11/19/2009
Choosing the Right Medicare Plan
The Wall Street Journal (feature)
Bruce Clarke, 69, from Plymouth, Mass., has no choice but to shop for a new plan after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Inc. dropped his $40-a-month Blue Medicare plan.
11/19/2009
Genital Herpes May Never Go Dormant
HealthDay
About 45 million Americans, or one in five over the age of 12, are infected with the genital herpes virus in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
11/19/2009
Good News on Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy
ScienceDaily
Women and their doctors have been uncertain about the effect of MS on pregnancy, and some women have chosen to delay or even avoid pregnancy due to the uncertainty. We found that women with MS did not have an increased risk of most pregnancy complications, said study author Eliza Chakravarty, of Stanford University School of Medicine.
11/19/2009
Kids' Fitness Training Programs: 6 Tips for Picking a Good One
US News & World Report (feature)
According to a July report on the nation's obesity problem, less than a third of kids between the ages of 6 and 17 take part in regular vigorous activity, defined as 20 minutes at a stretch of exercise intense enough to break a sweat and prompt heavy breathing.
11/19/2009
Parental Monitoring Can Curb Teen Marijuana Use
HealthDay
Parents who take the time to know what their teenage children are up to and have strong anti-drug views can be effective in reducing their children's marijuana use, a new study says.
11/19/2009
That Lingering Cough
The Washington Post (blog)
Henry Bernstein, professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, says a lingering cough is characteristic of many respiratory-tract infections, not just H1N1.
11/19/2009
Try Meditation to Lower Your Blood Pressure and Protect Your Heart
US News & World Report
Cheap, low-tech stress relief may also protect against depression, insomnia, and anxiety.
11/18/2009
Depression Patients More Apt to Receive Opioids for Chronic Pain
Health Behavior News Service
Chronic pain patients with a history of depression are three times more likely to receive long-term prescriptions for opioid medications like Vicodin compared to pain patients who do not suffer from depression, according to new research.
11/18/2009
Ex-Kiss Drummer: Breast Cancer Not Just for Women
Associated Press
Men account for only 1 percent of all breast cancer cases, but about 2,000 men develop it each year, and 440 die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute.
11/18/2009
Heart Disease a 'Silent Killer' in Patients With Severe Mental Illness
Health Behavior News Service
A large new study confirms that people with severe mental disorders - such as schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders - are 25 percent to 40 percent more prone to die from heart disease than people without mental illness are.
11/18/2009
Screen Saver? When it Comes to Cancer Screening, More Isn't Always Better
Slate
While early detection can certainly have benefits, it's not true that screening can only help-and can't hurt. But just what are the risks associated with testing?
11/18/2009
The Virtual Doctor Visit
Kaiser Health News
New technology is helping elderly patients and those with chronic diseases monitor their condition from the comfort of home.
11/18/2009
Treating Depression After Surgery Speeds Recovery
Reuters
A simple telephone intervention improved mood, physical functioning, and overall quality of life in patients who were depressed after heart bypass surgery.
11/18/2009
With Aid, Mass. Poor Cut Smoking
The Boston Globe
Smoking rates among the poor plummeted 26 percent in the first two years of the ongoing state program, a striking result that is already drawing national attention to the effort.
11/17/2009
Blood Supply Not Affected by H1N1
USA Today
No case of seasonal flu transmitted through a blood transfusion has ever been reported anywhere in the world, according to a draft guidance issued Friday by the Food and Drug Administration. And so far, the FDA says, the same goes for H1N1 flu.
11/17/2009
Breast Self-Examinations: What's Wrong With Them?
The Wall Street Journal (blog)
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's new recommendation against teaching women how to do breast self-examinations may seem perplexing. Here's the rationale about self-exams, according the task force's vice chair, Diana Petitti.
11/17/2009
Checking the Right Boxes, but Failing the Patient
The New York Times (column)
It has been 10 years since the Institute of Medicine's seminal report on deaths caused by medical errors (numbering at least 44,000 a year). Since then, there has been tremendous focus on how many mistakes physicians and hospitals make, how much they cost and how to prevent them.
11/17/2009
New U.S. Guidelines: Routine Mammograms Start at 50
Reuters
Sweeping new U.S. breast cancer guidelines released on Monday recommend against routine mammograms for women in their 40s, and suggest women 50 to 74 only get a mammogram every other year.
11/17/2009
Study: Injured Uninsured More Likely to Die in ER
Associated Press
The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.
11/17/2009
With This Drug, Enough is Enough
The Washington Post
You may believe acetaminophen, the aspirin-free pain reliever found in Tylenol, is one of the safest painkillers on the market. And used properly, it is.
11/17/2009
A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges
The New York Times (column)
In an overwhelming majority of cases, implants to replace lost teeth are by far the best long-term solution for maintaining a healthy mouth. Also, because they rarely need to be replaced, in the long run they are more economical than bridges.
11/17/2009
Aspirin Without Plavix as Good After Heart Bypass
Reuters
Aspirin alone proved as effective as aspirin plus the blood clot preventer Plavix in keeping coronary artery bypass grafts open during the first year after surgery, according to a study released on Monday.
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