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 'community'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:05 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182210&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fsmiling-cant-cheat-death.html I'm a reasonably happy person. And I believe that concentrating on the half full part of the glass has helped me to cope with many aspects of my life, including breast cancer. However, there have been times when a good wallow or a raging tantrum have been just as necessary and cathartic.And I don't, for even a second, think that people who worried too much, or got mad or who didn't have a positive attitude brought cancer or their own deaths upon themselves. Nor do I believe that temperament or attitude is what causes one person to go into remission and another to succumb to the illness. I find the belief system that blames the patient to be repugnant.In many ways, cancer is a crap shoot. It helps to have excellent medical care, good nutrition and the resources that help you cope with the d... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182210 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:20:00 +0100 5182210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182095&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fbooks-about-ms%2F Though we tried a regular “MS Book Club” for a couple of years here on the Life With MS Blog, it never really took. I think the idea of a book club is best experienced in person and, let’s face it, there’s food and wine at said club get-togethers! We read through some pretty good books about MS (and about living a full life in general) during that time; but it’s been a while and I know there are more books that have hit the market. So I thought we’d take this end of summertime post to chat about MS books. More to the point, I’m wondering what books you’ve found helpful, inspiring, entertaining, etc having to do with Multiple Sclerosis? I get the odd advanced copy sent to me to read/review now and again but, quite frankly don’t seem to seek out books about MS specifically... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182095 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:41:29 +0100 5182095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174613&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fafter-one-year-the-mayo-clinic-center-for-social-media-is-still-going-strong%2F2011.08.29 I’ve always been a great fan of what Mayo Clinic has been doing on social media. Then after Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media was launched, I became a member of the international external advisory board which I’m very proud of. I reported when they launched a patient community and also discussed how well they did this. Now the Center is 1 year old and still performs perfectly. An excerpt form their previous entry: Here’s a sneak peek of a few topics that were discussed during Mayo’s retreat: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174613 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:00:38 +0100 5174613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169561&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-challenge-of-obesity.html For those interested in epidemiology, chronic disease, and obesity. This week's edition of the Lancet has a series of four articles and several commentaries that review the economics, epidemiology, social, and policymaking issues affecting obesity that are well worth reading in full. The take away message is that this is an extremely complicated area. There is an emphasis by the authors and commentators that correction of obesity will take government action. Government action in this area tends to resolve around police actions, and taxation. Taxation policies have worked to a significant extent in reducing tobacco consumption in Europe. However, smoking is not a survival necessity whereas eating is. We have to be very careful about the use of police power for public health policy with the ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169561 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:05:04 +0100 5169561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159490&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fwelcome-to-the-human-condition%2F Sometimes life comes at us with such force, surprise and ruthlessness, it stuns us. I don’t have any more answers than you do but I do have it whacking me in the face or elsewhere, every day of my life. I know if you’re reading this, you do, also. This week has been a good example of that as so much is going on in our little world as well as the impending danger for millions of Americans facing a hurricane in the east. Let me use yesterday as an example. Jim, my dear man, who had just returned from a trip to California on family business had missed his flight because the hotel did not give him the wake-up call he had requested. While he was in CA he went to visit an old friend many miles from where he was staying to discover that old friend’s wife had been found dead tha... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159490 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:04:24 +0100 5159490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159491&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fneeding-me-some-neuroplasticity%2F If, as the time-tested saying goes, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is true than how is an old dog with multiple sclerosis to get his treats… or in my case, “Juice”? I’ll first have to disagree with the entire principal of that un-teachable old dog as Max, our 12-year-old rescue — who was 9 at the time — certainly learned new “tricks,” commands and behaviors even though he was well into his canine middle age when he came to live with his new packmates. If dogs can do it, surely I can train my brain a new trick or two… or at least do some of the same old tricks even if the habit-worn pathways of said tasks are currently under attack. Right now, I’m in survival mode. I’m not looking for long-term answers to big questions. Hell, the “big questions... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159491 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:57:29 +0100 5159491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159080&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-water-deficit.html In today's TheScientistDaily is an interesting opinion piece about the problem of current farming practices and deficits in fresh water supplies. What isn't mentioned, and should be of increasing concern, is that each specialist group focuses on their own interest without looking at the larger picture. Part of this is the problem of training with use of grant funds, all of which focus on special interests and fail to develop generalists who can look at the big picture. My view of the big picture in relation to this article is that farming is important for the increasing world population resulting from immunization, chronic disease prevention, and in adequate family planning without any reference to the big picture. Without a broader picture of the human ecosystem much of the specialty rese... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159080 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:53:17 +0100 5159080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159081&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhospitals-seek-more-er-patients.html From today's Washington Post we learn that he learned that “Many hospitals are actively recruiting people to come to the ER fornon-emergency reasons,” said Anthony Keck, South Carolina’s Medicaid director, citing facilities that tout their speedy ER service on highway billboards.“ <strong>Comment</strong>: at a time when many are discussing the problems of the affordable care act and the excess cost of healthcare, hospital self interest has no concern for the community or managing the nation's health care bills. Comments by the president of the emergency physician association is self-serving and it is clear that business ethics does not exist among most health care providers. It is still "caveat emptor" (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159081 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:26:46 +0100 5159081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158857&cid=t_101317_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F23%2Fhow-to-guide-improving-transitions-from-the-hospital-to-post-acute-care-settings-to-reduce-avoidable-rehospitalizations%2F Scan or click to download 'How-to Guide Improving Transitions from the Hospital to Post-Acute Care Settings to Reduce Avoidable Rehospitalizations' Title: How-to Guide Improving Transitions from the Hospital to Post-Acute Care Settings to Reduce Avoidable Rehospitalizations The Skinny: Guide from Institute for Health Improvement on avoiding avoidable rehospitalisations as a result of poor co-ordination of care settings. Avoiding this is a key step toward achieving broader delivery system transformation. Based on the healthcare system of the USA this guide is of use to those looking at intermediate care/rehabilitation settings. Publisher: Institute for Health Improvement Published: August 2011 Size: 144p. Filed under: Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: Clinical Governance, finance, Gr... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158857 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:27:37 +0100 5158857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159082&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhealthy-behaviors-will-help-you-live-longer.html Researchers looked at long-term data from Americans aged 17 and older and found that those who embraced four healthy behaviors -- not smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and avoiding excessive alcohol use -- were 63 percent less likely to die early from any cause than those with none of those healthy habits. Comment: one more piece of confirmatory data that are health relies more behaviors. The problem is that despite many repeated similar studies of population behaviors do not change. Instead of wasting money repeat the same old research. Why not develop methods to change population? If this is much not possible, which I suspect, perhaps we should stop funding ineffectual research. [http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0818_living_longer.htm ] (Source: Dr.... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159082 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:26:38 +0100 5159082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159083&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fbacteria-from-dog-feces-present-in-outdoor-air-in-urban-areas.html A CU-Boulder study showed that of the four Midwestern cities in the experiment, two cities had significant quantities of fecal bacteria in the atmosphere -- with dog feces being the most likely source. Comment: some 40 years ago when I was a health director in Portsmouth, Virginia, based on the number of dogs in the city and following discussion with veterinarians we estimated that is in this city of one hundred thousand people dogs deposited 10 tons of feces every day. As a result we warned people against bathing in ponds and rivers for 48 hours after any rainfall of more than half an inch. The problem with this study is that there were no control cities where the volume of deposit could be validated and no evidence that there was more respiratory or skin diseases among residents of the t... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159083 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:24:40 +0100 5159083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130989&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fsupport-a-cure-send-your-bra-to-washington%2F The media coverage of the economic woes of the United States and the recent congressional battle over the deficit has been ad nauseam recently. Most of us have really had enough — and may even have become desensitized to the issues. This concerns me. The implication for women and especially breast cancer survivors is significant. If budget cuts for education, research, and health care continue, I worry that it will adversely affect any momentum gained over the past years in working towards a cure for breast cancer. Government’s involvement in finding a cure is paramount. Each of us needs to make an effort to keep breast cancer front and center, and I have a simple way that we can do it. I have sent e-mails to my representatives and senators about health care and breast cancer. Of... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130989 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:46:28 +0100 5130989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130684&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2Fsens-foundation-is-hiring-a-part-time-it-resource.php For those of you who herd servers, sling code, and live the freelance life of many concurrent clients, I see that the SENS Foundation is looking for a part time IT resource: SENS Foundation, a Californian non-profit, seeks an IT manager to work as part of its expanding team. The position is 2.5 days per week. About SENS Foundation: SENS Foundation is a non-profit, life sciences organization with a mission to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies which comprehensively address the disabilities and diseases of aging. Our Research Center in Mountain View, California is the hub for a growing team of researchers, and outreach and executive staff. Several members of staff are located outside California, in the USA or Europe. In addition, we award grants t... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130684 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5130684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125807&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Fwomens-sex-noises-and-orgasm-screams-voluntary-or-not%2F According to this study, whether they know it or not, women appear to vocalize during sex not to express their own enjoyment so much as to help the man reach climax. This is in keeping with the idea that we all have sexual scripts in our head of both our idealized sexual encounter, as well as what we believe our partners want: Both men’s and women’s perceptions of their partners’ ideal duration of foreplay and intercourse were found to be more strongly related to their own sexual stereotypes than to their partners’ self-reported sexual desires, suggesting that people rely on sexual stereotypes when estimating their partners’ ideal sexual scripts (Miller & Byers, 2004). Maybe these vocalizations are a part of that idealized sexual script, or at least done i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125807 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:42:29 +0100 5125807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118830&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fthe-view-from-both-sides-of-the-sheets%2F As an RN of 35 years, I have always been fascinated by the way people embrace or reject their physical frailties. There is so much diversity in the way each of us responds to pain, disease, life and death. I’ve seen large men fall to the ground in a faint while getting an injection and held down screaming children while they received treatment or a simple exam. I wonder when we learn to be submissive and decide “it’s for your own good?” The truth is sometimes it is good care, sometimes it isn’t. A good, principled nurse or doctor knows the difference. Just ask one of us who we would let treat us or a member of our family. At the same time we are either participants in our care or we shift into neutral and expect someone else to make our decisions for us. Those of us who have stru... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118830 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:38:21 +0100 5118830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107892&cid=t_101317_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fk0gsqWimymU%2F A bill in New York to prohibit health insurers from requiring their customers use mail-order pharmacies was criticized by the Federal Trade Commission as a well-intentioned effort that, nonetheless, could have an anti-competitive outcome, according to a letter written by the agency to one of the sponsors of the legislation. The bill has passed both the state senate and assembly, and awaits a signature from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In explaining its position, the FTC acknowledged that the bill (which you can read here) was designed to increase consumer choice and limit the ability of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, from penalizing consumers who do not purchase their meds from mail-order pharmacies. You may recall that the largest PBMs, including CVS/Caremark, Express Scripts and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107892 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:09:09 +0100 5107892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107551&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fpublic-health-pays-for-itself.html An article in Health Affairs this month, sponsored by NACCHO suggests that public health saves lives and money. The authors believe that federal and state money used to support public health has caused a reduction in deaths from chronic diseases.  Comment: As a past state health commissioner I would like to believe this is so. The methodology is poor. The selection of ‘controls’ was inappropriate and the statistical evaluation poor. During the many years of retrospective study there have been significant clinical and pharmaceutical improvements which have contributed to stabilization of many chronic diseases and delay of death.  The effectiveness of these activities was not due to public health funding. If the research had focused on MCH programs, immunization and con... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107551 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:38:54 +0100 5107551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107744&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-ms-honeymoon%2F Diagnostics are better. Primary care doctors are more aware. Patients are seeking knowledge. The general population of people newly diagnosed with MS seems to be getting a bit younger. Truth be known, it’s likely that they are being diagnosed earlier in the course of multiple sclerosis, and that’s a good thing! Medications appear to be more effective early in the course of MS. That’s not just to say they seem to “work” better at keeping attacks down. The meds seem to slow the progression to the point where we may have some extra “good years” before (if) our MS decides to get progressive. Herein lay my thoughts for today: The MS Honeymoon. Many, if not most, of us can think back to some physical “oddities” which we experienced well prior to diagnosis. It wasn’t until a f... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107744 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:40:34 +0100 5107744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096841&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F08%2F05%2Fmayo-connect-thats-how-you-launch-an-online-community-site%2F Discussion area 5) Social aspects. Mayo Connect is one of the better online communities launched in recent months. It has a great concept and a good chance of success. Like most communities, however, it leaves plenty of room for both technical and social improvements. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096841 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:49:17 +0100 5096841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096251&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhandwashing-in-elementary-schools.html This study showed that after pupils clean their hands with alcohol tissues three times a day that absence fears him and school from risk recovery and gastrointestinal infections decreased significantly. The cost of procedure is far less than the cost of absenteeism both to the schools and parents. It should read replicated the US and if reproducible made a policy. American Journal of Infection Control:  Volume 39, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 450-455 (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096251 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:35:17 +0100 5096251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096252&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fwasted-research-funds.html According to a story on research in ScienceDaily today, “With Regular Exercise, People with Inactive Lifestyles More at Risk for Chronic Diseases”. I first read about research on this topic when the Alameda study on behavior among men was published in the 1960s. Similar research has been repeated hundreds of times in the intervening years yet the behaviors with which we are all familiar continue. It is high time that those who fund research stop funding issues that have been confirmed and either direct their funds for transitional research that shows that change in behavioral outcome is possible and effective. There have been many behavioral research studies that have shown the ability to change behavior for a few weeks, none that show long-term changes. It is high time to star... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096252 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:16:56 +0100 5096252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096133&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2Fa-profile-of-sierra-sciences-and-their-work-on-telomeres.php A recent long Popular Science article looks at Sierra Sciences and its founder, a group that has been working on telomere biology and its role in aging for some years. Alongside a number of other research groups, the Sierra crowd believe that telomeres are a lynchpin portion of our biochemistry and manipulating them might significantly extend life. Make poor lifestyle choices, and you're likely to die of heart disease or cancer or something well before your telomeres would otherwise become life-threateningly short. But for the aerobicized Andrews, for anyone who takes reasonable care of himself, a drug that activates telomerase might slow down the baseline rate at which the body falls apart. Andrews likens the underlying causes of aging, free radicals and the rest, to sticks of dynamite,... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096133 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5096133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096899&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fdogs-can-fly.html The day after I wrote the post about my friend Rebecca, I went to Take the Plunge, a fundraiser for local dog rescue organizations. It was a lot of fun. We had the chance to meet many different kinds of dogs and the people who love them. They came in all shapes and sizes, colours and temperaments. We also met a miniature horse and some ferrets. One woman was pushing a cat in a stroller. The cat wasn't strapped in and seemed quite relaxed amidst all the canine chaos.The central event of the afternoon was the dock diving competition. We watched all kinds of dogs leap after toys into the pool. Some of the dogs needed to be persuaded to get out of the water. Most seemed incredibly pleased with themselves. Everyone - spectators, dogs and their human handlers seemed to be having a wonderful time... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096899 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:17:00 +0100 5096899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096846&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F08%2F02%2Fnew-medical-communities-medcrowd-doctors-global-and-compact-onair%2F There are now over 65 biomedical community sites in the list I’ve been updating for years. Here are the 3 new additions: Medcrowd: Doctors Global: Doctors Global intends to facilitate physicians to collaborate across all boundaries, to share views, experience and learn new things from colleagues across the world every day in a secure environment. Comp’act Onair:  An evidence-based practice bases clinical decisions on the best available evidence. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096846 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:15:33 +0100 5096846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086380&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fstanding-up-with-multiple-sclerosis%2F It’s not uncommon for me to use alliterations and metaphor when I write about MS. Today, however, I write about the actual difficulties of “standing up” when you have multiple sclerosis. Difficulties with the vertical posture come in many colors, shades, and tones for those of us on different places on the MS rainbow. When I was first diagnosed, and trying to keep my jet-set, full-time employment, my boss in Germany told me of a dear friend of his with MS. Your man had apparently had MS for years and the only way you might notice anything is that he couldn’t stand for very long at a cocktail party. If that is the “infrared” end of the MS standing spectrum, “ultraviolet” would be those who cannot stand at all. I recognize that there are many in our Life With MS Blog communit... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086380 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:00:32 +0100 5086380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086259&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Ffullerton-police-beat-to-death-mentally-ill-homeless-man%2F A police officer only needs to use “reasonable force” to make an arrest. How many Fullerton, Calif. police officers does it take to arrest one man? Well, it took five patrol cars, 6 officers, tasering 37-year-old Kelly Thomas numerous times, and beating him so badly that he went into a coma. And then died a few days later. What was Thomas’s alleged crime that resulted in his death? Breaking into cars, looking for things to steal. Welcome to our more violent America, where citizens stand by while the police beating took place, too afraid to intervene and save Thomas’s life. Is this what we’ve come to? Kelly Thomas was a long-time member of the Fullerton homeless community, and apparently had schizophrenia. While sometimes scary looking (as not bathing and not ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086259 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:35:53 +0100 5086259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077719&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhow-should-we-define-health.html The British Medical Journal today contains an interesting analysis of the term "Health". Some 14 commentators are concerned that the WHO definition is restrictive and absolute. The authors are also concerned that the current definition leads to medicalization of society and particularly in the US to an inappropriate increase in treatments that produce little benefit a t great cost. This interesting discussion suggests that “health” be a social contract that accepts the current aging society and increases in chronic diseases in functional rather than biologically. This discussion is well worth reading. (BMJ 2011; 343:d4163). (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077719 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:04:12 +0100 5077719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077886&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fmy-eyes-tell-me-yes-yes-but%2F There’s “No, No” in my heart and because I’m a slow learner, my body is always telling me I did too much. I don’t believe a day passes without life pitching something in my face which I know my body cannot handle. There is always dirt, dust, laundry, empty shelves and hunger. I’ve learned after many years some parts of my life are gone forever. Others, I have reclaimed in some form or shape but it is all different, changed. I am different because of the many changes in my physical shell which I drag around, also known as my body. I have to always remind myself it’s not the real me. I am my spirit, my love received and given, my laughter and my joy, often in truly bizarre circumstances. Some of us are blessed to be born “smart asses.” Awe, come on, and admit it. Some days ... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077886 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:31:56 +0100 5077886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077888&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fnew-study-questions-ms-drug-value%2F This study will surely be a part of my decision-making process. We all know that MS meds work better for some than others, that some MS meds work for each of us while others may not, and we know that we really don’t know if a drug was working unless we stop and see our disease kick back into pre-therapy mode. This study, however, makes me believe that it’s time for the price of MS medications to come down — WAY DOWN — and I think that it’s time that we get some regulators involved. Many MS meds have been on the market for nearly 20 years now. Those first drugs have well been paid for and their investors handsomely rewarded. It’s time that we start realizing that. While I’m not diminishing the importance of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs, it is not good for Manyone... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077888 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:28:12 +0100 5077888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077720&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcell-phones-childrens-brain-cancer.html The negative studies keep piling up as seen in the latest publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on July 27. While this again shows no change in risk comparing those who use cell phones to those who don't, the data is not convincing either way as we are not told about the amount of time the cell phones were used by children, either from individual calls or minutes per day for those with brain cancer compared to those without it. The risk from cell phones is much greater from accidents caused by inattention while using the phone than it probably is for any cancer that might occur. This is a genie that will not go back into the bottle. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077720 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:12:36 +0100 5077720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069534&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FsjrXBlug4Do%2F URL: http://www.psychdomain.com/Welcome to PsychDomain! The goal of this website is to provide psychology students and faculty with up-to-date, relevant, and informative psychology related links, videos, interactions and images. Use the Content by Area navigation on the left to search for content by psychology area. Alternatively, use the the Tag Cloud below to browse the content. For: Anyone, Consumers, ResearchersTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Attachment, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Common Factors, Depression, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Social SupportFeatures: Articles, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Information, Links, e-learningWelcome to PsychDomain! The goal of this website is to provide psychol... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069534 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:00:38 +0100 5069534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057891&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fdo-me-favour-honour-my-friend-by-having.html My friend Rebecca died this week. She was all of 37 years old (if I've done the math right) and she had metastatic breast cancer. She was also one of the funniest people in my online community. She was also generous, straigtforward and honest. My heart goes out to her friends and family - the people she loved, wrote about and who knew her best.Rebecca left strict instructions that we were to shed no tears after her passing (I'm afraid I've let her down on that front but I've been doing my best) and that, instead of a funeral she wanted a celebration of her life. I'd love to join the party and to hear the stories that those closest to her would be bound to share. Because Rebecca took her fun seriously.I won't be able to attend the celebration (Rebecca lived in Cape Cod) but I would like to ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057891 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:29:00 +0100 5057891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050481&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2Fa-little-cryonics-history.php To my eyes, Chronosphere is chiefly important as an insider's personal view of the 40-year history of modern cryonics movements. For decades, people have been working on the indefinite low temperature storage of the deceased, aiming to preserve the fine structure of the brain that encodes the mind's data. There is, to my eyes, still far from enough of a recounting of that history, the lessons learned, and efforts made - the more memoirs and personal accounts presented online the better. So here are pointers to a couple of recent Chronosphere posts on what went on, back in the day, when cryonics was a younger initiative, both of which are liberally scattered with photographs: In Camera Historia: Cryonics Institute Facility, 1978 On 21 March, 1978 the Cryonics Institute (CI) acquired their... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050481 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5050481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050484&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2Fa-question-and-answer-session-with-aubrey-de-grey.php Over at h+ Magazine you'll find a question and answer session with Aubrey de Grey that covers some old ground and some new ground. The SENS Foundation, which de Grey cofounded, is presently deploying a modest million-dollar yearly budget to work on the biotechnologies needed to repair the cellular and molecular damage that causes aging. A great deal of that budget presently goes towards the first of the Foundation's programs, an effort focused on using bacterial enzymes to break down harmful waste chemicals that build up in our cells and contribute to a range of age-related diseases and degenerations. I should mention that SENS Foundation funding is due entirely to philanthropic donations - including those of a few high net worth individuals - and I know that many of the readers here are ... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050484 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5050484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050487&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2Fto-learn-how-cryopreservation-works-in-practice-start-by-reading-the-case-summaries.php Cryonics, as I'm sure you're all aware, has for decades been the best and only shot at a long life in the future for people who die before the advent of rejuvenation biotechnologies capable of reversing the damage of aging. That is a massive number of people, possibly including you and I unless we get our act together - and sadly, all too few will choose to be cryopreserved, even though they have the opportunity and the means. Cryonics is, in essence, a form of indefinite low temperature storage of the body and brain immediately following death. It is carried out with the reasonable expectation, based on present scientific knowledge, that it preserves the fine structure of the brain that stores the information of the mind - you might not be running, but all your data is backed up. We can... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050487 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5050487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028749&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Flife-may-be-weird-but-you-dont-have-to-be%2F Those of us who live with chronic pain each day have many choices to make. I know from first hand or should I say my “First Tushy” experience that we all feel helpless and robbed of choices more times than not, but that isn’t totally true. I realize “First Tushy” doesn’t have quite the elevation of First Lady but there you have it; my life. We are not mere victims. We remain the pilots of our planes as well as the captains of our own ships. I know we often have our doubts. We feel more enslavement than freedom; more the conquered than the victors and finally, hopelessly weird. I think that’s enough metaphors to choke a good sized horse but I’m certain you sense my direction. Today, after five years of chatting with all of you who also suffer, I would like to share three of ... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028749 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:24:47 +0100 5028749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028750&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fjuly-check-in-hows-your-ms-today%2F Time once again for our monthly open blog where we ask the question, “How’s your MS today?” After catching up (or trying) on all of your comments while I was away on holidays I’d venture to say that this may be a busy month for comments on this topic. I wrote some of those posts in advance and some during my trip. I didn’t have time to check in very often so I was surprised to see so many comments on many of the posts. As to how my MS is; I can’t really tell… I’m recovering from a sinus infection and we all know how that can muck with MS. In fact, I now remember that my diagnosing MRI showed a big, ol’ nasty sinus infection. The radiologist who read the films even mentioned it in his report: “major sinus infection in three cavities, multiple plaque lesions on brain and ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028750 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:16:47 +0100 5028750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028122&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fbuilding-digpen-community-on-google.html As my #digpener buddy Sophie Dennis knows, I'm a bit of a 'new paradigm lunatic' when it comes to Google+. It was quite unexpected for me. I'm not a big fan of monopolies taking over the world, didn't jump on Buzz or Wave, and have always felt a bit of a cynic when it comes to new platforms, especially when they involve social media. But as soon as I saw the Google+ circles, it really was like love at first site.So why this somewhat irrational willingness to fall for Google+, and is this my heart leading my head, or my head leading my heart? And why do I think it so good for our fledgling #digpen community? I have been trying to understand this myself, and find some logical reasoning to explain my passion.At first site, there is an issue with Google+, in getting it to work well for a commu... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028122 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:45:00 +0100 5028122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028155&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHyem7SCcShk%2F By Tad DeHavenWhen government officials come up with what they claim to be a wonderful new idea, I often think of an old Saturday Night Live skit from 1990 poking fun at commercials for blue jeans. The skit’s scene is a group of middle-aged buddies getting ready to play basketball in their new “Bad Idea Jeans.” Each guy optimistically announces a plan to do something that is actually a “bad idea.” For example, a character says “I don’t know the guy but I’ve got two kidneys and he needs one, so I figured…” and “BAD IDEA” flashes across the screen. (The skit can be watched here.) The White House’s new “Strong Cities, Strong Communities” initiative had that BAD IDEA screen shot flashing repeatedly in my mind as I read the press release: Today, the Obama Administr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028155 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:00:05 +0100 5028155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028752&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fmultiple-sclerosis-and-the-question-of-disability-insurance%2F I’m not sure if the advancement of a post-holidays head cold into a sinus infection (and the associated MS issues related to a fever) had any part of my sensitivity to comments that circulated here on the Life With MS Blog and our Facebook Page but I thought that it might be time we discuss disability insurance and SSDI again. In this day and age of starkly divided political views many see “leaving work” because of MS as yet another way in which too many people are grasping at a government entitlement and suckling from the public teat. Others see SSDI as an insurance plan into which they have paid and, like any other insurance policy, when they need it they expect it to be there for them. There are many, many problems with the entire “disability” system (for lack of better termin... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028752 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:26:57 +0100 5028752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028874&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F07%2F09%2Fan-online-community-for-mayo-clinic%2F As you may know it, I’m a big admirer of what Mayo Clinic does online and not just because I’m a member of the external advisory board of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Now they launched a community site with great goals: We’re pleased to now be taking the next step, creating an online site to connect the global Mayo Clinic community. When you’re facing a health concern, sometimes, what you really need is someone who has already been there. That’s what this community is all about: connecting people who have been through the Mayo Clinic experience with others facing a similar health concern. Each year, more than 500,000 unique patients from every U.S. state and nearly 150 countries visit one of our Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida or Minnesota for diagnos... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028874 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:35:50 +0100 5028874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008235&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fpatient-care-in-rural-hospitals.html In this week’s JAMA there’s an interesting article looking at the quality of care delivered in rural hospitals when Medicare patients are treated for heart attacks, congestive heart failure and pneumonia. It appears the rural hospitals with emergency access provide worse care than those seen in large cities with tertiary care hospitals. This is not particularly surprising considering the cost of a fully staffed the emergency room is often greater than the cost of an entire rural hospital. the issue should not be whether rural hospitals should be closed, but whether transportation should be provided to centers more capable of treating the serious conditions. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008235 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:30:13 +0100 5008235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008236&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcdc-fears-rising-treatment-resistant-gonorrhea.html According to to the CDC: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, and it can facilitate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission (1). Emergence of gonococcal resistance to penicillin and tetracycline occurred during the 1970s and became widespread during the early 1980s. More recently, resistance to fluoroquinolones developed. Now Gonorrhea may be losing its susceptibility to cephalosporins, the only available antibiotic class remaining to treat the sexually transmitted infection, the CDC is warning. Comment: when I started medical school in 1947 the medical profession had just started using penicillin to treat gonorrhea and syphilis and mistakenly thought STIs were beaten. Just as with the use of contrace... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008236 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:27:38 +0100 5008236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008550&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-best-evidence-says-mammograms-should-begin-at-age-forty%2F There was much hoopla a few years ago over recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to limit mammography screening to women ages 50 to 74 every other year. But there is less fanfare over new findings coming out of a study in Sweden, which suggests that regular mammograms in women ages 40 to 49 (the age group excluded by the new task force guidelines) prevented up to 30 percent of deaths from breast cancer. People, this is significant! The task force ignored studies like these ongoing in Sweden and Canada for their model, which was based on statistical data. The Swedish mammogram study spanned 29 years and included over 130,000 women. The task force’s answer to recent studies has been to recommend a baseline mammogram for women in their forties to look at breast density,... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008550 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:39:24 +0100 5008550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008472&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Flife-can-become-very-weird-living-with-chronic-pain%2F I know. You’re thinking life is weird already but let me say, if you’re newly diagnosed, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” If you are one of us who live with connective tissue or rheumatoid disease you may see a certain set of weirdness. If you suffer from back pain or had a previous injury, you’re not excluded, either. It’s amazing what life can do to twist, shape and torment us. If our diseases or injuries don’t do enough in that department then there are always the medications to take up the slack and pile it on. Get your sense of humor ready and if you don’t have one, well, blessings upon you my friend because you’re going to need one. The other day I was fitted for a sacroiliac belt to aid my sacroiliac joints to stay put. All that was missing at the fitting was Scar... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008472 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:13:33 +0100 5008472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008237&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealthy-lifestyle-makes-women-less-likely-to-die-suddenly.html Medpage Today tells us that women who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had as much as a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) as compared with those with a high-risk profile, data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) showed. The risk of SCD declined linearly as the number of these attributes increased, ranging from a 46% reduction for a woman who had one to 92% for those who had all four. Comment: these results are not surprising as the Alameda study showed more than 40 years ago where health behaviors were studied for some 11 conditions showing a significant increase in longevity for those who followed more than half of them. We have many studies that show that change in behavior can significantly improve health. The problem is we still don’t know how... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008237 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:28:49 +0100 5008237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008239&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fthe-fda-and-food-safety.html In today’s JAMA Larry Gostin and Katie Stuart discuss the need for more clarity in the laws that govern safety of the $1 trillion food industry. While the Food Safety Modernization Act increases the FDA’s authority the FDA shares responsibility with the USDA and many other federal state and local agencies on much of the actual monitoring taking place in every community is done by local health departments. He points to such absurdities as the USDA being responsible for wholesomeness of egg products except that eggs in the shell are the responsibility of the FDA. Congress continues to add burdens and responsibilities to the FDA but fails to give it the resources. This may be the time to clarify the responsibility of both the FDA and the USDA and take most of the actors other t... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008239 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:26:19 +0100 5008239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008520&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F07%2F05%2Ffrom-medcrowd-to-voxmed-new-communities%2F I’ve been maintaining a list of biomedical community sites for years now and the number is well above 60! Here are the newest additions: MedCrowd: Market Research and Insight: Solve problems by collaborating directly with diverse healthcare experts VoxMed: VoxMed is the worldwide online community reserved for the medical profession. Sequilab: a leap forward for genetic researchers using online bioinformatics tools. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008520 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:50:11 +0100 5008520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992831&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fsometimes-life-just-sucks-2%2F Aw come on, you know it’s true. We all have our rotten days and have our own way of getting through the bad times. Life has many hammers, hatchets and boiling oil and can use it all on us; a bad marriage, auto accidents out of the blue and children who screw up their lives and break our hearts. Unfortunately, life is imperfect and yet, we’re always surprised when it whams us in the face. That should tell us hope lives deep within our hearts, whether we’re aware of it or not. Today the particular rotten I would like to talk about is the very personal double whammy of daily pain and disease. We take pills, some of us drink too much alcohol, others become very wretched to be with and sometimes, we just cry. I don’t do all of those but am guilty of most of them. I don’t drink because... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992831 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:07:53 +0100 4992831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992723&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdrug-side-effect-linked-with-increased-health-risks-for-over-65s-1.html More than 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over from across the UK were included in the two-year study from the University of East Anglia. Around half were found to use a medication with potential anticholinergic properties.In the study, each drug taken by the participants was given a ranking based on the strength of its anticholinergic activity, or AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) - 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.The key findings were:• Twenty per cent of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only seven per cent of those taking no anticholinergic drugs - the first time a link between anticholinergics and mortality has been shown.• For every additional ACB point ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992723 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:56:41 +0100 4992723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992724&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Ftext-messaging-in-smoking-cessation-the-txt2stop-trial.html From today's Lancet: As with many such trials, the continuous abstinence rate at 6 months in the intervention group, although statistically significant as compared with the control group, was low (10•7%). Data were also missing due to withdrawals and non-completion of self-reported smoking status. However, robust sensitivity analyses were done to account for these losses to follow-up with multiple imputation techniques based on important predictors of missingness, and also by assuming that individuals with missing self-reported smoking status were smokers. Finally, as the investigators acknowledge, to ascertain the mechanism by which the txt2stop intervention actually increased continuous abstinence is difficult. Nonetheless, the abstinence rates in the txt2stop intervention group are br... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992724 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:55:18 +0100 4992724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992725&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Flet-science-inform-policy.html An editorial in Science today, written by Dr, Anthony Fauci, discusses the value of preventive antiretroviral therapy for non-infected homosexual couples, the value of condoms for males and females and the value of circumcision to prevent the spread of H IV infection. Despite such evidence the City of San Francisco seeks to outlaw circumcision. As State Health Commissioner in the late 1980s I had to help out state legislature avoid testing premarital couples for HIV infection, Luckily the testimony of the scientists on the HIV Advisory committee was accepted by the legislators (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992725 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:53:45 +0100 4992725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008475&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Findependence-day-and-ms%2F I’ll admit a bit of an odd feeling as I post a blog about America’s Independence Day weekend from the wilds of Western Ireland! It seems a fitting topic, however, as the word “independence” means such a different thing to me now that I live with multiple sclerosis than it did before. Independence doesn’t mean doing everything for/by/of myself any longer. Independence is not all Trevis all the time. Independence is a relative state and I cannot think of a better place to be thinking this than the Republic of Ireland which experienced a varying levels and lack of independence (cum tyranny) over the centuries. A cane may seem to be a “dependence” to some but it offers me the independence to walk further than I might without and conserve the excess energy which would have been sp... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008475 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:00:09 +0100 5008475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992928&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fgood-things-about-being-canadian.html Today is Canada Day. I've been feeling pretty out of sorts about my country lately, for a whole bunch of reasons (the most recent of which is our opposition to listing asbestos as a banned substance at the United Nations. Asbestos is a known cause of cancer. This kind of cancer is solely caused by asbestos. Asbestos is banned in Canada. But we still export the stuff. So it's OK to give people in other countries cancer. Shameful.)And I really don't care about the Royal Visit.I've only been to Parliament Hill once on Canada Day and that was more than twenty years ago, before I lived in Ottawa. I'll be spending the day on the road, in advance of an important family event in Toronto. We'll be listening to talking books, breaking up fights between the kids and trying to convince the dog to stay... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992928 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4992928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992640&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2Ftwo-months-left-until-the-sens5-conference.php The fifth Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) Conference, SENS5, draws closer. It will be held from 31st August to 4th September at Queens' College in Cambridge - so there's still time to register. The purpose of the SENS conference series, like all the SENS initiatives (such as the journal Rejuvenation Research), is to expedite the development of truly effective therapies to postpone and treat human aging by tackling it as an engineering problem: not seeking elusive and probably illusory magic bullets, but instead enumerating the accumulating molecular and cellular changes that eventually kill us and identifying ways to repair - to reverse - those changes, rather than merely to slow down their further accumulation. This broadly defined regenerative medicine - which inc... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992640 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4992640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992929&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fhow-ive-changed.html When I was a young adult, I definitely considered myself to be an extrovert. Then, in 2007, a year or so after my cancer diagnosis (and after being on leave from my job for most of that time), I did the Meyers-Briggs test. The person who explained my results to me said that mine was the most even split between introvert and extrovert that she'd ever seen.Fast forward to last weekend when I attended the PAB conference. Walking in the door on a Friday night to an environment where it felt like everyone already knew each other was terrifying. My chest tightened, my breathing became shallow and I felt something between "slightly queasy" and "I think I'm about to puke my guts  out." I texted Tim, "This is so hard" and sent out similar messages to the Twitterverse (I will be forever gr... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992929 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0100 4992929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984585&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fhow-ms-treatments-and-our-expectations-have-changed%2F The old adage is that “Nothing is more constant than change” and there is little truer to someone living with MS. Symptoms change, doctor change, medications change…MS changes. A person living with MS 20 years ago, stranded on an island and newly returned to their home, wouldn’t even recognize the face of Multiple Sclerosis in the world today. Where once there were no meds (or maybe a very competitive lottery to get into a drug trial) there are now 6 approved therapies and scores in the final testing phases. Those once told to “go home and get your affairs in order” are now assisted in living a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Exercise — once the terror of MS docs — is now not only recommended, it is encouraged. Woman who were once counseled to really think about having... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984585 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:04:54 +0100 4984585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984506&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26284627%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESmells-Like-Social-Media.htm We’ve seen some unusual fragrance concepts, but how about a scent “Made for Social Media?” The new unisex fragrance, suggestively named Erox, comes from online community operator Crowdgather (CRWG). The scent incorporates synthetic human pheromones, and, according to the announcement, it has been “proven to increase feelings of arousal, excitement, social warmth and friendliness in [...] Related StoriesScent of a BillboardYour Brain’s Twitter Limit: 150 Real FriendsSensory Marketing in Retail (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984506 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:22:46 +0100 4984506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976144&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fmind-blown.html  PAB2011 group photo by Maurizio Ortolani, uploaded to flickr by Martin Jones.A chance encounter on Bank Street with my friend Andrea Ross led to a plan for a dog walk, which led to a conversation about "PAB", which led to me having my mind blown.The conference is called PAB 2011 (short for Podcasters Across Borders), and is for anyone who is a creater of "content" of any kind, using any medium. You don't have to know a thing about podcasting to attend, just an open spirit and a readiness to share and absorb ideas. It took place this past week end (June 24-26) and my brain is still very, very full.This year's theme was "Your story needs to be told. Well." As with every year for the last few, the venue was the wonderful Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre (no fluorescent lights!) ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976144 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:31:00 +0100 4976144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976059&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Friding-around-in-a-very-personal-journey-with-ms%2F A bus full of commuters passes you on a busy street. A car idles, waiting for a traffic light to change. The azure-blue, summer sky is unzipped by the contrail of a jumbo jet filled with hundreds of souls… and they all have a story. Have you ever been in an airplane on approach or departure; close enough to the ground to see the ant-like scene below as it gets on with the workaday world? Have you ever thought of the lives going on inside that plane far, far above your head? Have you ever felt yourself cut-off from the world as if you were in a personal space capsule catapulting through time, space and dimension and nobody gets it? Caryn and I have just experienced a very personal grief (and I trust our community to please leave it at that) during which we felt as if the world was going b... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976059 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:48:56 +0100 4976059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975846&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FI7c-rTbplTw%2F By Chris EdwardsIn the Washington Post Friday, Ezra Klein partly confirmed what I fear the Republican strategy is for the debt-limit bill—get to the $2 trillion in cuts promised through accounting gimmicks. As I have also noted, Klein says that there is about $1 trillion in budget “savings” ($1.4 trillion with interest) to be found simply in the inflated Congressional Budget Office baseline for Iraq and Afghanistan. Klein says, “I’m told that a big chunk of these savings were included in the debt-ceiling deal” that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. Jon Kyl (D-AZ) are negotiating with the Democrats. Republican leaders have promised that spending cuts in the debt-limit deal must be at least as large as the debt-limit increase, which means $2 trillion if the debt-limit is extended ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975846 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:52:43 +0100 4975846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968815&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhose-blog-are-you-reading%2F Recently the news has included an interesting revelation that a popular lesbian blogger wasn’t a lesbian at all, but a straight, married man who posed as a gay woman for years while writing his blog. After his coming out (so to speak), another “lesbian” blogger admitted that he, too, was a straight male. As a blogger myself, I was outraged. At the very least, it is unconscionable that a person would address a group of people who feel not particularly accepted by all of society and are looking to connect with someone who lived and breathed and understood their lives as one of them. It made me wonder who I was reading. Who are the real people behind the smiling headshots and avatars decorating the web pages I confidently seek out when I feel like connecting? Is that woman &mdas... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968815 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:35:42 +0100 4968815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968705&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fwhere-do-you-find-true-grit%2F It’s often inspiring how life leads us along, licking our wounds which it also inflicted upon us; we love it, we hate it. These last few weeks I have been immersed in the past. I live in a home that is 120 years old and often wonder about those who lived here before we did. Did they love? Did they find joy and survival, together or individually? Did they have physical pain? Surely, they must have because they were without NSAIDs, biologics, acid inhibitors, a local drug store, or a supermarket. I often run across some little remnant of the past presence of one who lived here, like finding an oyster shell working its way out of the foundation outdoors or the aqua blue marine paint that dripped from the brush of an “ancient” mariner who used to live here, many years ago, still trailing... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968705 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:08:46 +0100 4968705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968706&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fprogressing-with-progressive-ms%2F Most of us with MS know terms like RRMS (relapsing remitting), SPMS (secondary progressive), and PPMS (primary progressive) when it comes to our disease. Less often heard variations are “chronic progressive” or “worsening progressive,” and I even heard someone refer to their MS as “acute, progressive chronic MS.” Not sure where he had heard that one. While we all want to find a “normal” group of people with MS to which we can identify and belong, it really isn’t all that important as to which group we fall (save for those of us whose doctors are sticklers for medications). What is important is that, as our disease may move from a relapsing-remitting phase – which is often medically described as “inflammatory disease” – to a stage of slow (or not), stea... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968706 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:04:58 +0100 4968706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968530&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fnowhere-left-to-hide-the-banishment-of-smoking-from-public-spaces.html In the absence of direct health risks to others, bans on smoking in parks and beaches raise questions about the acceptable limits for government to impose on conduct. In 2008, legal scholar Robert Rabin, the former program director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Tobacco Policy Research and Evaluation Program, commented, “We should not lose perspective on the question of how restrictive a society we want to create — that is, how far we want to go in reducing individual autonomy, including what can be perceived as self-destructive behavior.” Comment: while smoking and nutrition are important public health issues this comment in the New England Journal raises the issue of public health rapidly becoming a police system rather than an educational system. We ne... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968530 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:37:36 +0100 4968530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968532&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fiuds-implants-are-most-effective-reversible-contraceptives-available.html "Encouraging the use of [long-acting reversible contraception] methods for appropriate candidates may help lower U.S. unintended pregnancy rates because gaps in use and discontinuation of shorter-acting methods are associated with unintended pregnancy rates in high-risk women," ACOG stated. Practice Bulletin #121 "Long-Acting Reversible Contraception: Implants and Intrauterine Devices" is published in the July 2011 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968532 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:33:58 +0100 4968532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960209&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-little-things-we-can-still-do-for-ourselves%2F Like many of my generation and those who came before, I feel now like I may have spent too much time in my “former life” chasing the elusive brass ring. It wasn’t enough to be recognized wherever I went, professionally. Not enough to have the house in town and an apartment in the city. Even my dear Jaguar was a few years older than I would have liked. Now, please don’t get me wrong! I was very appreciative of the things I had attained, but they did not make me happy — Things seldom make us happy. Because of the way I have learned to live my life post-MS, I feel much more attuned with what happiness rarely is and I find it mostly on the inside. That being said, there are still a few little things that I do that make me very happy indeed. Last week, while in New York I treated myse... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960209 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:36:22 +0100 4960209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960012&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2Fthe-already-forgotten-past-and-the-nascent-future.php Modern advocacy for engineered longevity and methods of preventing permanent death (such as cryonics) began in earnest in the 1970s, give or take, and has thus been around for long enough to establish a distinct and fascinating cultural past that most younger people are unaware of. The last decades of the last century are being buried rapidly indeed. The more thoughtful older folk who lived through that past there are sponsoring a growing range of initiatives to help ensure the continuation and growth of this present community of advocates, supporters, writers, and researchers. It is in everyone's interest for there to be more people working on human life extension, talking about it, and advocating for longer, healthier lives. In this sense, the future is something that is constructed, n... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960012 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4960012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953166&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fjune%25e2%2580%2599s-half-over-how%25e2%2580%2599s-your-ms-today%2F We try to take the second Wednesday of each month to ask you about the current state of your multiple sclerosis. Somehow, between news about MS, travel and time changes it’s come to the 17th of June and I’m just not getting around to asking you that question. It’s a chance to check in, to evaluate, to think back and report on how the change of seasons, march of time or new meds may be affecting your day-to-day life with MS. It’s also an opportunity to interact with one another with suggestions and time-tested solutions that might have helped you when it comes to battling the MonSter! As you may have gathered from a few of my recent posts (and the absence of a few) or from our Facebook status updates (http://www.facebook.com/LifeWithMS), I’ve been traveling a bit more than normal ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953166 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:30:31 +0100 4953166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952990&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F18%2Famericas-mental-health-budget-cuts-poor-training-and-stephanie-moulton%2F Anybody who’s been an administrator in a community mental health system in America in the past three decades knows the drill. During bust times, state governments actually come close to doing a good job with members of society who are at their most vulnerable. Services are — while never fully-funded — well-funded, and for the most part, there’s enough staff to cover the huge need in communities for mental health care for the poor. But when budgets tighten, the first place governors look to cut are social services. High on the list of social services to be cut are mental health services, because they are often people intensive. Nevermind that most of those people are poorly trained “aides” or others who often have little direct education or experience wit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952990 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:11:39 +0100 4952990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952737&cid=t_101317_86_f&fid=35599&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrlibrary.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcommunity-view-collaboration.html In collaboration with the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Public School Division, Saskatoon Greater Catholic Schools, and other Saskatoon Regional Intersectoral Committee agencies, Public Health Services of the Saskatoon Health Region have developed a regional comprehensive community information system, the CommunityView Collaboration (CVC). The main features of the system are:- The assembly of data from multiple sources, and; - A system supported by appropriate information technologies and tools for end-user analysis including the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS). CommunityView allows for inter-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional data sharing and access among human services organisations. According to the CVC site, its primary objective of this sharing is to "ensure consistent, tim... SHR Medical Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952737 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:04:00 +0100 4952737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952742&cid=t_101317_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F17%2Fnursing-times-2011-vol-107-no-1920%2F This article discusses the benefits of delivering IV therapy in the community and provides guidance for nurses on setting up a service. Contact the Library for a copy of this article.   Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals, Primary Care Tagged: Community, IV Therapy, Service, Service Provision (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952742 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:46:22 +0100 4952742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934586&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fsues-patient-rights-responsibilities-and-opportunities%2F You have the right to life as long as you realize it might not be quite as you planned. You have the opportunity to change what you can and accept that which you cannot change. Just remember the word impossible is a relative term. You have the responsibility to seek options, be they health care, marital status or parenthood. All three require early action rather than late. You have the responsibility to judge each situation you face with candor, good judgment, and valor. If you choose not to do the above, you have the right to screw things up. It is your life, after all. You have the responsibility to maintain your body even though it appears to not give a fig about you. Disloyal lot these physical shells. You have the responsibility to remember your brain and your heart are in charg... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934586 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:46:43 +0100 4934586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934659&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Feclinic-speak-for-your-health%2F I’ve been updating a list of medical/scientific video sites for years and here is the newest addition, eClinic, a video directory for physicians and medical questions. eClinic was founded by David Buck in 2009 while he was a medical student at Tufts University. eClinic was created to extend the knowledge and therapeutic touch of trusted physicians beyond the office setting. We are passionate about improving health in innovative ways. And we hope that eClinic can compliment in-person counseling with online patient education. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934659 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:03:52 +0100 4934659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934053&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2Fan-interview-with-david-gobel-methuselah-foundation-ceo.php Today I noticed a fairly long interview with David Gobel of the Methuselah Foundation - a lot of interesting detail in there as to the Foundation's goals and arrangements. For example: Q: What collaborations, partnerships, or other types of relationships does Methuselah Foundation have with other longevity funding organizations, if any. One example would be the Ellison Foundation. A: Ellison has been a donor to the Methuselah Foundation. We've had many organizations that have been supporters such as the Thiel Foundation, the Ellison Foundation, The Paul Glenn Foundation. Q: Are there any other collaborations with any funding or research-focused organizations? A: We are, I suppose closest to SENS foundation, we do many things together. We also co-founded the Super Centenarian Foundation... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934053 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4934053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934587&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fhow-would-you-like-your-ms-society-to-use-social-media%2F I am off this morning to meetings in New York City with a newly formed group of advisors to the National MS Society on the topic of social media. Like many organizations, the NMSS is aware that online communities have changed the way that people with MS connect with one another and the whole-wide world around us. The event is to include several roundtable sessions with some of my fellow bloggers and online community leaders on the topic of multiple sclerosis. Lisa Emerich of Brass & Ivory and Carnival of MS Bloggers , Marc Stecker who many of you will know as the Wheelchair kamikaze and Ashley Ringstaff of MS World will all be in attendance for the day-long summit along with several national and chapter leaders from the Society. I am, of course, humbled to be in such lauded company and... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934587 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:08:54 +0100 4934587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934059&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2Fshould-we-treat-aging.php "Should we treat aging?" is a rhetorical question here, but sadly it remains a straightforward open question for much of the world - when it is asked, they are quite serious in asking it. People expect there to be good reasons as to why aging should be left as it is, the cause of death for more than 100,000 people each and every day, and scientists restrained from working on therapies of rejuvenation. This is one of the uphill struggles taking place in the patient advocacy community for aging research, that most people don't consider themselves patients exhibiting the symptoms of degenerative aging, have little inclination to do anything about it, and are in fact initially hostile to the whole idea. Here's an American Scientist article from researcher David Gems that asks the rhetorical q... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934059 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4934059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934588&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fa-glass-of-wine-a-nibble-of-cheese-and-some-ms-art%2F One of the down sides to my increased schedule of travel schedule, writing deadlines and other obligations (oh, and how our favorite disease is handcuffing me in the heat and humidity) is that I don’t get to do all of the things that I would like to do. It’s something we all have to deal with on some level; right? Well I want to make sure that I share this event – which I’ll, unfortunately, have to miss due to the above listed set of cascading events – with all of you who are within driving distance of Seattle. But in doing so, I hope that it might be a little bit of a spark for those of you who are not. Next weekend, the 18th & 19th, the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Swedish Neuroscience Institute, in association with the Bellevue Arts Museum, is presenting their second annu... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934588 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:30:04 +0100 4934588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934663&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F06%2F13%2Fhuman-health-project-getting-feedback-on-cases%2F Human Health Project is  a non-profit organization funded by donations aiming at giving feedback on medical cases uploaded by medical professionals. Here is the description: The Human Health Project began in California in 2006 as a non-profit organization when its founder, Dr. Phil Harrington, M.D., decided to create a platform for medical professionals to discuss rare and unusual health problems. The idea came from personal experience – for three years he went from doctor to doctor and struggled to find a diagnosis for his own illness. Even with access to modern healthcare and a background in medicine, the answers were still elusive, and the process was frustrating. For someone without the same access to healthcare, such as a patient in a developing nation, the challenge would have... ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934663 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:08:39 +0100 4934663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934062&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2Freplying-to-a-critique-of-sens.php SENS, the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence, is detailed plan for development of the biotechnologies needed to reverse the effects of aging - to repair the biological damage that causes age-related degeneration and disease, and thereby eliminate the frailty and increasing risk of death that comes with it. Strangely, SENS has gone from valid but fringe idea rejected by the mainstream of aging research to an accepted and supported, albeit small, research program over a handful of years without much in the way of widely published and debated critiques. There was the SENS challenge, a couple of scientific op-ed exchanges in the journals (some of which were quite entertaining), and that was pretty much that. In the early days, no-one would take the time to engage, and the switch f... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934062 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4934062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934344&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FrzkA4RCcLVc%2F URL: http://www.nchv.org/veterans.cfmIf you are a homeless veteran or a veteran at risk of becoming homeless, these pages provide information that you can use to seek help. They include addresses, phone numbers, and websites to find out about services, programs, and other help that is available. For: Anyone, Consumers, Researchers, Anyone, Consumers, ConsumersTopics: Abnormal, Attachment, Behaviour Management, Foundation Website, Personality disorders, Relationships, Sexual Assault, Aspergers, Autism, Bipolar, Chronic Disease, Foundation Website, Mental Health, Social Support, Combat Stress, Depression, Emotional Health, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Military, Physical Health, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Varied, Varied Disorders, Varied TreatmentsFeatures: Articles, Collaborative Ne... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934344 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:00:13 +0100 4934344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921623&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fa-life-with-chronic-pain-dont-panic%2F When we are struck with a life of chronic pain, we are terrified, feel forsaken and usually panic. Those who don’t panic are usually in denial and get around to panic later when the fear of the unknown sweeps over them. Today, as usual, I searched my heart and mind to find the helpful ideas which have and do help me everyday of my life. Please, let me list them for you in the hope that you will also find courage, calm and control in your life if you are also facing this monster each day. Gain Control. I know, you feel like your body has betrayed you and after all the great things you did for it, too. Stop asking yourself why this happened to you and look forward. Of course, it might help you to know if it’s genetic, for the sake of your children, but for now, you have to deal with eac... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921623 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:20:44 +0100 4921623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921363&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2Fa-conversation-with-aubrey-de-grey-on-aging-and-ai.php A good interview can be found at h+ Magazine, in which Aubrey de Grey and Ben Goertzel discuss a range of topics. Goertzel is an artificial intelligence researcher who strongly supports the goal of achieving radical life extension, so the interaction between the two fields is one of his interests: Ben: On a different note - I wonder how much do you think progress toward ending aging would be accelerated if we had an AGI system that was, let's say, roughly as generally intelligent as a great human scientist, but also had the capability to ingest the totality of biological datasets into its working memory and analyze them using a combination of human-like creative thought and statistical and machine learning algorithms? Do you think with this sort of mind working on the problem, we could r... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921363 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4921363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911679&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fhow-would-you-spend-ms-charity-monies%2F In a recent event at one of the local multiple sclerosis charities in Seattle, I sat in on the preliminary results of an extensive survey of people living with MS in the Pacific Northwest. One of the areas that the survey touched upon was how people would like to see money donated to our cause to be spent. I’ll admit I was a little surprised by the direction the answers seemed to tend, but the researchers only had 5 days to evaluate the data and we all know that rough data is a dangerous thing. Contradictions were rife throughout the initial phases of the report. For example, the majority stated in one area that they wanted far less money spent on research while later in the hour-long survey these same people reported that they wanted more research and to know more about research. Oy! I�... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911679 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:12:43 +0100 4911679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911525&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Flow-t-a-myth.html ScienceDaily - A decline in testosterone levels as men grow older is likely the result -- not the cause -- of deteriorating general health, say Australian scientists, whose new study finds that age, in itself, has no effect on testosterone level in healthy older men. The results were presented June 6 at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston. Some researchers believe that an age-related testosterone deficiency contributes to the deteriorating health of older men and causes nonspecific symptoms, such as tiredness and loss of libido”. Handelsman and his team, however, found that serum (blood) testosterone levels did not decline with increasing age in older men who reported being in excellent health with no symptoms to complain of. Comment: This is unlikely to affect the ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911525 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:28:50 +0100 4911525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911526&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fstudy-predicts-up-to-30-of-companies-will-stop-offering-health-insurance-1.html The National Journal (6/7, "The more a company knows about coming changes to the nation's health care laws, the more likely it is to consider radically restructuring the way it provides insurance to employees, according to a study by the consulting firm McKinsey and Co." In fact, "the study, which is being circulated among Republicans, predicts that as many as 30 percent of companies will stop offering health insurance benefits, reduce the level of benefits, or offer benefits only to certain employees." Should this prediction come to pass, "the number of Americans who could see changes to their health insurance would be far more than the 9 million to 10 million estimated by the Congressional Budget Office." Comment, All these companies are doing is asking government to solve their problems... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911526 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:27:05 +0100 4911526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902568&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Ftime-changes-and-the-ms-body%2F ‘Tis the season for travel. Kids will soon be out of school, summer weather entices us to take holidays and my travel schedule for the next month has me on more planes and through more time zones than a healthy body should be subjected let alone one slogging through Multiple Sclerosis. I’ve heard of “recovery times” for the body. It takes a full year for the body to recover from general anesthesia, one day per hour of time change, a month for every year of a relationship after it fails (that might be more of a heart recovery than a body one…). If any of this is the case, my jumping back-and-forth from the east coast and my home time zone three times this month (and then on to GMT!) should leave me just about recovered in time for my birthday… in AUGUST! Travel can be st... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902568 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:36:27 +0100 4902568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902449&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fis-our-obsession-with-cleanliness-wiping-out-our-immune-system.html Prof Fazekas de St Groth from the Centenary Institute claims that the discovery of a small but absolutely essential subset of T cells within the immune system has been vital. Regulatory T cells or Tregs control unwanted immune responses, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Tregs are distributed throughout the body, particularly at points where we are likely to encounter disease-causing microbes. The most important site is the gastrointestinal tract (the GIT) where up to 90% of our immune cells are located. This ties in neatly with the hygiene hypothesis because it explains how an infectious event early in life colonization of the gut with bowel flora) can produce a life-long effect on the immune system. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902449 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:08:15 +0100 4902449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902614&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2Fresearchgate-celebrates-one-million-users%2F ResearchGATE, the largest scientific community site, where I used to manage the Masterblog, now announced its one millionth user which is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to them! (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902614 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 09:30:31 +0100 4902614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893704&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fn-glycosylation-could-this-be-the-cause-of-ms%2F A dear friend is in the office of General Council for the University of California system and he was excited to pass along some information on Multiple Sclerosis research just coming out of UC Irvine this week. It’s an important step to answering a question I asked of our community (serendipity; really!) last week about what causes MS. According to the in-depth study just published in Nature Communications of the biology behind the mouse “model” of MS and will likely be a platform from which to launch new research into a complex interaction of genetics, environment and an individual’s reactions to them which causes “Dysregulate N-glycosylation” – an improper manufacture of important cell sugars. The study concludes that the already suspect deficiency of Vitamin D – a hormon... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893704 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:41:28 +0100 4893704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893703&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Feveryday-life-with-chronic-back-pain%2F As many of you who have been reading this blog for some time know, I live with sacroiliac joint pain and have for more than twenty years. Those particular joints are the two upon which you place your derriere, hold your two lower cheeks together and keep your legs from falling off. The pain from them often extends into the pubic area, the hips, and the lumbar spine and down the legs. Pain in these regions can have an affect on your bowel and bladder habits as well. Recently, the inflammation of those large joints has, for me, been worse than ever. I share this with you to explain why I have low back pain on the brain today, as well as on my backside. Since I have a brain that tickles easily, I have been remembering an event of many years ago when I was in nursing school. One of my nursing ... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893703 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:12:47 +0100 4893703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893705&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fis-there-really-an-ms-stress-connection%2F I’ll have to admit to you that I’ve never understood the underlying connection that we all seem to make between times of high stress and multiple sclerosis flares. I know that my diagnosing attack came at one of the highest stress times of my life, but I wouldn’t say that I remember any of the next six major attacks as having taken place during stressful times. In fact, if you start to consider the autoimmune theory of MS, it begins to make less sense to me. Stress seems to lower immune activity (stressful time = getting sick with whatever bug is going around), so how is it that we can equate our multiple sclerosis disease activity — or at least its symptomatic expression — with times of great stress? Many of us have made mention in the pages of Life With MS Blog that a s... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893705 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:26:50 +0100 4893705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883541&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2Fexamining-a-few-legal-aspects-of-organizing-your-own-cryopreservation.php As I've noted in the past, one of the challenges that faces present day cryonics as an industry is that it requires a measure of proactive organization and ongoing effort on the part of customers. You can't just sign up for cryopreservation, pay your monthly dues, and let matters coast along unattended - not if you want things to go smoothly when the service is needed. All sorts of obstacles, both organizational and bureaucratic, can rear their ugly heads: arranging your own cryopreservation is less a matter of agreeing to go to a party than it is a matter of agreeing to be the host and organizer of a party. This, of course, greatly reduces the range of people who are willing to sign up for cryonics - no-one likes inconvenience, and there's a certain irrationality when it comes to using (... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883541 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4883541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876419&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F29%2F7-good-reasons-to-cry-the-healing-property-of-tears%2F New York Times reporter Benedict Carey referred to tears in a piece as “emotional perspiration.” Given that I sweat a lot and hate deodorant, I suppose it makes sense that I weep often. But I’m not going to apologize for that, because after a good cry, I always feel cleansed, like my heart and mind just rubbed each other’s backs in a warm bath. In his intriguing article, “The Miracle of Tears”, from which I’ve borrowed some of the research for this post, author Jerry Bergman writes: “Tears are just one of many miracles which work so well that we taken them for granted every day.” Here, then, are seven ways tears and the phenomenon we call “crying” heal us physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually. 1. Tears help us ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876419 Sun, 29 May 2011 10:58:25 +0100 4876419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876380&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fdigpen.html Time for an update.In February I decided to find out where all the web developer talent in the South West lies. I suspected there was a lot of it, but I wasn't aware of it since I had been living in my own developing bubble busy with my own work for the previous 4 years. But the time has come to grow MedWorm and pull in some real investment, and one of the first things I needed to find in order to attract investment was a solid development team to take the project forward.I started to use LinkedIn to find php developers in the area (to begin with). I found that there are actually loads of them, but many of them were working also like I had been, in their own bubbles too, disconnected from the rest of the talent around. Many of them thinking they were the only web developers in the area, ot... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876380 Sun, 29 May 2011 06:16:00 +0100 4876380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872257&cid=t_101317_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FyMfsA_JSQ1s%2F Caleb Interview with Caleb Poirier about his experiences of depression, becoming homeless, and eventually founding Camp Take Notice, a tent city for people without homes in Ann Arbor, MI. Read more at InvisiblePeople.tv, and watch another interview with Poirier with more details about the camp, its peer support, principles, and progressive solutions. Very articulate and perceptive views that challenge stereotypes and conventions. The camp is a registered non-profit and accepts online donations. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872257 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:30:02 +0100 4872257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872421&cid=t_101317_145_f&fid=35715&url=http%3A%2F%2Fusmlesteps.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fusmle-community-which-are-you-using.html I would like to get your opinion about USMLE online communities. Which one do you use frequently (usmle.net; 4usmle.com; 4usmle.net; prepusmle.com; imgboards.com etc.) - if you use more than 1 community - why is that? How would you describe ideal USMLE online community? Do you want it to be more like facebook, i.e. social interactive community?Your feedback is very valuable for us and will be appreciated.powered by www.usmlestep.com (Source: USMLE blog for smart people) USMLE blog for smart people blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872421 Fri, 27 May 2011 05:08:00 +0100 4872421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872124&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fwomen-who-start-prenatal-vitamins-early-are-less-likely-to-have-children-with-autism.html ScienceDaily: Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements -- and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found. “The good news is that if this finding is replicated, it will provide an inexpensive, relatively simple evidence-based action that women can take to reduce risks for their child, which is to take prenatal vitamins as early as possible in a pregnancy and even when planning for pregnancy,” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872124 Thu, 26 May 2011 14:16:25 +0100 4872124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862635&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Fa9JCMwbkQUE%2F URL: http://psychfutures.ning.com/PsychFutures is an open network, albeit designed for individuals at various stages of their psychology career, from A-Level to degree-level to professionals. Primarily, we are about choosing your next step in psychology. For A-Level psychology students who are thinking about studying the subject at degree level, there’s advice on exam preparation and applying to university or college. For undergraduates thinking about post-degree options, our members provide peer-to-peer advice about postgrad psychology. For those looking beyond studying we have a section devoted to psychology careers. For: Anyone, Anyone, Clinicians, Researchers, Students, TeachersTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Addiction, Anger, Behaviour Management, Child and Adolescent, Clinical Psycholo... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862635 Tue, 24 May 2011 17:00:53 +0100 4862635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862765&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fnew-study-published-on-tysabri-induced-pml-gives-us-new-letters-to-think-about-iris%2F As if the threat of PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) weren’t enough to think about, now there are another set of letters to think about for people taking Tysabri for their multiple sclerosis. A new study from France reports on something called IRIS (immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome), a post-PML condition which occurs often as the immune system is re-activated after treatment for PML. While researchers think that as many as half of the deaths in MS patients experiencing PML were actually caused by IRIS after their blood was “cleansed” to remove Tysabri from the system, almost all PML patients contracted IRIS. The new report looked at survival rates of people diagnosed with PML following the 2006 re-release of Tysabri; most of the world had taken it off the s... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862765 Mon, 23 May 2011 22:18:49 +0100 4862765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852944&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FhQzGxxhCM9U%2F URL: http://www.inspireweb.com/Inspireweb is an online community and medium that aims ultimately to inspire and to connect people from around the world in a free and open forum revolving around the fundamental human emotions of inspiration and motivation. For: Anyone, ConsumersTopics: Common Factors, Emotional Health, Optimism, Social Psychology, Social Support, WritingFeatures: Articles, Community and Social Networking, ForumsInspireweb is an online community and medium that aims ultimately to inspire and to connect people from around the world in a free and open forum revolving around the fundamental human emotions of inspiration and motivation. Inspiration is a powerful tool to get us back on track and well in stride to the future of our dreams. It is an indispensable tool for rechargin... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852944 Mon, 23 May 2011 17:00:06 +0100 4852944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848060&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Finsurance-and-other-woes-with-multiple-sclerosis%2F It’s not the first time I’ve heard the stories and pleas of someone who is about to lose (or has already lost, or never had) health insurance. This past week a member of our community contacted me via our Life With MS Facebook page with her dilemma and I thought we could have a conversation about the general topic and see if we can’t come up with ways to help her and others who may face the same issues. “Lucy,” we’ll call her, says that she’s been using one of the MS drugs with great success for the past several years. She’s been on her father’s insurance and just found out that she’ll be aging off next month. Lucy cannot pay for the drugs or her doctors’ visits out of pocket and is looking for help. Also, she has one of those relatives who is beating her up f... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848060 Fri, 20 May 2011 19:26:56 +0100 4848060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847979&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fburden-of-acute-otitis-externa.html Also, from today's MMWR we are reminded that summer and the swimming season are upon us and that the annual problem of "swimmers ear" can be avoided by careful attention to ear hygiene and keep the ears dry after swimming. Ambulatory-care visits for swimmers ear during 2003--2007 were highest among children aged 5--9 years. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847979 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:55:08 +0100 4847979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847980&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fcdc-identifies-10-public-health-achievements-of-first-decade.html The 10 domestic public health achievements are published in today's issue of CDC's MMWR. “Americans are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. The United States has saved billions of dollars in healthcare costs as a result of these achievements. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847980 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:52:41 +0100 4847980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847981&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fsteep-price-for-high-rates-of-unintended-pregnancy.html Two new studies taking different methodological approaches arrive at the same conclusion: Unintended pregnancy costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $11 billion each year. Both estimates are conservative in that they are limited to public insurance costs for pregnancy and first-year infant care, and both studies conclude that the potential public savings from reducing unintended pregnancy in the United States would be huge. A related new study provides first-ever estimates of unintended pregnancy for each state, and a starting point for future efforts to monitor states’ progress toward reducing unintended pregnancy. Comment: Yet, as usual, most politicians are blind to data and many want to cut funding for Planned Parenthood! (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847981 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:46:55 +0100 4847981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841764&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fa-new-book-for-the-children-of-multiple-sclerosis%2F While I am a card carrying member of the child-free, it has never escaped me how difficult parenting with multiple sclerosis must be. Not only do parents with MS have to do all of the other stuff parents have to do; they must do it from behind the varyingly thickness of the curtain of this whacky disease. Fathers must wonder if they’ll be able to walk their daughters down the wedding aisle, and I can’t tell you the number of times I hear “I can’t throw a ball around with my kids” (as if that is the highest responsibility of a “healthy” father). Busy mom trying to juggle job, house, family and MS??? What a balancing act! One thing I have had a little bit of experience with is telling young ones about my MS. I am the uncle of four and the godfather to the sweetest c... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841764 Wed, 18 May 2011 20:18:14 +0100 4841764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841400&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2Fforesight-institute-25th-anniversary-reunion-conference.php I was reminded today that the Foresight Institute is holding an event next month, on June 25th-26th in the Bay Area, California. Some of the speakers and topics are relevant to those of us interested in longevity science, such as William Andregg of Halcyon Molecular, a fellow who has no problems in speaking his mind when it comes to achieving radical extension of the healthy human life span. The conference reminder came with a $50 discount to the conference registration price for Fight Aging! readers - just enter FIGHTAGING when registering. Join friends old and new this summer at Google's Mountain View headquarters in Silicon Valley as we explore the future of nanotech with a rockstar lineup of nanotech experts and entrepreneurs. Want to understand the science behind the dream? Find out... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841400 Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4841400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829108&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthank-you-for-a-safe-place-for-people-living-with-ms%2F We all know there can be some profound “stuff” waiting for people living with multiple sclerosis. Even for those who live with relatively mild forms of the disease, MS starts (and often, keeps) us spinning. Over this past weekend, I began to think about how thankful I am for the Life With MS Blog. During this review, it became obvious that we all owe a debt of gratitude to the company which gives us the space to have the open and sometimes difficult conversations we’ve held here for over five years. The revelation was clear when I looked back at our post from Friday where we beat-up one of the MS drug makers pretty directly. Even though there is a risk that what this blogger writes and how so many of you may reply may have negative financial impact, Everyday Health has never ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829108 Mon, 16 May 2011 22:52:56 +0100 4829108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821008&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthree-big-stories-on-the-ms-drug-front-including-one-very-shameful-one%2F This week has turned out to be quite the news week for multiple sclerosis drugs and their makers. There is an acquisition in the works for one pharmaceutical company, a report was released saying how often people living with MS deviate from their prescriptions, and a major settlement was reached with the leading MS drugmaker in a case that involved bribing doctors to prescribe their med. First the news that broke earlier in the week about Elan (of Biogen/Elan, make of Tysabri) pharmaceuticals selling off part of its drug delivery division to Alkermes Inc. The merger will leave Elan focused exclusively on drugs for neurological disorders. What this means for people living with MS is hard to say at this point – and may be for years – but we’ll keep our ears open for word from Ireland (... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821008 Fri, 13 May 2011 22:07:55 +0100 4821008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820786&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2Fthe-documentary-how-to-live-forever.php Biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey is one of the figures appearing in the documentary film "How to Live Forever." It's played straight but isn't a serious piece, as this review notes: It's a huge subject, vital to every living person in the world - what it means to grow old and how one can cheat or at least postpone mortality. Fortunately, Mark S. Wexler eschews ponderousness in favor of a wry, observant, open-minded approach in his most informative and often quite funny documentary How to Live Forever. ... The film opens May 13 in New York followed by a national expansion May 22. Still, there you have Aubrey de Grey in theater distribution (again) - and the more folk to hear his message, the better. It's still the case that the vast majority of people are not aware of the state of ... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820786 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4820786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821096&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fbeautiful-eyes.html That's what struck me when I met Sarah in person: she had the most beautiful deep brown eyes I had ever seen, with a lovely smile to match.It was February 2010 and we were both in attendance at the Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer. We had met online through our online community, Mothers With Cancer.A short time after we met, Sarah found out that her breast cancer had become metastatic and she began treatment anew. A few weeks ago, she learned that the cancer had spread to her brain and she started radiation treatment. A couple of days ago, she was admitted to hospital with breathing issues. Last night, she passed away.I won't claim to have known beautiful Sarah better than I did. But I did consider her my friend. And I will miss her. Here are some things I knew a... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821096 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:22:00 +0100 4821096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820923&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F12%2Fthe-stupid-complex%2F Nowhere in the DSM-IV does it mention “the stupid complex,” but I’m telling you it’s an epidemic these days. I used to suffer in silence. But ever since I’ve come out of the closet, I swear I find a fellow sufferer every day. At my last therapy session, I was telling her how scared I was that everyone was going to find out that I was inherently stupid. She laughed out loud and said, “Do you know how many times I hear that a day?” Oh. Good. Then it’s not just me. I don’t know when it started. It could be a result of being a twin, and needing to form a sense of identity separate from my sister. Since she stole “tomboy” early on, I became “the brain,” except that mine didn’t work, but no one really knew that but me. And I was able to keep it a secret all throug... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820923 Thu, 12 May 2011 15:35:01 +0100 4820923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813364&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FgTWlWXqLTVk%2F URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/index.shtmlThis site includes biographical profiles of people who have influenced the development of intelligence theory and testing, in-depth articles exploring current controversies related to human intelligence, and resources for teachers. For: Researchers, Students, TeachersTopics: Academia, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive, Educational Psychology, Philosophy, TeachingFeatures: Articles, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Information, Research, Research Tools This site includes biographical profiles of people who have influenced the development of intelligence theory and testing, in-depth articles exploring  current controversies that are related to human intelligence, and resources for teachers and educators. (Source... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813364 Thu, 12 May 2011 00:20:32 +0100 4813364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813491&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fmay-2011-hows-your-ms-today%2F Time to check in with one another again. Second week of the month and we’re all wondering how your MS is today. As I said in Monday’s blog, I’ve been feeling relatively well this past couple of weeks. Now, were you to ask Caryn (and likely others who have seen me hobble about of late) you might get another answer; which led me to wonder if the same is true for others living with MS… This month, along with your check-in with yourself, I thought it might be interesting for us to report how someone close to us thinks we’re doing this month. I wouldn’t say that I “check in” with Caryn; ours is more of a running dialog. On occasion, however, I do make a point to see if what I’m experiencing is “obvious”… it usually is. In fact a couple of weeks ago, I saw the re... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813491 Wed, 11 May 2011 19:02:33 +0100 4813491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813416&cid=t_101317_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcrossing-digital-divide-connected-health Often when I speak about connected health, I am asked ‘What are you doing to provide these services to communities with health disparities?’ For many years, connected health advocates took it on the chin when this important topic was brought up.  We relied heavily on home computers and home Internet access to achieve the power of our programs.  Yet, underserved populations had fewer home computers and less Internet access.  We were left to half-heartedly mention that access was improving and of course folks could always go to the library if needed. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813416 Wed, 11 May 2011 13:50:38 +0100 4813416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813194&cid=t_101317_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fneurosurgeon-dr-christopher-carver-reportedly-arrested-domestic-dispute%2F Neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Carver has reportedly been arrested in a domestic dispute. He is said to be on staff at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and Community Hospital of Monterey Pennisula. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813194 Wed, 11 May 2011 04:21:41 +0100 4813194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813227&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=34980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightaging.org%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2Fsens-foundation-year-end-report-for-2010-now-available.php Following on from the release of their 2010 research report, the SENS Foundation folk have issued their 2010 year-end report. Just as for the earlier research report, it is an interesting and closer look at the finances and research activities of the organization - one of the very few groups in the world whose leaders have the right idea when it comes to aging, longevity, and biotechnology. In 2009 we launched SENS Foundation. We did it to drive biomedical research towards a functional and cost-effective approach to extending individual health. We did it to raise awareness for an alternative to an increasingly complex and problematic pathology chase in medicine; to redefine regenerative medicine as applied to aging; to enable doctors to think about fixing patients before they were sick. ... Fight Aging! blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813227 Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4813227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803171&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fevidence-contravenes-nuke-plant-leukemia-link.html Children living within 5 kilometers of a nuclear power plant are not at an increased risk for developing leukemia, according to an analysis released last week by an independent government advisory committee in the United Kingdom. The report covered a period of 35 years and studied the incidence of the cancer in children under the age of 5 living in close proximity to the UK’s 13 nuclear power stations. Comment: With all the current anxiety about radiation exposure, this  very long study is well worth waiting for. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803171 Mon, 09 May 2011 22:15:38 +0100 4803171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794955&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fall-in-the-family-with-ms-happy-mothers-day%2F To say that the past decade has seen changes in the way that everyone looks at Multiple Sclerosis wouldn’t do justice to the tectonic shifts in MS thinking. The number of MS medications, the acknowledgement that pain is an MS symptom, the understanding that multiple sclerosis has a “genetic element” have all been new developments seen since my Dx in 2001. Multiple sclerosis doesn’t “run” in families. There is, however, some kind of a genetic connection to MS. Several years ago it was found that an identical twin have a 30x higher chance of developing MS if their sibling has MS verses the risk of fraternal twins. Even one of the latest research papers about CCSVI shows some family connections to this possible MS link. One of the darkest questions lingering in the back of the he... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794955 Fri, 06 May 2011 19:23:31 +0100 4794955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794871&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fonly-a-fifth-of-us-medical-students-choose-primary-care.html Far fewer US medical students plan to go into primary care than two decades ago, a recent analysis shows. Surveys of graduating students in 1990 and 2007 show that although roughly a quarter of graduating medical students in both years planned to go into internal medicine, the proportion planning to go into general internal medicine fell from 9% to 2%. Medical students are increasingly likely to an average educational debt of $158 000 and an overall average debt of $132 000. The Association of American Medical Colleges says that the overall shortage of doctors was already acute before the recent health reforms(ACA), but increased demand from newly insured patients will mean even greater stress on the system. The association projects a shortage of 63 000 doctors by 2015 and 130 600 ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794871 Fri, 06 May 2011 15:58:47 +0100 4794871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789465&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fvote-for-trevis-and-he-could-win-big-on-behalf-of-multiple-sclerosis%2F Hi everyone — it’s Rose, Trevis’ editor. Trevis is too modest to let you know this, but he’s a finalist in the KOMO News-Brotherton Community Champions competition in Seattle. He was nominated by a reader of the Life With MS blog and chosen as a monthly winner in November 2010 for his amazing work as an advocate for people living with multiple sclerosis. It’s a tough competition with six great and equally worthy nominees, so he really needs your votes to win the big prize for the year. According to KOMO and Brotherton Cadillac, the top three videos will be featured at the Seattle International Film Festival, and the person whose video receives the most online votes before May 22nd, 2011 will receive the choice of a $5,000 contribution to his or her selected charit... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789465 Thu, 05 May 2011 19:23:38 +0100 4789465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789542&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fwwwhat-do-wwwe-think%2F Today I came across an interesting post from the (brilliantly named) Feisty Blue Gecko, someone else who is blogging their way through breast cancer. It’s about the relationships that we form through the internet and social media, the very real emotional bonds we build in these virtual communities, and how well (or not) we are equipped to deal with the death of someone that we don’t, in the conventional sense, ‘know’. The blog post is here. It has made me think. (I am having something of a thinky/wondery week, it seems.) This blog has allowed me to meet new people, in real life as well as virtually. I’ve found help and support here, and been able to offer it too. I hope that who I am here, on the browser, is also who I am here, on my sofa. And because of these... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789542 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:09:45 +0100 4789542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789220&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fl6rZ5DLuA-4%2F By Mark A. CalabriaLast week I participated on a panel on federal rental housing policy, organized by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies in conjunction with the release of their new report on conditions in the rental market.  In their defense, the report does attempt to avoid offering policy prescriptions.  But the report does come pretty close to suggesting that we spend more on federal rental housing assistance.  In the post-housing bubble  environment, many, myself included, have dared suggest that there’s nothing wrong with someone being a renter, and that maybe we pushed too many into homeownership. But saying we overdid homeowneship is not the same as saying we ignored rental.  In fact the federal government has spent massive amounts on rental housing, yet ac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789220 Wed, 04 May 2011 18:01:28 +0100 4789220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780458&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fnot-really-end.html Did you know that the world is going to end on May 21st, 2011? I saw a guy on a street corner today with a sign that said just that. And then I saw a big-ass caravan with the same message. Contemplation of our impending collective doom helps to put yesterday's election into perspective. It doesn't matter if the Conservatives were gifted with a whopping majority if none of us is going to live long enough to deal with the consequences. There must be more of these end of the world types than I previously suspected. That would help me understand how it is that so many of us thought endorsing the Conservatives would be a good idea.Or something. You'll have to forgive me, it's been a hell of a day. I stayed up way too late watching the election results and then stumbled around like a zombie all ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780458 Wed, 04 May 2011 03:07:00 +0100 4780458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780290&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTYGUQ-njVIo%2F By Tad DeHavenLocal officials, like their federal and state counterparts, spend other people’s money. Policymakers are naturally unlikely to spend other people’s money as carefully as they would their own. This situation is exacerbated when local officials spend money obtained from federal taxpayers. At least when local taxpayers foot the bill, they have an incentive to keep an eye on how their money is spent. That incentive is largely nonexistent when the money comes from Washington. HUD community development programs illustrate what happens when the federal government severs the relationship between local officials and local taxpayers. Originally targeted to large cities in decline, community development funding is spread widely to communities rich and poor, large and small. Local of... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780290 Tue, 03 May 2011 20:32:05 +0100 4780290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775415&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fmedical-costs-for-youth-with-diabetes-more-than-9000-a-year.html "Young people with diabetes face medical costs that are six times higher than their peers without diabetes," said Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation. "Most youth with diabetes need insulin to survive and the medical costs for young people on insulin were almost 65 percent higher than for those who did not require insulin to treat their diabetes." Comment: Early diagnosis and intervention can iimit the cost but this is a lifetime issue for these children. For families without insurance this cost may be insurmountable. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775415 Mon, 02 May 2011 13:36:34 +0100 4775415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768017&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fstrengthening-the-regulation-of-herbal-medicines-in-europe.html To protect consumers, the European Parliament and Council adopted the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, 2004/24/EC on March 31, 2004. The Directive requires all herbal medicinal products to meet standards of quality, safety, and efficacy before they can be registered and marketed in the European Union (EU).  Comment: It is high time for the U.S. to follow Europe’s lead with all the scams foisted on us by ‘herbal’ and complementary medical advocates. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768017 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:47:15 +0100 4768017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768018&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fhealth-literacy-tests-underutilized-may-improve-elderly-cancer-patients-care-and-outcomes.html Low health literacy is a significant barrier to quality care, especially among elderly patients, but increased use of simple and effective health literacy assessment tests by nurses and clinicians can help improve communication and health outcomes. Comment: The gap between physicians and their patients has not changes significantly despite exhortation to clinicians to do a better job. Better assessment of patient health literacy needs to be made for all clinical encounters. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768018 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:45:56 +0100 4768018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762858&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fthe-assologist-is-evolving%2F After writing this blog for almost five years, I find I have few secrets. My life is an open book. I’m one of those irritating women who talk to you in line at the market, have total strangers pick me out of a crowd to ask directions and always pet friendly, furry dogs at street fairs. I’ve always had a tongue that had a life of it’s own but now I’m far worse. My life changed about half-way through when, over a period of a few months, I developed two strange symptoms. Those two irritating and eventually painful problems changed my life forever. When I look back on the last 20+ years, I no longer recognize the woman I used to be. There is something about having chronic pain everyday of your life that causes you to evolve. I decided long ago it was up to me to decide if that evolutio... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762858 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:08:12 +0100 4762858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759058&cid=t_101317_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fwe-need-wellness-policies-to-create-healthy-communities%2F By: Hannah Barker, Dietetic Intern, with assistance from Rebecca This week I participated in a webinar called, “Looking Upstream: How Income, Education and Racial Disparities Shape Health.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was the host. The expert panel included: Dr. James Marks from the Health Group at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Paula Braverman from the University of California in San Francisco, David Williams from the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard University, and Steven Woolf from the Virginia Commonwealth University. We Spend a Lot on Healthcare for Such a Sick Country I learned that the United States spends so much on health care, yet ranks poorly in terms of several health indicators, like infant mortality and life expectancy.  However, the cause of the Unite... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759058 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:00:44 +0100 4759058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758854&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fnews-from-aan-correction-on-tysabri-pml-blog%2F Last week we posted a blog about the risks of PML for patients taking Tysabri, based on news from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meetings which took place earlier this month. In the comments section, Chris asked that we check our facts and report back. Well, once again, your commitment to the Life With MS Blog community has paid off. I jotted off a quick e-mail to the Public Affairs department for Biogen/Idec and waited… and waited… and got nothing. Because, however, of the active participation of our community the conversation was noted and I got an e-mail asking if we needed any assistance directly from the senior manager for international public affairs. I am not happy that I was wrong, but I am happy to know that we can get the correct information out to you today. I had r... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758854 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:04:38 +0100 4758854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762850&cid=t_101317_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJJpc_cY72x4%2F Discussion moved from cognitive fitness to neuroplasticity, across regulatory and policy trends, and new product launches by new and established players  What did we take home from the SharpBrains Summit? Was it novel consumer insights arising from a new retail landscape? What of policy initiatives from innovation clusters around the globe? Do you see a future populated by neuroscience toolkits, driven by the inexorable demographic changes set to occur in the coming decades? Or was it a look “under the hood” of technology platforms developed by category leaders that sharpened our insight? Here are 10 emerging themes: The Need for Standardization of methodologies A profusion of cognitive and emotional health tests, batteries and new technologies are crowding the research environment... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762850 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:41:34 +0100 4762850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753830&cid=t_101317_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJJpc_cY72x4%2F Discussion moved from cognitive fitness to neuroplasticity, across regulatory and policy trends, and new product launches by new and established players  What did we take home from the SharpBrains Summit? Was it novel consumer insights arising from a new retail landscape? What of policy initiatives from innovation clusters around the globe? Do you see a future populated by neuroscience toolkits, driven by the inexorable demographic changes set to occur in the coming decades? Or was it a look “under the hood” of technology platforms developed by category leaders that sharpened our insight? Here are 10 likely themes to emerge. The Need for Standardization of methodologies A profusion of cognitive and emotional health tests, batteries and new technologies are crowding the research env... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753830 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:41:34 +0100 4753830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753841&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fa-decade-living-with-multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis%2F There is a generation of Americans who can tell you exactly where they were when they heard of JFK’s assassination. The next generation has space shuttle Challenger to hold as a common cultural experience. And 9/11 is etched into every living psyche the way December 7th, 1941 lives in the hearts of the “Greatest Generation.” We all have personal dates which we cannot shake as well; dates of births and deaths and, in the case of many of us with multiple sclerosis, there are dates of diagnosis. Today is the 10 year anniversary of my Dx. When I look back, like many of us can, before I heard the words “you have MS”, I know that I’d lived with this disease for many years prior. In fact, a reexamination of mysterious symptoms I experienced in high school lead me (along with my medic... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753841 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:17:34 +0100 4753841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747653&cid=t_101317_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FHvGYjMfFee4%2F URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA was established in 1992 and directed by Congress to target effectively substance abuse and mental health services to the people most in need and to translate research in these areas more effectively and more rapidly into the general health care system. For: Anyone, Consumers, AnyoneTopics: Behaviour Management, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Fitness, Cognitive Training, Common Factors, Depression, General Psychology, Health Promotion, Health Psychology, Health and Social Services, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Quality of Life, Addiction, Attachment, Behaviour Management, Diagnosis, Emotional Health, Health Promotion, Health Psychology, Health and Social Services, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Self-help, Social S... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747653 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:00:46 +0100 4747653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742591&cid=t_101317_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F04%2F23%2Fmdsne-learning-community-for-verified-healthcare-professionals%2F There are over 50 (!) biomedical community sites in my constantly updated list. Here is the newest addition, MDSNe: MDSNe is a free social networking and peer-to-peer learning community for verified healthcare professionals based in Europe. MDSNe is for all types of healthcare professionals.  Physicians.  Nurses.  Nurses Practitioners.  Pharmacists.  And more! MDSNe creates an atmosphere of openness and trust, enabling  peer-to-peer learning in a safe and secure educational environment . (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742591 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:24:19 +0100 4742591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742545&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fpip-pip-a-yanks-life-with-ms%2F About a year and a half ago, I posted an observation that your participation in the community which has grown up within the Life With MS Blog has made this a place for tens of thousands to come. I also stated in that observation that I had reluctantly accepted that I am a voice for myself and for others living with multiple sclerosis. I am honored to announce that the MS Society of the United Kingdom has asked me to chime in on their soon-to-be-built social networking site a couple of times a month as a voice from America in, “A Yank’s Life With MS”. As with all the work I do with the National MS Society and other charitable organizations, this will be 100% unpaid volunteerism. Payment was not offered nor requested. We’re not really sure how the whole thing is going to work, what t... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742545 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:22:36 +0100 4742545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742544&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fsues-official-rules-for-whining%2F When you’ve had chronic pain for many years whining becomes an art form, a sacred ritual while also becoming a bit repetitive. That’s why you have to jazz it a bit by coming up with new ways to whine. Sure, it sounds easy. If you’re new to all this you might think all you have to do is be the victim, I mean patient, then spot another victim, also known as the listener and you’re all set to go. It’s much more complex than that. Let me see if I can sum it up for you. You know I love a list so let’s try, shall we? Never whine when you’re with someone sicker than you are. They don’t give a rat’s ass and you will find it very unfulfilling. Whining is not a contest but if it were, you’d have to find someone without any problems of their own. Good luck with that. You might a... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742544 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:36:19 +0100 4742544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734048&cid=t_101317_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEm4sS4pU8fY%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, speaking at Facebook headquarters, President Obama assessed the guts of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and other congressional Republicans and concluded that their deficit reduction plan isn’t “particularly courageous.” That might be accurate – their plan lacks specificity and could target a lot more for elimination — but it’s pretty rich for the President to throw out such a conclusion. After all, his whole strategy appears to be the bankruptingly lame-but-safe crying of doom for cute kids and other supposedly defenseless people no matter what the size of the proposed cut to a social program or how ineffective the program has been. That, and the constant lamentation that “the rich” – a small and th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734048 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:29:35 +0100 4734048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734378&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-didnt-give-us-nuttin-we-took-it%2F The funeral mass for the first person I ever knew to have multiple sclerosis took place today. She lived a good life, a happy life, a full life. She’s remembered today for her love of family, of friends, and of travel. Goldine’s life with MS taught me much — likely far more than she would have ever known. Her love of travel in particular (oft with one of her daughters to help) made me look at my life with MS differently from the start. And today, in her honor, I state plainly that MS didn’t “give” us anything. If there is goodness in our life after MS that wasn’t there before; we took it! MS is a sly and evil thief. I’ll never give it the power of saying ‘MS gave me…’ and I think that if we do say something like that, we give too much credit to the disease... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734378 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:25:56 +0100 4734378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734379&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-news-from-the-aan-meetings-significant-risks-from-tysabri-identified%2F The world’s largest gathering of neurological professionals took place in Honolulu, Hawaii last week. Unlike when the American Academy of Neurology meeting took place on my back doorstep in 2009, I did not attend the meetings in order to report back “live” (but it wasn’t for lack of trying…). Then, when I tracked the news as it rolled out from the meetings and was kept abreast in their virtual press room, I waited until the meetings were over so I could digest the skeins of data before relaying information via the Life With MS Blog. Once again this year, multiple sclerosis information, seminars, posters, and study results overwhelmed the proceedings. I used nearly an entire highlighter on my copy of the advanced program! It is our intention to spend several of the next few weeks�... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734379 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:06:42 +0100 4734379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723871&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fsteps-to-preserve-privacy-may-compromise-emr-usability.html The Chicago Tribune (4/12) reported that physicians, hospitals, and the "vendors that create the systems" that store EMRs have been "working on preventing breaches and protecting privacy." However, the same safeguards that "keep the world from learning you have a history of mental illness or are at a high risk for uterine cancer might make it harder to deliver critical information about your health" to an emergency department physician. Moreover, as with paper records, "both federal law and institutional policies impose stiff penalties for spying." In clinical care, EMRs can "create a conflict between hassle and security," meaning a physician "might have to enter several commands when consulting on a case by smartphone or other mobile device." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723871 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:02:31 +0100 4723871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723872&cid=t_101317_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fdartmouth-researchers-release-report-on-end-of-life-care.html The New York Times (4/12, A22,) reports, "At the end of life, people with chronic diseases like cancer get more aggressive medical care in the New York area than anyplace else in the country, continuing a trend going back decades, according to a report released on Monday by researchers at Dartmouth College." The researchers, who "looked at federal data from 2007, the most recent year available, found that 46 percent of chronically ill patients in the Manhattan hospital region, which also covers most of Brooklyn and Staten Island, were being treated at hospitals when they died, as opposed to dying at home or in hospices or nursing homes. That rate was the highest in the country." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723872 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:00:41 +0100 4723872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724068&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fcontroversy-in-the-medical-community-concerning-medications-for-adhd.php The controversy of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is loaded with implications in the field of medicine. In the past, many children who were disruptive or loud were considered both difficult to discipline and undeserving of attention or they were the products of parents who did not know how to raise a child, and were pitied. Those children who were unable to focus while in school were labeled as slow learners and more often than not, looked down upon by others of the same age. Today, we have discussed that such behavior is often diagnosed as symptoms of ADHD. ADHD children are generally forgetful, disruptive, impulsive, easily distracted and hyperactive. More adults are being diagnosed with ADHD, since this ever-present condition continues into adulthood, shown by the inc... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724068 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4724068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719986&cid=t_101317_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fgone%2F Life is filled with constant change As we grow, mature and learn Unfortunately it’s not all mental as Our bodies sometime take a turn. Yet, each of us is amazed Because life doesn’t stay the same; Relationships, jobs and health In a flash can rearrange. Each time the hand of fate comes down We face surprise and shock Because we want it all to stay the same We learn early how to pitch a squawk. Accidents, bad planning and stupidity Can throw us into a spin; It seems we’re always trying to cope, To adjust, never dreaming we could win. As we struggle to adjust our Rubik’s cube We blame ourselves when struck by fate, And we face fear, self-blame and loathing And try to give up, “That’s it, it’s just too late.” Yet, deep within us, after the initial surprise Is this glim... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719986 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:15:00 +0100 4719986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4720046&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fi-can-relate-to-this.html ...and so can, I would wager, anyone who has been harassed by  condescended to infantilized by dealt with an insurance company on health related matters. Especially if you have been on long-term disability for any length of time, you can expect regular correspondence. Blogger Katherine describes this experience:"But as sure as the swallows return to Capistrano, every March CIGNA sends me information on its Cancer Support program. Last year’s began “Good health is a gift.” This year’s reads like a grade school report:Dear KATHERINE O’BRIEN:The American Cancer Society estimates that two men and one in three women will face cancer in their lifetime. Although these are scary statistics, CIGNA HealthCare wants you to know we’re here to help…"Most of us just sigh, groan, maybe... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4720046 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4720046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4715014&cid=t_101317_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpYq3k6eZCQ4%2F Four years after the merger between the CVS drugstore chain and the Caremark pharmacy benefits manager, which has spurred numerous investigations and lawsuits over anticompetitive concerns, a handful of consumer groups have written the US Federal Trade Commission to ask the agency to break up the company. Why? The groups charge CVS Caremark limits choice through various programs, the merger has given CVS unfair advantage over other retailers, patients are steered toward CVS and confidential patient information is improperly shared. Such concerns have already prompted investigations by the FTC and attorneys general of 24 states. CVS Caremark has previously said it is cooperating with the probes. “There is strong evidence that the CVS Caremark merger has harmed consumers,” says the lett... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4715014 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:18:08 +0100 4715014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714969&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fmy-kids-are-alright.html I had a dream a few nights ago.My kids were in a giant flash mob, dancing their hearts out, surrounded by dozens of other kids and adults. They were exuberant and focused, their movements fluid and in synch with those around them. My heart swelled with pride and joy.I learned that the flash mob had been created to drum up excitement over an upcoming performance. In a couple of hours, my kids would go on stage and perform. I could tell they were ready.Then I was handed a note. My own performance was scheduled for right after theirs. I was wholly unprepared. I hadn't even looked at my script. I was rushing off to find it when my alarm went off.Sacha was in a play very recently. And they did organize a flash mob a week before the performance, as a form of advertisement. And Sacha performed be... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714969 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4714969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709356&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbeating-breast-cancer-is-like-taking-on-a-pitbull-you-dont-know-you-can-do-it-until-you-do%2F The other night my dog Dixie and I went for our usual walk around the neighborhood. We look ridiculous, since Dixie generally walks me while I hold on to her with all my might. To say she’s not well trained on a leash — after 10 years — is an understatement; however, she has me well-trained. Generally, we feel quite safe and arrive home without incident. This night was the exception. Half way through our trek, we were confronted by a pit bull loose in the neighborhood and obviously without an owner. My reaction was not what I would have expected. I quickly swooped up my little Dixie — a Jack Russell terrier — in my arms and yelled at the pit bull to go home while lunging at it aggressively. Initially, the pit bull repeatedly turned away and turned back — at least until Dixie de... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709356 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:22:02 +0100 4709356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709355&cid=t_101317_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fvote-early-vote-often.html I watched last night's English language election debate with interest. I was shocked at how quickly the two hours passed, although this was greatly aided by the fact that I wrote and read a steady stream of commentary on Twitter and Facebook (sorry to my followers and friends who don't give a damn about the Canadian federal election!). It helped me to keep watching without blowing a gasket. I felt like I was at a bar with friends hooting and hollering, except that I was in my basement drinking tea with my son and my spouse (another advantage to Tweeting during the debate was that I had to keep looking down at my Blackberry. This kept the orange decor from searing my retinas and Harper's cold eyes from turning me to stone).I thought that all the opposition party leaders did well. Duceppe de... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709355 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:53:00 +0100 4709355