MedWorm: Physicians With Health Advice

Cdc recommendation: shingles vaccine to adults, age 60 and older

Straightfromthedoc — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:26:20 +0100

© gruntzooki Shingles is a condition that can cause debilitating chronic pain. Shingles (herpes zoster) is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox - the varicella-zoster virus. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body. After several days or a week, a rash of fluid-filled blisters, similar to chickenpox, appears in one area on one side of the body. Shingles pain can be mild or intense. Some people have mostly itching; some feel pain from the gentlest touch or breeze. Last Thursday, a new CDC recommendation came out that all adults aged 60 and older must be given shingles vaccine. This new recommendation replaces the agency's provisional recommendation, made in 2006, after the ZOSTAVAX vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "The publication of these guidelines will give an impetus to the use of shingles vaccine," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and vice president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. In addition, it may get health insurance companies to start covering the cost of the vaccine, Schaffner said. "Also, it will give physicians some stimulus to use this vaccine more extensively than they have to date," he said. Read more from The Washington Post. See full article. Related Entries: Shingles pain: What works? - 26 July 2005 Shingles vaccine - 19 December 2005 NIH Scientists Identified a Human Protein that Helps the Spread of Chickenpox And Shingles Virus - 22 October 2006 The Older Crowd Is Still Around, Just Different - 19 April 2007 Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com. (Source: Straightfromthedoc)

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Chromium ingredient may lower blood pressure

Straightfromthedoc — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:30:19 +0100

According to a new study in mice supplements of niacin-bound chromium(III) may reduce blood pressure, thereby offering benefits to cardiovascular health. Results of the new study indicate that niacin-bound chromium III (NBC) may act as an ACE inhibitor, which work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure. ACE inhibitors made by drug companies have been found to be beneficial in treating hypertension, particularly in patients with type-1 or type-2 diabetes, and also appear to provide good cardiovascular and renal protection. Pharmaceutical ACE-inhibitors do however have side effects. Well...let's wait and see if the same is true in human trials, right? Find more details from NutraIngredients. [In Photo: The Nutritional Biochemistry of Chromium(III) (Hardcover) by John Vincent (Editor), available from Amazon] See full article. Related Entries: Figuring Out Blood Pressure - 06 April 2007 Cocoa for High Blood Pressure - 11 April 2007 Menopause and High Blood Pressure - 12 April 2007 Aliskiren-Valsartan Combo, Better at Lowering Blood Pressure - 25 July 2007 Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com. (Source: Straightfromthedoc)

Beauty science or bs poll answers #26

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:01:12 +0100

Apparently, this latest poll was tricky for most everyone. Only 9% of you figured out what which was the FAKE beauty science headline. Read on to see if you were one of the savvy science sleuths. Women in their 40s report more issues with their skin than any other group - TRUE 20% of you thought this was the fake but it’s true. In a recent skin survey by The Segmentation Company, a division of Yankelovich, Inc., eighty-four percent of women said they had at least one issue with their skin. Women in their 40s had the most problems averaging about four skin care issues. So, if you’re in your 30s now, don’t look for your skin issues to go away any time soon. On the plus side, in your 40s you’ll have much more experience dealing with those problems. Data suggests the smell of rotten eggs can increase human lifespan - TRUE This one tricked most of you. A whopping 59% were certain that this was a yarn, but it wasn’t. The headline is based on research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that showed worms exposed to a small concentration (50 parts per million) of hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) lived up to eight times longer than their counterparts breathing normal air. According to the researchers, humans and worms share similar longevity genes so the technology could theoretically be applicable to humans. Of course, we’ll all smell a bit funny. Eating tomatoes can protect skin from sun damage - TRUE Only 11% of you found this too unbelievable but it isn’t. Apparently, tomatoes can protect from sun damage. A research team found adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet of 10 volunteers improved their skin’s ability to protect against harmful UV rays. This is significant because the tomatoes were actually ingested, not slathered on the surface of their skin. With the way that the rates of skin melanoma have been steadily rising, encouraging everyone to eat more tomatoes is a great idea. And really, who doesn’t want a good excuse to eat more pizza? Male interviewers were more biased for attractive interviewees than female interviewers - FALSE Over 90% of you thought this was true but this research shows, it’s false. It turns out that female interviewers were actually more biased by attractiveness than male interviewers. They gave attractive looking male and female interviewees more high status job packages than their average looking counterparts. Female interviewers also gave preferential treatment to attractive men over attractive women. On the other hand, they gave average looking men lower status job packages than average looking women. Male interviewers did not seem to be biased by attractiveness when it came to offering high or low status job packages. How did you do? Were you able to sniff out the beauty BS? Leave a comment below and let the Beauty Brains Community know. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Chic clicks: the best of this weeks beauty blogs

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:00:01 +0100

Top Button’s headin’ to the barbershop. Have you seen Gwyneth’s new ‘do? Her perfect bob is all we want for summer! Pinching your pennies? Look like a million while saving money and gas with over 200 cheap chic online finds at StyleBakery.com. Smarter Fashion shows us a great deal on a lovely sunflower yellow silk dress. SheFindshelps you get past your fear of pairing prints with a step-by-step guide on how to pull off multiple prints. SeenON! is shopping the red carpet from the Hills 3.5 Live Finale! Sunglasses don’t just look good: they help protect Girlawhirl’s eyes and eyesight. The Beauty Brains share a saucy secret about female enhancement creams. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Fast fitness - fixing your handstand to neutral spine

The Fitness Fixer — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Last week's Fast Fitness showed a movie of how to step up into an easy handstand and get back down. This week shows a common pitfall - letting your lower spine sag under gravity - and how to fix it and hold neutral spine. My student Dennis, Olympic medalist in wrestling, demonstrates: Step your foot up behind you high onto a wall, then the other.For the first 5 seconds of the movie, Dennis... (Source: The Fitness Fixer)

“mad pride” movement seeks to destigmatize mental illness

Dr. Z's Medical Report — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:55:59 +0100

On May 11, in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month, The New York Times ran a provocative article titled ‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma, which reported on the burgeoning movement to destigmatize mental illness through proud – if not downright aggressive – acceptance, rather than shame-based avoidance. Taking their cue from other previously marginalized groups such as gay-rights activists, some advocates are going public with their mental health stories, using books and online blog and video posts. There are Web sites such as the Icarus Project and MindFreedom International, with the latter recently forming the International Association for Creative Maladjustment (based on an idea by Martin Luther King!) whose first president, appropriately enough, is Patch Adams, M.D., the physician/clown famously portrayed by Robin Williams in the eponymous 1998 movie. According to MindFreedom International, the Mad Pride movement “…celebrates the right to be nonviolently different, odd, crazy, nuts, strange, weird, or whatever term society would like to toss our way.” The Icarus Project believes that its members “…have mad gifts to be cultivated and taken care of, rather than diseases or disorders to be suppressed or eliminated.” It helps them to “…overcome alienation and tap into the true potential that lies between brilliance and madness.” As quoted by the New York Times, Charles Barber, a psychiatrist and author of “Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry is Medicating a Nation,” said “…the acceptance of mental illness has pretty much stopped at depression. But a newer generation, fueled by the Internet and other sophisticated delivery systems, is saying, ‘We deserve to be heard, too.” What he means is that while having depression has become widely accepted in today’s society, other mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, have not. And with nearly 6 million Americans having bipolar disorder and 2.5 million with schizophrenia, that’s a large group of people facing intolerance, being stigmatized and otherwise suffering from “unacceptable” behavior. Some, however, have taken a more in-your-face tack. Take for example Liz Spikol, who writes about her life with bipolar disorder in her blog, the Trouble With Spikol, and in the Philadelphia Weekly, and who has a number of videos posted on YouTube. In one of her videos, Ms. Spikol says “I want to destigmatize mental illness. Having bipolar disorder is like having any illness. I’m a competent person, and sometimes I hallucinate.” In other words, people with psychotic illnesses are all around you, holding jobs, living their lives, getting by as best they can. And sometimes they hallucinate. Just like people with asthma sometimes wheeze and can have extreme difficulty breathing (imagine how quickly you’d rush to help someone who couldn’t breath and then consider how fast you’d run the opposite way when faced with someone who was hallucinating). Want to hear from Liz Spikol herself? Here’s a clip from YouTube, but it comes with a language warning, so watch it at your own discretion: In a similar vein, Elyn Saks, a professor of law and associate dean at the University of Southern California and author of a memoir titled “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness,” lectures around the country about her lifelong struggle with schizophrenia. About the book, she has said “I wanted to write this book to give hope to people who suffer from schizophrenia and understanding to people who don’t. The diagnosis of schizophrenia needn’t be a sentence to a bleak and painful life.” But, because of the stigmas associated with schizophrenia, she waited until she had tenure at USC before going public with her experiences. What are your thoughts on Mad Pride, destigmatizing mental illness and life with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia? Please share your comments below so that others can learn from your experiences. We look forward to hearing from you. Resources: The New York Times: ‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma MindFreedom International The Icarus Project Dr. Charles Barber Liz Spikol’s blog Elyn Saks (Source: Dr. Z's Medical Report)

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Good sense at big think

The Doctor Weighs In — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:02:55 +0100

Brian KlepperBig Think - a VERY interesting and worthwhile site, so if you haven't seen it yet you're in for a treat - has two very cogent health care comments, both by colleagues I admire tremendously. One has noted bio-ethicist Ezekiel Emanuel MD talking about why universal health coverage isn't the only solution to the health care crisis. (Sound familiar? ) Zeke has this to say about the way American health care works:"Well medicine in the United States, I think, faces a real disaster in its delivery system. We know that we're not delivering care well in that we can't reliably guarantee Americans will get quality care when they enter the hospital. That, in fact, it's almost a 50/50 flip of a coin for people, whether they get the right care or the not right care. That is a disaster. And to change the system to make sure that delivery is better, and that we're really doing better by people and actually doing it efficiently is a huge challenge at the moment...We can't sort of fix a little here and a little there. I don't even think getting all Americans ensured is a solution...That's one small element, but we actually have to control costs." And here's Anthony Fauci MD, the Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, talking about the logic of prevention. "We need concentrate a lot more on being predictive, and preemptive, and preventive; as opposed to waiting until someone gets sick, and going through the pain, and the suffering, and the expense of taking care of so many sick people is to try and shift the balance of how medicine and the health profession interacts with the public to try and anticipate. And we'll get the tools for that - each year that goes by with molecular diagnoses; understanding the role of certain types of habits in disease; understanding the genetic makeup of someone - to make medicine more personalized, more predictive, more preventive and preemptive so that you can actually prevent, or at least forestall many of the things...[I]f you look at how much it costs to try and prevent someone from getting sick by lowering their cholesterol, watching their blood pressure, making sure their diet is right, avoiding smoking and things like that, the amount of money that it takes to get those things in effect balanced against the enormous expense of taking care of someone with a very serious disease that leads to their death until there's no contest. It's much, much less expensive to try and prevent it." See Dr. Emanuel's video comments on Big Think here, and Dr. Fauci's here. (Source: The Doctor Weighs In)

The savvy secret of sunscreen

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:01:28 +0100

Andrea’s stumped by sunscreen: I was shopping today and realized just how many sunscreen options are available today. Neutrogena has a whole line of face sunscreens with SPF ranging from 45-80! How do I know how much SPF I really need? Fore Brain’s fast answer: The quick answer is that SPF (aka Sun Protection Factor) is generally a multiplier of your skin’s ability to resist burning. So if normally your skin burns after 12 minutes of sun exposure, applying sunscreen with an SPF 10 will increase the exposure time to 120 mins before you will get burned. This should help you pick out a proper SPF for your skin. Unfortunately sunscreen quality isn’t all in the SPF, so read on for other factors you should look for in a good sunscreen. UVA UVB UVWhat? Sunlight in outer space is composed of radioactive rays, which get filtered out by the atmosphere layers of the Earth. Of all the dangerous rays that the sun emits, the only ones that reach our skin are the UV rays. These rays fall into many categories but the ones we care about when discussing skin damage are UVA and UVB. When they reach our skin, UVB rays stimulate Vitamin D production, appearance of moles, and can lead to sunburn with overexposure. There are more UVB rays in sunlight in the summertime when the sun is closer to the earth. UVA rays, are not as well known as UVB, and are responsible for tanning of the skin, as well as negative effects of sun exposure like as skin ageing and melanoma (a dangerous type of skin cancer). Unlike UVB, UVA rays are generally present at consistent levels throughout the year. How do we protect ourselves from UVA and UVB? This is where sunscreen comes in. Developed in the mid 1900s the aim of sunscreen is to limit sun overexposure and therefore minimize the negative effects and risks associated with sunbathing. The SPF rating that comes on sunscreen bottles is determined by an FDA required in vivo test which involves exposing volunteers’ skin to the sun until it sunburns and then evaluating the protection factor that the sunscreen gave that skin. The general rule is that the SPF is the multiplier of your skin’s normal resistance to sunburn, so if normally your skin would be sunburned after 12 minutes of direct sun exposure, with proper application of and SPF10 sunscreen, it will only get sunburned after 120 minutes. A note about SPF ratings though. Some studies have shown that sunscreen’s protection factor doesn’t rise as evenly above SPF30 as it does in the ratings below. So for a long time sunscreens in the US were only allowed to be labelled 30+ because the numbers above 30 don’t represent sunscreen’s effectiveness the same way that SPFs 30 and below do. Recently this number has been raised to 50; however, you do need to keep in mind that still SPF50 isn’t twice as good as SPF25 as the number might have you believe. But what about UVA? Unfortunately, since the SPF test is mainly for the sunburn prevention properties of sunscreen, and those arise only from UVB, the official FDA test doesn’t shed any light onto how much UVA protection a sunscreen provides. Currently there are several skin pigmentation change tests available to test UVA activity and protection (since tanning is a result of the UVA rays stimulating melanin production and release), but they are not a requirement for sunscreen labelling in the United States. This is quite unfortunate, since UVA rays cause more long-term damage to skin like ageing and melanoma which is quite dangerous. If you do want UVA protection in your sunscreen, look for products labelled as UVA/UVB broad spectrum, and don’t forget to check the ingredients; zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, and ecamsule (aka Mexoryl) are all effective at blocking UVA and have been approved by the FDA. The Beauty Brains bottom line So what is the recommendation here? In my research of sunscreen ingredients, I was very disappointed to come across many theories of some sunscreen compounds being carcinogenic, photomutagens, and reactive oxygen species, meaning that upon deep penetration into the skin they can cause some serious harm to us. This, combined with the fact that many sunscreens are poor UVA blockers, means that sunscreen doesn’t give us the ultimate sun protection which we have all come to rely on so heavily. So my recommendation is this: Try to find a facial moisturizer with UVA blocking compounds I listed above to use year-round to avoid signs of skin ageing, pick a skintype-appropriate sunscreen containing both UVA and UVB protection for the summer, and remember: the best way to minimize skin damage associated with sun exposure is to avoid it all together so wear clothing to shield your skin since the best sun block is a physical one. Fun Fact: UV rays can be used to kill bacteria and are sometimes used to disinfect drinking water. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46376 http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php Hansona, K.M., Grattonb, E., Bardeena, C.J., (2006) Sunscreen enhancement of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in the skin. Free radical biology and medicine, 41, (1205-1212). (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Great parent resource

Teen Health 411 — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) offers a wonderful online resource for parents of children of all ages. The physicians and staff members of the PAMF know there are many questions and concerns that come with raising a child. Whether a parent is looking for answers about a newborn's development, seeking advice on talking to a preteen about difficult topics or watching a teen struggle with... (Source: Teen Health 411)

Chiropractic care for kids (part 2): believing is seeing

Healthy Children — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Last week in clinic, a nurse took me to task for being so critical of chiropractic treatment in my blog. "I myself have become a practitioner of Reiki therapeutic touch," she said, "and I know it works wonders." She went on to explain that Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and healing. It is administered by the laying on of hands, which causes an unseen life force energy to flow from the practitioner into the patient."But, Susan," I protested. "What if I find scientific studies showing this doesn't work at all, except as a 'placebo'?""I wouldn't care," was her resolute reply. "I know it works and nothing could convince me otherwise."**********And there, in a nutshell, is the problem. There is no basis for rational debate if the issue is faith-driven and not susceptible to scientific verification. I see her response as further evidence of a disturbing anti-science bias in this country. (For example, 51% of Americans reject the theory of evolution and 30% believe in astrology.) As the rest of the world zooms ahead in educating the scientists and engineers of the 21st century, the U.S lags behind. How long will we maintain our scientific and intellectual edge if we teach our kids to adore astrology and eschew astronomy? **********In the last post I promised to try to explain why so many love chiropractic care, despite the lack of evidence it does much of anything.First, let's do a thought experiment. Suppose you are a chiropractor who wants to show how much help you are to your patients. How would you do that? Let's say you give them a questionnaire about their back pain at the beginning and the end of three months of treatments. The majority report improvement. They love your care! You publish your results to the acclaim of your colleagues.But what, exactly, did your study show? Was it unbiased? No. You only used patients who came to your clinic for help, who presumably had heard good things about you and were ready to be helped. Was it objective? Not really. The fact people felt better after three months does not mean it was due to the treatment. There was no comparison group (e.g., a group that was randomly assigned to get massage therapy instead). And your patients love you, so they want to report positive gains and are reluctant to report failures. All you have shown is that your patients are generally pleased, but not that your treatment works any better than another treatment might have.**********OK, I hear the collective yawns out there, but please bear with me. In my view, this is critically important because, as best you can, you need to become more critical and sophisticated in judging the value of the latest scientific studies.If research is to prove that a treatment is effective, it must be of the highest scientific quality or else it is hopelessly biased and misleading and unreliable. That means it should meet the 'gold standard' of scientific evidence in this area: called the randomized controlled trial (RCT).The key elements of a RCT include: an unbiased sample selected with a specific problem, the participants are randomly assigned to more than one kind of treatment (e.g., chiropractic versus massage), objective valid outcome measures are used which are gathered by "blinded" observers (e.g., they don't know if the participant got massage or spinal manipulation).The RCT is pretty much the standard by which all of medicine now evaluates its merit and answers the question: are we are really helping our patients or just providing snake oil? As my grandmother used to say (in another language): you have to be willing to "put your rear end on the table."**********"Evidence -based" care has become a mandate and there are now lots of smart people doing this analysis. Perhaps the foremost is the Cochrane Collaboration which critically reviews the published research and evaluates the quality of the scientific evidence for various medical issues. They put spinal manipulation for low back pain to the test of valid RCTs. Here is what they found:"This review of 39 trials found that spinal manipulation was more effective in reducing pain and improving the ability to perform everyday activities than sham (fake) therapy and therapies already known to be unhelpful. However, it was no more or less effective than medication for pain, physical therapy, exercises, back school, or the care given by a general practitioner. There was little or no difference in pain reduction or the ability to perform everyday activities between people with low back pain who received spinal manipulation and those who received other advocated therapies."**********So, again, you quite reasonably ask: if chiropractic care doesn't help back pain any more than a good massage, why do so many love it? Here's my take:Many problems (especially back pain) resolve on their own, regardless of treatment. People tend to seek help when the symptoms are at their worst, so odds are they will improve over time regardless, due to the normal waxing and waning of symptoms.Chiropractors spend more time with patients and that supportive, therapeutic relationship, plus the comforting laying on of hands, contributes to the "placebo" effect. If we are encouraged and optimistic, we feel better (maybe by altering our brain's neurochemistry). The "placebo" effect is quite powerful in many aspects of medical treatment. **********I wish I could tell you that traditional medicine was perfect, that all of our care is scientific and evidence-based. It is not and, anyway, sometimes a lack of evidence just means the appropriate studies have not yet been done. We by no means have all the answers, but at least we're trying. When the evidence leads in a direction, we try to follow it, even if it disrupts long cherished notions of what works.The beauty of the scientifically validated medicine is that we can always be proven wrong. If we are shown to have been in error, we self-correct, and therefore our care is constantly progressing.The shame of much so-called complementary medicine is that it can never be proven wrong. So it remains stuck in its own unfounded theories and practices, never to progress, but nonetheless absolutely certain of its own correctness.To which perspective do you want to entrust your child's health and well-being?**********Related Topics: WebMD Video: How Do Placebos Work?Clinical Trials on Alternative MedicineTechnorati Tags: chiropractic, placebo effect, pediatric, childrens health, alternative medicine, evidence based medicine (Source: Healthy Children)

Top 10 female enhancement creams: do they work?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:01:58 +0100

Diane dares to ask: I was wondering how effective these female enhancement creams really are. I looked at ingredients on 2 brands (Venus Touch and Orexia) and it looks like the only thing that might cause some sensations are the peppermint oil or menthol. What do you think? Sarah Bellum says: I’ve never had the need for these products so I’ve never paid much attention to them before. But, wow, once you starting looking, they’re everywhere! Some of them look like they use a simple “tingling” agent, like menthol, to get the job done. Others have different “active” ingredients that they claim will take you to “the promised land.” In either case, real test data for these products is tough to find. So after talking it over with the other lobes of the Beauty Brains, the Right Brain and I put together this list rating these products according to the following criteria: Active ingredients: What’s in the product that gives it a sexual sizzle? [Note: As you'll see when you read this list, many of these products are based on L-Argenine an amino acid that has been linked to the production of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps promote sensation down-you-know-where. However, these studies were done on L-Argenine in the blood, not from a topical application like these products provide. Therefore, we're skeptical. Other ingredients like menthol and niacin cause a mild irritation that creates a tingling sensation.] Proof: What kind of data does the company present to back up their claims? Cost: Is the product a big rip off or little rip off? Ok, having said all that, let’s take a look at the top 10 female enhancement creams: 1. Alura Active Ingredients: L-arginine, Menthol Cost: $15 for 10 applications ($1.50 per use) Proof: None provided Worth trying? Nope. This one’s almost double the price of some of the others and doesn’t seem to offer any added benefit. 2. Climatique Active ingredients: L-Arginine, Niacin, and Menthol. We’ve talked about L-arg and Menthol above. Niacin can provide a topical sensation. Cost: $24.95 for 20 to 30 uses. (About $1.00 per use) Proof: According to the website: “Original Climatique was evaluated by the research department of world famous Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. Focus groups, clinicians and sexual scientists agreed with the women of all ages that Original Climatique deserved an unqualified recommendation for use as a sexual enhancer and a pleasure product.” Worth trying? Hard to tell. I’m not sure what this endorsement means and the niacin scares me a bit – maybe too much sensation if you know what I mean 3. Orexia Active ingredient: menthol Proof: None. Cost: $49 per jar of unknown size Worth trying? No way am I paying 50 bucks for menthol! 4. Senstra Active ingredient: L-Argenine Proof: Same as #1 and 2 above. Cost: $27.95 for 2 oz. Worth trying? Nothing compelling here. Keep scrolling. 5. Vazoplex Active ingredient: They won’t tell us! There’s nothing on the website that describes what’s actually in the product. A huge red flag! Proof: You’re kidding, right? They won’t even say what’s in it! Cost: $19.00 for a month supply. How many times would YOU use it in a month??? Worth trying? Forget it! 6. V Cream Active ingredient: L-argenine, menthol, Damiana, Maca, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba. Proof: None. Cost: $44.00 per jar of unknown size. Worth trying? More of the same. 7. Venus Touch Active ingredient: Arginine and Ornithine, more nitric acid stimulation via amino acids. Proof: Nothing substantial. Cost: $19.95 for 20 to 30 uses (<$1.00 per use) Worth trying? I’ll pass. 8. Vigel Active ingredient: L-Arginine Proof: There are references to clinical studies on L-Arginine but they don’t indicate how the L-Arginine was applied. Could have been ingested? Can’t tell for sure. Cost: $24.95 per bottle (approx. 30 applications) (< $1.00 per use) Worth trying? Well, at least it’s cheap! 9. Vigorelle Active ingredients: Damiana Leaf, Suma Root, Motherwort, Wild Yam, Ginkgo Biloba, Peppermint Leaf. (Peppermint has an effect similar to menthol.)Cost: $59.95 for 30 applications ($2 per use) Proof: None. Cost: $59.95 for 2 ounces Worth trying? No thanks, due to lack of proof and high price. 10. Zestra Active Ingredients: Borage Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Coleus Extract, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and natural fragrance. Proof: Surprisingly, this is the only product that claims to NOT work through irritation. Unlike niacin and menthol, Zestra uses a different mechanism. Here’s what they say about their study results: “The Phase 3-type study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Zestra(R), compared to placebo oil in 256 women diagnosed with acquired mixed interest/desire/arousal/orgasm disorders in conditions of home use in conjunction with sexual activities. “Zestra was well-tolerated, and no serious adverse events (SAEs) were associated with study participants’ use of the product,” David M. Ferguson, PhD, MD, FACCP, the study’s clinical director, said.” Cost: $17 for 9 uses ($1.80 per use) Worth trying? Could be. Zestra is a bit more expensive per use, but it’s the only product that seems even remotely legitimate in my opinion. I’d bet my money on this one. The Beauty Brains bottom line: I’m not convinced there’s substantial research showing ANY of these really do anything beyond providing some surface tingling. But if you really want to try one, it looks like Zestra could be the best of the bunch. What do YOU think? Have you tried any of these? Would you? If you would, would you tell anyone? Let’s find out! Leave a comment and share your salacious stories with the rest of the Beauty Brains community. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

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Gluten exposed

The Diet Dish — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The FDA is close to approving a proposal that would define what gluten free actually means on a food label. Not a fad Some people see the book, Gluten Free Diet, and think it is the latest fad diet. Not so. If you are one of the 1% of Americans suffering from Celiac Disease, you are quite familiar with gluten. Gluten free products are popping up all over the place due to the rising incidence... (Source: The Diet Dish)

Thank you grand rounds 4.34

The Fitness Fixer — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Thank you Grand Rounds 4.34 for including my post Fix One Pain, Don't Cause Another among the best medical posts of the week. In a hospital, Grand Rounds is a lecture for doctors about a patient or topic. On the web, the weekly Grand Rounds is an electronic post that lists its vote for the best the best in online medical writing. Thank you David Williams at Health Business Blog for hosting this... (Source: The Fitness Fixer)

Health can occur on weekends too

The Fitness Fixer — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The post How Strong Is Your Arm? - Readers Find Out tells how true fitness does not mean doing a bunch of exercises, then returning to slouching, criticizing, smoking, harming others, and putting damaging things in your body. Fitness is making the many aspects of your life clean and healthy. A reader (who I know to be a good person) wrote: "Something that I find helpful for people around me and... (Source: The Fitness Fixer)

Exercise-associated hyponatremia

Medicine for the Outdoors — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

An excellent case report, entitled "Severe Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia on the Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea," appears in the first issue of Volume 19 of the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. Sean Rothwell and his co-authors describe the plight of a 43 year old man who collapsed and had a seizure in the afternoon of the third day of a guided trek. The amount of sodium in his blood... (Source: Medicine for the Outdoors)

Don't be fever phobic

Healthy Children — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Ms. W brings in her 4-year-old, who has had a fever of 102.8 for two days. "I'm worried sick. I can't get the fever down. I've given ibuprofen and acetaminophen, luke warm baths. But as soon as the fever goes down, it's soon back up again. I'm afraid the fever will cause some kind of damage."**********Of course, Ms. W is right to be concerned. But her worry is misplaced. Rather than fear the fever itself will cause harm, what she (and I) should be worried about is the cause of the fever. Ms. W is one of the world's gazillion fever-phobes. Don't you be one too. In case you are, let me talk you out of it. **********Normal temperature regulation without illness.Deep inside the brain (in the "hypothalamus") is a temperature center, sort of like the thermostat in your house. Its job is to try to keep the blood at a constant temperature (typically 98.6, although this can vary by a degree or so in either direction). That's why it is good to take your baby's/child's temperature a few times when s/he is fine. It may be that his/her normal temperature is really 97.8, so that 99.8 could signify a fever.Usually we say someone has a fever if the temperature inside the body is 1.5 - 2 degrees higher than usual.Most pediatric providers will call it a fever when the rectal temperature is higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38.0 degrees Centigrade. When the blood becomes colder than the 'set point', the temperature center orders the body to increase its metabolism (e.g., increase heart rate, digest some fat), which then raises body temperature. If the blood is a little hotter than the set point, the metabolism slows until the desired temperature is reached. (I'm simplifying a bit - blood flow to the skin, sweating, etc. may increase or decrease also.) **********Fever caused by illness.There can be many causes for a fever (such as dehydration, over-bundling an infant, a very hot day). But, usually, fever = infection. The immune system of the body senses a 'foreign invader' (such as a bacteria or a virus) and sends chemical messages to the temperature center to crank up the heat inside the body. This is a good and smart thing to do because: Some bacteria and viruses don't like the higher temperature and so are more easily destroyed by the immune system.The faster metabolism provides more blood and infection-fighting white blood cells and other chemicals to ward off the infection. The higher temperature may make the immune system elements more effective killers of the germs. So repeat after me 25 times: fever is our friend, fever is our friend... It lets us know that an infection may be brewing, and, at the same time, it helps to fight off that infection. And that infection-induced fever doesn't go high enough (typically >106.5) to carry a risk of causing damage to the brain and body.**********Then why treat a fever? The body's thermostat is rarely satisfied; it usually wants the temperature in the body to be a few degrees warmer than it is. That's why we feel cold or chilled when really we are already too warm. Hence, the main reason to treat a fever: to make your child feel more comfortable. Period. **********A few caveats This discussion does not apply to children who have seizures with fever ("febrile seizures"). They need their fever to be managed more aggressively to try to prevent recurrences.Any fever in the first months could indicate a possible significant infection requiring immediate attention.Don't get too caught up in the exact temperature. While it is true that higher fevers may signify a more worrisome infection, more important are your child's symptoms, such as respiratory distress, irritability, listlessness, lethargy, poor feeding, fewer interactions with then environment, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. I'm much more worried about a listless child with a temperature of 101, than a smiling playful one with a temp of 103. If your baby/child looks sick in any of the ways mentioned above, call your pediatric provider, even if the temperature is not high enough to be called a fever.Related Topics: Your Baby's Temperature: FeverTips for Keeping Your Child HealthyTechnorati Tags: fever, fever in children, body temperature (Source: Healthy Children)

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Q&a: my child has a fever. what should i do?

Healthy Children — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Q: My two year old has a fever of 102.3 rectally. He also has a runny nose, slight cough and seems a bit tired and cranky. Should I call his pediatrician right away or wait and see how it goes?A: Among the zillion responsibilities you have as a parent, knowing what to do when your child gets a fever is among the most important and, therefore, the scariest. Let me break down the issues for you and help you figure out how to approach this common concern:Be certain there is indeed a fever. That usually means a rectal temp (the most accurate) in a young child. Generally any temperature above 100.4 is considered a fever.Fever = infection. It is not due to teething. It is not due to allergies. It is not due to stress. Your child's fever is almost certainly due to an infection.Therefore, once a fever has been established, the real question is: what kind of infection is it? A virus? A bacterial infection? Look for clues: are there any symptoms, like a rash, cough, vomiting or diarrhea?Most important, how sick does your child look? If s/he is happy and playful and living large, then a serious infection is unlikely, no matter what the degree of fever. If, on the other hand, she looks lethargic, unhappy, not alert, not hungry, etc, then a significant infection is more likely, no matter the level of the fever.Don't be fever-phobic. The fever is unlikely to cause any harm, except to make your child uncomfortable (for more on this see my blog post here.)For comfort you can give ibuprofen or acetaminophen in the prescribed doses, every four hours or so.Involve your pedi! Only s/he will be able to diagnose what is going on should your little one need to be seen. Let him/her know what is going on from the beginning, especially if you have concerns.The good news is that most infections are self-limited and kids come out of it fine. Odds are that is the case with this current infection. Your job (and mine), however, is to be a little paranoid that perhaps this time, just maybe it's something out of the ordinary, requiring immediate intervention.Tools to Try Check SymptomsTreating Fever in ChildrenTechnorati Tags: fever, FAQ, pediatrics, ask the pediatrician (Source: Healthy Children)

“struggling in silence: physician depression and suicide” documentary airs this week

Dr. Z's Medical Report — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:20:00 +0100

Here’s an alarming statistic: on average, every day in the United States at least one doctor dies by suicide. Every year approximately 300 - 400 doctors take their own lives – roughly one a day, and more physicians commit suicide than do members of any other profession. Moreover, suicide among women physicians is especially high with a rate between 250 and 400 percent higher than females in other professions (the rate in male physicians is 70 percent higher than in other professions). And while men in the general population successfully complete suicide four times more frequently than do women, among physicians, the completion rates for the two sexes are equal. Thus, physician suicide is all too common and women are disproportionately affected. To help address this problem, a new one hour high-definition documentary entitled Struggling in Silence: Physician Depression and Suicide is airing this month on many public television stations. The showings coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been observed in May for the past 50 years. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which helped produce it, “[T]he program conveys the impact of physician suicide on families, patients and communities through the stories of two physicians lost to suicide. It also shares the accounts of those living with mood disorders: a freshman medical student with depression and anxiety who considered dropping out, a surgeon diagnosed with depression who overcame stigmatizing attitudes and policies within his state and profession, and a prominent neurologist whose bipolar disorder introduced her to new areas of research and patient care.” Depression is a major risk factor in physician suicide. Other factors include bipolar disorder and alcohol and substance abuse. According to a recent article about the documentary in Newsweek magazine, “[W]hile the rate of depression over a lifetime is basically the same for male physicians and the general population of men—about 12 percent—the doctors’ suicide rate is 1.4 times higher. Female docs have double the rate of depression and 2.3 times the rate of suicide compared with the general population of women. The problem seems to be, in part, related to under diagnosis, fewer physicians seeking help, and lack of treatment, hence the title of the program: Struggling in Silence. The combination of depressed physicians trying to “go it alone” and their access to lethal prescription medications (as well as having the detailed knowledge of how to use them) helps maintain this unfortunate situation. A major goal of the documentary is to raise awareness among physicians and their patients about the problem. As noted by the AFSP, “[T]he documentary is part of an ongoing outreach campaign that seeks to educate physicians about depression so that they can better recognize the symptoms in themselves and their patients while also cultivating a better understanding of mood disorders in the community at large.” Another benefit of the program is that “[I]f we teach doctors to recognize depression in themselves,” says Dr. Paula Clayton, the [AFSP] foundation’s medical director, “they will recognize it in their patients.” If you’ve seen this video please tell us about it by leaving a comment below. If you have experience with depression and/or suicide (possibly someone in your family or someone you know) please tell us your story so that others may learn. To get more information about the documentary, watch a trailer and or excerpts, or to find out when the documentary is airing in your area, visit the Struggling in Silence Web site. Other Resources: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Newsweek magazine article “When Doctors Kill Themselves” Mental Health Awareness Month HealthTalk Mental Health Communities (Source: Dr. Z's Medical Report)

Straightfromthedoc @ ihm health blogs directory

Straightfromthedoc — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:47:08 +0100

I guess it is time to update the blog roll. There are too much fabulous health blogs I found at the IHM Health Blogs directory. © amy_b StraightFromTheDoc made it to the list under the Misc. Consumer Health category. Thanks a lot Lisa Emrich. Read IHM - Health Blogs, Part 6 at Trusted MD Network and at Lisa Emrich's multiple sclerosis blog, Brass and Ivory. See full article. Related Entries: My Newly-found Health Blogs I Highly Recommend - 27 December 2007 Health Blogs Looking for Blogger - 22 February 2008 Allergizer @ IHM Health Blogs Directory - 13 May 2008 Daily Diabetic @ IHM Health Blogs Directory - 13 May 2008 Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com. (Source: Straightfromthedoc)

April-may edition of all things medical

RDoctor Medical Syndication — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:13:21 +0100

Welcome to the April 29, 2008 edition of all things medical. Niharika presents The Top 100 Academic Medical Blogs (http://www.ondd.org/the-top-100-academic-medical-blogs/) posted at Online Nursing Degree Directory (http://www.ondd.org). Jose DeJesus MD presents Lowering Prescription Drug Costs (http://physicianentrepreneur.com/?p=326) posted at Physician Entrepreneur (http://physicianentrepreneur.com). Mike Remer presents A Great Weight Reducing Secret | My Path To Fitness Blog (http://www.mypathtofitness.com/blog/nutrition/a-great-weight-reducing-secret_9.html) posted at My Path To Fitness Blog (http://www.mypathtofitness.com/blog). James Chambers presents Hyperhidrosis Treatment Advice and Options (http://www.hyperhidrosisweb.com/hyperhidrosis-treatments.html) posted at Hyperhidrosis (http://www.hyperhidrosisweb.com/). James Brausch presents This Week Is Meat Only (http://weightlossdude.com/this-week-is-meat-only/) posted at Weight Loss Dude (http://weightlossdude.com). Sonja Stewart presents Are Autism and Vaccinations Linked? (http://parentingsquad.com/are-autism-and-vaccinations-linked) posted at Parenting Squad (http://parentingsquad.com/). Niharika presents Green Health: 30 Environmentally Friendly (and effective) Alternatives to Traditional Medicines and Procedures (http://www.ondd.org/green-health-30-environmentally-friendly-and-effective-alternatives-to-traditional-medicines-and-procedures/) posted at Online Nursing Degree Directory (http://www.ondd.org). (Source: RDoctor Medical Syndication)

April-may edition of all things medical

RDoctor Medical Syndication — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:13:21 +0100

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Is karin herzog oxygen eye cream a breath of fresh air?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:01:19 +0100

Ava asks: I was hoping that you could settle something for us, being scientifically-inclined and all. I recently participated in a heated discussion about hydrogen peroxide being converted into bioavailable oxygen when in a cream, as claimed by Karin Herzog skincare. Not only does this seem impossible to me (and in fact very harmful in the long run to the skin barrier), but I tracked down all the research that supposedly upholds these claims and it is completely, utterly bogus. Here’s my question: Is there a way to deliver oxygen to the skin in the form of a cream? Is it beneficial? Could hydrogen peroxide break down in order to deliver oxygen to the cells of the skin, as Karin Herzog claims? The Left Brain responds: I suggest you read the thread that Ava provided (see reference below) because it contains an excellent explanation from Paula Begoun, the Cosmetic Cop, on why oxygen is a bogus ingredient in cosmetics. Meanwhile, here’s my take on the subject: A breath of fresh air It’s true that oxygen is essential for healthy skin. But that’s only because you’d be DEAD without oxygen. Let me explain how that works: When you inhale oxygen it binds to hemoglobin in your red cells and is transported to various tissues throughout your body. From there it’s taken up into the cells, specifically into the mitochondria. These are tiny compartments that are equipped with special enzymes that bind to the oxygen to create energy for the cells. So oxygen that you breathe, that’s properly bound in your cells is important. On the other hand, free oxygen is BAD for your skin because it can create free radicals that damage your cells. So despite the fact that Karin Herzog tells you her eye cream contains “0.5% oxygen that moisturizes, illuminates, tones, hydrates and firms the gentle eye area” your skin does NOT want free oxygen. I can think of one case where there is a potential benefit to applying oxygen you skin. That’s using hydrogen peroxide as an antiseptic. The peroxide breaks and release oxygen that can have a mild germicidal effect. But that oxygen doesn’t penetrate into your skin! The Beauty Brains bottom line Don’t hold your breath waiting for oxygen skin care products to really work. Reference: Paula’s references on oxygen and skin can be found in this thread. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Thank you david e. williams for grand rounds 4.34

Healthline Connects — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Our good friend David E. Williams of Health Business Blog hosted Grand Rounds this week. He gathered up some fabulous tales from the medical blogosphere and included my post about HBO's Hear and Now: The Joy of Communication. David writes one of my favorite blogs - he is a strategy consultant to pharma, biotech and other healthcare services industries. Expand your brain with Grand Rounds. (Source: Healthline Connects)

Thank you health business blog

The Diet Dish — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Thank you David Williams of Health Business Blog for hosting Grand Rounds 4:34 this week. He included my post about the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist. Grand Rounds is a compilation of medical blogs from all over the internet. Interesting stuff to read. Check it out! (Source: The Diet Dish)

Thank you - grand rounds 4.34

Teen Health 411 — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Thank you David E. Williams at the Health Business Blog for hosting Grand Rounds 4.34 this week and including my post about the Care and Feeding of Adolescents. This week had some very interesting posts included and I loved all the humor! Photo credit: edbierman (Source: Teen Health 411)

Bike to work week

Health Observances — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Gas prices have topped $4 a gallon. Evidence of climate change is devastating in terms of loss of lives, cost of food, and homelessness with the cyclone in Myanmar, tornadoes in North America, drought, floods, famine, icebergs breaking off around the globe. So what can we do about it? Bike to Work! The League of American Bicyclers invites you to get healthy and bike to work this week. Just... (Source: Health Observances)

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Grand rounds 4.34 at health business blog!

Fruit of the Womb — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Thanks to David E. Williams at Health Business Blog for a most entertaining Grand Rounds and for including a link to my recent post regarding Consequences of Decreased Amniotic Fluid in pregnancy. This is the 4th post in my series on amniotic fluid that aims to provide a very basic understanding of what the 'bag of waters' is all about and the causes, complications, and managemnt of amniotic... (Source: Fruit of the Womb)

How the ama's rvs update committee is trying to slow the growth of medical homes

The Doctor Weighs In — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:23:17 +0100

by ROY POSES MD(Note by Brian Klepper: At Health Care Renewal, Dr. Roy Poses, a Clinical Associate Professor at Brown University's School of Medicine, writes a consistently excellent blog on health care financial conflict . Both he and I have written extensively - a link to his most recent column is provided below; mine is here - about the obscene sole source advisory relationship that CMS maintains with the conflicted, lopsided and secretive AMA's RVS Update Committee (or RUC). Essentially, the facts are that the RUC, a proprietary committee within the AMA overwhelmingly dominated by specialists, has been the only advisor to CMS on physician reimbursement for many years. It has consistently urged CMS to increase specialty reimbursement at the expense of primary care. The result has been to drive medical students into specialties. Over the last five years, the percent of medical school graduates going into Family Practice has dropped from 14 percent to 8 percent. Only 25 percent of Internal Medicine residents now go into office-based practice; the rest become hospitalists or subspecialists. Here is Dr. Poses' most recent post, reprinted from Health Care Renewal, this time on a recent report from the RUC that makes recommendations for paying physicians under the Medicare's Patient-Centered Medical Home pilot. As you might suspect, this does little to change the current corrosive paradigm.) We have posted a number of times, (most recently here, and see links to earlier posts) about the RBRVS Update Committee's (RUC) responsibility for Medicare's relatively poor reimbursement of primary care and other "cognitive" physicians' services compared to procedures. This imbalance has rippled through all of US health care, affecting how private insurers and managed care organizations reimburse physicians, and generally how the US systems favors procedures over talking, examining, thinking, diagnosing, prognosticating, deciding, and prescribing and super-specialization over generalism and primary care. The RUC ostensibly is just an advocacy group sponsored by the American Medical Association, yet it seems to be the only source of outside input about physicians' reimbursement used by the US Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Given this influence, it is dismaying that it is secretive, unrepresentative, and unaccountable. Neither its membership nor proceedings are public. It is dominated by proceduralists and sub-specialists. It is unaccountable to US physicians, much less the general public. CMS in its wisdom also put the RUC in charge of figuring out how physicians' practices participating in trials of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) would be paid. The PCMH has gotten a lot of buzz lately. It purports to be the modern way to characterize a well-functioning primary care practice. Various powers that be that now want to support primary care seem only interested in supporting such care that fits the PCMH model. Yet putting the RUC, which seems to be the single most important cause of the decline of primary care, in charge of payment for this new version of primary care, appears to be a great case of putting the fox in charge of the hen-house. On the Retired Doc's Thoughts blog, Dr James Gaulte first pointed this out. The RUC just released its report on how physicians providing medical homes ought to be paid. Now, on the Happy Hospitalist blog, this post dissected how the RUC came up with its recommendations, in all their mind-numbing detail. That blog summarized the results as "punching primary care in the face," and furthermore, The payment rates that are recommended are insulting and downright degrading. Do they think nobody is paying attention? These people have no business trying to create public policy.Unless I'm completely off base in my interpretation, if I was an outpatient doc, I would run faster than Forest Gump from this proposed financial disaster. This is a reminder of what can go wrong with a "single-payer health care system," which is what Medicare is. When the government sets what physicians are paid, which is what happens in Medicare, (and de facto happens for our entire health care system, as private insurance companies and managed care organizations seem to slavishly follow the CMS' lead as engineered by the RUC), the government ought to provide a rational, transparent, accountable method of doing so. The current RUC based system is the opposite, irrational, opaque, and unaccountable. If we don't fix it, we can kiss primary care goodbye, with all the negative consequences that would entail. And further woe unto us if the calls for health care reform lead to "Medicare for all," with the RUC based system intact. Roy Poses can be contacted at Roy_Poses@brown.edu. (Source: The Doctor Weighs In)

Are cosmetic companies ever sued for false advertising?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:01:02 +0100

Skeptical Susan says: In your story about cosmetics that really work, you mentioned all those products that don’t really do what they say. That made me wonder why don’t any of these companies ever get in trouble if they’re lying? I thought we had laws against false advertising. The Right Brain retorts: You’re correct, there are laws against false advertising. They vary from county to country but generally speaking for those laws to take effect someone has to initiate a challenge against the suspicious advertiser. That challenge can come from a consumer such as yourself, another company, or from an interested party such as a consumer group or governmental body. Two ways to challenge Regardless of who initiates the challenge, in the US there are two basic ways by which advertisements are “policed.” The first way involves taking the company directly to court because you believe you can show their advertisement is false and misleading. If the courts rule in the plaintiff’s favor, the offending company can be forced to stop specific advertising and they may have to pull recall product from distribution. In addition, the court can levy fines against the company if warranted. This is not usually the course that is followed because of the time and money involved in engaging the legal system. Most of the time, cases are reviewed by an arbitrating body, specifically the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau. The NAD has no specific legal authority and can not punish companies for running bad ads, but their opinion carries a lot of weight. So if the NAD rules against a company, in most cases, the advertiser follows their advice (or they may face more severe action in court.) While the general public may not realize it, companies are challenged on their claims ALL the time. In fact here’s a recent example from the NAD case files issued April 2008: Is Actifade illegal? This case involves a product called Actifade, a sunspot/age spot fade cream. We’ve blogged before about similar products like Meladerm and other skin lighteners. These are Over The Counter (OTC) drugs because they contain active ingredients that reduce skin pigmentation. The NAD took issue with the advertiser’s claims because product performance claims should follow the language in the OTC drug monograph. Here’s how the NAD ruled on specific Actifade claims: Claims regarding “stopping sun spots, age spots and liver spots” implied that the product permanently eliminated skin discolorations and are not supported by any data from the advertiser. Claims about looking “5, 10, even 20 years younger” are also not supported. Both claims should be discontinued The claims “Younger looking skin has never been easier” and “Just rub it on and it works,” must be modified to avoid implying that the products immediately remove age spots The claim “Actifade combines a cosmetic with powerful medication that will fade sun spots, age spots and dark discoloration with no greasy mess” is acceptable and can be used. The Beauty Brains Bottom Line As a result of this NAD challenge, Actifade has agreed to change their advertising. If they had not agreed, they could have been taken to court to face more serious action. So there you have it - that’s how the system protects us from false advertising. What do YOU think? Does the legal system do a good job of protecting the public from fraudulent cosmetic claims? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Amniotic fluid - 5 - evaluation and management of oligohydramnios

Fruit of the Womb — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Just as the fetal outcome depends on the degree, underlying cause, timing during development and longevity of decreased amniotic fluid, to some extent, so do the management options. When the baby has complete absence of both kidneys (bilateral renal agenesis), or absence of functional kidneys (bilateral multicystic or polycystic renal dysplasia), and no amniotic fluid, then as we pointed out... (Source: Fruit of the Womb)

Thank you to health business blog for grand rounds

Medicine for the Outdoors — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Thank you to David E. Williams of Health Business Blog for including my post about ozone and the outdoors in this week's edition of Grand Rounds. Grand Rounds is a weekly compilation of posts related to health care compiled by a host, who makes a great effort to compile an interesting collection for readers. (Source: Medicine for the Outdoors)

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Medical records vulnerable targets

Healthline Connects — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Last month I wrote about wide spread data theft from medical centers. Security authorities have been busy offering reassurances that data wasn't compromised and other "reassurances" that some how wasn't very reassuring. US Today reports that identity thieves have been busy preying on medical records, finding them a rich treasure trove of social security numbers and credit information. ... (Source: Healthline Connects)

Farm bill

The Diet Dish — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The House and Senate finally reached agreement this week on the almost $300 billion five-year farm bill last week. Word is that President Bush is going to veto the bill, but work is already being done to override the veto. Some of the people who will benefit are the millions of low-income Americans who are hungry and don't have healthy food due to rising food prices. Here are some... (Source: The Diet Dish)

Fixing pain and golf easier with real life movement than isolated exercises

The Fitness Fixer — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Jeff is a Silicon Valley executive, and coach of Next Stage. He found that a lifestyle of unhealthy exercise habits can accumulate, until one day of golf becomes "the Camel's Last Straw." Jeff writes: "There is life after back pain – even the kind where you can’t walk, sit, lie down, or sleep. "The weekend before Thanksgiving (2007), I was out golfing, and I made a pretty bad swing at a ball... (Source: The Fitness Fixer)

Hypocrisy in the beauty industry

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:47:34 +0100

A couple of recent stories have gotten me thinking about hypocrisy in the beauty industry. Certainly you’ve heard the news that the photos of the “real women” in the Dove Real Beauty campaign may have been digitally altered. If true, this would seem hypocritical because they complain most companies use touched up models to sell their products while they do exactly the same thing except with chubbier, less attractive models. Of course, the company is mostly denying it, but what else can they do? Close-up photographs of real people never look as good as ones that have been touched up. Freckles, acne, wrinkles and age-spots don’t work in magazine ads. Natural Hypocrites The other story was one about the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) attacking “natural” companies for using raw materials that contain a potential carcinogen. It seems that companies like Jason Natural & Organic, Kiss My Face and Nature’s Gate Organic all use ethoxylated ingredients that have trace amounts of 1,4-Dioxane. The OCA believes it’s hypocritical to say you are natural, but still contain supposedly dangerous ingredients. While we disagree about the danger posed by trace amounts of 1,4-Dioxane, we can see the OCA’s point. It does seem hypocritical. Getting what they deserve It just goes to show you how difficult it is to build a brand by tearing other people’s products down. Photos can always be made more “real”. Cosmetic formulas can always be made “safer”. Companies that claim to more real or safer than others are just setting themselves up for being exposed as hypocrites. I for one am happy to see it. Perhaps next time they’ll focus on the good features of their products instead of what they think are bad features of their competitors. Are the Beauty Brains Hypocrites? Incidentally, we hear the claim on the Beauty Brains every so often that we are hypocrites because we accept advertising for products. We whole-heartedly disagree with this. While it is true that we do accept advertising and also get money for some affiliate programs, we don’t believe this is hypocritical because we do not allow the fact that a product is advertised on our website to cloud what we say about them If we don’t believe a product like Pink Patch weight loss, Kinoki Foot pads, or Jan Marini eyelash thickeners work, we’ll tell you. However, we’ll accept ads from them and if you’re going to buy them, that’s fine with us. It is up to you to use your brain when making purchasing decision. We’re not here to tell you what to do. We’re here to help you make an informed decision. There is one line of hypocrisy that we will not cross. The Beauty Brains will not make their own line of cosmetics. While it could easily be done, we believe it would create an unavoidable bias that would taint the information you get here on the Beauty Brains. The information, the science is what is important. That’s why the only products you’ll ever get from the Beauty Brains are books and other information products. And these are the only products we endorse. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Happy mother's day

Teen Health 411 — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Happy Mother's Day everyone! I hope that you managed to mother yourself, your children, your own mother, your partner, your pets, your house, your work, the earth, and the people you came into contact with today. What a wonderful opportunity Mother's Day is to appreciate all of the unconditional love and attention that we enjoy every day and all of the blessings of love and attention we are able... (Source: Teen Health 411)

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Amniotic fluid - 4 - consequences of decreased amniotic fluid

Fruit of the Womb — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In the last three posts, we have reviewed basic aspects of amniotic fluid production and measurement and common causes of decreased amniotic fluid, or oligohydramnios. Now let’s look at reasons decreased amniotic fluid increases the risk for fetal (and newborn) complications and death. Complications related to decreased amniotic fluid depend on the underlying cause, the degree of the decrease,... (Source: Fruit of the Womb)

5 hot topics on the beauty brains forum

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:00:38 +0100

Have you been to the Beauty Brains forum? If not you’re missing a lot of great discussions. The forum is a place where you get to swap ideas, tips, and opinions on beauty products and pretty much any other topic you’re interested in. (If you need more see these 10 Reasons to Join the Forum) So, head on over to the forum and let the others in the Beauty Brains community know what you think. Here is just a list of some of topics you can weigh in on right now. Share your makeup tips - Fellow beauty brainiacs swap tips on the best way to apply makeup. Tell us your latest skin care products - Community members sound off on which products they’re using right now and how well they like them (or not). Tell us your latest makeup purchase - Like the one above but for make-up. What beauty product do you want that doesn’t exist? - Here’s a chance for a direct line to tell cosmetic chemists what kind of products they should be making. What beauty treatment would you undergo? - Members tell what cosmetic procedure they might try and talk about the ones that are just too scary. We have a lively group on the forum and membership is free. If you want to be heard, just sign up here and leave your comments. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

First generic ropinirole, approved by the fda

Straightfromthedoc — Sat, 10 May 2008 06:12:29 +0100

Requip (ropinirole hydrochloride) tablets - product of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) - are for the treatment of moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). © Brymo From the NINDS-NIH: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings. RLS sensations are often described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the legs. Often called paresthesias (abnormal sensations) or dysesthesias (unpleasant abnormal sensations), the sensations range in severity from uncomfortable to irritating to painful. Now the FDA has approved the generic versions of Requip - Ropinirole Hydrochloride. The said generics approved are from the following generic drug makers: Roxane Laboratories Inc.Teva Pharmaceuticals USAPar Pharmaceuticals Inc.Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. Read more from the FDA News. See full article. Related Entries: Restless Legs Syndrome - 10 February 2007 Restless Legs and Gambling - 12 February 2007 Treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) May Trigger Compulsive Gambling - 13 February 2007 Restless Legs Caused by a Gene - 20 July 2007 Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com. (Source: Straightfromthedoc)

Ozone and the outdoors

Medicine for the Outdoors — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Here's an interesting news item (within the quotation marks) that was recently brought to my attention: "Content provided by Reuters on April 22, 2008 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even breathing in a little ozone at levels found in many areas is likely to kill some people prematurely, the National Research Council reported. The report recommends that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consider... (Source: Medicine for the Outdoors)

Blackberries

The Diet Dish — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

I thought I remembered all of the black foods in my post yesterday on the black food trend, but I forgot one very important black food! BLACKBERRIES! Blackberries are really tart and quite large compared to most of the other berries. I like to mix them with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. They complement the other berries nicely. Blackberries are really high in antioxidants and... (Source: The Diet Dish)

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Happy mothers day

The Fitness Fixer — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Wishing everyone a Happy Mothers Day, for your mother, a mother, yourself, and Mother Earth. Click Healthy Mothers Day for health and fun. Photo by Araleya (Source: The Fitness Fixer)

Ibuprofen and risk of alzheimer's disease

Straightfromthedoc — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:02:48 +0100

© Rev Dan Catt According to a study published in the May 6, 2008, issue of Neurology® (the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology), long term use of ibuprofen and other drugs for aches and pain may be associated with reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. For the study, researchers identified 49,349 US veterans age 55 and older who developed Alzheimer's disease and 196,850 veterans without dementia. The study examined over five years of data and looked at the use of several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The veterans received medical care and prescriptions through the VA Health Care system. The study found people who specifically used ibuprofen for more than five years were more than 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Results also showed that the longer ibuprofen was used, the lower the risk for dementia. In addition, people who used certain types of NSAIDs for more than five years were 25 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than non-users. According to the study author Steven Vlad, MD, with Boston University School of Medicine: While other NSAIDs such as indomethacin may also have been associated with lower risks, others such as celecoxib did not show any impact on dementia risk. These results suggest that the effect may be due to specific NSAIDs rather than all NSAIDs as a class. Some of these medications taken long term decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but it's very dependent on the exact drugs used. It doesn't appear that all NSAIDs decrease the risk at the same rate. One reason ibuprofen may have come out so far ahead is that it is by far the most commonly used." But since this was an observational study, it cannot be interpreted as such entirely what's suggested - it might not be the NSAID use that drove the lower risk of dementia, but rather something else about the people who used a particular NSAID (ibuprofen, etc.). Definitely, the findings above should not as used to administer NSAIDs to prevent dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Find more details from the American Academy of Neurology or Science Daily. See full article. Related Entries: Common Pain Relievers Do not Prevent Alzheimer's Disease - 27 April 2007 Blueberry-Rich Diet Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Disease - 02 July 2007 Simvastatin Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease - 21 July 2007 OTC NSAIDs May Reduce Risk of Parkinson's Disease - 06 November 2007 Contents of this feed are a property of Creative Weblogging Limited and are protected by copyright laws. Violations will be prosecuted. Please email us if you'd like to use this feed for non-commercial activities at feeds - at - creative-weblogging.com. (Source: Straightfromthedoc)

Ten cosmetic products that really work

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:03:46 +0100

Kisha’s quandary: It depresses me to see your site be so negative, it seems like no product works out there and that we are so dependent on chemicals drugs and studies , which a lot of times are purposely rigged to have the drug companies make the most money. How in the word have we survived for so long without those drugs before???? The Left Brain’s reply: Kisha, as I’ve said before, our mission is to educate our community about the truth behind cosmetic products. And the sad truth is, there are many products out there that do NOT do what they promise. Bogus beauty buys Some examples include the Pink Patch, Collyre Bleu Eye Drops, Airborne, Kinoki Detox Foot Pads, the Brava Breast Enhancement system, Clarins 3P Screen Mist, and a host of high-priced, over-promised anti-aging products like Perricone. Many of the products that we’re asked about, like the ones I just mentioned, are dubious at best. I rarely see questions that have a clear cut, positive answer like “does Suave shampoo really get your hair clean.” So, since our community asks us about questionable products, the answers that the Right Brain and I give are often negative because many of these products are more about BS than beauty science. It’s unfortunate that you think it’s depressing to learn the truth about products that are trying to trick you. I think it’s much more depressing to wake up one morning and realize you spent a lot of your hard earned money on products that don’t deliver they benefit they promise. Cosmetics that really work However, just because I blog about a lot of bogus products, that doesn’t mean that NOTHING works. In fact, the world of cosmetics offers MANY products that are highly effective. The Right Brain and I have blogged about these in the past, but in case you haven’t seen them, here are 10 quick examples of cosmetics that really work: Crest Teeth whitening strips Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant Avocado oil for soothing skin Coconut and Palm oil hair strengthening products like Ojon Hair dyes of all kinds Silicone scar removal sheets Skin lighteners like Meladerm Fluoride tooth paste Skin moisturizers Hair relaxers The Beauty Brains bottom line In conclusion, I’m sorry that you feel our site is negative and depressing. But I’d rather tell you the straight truth about cosmetics and have you leave the Beauty Brains community than let you go on thinking that all the advertising you read about cosmetics is true. Hopefully you’ll continue reading so we can help you be a smarter shopper. Thanks for your question. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

The best way to potty train

The Pediatrician Is In — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:59:10 +0100

I am talking with a publisher about writing a book on toilet training. And even though there are already a million toilet training books out there, mine will be different, because I really believe that there is no one right way to do it. There is, however, a right way to toilet train your child, and you know best what it is. (Source: The Pediatrician Is In)

Chic clicks: the best of this week’s beauty blogs

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:29 +0100

Top Button is madly in love with light summer scarves. Especially this TDM Design Marino Water Scarf. Ahhh-mazing! Dreading swimsuit season? Get your best beach bod with StyleBakery.com’s tips for finding the right swimsuit for your figure. I’m Not Obsessed gives you a sneak peek at Barney’s Co-Op Surprise: Rogan Gregory for GO. International Girlawhirl’sstocking up on fitflops for summer before they sell out again! SheFindscomes to the rescue when you don’t know What to Wear to Meet the Parents. Smarter Fashion gives you MORE great online coupon codes from top online stores in clothing & accessories. They will expire at the end of this month so no procrastinating! The Beauty Brains tell us the story of Emily Skin Soother, a skin salve developed by a father for his infant daughter. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

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Amniotic fluid - 3 - oligohydramnios: causes of too little amniotic fluid

Fruit of the Womb — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Having discussed where amniotic fluid comes from and how we assess amniotic fluid volume, let’s address the most common amniotic fluid abnormality – too little fluid or oligohydramnios. There are 3 primary reasons why there is too little amniotic fluid: 1) rupture of membranes; 2) fetal abnormalities; 3) placental abnormalities. Spontaneous rupture of membranes (SROM) can occur at any time in... (Source: Fruit of the Womb)

Unwise to cut tobacco control funding in tough times

Freedom from Smoking — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The U.S. and many other economies across the globe are going through tough financial times just now. In these tough times, legislators and policy makers have to make tough choices about how to spend limited budgets. In recent times in the United States, one of the targets for cuts has been tobacco control funding. Using my home state as an example, I’d like to summarize some of the reasons why... (Source: Freedom from Smoking)

Hbo's hear & now: the joy of communication

Healthline Connects — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

HBO premiered the documentary film Hear and Now last night. It is a love story of a fascinating, quirky, intelligent, loving couple who happen to be deaf and the parents of three hearing children. One of the children, award winning filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky decided to document her parents journey through cochlear implant surgery. Paul and Sally Taylor have been deaf all their lives - they... (Source: Healthline Connects)

Black is the new...black

The Diet Dish — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

You have heard about eating a wide variety of colors on your plate, but have you ever thought about eating black foods? Can you even think of any black foods? Like other deeply colored foods, black foods can be very high in antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, depending on the food. The most nutritious and popular of the black foods I can think of are black beans. You know I love beans, so... (Source: The Diet Dish)