Partnership for Health: President Obama has just lunched Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs, a new public-private partnership that will help improve the quality, safety, and affordability of health care for all Americans. The two goals of this new partnership are to: Keep patients from getting injured or sicker and to. Help patients heal without complication.
Action for Happiness: Begun by Richard Layard, an economics professor at the London School of Economics, and launched this week, Action for Happiness is supported by more than 4,500 members from 68 countries and organizations including the British Psychological Society and the Dali Lama. The movement rejects individualism and the pursuit of material wealth and provides alternative practical tips for a happier life, which it says are based on scientific evidence. Such measures include: helping others, exercise, mindfulness, become social involved and take a break from technology.
Many Smokers Still Deceived by Cigarette Labeling: Many smokers in western nations still incorrectly believe that certain types of cigarettes, such as "mild" and "low tar" brands, are less of a health risk than others, a new study shows. Researchers surveyed more than 8,000 smokers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and found that about one-fifth of them wrongly believed that "some cigarettes could be less harmful than others." The study also found that many smokers incorrectly believed that slim cigarettes are less harmful, smooth-tasting cigarettes are less risky than hard-tasting cigarettes, filters reduce risk, and nicotine is responsible for most of the cancers caused by cigarettes. Addiction April 12
Brisk Walk Can Boost Blood Flow to the Brain: Moderate aerobic exercise helps boost blood flow to the brain in older women, new research reveals. The small study included 16 women aged 60 and older who walked briskly for 30 to 50 minutes three or four times a week for three months. By the end of that time, the amount of blood flow to the brain had increased by as much as 15 percent. Experimental Biology annual meeting
An apple a day may help keep heart disease away: Women who ate 75 grams of dried apples every day for a year lowered their total cholesterol by 14 percent and their levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol by 23 percent.. Daily apple consumption also significantly lowered levels of C-reactive protein and lipid hydroperoxide, two substances that may indicate an increased risk of heart disease. The researchers theorized that the nutrients in apples may reduce inflammation in the body. Despite the addition of several hundred calories a day to their diet, the apple-eating women didn't gain weight over the course of the study. In fact, they lost an average of 3.3 pounds. Experimental Biology meeting
Folic Acid Fails in another heart-health study: This latest study looked at whether folic acid might stave off atherosclerosis in older adults who had high homocysteine levels but were apparently free of cardiovascular disease. It didn't. Over 3 years, daily folic acid cut study participants' homocysteine levels by an average of 26 percent, but it showed no effect on the thickness of the inner wall of the carotid artery, or on the "stiffness" of the arteries -- which are both considered markers of atherosclerosis. The findings "suggest that folic acid is not effective in slowing down early stages of cardiovascular disease, as measured by accepted markers of atherosclerosis." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Online March 23, 2011
More evidence on Vitamin D and Macular Degeneration: A team led by researchers at the University at Buffalo, N.Y., examined data on blood levels of vitamin D among 1,313 women 50 to 79 enrolled in the ongoing Women's Health Initiative study. In women younger than 75, vitamin D from foods and supplements—but not from time spent in direct sunlight—was linked with decreased risk of developing early age-related macular degeneration. Those who consumed the most vitamin D had a 59 percent decreased risk of developing it compared with women who consumed the least. The researchers suggest that vitamin D might help regulate the immune system and perhaps help prevent diseases, such as AMD, that are linked to inflammation. The top food sources of vitamin D in the study were milk, fish, fortified margarine and fortified cereal. Archives of Ophthalmology
Study doubts anti-aging claims for DHEA: The hormone supplement DHEA may be promoted as a fountain of youth, but there is no good evidence that it boosts older women's memory, sexual function or general well-being, a new research review concludes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
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High Bacteria Levels in Meat at US Stores: Researchers have found high levels of bacteria in meat commonly found on U.S. grocery store shelves, with more than half of the bacteria resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, according to a study released on Friday. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Diet Soda Doesn’t Raise Diabetes Risk: In a large group of men followed for 20 years, drinking regular soda and other sugary drinks often meant a person was more likely to get diabetes, but that was not true of artificially-sweetened soft drinks, or coffee or tea. Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions seems to be a safe and healthy alternative, the authors report. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition March 23, 2011
Green Tea and Tai Chi Enhance Bone Health and Reduce Inlammation in Postmenopausal Women Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Survey Finds Support for Major Health-Care Changes: A large majority of Americans support major changes to the nation’s health-care system, including many of those included in the Affordable Health Care act passed last year, according to a recent survey by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund. Many respondents also reported serious problems in affording and getting medical care. A Call for Change: The 2011 Commonwealth Fund Survey of Public Views of the U.S. Health System
Half of US Adults take Vitamins: According to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of US adults take vitamins and other dietary supplements. Most people who take vitamins and other supplements are educated, have good incomes, eat pretty well and already get the nutrients they need from their diets, the surveys suggests. "It's almost like the people who are taking them aren't the people who need them," said Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist with the National Institutes of Health. Federal surveys have only recently started asking people why they take supplements, Bailey said. The government supports some supplements as an option for certain people — such as iron for women who are pregnant, folic acid for women thinking of getting pregnant and calcium for older women. But health officials say people should talk to their doctors first, and consider enriched foods that can accomplish the same goal. CDC Report
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