Healthy Articles

Bacterial Vaginosis

2008-12-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common of three vaginal infections that fall under the category known as vaginitis. The other two infections are trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease, and the fungal infection commonly known as a yeast infection.

BV is the least understood and most often ignored or misdiagnosed of these conditions. However, it is gaining more attention as more research shows that untreated BV can lead to significant health complications, including premature delivery, postpartum infections, clinically apparent and subclinical pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), post-surgical complications (after abortion, hysterectomy, cesarean section and other reproductive procedures), increased vulnerability to HIV infection and, possibly, infertility. As many as one-third of pregnant women in the United States have BV.

HIV/AIDS

2008-12-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

n June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the first report alerting the medical community to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS — acquired immune deficiency syndrome — a disease that fatally attacks the immune system. Since then, AIDS has since become a major global epidemic.

What distinguishes HIV from most other viruses is that antibodies produced by the immune system cannot kill HIV. Once a person is infected, HIV remains in the blood forever. After a silent but intense battle that can last 10 years or more, the virus weakens the immune system to the point that it can no longer protect the body from infections. These opportunistic infections, such as pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), are the late-stage conditions that define AIDS. In addition, patients with HIV face an increased risk of contracting certain cancers and neurological disorders.

Cervical Cancer Preventative Health Vaccination

2008-12-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Gardasil is a recently Australian developed vaccination that treats two particular strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). These strains, 16 & 18, are the cause of around 70% of all cervical cancers.

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, mostly effecting women aged between 20 - 24. Almost all abnormal pap smears are caused by HPV and in many cases it clears itself, however if the virus persists and is left undetected it can lead to cervical cancer.

Gardasil prevents the infection from HPV strains 16 & 18 if individuals are vaccinated before they are infected with the virus.

All medicines considered for funding by the Australian Government must first be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this guarantees that they are safe and clinically effective.

Following the Governments commitment to cover the costs of the vaccination itself, at Healthy Women Medical Centre, we can administer the cervical cancer vaccination to anyone up to the age of 26.

Proper Sleep May Help Clear Arteries

2008-12-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

December 23 (HealthDay News) -- A good night's sleep may be just what your arteries need.

So finds a new five-year study in which middle-aged people who had an extra hour of sleep each night were less likely to have artery-stiffening calcium deposits.

But the study results shouldn't send people off to bed prematurely or have them popping sleeping pills, cautioned Diane Lauderdale, associate professor of health studies at the University of Chicago Medical Center, who led the study.

"We don't know why there is an association," Lauderdale said. "And until we know why, we can't tell whether it is a causal association."

The report was published in the Dec. 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lauderdale and her colleagues have been following a group of young adults for years, studying their heart arteries from a number of angles. The latest report linked the sleeping habits of 495 participants, ages 35 to 47, with the incidence of artery calcification, measured by CT scans.

Full article...

TriLipix Approved to Help Lower Cholesterol

2008-12-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

December 16 (HealthDay News) -- The Abbott Laboratories drug TriLipix (fenofibric acid) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help lower cholesterol.

TriLipix is among a class of drugs called fibrates, and it can be used alone or in combination with a statin, such as Lipitor, Zocor or Crestor.

The drug was studied in 2,698 people with so-called "mixed dyslipidemia," a condition characterized by above-normal levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, and below-normal levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Clinical studies showed TriLipix used in combination with a statin helped people control all three lipids better than use of the statin alone, Abbott said in a news release.

Common side effects of TriLipix included headache, heartburn, nausea, muscle aches, and increased levels of certain muscle and liver enzymes measured by blood tests.

People with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease shouldn't take TriLipix. The drug should also be avoided by nursing mothers, Abbott said.

Essential Fatty Acids -- The Key To Health, Part II

2008-12-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Balancing EFAs and Anti-Oxidants.
Because EFAs are polyunsaturated, containing two or more double chemical bonds, they are prone to rancidity, not merely in foods but also in the human body. Rancidity occurs when the double bond is broken by oxygen, producing an oxidized fatty acid. Oxidized fatty acids not only taste badly, they behave badly, disrupting the normal functioning of the cell membranes of which they are a part. Oxidized fatty acids are rapidly generated from the process called free radical-induced cell damage.

To protect EFAs from harmful oxidation, it is essential to consume adequate levels of dietary anti-oxidants, especially vitamin E. Consumption of a nutrient-dense diet will assure a higher-than-average intake of all anti-oxidants. Depend-ing upon the specific foods chosen, however, where those foods have been grown, the efficiency of digestion and absorption, the need for EFA supplementation, and the pres-ence of inflammation within the body, supplementation of the diet with additional anti-oxidants may be necessary. For people who supplement their diets with fish oils or flax oil, a minimum anti-oxidant supple-ment should include vitamin E (four hundred units per day), selenium (one hundred micrograms per day), and vitamin C (one thousand milli-grams per day), in addition to--not instead of--a nutrient-dense diet.

Full article...

Parkinson's: Is it caused by a lack of sunshine?

2008-12-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Most Parkinson's disease sufferers are seriously depleted in levels of vitamin D, which we mainly get from the sun, researchers have discovered - so does this mean that you are more likely to develop the disease if you don't get out into the sun often enough?

The researchers made the discovery when they compared vitamin D levels of sufferers of Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease, and with healthy subjects. Around 55 per cent of Parkinson’s sufferers had very low levels of the vitamin compared to 35 per cent of the healthy controls.

If you live in a Northern clime where sunshine isn’t a daily feature, you can also increase your levels of vitamin D by eating more oily fish and eggs.

(Source: Archives of Neurology, 2008; 65: 1348-52).

Insomnia: The one therapy that works

2008-12-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for chronic insomnia - and yet very few doctors are recommending it.

CBT is just as effective as drugs and it's better than hypnotism. It immediately halves the worst symptoms of chronic insomnia and those who continue it for four to eight weeks see a further 25 per cent reduction. The good effects can last for up to two years, research has found.

The main therapies used by CBT include restricting the amount of time in bed to match sleep time, stimulus control to regularize the sleep-wake cycle, and to promote bedroom routines that encourage sleep. It also uses relaxation techniques, and helps the sufferer overcome fears that a lack of sleep can lead to catastrophic consequences.

Diabetes: Bad gums make it worse

2008-12-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

Bad teeth and gums play a key role in type II diabetes, researchers have discovered. Gum diseases such as gingivitis and severe periodontitis escalate diabetes - and may even be a major cause of it in the first place - while diabetes, in turn, makes the gum disease worse.

Researchers have started to realise the importance of gum and teeth health in diabetes and other diseases, and two landmark studies this year confirmed the association. In one, researchers discovered that people with gum disease were twice as likely to develop diabetes. In another study, researchers found that gaining glycemic control of diabetics was almost impossible if they also had gum disease.

2008-12-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

Break Bad Sex Habits

Fulfill Her Fantasies

Seven sex tips guaranteed to work wonders

By: Bill Gottlieb

3 Comments | 660 Recommended

Hey, habits, even bad ones, take time to perfect. You don't just pick them up overnight. So the fact that you've had more than your fair share of sex in this life, while undoubtedly a great source of pride to you, probably means that over the years you've developed a few bad habits -- maybe learned to cut a few corners here and there in the bedroom. Happens to the best. Show us a gorgeous woman and we'll show you a man who's making love to her on autopilot at least once in a while.
he problem here is that women, under the misguided impression that we men have delicate egos, are not always inclined to point out ways we can improve our lovemaking. So the bad habits endure. Replacing your bad sexual habits with some of the better ones here will result in a much happier and more satisfied partner, which, being the selfless sort that you are, is the only thing that really interests you. We should mention, in passing, that it could also result in bedpost-rattling, plaster-loosening, forget-your-own-name, animalistic fun for you, too. In case you're interested.

Habit #1: Be handy, man

When it comes to using your hands to get her worked up, you can't afford to be all thumbs, at least according to the book The Guide to Getting It On! So next time your fingers are doing their love thing, make sure you...

Get them in the right position
When a woman masturbates, she often rests her wrist on her lower abdomen just above the pubic bone. If this is what your partner does, try to do the same, since it will influence the way your fingers feel on her vulva. Try lying parallel to your partner and reaching your arm over her body until your fingers can reach her crotch. This allows your fingers to approach from the same angle that her own fingers do.

The Time Bomb Inside You

2008-12-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

Finding prostate cancer early can save your life or unleash a torrent of unnecessary misery. To test or not to test? It's a question dividing the medical community and one that only you should answer.

Richard S. is lying unconscious and naked on a stainless-steel operating table. Breathing and gastroesophageal tubes converge at his mouth, and a catheter protrudes from his penis. A physician's assistant places his feet in boots that spread his legs and force his knees to bend. Then the foot of the table drops away, providing room for a million-dollar surgical machine called the da Vinci robot to "dock."

"I just want it out," Richard told me, just before the anesthesia took hold. "It" is his prostate gland, which a biopsy has shown carries a small amount of cancer that could conceivably, one day in the distant future, kill him. "I've heard that many more men die with prostate cancer than from it," he said. "But I don't want to have to worry. I intend to live to be over 100."

Childhood Cough

2008-12-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Coughing is a natural protective mechanism designed to clear bacteria, viruses, dust, and pollen out of the body. Coughing clears the lungs and throat of irritants and fluids. A productive cough forces sputum from the breathing tract, thereby clearing the air passages and allowing oxygen to reach the lungs.

A cough is also a common symptom of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Coughing may be related to a bacterial or viral infection of the respiratory tract, such as bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, or croup. A cough can also be caused by inhaling irritating substances, such as dust, chemical fumes, or cigarette smoke. Food sensitivities and environmental allergies can cause a cough, as can inhaling very cold or very hot air. If your child has a persistent cough, emotional stress is another important factor to consider.

Full article...

2008-12-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

100 Ways to Protect Your Heart

No drugs. No bypasses. No scars. Just solid DIY advice on how to keep your heart pumping

By: Adam Campbell & Brian Good, Photographs by: Dave Krieger

In 1991, you started using condoms. Sunscreen followed in '95. And this spring you were wearing a surgical mask when the Toronto Blue Jays visited Fenway. Your policy on life-threatening diseases: maximum protection.

So what are you doing to protect your heart? Most guys leave that job up to their rib cage. After all, your heart feels fine. And, really, it's out of your hands. Isn't it?

In a few words: No, you ignorant 911-caller-in-waiting. Half of the men in America are laying down plaque for that special day when they keel over.

We want to keep you upright, so we combed thousands of scientific studies to compile the most important advice you'll ever read in this magazine: 100 tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer of men (and their wives). Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.

Read more...

2008-12-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Info Herb

Healthy Man

My male clientele is very small. Why??. I get very few male clients, most have cancer and prostate problems, sometimes I get mothers concerned for the welfare of their sons, bringing them to see me almost dragging them, why is that??. Males seldom seek help, they usually keep their problems to themselves.

We are to proud, macho, invincible, we are reluctant to appear vulnerable, or weak.

Males are brought up in an unrealistic environment. We are led to believe that strength is good and emotions are not part of the male species. We are supposed to be successful at everything and failure or weakness are not allowed. Since we were little we played with guns, were soldiers, cowboys, or monsters. In school we continue to be macho and play rough games, and are not allowed to show our emotions. To be honest I don't know at what age most of us imbedded these beliefs that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

Stroke & Women

2008-12-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

A stroke is a potentially life-threatening event in which part of the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen. It is the third-leading cause of death (after heart disease and cancer) among all women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many women who survive a stroke may face permanent losses of movement, speech, clear thinking and other abilities.

There are two primary types of strokes that affect both women and men. Ischemic strokes result from blockages in arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes result from a bursting of an artery in the brain.

Estrogen Increases Heart Risk

2008-12-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Preliminary information obtained from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) trial indicates that women who use estrogen may face a slightly higher risk of heart attacks and strokes over women who do not use estrogen. This study will continue through 2005, and researchers emphasize that the results could change by then.

Prevent Heart Disease

2008-12-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. While it’s true that the majority of women still believe that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women, the truth is that more women die of heart disease each year than die of all types of cancer combined. Sadly, the fact is that only 13% of women are even aware that heart disease is number one killer of U.S. women. Almost 500, 000 different women lose their lives to heart disease annually: Women who are moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters, and daughters. The good news is that heart disease is the most preventable cause of death in women.

Read more...

Asthma Information

2008-12-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs. In New York State (NYS), more than 1.1 million adults have asthma ¹. Asthma occurs at any age but is more common in children than adults. Nationally, nearly one in 13 school-age children have asthma, and that rate is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children and those living in urban inner cities than in any other group. Although there is no cure for asthma, asthma attacks can be prevented and controlled with proper care. New York is actively working with health care providers, community coalitions, schools, families and many others to fight asthma so people with asthma can live a full and active life.

This web site is designed to provide accurate, current and useful information for people with asthma and for the people who care for them. New resources will be added often. Please check back frequently.

HIV/AIDS

2008-12-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus. You may hear that someone is "HIV infected", "has HIV infection", or "has HIV disease." These are all terms that mean the person has HIV in his or her body and can pass the virus to other people.

HIV attacks the body's immune system. The immune system protects the body from infections and disease, but has no clear way to protect it from HIV. Over time, most people infected with HIV become less able to fight off the germs that we are all exposed to every day. Many of these germs do not usually make a healthy person sick, but they can cause life-threatening infections and cancers in a person whose immune system has been weakened by HIV.

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

2008-12-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

Avian influenza (AI) or bird flu is a group of viruses that occur naturally in birds. A virus is pathogenic if it can cause illness or death. Some AI viruses can infect birds but not cause many bird illnesses or death. Other AI viruses, termed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), can cause large numbers of bird illnesses and deaths. Currently there is concern about one of these viruses, known as highly pathogenic H5N1, because it is causing severe disease in chickens and other poultry in several continents . It has also been found in wild birds in the same areas. In some instances, people who have had close contact with sick poultry have also become infected and gotten very sick. Approximately half of the people known to be infected have died.

Read more...

2008-12-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

Important! Consumer Alert: Beware of copy-cat paperback publications. This is the ONLY anti-heart disease 200-page Special Report on the web written by a former cardiologist/surgeon ... who now reveals the real truth to you! Don’t trust your life to some ghostwriter. Get the real facts on how to reverse or prevent heart disease here.

Dear Reader,

Confessions of a Former Heart Surgeon ...

Before I tell you more, let me introduce myself ... My name is Robert D. Willix Jr., I have all the credentials of a highly accomplished physician: an M.D. from the University of Missouri, a residency in surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center, the very first board-certified cardiac surgeon in South Dakota. I even developed the state’s first heart-surgery program.

Several years ago the readers of one of the most famous national health magazines gave me a “Best Doctor Achievement Award.” That’s when people started calling me “America’s Most Trusted Doctor.” But most doctors call me things like “revolutionary” or “pioneer.” Why?

Weight Loss Facts:

2008-12-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Low Fat Foods DON'T WORK.

You cannot lose weight using Low Fat Diets. Low fat foods have been popular for more than 15 years, but yet our society is getting more overweight as each year passes. This fact alone should tell you that eating a purely low fat menu is not the answer to losing weight.

Low Calorie Diets DON'T WORK.

You won't lose weight using a Low Calorie Dieting Plan either. In fact, eating low calories is the worst thing that you can do to your body, since that will only slow down your body's fat burning engine and ruin all chances of losing weight (low calorie diets may allow a few pounds of weight loss for the first few days, but then after that all weight loss comes to a halt --- known as a dieting plateau). You can never get slim by starving yourself.

Low Carb Plans DON'T WORK.

You'll probably find it extremely difficult to get slim using a Low Carb Dieting Plan. Low carb diets have recently become popular over the last couple years, but the problem with low carb menus is that they are too strict and TOO HARD TO FOLLOW for average people. Low carb menus tend to rob your body of too much energy (carbohydrates) and make it nearly impossible to remain on the program for very long. This is why so many dieters find it difficult to follow a strict low carbohydrate menu.

What about Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig Dieting Plans?

Weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers (and Jenny Craig) usually involve slower dieting progress over a longer period of time, since such programs generally promise only 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week. Also, programs such as Jenny Craig usually involve buying special meals and/or dietary supplements during the initial phases of the program. While some people may like these types of dietary programs, we prefer a dieting plan which focuses on faster weight loss, such as the Accelerated Fat Burning Program shown below...

Try our New ACCELERATED Fat Burning Diet right here

Measles deaths drop by 74 percent, report finds

2008-12-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Vaccinations cited for progress against leading killer of children worldwide

updated 11:37 a.m. ET Dec. 4, 2008

ATLANTA - Measles deaths worldwide declined dramatically to about 200,000 a year, continuing a successful trend, global health authorities reported Thursday.

From 2000 to 2007, annual measles deaths dropped 74 percent, largely because of vaccination campaigns, according to a report from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other organizations.

Measles has long been a leading cause of death of young children globally and still kills more than 500 a day. But health officials estimate 11 million deaths were avoided in the decline.

Read more...

Breast cancer drug may cause tumors to spread

2008-12-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

Study: Tamoxifen helps cancer cells move when patient is low in a protein

updated 1:54 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2008

LONDON - The most commonly used breast cancer drug may cause tumors to spread in a small number of women with low levels of a protein which makes cells stick together, British researchers said on Thursday.

The findings could lead to new tests to determine which women are not likely to benefit from tamoxifen and who should be given other drugs, said Stephen Hiscox, a cancer researcher at Cardiff University, who led the study.

"We found something that could be potentially used as a biomarker to determine which kind of drugs they should get because they have low levels of this protein," he said in a telephone interview.

Male suicide a growing concern in tough times

2008-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

War, debt and joblessness causing emotional distress for many young men

Kevin Hines sits on the rocks next to Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Hines survived jumping off of the bridge in a suicide attempt.

Read more...

Suggestions for Long Term Breast Health

2008-12-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

© Honora Lee Wolfe
(Excerpted from The Breast Connection: A Laywoman’s Guide to the Treatment & Prevention of Breast Disease with Chinese Medicine
Published by Blue Poppy Press, Inc.)

Eat as many fresh, lightly cooked vegetables as you wish. Go easy on spicy, sweet, or greasy foods

Avoid overeating. This stagnates the stomach qi - the stomach channel irrigates the breast tissue. Stagnant qi in any form is bad for the breasts.

Try to avoid becoming overweight. There is a known relationship between body fat, fat consumption, and breast cancer.

Stay relaxed. Remember the "Serenity Prayer" or simply learn to know the difference between what you can and cannot change and control in your life and in the lives of those around you. Try to let go of what you cannot change and work at changing what you can. Read more...

Acupressure for Menstrual Cramps

2008-12-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Acupressure massage is an ancient Oriental healing method that applies finger pressure to specific points on the skin surface to help prevent and treat illness. Acupressure has had a long and distinguished history as an effective healing tool for many centuries and is often used along with herbs to promote the healing of disease.

When specific acupressure points are pressed, they create changes on two levels. On the physical level, acupressure affects muscular tension, blood circulation, and other physiological parameters. On a more subtle level, traditional Oriental healing believes that acupressure also helps to build the body's life energy to promote healing. In fact, acupressure is based on the belief that there exists within the body a life energy called chi. It is different from yet similar to electromagnetic energy. Health is thought to be a state in which the chi is equally distributed throughout the body and is present in sufficient amounts. It is thought to energize all the cells and tissues of the body.

Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority Has a New Name!

2008-11-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority is a plan that is available through Healthy Families. Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority has a new name. The new name is "CenCal Health."

If you have questions about CenCal Health, please call 1-877-814-1861. The call is free!

Global AIDS crisis overblown? Some say so

2008-11-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

Critics argue that anti-HIV budgets take funding away from other diseases

	A social worker displays earrings and pendants made using the AIDS awareness symbol at a counseling center in Chennai, India. View related photos
Read more...

2008-11-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

My CA

Healthy Families is low cost insurance for children and teens. It provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for free Medi-Cal.

How Do You Maintain Weight Loss?

2008-11-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

Get your head working and the middle will take care of itself!

The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to understand what really motivates you. Once you’ve felt the initial excitement of losing the first few pounds, you must find a way to turn that enthusiasm into the willpower to stick with your eating plan. You will encounter both ups and downs as you learn to maintain your weight. To help you through the downs, you need coping strategies. Think about what you really want to achieve. That desire will help you turn your eating and exercise strategies into a lifestyle that leads to lifelong weight control.

Why Lose Weight?

2008-11-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

The main reason to lose weight is for health, not appearance.

Nearly 112,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.

The risk of death rises with increasing weight.

Even moderate weight excess (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults ages 30 to 64.

People who are obese (defined as having a body mass index [BMI] greater than 30) have a higher risk of excess death (they are more likely to die) from all causes, compared to people at a healthy weight.

How Did Americans Get So Heavy?

2008-11-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today, 65 percent of American adults over age 20 are overweight or obese.

That's a pretty scary statistic. Just look around and you’ll realize you’re not alone in needing to learn weight management. How did so many people get so heavy? The answer is simple: Most of us are eating more calories than we are burning.

The problem of an overweight population comes from a combination of factors:

Increasing portion sizes,

More processed foods with fewer nutrients and

A more sedentary lifestyle.

We're eating more food. Portions have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. The average daily intake of adults rose by about 300 calories between 1985 and 2000. That means we have to work a lot harder to burn the extra calories that those larger portions add.

Overweight in Children

2008-11-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

AHA Recommendation

Overweight children are more likely to be overweight adults. Successfully preventing or treating overweight in childhood may reduce the risk of adult overweight. This may help reduce the risk of heart disease and other diseases.

When defining overweight in children and adolescents, it's important to consider both weight and body composition.

Among American children ages 6–11, the following are overweight, using the 95^th percentile or higher of body mass index (BMI) values on the CDC 2000 growth chart:

For non-Hispanic whites, 16.9 percent of boys and 15.6 percent of girls.

For non-Hispanic blacks, 17.2 percent of boys and 24.8 percent of girls.

For Mexican Americans, 25.6 percent of boys and 16.6 percent of girls.

Among adolescents ages 12–19, the following are overweight, using the 95^th percentile or higher of BMI values on the CDC 2000 growth chart:

For non-Hispanic whites, 17.9 percent of boys and 14.6 percent of girls.

For non-Hispanic blacks, 17.7 percent of boys and 23.8 percent of girls.

For Mexican Americans, 20.0 percent of boys and 17.1 percent of girls.

Jump Rope For Heart

2008-11-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

Jump Rope For Heart is an educational fund-raising event held each year in thousands of elementary schools across the nation. Students jump rope and raise funds to support medical research and educational programs to teach the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating, while also helping others right in their community. more

Physical Activity

2008-11-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

In this module you will learn about:

All of the positive effects physical activity has on your heart
How to fit fitness in your daily life in a cost-effective way
Consulting with your health provider about beginning an exercise routine
The different types of exercise: aerobic, flexibility and strength
How to develop a fitness routine that you can maintain year-round

Read more...

Heart Defects

2008-11-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

Thousands of American children are born with a congenital heart defect each year. Learn about the many conditions that can interfere with the work of the heart as well as available treatment options. more

Children and Youth

2008-11-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

Childhood Obesity
The American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation are working together to raise public awareness about the serious threat posed by childhood obesity. Learn more about this alliance and how you can become involved in improving children’s health. more

Heart Disease, Stroke and African Americans

2008-11-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

In this module you will learn:

The basic information on heart disease and stroke, the risk factors and what you can do to reduce your own risk.

The warning signs and what you should do if you or someone around you is displaying these symptoms.

Overview

About Heart Disease
There are different types of heart disease, but the kind you need to worry about most is coronary heart disease.

Your heart has arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle. These are your coronary arteries. Over time, fatty deposits called plaque can build up in the wall of these arteries, reducing the blood supply. In some people — but not everyone — this can cause chest pain called angina.

Over time, a plaque can rupture, and a piece could lodge in an artery or a blood clot could form. This can block blood flow to the heart muscle, causing part of it to start to die. This is a heart attack, and it is an emergency — get to the hospital right awayI The quicker you get treatment, the more of your heart muscle might be saved.

Gestational diabetes

2008-11-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

Gestational diabetes (or gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM) is a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes generally has few symptoms and it is most commonly diagnosed by screening during pregnancy. Diagnostic tests detect inappropriately high levels of glucose in blood samples. Gestational diabetes affects 3-10% of pregnancies, depending on the population studied.^[1] No specific cause has been identified, but it is believed that the hormones produced during pregnancy increase a woman's resistance to insulin, resulting in impaired glucose tolerance.

Diabetic diet

2008-11-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

The diet most often recommended for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus is high in dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, but low in fat (especially saturated fat). Patients may be encouraged to reduce their intake of carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index. However, in cases of hypoglycemia, they are advised to have food or drink that can raise blood glucose quickly, followed by a long-acting carbohydrate (such as rye bread) to prevent risk of further hypoglycemia.

Read more...

Diabetes mellitus

2008-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

For the disease characterized by excretion of large amounts of very dilute urine, see diabetes insipidus. For diabetes mellitus in pets, see diabetes in cats and dogs.


Diabetes mellitus Classification and external resources
Universal blue circle symbol for diabetes.^[1]
ICD-10	E 10.–E 14.
ICD-9	250
MedlinePlus	001214
eMedicine	med/546 emerg/134
MeSH	C18.452.394.750

Diabetes mellitus (IPA: /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz/ or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/, /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/), often referred to simply as diabetes (Ancient Greek: διαβήτης "to pass through urine"), is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).^[2] Blood glucose levels are controlled by a complex interaction of multiple chemicals and hormones in the body, including the hormone insulin made in the beta cells of the pancreas. Diabetes mellitus refers to the group of diseases that lead to high blood glucose levels due to defects in either insulin secretion or insulin action. ^[3]

Diabetes develops due to a diminished production of insulin (in type 1) or resistance to its effects (in type 2 and gestational).^[4] Both lead to hyperglycaemia, which largely causes the acute signs of diabetes: excessive urine production, resulting compensatory thirst and increased fluid intake, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, lethargy, and changes in energy metabolism. Monogenic forms, e.g. MODY, constitute 1-5 % of all cases.^[5]

All forms of diabetes have been treatable since insulin became medically available in 1921, but there is no cure. The injections by a syringe, insulin pump, or insulin pen deliver insulin, which is a basic treatment of type 1 diabetes. Type 2 is managed with a combination of dietary treatment, medications and insulin supplementation.

Some AIDS patients face microchip monitoring

2008-11-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

Indonesian lawmakers support controversial bill to track infected people

updated 12:40 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2008

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Lawmakers in Indonesia's remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bill requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips — part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease.

Local health workers and AIDS activists called the plan "abhorrent."

"People with AIDS aren't animals; we have to respect their rights," said Tahi Ganyang Butarbutar, a prominent Papuan activist.

Sick Day Sanity Savers

2008-11-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

My daughter is home from school sick for the second day in a row. UGH. Today she is definitely feeling better, but she was still running a 100.6 fever last night so I am keeping her home again as a precaution. The problem is that today she has enough energy to want to do things, but I still want her to stay calm and low key to help her continue to get better. As a result, we have put the computer to good use today!
Read more ...

For some patients, life is like a reality show

2008-11-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

‘Truman syndrome’ leads suffers to think they are secretly taped for TV

Some psychiatric patients believe that they are secretly being filmed for a reality TV show, much like in the 1998 film "The Truman Show" starring Jim Carrey (pictured). This has led experts to dub the condition the "Truman syndrome." Read more >>>

8 Games to Boost Your Brain Power

2008-11-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

Use it or lose it is a saying that applies to so many aspects of life, but definitely brain power. If you want to stay sharp and ward off dementia in your older years, one of the best ways to do it is by playing games that make you think. Playing games that make you think is just one of 15 ways you can increase brain power according to Brainz.org.

Read more...

Start! Walking for a Healthier Lifestyle

2008-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

American Heart Association No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss

2008-11-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

Our friendly, no-nonsense approach to weight control will show you how to personalize your weight-loss plan to fit your lifestyle and your needs.

Think Smart! Analyze your current eating and activity habits to find the approach that will work best for you.

Eat Well! Tailor your eating plan for success. We’ve included two weeks’ worth of menus to get you started — and more than 190 waist-friendly recipes to tempt your taste buds.

Move More! Learn how to add activity to your daily routine to keep the pounds off for good.

Obesity and Overweight

2008-11-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

AHA Scientific Position

Obesity is defined simply as too much body fat. Your body is made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrate and various vitamins and minerals. If you have too much fat — especially in your waist area — you're at higher risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. Some reasons for this higher risk are known, but others are not. For example, obesity

raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
lowers HDL "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is linked with lower heart disease and stroke risk, so reducing it tends to raise the risk.
raises blood pressure levels.
can induce diabetes. In some people, diabetes makes these other risk factors much worse. The danger of heart attack is especially high for these people.

Reason Have Excess Stomach Fat

2008-11-21T15:44:00.001-08:00

There's a Reason That You Have

Excess Stomach Fat

I'll show you in the article below why you've been doing the wrong types of exercises and eating the wrong types of foods. Change just a few of these aspects and you'll start to lose stubborn belly fat and get a flat stomach MUCH faster!

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

Read more...

How Healthy is Your Diet ?

2008-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Healthy Diet Checker?

Take This Easy Test to See if You Have a Healthy Diet

This healthy diet screening quiz is designed to help you grade your diet on a daily basis. The healthy diet quiz works best if you answer the questions based on what you ate during one day.

If you are taking this quiz early in the day, think about what you ate yesterday. If you take this quiz late enough in the day, you can answer the questions based on what you ate today.

You can also estimate the servings of the foods you eat on a typical day, if you generally eat similar foods in similar amounts every day.

Simple Ways to Move Your Body

2008-11-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

You can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you're not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk...almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.
Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.
Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor...these kinds of activities may not be 'vigorous' exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order.
Pace while you talk. When you're on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy.
Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more--getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

Learn about more ways to fit in exercise.

Joining Healthy Families

2008-11-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

How do you apply?

First, you should read Who can join Healthy Families?

There are 3 ways to apply. To apply you can

fill out an application
apply by phone, or
get help with your application from a Certified Application Assistant

CHANGING YOUR HEALTHY FAMILIES

2008-11-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

How do I report a change of address?

To report a change, call 1-866-848-9166. You can call between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Or write to:

Healthy Families Program
Attn: Address Change
P.O. Box 138005
Sacramento, CA 95813-8005

Make sure that Healthy Families has your correct billing address and the correct address of your children enrolled in the program. You must notify the Healthy Families Program within 30 days if you have a change of address, because your children may need to transfer to a different health plan.

Apparent turkey abuse seen in PETA video

2008-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Click here...

Being skinny is no guarantee of a healthy heart

2008-11-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

Getty Images stock

Even thin people may have hidden risks for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other ailments typically associated with obesity. By the same token, some overweight people may be healthy even if they're hefty.

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

2008-11-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

Learn About the Risks
Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for nearly 440,000 deaths each year, of which more than 135,000 are due to smoking related cardiovascular diseases. Cigarette smokers are two-to-three times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than nonsmokers. more

Stop Smoking: Resources and Tools for Quitting
Your heart will thank you for quitting smoking, so don’t waste any time. The health benefits start almost immediately, and within a few years of quitting your risk of stroke and coronary artery disease are similar to non-smokers. We can help with resources and tools for the healthiest decision you will make – stopping smoking. more

Fighting Tobacco Deaths through Advocacy
For decades the American Heart Association has been working to reduce the number of senseless deaths that result from tobacco use. Thanks in part to our work, there is no smoking on airline flights, there are lifesaving automated external defibrillators in many public places, and many of us enjoy smokefree communities.

The association also supports the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S.625/H.R. 1108) federal legislation granting the Food and Drug Administration full authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, sale, labeling, advertising and promotion of tobacco products to protect the public health — especially the elimination of advertising, marketing or availability of tobacco products for children. For more information, click here.

Discover more about what the association is doing on the federal, state and local levels to curb tobacco use. more

Take Action! Join You’re the Cure
Don’t just stand on the sidelines – speak up and let your elected officials know you want to fight tobacco use! Join You’re the Cure, our advocacy network of people committed to reducing death and disability from heart disease and stroke, and a group passionate about tobacco control. more

It's Not Just a Man's Disease

2008-11-19T22:31:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is far and away the leading cause of death of American women, but you can do a lot to help protect yourself and women from it. Read this section for some important advice. more

Kids and a Healthy Lifestyle

2008-11-19T22:28:00.000-08:00

The American Heart Association is working to raise public awareness about the serious threat posed by childhood obesity. Learn more about the various ways on how you can become involved in improving children's health. more

Nutritional Program for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

2008-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the biggie! With a little effort on each of our parts and a willingness to change, we can make a big difference in the incidence of this nation's number one killer, cardiovascular disease (CVD). Heart and blood vessel disease are not inevitable; in fact, they are preventable in most cases. It is very clear from every major study in the last decade that diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol, which would consist of regular intake of red meats, dairy foods, and eggs, are directly correlated to the incidence of CVD and its complications, whereas a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet greatly lowers the risk of these diseases.

Read more...

Nutritional Program for Cancer Prevention

2008-11-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

Since cancer has become the plague and one of the greatest fears of the modern technological, chemical age and, overall, cancer treatment, other than for certain malignancies, has not to date been very successful, prevention of cancer is the only sensible approach. The relationship of diet to cancer came of age in the 1980s. With our new knowledge, we can clearly now do something about the threats of cancer and our future. Caring for ourselves and others as if we really love life and have a desire to live will win over all possible disease!

Read more...

Melatonin Could Help Patients on Chemotherapy

2008-11-18T15:39:00.001-08:00

One of the serious drawbacks of chemotherapy is the resultant destruction of many aspects of the immune system along with destruction of various blood cells. In experiments on rodents, it has been shown that melatonin could counteract chemotherapy-induced immune suppression. To test whether this same positive response could be replicated in humans, Dr. Lissoni and colleagues, from the Division of Radiation Oncology, S. Gerardo Hospital, in Milan, Italy, evaluated the role of melatonin given with the chemotherapy. Eighty patients were randomized to receive either the chemotherapy alone, or the chemotherapy with melatonin. Thirty-five of these patients had lung cancer, 31 had breast cancer, and 14 had various gastrointestinal tract tumors. Lung cancer patients were receiving cisplatin, the breast cancer patients were being treated with mitoxantrone, and the patients with gastrointestinal tumors were receiving 5-fluorouracil. The melatonin was given in the evening at a dose of 20 mg.

Read more...

Natural Choices For Today's Healthy Woman

2008-11-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Alternative Therapies

Nutrition & Women
Herbs for Women
Homeopathy for Women
Naturopathy for Women
Chinese Med. for Women
Integrative Medicine
Mind/Body Medicine
Nutritional Research

Women's Self-Care

Common Health Issues
Healthy Living
Fitness for Women
Mind/Body Health
Sexual Health
Spirituality & Health
Health Resource Center

Exercise & Fitness

2008-11-17T22:25:00.000-08:00

Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, dancing, walking and dozens of other activities can help your heart. Whether it is included in a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart. more

Managing Your Weight

2008-11-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

We can help you manage your lifestyle to better manage your weight and reduce your risk for heart attack. more

You Are What You Eat

2008-11-17T22:21:00.001-08:00

Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. A healthful eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way. more

Healthy Lifesyle Cartoons

2008-11-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

USDA Food Pyramid

2008-11-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

The updated USDA food pyramid,
published in 2005, is a general nutrition
guide for recommended food consumption.

Read more...

Being a Healthy Person

2008-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Take every opportunity to improve your own health, the health of your loved ones, and the health of your community.

Make Healthy Choices
Make better choices for yourself and your family when choosing doctors, health insurance, online health information, and a healthy lifestyle. Follow the links below to reliable health information from www.healthfinder.gov

Key 'switch' found for breast cancer drug

2008-11-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Doctors would be able to test for resistance to widely used tamoxifen

WASHINGTON - Scientists have pinpointed the molecular on-off switch that the powerful drug tamoxifen uses to attack breast cancer and which prevents it from working in some women.

That discovery should eventually help doctors test for resistance to the drug, the chief treatment for breast cancers that are estrogen-driven, researchers said. Tamoxifen doesn't work in about one-quarter to one-third of women who are treated with it.

More...

Cancer

2008-11-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Cancer (medical term: malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize. Most cancers form a tumor but some, like leukemia, do not. The branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer is oncology.

Read more >>>

COLORECTAL CANCER

2008-11-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Colorectal Cancer is the 2^nd most common cancer in both sexes - one in 20 individuals will develop the disease in his or her lifetime. How ever. it is also one of the most preventable cancers. Thus. regular screening is important, especially for those at risk.

Read more >>>

Heart Attacks

2008-11-11T22:16:00.000-08:00

More than 1 million Americans have heart attacks each year. A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), is permanent damage to the heart muscle. "Myo" means muscle, "cardial" refers to the heart, and "infarction" means death of tissue due to lack of blood supply.

More on hearth >>...

Sleep and Health

2008-11-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

Sleep is critical to good health, but how many hours of sleep are enough?

More on sleep »

Vitamins C and E Don't Cut Heart Risks

2008-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Vitamins Don't Help Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes

Nov. 10, 2008 -- An eight-year study involving nearly 15,000 male physicians failed to show a benefit for vitamins C and E in preventing heart attacks or strokes.

The new study supports previous findings from other large trials showing no benefit for vitamin E. But it is one of the first large studies to examine the impact of vitamin C supplementation on cardiovascular risk.

Weight Is Key to Protein Requirements

2008-11-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Protein in Diet Should Be Based on Weight, Not Age

By Robynne Boyd
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 7, 2008 -- The amount of protein an adult needs to stay healthy is based on weight, not age.

That's according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

As people age, their metabolism and physiology usually change. And these changes can influence a person's nutritional needs. Although many researchers believe that older adults require more protein than younger adults, it's not reflected in the current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), which are the same for all healthy men and women aged 19 and older.

No Magic Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting

2008-11-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Dieters Regain Weight Regardless of Diet Specifics

By Caroline Wilbert
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Nov. 7, 2008 -- As any so-called yo-yo dieter can tell you, it is often easier to lose weight than to keep it off. A new study shows that different diet compositions -- such as more fat or less fat, higher or lower glycemic index, and different levels of monounsaturated fatty acids -- don't affect a dieter's tendency to regain the weight.

The study included 154 adults from Denmark, all between the ages of 18 and 35. All were either overweight or obese and did not have diabetes.

Genome of cancer patient decoded for first time

2008-11-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Scientists ID genes never before linked to deadly acute myeloid leukemia

WASHINGTON - Scientists for the first time have decoded the entire genome of a cancer patient, identifying a series of genes never before linked to the type of white blood cell cancer that ultimately killed the woman.

The study, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, represents a new approach to grasp the genetic underpinning of cancer and pave the way for better treatments, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27560127/

The future of Fabric : Health Care

2008-11-10T15:55:00.001-08:00

Fabric s woven nto humanity and has touched
so many lives —beginning in ncient times hen
primitive peoples used flax bers, eparated into
strands and plaited or woven nto simple abrics
colored with dyes xtracted from plants. Given
the intimate history of people nd fabric, t is hard
to imagine that the industry or “art ” of making
fabric as evolved into one that adversely affects
the environment. The fabric usiness is often sed
to symbolize he transformation of manufactur-
ing brought about by the industrial revolution, s
it was one of the first industries to benefit from
ent limitations of natural fibers:cotton and linens
wrinkle;silk requires delicate handling;and wool
shrinks and can be irritating to the touch.Rayon,
the first man-made fiber produced to emulate silk,
became commercially available in 1910.Nylon,
“the Miracle Fiber,” came to market in 1939 as one
of the first synthetic c fibers created from petro-
chemicals.It established an entire new world for
synthetic fibers —including thread and women ’s
hosiery—and quickly replaced silk in n a range of
applications.

Read more...
www.healthybuilding.net/

8,000 blacks die due to blood pressure gap

2008-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Surprising study is first to calculate lives lost due to racial disparities in BP

ATLANTA - The lives of nearly 8,000 black Americans could be saved each year if doctors could figure out a way to bring their average blood pressure down to the average level of whites, a surprising new study found.

more...
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27649435/

Migraines cut breast cancer risk 30 percent

2008-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Estrogen hormones may play role in protective effect, researchers say

updated 11:07 a.m. ET Nov. 6, 2008

CHICAGO - In a puzzling twist, women who have a history of migraine headaches are far less likely to develop breast cancer than other women, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

more...

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27572991/

The overweight debate: Healthy and heavy?

2008-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

Has science overemphasized the danger of a few extra pounds?

Eight months ago, while traveling on business, I went to see a doctor for a minor issue. After taking care of it, she scanned my chart. "Have you considered going on a diet?" she asked. "Your weight puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes." Ouch!

Read more see...
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26957675/

How to Escape Health Insurance Fraud

2008-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

Author: George Wood

There are many attractive insurance services and offers made by the people in the insurance business these days. Sometimes we do get the benefits they state in their policy, but at other times we become a victim of their fraud. Health insurance is one field in which you need to be very careful before choosing an appropriate insurance company. Most people buy these so-called insurance policies and are not even aware of the fact that they have been deceived until they file a claim for their health charges to be covered under that policy and find out that that company doesn’t even exist.

It’s important to do a little investigation before you sign up with a health insurance company. This way you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim of health insurance fraud. One way to spot a fraudulent business is to see how much they are asking as down-payment. If it seems very low as compared to the cost of other insurance services, stop here. The best way to get insured is to ask a friend or colleague which insurance company they are signed up with.

Another way to escape fraud is not to get seduced by the attractive but uncalled-for mails that arrive in your mailbox quite often. Most of the time these mails are generated by people who gain profit when one of the customers responds to these mails and actually signs up with the insurance company. Try to call your friends and ask them if they have heard of any such company. You can also call the hospital or any other local care-center that the insurance company has listed to ask them if they have heard of the health insurance you are about to buy. If they are not sure make other arrangements to check their validity.

If you discover that you have been victimized by one such company, immediately contact the law enforcement agency active in your area. Tell them all the details you have of the health insurance company and how the claim you made was denied. You should also contact your State Insurance Commissioner if things do not seem under control. Of course sometimes there could be a misunderstanding as well, so don’t rush to things. Just take one step at a time and be 100% sure that you are a victim of fraud instead of some error or misunderstanding on the part of health professionals.

Another important step to take is to contact your credit card company and ask them to either freeze your account or cancel any outgoing transactions. When you go to the law enforcement agency don’t forget to take along all the canceled checks and the health insurance policy that you signed. This would be a useful step may the fraudulent company tries to deceive you in future with other similar offers. Just follow these simple guidelines and prevent yourself from becoming a victim of such frauds.

George Wood is a successful webmaster of many popular sites including disability insurance and dental insurance site. If you want to read more about health insurance, click over to George health insurance site.

Finding Your Own Pathway to Specialized Health Care

2008-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

Author: Joe Balestrino

We live in a highly specialized age. New industries and professions spring up as the established sectors break down into smaller categories. Driven by the wealth of detail in an increasingly complex world, employers and clients prefer to hire specialists rather than generalists. That decision is often based on cost-effectiveness. And with so much more to know about everything, it pays to specialize in your areas of interest.

This is particularly true in the medical profession. As society becomes more health conscious, the general awareness of cause and effect is bringing health issues into the mainstream of daily life. Medicine no longer happens entirely within the walls of a hospital. Nurses find themselves in other settings, playing the roles of social workers, detectives or attorneys. These new career paths offer an expanding range of professional benefits, including career advancement, job security, and even self-employment opportunities. So, how can you get there from where you are now?

Kaplan Universitys Health Care Pathways Programs
This is where a school like Kaplan University enters the picture. As an institution with almost 70 years experience in preparing adults for rewarding careers, Kaplan offers Health Care Pathways, an online program for nurses, therapists, social workers, and anyone whose professional life is moving into the convergence of these fields.

There are five certificates available through Health Care Pathways, each addressing a growing need within or related to the medical profession.

Geriatric Care Management Certificate
A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) arranges health and human services for senior citizens whose self-care abilities are in decline. A GCM will assess his or her patients needs, coordinate the services required, and monitor the situation for ongoing effectiveness. If you have a passion for helping the elderly and are trained as a registered nurse, medical doctor, physical or occupational therapist, social worker, case manager, or psychologist, you can easily enter this profession with Kaplans GCM certificate. Although AARP statistics put the average hourly rate at $74, this could vary widely depending on your background, the number of cases you choose to handle, and whether you work for a government or insurance agency, home health care or long-term care service, social service agency or as an independent consultant.

Life Care Planning Certificate
A Life Care Planner (LCP) is committed to helping people with catastrophic injuries or chronic health problems. As an LCP, youll develop and implement plans to improve the quality of life for medically dependent people. Youll locate and coordinate all necessary care and treatment. RNs and qualified rehabilitation professionals are needed in this field, particularly if you have a Kaplan University LCP certificate. According to the Certified Life Care Planners association, the salary range for this profession is $80 to $150 per hour. This reflects the diversity of LCP work environments, such as government agencies, law firms, insurance companies, HMOs and independent practice.

Forensic Nursing Certificate
Forensic nursing is a field open to RNs with a deep interest in the investigative sciences and a passion for victim advocacy. This can be exciting work if youre comfortable offering medical assessments at crime or accident scenes. Certified forensic nurses examine and provide care for survivors of assaults, disasters, abuse and negligence. Youll be called in to determine the causes of injuries and deaths, discover or help decide whos responsible for a victims care, and make appropriate referrals and follow-ups. A membership survey of the International Association of Forensic Nurses indicates that you could earn from $55 to $300 per hour. Job opportunities for forensic nurses exist primarily with hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and independent practice.

Legal Nurse Consulting Certificate
A Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) might be the RN who handles data collected by a forensic nurse, without actually handling the patients. Thorough and timely information is just as important as hands-on care. Youll thrive as an LNC if your nursing education and clinical experience are a natural fit with your research skills and interest in the legalities of health care. Through your ability to identify standards of care, review medical records and interview witnesses, youll be a valuable team member in malpractice lawsuits, medical insurance claims, and workers compensation cases. Completing this certificate program will qualify you to work in law firms, insurance companies, HMOs, government agencies, or independent practice. A compensation survey by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants shows its members earning hourly fees ranging from $70 to $200.

Case Management Certificate
Case Managers play a similar role to GCMs and LCPs, assessing and coordinating health and human services for patients with a wide range of needs. With your Kaplan certificate youll plan and manage patient care, research cost-effective options, be the point person on the team of specialists that you assemble, and support your clients family with information and suggestions. RNs, therapists, rehabilitation counselors and social workers are a natural fit for this career. Based on a survey by the Case Management Society of America and ADVANCE for Providers of Post-Acute Care, starting salaries in this growing profession might be $55,000 for government agencies and insurance carriers, and at least $75,000 for home health agencies or through independent practice.

Education on Your Terms
These Health Care Pathways certificate programs can be completed in about 12 months of online self-study. The pace is up to you, and this flexibility leaves room for the healthy work-life balance already so critical to busy professionals with family and other personal commitments. You can participate in these programs from anywhere in the world with a personal computer, email and Web access, and the ability to handle MS Word documents.

source : http://www.searchforclasses.com

Healthy Breakfast Foods

2008-11-08T18:21:00.001-08:00

Author: Sharon Hopkins

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And still no one denies that fact that "breakfast" is the most important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 - 10 hours; hence your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to kick-start its day. Therefore "breakfast" is considered to be an important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast (healthy) daily are more likely to

Consume more vitamins, minerals and less of fat and cholesterol.
Increased strength and endurance.
Better concentration and productivity all day long.
Control over weight
Low cholesterol = no risk or little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight, think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets. Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain. So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each morning

Fruits and Vegetables
Grains
Dairy
Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast. Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the 'run', its better than skipping it altogether.

About the Author:

Sharon Hopkins has been managing a number of diet, nutrition and health websites that promote good health and unhealthy food habits leading to a diseased body. Healthy Food contain vital nutrients that aid our body’s metabolic function.

Alzheimer's Prevention - Eat Healthy Foods

2008-11-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

Author: Linda J Bruton

There are some exciting results from clinical trials and recent research that shows that individuals can reduce their risks of Alzheimer's disease by following a healthy diet regimen.

There is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, some of the clinical studies are so positive that there seems to be a consensus that individuals can control their destiny.

These studies indicate that individuals may be able to circumvent Alzheimer's disease by eating certain nutrient dense foods. The consensus from several neurologists and information from several white papers explore the possibility that diet may play a major role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer Foundation funded these studies.

This news offers a ray of hope in an otherwise grim area of Alzheimer’s medical research. The grim reality is that the chances of everyone over the age of 60 years old has a 1 in 4 chance of becoming an Alzheimer's victim. By the age of 80 years of age, the statistics get worse.

Eating healthy however seems to reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies indicate that as patients reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease they also reduce their risk factors for Alzheimer's.

Recent white papers written as a result of the research by Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York provide some convincing evidence that people who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, cereals and fish have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Dr. Scarmeas states "These nutrient rich foods could be helping individuals avoid Alzheimer's disease by providing protection from oxidative stress or by reducing inflammation in the brain,"

Another nutrient dense ingredient that is found in Omega-3 fatty acid supplements have been shown in associative studies to slow the cognitive decline in some patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease.

However, it must be emphasized that these supplements do not appear to affect people with more advanced cases of the disease, according to a team of Swedish researchers.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, tuna and flaxseed. These fatty acids contain heart healthy fats. In one study from the University of Wisconsin, omega -3 fatty acids were shown to be flammable' inside our bodies. These flames seem to burn off cholesterol raising types of fat. As a result there was a reduction in high cholesterol and heart related problems.

The facts of these studies indicate that starting a preventative healthy eating regimen including omega-3 supplements and following an eating plan rich in fruits, vegetables and other healthy food recommendations can be beneficial to individuals who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

However, in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, there is little that can be done to repair damaged brain tissues.

As a preventative measure, these same foods plus an omega-3 supplement are suggested included items that become integral ingredients of a healthy diet.

These recent papers reveal a consensus that focus and expand on the concept that diet is a critical component in controlling and perhaps preventing Alzheimer's disease. Several clinical trials and the resulting reports point clearly to the idea that early intervention and lifestyle will have the greatest effect on controlling and perhaps preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

For more information on alzheimers statistics treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.

10 Tips to Maintain Health and Beauty

2008-11-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Beauty, health, and nutrition are all integrated. If you eat a balanced diet you will be able to maintain your physique and glowing beauty externally and good health internally. A balanced diet is one that provides all the nutrients you need, the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat.

To achieve goals you need to ensure a good balance in your diet, introduce variety into your meals, and practice moderation. The basis of nutrition lies in your height, weight, dimensions, and your daily energy needs. Once you know this you can compute what your daily calorific needs are and set goals for weight maintenance, gain, or loss. By regulating your diet you can be active as well as happy.

You must:

Eat sensibly. Include a variety of foods in your diet such that the 40 nutrients that are required by your body are present. Make use of a food pyramid and calorie chart to prepare tasty and nutritious meals.
Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. They will supply you with essential vitamins, minerals, and protection from several diseases.
Maintain your weight at a healthy level. Successful weight management is one of the golden keys to good health. By doing is you will lower considerably the risk of many diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis.
Learn self control, eat moderate portions. The secret lies in eating everything but in small portions. Don't give way to gluttony or greed.
Make a time-table for your meals and how many calories will be in each meal. Never fast, starve yourself, or skip a meal. Eat when your body demands sustenance but not huge quantities.
Practice moderation. Good health does not lie in eliminating carbohydrates or fats. Include all your favorite foods but balance them with the rest of your diet. If you indulge your taste buds by eating pizza one day, then try and do so at lunch time, never eat pizza late at night. Ask for low fat cheese and healthy toppings. Eat just enough to satisfy your craving not all 12 slices. Get a few friends to share you sin. The days you indulge, eat sensibly the rest of the day--salads and fruits will help you make up for the binge.
Be sure your meals each day include all the food groups.
Plan to exercise every day. Either walk or take up aerobics, dancercise, or join a gym. Exercise will not just burn calories but put a glow into your skin, tone your muscles, and strengthen your bones. Exercise also removes accumulated toxins from your body.
Maintain a dairy in which you record your goals, and what you eat each day. Review your week objectively and create a table that shows at a glance what you did right and what you did wrong. This will help keep you on the right track.
Celebrate each victory. Give yourself a present or take yourself out every time you achieve a goal.

About the Author : Jitendra, Halfvalue.com

The secret of glowing skin : Omega 3

2008-09-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

Omega 3 keeps your skin moist and prevents sagging. Omega 3’s are essential fatty acids. Now don’t be alarmed; there’s nothing wrong with these fatty acids; they’re the “good fats.” They’re the kind of fats that are vital to the health of every cell in your body, including your skin cells.

Omega 3 also fights against those nasty free radicals that are flying around. These free radicals also damage the skin and cause wrinkles. Omega 3 lessens this damage and helps prevent collagen breakdown. Without collagen, wrinkles will develop, and your skin will lose its healthy and youthful glow.

If you suffer from premature wrinkles, dry skin, dandruff, cracked skin, or other very dry skin conditions, chances are you have a deficiency of Omega 3. Part of the beauty of Omega 3 is that it will moisturize your skin from deep inside. You won’t have to slather on yet another cream on your face. Instead, you can get Omega 3 from your diet.

Here are a few ways you can get your required source of Omega 3:

Cold water fish, like salmon, herring, sardines, and fresh tuna twice a week
Supplements of at least 1000 mg of Omega 3 per day
Flaxseed or walnut oil, or walnuts. You can either blend a high quality oil into a smoothie (you really can’t taste it) to make it more palatable.
Other foods containing Omega 3’s are kiwifruit, lingonberry, black raspberry, butternuts, pecan nuts, and hazel nuts. Some eggs contain Omega 3 - these are from chickens fed a special diet. You can usually find these Omega 3 eggs in specialty or organic food stores.
Grass fed beef is also another source of Omega 3, and possibly milk and cheese from grass fed cows. The mass produced beef nowadays have been fed grain, which doesn’t contain Omega 3.
A word of warning about fish: many fish are caught in polluted waters and may carry a high concentration of heavy metals, which is not good for you. Farmed fish do not have as high a level of Omega 3 because they are fed pellets, rather than algae that the free roaming, but possibly polluted, fish eat.

After reading the above list, it might be a bit daunting trying to find food sources for your Omega 3 requirements. Do some research and see what will fit best into your lifestyle. Would putting Flax Seed Oil into a smoothie be doable? Or perhaps swallowing a supplement every day will be more your style. Whatever it is, find the intake method of Omega 3 that is right for you. It’s important to your skin and your healthy glow. Your youthful skin will thank you for it! I highly recommend the book Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil by Dr. Barry Sears for more information on just how good the Omega 3’s really are for your entire body and mind. Check in often for more secrets that need not be a secrets any longer!

www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov

Manage your body with exercise

2008-09-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

To manage our body, we can do exercise anytimes, just do a simple exercise. Exercise in the morning is very good because it's can make our body more healthy. Exercise is the performance of movements in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. It is often directed toward also honing athletic ability or skill. Frequent and regular physical exercise is an important component in the prevention of some of the diseases of affluence such as cancer, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and back pain.

Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:

Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.
Aerobic exercises such as walking and running focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance and muscle density.
Anaerobic exercises such as weight training or sprinting increase muscle mass and strength.

Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining physical fitness including healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.

Proper nutrition is just as, if not more, important to health as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients; this is to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise. When the body falls short of proper nutrition, it gets into starvation mode developed through evolution and depends onto fat content for survival. Research suggest that the production of thyroid hormones can be negatively affected by repeated bouts of dieting and calorie restriction^[5]. Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as exercise, otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.

The above two factors can be compromised by psychological compulsions (eating disorders such as exercise bulimia, anorexia, and other bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack of motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can occur after any exercise, particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative to that exercise and the exercise involves repetitive eccentric contractions.

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health

All about health's statistic

2008-09-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

With expert assistance and statewide partnerships, the MDP has built a nationally recognized system to monitor changes in the health care marketplace; to understand factors influencing health care cost, quality and access; and to provide technical assistance in the development of state health care policy.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/stats.html

Have healthy body with fitness

2008-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Model Fitness: Lorie Baker's Pilates Routine

http://www.fordmodels.tv for more great videos. ... ford models fitness pilates straight leg stretch single double ... (more)

"Inpatient Days of Care" and "Bed Days Available", Calculated Occupancy Rate in Health Facilities

2008-09-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

In the Bureau of Health Statistics, occupancy rates are routinely calculated for hospitals and nursing homes and aggregated at the facility, country and state level. This information is very useful for health planning purposes and is requested from the Bureau frequently.

To calculate the average occupancy rate for a typical one-year reporting period, two data item are needed. These include "Inpatient Days of Care" and "Bed Days Available." Definitions of these two items are as follows:

Bed Days Available or Useable bed utilisation (occupancy) rate

The maximum number of inpatient days of care that would have been provided if all beds were filled during the year

Definition	Measure of the occupancy of the beds available for use. Numerator: (Inpatient days + 1/2 Day patients) x 100 Denominator: Useable beds x days in period Note: data may be given for financial years rather than calendar years. Data for 2002 is for the 2001/02 financial year.
Reference	District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
Details	Hospital Minimum data set
Keywords

Indicator Type: -> Health Services -> Health Facilities

A hospital had 300 beds in service from July 1 through February 28. The number of beds in service then increased to 350 beds from March 1 through June 30. Bed days available should be calculated as follows:

EXAMPLE 1 (Accurately reflects changes in bed capacity):

300 beds x 243 days = 72,900 (July 1 - February 28)
350 beds x 122 days = 42,700 (March 1 - June 30)
72,900 + 42,700 = 115,600 (Total Bed Days Available)

If bed days available were calculated based on the number of beds on the last day of the year multiplied by the number of days in the year, the bed days available would be as follows:

EXAMPLE 2 (Does not reflect changes in beds during the year):

350 x 365 = 127,750

Following are occupancy rates based on the two different bed days available.

EXAMPLE 3 (Occupancy rate accurately reflects bed fluctuations):

(Inpatient Days of Care 98,560) / (Bed Days Available 115,600)

= .853 x 100 = 85.3%

EXAMPLE 4 (Occupancy rate does not reflect lower number of beds available for use during the first eight months of the fiscal year):

(Inpatient Days of Care 98,560) / (Bed Days Available 127,750)

= .772 x 100 = 77.2%

The occupancy rate in Example 4 is much lower and not truly representative of bed utilization during the year since the bed days available are calculated on 350 beds. The bed days available (127,750) are inflated since the calculation (Example 2) assumes that all 350 beds were available for use each day during the year. The inflated bed days available figure results in a lower percentage of occupancy. Although it is simpler to calculate the bed days available using number of beds in service on the last day of the year multiplied by the number of days in the year, this is only accurate if there were no changes in the number of beds available for use. If there were changes in the number of beds, the method of calculating bed days available must follow Example 1.

[Related Resources]

Indicator Data
View by [Ethnic] [Geographic (SA provinces)] [International] [District]

Useable bed utilisation (occupancy) rate [Definition]
	EC	FS	GP	KZN	LP	MP	NC	NW	WC	ZA
2001 District Hospitals	52	43	62	64	56	39	60	72	65	[1] 57
2001 National Central Hosp	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[2] 71
2001 Regional Hospitals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[3] 69
2002 District Hospitals	55	67	63	58	60	56	73	64	65	[4] 62
2002 National Central Hosp	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[5] 76
2002 Regional Hospitals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[6] 71
2003 District Hospitals	-	65	62	49	60	55	57	73	65	[7] 68
2003 National Central Hosp	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[8] 77
2003 Regional Hospitals	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	[9] 73
EC: Eastern Cape FS: Free State GP: Gauteng KZN: KwaZulu-Natal LP: Limpopo MP:NC: Northern Cape NW: North West WC: Western Cape ZA: South Africa Mpumalanga

INPATIENT DAYS OF CARE - Sum of each daily inpatient census for the year. To arrive at this total, you would simply add together each daily census for the 365 days in the year. Other synonymous terms include "total inpatient service days," "occupied bed days," or "census patient days of care."

http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health

Notes and References

Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"
Ref: District Health Information System Database. National Department of Health.
"Data from Hospital Minimum Data Set, reported in South African Health Review 2003/04"

Contact details Terms of use Funder info

Return to Tools of the Trade

Home : Press Releases
Administration : Health Planning and Assessment : Office of the Secretary
Office of the Physician General : Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Quality Assurance

Keeping Malaria at Bay

2008-09-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

In the fight against malaria PROFESSOR PETER SEEBERGER has developed a new sugar-based vaccine that is extremely cheap to produce, an achievemant that in 2007 earned him the Korber European Science Award.

Peter Seeberger describes himselt as ambitious : “I’m definitely achievement-oriented," he says. Yet the lanky six-footer doesn't look grimly determined at all. Rather the opposite - his manner is convivial and he talks in an easy, relaxed way, "American-style" in the best sense of the word.

The reality impressively bears out what he says. In 2007 Peter Seeberger's future-oriented approach to his research earned him the Korber European Science Award after he succeeded in developing an effective vaccine againts malaria for which there had been no known cure. Taken early enough, exiting drugs do kill the parasites and halt the fever phases, but in Africa only an affluent few can afford them. For the particularly susceptible underfives, the disease transmitted the saliva of the anopheles mosquito is often fatal. Estimates say that more than two million children die of malaria every year.

In the course of his research work Peter had begun to suspect that sugar molecules rather than proteins could hold the key to success. Following up that hunch, he had already started prototyping a radically new type of sugar synthesizer based on his own design. This is a machine capable of using just a few standard building blocks to synthesize practically any number of sugar chains. This way, even the complex ramified chains that are so important in developing vaccines can be produced at low cost.

Being able to make these complex sugar chains cheaply meant we would soon be able to save over two million young lives in a single year,"says Peter, recalling his moment of personal triumph. Each malaria vaccination only requires a few millionths of a gramme. "So with about four kilos a year you can get every child in Africa vaccinated,"says Peter.

All tests performed so far have been successfull, showing that the sugar-based vaccine is able to keep the malaria parasites in check despite their high mutation rate. But although human vaccination tests are scheduled to begin this year, the vaccine will not become generally available until 2013 at the earliest - that time will be needed to complete all clinical tests. But, Seeberger will be putting those years to good use. He and others have set up a foundation to provide capital for projects like manufacturing cheap mosquito nets in Africa. "Because preventing infection, "says the scientist, "is still the best ways to protect people against malaria."

GENERAL INFORMATION

World Malaria Day 2008

Fact sheet on malaria

Q&As on malaria

MULTIMEDIA

10 facts on malaria

Features on malaria

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Diagnosis and treatment
An integrated approach including prevention and effective antimalarials

Vector control
Vector control to prevent malaria transmission

- More on malaria

PUBLICATIONS

Guidelines for the treatment of malaria [pdf 1.85 Mb]

Indoor residual spraying [pdf 348 Kb]

- More publications

STATISTICS

Monitoring and evaluation

Global Health Atlas

WHO PROGAMMES AND ACTIVITIES

Global Malaria Programme (GMP)

Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, TDR

PARTNERS

Roll Back Malaria Partnership

MALARIA IN WHO REGIONS

African Region
Region of the Americas–PAHO
South-East Asia Region
European Region
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Western Pacific Region

WHO 60th anniversary

KEY WHO INFORMATION

Director-General
Director-General and senior management

Governance of WHO
WHO Constitution, Executive Board and World Health Assembly

Media centre
News, events, fact sheets, multimedia and contacts

International travel and health
Publication on travel risks, precautions and vaccination requirements

World Health Report
Annual report on global public health and key statistics

Healthy Lifesyle for Your Childs

2008-09-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Improving children's health

We must have healthy lifesyle for our child to get our children's body healthful. By choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way, it's can be make our kids have better manage child's weight. Over weight in children can be influence seriously health's problem.
The American Heart Association is working to raise public awareness about the serious threat posed by childhood obesity. Learn more about the various ways on how you can become involved in improving children's health. more

Have Problem With Obesity

2008-09-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

What's Obesity ?

Obesity is too much body fat. It's because too much fatty food. Our body is contain of minerals, protein, water, carbohydrate, various vitamins and fat . If you have too much fat — in your waist area especially — you're at higher risk for health problems, including high blood cholesterol, stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Obesity is like a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. Some reasons that obesity can influence heart attack, for example :

can induce diabetes. In some people, diabetes makes these other risk factors much worse. The danger of heart attack is especially high for these people.
raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
raises blood pressure levels.
lowers HDL "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is linked with lower heart disease and stroke risk, so reducing it tends to raise the risk.

When people eat too much saturated fat, or too many calories , trans fat and cholesterol, their blood cholesterol levels will be rise. That raises their risk of heart disease. Obesity is mainly caused by taking in more calories than are used up in physical activity and daily life.

How is body fat measured?

Waist circumference measurement and body mass index (BMI) are the recommended ways to estimate body fat. A high-risk waistline is 35 inches or higher for women, and 40 inches or higher for men.

The body mass index formula assesses body weight relative to height. It's a useful, indirect measure of body composition, because in most people it correlates highly with body fat. Weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (kg/m²). Or multiply weight in pounds by 703, divide by height in inches, then divide again by height in inches. In studies by the National Center for Health Statistics,

BMI values less than 18.5 are considered underweight.
BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are normal.
Overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25.0 to less than 30.0 (consistent with U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans). A BMI of about 25 kg/m² corresponds to about 10 percent over ideal body weight.
Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater (consistent with criteria of the World Health Organization), or about 30 pounds or more overweight. Extreme obesity is defined as a BMI of 40 or greater.

See "Body Composition Tests" in this guide for more detailed information and a BMI risk level table for adults.

Related AHA publications:

Heart and Stroke Facts
Managing Your Weight
Just Move! (also in Spanish)
Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating (also in Spanish)
Reading Food Labels: A Handbook for People With Diabetes, order from American Diabetes Association (1-800-232-3472)
Tips for Eating Out
Six Steps to a Healthier Heart
Printable sheets from our Answers By Heart kit include: "How Can I Cook Healthfully?", "How Do I Follow a Healthy Diet?", "How Can I Manage My Weight?", "What About Eating Out?", "How Do I Read Food Labels?", "How Do I Change Recipes?" (some topics also in Spanish kit)

Related AHA Scientific Statements:
Obesity

What's Must You Do With Our Weight

2008-09-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

Get tips to lost Weight? To every women weight is very important, so women must be manage our weight every day. At least our weight influence to our health. Once you’ve lost weight, the next step is to keep it off. Learn what to expect and get tips for success. more

Healthy Lifestyle

2008-09-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

Better lifestyle habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. Learn what you can do to help prevent heart disease and stroke.


		You Are What You Eat Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. A healthful eating plan means choosing the right foods to eat and preparing foods in a healthy way. more

Enhance Your Dental Health Naturally - A Holistic Approach to Herbs for Healthy Teeth and Gums

2008-07-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Author: Debbie Hart

Modern studies and centuries of use show that a wide variety of herbs, essential oils, and other natural substances improve oral hygiene and help prevent and heal many tooth and gum disorders. Many herbalists advocate a preventative, holistic approach to mouth care that combines herbs with an improved diet and an effective daily oral-hygiene routine.

Dental-health professionals agree that the most important factor in tooth and gum health is diet. Since the bacteria in the mouth thrive on sugar, it is best to reduce or eliminate refined simple sugars from the diet, and eat primarily fresh foods free of chemicals, additives, and preservatives. Eating whole grains and high-fiber foods like raw carrots, and chewing them thoroughly, stimulates the gums.

Nutritional supplements also improve dental health. Antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium, and beta carotene improve oral health, and folic acid reduces plaque, inflammation, and bleeding in the mouth. Daily doses of Coenyzme Q10 combat receding gum lines. Supplemental vitamins and minerals are important, since the body takes needed calcium from the jaw bone first in the event of a deficiency, which can lead to loose teeth. Eating kelp daily promotes healthy teeth and gums, since it is rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

In addition to diet, a thorough, consistent oral-hygiene routine is important for healthy gums and teeth. Since gum disease and tooth decay stem largely from excess bacteria residing between the teeth and gums to form plaque and tartar, the main goal of oral hygiene is to remove excess bacteria from the mouth. Dental professionals recommend brushing your teeth at least twice, and flossing at least once, daily. Since bacteria can also collect on the tongue, cleaning the tongue with a toothbrush, a commercially-available tongue scraper, or even an upside-down soup spoon, eliminates twice as much bacteria from the mouth as just brushing the teeth. It is also beneficial to thoroughly brush the gums, as well as the insides of the cheeks. Over time, bacteria can inhabit your toothbrush and reenter your mouth with each brushing, so dental-care professionals advocate changing your toothbrush twice a month. You can also buy a toothbrush sterilizer, or soak your toothbrush in an antibacterial mouthwash between uses. Electric rotary brushes have been shown to remove significantly more plaque than regular brushes.

Rubber-tipped gum stimulators also further aid in cleaning, stimulating and massaging the gums to keep the tissues healthy. Brushing and flossing alone cannot always remove enough bacteria from deeper gum pockets, so dental-care providers often recommend oral-irrigation devices such as the "Water Pic" and "proxi-brushes," very small brushes resembling bottle-brushes or pipe cleaners. These tools can clean hard-to-reach areas between teeth, around braces and other dental work, and inside spaces caused by receding gums.

If you wish to maintain healthy teeth and gums naturally, you can easily incorporate natural and herbal tools and preparations, such as natural brushes or picks, powders, pastes, teas and mouthwashes into your daily oral-hygiene routine. Many preparations are easy to make at home, and health-food stores sell their own varieties that include the same herbs and ingredients. It is important to exercise care when using herbs. Some herbs can be toxic if used for too long or in too great amounts. In addition, the active ingredients in some herbs are not recommended for certain health conditions, and can react negatively with prescription medications or other remedies. It is therefore recommended, especially if you are pregnant, wish to treat a child, have special health conditions, or are taking prescription medications, that you research the herbs that interest you before using them, and consult a qualified professional if you have questions or doubts.

A great many herbs and natural substances promote tooth and gum health by tightening the gum tissue, promoting circulation, and removing plaque and debris from the mouth. To name just a few, these include resins such as myrrh and the anti-viral bee product, propolys, which stimulates the production of new mouth tissues, usnea, a lichen stronger than penicillin against strep and staph bacteria, bloodroot, and plantain, a common weed which eases mouth abscesses and inflammation. High-tannin-content herbs such as krameria and oak apples also enhance tooth and gum health. Hawthorn extract, used over time, tightens the gum tissue. Echinacea extract, an antimicrobial immune strengthener, fights bacteria in the mouth. Extract of aloe vera also soothes and benefits the mouth tissues. Licorice root is anti-inflammatory and antibiotic, inhibits plaque growth, and tastes pleasant, so it is often added to toothpastes and mouthwashes. The essential oils of many healing plants are naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, and increase blood flow to the gums. Dental-health-enhancing essential oils include tea tree, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, orange, clove, cinnamon, ginger, sage, rosemary, thyme, anise and fennel, to name a few.

Many traditional cultures make natural, disposable toothbrushes and gum stimulators from the twigs or roots of healing plants. Bay, fir, juniper, eucalyptus, oak, willow, and neem-tree twigs have served this purpose, as well as the roots of marshmallow, horseradish, alfalfa, and licorice. Health-food stores often sell a rough equivalent, wooden toothpicks soaked in healing essential oils. You can even make your own by placing undyed wooden toothpicks in a glass jar and covering them with a dental-health-enhancing essential oil. Let them soak in the oil overnight, then allow them to air-dry.

To prepare a simple homemade toothpaste, mix a small amount of baking soda with just enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Apply this paste to the gum line, both inside and out, then place the rubber point of the gum stimulator between the teeth, and rotate in a circular motion for several seconds. Repeat this routine twice a day. Many tooth and gum problems occur when the pH inside of the mouth is too acidic, and baking soda alkalinizes the mouth. You can also add small amounts of zinc sulfate, folic acid (you can grind these to a powder in a coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle), liquid vitamin E, one to two drops of peppermint or tea-tree essential oil, or hawthorn, echinacea, or aloe vera extracts. Experiment to find the particular mixture that best suits you. Other effective tooth powder ingredients are alum, salt, blackened eggplant, myrrh gum, turmeric, and white-oak or prickly ash bark. In some cases of severe gum disease, wrapping tooth powders in gauze and placing them in the corners of the mouth nightly has healed the condition in just a few months.

Herbal teas or extracts can replace water in your oral irrigator or serve as mouthwashes, for added benefits. Even the commercial mouthwash, Listerine contains anti-bacterial thymol, which is derived from the thyme herb. Since thymol reduces gingivitis, Listerine also works well in the oral irrigator. You can also prepare homemade mouthwashes by steeping dried herbs in vodka or apple cider vinegar. Good mouthwash herbs include cloves, coriander, dill, sage, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, fennel, sage, basil, cardamom, parsley, ginger, blackberry leaf, calendula or chamomile flowers, echinacea or marshmallow root, mint, raspberry leaf, basil, sage, thyme, and yarrow, to name a few.

As this overview shows, you can easily enhance your tooth and gum health naturally by combining herbs with proper diet and nutrition. For further information, including specific recipes, consult the sources listed below.

Sources:

"Herbal Care of Teeth and Gums," by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, in The Herb Quarterly, Issue 79, Summer 1998.
"A Natural Remedy for Gingivitis, Toothaches, and Mouth Sores," by Rudy Silva, on ezinearticles.com.
"Herbs for Dental Health" by Christopher Hobbs L.Ac., A.H.G., on www.healthy.net.
"Periodontal Disease" by Janet Zand L.Ac., O.M.D. on www.healthy.net.
"Herbal Therapy in Dentistry," by Flora Parsa Stay D.D.S., from The Complete Book of Dental Remedies.
Beauty By Nature, by Brigitte Mars.
Living on the Earth, by Alicia Bay Laurel.

Debbie Hart is a writer, teacher, and student of nutrition and alternative healing. She co-runs the University of Yourself with Dr. Ron Masa, teaching intuitive methods, including dreamwork and the I Ching, to help individuals discover and access their own inner wisdom.

She is also co-author of the e-book, "How We Lost Our First 100 Pounds Together: Romantic Weight Loss for Couples" with Dr. Ron Masa.

Woman Can Look Fashionable And Healthy With Evening Gowns for Plus Size Women

2008-07-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

Author: Tim Gorman

Evening gowns for plus size woman can be found at Nordstrom's, Neiman Marcus and other top retail stores. "Shop Plus" lady's wear is what Nordstrom's named their clothing line that fits women larger than a size 12. Nordstrom's is a national department store chain that offers first rate merchandise in addition to first class customer service.

Their line of clothing for the real woman is almost exclusively designer labels. Their "Shop Plus" fashion shop include not only basic working woman's clothes in the Plus size shop but also beautifully designed dresses from some of Fashion's best and most innovative fashion houses.

There is a stunner of a dress for plus size women on their website now. The dress is designed by Adrianna Papell. The Plus Size section at Nordstrom's website have a large selection of absolutely wonderful evening gown for plus size women.

The first dress that was eye catching has a silvery glitter finish and is in a lavender color. The site calls it a party dress. I agree. Partying looks like what this dress does best. The dress is made for a fuller figure woman who wants to go out and have a good time at a party. The dress actually emphasizes all the right curves in all the right places.

More impressive is the Ribbon Dress (Plus) by the same designer. This dress is unusual in the design and the cut. The dress is in elegant silk that is crisscrossed with ribbons. The dress has two front slits that add a sexy edge to the dress and encourages the ebb and flow of the hem that reminds you of the motion of the ocean.

This dress is only available in black and white but has such presence that the lack of options may be a plus. The dress would be wonderful for a dinner date or a night on the town going to a play or to a smashing fun party.

Both of the dresses are priced under $200.00. The dresses flow just to the knee and may be considered more for an after five look. But depending on what the occasion requires, they would work to make any woman look elegant and very well put together.

The most appropriate dress by this designer that would be considered a true evening gown for plus size ladies was a marvelous cachet beaded dress with a sheer shawl that can cover the shoulders and the arms. This dress is appropriate and amazing for any formal occasion. The dress has a tonal beaded pattern of city lights on the bodice. The beads flow down the skirt of the dress.

The dress has a scoop neck which is very flattering for most women. Then there is this sheer shawl that adds coverage over the arms. The shawl adds to the drama of this gown. The dress is form-fitting at the bust which is covered in tiny beads. Then the dress becomes less fitted at the hips. Because of the way the dress fits, the website suggests that you order the next size up.

The entire collection by this designer is impressive. These dresses are available in sizes 12-24 and cost from $128.00 - under $200.00

Evening gowns for plus size women have come a long way. The top designers in the fashion world have started creating high end fashions for women that wear sizes over 12.

These high fashioned designsin plus sizes can finally be purchased at high end stores like Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus. Being a plus size woman is finally acceptable. Finding a lovely plus size evening gown is no longer a problem.

Neiman Marcus calls their plus size line of designer fashions "Special Sizes" which is a kind of misnomer. The average sized woman in the United States is a size 14. So calling the average size woman a "Special Size" is a sort of clueless irony. We forgive them their trespasses because these clothes really do have a "wow" factor.

Well, the tyranny has passed. Women who eat can buy beautiful elegant evening gowns at almost any retail store from JC Penny's to Neiman's. Woman can look fashionable and healthy as they arrive beautifully attired at the most fashionable locations in their evening gowns for plus size women.

For more places to find evening gowns for plus size women try visiting http://www.fabulousplussizeclothing.com, a popular website that provides plus size fashion advice, tips and resources to include information on plus size swimwear, dresses, bras, prom dresses and maternity wear.

Anti-Bullying Skills and Techniques for Children

2008-07-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Bullying is a big problem in our schools today. However, bullying has always been a problem. The main differences between bullying today from the past are the nature of the bullying and the violence that occurs in the aftermath. Cyberbullying is becoming a popular and more destructive form of bullying than traditional bullying. More children today are bringing guns to school to seek revenge on others. Bullying has been around and will probably remain for years to come. Not only was I bullied as a child, but I continue to get bullied today as an adult. I do not believe that we have the power to rid the world of bullying. I believe the answer to the issue of bullying rests with all of us, especially the victims of bullying. I am not suggesting that victims of bullying are responsible for bullying. On the contrary, what I am suggesting is that victims of bullying have the power in themselves to think, behave, and react in ways that limits or eradicates bullying. As a society, we spend too much of our energy identifying and punishing the bully that we fail to spend enough time empowering the victims of bullying. We should spend more of our energy on the things that we can control rather than the things we have limited or no control over. We need to teach children about the power that they already possess. Let me elaborate on a few issues that parents should teach their children regarding the issue of bullying.

Let's first talk about the characteristics of bullying. Typically, bullies and their victims share the same characteristic - low self-esteem. It just depends on whether they internalize or externalize their feelings that will determine if they will become a bully or a victim of bullying. Typically, negative situations and events in the child's life can trigger low self-esteem. Externalizing feelings can cause some children to become bullies as they attempt to control their environment to compensate for their lack of control in their family. For instance, if a child's parents are divorcing and the child is very upset about the divorce, he or she might feel powerless in their ability to keep their parents together. As a result, the child might take out his or her rage on others for purposes of seeking control to compensate for his or her lack of control over their parents' impending divorce.

Given the same scenario (parental divorce), some children internalize their feelings by not talking or acting out how they feel. Instead, they become depressed and withdrawn feeling like a failure. Often, they develop a negative image of themselves and their physical appearance. They look at others and the world around them with shaded lens. When a bully validates this child's feelings about themselves, this child often reacts negatively to the validation because he or she feels the bully is correct in their interpretation.

Often times, children with high self-esteem do not respond negatively to bullies because they already know that whatever the bully says negatively about them is untrue and therefore they do not feel the need to defend themselves against the foolishness of others.

As human beings, our behavior, thoughts, and feelings are never dictated or controlled by others, situations, and events unless we allow this to occur. Simply said, others, situations, and events can trigger a reaction based on what we are thinking. In other words, if I really didn't want to go to work today and my car has a flat tire, I might experience happiness because I didn't want to go to work. On the other hand given the same event (flat tire), I might want to go to work today to take care of some undone business. Because the flat tire might delay or eliminate my chances of getting to work, this situation might cause me anger. How could the same event in both situations cause two different feelings? It wasn't the event at all that triggered the feelings. It was what I was thinking about the event that triggered my feelings. Therefore, manipulating the way we think can alter how we feel. We all have the ability to take ownership and control over our thoughts. We however have limited or no control over specific events, situations, and the behavior of others. Sometimes, we attempt to control events, situations, and others but become frustrated when our attempts fail.

Now, how does the paragraph above apply to the issue of bullying? The main goal of bullies is to attempt to get their victims to experience fear, anger, or sadness. Once their victim demonstrates signs of these emotions via the words he or she uses and/or their body language, the bully has complete and total control over them. The bully will continue to bully their victim until the victim no longer verbally and/or physically displays fear, anger, or sadness in response to the bullying. The bullying will end once the victim responds the opposite of what the bully expects.

How do we get children to react the opposite of what the bully expects? This is where role-playing comes in handy. Parents should regularly sit down with their children helping them learn to react the opposite of what bullies expect. Often times, this task is much easier when the parent knows what hurtful words or phrases bullies say that makes their children feel fearful, angry, or sad. Using these hurtful words and/or phrases in role-plays will emotionally prepare children when they are approached by bullies.

It is also important to teach children that they have the power to change or affect the agenda of bullies by the words they use. For instance, if a bully calls a child 'stupid', the child could defuse the bullying by stating to the bully, â€œThat's niceâ€, â€œHow about thatâ€, â€œOh, wellâ€, and so forth. The worst thing that the child could do is respond by telling the bully that he or she is stupid or make any other negative statement. A negative response will only inflame the situation encouraging further bullying.

In addition, parents should teach and role-play with their children specified forms of body language that reflects a child with high self-esteem from a child with low self-esteem. Body language communicates feelings more so than spoken words. If a child yells at a bully that he or she is not bothered by their behavior, the bully knows that the child is bothered because of the yelling. Lack of eye contact, looking down, slouched posture, lack of hygiene, and low tone of voice can be viewed as symptoms of low self-esteem.

Parents need to teach their children that bullies rarely get angry with them. Bullies are typically angry at themselves and/or events that are or have occurred in their own life for which they have limited or no control. Bullies indirectly take out their anger on the ones they could easily control.

Parents should never teach their children to physically fight back when approached by a bully. The problem with fighting back is that children will get themselves into trouble for engaging in physically assaultive behavior. Think of it this way - bullies rarely ever throw the first punch. They always entice their victim into throwing the first punch. This way, when they are asked who started the fight, the bully could easily and truthfully state that their victim started it. In addition, there are significant legal ramifications that can arise as a result of physically assaultive behavior.

It is important to remember that physical violence typically occurs after a negative verbal interaction. Violence typically is provoked and rarely unprovoked. Therefore to avoid violence, the conflict can and should be defused during the verbal exchange. This is why the words victims say and their body language are so significant and detrimental to the outcome of bullying. Recent school shootings suggest that the shooters were bullied by their classmates. The bullying subsequently provoked the school violence.

Parents should be cautious when teaching their children to ignore bullies. The problem with ignoring is that the bully knows that their behavior is irritating, annoying, and controlling their victim. Therefore, the bullying will continue.

Parents should be cautious when teaching their children to constantly report bullying to an adult. Parents should encourage their children to first attempt to resolve the bullying on their own with the skills taught above. If their children are unsuccessful resolving these issues on their own, they should be encouraged to report the bullying. If their children automatically report the bullying without attempting to defuse the situation on their own, they will be perceived and labeled as a tattle-tale which will encourage more bullying.

Parents need to teach their children the correct definition of the word 'tattling'. Some children feel that reporting misbehavior to adults is considered tattling. Parents need to teach their children that reporting on others just to see them get into trouble is considered tattling. A child that reports to his or her parents that their brother is picking his nose is tattling. Children always need to report to an adult if they were physically, sexually, or verbally harmed by others or if they witnessed others engaging in destructive or illegal behaviors.

It is very easy to feel sorry and sympathy toward victims of bullying. However, it would be more helpful to the victim if we are more empathic to their needs by empowering them to diffuse bullying on their own. As a result, their ability to defuse the bullying would ultimately raise their level of self-esteem and self-worth.