can make a difference in the unfolding of history, and it looks like Scott Brown is the man of the hour. I hope he will lead Republicans into a higher state of participation in the reform process, such as stopping the huge 21.2% cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Your thoughts…

Gates foundation will invest 10 billion dollars in vaccine

Bill Gates commits $10 billion to vaccine development and delivery over the next decade.

Bill and Melinda Gates gave a big hat tip to vaccinations today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Indeed, the pair, who head up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said that they will spend an additional $10 billion over the next decade -- on top of $4.5 billion already committed -- to develop and deliver vaccines to children in the developing world, Reuters reports.

What sparked this generous gesture?

The ability to save millions of lives, Gates says. In fact, Gates told reporters that it is possible to save 7.6 million children under age 5 from death between 2010 and 2019 by increasing vaccinations in the developing world to 90%. Their hope is to build on previous success in poor countries like Malawi where coverage rates are now similar to those in Western cities.

What a bold investment in the future! Vaccines are almost a miracle of medical science, preventing illness before it even begins, nice going, Bill, this is a wonderful use for your money, in my opinion.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks—a book review

Among the promising books out this month -- Tuesday, in fact -- is "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," which examines the extraordinary -- and controversial -- scientific contribution made by a young black woman from Baltimore County's Turners Station community more than a half-century ago. While Lacks was being treated for cancer at Johns Hopkins, a researcher was able to keep some of her cells alive outside her body -- a remarkable breakthrough for medical research.

Author Rebecca Skloot notes in this excerpt that the "HeLa cells," spread around the world, helped to develop the polio vaccine and forge advances in such areas as chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. Yet Lacks' role was not acknowledged for years, and her family reaped no financial gain, leaving them understandably bitter. (Here's a 1997 Baltimore Sun story about the issue. and a piece Skloot wrote in 2000 for Johns Hopkins magazine.) Excerpts from some reviews:

Interesting subject of bio-ethics, such as who should benefit from medical research, I have heard about these human cells for years, sounds like a good book for doctors and others interested in science.

Australian study examines weight and death rates

The study found exercise particularly benefited elderly women

Moderately overweight elderly people may live longer than those of normal weight, an Australian study suggests.

But being very overweight or being underweight shortened lives.

The report, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, said dieting may not be beneficial in this age group.

But the study of 9,200 over-70s also found that regardless of weight, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives, particularly for women.

They always get me with the sedentary lifestyle warnings, in fact, the docs made me take an EKG prior to my cataract surgery because I admitted that going to the doctor is my main form of exercise.

Obama administration wants Americans to have coverage for mental illness and substance abuse

The Obama administration has issued guidelines that Americans will get coverage not only for physical illness but for mental illness and substance abuse treatment also.

There will be no separate annual deductibles for mental health treatment. Copayments for visiting a psychiatrist or social worker will not exceed the charges given for visiting a family doctor or a medical specialist.

Andrew Sperling of the National Alliance on Mental Illness said, "Health plans will be under an obligation to provide the same level of coverage for treatment of mental illness as they do for cancer, diabetes and heart disease."

The aim of the law passed by Congress in 2008 is to eliminate financial barriers people face for treating mental health problems. With this coverage, 140 million Americans in more than 450,000 employer plans will be benefited.

Well that sounds like we’ll have a more sane country, and I hope we can afford it. Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to the medical job market, perhaps more are needed because of aging Baby Boomers like me?

This is funny and it really brings to light what in the heck we see these days as far as what’s in the press to keep the ball rolling.  Myself, I tire of seeing all of this and dirty laundry stories.  They all need to go to technology classes and don’t get it.  Jon does a good job on showing how ridiculous all of the politicians behavior is and the fact that we feed on this crap daily. We have serious issues here in the US, and yet we don’t seem to be able to take 10-15 minutes a day to learn something and tear ourselves from entertainment.  I watched Nightline last night and heard the entire Edwards saga and you know we really smarter people in office that can provide some real leadership and knowledge and provide less focus on “soap operas” which is about all we are getting these days.  Part of the Edwards story was good though as it did reveal some of the BS we see with folks just being what I call “blow horns” and are more impressed with themselves than the work they do. 

I did listen to President Obama and his take on this too, and funny thing I had said the same thing before I heard him speak, we are frustrated and we have somewhat the blind leading the blind so grab another politician and see if they have anything that might stick.  I made my own contribution this week on the topic.

Grassley Sends Inquiry to Hospitals – If He Participated As an E-Patient, We Might See Some Better Questions Asked And He Could Have a Better Idea About How Health IT Works and the Value It Creates

Even those in the press are frustrated and Jon Stewart makes the point this week with humor as he always does so well.  In doing this blog I communicate with many levels from top IQ IT managers to the every day person and I do have to say those in Health IT are sitting out watching and trying to do the best they can with those who make laws and trying to show the value of not only electronic medical records, but overall healthcare IT, again once we can venture past the soap operas that consume so much of what we see today and are very entertaining, but get us nowhere when it comes to reform. 

What dirty laundry will appear next week and what will be the latest chapter?  I guess we just can’t seem to come to terms that we have a healthcare crisis in the US and entertainment prevails over education by far.  BD 

Robert Gleeman’s Daily News is guest written by Nick – we wish Bob well with his eye-operation today!

HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model goes international

Dave Garets, HiMSS CEO and president reveals their international plans for EMR Adoption data collection in Europe, Middle East and Australia. The HiMSS Analytics EMR Model rates hospitals on a scale of 0 to 7. Those reaching a stage 7 get an detailed site visit. Talking about Stage 6 Hospitals, Garets said “"What's striking about Stage 6 hospitals is the amount of different vendors that are represented. It's a very nice thing because it shows it's not the software, it's what you do with it."

HiMSS Analytics suggest that implementation is most times more important than the actual software used.

Continuing Advances in myocardial infarction management

MedPage Today plot the changes in MI treatment and drug advances that have led to an impressive 40% decrease in mortality. Where will the next breakthroughs be? Possibly agents that raise HDL cholesterol. Certainly simple lifestyle changes – like quitting smoking and exercise – will improve cardiovascular health.

Of course, the kids who start smoking think they are bullet-proof and immune to heart problems later in life.

When Blogging makes a difference

Dr. Robert M. Centor, who blogs as “db” at DBs Medical Rants, has some reason to smile. His blogging has helped other doctors in the diagnosis of Lemierre syndrome via his blog. Lemierre syndrome is frequently passed off as “just a sore throat”.

Well done db!

Quitline Messages improve Smoking Cessation

Medical News Today reports into investigation of the benefits of positive-message or “gain-framed” messages over standard-care messaging.

Smokers who received gain-framed messaging reported statistically significantly more quit attempts and a higher rate of abstinence from smoking at the 2-week follow-up interview (99 of the 424 in gain-framed group vs. 76 of the 603 in the standard-care group).

The Smoking Cessation support I received did tend to stress the positive health story, over the usual money-oriented message.

Wide use of antidepressant drugs questioned in study

Mild to severe depression might be better treated with alternatives to antidepressant drugs, researchers said.

Mild to severe depression might be better treated with alternatives to antidepressant drugs, which do not help patients much more than an inactive placebo, researchers said Tuesday.

Combining data from six studies that examined the effectiveness of two commonly prescribed antidepressants -- paroxetine and imipramine -- found the drugs produced benefits only slightly greater than a placebo in patients with mild to severe depression.

"They would have done just as well or just about as well with a placebo," said Robert DeRubeis, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, who with colleagues performed the meta-analysis.

These drugs certainly help millions of people, and it appears that the placebo-effect is also very significant. There’s no such thing as a “happy pill”. This is a collaborative study of 6 other studies.

Young people may have to bear the main costs of health care reform

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, speaks during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill Jan. 5. (AP Photo)

Young adults are in for a wake-up call if health care reform passes.

For the first time ever, the federal government is going to require that everybody obtain health insurance coverage. For those who have insurance through their employers, the so-called individual mandate may have very little impact. But for young adults, many of whom are not currently covered, the health care bill will add a new and costly expense to their budgets.

"The Census Bureau tells us there are 18 million people between the ages of 18 and 35 who are uninsured -- roughly half of the uninsured population are younger people in that age group," said Anne Kim, with the non-profit think tank Third Way.

Young people today often have no health insurance, and they have terrible medical habits, like never getting examined for diabetes. Let young people pay, at least they’ll be getting something good for their money—for a change.

NY health department criticized for publishing heroin user manual

An addict injects heroin

NEW YORK — New York's health authorities were on the defensive Tuesday over a pamphlet likened by critics to a DIY manual for heroin addicts.

The 10-step pamphlet titled "Take Charge, Take Care," features color drawings and easy-to-read text starting with a page on how to prevent overdose.

The health department said the aim was to protect users from spreading the HIV infection and suffering from overdoses.

But critics, including the City Council and law enforcement officials, lambasted what they said was publicly funded encouragement for illegal drug use.

I don’t see how spreading true information can be a bad thing, but critics do have a valid point, the pamphlet should help people quit the deadly habit, at least try to convince addicts to stop.

Pomegranates may help slow some types of breast cancer

A new study released today provides some exciting news concerning the constant fight against breast cancer.

Pomegranates have been proven to help slow down or prevent estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. The majority of breast cancers are fueled by the naturally occurring estrogen hormone.

The tasty fruit is packed with ellagitannins or ellagic acid, which is part of the phytochemical group. Ellagitannins are used to counter the cancer causing enzyme, aromatose. Synthetically produced aromatose inhibitors are the standard protocol used to treat estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers. Pomegranates contain a high level of antioxidants and have been used for years to prevent heart problems.

I think a cancer patient should eat a very selective diet to help fight the disease, and this may a food that will help some people. Doctors, do you talk to your patients about their eating habits?

Geographic clusters of autistic children linked to poverty

Researchers at the U.C. Davis MIND Institute have discovered regions in the state of California that have notably higher autism incidence. But the story is more complicated, and more sad, than one might think at first. Instead of indications of an “autism epidemic”, these clusters point to the fact that minority and poor children are much less likely to receive autism diagnoses.
I don’t have the paper yet (I’m still trying to find the abstract), but articles in the Woodland Daily Democrat and the San Diego Union-Tribune are reporting the story.

This is really a story about poor children not getting the proper diagnosis of autism in the first place. Let’s start reforming health care for poor children—they deserve the best of care.

Chickenpox vaccine rejected by many parents

Across the US, cases of chickenpox have dropped by about 80% since a vaccine to prevent the disease was made widely available early 15 years ago. But many parents still choose to reject immunization on the back of various safety concerns about the vaccine.

Now, a new study has revealed, once again, what health officials have been asserting for very long - children whose parents do not allow them to be immunized via the chickenpox vaccine are at an increased risk of contracting the disease.

What’s wrong with the sales department for this vaccine? Isn’t 15 years long enough to sell anything? I had this disease as a child and still remember it was no joke. Parents, let’s wipe this out.

Swine flu in China: 49.9M vaccinated, 659 dead in 2009

China has so far vaccinated 49.9 million people

BEIJING — China said Monday it had recorded 659 swine flu deaths in 2009, nearly all of them in the last two months of the year, and warned that the danger of mass outbreaks still existed in certain areas.

The health ministry said the total number of A(H1N1) infections recorded since the virus was first detected last year stood at 120,940.

At the end of October, the reported death toll stood at just six. The number of recorded deaths then spiked, reaching about 180 at the start of December and 659 by the end of the month.

"The danger of an explosion of outbreaks in some places exists, and the number of fatalities and serious cases will remain at a rather high level," said Liang Wannian, director of the ministry's emergency response office.

China still very serious about swine flu, there is no doubt the support the vaccination of the masses. Why do you suppose China is so motivated to fight H1N1, and will they forever be flu-fighters?

Both smoking AND quitting smoking can raise diabetes risk

LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking is well known as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but scientists said on Monday that quitting the habit can raise the risk even more in the short term.

A study by U.S. researchers found that people who stop smoking have a 70 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first six years without cigarettes as compared to people who never smoked.

The researchers said they suspected the increased diabetes risk comes from extra weight gain common in people who quit.

But they said no one should use their findings as an excuse to continue smoking -- a habit which can also cause lung disease, heart disease, strokes and many types of cancer.

"The message is: Don't even start to smoke," said Hsin-Chieh Yeh of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States, who led the study.

"If you smoke, give it up. That's the right thing to do. But people have to also watch their weight," she added.

So quit smoking, lose weight, and if you do get diabetes, stop eating sugar. Heck, that doesn’t even begin to cover it, but do  quit smoking—for your health.

In 2008, healthcare spending slowed with recession, but still grew faster than economy

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet people as they step off Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, after spending the holidays in Hawaii. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The U.S. spent an average of $7,681 per person on health care in 2008, for an eye-popping total of $2.3 trillion — even though spending actually slowed dramatically that year because of the recession, a new federal study says.

Health spending didn't slow down as much as the nation's overall economic output, the study said, in keeping with a decades-old trend that has now pushed health care costs to account for over 16 percent of the nation's economy.

I don’t think we know how much we spend on health care and the lack thereof, but reform will “granulize” this data until we have a handle on these costs. Reform is good for most systems, why not health? 

Doctors for sale: what is happening to private practice?

Charlie Powell, left, and Jordan Asher have built the number of physicians employed by Saint Thomas to 180.

For many physicians in private practice, their days of flying solo may be numbered.

Faced with declining reimbursements, closed-off revenue streams, capital investment pressures and the changes of health care reform, many doctors are turning to hospital and health system employment to safeguard their financial and lifestyle stability.

We always have a running discussion of this topic in the Forum. What are the factors that push doctors into larger groups and hospitals, and is this a trend as the article suggests?

Fertility doctor for “Octo-Mom” accused of negligence

"Octo-mom" Nadya Suleman walks outside her house in La Habra, California

LOS ANGELES — The fertility doctor who treated the woman who gave birth to octuplets last year has been accused of "gross negligence," a disciplinary complaint filed by the California Medical Board showed.

The executive director of the board, Barbara Johnston, said in the complaint that Dr Michael Kamrava had acted "beyond reasonable judgement" by helping Nadya Suleman conceive octuplets.

Suleman, 34, who already had six children, became a tabloid fixation last January when she successfully gave birth to octuplets in Los Angeles, and was dubbed "Octomom."

For those of you who are following this incredible case, appears there is much peer criticism regarding the doctor who implanted so many babies for a woman who already had 6 kids.

Smoking now linked to eye disease

Make a New Year’s Resolution-“Quit Smoking” as another reason has been added to the benefits of quitting smoking.

The US doctors say that quitting smoking helps save sight. The ophthalmologists at the University of California-Los Angeles claim that after 80 years there is an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration. This causes damage to the center of the retina which can, in time, even cause blindness.

Yet another reason to quit smoking, just in case you need one more. I will be going for cataract surgery on Monday, and I would not be surprised if smoking had a part in this as well. Clear sight ahead.

France: For Sale, millions of surplus flu shots

France ordered 94 million doses of swine flu vaccine

France is selling off millions of surplus swine flu vaccine doses to other countries, officials say.
They say the move was decided after health authorities found they had more than enough to deal with the outbreak.
Germany and The Netherlands announced similar sales late last year. The H1N1 virus appears to have peaked in North America and parts of Europe.

I’m sure this medicine has an expiration date, so timing is everything. Will we continue to make H1N1 vaccine, or will we just add it to next year’s seasonal flu vaccine?

Health care reform bill continues to evolve

Majority Leader Harry Reid speaks at a rally of Democratic senators after a final series of procedural votes on healthcare legislation. (Win McNamee, Getty Images / December 23, 2009)

Reporting from Washington - The Senate passed its version of the healthcare overhaul on Christmas Eve. Here are some questions about what's next as the legislation continues to work its way through Congress:
What's going to happen this month?
The Senate's healthcare legislation must now be merged with the House version -- and that could be tricky.
Senate and House negotiators could choose to meet in a formal conference committee to work out the differences or instead work out a deal in a looser, give-and-take fashion. Even though the conference committee would ostensibly be a more public forum, the nitty-gritty will be worked out in private no matter what.

I hope we will continue to discuss health care reform in our Forum of discussion long after all the votes are over. Medicine never stops changing, and I feel our forum is a good thermometer of change.

A Weiss family tradition: give blood for New Year

(Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian)  Descendants of the late Morris Weiss gather Saturday outside the American Red Cross Portland Donor Center on North Vancouver Avenue. Weiss inspired his family to donate blood at the first of every year. Now it's a multi-generational event. A dozen members of the Weiss/Parker family donated blood at the center, while others attended to offer moral support.

(Courtesy of American Red Cross)  A Red Cross official applies a donor-recognition pin on Morris Weiss' lapel during a 1945 ceremony at Willamette Iron and Steel Works in Portland. His wife, Shirley, is second from right.

(Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian)  Vicki Mittendorf, granddaughter of Morris Weiss, and her son Andrew honor family tradition by donating blood together Saturday at the American Red Cross Portland Donor Center.

Before he passed away in 1985, Morris Weiss had an inkling he'd produced something much bigger than his 22 gallons of donated blood.
Weiss started donating blood to the American Red Cross in 1943.
He'd arrived in Portland the year before with his family, having accepted a job with Willamette Iron and Steel Works on North Front Street, initially helping build World War II ships.
At the shipbuilder, he helped arrange mobile blood drives, then a novel concept. His wife, Shirley, also became a regular blood donor.
The couple's two children, Samuel and Elaine, were toddlers when the family arrived in Vanport from St. Louis. By the time they were in their late teens, the siblings also were on the family road to regular blood donation.
And in 1976, the stamp of "family tradition" was applied to their blood-donation practices.

Personal interest story of a very constructive family tradition, giving blood as a New Year’s resolution. We seem to think of resolutions as something you will give up, here is a more positive outlook.

Scotland’s plea to smokers: please quit smoking in 2010

More than 60,000 quit attempts were made in 2008-09

Smokers in Scotland are being urged by a government minister to quit the habit in 2010.

Shona Robison said giving up smoking was the biggest single thing anyone could do to improve their health.

The public health minister's plea comes as Holyrood is expected to ban tobacco displays in shops and cigarette vending machines later this month.

Ms Robison said she hoped the new legislation would help reduce the number of young people smoking.

Can’t we match that here in the US? Please quit smoking for your own sake, it doesn’t matter who asks you to quit. Just do it for yourself, you will feel better, I promise you.

From the UK: Happy New Year from the medical Gulag

by Dr John Crippen

Dr Grumble, the Jobbing Doctor & Dr Crippen

The year reaches its end with the news that Ben Bradshaw, that embodiment of over-promoted political mediocrity, is to nationalise Neil Bacon. Bacon, you will recall, is the egregious little s*** who has been trying to make a fast buck by setting up a website that allows people to make critical remarks about doctors. Bacon poses as some kind of kidney “specialist” but is nothing of the sort. He is not on the GMC hospital specialist register. He is not on the family doctor register. He does not have a sense of humour either. He had a major sulk when the gloriously vulgar origami maestro and doctor, Fishgoth, posted a clearly “doctored” composite photograph on a Doctors.net.uk forum purporting to depict Bacon, dressed in a basque, having sexual intercourse with a Land Rover. Definitely from the “spanker” Molsey school of satire. You have to laugh. Dr Crippen did. The full history of Bacon, his escapades and the source of the famous photo can be found here.

Poor old Ben Bradshaw. He hates GPs. I sympathise with him. He had a traumatic experience with a particularly offensive GP at the beginning of his political career. But if Ben Bradshaw can start websites, so can Dr Crippen. I am therefore going to start a website for doctors entitled “Rate your patients”. All members of the profession will be asked to write in about any patient who has upset them. "Rate your patients" will publish a picture of the patient, with his/her name, address, telephone number and email address. All comments will be printed “as is” without verification or checks. Offensive language is welcome. That will make sure that patients behave themselves when they see a doctor.

It’s about time doctors had a public forum like this. Remember, we do not have any choice. We see all comers. GPs can sometimes decide which patients to take on permanently but often the patients will in any case be allocated. For hospital doctors it is worse. All patients must be seen. Do you have any idea what the staff in A & E departments are subjected to when the pubs close? Do you have any idea how ambulance crews are occasionally treated? Why should we not have the right to subject offensive patients to public humiliation?

The answer is simple. It would be unprofessional. The government does not understand the meaning of that word. We would not exercise such a right even if it were practical to give it. Dealing with the occasional difficult patient is part of the job. Ninety eight percent of my patients are polite, charming and reasonable and it is a pleasure to look after them. A few are grumpy; well, I don’t mind that, I’m sometimes grumpy too. Occasionally, very occasionally, a patient is truly offensive. We reserve the right to remove such patients. Since my practice started (long before my time) in 1970 we have removed less than a dozen patients.

I still love the medical side of my job, when I am allowed to do it. I do not know a doctor who does not feel the same. I am, however, increasingly stressed, frustrated and, let’s be frank, upset by the barrage of destructive criticism fired at us by the government and the media. At times, retirement seems attractive. I do not know a doctor of a similar age who does not feel the same. Ask Dr Grumble (see Compassion in the NHS). Of course, GPs are the whipping boys of the NHS. Not so the nurse-specialists.

This is going to make doctors laugh out loud, be sure and read the entire article, a funny and candid look at being a doctor for the NHS. The photo actually has it own link above. Sorry about any bad language—you know they are in Europe.