Health Care Team

Archive for March, 2011

Daniels argues the new laws place undue burden on state governments. He specifically criticizes the state-based exchange system expected to be implemented in 2014 under the new laws, and he lays out reforms to the system that he and 20 other governors have endorsed in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

“If there’s to be a train wreck, we governors would rather be spectators than conductors,” Daniels wrote. “But if the federal government is willing to reroute the train to a different, more productive track, we are here to help.”

Under the new health care laws, the states are also expected to expand their Medicaid rolls, and Daniels writes that the expansion could cost Indiana taxpayers .6 billion to billion over the next 10 years.

“This is a huge burden for our state, and yet another incremental expenditure the law’s authors declined to account for truthfully,” he says.

Additionally, state governments are expected to set up exchanges — or health insurance “marketplaces” — for some citizens in need of health care.

Daniels writes that attempting to set up the exchanges could result in a “first-rate operational catastrophe” for the states, which would be responsible for setting up and running a complex system based on new federal rules. If a state declines to participate, the federal government would have to operate the exchange directly. Daniels writes that this prompted him to pen the letter to Sebelius, where he proposed certain conditions under which he and other governors would agree to create the exchanges themselves.  Read more... (425 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Just like humans, many dogs suffer from poor nutrition and obesity. Not feeding your dog properly can lead to several health issues. Obesity can lead to canine diabetes and problems with the heart, liver, and joints. Not only should you be eliminating table scraps from your dog’s diet, you need to ensure that the dog food you do feed him is full of vitamins and minerals to provide energy and promote healthy growth.

Providing your dog with the proper nutrients can mean a healthier dog and hopefully less trips to the vet and a cheaper pet insurance plan. There are six essential nutrients that every dog needs. The first is water. (Yes! Water is a nutrient!) Water makes up 60-70% of an adult dog’s body weight. Although pet food does contain water, a dog still needs fresh water available at all times. A 10% decrease in water can lead to serious illnesses and a 15% decrease can lead to death.

The next nutrient is protein. Proteins provide energy and are building blocks for cells, tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. Chicken, lamb, beef, eggs, and fish are all good sources of protein. Protein can also be found in vegetables, cereals, and soy, but these sources do not contain ample amounts.

Carbohydrates also provide energy for the body. Fiber is one type of carbohydrate that will help your dog’s digestive system.  Read more... (528 words, 1 image, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

The modern types of hair loss treatment are such an improvement on older techniques that there really is hope for everyone. Sufferers from male and female pattern baldness have reported a huge upturn in the success of their treatments: with parallel rises in the comfort experienced in post op situations. Where previously hair replacement therapy was considered painful and even dangerous, modern alternatives represent a far less invasive and far more successful solution to a problem that has caused embarrassment and discomfort for too many years already.

Older techniques of hair loss treatment were so painful and intrusive that they were classified as medically invasive surgery, often involving a painful recovery time that presented a high risk of post operation infection and a depressingly large chance that the therapy would not take. Modern techniques, by contrast, have been designed so well that they are now viewed as simple minor operations, with the only really likely after effect being a mild swelling that is easily controlled by prescribing anti inflammatory drugs.  Read more... (512 words, 1 image, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. The lobes and lobules are connected by thin tubes called ducts.

Each breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lymph vessels carry an almost colorless fluid called lymph. The lymph vessels lead to small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes that help the body fight infection and disease. Lymph nodes are found throughout the body. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla (under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest.

Breast cancer is sometimes detected (found) in women who are pregnant or have just given birth.

In women who are pregnant or who have just given birth, breast cancer occurs most often between the ages of 32 and 38. Breast cancer occurs about once in every 3,000 pregnancies.

It may be difficult to detect (find) breast cancer early in pregnant or nursing women, whose breasts are often tender and swollen.

Women who are pregnant, nursing, or have just given birth usually have tender, swollen breasts. This can make small lumps difficult to detect and may lead to delays in diagnosing breast cancer. Because of these delays, cancers are often found at a later stage in these women.

Breast examination should be part of prenatal and postnatal care.  Read more... (1526 words, 1 image, estimated 6:06 mins reading time)

British scientists have developed “the first reliable test of whether men are at high risk of prostate cancer”, reported the Daily Mail. It said the test has so far proven to be twice as precise as the existing PSA test, and is of urine rather than blood, which would make it cheaper to perform.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, affecting 35,000 men in the UK a year, with 10,000 of those dying from the disease. This research shows that men with the disease have reduced levels of a protein called MSMB.

This is very early laboratory research, and it is too early to suggest that the test “offers hope to thousands”. It is still not known whether a test based on this research could improve prediction of prostate cancer risk, prostate cancer diagnosis or disease monitoring. Larger studies within the community are needed before we have a better idea of whether this test could be a useful addition to the existing tests for prostate cancer.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Cambridge Research Institute and other research centres in the UK, US and Australia. It was funded by the University of Cambridge, CRUK, The Institute of Cancer Research, The Everyman Campaign, the EU, Hutchison Whampoa Limited and The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. The study was published in the peer-reviewed open-access journal PLoS ONE.  Read more... (1365 words, 1 image, estimated 5:28 mins reading time)