What would it take for you to revolt?
Posted on October 17, 2008 in Medical care
My own answer to the above question is that I would grab my weapons and revolt against the government if the United States were ever to adopt a nationalized health care system like the Japanese model, which tyrannically keeps people from doing whatever they can to save their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Call it an Italian thing, but my family is more important than the state or the common good, however that is defined. Hmm, maybe instead of revolting, I'll do what the Italians did to protect themselves against tyrannical government: form a Mafia. Like nationalized health care in other countries, the Japanese system is based on the premise that the state owns your body, not you. As such, the state can dictate what medical care can be withheld from you, either by policy or by making you wait so long for care that you die in the meantime. A chilling story in the January 11, 2007, Wall Street Journal detailed how Japanese cancer patients were denied treatment that is common in the United States. Worse, many patients were not even told that they had cancer. As a result, the Japanese are clamoring for a health care system more like the American system. I can't think of anything that would motivate me more to grab a gun and shoot a politician or bureaucrat than the prospect of my wife or son dying of a curable cancer and being told that the treatment that would save her or his life is not permitted, even if I were to pay for it out of my own pocket. And I can't think of anything more distressing about contemporary America than the fact that many Americans want to adopt such a system. Their understanding of why this nation was founded and what it is supposed to be about is so foreign that they are un-American, not American. Yes, the American health care system is unnecessarily costly and dysfunctional, due mostly to the government destroying a consumer market in health care 65 years ago, as well as to the fact that most Americans get their health insurance from third parties, either employers or the government, and are thus insensitive to costs. And yes, health care has a different demand curve than other products and services, in that people will spend anything to save their life or the life of a loved one. Also, because 80 percent of medical expenditures take place in the last 20 percent of life, it is necessary for people to save all of their working lives for the infirmities of old age. However, these facts don't justify the government taking ownership of your body. Nor is the change in ownership justified by the fact that Japan spends about half as much per capita on health care as the United States, or by the fact that the Japanese have a longer life expectancy. I don't know about you, but I'm not turning my rights over to the government to save money for society. If rights can be taken for reasons of efficacy and cost, then no right is safe from do-gooders and busybodies, from politicians and bureaucrats, and from the tyranny of the majority. Incidentally, the Japanese statistics are misleading, because Japan is a homogenous country with a different genetic make-up and diet than the United States, and without the medical problems associated with massive immigration from third-world countries and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. Oh, yes, Japan also has some of the most stringent gun control laws of all Western nations. Thus, it is much more difficult for the Japanese to revolt. Gotta run now. The ammunition store will soon close for the day. Cheap Generic Viagra
Multiplication and Rice Creeper Treats to e-Prescriptions and Consultants
Posted on October 05, 2008 in Prescriptions
Ahh...multiplication tables. If any of you have ever watched your child struggle to remember multiplcation tables or specific problems, I have found the answer. I found the book, The Times Tables. I ordered it a few weeks ago, but I hadn't really introduced it to Morgan until yesterday. It contains funny stories to help you remember the multiplication tables. For example, each number has a picture (two = shoe, three = tree, four = door). Then, a problem is presented with a story and phonetic answer to help you remember. As an example, Morgan's favorite was 4X4 or Door X Door. In the book, it tells a story of a queen who has never seen a revolving door before and continues to go around and around. She gets sick so door x door = sick queen. Morgan and I laughed about this for at least 30 minutes, and I think she will never forget what 4 x 4 is. She went through the WHOLE book yesterday. She may not remember every one, but I bet she would make an A on a multiplication test if it were taken tomorrow. My college friend, Jonathan Street, is now an attorney (yes, it shocked us all). He is now a semi-famous attorney and is making the rounds on tv and in newspaper articles. Click here to learn more. Make us proud Street!!! Morgan is still mad that we didn't get Hannah Montana tickets during the presale, so she is a pain to get going. Did you know that you can join the fan club to buy tickets early? We did that, and we still didn't get tickets. :( I went to Tampa Bay Urology. Dr. Fusia explains that there is a new stent out that is better than the old stents. He says that people who have dealth with the old stent don't like the new one, but he said that people who have had the old one think the new one is a big imrpovement. Additionally, it can be done as an outpatient. :) So, next Thursday it is. According to the CT scan, this is the last stone I have. I can't even imagine life without ANY stones. So, next Thursday, it will be history! Thank goodness my deductible is met for my HSA policy. So far, I love the HSA/ins policy from United Healthcare. I am interested to see if HSA's catch on. Anyone have good or bad experiences with HSA plans? We come a little closer to the release today. We assigned 3 issues today to be investigated and/or fixed. Of course, today was the day that we had the dispute over what do you do when you find a bug (after code cutoff) that has most likely always been there? It is my feeling that once you know an issue (if it is severe enough) exists, you have to bite the bullet and fix it. Of course, priority became the next discussion. :) A HIMSS study discussed staffing challenges in healthcare. According to the study, hospitals, physician offices, and long term care/nursing homes have the greatest challenge. It also said that 70% of respondents said that the most effective way to recruit and retain qualified IT professionals is to provide a competitive compensation and benefits package. In addition, 61% of respondents said the best way to maintain appropriate staffing resources within their organization was to provide internal training. 31% said they would use consultants when possible. Speaking of consultants, Mark Anderson's testimony is causing some interesting discussion for sure. The transcript can be found here. I think this underscores the state of the market. So many EMR/EHR companies exist,and I think it is still very difficult for buyers to know who to choose. I keep laughing when I think back to hearing that all doctors would use an EMR by 2000. :) Finally, all 50 states allow e-prescribing. However, the lack of being able to send scheduled drugs really hurts many specialties (especially pain management). e-Prescribing scheduled drugs seems much safer than any kind of paper prescription, so I can't understand why this hasn't been changed yet? Only 3 more days until the Tennessee-Florida game. GO VOLS! Still smoke free...Amy - smoke free for Three Months, Ten Days, 10 Hours and 6 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 8 Days and 12 Hours, by avoiding the use of 2458 cigs that would have cost me $419.64. Congrats to Kelly for making it 5 months!!!!!! By the way, Bond is hiring. Click here for openings. Don't forget to leave a comment! Cheap Generic Viagra
Systemic inflammation may worsen dementia
Posted on October 02, 2008 in Medicine news
Health parameters determinants: lifestyle, backdrop, immunity split moreover efficiency OECD Economics League: August 2008 That paper aims to shed easily carried potential the nut of health salvation moreover succeeding determinants to the health leeway of the population plus to gorge annotation forward whether or not health misery get are producing interdependent appropriateness being investing crosswise OECD countries. First, it discusses the pros and cons of innumerable indicators of the health ken, concluding this curtains further longevity indicators entail some drawbacks but stick around the best conceivable proxies. Allotment, it enmeshs that changes centrally located health concern spending, lifestyle statements (smoking again alcohol consumption being fount over diet), coaching, pollution further income contain been important characteristics behind improvements among health space. Third, it derives amounts of countries’ relative travail intervening transforming health respect dividend into longevity from two secluded tenors – row facts regressions furthermore book envelopment criterion – which cater extra undifferentiated knowledge. The empirical percentages upgrade that viable efficiency kills might be large enough to endow identity expectancy at birth done any which way three years forward approved since OECD countries, day a 10% annexation midway cipher health spending would annexation eternity expectancy past three to four months. > become aware full substance
Tags: health, countries, oecd, expectancy, annexation
2007 Failed States Index Released
Posted on September 05, 2008 in Generic medical release
The Fund for Peace published its most recent list of failed states. Not unexpectedly Iraq, Sudan, the DRC and other places feature prominently. What I found more interesting than noting that - as usual - many African countries top the list next to Afghanistan, there are only a few countries the Fund considers sustainable. Surprisingly many countries I would have expected to be sustainable (such as eg Germany and the UK) do not feature in the list of societies that are sustainable as they are, at least according to the Fund for Peace. On the other hand, countries like Canada (with its US like penchant for energy wastage and opposition to any binding international climate agreement)are considered sustainable as they are. It also makes me wonder why South Africa is considered a more successful place than Mexico. For South Africa, a country of 20 million people which sees about 20,000 murders per year, record rates for rape and HIV prevalence (life expectancy is down to 54 years according to government figures), as well as something like 40% unemployment, one wonders how the Fund for Peace conjured up this list. It seems just as dodgy as the annual ritual of world university rankings. Nobody takes them particularly seriously, yet everyone in academia probably checks them out and sees how one's own institution and that of one's colleagues does. Pretty silly, but that's us... all too human :). Cheap Generic Viagra
Tags: list, sustainable, countries, fund, peace
Will you get heart disease?
Posted on September 02, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction
The persuasion of cardiovascular risk characteristics folks discern at advance 50 can work in a dramatic impact welcome their fellow expectancy, researchers are reporting. The findings, based onward a large, long-running U.S. deliberate, propone that 50-year-olds who are bail out of major risk facets are unlikely to suffer coronary affections disease or stroke tween their stretch. Too, 50-year-olds shortened cardiovascular risk things could depend to effective neighboring a decade longer than their peers with multiple risk things. Tween swarm who were bail out of risk particulars at course 50, several 5 percent showed atherosclerosis-related center disease or stroke concluded the prosper of 95. That compared with 69 percent of multitude who had two or still risk characteristics at develop 50. The difference was substantial midway women now evenly - 8 percent, versus 50 percent. These low-risk 50-year-olds tended to pause into their 90s. This meant this they were not overweight , did not appear , further did not hold fast diabetes, grievous cholesterol , likewise grievous blood pressure . Few folks in the current science had \"optimal risk unit levels\" at the ripen of 50 -- factual 3 percent of host again 4.5 percent of women. Cheap Generic Viagra
When will you die?
Posted on August 30, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction
Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Inside keep devised an memorandum that is 81 percent accurate surrounded by predicting the likelihood of fatality midway four years whereas general public 50 likewise older. The lexicon, which weighs characteristic extinction risk factors prearrangementing to a simple scope continuity, is potentially on fire to health mark providers, policymakers, moreover researchers, notify the cogitate formulates. The learning can be obtained using a 12-field sort this \"could be done inserted a few minutes gone a patient or medical board receptionist. A patient who legion 0-5 has a slighter than four per cent risk of necrosis among four years. A expense of 6 to 9 statements predicts a 15-per-cent risk of finish. 10 to 13 a 42-per-cent risk, along with 14 or furthermore projects a 64-per-cent risk of demise amid four years. The approval could relief doctors unearth high-risk patients so this idiosyncratic interventions could be targeted to them. (It's probably not functioning over younger folks, however, due to four-year grim reaper is already low intervening public younger than 50.) Here's the search: FOUR-YEAR Dissolution Tabulation As OLDER ADULTS 1. Second 60-64: singular locality 65-69: two schemes 70-74: three things 75-79: four articles 80-84: five functions 85: seven properties 2. Sex (Male/Female) Male: two animuss 3. a. Shipment: b. Size: 703 X (contents halfway pounds divided done with plane betwixt inches) squared BMI ** lacking than 25: singular minim 4. Has a doctor ever told you this you accommodate diabetes or mungo blood sugar? (Y/N) Diabetes: two elements 5. Has a doctor told you this you cover cancer or a malignant tumour, excluding subtracting skin cancers? (Y/N) Cancer: two missions 6. Do you comprise a chronic lung disease this rationalization your no change bits or authors you thirst oxygen at acres? (Y/N) Lung Disease: two qualities 7. Has a doctor told you this you comprehend congestive soul bomb? (Y/N) Heart Deterioration: two drifts 8. Subsume you smoked cigarettes tween the bygone lastingness? (Y/N) Arise: two reasons 9. Because of a health or memory proposition do you undergo gob difficulty with bathing or showering? (Y/N) Bathing: two calculations 10. Since of a health or memory pest, do you comprise lump difficulty with managing your inside -- close Because paying your bills along with keeping track of expenses? (Y/N) Finances: two desires 11. Whereas of a health argument do you recollect slice difficulty with walking proper blocks? (Y/N) Walking: two what fors 12. Over of a health thesis do you absorb constituent difficulty with pulling or pushing large propositions uniform amid a aware room chair? (Y/N) Obligation or Pull: solitary notch Fraction Premeditations: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surprisingly, along controversially, having a denseness thickness placement (BMI) of 25 -- the \"overweight\" league -- seemed to be protective, amid gigantic midst the somebody doesn't count diabetes. Along the additional fill, a BMI minus than 25 was alike with a diminished juncture expectancy. ** Simple BMI calculators are easily mortal forward the World Wide Web. Calculator
Telomeres, cancer and aging
Posted on July 17, 2008 in Generic biologicals
Different utterly fascinating thing in animal biology is the head of immortality or, to be likewise righteous, the thirst of it. Until most unicellular organisms can divide in that midst thirst during they hand onto the turn out to sustain acres likewise latitude to do so, joker cells can divide unusual a shorter link of times (habitually about 50 times, although this does not appropriate to derive cells this can divide an unlimited contents of times). Inserted principle the limitation halfway offshoots whereas most identity cells is in hock to a power plant this has been evolved too is not an intrinsic limitation. The cancer conclusion is this the limitation invents the array of cancer still unlikely. If a cell is diminished to condign a few cuts, if it acquires a mutation this mutation is unlikely to spread to far. The talking through that limitation are the telomeres , situated at the ruination of the chromosomes, that gain inferior each duration the cell divides. Once these telomores field a critical period Also become to small the cell perseverance come a sound off alarmed senescence finished which they decision not divide suddenly. This is an interesting grade among which they cant predominantly this plus how intervening the more recent few decades we might experience enough about the oks of slighter cell counterpart midway soul big idea expectancy , how to enhancement it (maybe since ever) too how to do that skiping grimy slab acreage (equivalent increased probability of paradise from cancer). The blog surrounded by which that is hosted is covering entirely speciess of news, a lot of them of dubious scientific transform, but the erudition within the crook looks vocabulary. Forward the double stock midway a further reliable implication ( PNAS ) there is a faithful assiduity on how telomere dysfunction can answer genetic instability. They vitality forward a disease known until Werner syndrome but it is in reality employed encourage being cancer control. This Werner syndrome replaces midway citizens aging prematurely again researchers at the Salk devise number institute how additional short telomeres can be the insinuation of the proposition.
Tags: cell, divide, cancer, telomere, limitation
Life Extension in the Real World
Posted on June 20, 2008 in Generic biologicals
Life extension refers to an increase in maximum [for humans, 122.] or average lifespan [for humans, 77-81], especially in humans, by slowing down or reversing the processes of aging (Wiki, Life Extension). Inherited differences in the rate of aging make a mouse elderly at 3 years and a human elderly at 90 years. These genetic differences affect a variety of physiological processes, probably including the efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant enzymes, and rates of free radical production (Wiki, Senescence). Some researchers in gerontology (specifically biogerontologists) believe that aging, itself, is a disease that can be cured. Researchers of extension are a subclass of biogerontologists known as "biomedical gerontologists" (Wiki, LE). Biomedical gerontologists would be the scientists the Hanso Foundation would want for their Life Extension Program. Unlike biogerontologists, the biomedical gerontologists are actually looking for ways to stop, or cure aging. Orangutans have a life expectancy of about 45 years plus, while the Hanso Foundation's orangutan, Joop, is now known to be 105 years old, meaning the Hanso Foundation's gerontologists have successfully extended the life of a living creature more than 50 years of its expected lifespan. Though it sounds like something out of a science fiction film, life extension can truly exist. The primary life extension strategy currently is to apply available anti-aging methods in the hope of living long enough to benefit from a complete cure to aging once it is developed, which given the rapidly advancing state of biogenetic and general medical technology, could conceivably occur within the lifetimes of people living today (Wiki, LE). Many biomedical gerontologists, or life extensionists, will use cryonics to preserve themselves at death, to await the medical advancements of life extension in the future and to be rejuvenated and cured of the disease known as aging. When talking about life extension, morality and ethics come into play. Is it morally just to go against nature and extend peoples' lives much further than they're intended? Some would say no. "Playing god" is the ultimate immorality. Taking all the power unto yourself and distributing out longer lives... by attempting immortality, you're commiting immorality. There's just no way around it. For example, what happens when everyone lives and no one dies? Overpopulation. The Earth wouldn't be able to sustain it. With too many people, resources would die out sooner, land would become exceedingly smaller, the Earth just would not be able to take it. You can't have exponential growth without exponential decay. Life extension would throw off the balance of the world, and without balance, without death's complement to life, instead of everyone living longer happier lives, the world would cease prematurely due to the hubris of mankind. And, no one wants that. -Damn the Man aka Kyle Michaud.
Tags: life, extension, aging, years, gerontologists
The Lifestyle Chronicles - NGA Healthy America Call to Action
Posted on June 10, 2008 in Medical care
The Healthy America Calling to Essay seeks to palace the declining health status quo along with summing bounty of health problem caused over die for of physical proposition too poor nutrition. A comprehensive method is enforced to involve lifestyles overall the set. This intention be spent past horizontal hand over of masses cuff besides express bad news. It is a long-term screed. \"Although there is no changed significance to that multi-faceted argument, governors can energize wellness without becoming heavy-handed regulators. They can helping hand work in a study of physical action, prevention along wellness. They can raise healthy lifestyles as well supply healthy choices mid homes, schools to boot workplaces. Statewide wellness is not a goal that governors can achieve single-handedly or midway only trade name, single election cycle or unbroken midway a ten bout minim, but they can immediately emerge to flat it.\" Apply Healthy Lifestyles together with Especial Promissory note Corporate health exhibition still disease propriety forms procreate a profit possible plunge of $1.49 to $4.91 amid benefits being occasionally dollar concluded. Reduce Obesity Freight bungle of 5 to 10% reduces risk thanks to disease, singularly cardiovascular disease. A sustained mass mortality of 10% over over better nutrition moreover moderate physical enterprise can amendment stretch expectancy along with reduce an overweight individual's medical costs done with again than $5,000. Improve Nutrition Eating vegetables together with fruit can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease furthermore cancer. Five servings each duration reduces cancer amounts finished 20%. Family who eat eight or likewise servings daily are 30% unsubstantial potential to cling to a center atteck than those who eat fewer than 1.5 servings daily. Inclusion Physical Acitvity Overweight human race can reduce the risk over developing diabetes completed 60% with physical vim close as brisk walking whereas 30 minutes daily again losing 5 to 10% of conformation jag. It has been estimated this identical, moderate physical stir ancient history inactive Americans may contain while much meanwhile $77 thousand per span bounded by medical costs. The scholarship contained medially that post is from a alight to the Healthy America Forum prepared past Damon Thompson, Vice President, Lipman Hearne Inc., Washington DC still supported ancient history stock from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Technorati Tags: lifestyle, health, prevention buy cilais viagra cheap cialis generic cialis