February 2, 2012


 


WASHINGTON, DC - In honor of American Heart Month, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) would like to remind the public to talk with their pharmacist regarding available screening and consultative services that could prevent and detect health problems usually associated with heart disease. As part of the healthcare team, pharmacists can play a significant role in the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease?including heart disease and stroke?is the leading cause of death in the United States. Every day, 2,200 people die from cardiovascular disease?that's 815,000 Americans each year, or 1 in every 3 deaths. Americans also suffer more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes each year. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are primary contributing cardiovascular health risks. These two conditions combined affect more than 80 million Americans annually.

Many pharmacists offer screenings and prevention and wellness services dedicated to helping patients manage their health and get the most out of their medications. A few "heart healthy" services a pharmacist may provide to help prevent a heart attack, control heart disease and improve knowledge about effective treatment include blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) screenings, smoking cessation, healthy lifestyle counseling and education about medications. To learn more about the specific ways pharmacists can assist in the management of cardiovascular disease, please see APhA's Your Pharmacist and You: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Fact Sheet. Contact your pharmacist for available services as they may vary by pharmacy location.

Individuals can decrease their risk for developing coronary heart disease by taking steps to prevent and control associated risk factors. A targeted focus should be placed on the "ABCS," which address the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

  1. Aspirin: Increase low dose aspirin therapy according to recognized prevention guidelines.
  2. Blood pressure: Prevent and control high blood pressure; reduce sodium intake.
  3. Cholesterol: Prevent and control high blood cholesterol.
  4. Smoking cessation: Increase the number of smokers counseled to quit and referred to State quit lines; increase availability of no or low-cost cessation products.

APhA has partnered with the Million Hearts Initiative in an effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Million Hearts brings together the efforts of the public and private health sectors to improve health across communities and help Americans live longer, healthier, more productive lives.

Pharmacists work with doctors and other health care providers to optimize care, improve medication use and to prevent heart disease. To achieve the best outcomes for their condition, patients should maintain regular visits with all of their health care providers. APhA encourages patients to fill all their prescriptions with one pharmacy, get to know their pharmacist on a first name basis, discuss their medications with their pharmacist, carry an up-to-date medication and vaccination list and share all medical information with each of their health care providers.

About the American Pharmacists Association
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, is a 501 (c)(6) organization, representing more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States.

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February is Black History Month and in the spirit of Dr. Charles Drew, the American Red Cross reminds eligible donors of all ethnicities how important it is that blood donors are reflective of the patients who need their help. In 1941, Dr. Drew, an African-American blood specialist and surgeon, became the first medical director of the first American Red Cross blood bank. His pioneering work in blood collection and transfusion laid the foundation for modern blood banking.

Many patients are cross matched by blood type and Rh factor prior to transfusion. For some patients, there are other markers within donated
blood that must also be matched for the best outcomes as they are determined exclusively by ethnicity. A diverse blood supply is a stable one.
Approximately 21,000 times a day, patients receive blood from a Red Cross blood donor. All blood types are currently needed to help maintain a sufficient and stable blood supply.

How to Donate Blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
Governed by volunteers and supported by giving individuals and communities, the American Red Cross is the single largest supplier of blood
products to hospitals throughout the United States. While local hospital needs are always met first, the Red Cross also helps ensure no patient goes without blood no matter where or when they need it. In addition to providing nearly half of the nation's blood supply, the Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.™

Blood Donation Opportunities

CARROLL COUNTY

2/20/2012, 11:00 am- 5:00 pm, Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay Street, Mount Carroll

CLINTON COUNTY
2/16/2012, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm, Lyondell Chemical Company, 3400 Anamosa Road, Clinton

HENRY COUNTY
2/17/2012, 9:00 am- 2:00 pm, Wethersfield High School Key Club, 439 Willard St., Kewanee

2/22/2012, 2:00 pm- 6:00 pm, First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St., Kewanee

2/28/2012, 1:00 pm- 6:00 pm, Kewanee Central School, 215 E. Central Ave., Kewanee

MERCER COUNTY
2/21/2012, 12:00 pm- 6:00 pm, VFW Hall, 106 SW 3rd Ave., Aledo

2/22/2012, 2:00 pm- 6:00 pm, Alexis Community Center, 204 W. Palmer Ave., Alexis

WHITESIDE COUNTY
2/21/2012, 1:00 pm- 5:15 pm, Old Fulton Fire Station, 912 4th Street, Fulton

2/22/2012, 10:00 am- 2:00 pm, Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St., Rock Falls

2/23/2012, 4:00 pm- 7:00 pm, Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St., Rock Falls

2/28/2012, 1:00 pm- 5:15 pm, Old Fulton Fire Station, 912 4th Street, Fulton

2/29/2012, 2:00 pm- 6:00 pm, Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. Second St., Rock Falls

2/29/2012, 3:00 pm- 7:00 pm, Prophetstown Elementary School, 301 West Third Street, Prophetstown

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IHT World medical tourism services specialize in helping Americans slash their health care costs by offering non-emergency surgery, health treatment and even expensive dental treatment overseas for far less cost compared to the price of treatment in the United States.

LeClaire, IA (PRWEB) February 01, 2012

An estimated 50 million Americans do not have health insurance because they can't afford the high cost. Millions more who do have insurance lack adequate coverage.

When major health issues occur, these same Americans feel helpless in tackling the high cost of care in the United States, until they discover medical tourism which is obtaining needed treatment outside the United States.

When most Americans first hear about medical tourism, their first reaction typically is to ask, how safe it is and what is the quality compared to the United States?

Unfortunately far too many people still have the misconception that health care overseas is inferior to the treatment received in the U.S.A.  But in today's world, this belief is no longer true.

In numerous countries around the world, hospitals meet the same high standards and receive the same quality accreditation that American hospitals achieve.

Such accreditation certification is only granted when a hospital meets or exceeds the same standards of excellence that is expected of American hospitals. Several accreditation processes exist around the world that are quite similar to each other, all ensure the highest standards of care and treatment are being offered.

This means that Americans who use medical tourism services can feel confident when traveling abroad, knowing that they will receive high quality medical care without the massive expenses they would face in the United States.

The only difference between getting medical care in the U.S. and going to a highly accredited hospital overseas, is the far lower cost outside the United States.

Pam Brammann, R.N., President and Managing Director of IHT World, LLC pointed out that if a person is in need of non-emergency surgery such as hip or knee replacement, cancer treatment, advanced stem cell therapy, dental implants, etc. and the insurance company does not offer adequate coverage, the difference in medical tourism prices compared to the United States can often yield a savings of tens of thousands of dollars.

Mrs. Brammann said, "If a person can obtain American quality treatment or surgery in another country and end up paying half the price including the cost of travel expenses for two, why wouldn't Americans consider medical tourism?

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FEBRUARY 1, 2012:

 

Dear Patriot,

In March 2006 I was diagnosed with stage four colon and liver cancer, and over the next nine months I visited countless doctors, got second opinions, had surgery, and went through numerous rounds of chemotherapy. My doctors told me that I was able to beat cancer because I got the treatment I needed as quickly as I did. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if ObamaCare had been in place, I would not have survived!

I did not have time for a bureaucrat in Washington to review my health records and approve what amount of care I was eligible to receive. The doctors needed to move quickly, and thank God they didn't have to cut through red tape to do it.

Repealing this monstrosity of a government program must be the top priority of our next President, and we need to nominate someone who has credibility on the issue.

Again, ObamaCare must be repealed, and to do that we have to nominate Newt Gingrich. We're kicking off a $1 million Stop ObamaCare Money Bomb, and I'm asking you to be a part of it. By making a donation today, you can help nominate the man who will make sure ObamaCare is taken off the books.

America can't afford ObamaCare, can't afford Barack Obama, and can't afford not to nominate Newt Gingrich

Sincerely,
Herman Cain
Weight Loss Expert Offers Slimming Tips to Last a Lifetime

Losing weight has become a matter of life or death and counting calories, Weight Watcher points and fat grams hasn't lessened the numbers of people affected. In 2010, more than 25 percent of Americans had pre-diabetes and another 1.9 million got a diabetes diagnosis, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The single most effective way for people to avoid the disease? Losing weight.

"The current obesity epidemic proves that the typical low-fat diet recommendations and low-calorie diets have not worked," says Don Ochs, inventor of Mobanu Integrated Weight Loss Solution (www.Mobanu.com), a physician-recommended system that tailors diet and exercise to an individual's fat-burning chemistry. "America is eating less fat per capita than we did 30 years ago, yet obesity, diabetes and heart disease are all up."

To drop the weight and keep it off, people need to get rid of their stored fat by eating fewer processed carbohydrates and the correct amount of protein, and by doing both high and low- intensity exercises, Ochs says.

Here are some of his suggestions for getting started:

• Eat what your ancestors ate - if it wasn't available 10,000 years ago, you don't need it now. Our bodies haven't had time to adapt to the huge increase in processed carbohydrates over the past 100 years. These refined carbs kick up our blood sugar levels, which triggers insulin production, which results in fat storage.  Avoid the regular no-no's such as candy and soft drinks, but also stay away from sneaky, sugary condiments like ketchup; dried fruits, which have more concentrated sugar than their hydrated counterparts, and anything with high fructose corn syrup.

• Eat the right kind of fat - it's good for you! Bad fats include trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils. Look for these on labels. Trim excess fat from meats and stick with mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Use olive oil for cooking, as salad dressing or on vegetables. Eat avocados, whole olives, nuts and seeds, and don't be afraid to jazz up meals with a little butter or cheese.

• Eat the proper amount of lean protein to maintain muscle mass and increase your metabolism. Eggs, beef, chicken, pork, seafood and dairy in the right amounts are good protein sources. Remember, most of these contain fat, so it shouldn't be necessary to add more. Use the minimum amount needed to satisfy your taste buds. Also, anyone trying to lose weight should limit non-animal proteins, such as legumes, because they   contribute to higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage.

• Vary your workouts to speed up fat loss. Both high-intensity and low-intensity exercises play a role in maximum fat loss.  Low-intensity exercise, like walking, is effective for reducing insulin resistance so you store less fat.  Alternate walking with high-intensity interval training to build lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism.  Interval training can be cardio blasts such as running up stairs on some days and lifting weights on others. This type of exercise forces your body to burn up its glycogen - a readily accessible fuel for your muscles - faster than an equivalent amount of cardio exercise.  When you're done, your body will replenish that fuel by converting stored fat back into glycogen and you'll lose weight.

"Healthy weight loss isn't about picking a popular diet and trying to stick to it," Ochs says. "It's about discovering the right diet for your unique body. For each person, the optimal amount of carbohydrates, proteins and exercise to burn the most stored body fat will be different. And that's why one-size-fits-all diets just don't work."

About Donald Ochs

Donald Ochs is a Colorado entrepreneur, the president and CEO of Ochs Development Co. and M4 Group, an inventor and sports enthusiast. He developed the Mobanu weight loss system based on research conducted at The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health. The program is endorsed by physicians, nutritionists and exercise experts.

Pop Star Justin Bieber and NFL Star Tom Brady inspiration for organ donation Facebook app.

(Sudbury, CDN. January 30/12) Over 100,000 North Americans are currently waiting for a lifesaving call about organ donations. Sadly many never get the call and pass away before a suitable organ donation is found.

Thanks to the efforts of the innovative website mysendoff.com, there is now a free Facebook app called "Giving Means Living" that will raise awareness of the importance of organ donations. The "Giving Means Living" app allows Facebook members to document and share their organ donation wishes with family and friends.

According to donatelife.net, nearly 90% of North Americans support organ donation, but only 30% actually take the necessary steps to agree to it and document their wishes. With the new "Giving Means Living" app people now have an easy way to express their organ donation wishes to Facebook friends and the app also offers links to organ donor registration sites in North America.

Colin Firth, founder of mysendoff.com, observed "Giving Means Living" is designed to get people thinking, communicating and encouraging them to commit to donating their organs so that others may live. If we can help even one person waiting for an organ donation or eliminate the waiting list then we believe our efforts will be worthwhile."

Explaining why the app was developed Firth says, "We decided to add our efforts to organ donation awareness after pop music star Justin Bieber and NFL Quarterback Tom Brady recently lent their voices to help friends in need of organ donations. We felt that the power and reach of Facebook could also be used to help build awareness of such a critical and important issue."

The "Giving Means Living" app is an easy to use social contract. Facebook members simply click on the app and choose which organs they wish to donate and click to post on their Wall. The "Giving Means Living" donation instructions will be displayed on the member's Wall and shared with Facebook friends.

Every person can save up to 10 lives with their organ donor agreement, which is essentially a gift of life to others. Notable celebrities who have gone on to lead productive lives after receiving organ donations include Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs, baseball great Mickey Mantle, comedian George Lopez and millions of other North Americans who are now living because of others' giving.

Mysendoff.com hopes that by making the "Giving Means Living" app available to Facebook's 175 million North American users, they will choose to engage, help reduce and ideally eliminate the organ donor waiting list. The first step is to communicate and share their organ donation wishes with family and friends.

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More information on the "Giving Means Living" campaign and Facebook app can be found at www.facebook.com/mysendoff
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Kristy Bryner worries her 80-year-old mom might slip and fall when she picks up the newspaper, or that she'll get in an accident when she drives to the grocery store. What if she has a medical emergency and no one's there to help? What happens if, like her father, her mother slips into a fog of dementia? Those questions would be hard enough if Bryner's aging parent lived across town in Portland, Ore., but she is in Kent, Ohio. The stress of caregiving seems magnified by each of the more than 2,000 miles that separate them. "I feel like I'm being split in half between coasts," said Bryner, 54. "I wish I knew what to do, but I don't." As lifespans lengthen and the number of seniors increases, more Americans find themselves in Bryner's perilous position, struggling to care for an ailing loved one from hundreds or thousands of miles away. The National Institute on Aging estimates around 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Aside from economic factors that often drive people far from their hometowns, shifting demographics in the country could exacerbate the issue: Over the next four decades, the share of people 65 and older is expected to rapidly expand while the number of people under 20 will roughly hold steady. That means there will be a far smaller share of people between 20 and 64, the age group that most often is faced with caregiving. By Matt Sedensky
Broadlawns Medical Center Adds New Generation of Mammography to Women's Services

Des Moines, IA - January 24, 2012: Broadlawns Medical Center is adding another new, high-tech weapon to its arsenal in the battle against breast cancer. With this addition, the Mammography Center at Broadlawns becomes the first mammography provider in Iowa to offer breast tomosynthesis cancer screening with a full field digital mammography system.

With the key to survival being early detection, the new system provides women a state-of-the-art x-ray with a 3-dimensional view. The tomosynthesis cancer screening is the latest generation of equipment that uses very low x-ray exposure and high-powered computing to convert digital breast images into a stack of very thin layers. These slices essentially provide a "3-dimensional" mammogram.

"This is a brand new mammography screening platform," says Dr. John Tentinger, radiologist. "Everything in the new system has been optimized for image quality, patient comfort and faster imaging."

The tomosynthesis cancer screening process makes the fine details of the breast imaging clearly detectable without visible interference from surrounding tissue. Lessening the amount of extraneous matter helps to identify very small cancers, thereby helping to rule out false positives and reducing the number of callbacks when there is a suspicious area.

"During the tomosynthesis part of the exam, the X-ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple images in seconds. The computer then puts both together and the result is a 3D image of tissue in one millimeter layers," Tentinger notes.

This new technology is a direct result of Broadlawns' dedication to the goal of detecting breast cancer early, before it has spread. Early detection can help women achieve a five-year survival rate of 98 percent. Women aged 40 years and older should have regular preventative yearly mammograms as part of their proactive battle against breast cancer.

Women who have seen and experienced this new "3D" mammography technology say that it has changed their view of how mammography is used as a weapon against breast cancer.

On Tuesday, January 24, a group of women from central Iowa got a tour of the Patricia R. Grubb Mammography Center and viewed firsthand the advancements in 3D mammography technology at Broadlawns.

For more information about mammography options at Broadlawns, call 515-657-6615.

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Let Your Spirituality Be Your Guide, Says Noted Doctor

The new year is already well under way. Job deadlines - or job searching - has begun anew, and the stresses of bills, kids in school again, and the sometimes endless treadmill of daily life can make us forget those New Year's resolutions we made not so very long ago.

Physician and healer Amnon Goldstein, who has earned an international reputation for his practice of both Western and Eastern medicines, says it's time to slow down and re-evaluate.

"You've heard it said before and you know it in your heart, but it's the external pressures  that leave us feeling stressed, depressed, disappointed and overwhelmed," says Goldstein. "Add to that the lingering economic troubles, families in flux and all of us working harder just to maintain our standard of living and it's easy to forget the most person to take care of first is - you."

Those resolutions to exercise more, eat healthier foods, meditate or otherwise tend to spiritual needs, they should be priorities, Goldstein says. They will ensure you're stronger, happier, and better able to manage the external pressures, maybe even with a smile.

Quiet contemplation and a focus on spiritual growth - no matter one's religion or beliefs - will lead to a clearer vision of how to accomplish the goals set for this year, Goldstein advises.

"Spirituality is no longer linked only to religion," says Goldstein, the author of the recently released book Screwed: The Path of a Healer (www.iuniverse.com), a title that reflects the twisting nature of his global journeys as a healer and his own experiences with depression, divorce and illness.

"More and more people understand that they must nurture both body and spirit, which is why they make the sorts of resolutions they do. No matter how difficult your life, it will become easier and more joyful if you keep to those goals."

Israeli-born Goldstein has practiced medicine around the world using conventional Western, traditional Eastern and less-familiar spiritual and mystical methods. In Screwed, he chronicles the path to wellness, understanding and enlightenment, a journey that takes the traveler to unexpected places.

Goldstein has known the horrors of war, witnessed the birth of new nations and experienced the mysterious healing powers of unconventional medicine. As a physician he has explored unconventional approaches to age-old physical and mental health challenges, embracing an over-arching philosophy that a life well-lived is not one which follows a straight or uncomplicated path.

Goldstein advocates proper nutrition as the basis for good health (no overeating, no dairy, no sugar), and exercise and meditation as the foundation of healthy living.

"We can live healthier and more fulfilled lives by looking inward," Goldstein says. "Most of us will find that we have everything we need to celebrate the holidays in one form or another - either a healthy family, a warm home or some aspect of our lives that brings meaning. Expectation of perfection at this time of the year is toxic to our minds and spirits. Every healing is self-healing, but we need to take the time in the midst of our busy lives to take care of ourselves."

About Amnon Goldstein, M.D.

Amnon Goldstein is a physician with more than 40 years of experience in conventional Western medicine and holistic and Eastern medicine. He has specialized in trauma care, vascular surgery and hypnosis, and has done in-depth study into the evolution of HIV and cancer research and treatments. A resident of Florida, Dr. Goldstein retired from medicine but continues to travel the world, learning, teaching and sharing with others the healing powers within each person. He is the father of three grown children.

Funding Will Support Landmark Nursing Home Reforms 

CHICAGO - January 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced $110 million in additional federal funding for enhanced safety, increased staffing and quality standards in nursing homes. Federal authorities approved a federal Medicaid funding match that will allow the state to fully implement the reforms designed to protect frail older adults and persons with disabilities living in long term care facilities. Today's announcement is the next in a series of steps to improve quality of care at Illinois nursing homes stemming from the work of the Governor's Nursing Home Safety Task Force.

Under the funding mechanism approved by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, nursing homes will pay a provider tax that will be pooled, generating the $110 million in federal Medicaid matching funds. The bulk of these funds will be redistributed to nursing homes to enable the homes to pay for the increased staffing and quality standards that are required under the state's nursing home reform laws.

"This is positive news for people who live in a nursing home or have a loved one living in a nursing home," Governor Quinn said. "It means that our nursing homes get the funds that they need to continue improving safety and the quality of services that I signed into law as part of our nursing home reforms."

The funding mechanism is being administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. It will also generate $20 million that will go toward increasing staff at the Illinois Department of Public Health, which will inspect and regulate nursing homes. A portion of the funds will also go toward expanded home and community-based services that serve as an alternative to nursing home care.

"Under the Governor's leadership, we partnered with state agencies and other interested organizations to bring this policy to fruition," Pat Comstock, executive director of the Health Care Council of Illinois, said. "Adequate funding for nursing home care will continue to be an important issue, and we must continually look for fair, creative solutions to ensure all nursing home residents in Illinois have proper care and a good quality of life."

Governor Quinn formed the Nursing Home Safety Task Force in October 2009 to respond to concerns about the safety and regulation of nursing homes. The Task Force held a series of public meetings and recommended legislation to address these concerns. This led to the passage of Senate Bill 326, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago). The legislation signed into law by Governor Quinn authorized the increased staffing and safety provisions, as well as revisions to the screening process for nursing homes to protect older adults from residents with a record of criminal violence.

A second law generated by the Task Force, Senate Bill 2863, sponsored by Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) and then Rep. Harry Osterman (D-Chicago), was designed to crack down on fraud, abuse and neglect in nursing homes.

For more information about the Governor's Nursing Home Safety Task Force, please visit:  http://www2.illinois.gov/nursinghomesafety/Pages/default.aspx.

 

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