MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cigarette'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:43 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130663&cid=t_119122_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F15%2Fhealthy-lives-healthy-people-a-tobacco-control-plan-for-england%2F Scan or click to download 'Healthy lives, healthy people: a tobacco control plan for England' Title: Healthy lives, healthy people: a tobacco control plan for England The Skinny: Sets out how tobacco control will be delivered in the context of the new public health system, focusing in particular on the action that the Government will take nationally over the next five years to drive down the prevalence of smoking and to support comprehensive tobacco control in local areas. It includes commitments to: implement legislation to end tobacco displays in shops; look at whether the plain packaging of tobacco products could be an effective way to reduce the number of young people who take up smoking and to support adult smokers who want to quit, and consult on options by the end of the ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130663 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:21:03 +0100 5130663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952834&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-eAzFLBs7og%2F Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States.  These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant and necessary advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking. The final set of cigarette health warnings contains nine different text warnings and accompanying color graphics to: increase awareness of the specific health risks associated with smoking, such as death, addiction, lung disease, cancer, stroke and heart disease; encourage smokers to quit; and empower youth to say no to tobacco. The above is one of the new warnings; to see more of the new warnings of to learn more about them click here. Watch today’s ann... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952834 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:41:40 +0100 4952834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911570&cid=t_119122_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F08%2Fwhy-these-6-happiness-boosters-might-actually-make-you-feel-worse%2F Everyone has a few tricks for beating the blues. It turns out, however, that several of the most popular strategies don’t actually work very well in the long term. Beware if you are tempted to try any of the following: 1. Comforting yourself with a “treat.” Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day. So when you find yourself thinking, “I’ll feel better after I have a pint of ice cream… a cigarette… a new pair of jeans,” ask yourself — will it really make you feel better? It might make you feel worse. In particular, beware of… 2. Letting yourself off the hook. I’ve found that I sometimes ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911570 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:45:45 +0100 4911570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852942&cid=t_119122_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F21%2Fthe-link-between-creativity-and-eccentricity%2F It’s common knowledge that creatives can be eccentric. We’ve seen this throughout history. Even Plato and Aristotle observed odd behaviors among playwrights and poets, writes Harvard University researcher Shelley Carson, author of Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity and Innovation in Your Life, in the May/June 2011 issue of Scientific American. She gave several examples of creatives’ strange behaviors: “Albert Einstein picked up cigarette butts off the street to get tobacco for his pipe; Howard Hughes spent entire days on a chair in the middle of the supposedly germ-free zone of his Beverly Hills Hotel suite; the composer Robert Schumann believed that his musical compositions were dictated to him by Beethoven and other deceased luminaries fro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852942 Sat, 21 May 2011 16:30:10 +0100 4852942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841442&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFZ_BziKOzgc%2F By Gene HealyMy DC Examiner column this week focuses on Barack Obama’s transformation into our National Noodge, nudging, shoving, poking and prodding Americans into healthier lifestyles via the powers of the federal government. A year ago, the New York Times got all excited about the “new age of regulation” the administration was busy ushering in. The president had elevated “a new breed of regulators”: folks like regulatory czar Cass Sunstein, who wants to “nudge” Americans toward healthier consumption choices, and CDC head Thomas Frieden, who, as NYC health commissioner, proclaimed ”when anyone dies at an early age from a preventable cause in New York City, it’s my fault.” Today’s column tracks how this killjoy crusade is playing out: Quitti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841442 Tue, 17 May 2011 17:56:35 +0100 4841442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275310&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbRntlm6Dj4I%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Mackinac Center’s Michael LaFaive and Todd Nesbit have released a new study on the ill-effects of raising cigarette taxes at the state and local level. Cigarette tax hikes have become a popular choice for spend-happy state policymakers looking for money in these tough economic times. Also check out their accompanying video on the topic: Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275310 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:00:37 +0100 4275310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265575&cid=t_119122_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fstudy-shows-cigarette-chemicals-linger-months%2F A new study just published is finding that cigarette smoke residues such as nicotine linger for months in homes, even after the walls and surfaces have been cleaned. The health effects of this so-called “third-hand smoke” are unknown but testing reveals greatly increased body levels of these chemicals in both children and adults who move into residue-filled houses. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265575 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:17:57 +0100 4265575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245244&cid=t_119122_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fsmoking-cigarette-health-harm%2F In a sobering report for those one-cigarette-a-day smokers, the US Surgeon General has released findings showing that smoking even one cigarette causes immediate harmful health effects. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245244 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:00:40 +0100 4245244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164521&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-cigarette-labels-from-the-fda%2F2010.11.14 The FDA will soon require new cigarette package labeling to deter smoking. So in politically-correct governmental fashion, they are asking which labels you’d like to see. (You can pick your favorites here.) My personal favorite (so far) is the one shown to the left, but its impact factor pales in comparison to this example found in England. (That, my friends, is cancer!) Ironically, it appears the FDA isn’t too sure how forceful it should be in these warnings about the dangers of smoking. They offer a cornucopia of milquetoast labeling options, many of which contain cartoons. Might such unrealistic portrayals defy they hard-hitting message they want to project? Worse, at least one cartoon (seen here) even seems to promote cigarettes AND drug use together! In an even more astoni... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164521 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4164521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987045&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcFUXszHEmWA%2F By David BoazNPR reports: Black-market cigarettes are costing many states hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost tax revenue. And the lucrative, illicit trade is attracting violent criminal gangs that can be lethally ruthless. The rewards, and the risks, of dealing in contraband cigarettes became quite clear recently in northern Virginia, says Capt. Dennis Wilson of the Fairfax County Police Department. Undercover investigators working with his department “had two cases where contacts that we were working with had asked us to murder their competition,” Wilson says. The problem is that exorbitant taxes in New York state and especially New York City can add as much as $60 to the cost of a carton of cigarettes. No wonder criminals including “organized crime groups wi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987045 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:05:29 +0100 3987045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767047&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcan-i-become-an-ex-smoker-watch-me-try%2F This is the first post by Drew Grant, Associate Editor of our sister site, Crushable, about her efforts to quit smoking using the Become An Ex program. Telling people you’re quitting smoking just doesn’t have the same social impact that say, kicking heroin or drying out from alcohol does. You never see an episode of A&E’s Intervention where worried friends and family trick a three-pack-a-day fiend into a small room so that Dr. Jeff VanVonderen can give them the option of rehab. Why not? Well, for one thing, smoking is generally thought of as more of a symptomatic problem: It’s what you do along with drinking, or snorting cocaine, or what have you, and therefore isn’t the main issue for most people with “bad habits.” That’s why in AA or NA... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767047 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:10:46 +0100 3767047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733336&cid=t_119122_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FwIHpaZg_Tuo%2F Why do people have bad habits? Do you know that some people smoke only to control anxiety? The automatic movement that the person does while smoking makes the person believe that he is in control of his environment and that’s why most smokers smoke when they feel anxious. It is in fact, one of the main reasons people start to smoke in the first place! Do you know that some shopping addicts only buy things to improve their moods and not because they really want any thing they are buying? Those people go for quick fixes such as shopping to improve their bad moods or ease their stress. Ironically, these quick fixes actually worsen their moods and increase their stress (when they realize how much they’ve spent) when the high has faded. Do you know that most drug addicts only use drugs ... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733336 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:13:23 +0100 3733336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640990&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-when-you-stop-smoking-part-2-%25e2%2580%2593-new%2F This is the second in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 2 Bias and Activism In the Public Health Community I’ve been put off by the aggressive efforts from the more extreme elements of the public health community. Though my own field is very different, I’m close to this subject because my wife is a researcher on public health issues. (I hasten to add that she’s not among the radicals I’m targeting here.) In my opinion, the worst of these efforts are biased and even propagandistic. They’re a clear violation of basic s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640990 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:34:28 +0100 3640990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3590510&cid=t_119122_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F82%2Fconsistently-working-for-skin-rejuvenation%2F Here’s a brief look at the latest research in skin rejuvenation.  It seems that a more youthful look is something that anyone can have, if they work at it. How hard is the work?  It takes motivation and consistency to achieve and maintain results on your own. If you were a one-time sun worshiper, you won’t see an immediate change unless you are willing to invest in cosmetic surgery or spa treatments.  If you have good skin right now, keeping it is relatively easy. A person’s lifestyle can affect their appearance as much as anything else.  Researchers have known for years that cigarette smoking, lack of sleep and overexposure to sunlight contribute to a prematurely aged appearance. So, the first steps are preventative measures that will allow your skin’s natural reparative proce... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3590510 Sun, 23 May 2010 06:07:23 +0100 3590510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577367&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F178770%2F Tobacco Advertising Targets Mainly Women: China Daily reports that health officials announced Tuesday that women are the main target of tobacco advertising. They warn that the percentage of female smokers could rise to 15% in coming years, without intervention. (via environmentalhealthnews.org) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577367 Wed, 19 May 2010 14:08:59 +0100 3577367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529753&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Freader-opinion-what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-stop-smoking-right-now-%25e2%2580%2593-part-3%2F This is the third and final post in a series by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s previous post and first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 3 Is secondhand smoke really as dangerous as they say? The jury is still out, but I expect that the answer is no. At least, I have seen nothing that causes me to think that this particular kind of hand-wringing has merit. I am the first to agree that smoking cigarettes is dangerous to your health. On the other hand, while I cannot say with certainty, I strongly suspect that much of the hand-wringing about secondhand smoke is manipulative B.S. promoted by activists. It is... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529753 Mon, 03 May 2010 20:19:26 +0100 3529753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522614&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-when-you-stop-smoking-part-2-%25e2%2580%2593-new%2F This is the second in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 2 Bias and Activism In the Public Health Community I’ve been put off by the aggressive efforts from the more extreme elements of the public health community. Though my own field is very different, I’m close to this subject because my wife is a researcher on public health issues. (I hasten to add that she’s not among the radicals I’m targeting here.) In my opinion, the worst of these efforts are biased and even propagandistic. They’re a clear violation of basic s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522614 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:52:28 +0100 3522614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508135&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-if-you-stop-smoking-right-now%2F photo: Thinkstock This is the first in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Am I A Former Smoker? Almost a year ago to this day, after roughly fifty years of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, I launched myself into a cold turkey quit. Despite the fact that my quit has been an imperfect one with warts, I consider it successful – though others may not. This post is about my quit, but mainly it’s about the many things (positive and negative) I’ve learned in the process. Launching My Quit By April 2009, I had tried most of the nicotine replacement therapies in various attempts to quit smoking – Zyban, gum, patches – without success. Then I heard about Champix, which works directly ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508135 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:30:38 +0100 3508135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943762&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_EgL2UVf0xo%2F A Financial Super-Regulator: The dangers of giving the Fed too much power. The financial regulators’ pipe dream: “Most new regulation will do nothing to limit crises because markets will innovate around it. Worse, some regulation being considered by Congress will guarantee bigger and more frequent crises.” The shape of things to come? More war will come before peace in the Middle East, says journalist and foreign affairs analyst Leon Hadar. The illegal cigarette trade in Ireland reaches “epidemic proportions“  after the government imposes draconian regulations on tobacco products. Podcast: “Too Big to Fail Is Just Too Big“ “Too Big to Fail Is Just Too Big (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943762 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:10:43 +0100 2943762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571121&cid=t_119122_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F07%2F02%2Fchaos-theory-cancer-sticks-r-us%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: Cancer Sticks R Us. Posted in Cancer Cartoons, Politcal Cartoons Tagged: cigarette warning, fda, lung cancer (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571121 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:47:25 +0100 2571121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570386&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMwC1DQQHSZY%2F Economists have advanced many theories of taxation. But as usual, the one that seems to explain the policies of the Obama administration best is what I call the Mikulski Principle, the theory most clearly enunciated in 1990 by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D, Md.): Let’s go and get it from those who’ve got it. Just take a look at the myriad taxes proposed or publicly floated by President Obama and his aides and allies: Raise the top income tax rates from their current 33 percent and 35 percent rates to 36 percent and 39.6 percent in 2011 Limit itemized deductions for people paying high rates Increase capital gains and dividend taxes by 33 percent for people paying high income tax rates Impose a value-added tax (VAT) on all goods and services Raise the Social Security tax by lifting the ca... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570386 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:02:26 +0100 2570386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510272&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmlOUS-HVTwY%2F President Obama broke his pledge not to raise taxes on lower- and middle-income families with his large tobacco tax increase back in February. It appears that the increase is not just hurting tobacco consumers, but also hurting workers in the cigar industry. From Tampa Bay Online: Tampa will lose part of its cigar heritage in August when Hav-A-Tampa shuts its factory near Seffner and lays off about 495 employees, closing a factory that has been operating since 1902. Several things conspired to hurt Altadis’ sales, McKenzie said, including the recession and the growth of indoor smoking bans. The bans have especially hurt sales in cold-weather states, where it’s impractical to smoke a cigar outdoors in the winter, he said. However, the company attributed much of its trouble to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510272 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:24:01 +0100 2510272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511288&cid=t_119122_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FMHUE0Q8xuGg%2F Yesterday President Obama signed new legislation that gives more power to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the “manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco.” This is especially important for young people. Many folks first start smoking when they are very young, and in doing so create a lifelong habit that is very hard to break. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act allows the FDA to control the type of marketing associated with tobacco, including the terms companies use on their packages. Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post from: Blisstree FDA Has New Power Over Tobacco (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511288 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:50:03 +0100 2511288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452386&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFYYxKnN2zt8%2F Handing tobacco regulation over to the FDA, as Congress is poised to do, is an epic public health mistake. It is tantamount to giving the keys of the regulatory store to the nation’s largest cigarette manufacturer, Philip Morris. The legislation that will be voted on shortly in the Senate was cooked up out of public sight by Philip Morris, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. Henry Waxman, and anti-tobacco lobbyists. Philip Morris staffers themselves even wrote large portions of the bill. There are significant, and numerous, problems with the FDA regulating tobacco, and virtually no benefits to public health. Kennedy, Waxman, and the public health establishment present their legislation as a masterful regulatory stroke that will end tobacco marketing, prevent kids from starting to smoke, make cigarett... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452386 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:48:12 +0100 2452386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452659&cid=t_119122_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F03%2Fa-healthy-alternative-or-the-latest-trick%2F Even after all of these years, after millions of deaths, after countless damning scientific reports, and billions in settlements, cigarette companies are still going after children. According to a report, “Deadly in Pink,” published last February, The nation’s two largest tobacco companies—Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds—have launched new marketing campaigns that depict cigarette smoking as feminine and fashionable to counter the growing public consensus that smoking is socially unacceptable and unhealthy. * * * These new marketing campaigns represent the most aggressive efforts by the tobacco industry to target women and girls in at least a decade. These campaigns are jeopardizing the progress the United States has made in reducing smoking and once again putting the health o... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452659 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:01:00 +0100 2452659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2318538&cid=t_119122_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fnew-cigarette-tax-the-perfect-time-to-quit%2F On April 1 cigarette smokers are in for a big shock, and it’s one that won’t be an April Fool’s joke. That’s because the federal tax on cigarettes is going up 62 cents, from 39 cents to $1.01 per pack. The monies collected are earmarked to pay for an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which was signed into law by President Obama in February. So in an effort to make lemonade out of what many smokers will doubtless see as one huge lemon coming their way I’d suggest they take this as a perfect opportunity to quit. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die prematu... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2318538 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:50:55 +0100 2318538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2113387&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2009%2F01%2F18%2Fthe-sunday-sidebar-17%2F Size does matter according to John Coates, the author of a stock trading study. He found that men with longer ring fingers relative to their index fingers seem to be better at high-stakes, fast-paced stock trading as compared to those whose index finger was almost as long as their ring finger. Honestly. I’m not making this up. Researchers gathered together 44 male stock traders working in high finance arenas making quick decisions with large amounts of money and measured their right hands. The study then followed these traders for the next 20 months and discovered that those whose ring fingers were much longer than their index fingers made 11 times more money than those with the shortest ring fingers. Does this mean that if I’m looking for a stocktrader, I need to look at his h... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2113387 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:35:54 +0100 2113387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964230&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F455094586%2Fe-cigarettes-and-health.html Smokeless nicotine comes under scrutiny.You may never have heard of it—but it’s the newest drug in town. It’s called an electronic cigarette, or “e-cigarette.” Electronic cigarettes use batteries to convert liquid nicotine into a fine, heated mist that is absorbed by the lungs. No smoke, but plenty of what makes cigarettes go, if you don’t account for taste—or ashtrays and smoke rings.In an attempt to work around the world’s growing ban on cigarette smoking in public places, a Hong Kong-based company developed the first e-cigarette in 2004. Since then, other companies have done the same, claiming that e-cigarettes are much healthier than regular smokes.Last month, that claim was vigorously disputed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, WHO said electronic cigaret... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964230 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:27:00 +0100 1964230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1926615&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F439102262%2Fmore-doctors-smoke-camels.html The good old days of tobacco advertising.The Transform Drug Policy Foundation of the U.K. has an absolutely first-rate collection of early cigarette advertising on display at their TDPF blog.I’ve always been a sucker for the ones featuring doctors:The TDPF blog calls this one “particularly awful, featuring a five year old girl proclaiming to her paternal looking doctor figure and radiant young mother that 'I'm going to grow a hundred years old'. It then goes on to inform us that ‘possibly she may - for the amazing strides of medical science have added years to life expectancy.' You can 'thank your doctor and thousands like him--toiling ceaselessly--that you and yours may enjoy a longer better life.’”It sounds like something Don Draper and his associates might have dreamed up on "... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926615 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:39:00 +0100 1926615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870978&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F418778205%2Fsupreme-court-lights-up.html Unlikely to let states sue over low tar cigarettes.Can states sue tobacco companies for marketing one of the most addictive products known to man? Not if the claim hinges on deceptive claims about “light” cigarettes, the U.S. Supreme Court seemed to say last Monday.The Court began its new term by taking up the tobacco case, in which three residents of Maine filed suit against Altria Group Inc. and its subsidiary, Philip Morris USA, under a state law barring unfair marketing practices. According to an Associated Press report, the plaintiffs argued that Philip Morris had long known that smokers of low tar cigarettes compensate by taking longer puffs and smoking more cigarettes.After being thrown out by a federal district court, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the suit to proceed.... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870978 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:30:00 +0100 1870978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905967&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fhnblog.pl%3Fhnblog%3D1002081 The image on the right is one of the new graphic images the UK is going to require on cigarette packs to deter people from smoking. You can see another image here which shows a man with what appears to be a horrible throat tumor. The pictures, which show cancerous lungs and throats as well as rotting teeth, replace written warnings such as "Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes" or "Smoking can cause a slow and painful death" which currently greet going to light up. The picture warnings will start appearing on cigarette packs from October 1 and will be compulsory from October next year. They will be printed on all tobacco products from October 2010. One in six people in Britain smoke out of population of more than 60 million and the government has been steppin... HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905967 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0100 1905967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826009&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F401239404%2Fscared-smokeless.html Will New Yorkers quit smoking if you frighten them? If it looks grim, that’s because it’s meant to. And if you don’t like that one, the New York Health Department has several other yucky pictures you’re bound to dislike just as much.That’s the idea, anyway. Whether or not it proves successful or even useful is another matter. Yesterday, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene rolled out its new series of revolting matchbooks designed to help undercut tobacco industry marketing schemes. By focusing awareness on the graphic presentation of smoking’s worst effects, the campaign hopes to highlight the ugly side of the public health equation and reinforce this message by associating cigarettes with pictorial representations of gum disease, blackened lungs, and throat ca... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826009 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:11:00 +0100 1826009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686429&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F357655423%2Fgates-bloomberg-target-cigarettes.html Billionaires pledge $500 million, but will it do any good?If money were all it took, tobacco smoking would be on the run after Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg jointly pledged last month to fight tobacco use worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Johns Hopkins University.Mayor Bloomberg, who has been involved in anti-smoking campaigns for years, admitted at a joint news conference that "all the money in the world will never eradicate tobacco. But this partnership underscores how much the tide is turning against this deadly epidemic."The program, put together by Bloomberg and Dr. Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization (WHO), is an ambitious, multi-faceted effort to be coordinated by the Bloomberg Initiative to Red... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686429 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:41:00 +0100 1686429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1547049&cid=t_119122_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Famy-winehouse-and-emphysema-you-dont-always-die-from-tobacco%2F Most likely, Amy Winehouse doesn’t have emphysema. Yet. Most likely, her doctor’s said something like “If you don’t stop smoking that bad cough you have already will just get worse and lead to chronic bronchitis, emphysema and COPD. Not only will your singing career be over, but you’ll be dependent on supplemental oxygen and will have to lug around a tank of it wherever you go. Forever.” Want another cigarette? Just say “No, no, no.” Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 of every 5 deaths (438,000 people) each year. Yet an estimated 1 of every 5 adults (21 percent) in America still smoke (some 45 million people). What’s worse, smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1547049 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:20:07 +0100 1547049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500093&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F306214014%2Fsmoking-rates-fall-18-in-indiana.html What's their secret?Addiction is a tough disease, and smoking grabs hold of the addiction-prone with a speed and ferocity that remains impressive even in a world of crack cocaine and ice amphetamine. Zyban may help, and there is the ever-controversial Chantix, as well as a plethora of nicotine replacement products. They are valuable and frequently effective additions to the arsenal of medical approaches to nicotine addiction.Yet there remains one universally effective--if equally controversial--method of lowering smoking rates in a given population. You can increase the price.Last year, Indiana boosted state taxes on cigarettes by a whopping 44 cents per pack. The result? Cigarette sales fell in Indiana by almost 18 per cent in the nine months since the new tax was put into effect, accordi... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500093 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:32:00 +0100 1500093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480640&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fsmoke-smoke-smoke-that-cigarette.html In the early 1960s approximately 60% of adults in the UK smoked. Forty years later that figure is down to 20%. Cigarette advertising has been banned. Smoking in public places has been banned. The message has still not got through to young people. 12% of male teenagers and 17% of female teenagers smoke. Now there are plans to force cigarette manufacturers to present their wares in plain, unmarked packets and force shops to keep them under the counter. Will it work? I don’t know. A more difficult question is posed by the libertarians. How much should we further interfere with the rights of adults to smoke cigarettes? How much more should we, in a notionally free society, impose controls on the advertising industry? How much difference does advertising make?I have been taking brief and nece... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480640 Sat, 31 May 2008 10:53:00 +0100 1480640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480641&cid=t_119122_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F5%2F31%2Ftobacco-legislation-a-case-study-of-democracy-in-action.html By Dov Michaeli MD, PhDDemocracy, like a sausage, is better enjoyed if you don’t see how it was made. Here is an example. Legislation that would regulate the marketing of flavored cigarettes is wending its way through Congress. The legislation, which would give the FDA the power to oversee tobacco products, would try to reduce smoking’s allure to young people by banning most flavored cigarettes, including clove and cinnamon. So far so good, but wait a minute: there is a curious exemption to the flavors to be banned – menthol is not to be touched! How come? Read on. Why flavor cigarettes? In their effort to addict young people to cigarette smoking, tobacco companies realized that flavoring would increase the chance that a beginner would stay with the habit, long enough to ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480641 Sat, 31 May 2008 00:53:23 +0100 1480641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349717&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F263712732%2Fgenetics-of-cigarettes.html Mutations on chromosome 15 linked to lung cancer A variation among the genes that code for nicotine receptors in the brain has been linked with increased cigarette smoking and a heightened risk for lung cancer, according to three new studies released this week.Two studies in Nature, and one in Nature Genetics, demonstrated that people who inherited the genetic variation, or allele, from one parent—roughly 50 percent of the population--had a 30 percent higher risk of developing lung cancer. “What’s more,” according to Michael Hopkin at Nature News, “another 10 percent of the population is likely to carry two copies of this set of mutations, raising cancer risk by as much as 80 percent relative to people with equivalent lifestyles without the cancer-linked gene variant.”More than... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349717 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:45:00 +0100 1349717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1242147&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F237717624%2F100-million-killed-by-tobacco.html WHO estimates 1 billion more deaths in 21st century. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 100 million smokers died of tobacco-related causes in the 20th century, making cigarettes the leading preventable cause of death worldwide.The agency estimates that as many as a billion people will die from tobacco in the 21st century, if present trends continue.According to the WHO report, “Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008,” almost two-thirds of all smokers live in only ten countries, with China accounting for as much as 30 per cent of the total. Nearly 60 per cent of Chinese men smoke cigarettes, the report claims. The other leading countries, in order of consumption, are India, Indonesia, Russia, the U.S., Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany, and Turkey.“The shift of the tobacco epid... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1242147 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:27:00 +0100 1242147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1198738&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F228589018%2Fchantix-and-suicide.html Discussions about a possible link between Chantix and suicide were fueled by the death last year of New Bohemians lead singer Carter Albrecht, who was shot while attempting to break into a house in Dallas. His girlfriend told authorities that his behavior had been erratic since he began taking Chantix in an effort to stop smoking.In no case are the numbers of suicides linked to any of the drugs alarmingly high. The FDA study of epilepsy medications appears to demonstrate, as summed up by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bernadette Tansey, “2.1 more people for every 1,000 on the medications exhibited suicidal thoughts or behavior, compared with every 1,000 on placebo.”Note that the FDA is not discussing an increased risk of suicide, but rather an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or fe... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1198738 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:59:00 +0100 1198738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146650&cid=t_119122_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F215728459%2F Watch out Australia! This is not earth shattering news but it does go to show just how prevalent diabetes is around the world. The University of Queensland School of Population Health is predicting and explosion of type 2 diabetes across Australia. And I mean explosion… like more than double by the year 2023. Wow!! The researchers studied 14 key risk factors that that make up what they coin DALY, disability adjusted life year. What key factors attributed the most to the prediction associated with type 2 diabetes? Tobacco use, high blood pressure, high body mass, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption. But there is good news in all of this. If you look at the factors above, they are all controllable. “All of the health risks are open to modification through intervention&#8... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146650 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:11:07 +0100 1146650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1137038&cid=t_119122_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F213334234%2Fwhere-can-i-smoke.html An international survey of the cigarette scene.It was a tough year for smokers. 2007 marked the onset of new restrictions on public smoking in dozens of nations around the world.Contrary to popular belief, smoking bans are nothing new under the sun. Troubled by the rising tide of nicotine dependence among the common folk, Bavaria, Saxony, Zurich, and other European states outlawed tobacco at various times during the 17th Century. The Sultan Murad IV decreed the death penalty for smoking tobacco in Constantinople, and the first of the Romanoff czars decreed that the punishment for smoking was the slitting of the offender’s nostrils. Still, there is no evidence to suggest that any culture that has ever taken up the smoking of tobacco has ever wholly relinquished the practice voluntarily.In... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1137038 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:17:00 +0100 1137038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1131973&cid=t_119122_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F211876201%2Fethics_trump_profits_in_wegman.html I was particularly interested in Wegmans’ announcement today … No MORE CIGARETTE SALES … from an ethical point and because of the risk to the food chain’s profit.A brief letter to employees from leaders Danny and Coleen Wegman … highlighted an ethical core in their decision:We believe in a person’s right to smoke. But we believe there are few of us who would introduce our children to smoking. Since Wegmans is valued in this city for its commitment to health … they decided to risk a loss of sales to further that commitment. In their usual fashion … Wegmans’ leaders values choice and respect their employees … who still take smoking breaks during their shifts.Known for their encouragement and scholarships to help young workers ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1131973 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:56:53 +0100 1131973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=770621&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F31%2Fsmoking-while-pregnant-will-raise-your-babys-blood-pressure%2F Filed under: Smoking, Children Heart HealthNew research shows that raised blood pressure can be added to the list of negative side-effects babies get from their mother when she smokes during pregnancy. 456 healthy full-term babies were tested at 2 months of age and those with mothers who smoked during pregnancy had higher blood pressures on average than those whose mothers did not smoke. The higher blood pressure readings did not seem linked necessarily to low birth weight, the mother's age, or whether or not the babies were breast-fed, and follow-up studies will need to be done to see if the negative blood pressure effect stays with the children as they grow up.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog) The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=770621 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 770621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=760480&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F26%2Fan-inspirational-office-smoking-area%2F Filed under: SmokingOffice smoking areas are notoriously drab and plain -- purely functional, with little decor besides places to stand and sit, and of course ashtrays everywhere. And the walls always have that yellowish hue and there's usually a token air freshener in the corner pathetically battling the noxious fumes. I sympathize with smokers because it is a really tough habit to break, but maybe this paint job on the walls and ceiling would help. There's nothing like being reminded of the consequences of such a bad habit by feeling like you're buried alive every time you light up! And while you're remodeling it might be fun to replace the regular ashtrays with these that cough and scream every time they get used. That smoking area will be fun times! (Sorry smokers, it's for your own go... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=760480 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 760480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=760467&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F26%2Fsenators-call-for-larger-more-graphic-warnings-on-cigarette-box%2F Filed under: SmokingOn Wednesday, U.S. senators said that cigarette warning labels should cover at least half of the package and use graphic photos of cancer and other health effects. This discussion was part of an ongoing debate on a bill that would allow the FDA to regulate but not ban tobacco products. The bill would also give the FDA power to restrict advertising, sales to minors and ingredient composition.Under the bill, the FDA would have the authority to decide what the labels should say and show and where they should be placed. The bill is sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy. According to Harvard's Allan Brandt in an interview wtih the Washington Post, the current labels have lost "almost any public health benefits that they may once have had. They are seen as diluted and old, and the... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=760467 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 760467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716525&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F05%2Fa-history-of-cigarette-commercials%2F Filed under: Television, SmokingThe television industry just might owe a bit of its success to the tobacco industry. Cigarette producers were one of the earliest and most consistent advertisers on TV. Big tobacco had large pools of money and were able to take a chance on the new medium of television when it first debuted in the 1940's. At a time when many sponsors were financially unable to buy advertising spots or unwilling to try TV ads, tobacco companies found opportunities to attach strings to their endorsements. Many shows were required to feature characters smoking during the shows. Stars were expected to use cigarettes and show their enthusiasm for the products. Popular shows such as I Love Lucy showed Lucy happily fetching a smoke for husband and exclaiming, "You see how easy it ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716525 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 716525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682485&cid=t_119122_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F20%2Fa-newly-discovered-cause-of-diabetes-depression.html I recently came across an article in the April 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (vol. 167, pp. 802-807; 2007) describing a newly-discovered connection between depression and diabetes type 2 in older adults. The study enrolled 4,681 non-diabetic men and women over age 65, and followed them for 10 years. The participants filled out every year a questionnaire to measure their depressive symptoms, and every 2-4 years had their blood pressure measured. After removing confounding factors that are well known to increase the incidence of diabetes, like increased body mass index, alcohol consumption, and smoking, they discovered that even a single report of high depressive symptoms is highly associated with increased risk of diabetes type 2. In fact, there was a 60% increased chance of... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682485 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:59:50 +0100 682485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612174&cid=t_119122_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D2145 From The Examining Room of Dr. Charles In my anecdotal experience, I’ve been seeing tremendous success with a medicine called Chantix. It helps people quit smoking by binding to nicotine receptors, which reduces cravings, and when combined with smoking makes you very nauseous. I would estimate that this reduced craving and negative feedback seems to be working in about 70% of my patients, although the clinical trials showed only 44% quit rates versus 17% for placebo and 30% for Zyban. Chantix is not yet here in Malaysia. It has great potential to help the numerous people here addicted to cigarette smoking as it works in a unique fashion. It blocks nicotine (the addictive component of cigarettes) from entering parts of the brain thus removing the reward or enjoyment that one gets fro... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612174 Tue, 15 May 2007 22:31:43 +0100 612174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=461142&cid=t_119122_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F2%2F19%2Fthe-best-health-risk-assessment-yet-powered-by-archimedes.html Check out DiabetesPHD on the American Diabetes Association website. It is a risk assessment tool that uses Archimedes, a sophisticated computerized health modeling program to determine your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and/or diabetes and its complications (kidney failure, eye problems, foot problems) over the next thirty years. The best thing about this program is it gives you a chance to see what happens to your risk if you lose weight, reduce your blood pressure or improve your cholesterol levels. You can also model the impact of taking certain medications or having better health habits (not smoking, taking an aspirin a day if you are over 40). It is pretty cool to watch the graphs of your risk improve in front of your eyes when you lop off 40 pounds or lower your cholester... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=461142 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:55:17 +0100 461142