Republican Presidential Debate Includes No Questions On Health Care

Friday 30 November 2007 at 12:00 am Eight Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday participated in a debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., sponsored by CNN and YouTube that "passed without any questions about health care," the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/29).

During the debate, moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, the candidates answered some of the almost 5,000 questions submitted through YouTube (Reinhard/Klas, Miami Herald, 11/29). An analysis of the first 3,000 questions submitted found that 15% focused on health care (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 11/28).

According to the New York Times, "there was no discussion of health care proposals" during the debate, but the candidates "managed to illuminate some of their differences" on the issue during a discussion on immigration (Cooper/Santora, New York Times, 11/29). Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney criticized former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his efforts to challenge a federal law that requires employees to report undocumented immigrants who seek emergency health care and other services (Miami Herald, 11/29). (more)

Skin Aging Reversed in Lab Test

Friday 30 November 2007 at 12:00 am Technique Works in Mice, but Is It Safe for People?
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 29, 2007 -- Researchers say they've turned back the clock on aging skin -- in mice, at least -- and may be one step closer to unlocking the aging process.

"The implication is that the aging process is plastic and potentially amenable to intervention," Stanford University assistant professor of dermatology Howard Chang, MD, PhD, says in a news release.

But don't kiss your wrinkles good-bye just yet. The technique hasn't been tested in people and its long-term effects aren't known. (more)

Benefits Of Electronic Health Records Outweigh Risks, Survey Finds

Friday 30 November 2007 at 12:00 am Sixty percent of adults believe the benefits of using electronic health records outweigh the potential privacy risks, according to a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll, the Wall Street Journal Online reports. The survey, conducted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14, included 2,153 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

According to the survey, 63% of adults believe EHRs could significantly decrease medical errors and 55% believe EHRs could significantly reduce health care costs. In addition, 67% of adults said the use of EHRs could improve quality of care by reducing duplicative or unnecessary tests, and 74% said they believe patients could receive better care based on scientific knowledge if physicians and researchers were able to share information more easily using EHRs.

However, 51% of adults said that using EHRs would make it more difficult to ensure patient privacy (Bright, Wall Street Journal Online, 11/28).

States With Higher Uninsured Rates Have Higher Suicide Rates, According To Report

Thursday 29 November 2007 at 12:00 am States with higher rates of residents who lack health insurance have higher rates of depression and suicide, according to an unpublished study commissioned by Mental Health America and released to USA Today. For the study, sponsored by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Tami Mark of Thomson Healthcare used federal data on mental health and state databases to develop a "depression index" and ranked states based on rates and seriousness of depression, and rates of suicide.

Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois and Hawaii had the lowest rates of depression and suicide, and Utah, West Virginia, Idaho and Nevada had the highest rates, the study found. According to the study, rates of suicide in states with the highest rates exceeded those in states with the lowest rates by two to four times. States with lower rates of suicide had higher rates of adults who received mental health care, more availability of psychologists and psychiatrists, and mental health parity laws that require health insurers to provide equal levels of coverage for physical and mental illnesses, the study found. (more)

Republican Presidential Candidates Romney, Giuliani Trade Criticism Over Health Care

Thursday 29 November 2007 at 12:00 am Presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) on Tuesday during an appearance at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., said that presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) in 1994 "had nothing but praise" for the health care proposal offered by former President Bill Clinton (D) and then-first lady Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the AP/Miami Herald reports. According to a recent New York Times article, Giuliani in 1994 said that the proposal was "doing some pretty good things" (Farrington, AP/Miami Herald, 11/27).

Romney said, "Why the change in attitude? He was all roses and petals for Hillary's plan. ... Now that I'm running for president, he's decided it's not such a good idea" (Campanile, New York Post, 11/28).

Giuliani has criticized Romney for a recently implemented Massachusetts health insurance law that requires all state residents to obtain coverage. Giuliani spokesperson Katie Levinson said, "Romney passed a mandate and tax hike-laden health care plan in Massachusetts which Hillary Clinton's own legislative director said was just like HillaryCare" (AP/Miami Herald, 11/27). (more)

Young Adults Use Facebook To Advocate Health Insurance Expansion

Thursday 29 November 2007 at 12:00 am More than 20 groups on the Web site Facebook are "dedicated to advocating expanded government health coverage" and "many of them have hundreds of members," with some who "explicitly tie the issue to the 2008 elections," The Politico reports. According to The Politico, the number and size of the groups are "unsurprising when you consider the surge in interest in health policy among young people, one-third of whom are uninsured."

A recent poll of young adults conducted by Rock the Vote found that health care ranked as their second most important election issue after the war in Iraq. Mollyann Brodie, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice president and director of the Foundation's public opinion and media research, said, "Health care is a topic that young people are engaged in and interested in this campaign." (more)

Cheap, 'safe' drug kills most cancers

Wednesday 28 November 2007 at 12:00 am New Scientist has received an unprecedented amount of interest in this story from readers. If you would like up-to-date information on any plans for clinical trials of DCA in patients with cancer, or would like to donate towards a fund for such trials, please visit the site set up by the University of Alberta and the Alberta Cancer Board. We will also follow events closely and will report any progress as it happens.

It sounds almost too good to be true: a cheap and simple drug that kills almost all cancers by switching off their "immortality". The drug, dichloroacetate (DCA), has already been used for years to treat rare metabolic disorders and so is known to be relatively safe.

It also has no patent, meaning it could be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of newly developed drugs. (more)

Diet may influence the sex of your baby

Wednesday 28 November 2007 at 12:00 am A mother's diet in the run-up to conception could influence the sex of her child, suggests a study in mice. The research shows that mice given drugs to lower their blood-sugar levels produced significantly more female than male pups.

The findings lend credence to traditional beliefs that eating certain foods can influence the sex of offspring.

The conventional wisdom is that the father's sperm is the main determinant of the sex of a child. But increasingly scientists have found hints that maternal factors might have an influence too. For example, earlier work has suggested that single mothers are more likely to give birth to daughters.

Elissa Cameron at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and her colleagues wanted to study how changes in diet might influence sex ratios - the proportion of males to females in a population. (more)

Tobacco Marketers Targeting Teens Near Schools

Wednesday 28 November 2007 at 12:00 am Joe Camel may be long gone, but that doesn't mean tobacco marketers have abandoned their efforts to get young people hooked on smoking.

A new Canadian study reports that tobacco marketers have found a way around tobacco advertising restrictions, reaching teens by marketing in retail shops located near high schools. The findings, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, suggest the strategy is working.

"At the time of the study, we found that, compared to retail stores near schools with low smoking prevalence, stores near schools with high smoking prevalence had significantly lower prices per cigarette, more in-store promotions and fewer government-sponsored health warnings," said University of Alberta researcher and study co-author Candace Nykiforuk. (more)

Congress Unlikely To Approve Major Health Care Proposals From President Bush

Tuesday 27 November 2007 at 12:00 am President Bush likely will not have the ability to obtain congressional approval of major proposals for health care and other domestic policy areas in his second term amid his "escalating criticism of Congress, intensifying Democratic opposition to funding the war in Iraq and the arrival of a political season with control of the White House and Congress at stake," the Chicago Tribune reports. In his first term, Bush signed legislation that established the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

In his second term, Bush has proposed a series of tax credits to help U.S. residents purchase private health insurance, but the plan has not received support from Congress (Silva, Chicago Tribune, 11/24). Bush also has proposed to establish a "modern system" of health care for veterans in which the "bureaucracy functions as smoothly as possible" (Ward, Washington Times, 11/25). (more)

Senators Do Not Face High Health Care Costs, Concerns Of Uninsured

Tuesday 27 November 2007 at 12:00 am The New York Times on Sunday examined how, when senators discuss health care reform, they "usually speak in abstract terms about soaring health costs and the plight of the uninsured," problems from which "members of Congress are usually insulated." According to the Times, senators have access to a number of health insurance options through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and they "are not normally exposed to the fears that strike many workers as employers reduce health benefits and insurers increase premiums year after year."

In response, some major Democratic presidential candidates have said that all U.S. residents "should have coverage as good as what Congress has," the Times reports. Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has said that she would "give all Americans the same set of insurance options that their members of Congress have," and presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has said that, under his health care proposal, all residents would have access to "health care that is as good as the health care that I have as a member of Congress." In addition, presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) has said that he would seek to end health insurance for lawmakers in the event that they do not approve legislation to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents within six months. (more)

New York Times Examines Massachusetts Individual Health Insurance Mandate

Tuesday 27 November 2007 at 12:00 am The New York Times on Sunday examined the progress of the Massachusetts law requiring individuals to obtain health coverage, and the lessons it may provide for the presidential campaign and efforts in other states. The reluctance of many Massachusetts residents to enroll in health insurance plans, "along with the possible exemption of 60,000 residents who cannot afford premiums, has raised questions about whether even a mandate can guarantee truly universal coverage," the Times reports. Under Massachusetts' health insurance law, most residents who do not obtain health coverage will lose their 2008 state income tax exemption, worth $219, and residents who remain uninsured in 2008 will face fines of half the cost of the least-expensive insurance policy available, probably at least $1,000, according to the Times. (more)

Rapid Response Saves Children's Lives In Hospital

Wednesday 21 November 2007 at 12:00 am Proactive deployment of rapid response teams, even on a gut feel, to intervene in the care of sick hospitalized children, rather than cautious watching and waiting can significantly reduce deaths, said researchers and clinicians at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

The first study to show that using rapid response teams (RRTs) proactively can reduce deaths and cardiopulmonary arrest rates in young patients is published in the November 21st issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Chief clinical patient safety officer at Packard Children's Hospital, and assistant professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr Paul Sharek, who co-authored the research, said that: (more)

Most College Students Wish They Were Thinner, Study Shows

Wednesday 21 November 2007 at 12:00 am Most normal-weight women -- almost 90 percent in a Cornell study of 310 college students -- yearn to be thinner. Half of underweight women want to lose even more weight, or stay just the way they are, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, most overweight women don't want to be thin enough to achieve a healthy weight.

According to the study, one of the few to quantify the magnitude of body-weight dissatisfaction, which was published recently in the journal Eating Behaviors, most -- 78 percent -- of the overweight males surveyed also want to weigh less. But of this group, almost two-thirds -- 59 percent -- do not want to lose enough, so the body weight they desire would still keep them overweight. (more)

Democratic Presidential Candidate Richardson Discusses Health Care Proposal During Forum

Wednesday 21 November 2007 at 12:00 am Presidential candidate New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) on Monday during a forum in Washington, D.C., organized by Families USA and the Federation of American Hospitals discussed his proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, CQ HealthBeat reports. During the forum, Richardson said, "I absolutely believe that all Americans should have quality, affordable health care."

He said that he would not seek to establish a health care system administered by the federal government because "we can get a better bang for the buck before going with something new." In addition, Richardson said that he would take a "market-based" approach to health care focused on "rapidly expanding coverage through current models." Under his proposal, companies would have to offer health insurance to employees and in some cases would receive tax credits in exchange. (more)

Is Stress Making You Lose Your Hair?

Tuesday 20 November 2007 at 12:00 am We are all familiar with the comic character running around and pulling their hair out in reaction to a stressful situation. But you might be amazed to learn that there really is a connection between stress and hair loss.

Hair Awareness
The condition of a person's hair actually reveals a lot about the level of stress in their lives. In Chinese medicine, the hair is viewed as a reflection of the vital kidney essence. Shiny, healthy looking hair generally indicates a state of contentedness and vitality.

On the other hand, dry, lifeless hair most likely signals that a person is struggling with stress and unhappiness. In the case of hair loss, the Chinese medical perspective regards the cause to be the decline of the vital essence due to stress, physical and emotional strain, an unhealthy lifestyle, and too much alcohol. (more)

Health Insurance Scams Targeting Small Businesses, Individuals Increasing

Tuesday 20 November 2007 at 12:00 am The Wall Street Journal on Sunday examined the increasing number of small employers and individuals "searching for affordable health insurance" who fall "victim to scams and misleading offers." According to Mila Kofman, a Georgetown University associate professor who has studied the issue, more than 200,000 small businesses and U.S. residents since 2000 have purchased fraudulent health care plans and were left with hundred of millions of dollars in unpaid medical claims.

Telemarketers also have begun targeting seniors by selling fake Medicare prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage policies, according to Kim Holland, commissioner at the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Holland said some telemarketers use the calls as a ploy to collect private data for identity theft. Meanwhile, fake group policies for small businesses and their employees often are "pitched through unsolicited faxes," the Journal reports. (more)

'Milestone' stem cell advance reported

Tuesday 20 November 2007 at 12:00 am NEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It's a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

The "direct reprogramming" technique avoids the swarm of ethical, political and practical obstacles that have stymied attempts to produce human stem cells by cloning embryos. (more)

New Breath Freshener?

Monday 19 November 2007 at 12:00 am Magnolia Bark Extract vs. Bad Breath
Study: Compounds in Magnolia Bark Extract Fight Bacteria That Cause Bad Breath
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 16, 2007 -- Magnolia bark extract contains chemicals that kill bacteria that cause bad breath (halitosis), a new study shows.

Those compounds are called magnolol and honokiol, according to the study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (more)

Leafy Greens May Cut Heart Attack Harm

Monday 19 November 2007 at 12:00 am Nutrients in Vegetables May Help Protect the Heart From Heart Attack Damage
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 16, 2007 -- Nitrites and nitrates, found in foods including leafy greens, may cut heart damage in a heart attack.

That news comes from lab tests in mice. (more)

CMS Revises Medicare Pamphlet To Include Information About Extra Costs Associated With Private Medicare Advantage Plans

Monday 19 November 2007 at 12:00 am CMS has revised a Medicare handbook to include more information about the differences in out-of-pocket costs between private Medicare Advantage plans and traditional Medicare coverage, The Hill reports. The "Medicare & You" handbook, which is provided annually to beneficiaries, also has been amended to include additional information about benefits and options for coverage under the traditional Medicare plan, private MA plans, Medicare prescription drug plans and other types of private health plans.

Critics had accused the Bush administration of using the handbook as a political tool to promote MA plans because earlier versions included less information about the differences between deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for MA plans and traditional Medicare. The administration denies the charge. Lawmakers also had complained that CMS did not allow them to make recommendations or review the handbook in advance of its release. (more)

Senate HELP Committee Passes Three Bills Related To Health

Friday 16 November 2007 at 12:18 pm The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday approved three bills that would authorize funds for community health centers and pediatric cancer and tuberculosis research, CQ HealthBeat reports.

The committee approved an unnumbered bill sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that would reauthorize the Community Health Center program at more than $14 billion annually from FY 2008 to FY 2012. The legislation would authorize $2.2 billion for the program in FY 2008, with funds for the program scheduled to increase each fiscal year to $3.5 billion in FY 2012 (Gensheimer/Nylen, CQ HealthBeat, 11/14).

In addition, the bill would authorize $60 million from fiscal year 2008 to FY 2012 for the National Health Service Corps program, which provides scholarships and loan repayments to physicians and nurses who agree to work in underserved areas (Edney, CongressDaily, 11/15). (more)

Stress Linked to Girls' Early Puberty

Friday 16 November 2007 at 12:16 pm Family Conflict, Depression Associated With Earlier Puberty
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 15, 2007 -- Findings from a newly published study support the idea that family conflict can influence the timing of puberty in girls.

Bruce Ellis, PhD, of the University of Arizona, and Marilyn Essex, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin, followed children from preschool to middle childhood. They also conducted interviews with the children's parents to assess family stresses, including economic difficulty, marital problems, parental depression, and parenting style. (more)

Health Care: Next President's Top Job?

Friday 16 November 2007 at 12:14 pm Health Experts Say Universal Health Insurance Should Be a Top Priority for Next President
By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 15, 2007 -- Health insurance for everyone should be the top health care priority for the next president, according to recommendations issued Thursday by a group of the nation's top health policy experts.

The experts are calling on the next president to push for coverage of all the 47 million Americans who now lack it. They should also move to overhaul how doctors, hospitals, and patients handle medical treatment in the $2 trillion-per-year health system, the group says. (more)

New Republic Releases Special Issue On Health Care

Thursday 15 November 2007 at 2:39 pm As part of a New Republic special issue on health care, Jonathan Cohn examined whether universal health care "would lead to both less innovation and less access to the innovation that already exists." According to Cohn, in a universal health system, the government "would seek to limit spending by forcing down payments to doctors and pharmaceutical companies, while scrutinizing treatments for cost-effectiveness."

Although conservatives claim that universal health care "would necessarily lead to inferior treatments," ultimately, "whether innovation would continue to thrive under universal health care depends entirely on what kind of system we create and how well we run it," Cohn writes, adding, "In fact, it's quite possible that universal coverage could lead to better innovation."

NIH, which in 2006 spent more than $28 billion on research, is "probably the primary explanation for why so many of the intellectual breakthroughs in medical science happen here," but its separate funding means that there is "no reason why" the agency could not continue to fund research under a universal health care system, according to Cohn. (more)

November Issue Of Reproductive Health Matters Focuses On Maternal Mortality

Thursday 15 November 2007 at 2:38 pm Reproductive Health Matters and Elsevier are pleased to announce the publication of the November Issue devoted to the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Safe Motherhood Initiative launched by the World Health Organization in 1987. The November issue responds to the question - Is Pregnancy Getting Safer for Women?

The answer is yes - and no.

- Globally, the maternal mortality ratio went down from 430 to 400 per 100,000 live births in the 15 years from 1990 to 2005 (a 5.4% decline).

- There has been a 7% decrease since 1990 in the estimated number of maternal deaths globally. (more)

Teens Ignore Food Allergies

Thursday 15 November 2007 at 2:34 pm Students Inattentive to Food Allergies
Study Shows Many College Students Don't Pay Attention to Their Food Allergies
By Patricia Kirk
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 14, 2007 -- College undergraduates have a somewhat nonchalant attitude about their food allergies that may put them at high risk for accidental exposure.

A new study of college students shows that about half of those reporting a history of food allergies continue to eat foods that they are allergic to. Among those who reported physician-diagnosed food allergy, 42% said they will still eat food they know contains an allergen. (more)

Rising Health Care Costs Spur Policymakers, Business Leaders To Consider Shift Away From Employer-Sponsored System

Wednesday 14 November 2007 at 12:25 pm The number of U.S. residents who receive employer-sponsored health coverage "is continuing to shrink, raising anxiety among workers and invigorating a debate about whether insurance should be tied to jobs," USA Today reports.

Although the idea of eliminating the employer-sponsored health system has been considered before, it is "taking on a new life," according to Paul Fronstin of the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Policymakers, politicians and some business leaders are considering a number of strategies that reflect "the differing philosophies about the direction" the country should move: "either toward a health insurance market in which people buy policies on their own while armed with tax credits or deductions, or one in which people are able to buy insurance through group-like 'exchanges,' with some government oversight," USA Today reports.

Higher Incomes Allow U.S. Residents To Spend More On Health Care, According To Opinion Piece

Wednesday 14 November 2007 at 12:22 pm "America's high productivity gives [it] the ability to spend more on health care, especially the latest treatments and technologies, than other developed nations that labor under forms of socialized health care," John Graham, director of health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. Because U.S. residents earn "so much more than people in other countries, it naturally follows that we spend more on health care," he continues, adding, "Even after paying for our health care, Americans have far more money left over than their neighbors to spend on other goods and services."

However, "averages obscure many harsh realities and hide the fact that many Americans are unable to afford health care," he writes. According to Graham, "To improve the state of American health care and lighten the burden on business and workers, policy leaders should push for portability of health benefits, transparent pricing for health services, tort reforms and more competition among both insurers and providers." Graham concludes, "Given America's superior economic performance, however," the lack of universal health care "is a uniqueness we should not rush to abandon" (Graham, Wall Street Journal, 11/13). (more)

No-Carb Diet May Curb Prostate Cancer

Wednesday 14 November 2007 at 12:20 pm In Lab Tests on Mice, Prostate Tumors Grow Slower With No-Carbohydrate Diet
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 13, 2007 -- Forgoing carbohydrates may slow the growth of prostate cancer, according to preliminary lab tests in mice.

The researchers aren't making dietary recommendations for men. But they say the topic deserves further study. (more)

Christmas Trees: Source of Indoor Mold?

Tuesday 13 November 2007 at 09:35 am Study Shows Trees May Bring Allergy Symptoms Along With Holiday Cheer
By Patricia Kirk
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 12, 2007 -- Live Christmas trees may bring more than the fresh pine scent of the holiday season into homes, according to a new study.

The study, which was presented at The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting in Dallas, examined the relationship between mold growth on live Christmas trees and poor indoor air quality. (more)

Congress Takes 'Whacks' At Tobacco Industry With Proposed Increase In Federal Cigarette Tax To Fund SCHIP Expansion, APReports

Tuesday 13 November 2007 at 09:34 am Congress is "taking new whacks" at the tobacco industry with its proposed 61-cent increase in the federal tobacco tax to pay for the reauthorization and expansion of SCHIP, AP/Long Island Newsday reports. According to AP/Newsday, although the cigarette industry "is quietly working against" the SCHIP bill, "it lacks the clout it once wielded."

To lobby against the tax increase, Philip Morris USA is sponsoring a Web site, mailings and a toll-free number urging individuals to contact their lawmakers and ask them to sustain President Bush's veto. The company's advertising materials state, "Taxing smokers is unfair." Philip Morris has asked tobacco growers, retailers and wholesalers to contact their lawmakers as well, according to spokesperson Bill Phelps. (more)

Minority Youth Less Likely To Receive Annual Dental Checkups, AHRQ Data Indicate

Tuesday 13 November 2007 at 09:32 am Fewer than half of U.S. children under age 20 visit a dentist at least once annually, and even fewer minority youths receive regular dental checkups, according to the most recent data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

According to AHRQ, 34% of black youths and 33% of Hispanic youths visited a dentist annually in 2004, compared with 53% of white youths. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children receive at least two dental checkups annually. In addition, 31% of those from poorer families made such visits, compared with 47% of children from middle-income families and 62% of those with higher incomes.

Some experts say the disparities are related to a shortage of dentists who treat Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as families' lack of access to health insurance and adequate dental coverage. (more)

Physician Group Estimates Health Care For Iraq Veterans Could Be More Than $650B

Monday 12 November 2007 at 12:12 pm Health care for veterans returning from the Iraq war could cost the U.S. as much as $650 billion, eventually exceeding the cost of combat operations, according to a study by the Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Boston Globe reports. The study, titled "Shock and Awe Hits Home," was led by Evan Kanter, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Washington and a staff physician at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Researchers estimated future costs by extrapolating data on the present costs for treating military personnel with severe health problems such as blast injuries from improvised explosive devices; the high rate of traumatic brain injuries; and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects about one-third of troops who have served in Iraq, according to VA estimates. The group's analysis of the data assumed that at the current rate of deployment, up to two million U.S. military personnel will serve in Iraq through the end of the combat operations. Researchers also examined veterans' disability payment data, the Globe reports. (more)

Botox May Ease Arthritis Shoulder Pain

Monday 12 November 2007 at 12:10 pm Researchers Report Promising Results From Preliminary Study of Botox for Shoulder Pain
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 9, 2007 -- Researchers today reported that Botox shots may ease arthritis-related joint pain.

They studied 43 people with moderate, long-lasting shoulder pain caused by osteoarthritis. (more)

New Reason for Wrinkles?

Monday 12 November 2007 at 12:09 pm Sagging Face: Bones to Blame?
Study: Facial Bones Shift With Age, Setting the Stage for Sagging Skin
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 9, 2007 -- When faces sag with age, there may be an architectural reason for it -- and possibly an architectural fix, too.

It's all about the bones, according to Michael Richard, MD, and Julie Woodward, MD, of Duke University Medical Center. (more)

House Subcommittee Passes Bill That Would Extend American Indian Health Care Improvement Act

Friday 09 November 2007 at 10:05 am The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday voted to approve legislation (HR 1328) that would extend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act through fiscal year 2017, CQ Today reports. The bill is intended to improve health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The bill, approved by voice vote, includes an amendment that would clarify that American Indian Health programs must meet state requirements before they can receive state Medicaid funding. Republican members said they intend to propose other amendments when the bill is introduced to the full committee. Potential amendments could include proof-of-citizenship rules for American Indians and provisions addressing American Indians who reside in urban areas (Lubbes/Nylen, CQ Today, 11/7). (more)

Lawmakers Fail To Reach Agreement On SCHIP Legislations, Negotiations Continue

Friday 09 November 2007 at 10:03 am Lawmakers on Wednesday failed to reach an agreement on revisions to a bill that would reauthorize and expand SCHIP, CongressDaily reports. The lawmakers had set Wednesday as the deadline to complete negotiations on the bill that could garner support from enough House Republicans to override a presidential veto. After talks on Tuesday failed to produce an agreement, about 10 House Republicans joined the discussions on Wednesday, including House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Joe Barton (R-Texas) (Johnson, CongressDaily, 11/8).

According to meeting participants, the discussions focused on three main points: provisions to prevent undocumented immigrants from enrolling in the program; creating incentives for states to offer premium assistance to low-income families to purchase private insurance; and creating a mechanism that would prevent states from enrolling children in families with annual incomes greater than 250% of the federal poverty level before enrolling children in families with annual incomes less than 200% of the poverty level (Wayne, CQ Today, 11/7). (more)

U.S. Health Care System Faces 'Expert Service Problem,' Columnist Writes

Friday 09 November 2007 at 10:02 am Possibly the "biggest flaw" with the health care system is that patients in most cases "aren't sophisticated enough to make an independent judgment" about the medical services they require and thus have to rely on physicians, columnist David Leonhardt writes in the New York Times. According to Leonhardt, economists in some cases refer to such a situation, which also can occur in the field of auto repair, as an "expert service problem" because the "same expert who is diagnosing the flaw is the one who will be paid to fix it."

Leonhardt writes that, "when a situation is too complex for an amateur to grasp -- and when it involves shades of gray -- you probably shouldn't expect to get a purely objective diagnosis from someone who has a financial incentive to give you something." According to Leonhardt, the "expert service problem is more serious in medicine than auto repair because most people are less willing to question a doctor than an auto mechanic." He adds, "Any effort to reform American medicine has to grapple with these conflicts of interest" (Leonhardt, New York Times, 11/7). (more)

Nicotine Vaccine May Help Smokers Quit

Thursday 08 November 2007 at 11:08 am Experimental Vaccine Triggers Antibodies That Bind With Nicotine Molecules
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 7, 2007 (Orlando, Fla.) -- A shot in the arm may some day help smokers kick the habit.

In a new study, nearly three times as many smokers given an experimental vaccine against nicotine quit for one year, compared with those given a placebo.

The vaccine is called NicVAX. It triggers the production of antibodies that seek out and bind with nicotine molecules in the blood. That makes them too big to cross the blood-brain barrier and get into the brain, where they produce their stimulatory effect. (more)

100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever

Thursday 08 November 2007 at 11:06 am By Top Dietitians of the American Dietetic Association for Prevention
Got a diet dilemma? Ask a true diet pro: an RD, or registered dietitian. Her job is turning complex nutrition research into doable plans for real people.

Courtesy of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), we took our readers' eleven toughest diet problems and ran them by some of the top dietitians in the US: RDs who, in addition to their private careers, serve as media spokespersons or heads of specialty practice groups for the ADA.

Here's what they told us, in their own words. These tips are solid gold, learned from successful experience with thousands of clients. Some tips are new. Some you've heard before, but they're repeated because they work. This treasure trove of RD wisdom could change your life-starting today. (more)

Exercising For Pain Control

Thursday 08 November 2007 at 11:04 am For people with chronic pain, just getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom can be challenging. So the idea that exercising can be an effective way to control your pain may seem absurd, if not impossible.

However, there are several good reasons why exercise should be part of a long-term pain-management regimen. Here are some of the benefits you can expect: (more)

Want To Keep Your Kids Flu-Free? Study Shows Simple Ways To Get Kids To Wash Their Hands

Wednesday 07 November 2007 at 11:09 am Keeping our hands clean is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy, but anyone with children knows that is easier said than done. However, just in time for flu season, a new study shows that, with a little effort, kids can be taught to make hand washing a habit. (more)

Children Whose Mothers Drank Alcohol During Pregnancy More Likely To Have Conduct Problems

Wednesday 07 November 2007 at 11:08 am A child whose mother drank alcohol while she was pregnant with him/her is more likely to have conduct problems than a child whose mother did not consume alcohol during her pregnancy, according to an article in Archives of General Psychiatry (JAMA/Archives), November issue. (more)

Energy Drinks Jolt the Heart

Wednesday 07 November 2007 at 11:06 am Popular Drinks Boost Blood Pressure, Heart Rate
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 6, 2007 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Energy drinks may boost your blood pressure and heart rate as well as your vitality, researchers say.

In a small study, they found that drinking just two cans of a popular drink increased blood pressure and heart rate within four hours. (more)

Nicotine Cravings May Be Dictated By Genes, Brain Chemistry

Tuesday 06 November 2007 at 12:13 pm Individual brain chemistry and genes could be key to understanding why some people become addicted to nicotine and why the chemical compound's effects appear to diminish at night, University of Colorado at Boulder researchers say. (more)

Prevalence Of Substance Abuse Among US Teens

Tuesday 06 November 2007 at 12:12 pm About fifteen per cent of teenagers had positive results on a substance abuse screening test when they came in for routine outpatient medical care in a primary care network in New England, USA, says an article in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (JAMA/Archives), November issue.

They explain "According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a chronic disease with genetic, environmental and behavioral factors contributing to its cause, manifestations and natural history."

Adolescent addiction can generally predict future addictive disorders. Addiction tends to start during a person's teenage years. "Substance use is associated with the leading causes of death among U.S. teenagers: unintentional injuries, homicides and suicides," the authors write. (more)

State Health Rankings

Tuesday 06 November 2007 at 12:09 pm Vermont Claims ‘Healthiest State'
Rising Obesity Rates Continue to Drag Nation’s Health
By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 5, 2007 -- Vermont has moved into the No. 1 position as the nation's healthiest state, according to an annual 50-state survey released Monday.

Vermont eclipsed Minnesota in 2007 as the nation's overall healthiest state. But the nation's overall health picture got slightly worse from last year to this year. (more)

One Quarter Of Florida Residents Lack Health Coverage, Report Says

Monday 05 November 2007 at 09:34 am One in four Florida residents younger than age 65 is uninsured, and the number of uninsured Florida residents of all ages increased by 38% over the past eight years, according to a report recently released by the Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board, the Miami Herald reports. According to the report, based on U.S. Census data, there are about 3.8 million uninsured residents in Florida. However, the report found that the number of people enrolled in private insurance plans increased from 2005 to 2006.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and a panel he heads on Friday will consider whether to recommend to the state Legislature sweeping changes to reduce the number of uninsured residents. Recommendations could include mandating that college students show proof of health insurance, expanding the state's Healthy Kids program, creating a state-funded pilot program to fund insurance for low-income families, increasing the use of limited-benefits health insurance plans and allowing dependents to remain on their parents' insurance up to age 30. (more)

Health Insurers Targeting Marketing Efforts At Older Adults

Monday 05 November 2007 at 09:32 am Health insurance companies increasingly are focusing marketing efforts for individual policies on the estimated seven million uninsured U.S. residents between the ages of 50 and 64 -- a group they once had "a history of avoiding" because of costly claims for health conditions that frequently affect that age group, the AP/Boston Herald reports. According to some experts, financially secure adults who retire earlier than usual or require insurance after corporate cutbacks are helping drive this trend, which targets people in the years preceding their eligibility for Medicare.

In addition, because of its size, the baby boom generation "represents a big chunk of potential," according to Steve DeRaleau, chief operating officer of HumanaOne, which introduced an individual policy last spring for early retirees. (more)

Coffee vs. Skin Cancer?

Monday 05 November 2007 at 09:30 am Coffee vs. Skin Cancer?
Study: Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer May Be Rarer in White Postmenopausal Women Who Drink Caffeinated Coffee
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 2, 2007 -- America's most common cancer may be rarer among postmenopausal women who drink coffee.

The researchers who report that news are talking about nonmelanoma skin cancer.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be more than a million new cases and fewer than 2,000 deaths from nonmelanoma skin cancer in the U.S. in 2007. (more)

Your Health May Be Only Skin-Deep: The Fourth-Leading Cause Of Death In The U.S. Is Often A Result Of Bacteria On Patients' Own Skin

Friday 02 November 2007 at 09:05 am Did you know your own skin could be the source of a deadly infection that could kill you? Currently, 271 people a day - the equivalent of one airline crash - will die from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. In many cases, these HAIs are a result of naturally-occurring bacteria on the skin that entered the bloodstream during a medical procedure and became a life-threatening infection.

To view the PSA and learn more about healthcare-associated infections, please click here.

HAIs will kill approximately 99,000 people this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is more yearly deaths than AIDS, breast cancer, and auto accidents combined. In fact, one in 17 patients will be diagnosed with an HAI every day even though more than one-third of these infections are preventable. (more)

Republican Presidential Candidate McCain Clarifies Part Of Health Care Proposal At Forum

Friday 02 November 2007 at 09:02 am Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) at a Washington, D.C., forum organized by Families USA and the Federation of American Hospitals clarified that his health care proposal would allow employers to deduct health insurance costs from their taxable income, the AP/Boston Globe reports. According to McCain, when he announced the proposal last month, his aides erroneously said that he would eliminate the tax deduction to help pay for the plan.

McCain said, "The employer tax deduction stays in place so the employer still has an incentive to provide health insurance to the employee, but the employee now loses the health tax incentive and it is replaced by the refundable tax credit." McCain also apologized "if there was any confusion" about the proposal (Sidoti, AP/Boston Globe, 10/31). (more)

Anxiety & Sleep

Friday 02 November 2007 at 08:59 am Anxiety Brings Long-Term Sleep Trouble
Study Shows Stressful Event Can Prompt Months of Sleep Problems
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 1, 2007 -- Stress and anxiety may lead to more than just a night or two of trouble sleeping. A new study shows anxiety can cause a long-term sleep issue.

It's no surprise that major life stresses, such as death, illness, divorce, or money problems can cause trouble sleeping. But researchers found anxiety-related lack of sleep problems can last for up to six months after the stressful event. (more)

Efforts To Change U.S. Health Care System Must Combine Public, Private Sectors, AHIP CEO Says

Thursday 01 November 2007 at 11:17 am Restructuring the U.S. health care system will require cooperation between the public and private sectors, America's Health Insurance Plans CEO Karen Ignagni said at the Montana Healthcare Forum on Monday, the Billings Gazette reports. Ignagni said, "I think we're going to have a mixed system, and we have to figure out how to get the best of both" sectors to provide coverage for all U.S. residents. She said that 14 cents of every health insurance dollar spent in the U.S. is used for claims processing and administration, consumer services and profits, and the remaining 86 cents is used to pay physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and other medical services. She said, "Clearly our country has got to get over simply talking about premiums and health plans. We have to look at the underlying costs and figure out what's needed going forward," adding, "The fact of the matter is, our premiums track costs. The cost of paying claims has declined in the past 10 years." She noted that voter interest will help determine the outcome of health care reform in the U.S. (Harrington, Billings Gazette, 10/30). (more)

Are We Happier Facing Death?

Thursday 01 November 2007 at 11:13 am Here's one for the annals of counterintuitive findings: When asked to contemplate the occasion of their own demise, people become happier than usual, instead of sadder, according to a new study in the November issue of Psychological Science. Researchers say it's a kind of psychological immune response - faced with thoughts of our own death, our brains automatically cope with the conscious feelings of distress by nonconsciously seeking out and triggering happy feelings, a mechanism that scientists theorize helps protect us from permanent depression or paralyzing despair.

It might explain the shift toward more positive emotions and thought processes as people age and approach death, and the preternaturally positive outlook that some terminally ill patients seem to muster. Though it looks a lot like old-fashioned denial, that's not the case, says lead author Nathan DeWall. It's not that "'I know I'm going to die, but I just con myself into thinking I'm not.' I don't think that's what's going on here," says DeWall. "I think what's happening is that people are really unaware of [their own resilience]" - whereas, with denying behavior, people usually know they're engaging in it - "so, when people are exposed to serious threats, such as when they consider their own death, which is about as serious as it gets, people are coping, but they're completely unaware of it." (more)

Sleep and health - How many hours of sleep are enough?

Thursday 01 November 2007 at 11:10 am Q:What do doctors mean when they say "get plenty of sleep"? How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?
A:
The amount of sleep you need depends on many factors, especially your age. Newborns sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day and preschool children should sleep between 10 and 12 hours. Older children and teens need at least nine hours to be well rested. For most adults, seven to eight hours a night appears to the best amount of sleep. However, for some people, "enough sleep" may be as few as five hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep.

As you get older, your sleeping patterns change. Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and awaken more frequently in the night than younger adults. This can have many causes including medical conditions and medications used to treat them. But there's no evidence that older adults need less sleep than younger adults. (more)