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 'excessive'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:04:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984452&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbending-the-cost-curve-in-cancer-care-reduce-excessive-testing-for-reassurance-purposes%2F2011.06.29 This is the second in a series of posts on Bending the Cost Curve in Cancer Care. We should consider the proposal, published in the NEJM, gradually over the course of this summer, starting with “suggested changes in oncologists’ behavior,” #1: 1. Target surveillance testing or imaging to situations in which a benefit has been shown. This point concerns the costs of doctors routinely ordering CTs, MRIs and other imaging exams, besides blood tests, for patients who’ve completed a course of cancer treatment and are thought to be in remission. The NEJM authors consider that after a cancer diagnosis many patients, understandably, seek reassurance that any recurrence will be detected early, if it happens. Doctors, for their part, may not fully appreciate the lack of benefit of detecting ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984452 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:00:37 +0100 4984452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734612&cid=t_158246_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fdoctors-drinking-affects-next-days-surgery%2F Persistent Next-Day Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Laparoscopic Surgical PerformancePurpose; To examine the effect of previous-day excessive alcohol consumption on laparoscopic surgical performance.Study 1 was a randomized controlled trial. Study 2 was a cohort study. Sixteen science students (laparoscopic novices) participated in study 1. Eight laparoscopic experts participated in study 2. All participants were trained on the Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer Virtual Reality (MIST-VR).The participants in study 1 were randomized to either abstain from alcohol or consume alcohol until intoxicated. All study 2 subjects freely consumed alcohol until intoxicated. Subjects were assessed the following day at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 4 PM on MIST-VR tasks.Assessment measures included time, ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734612 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:30:58 +0100 4734612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4418815&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fsay-farewell-to-daytime-fatigue-with.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4418815 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:58:00 +0100 4418815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331238&cid=t_158246_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-cRjehpd63o%2F Good morning, folks. Another shiny day is unfolding here on the chilly Pharmalot corporate campus, where the dogs are barking and the short people are scrambling off to the school houses. As for us, we are downing a cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Golden French Toast - and hunting for interesting tidbits. Hear something fascinating? Do pass it our way. Meanwhile, here are a few items to help you along. Hope your day goes well… Eli Lilly And Boehringer Ink Diabetes Drug Deal (Reuters) Amgen Moves Three Cancer Drugs Into Late-Stage Tests (Bloomberg News) Neurosearch Cuts Workforce By 20 Percent (Reuters) Prozac May Speed Physical Rehab After Stroke: Study (HealthDay) Swine Flu Survivors Developed Super Flu Antibodies (Reuters) HGS Hopes To Bank Billions After Lupus Drug Launch... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331238 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:46:46 +0100 4331238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214084&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoCcwYEDwmzI%2F By Chris EdwardsThe Obama administration is supporting a two-year freeze on federal pay. I haven’t seen the details yet, but this appears to be a good start at getting excessive government pay under control. I’ve been calling for a pay freeze since an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2006. Since then, average federal pay has continued to soar far above average private pay, which has finally prompted policymakers to take note.  The Obama proposal would apparently save $28 billion over five years. Hopefully, that will be the first of many budget savings that the administration and Republicans in Congress can work on together in coming months. I’ve described other ways to tackle the government’s overspending problem here. The next step to reform federal worker ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214084 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:21:06 +0100 4214084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197370&cid=t_158246_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-from-anxiety-and-shame%2F Transforming Anxiety Transcending Shame A Recovery BookDiscover the True Source of Excessive Anxiety And How You Can Stop It!Do new situations give you heart palpitations, knots in your stomach and shortness of breath? Are you so worried about what others think that you avoid new activities for fear of looking foolish? Do you agonize about making the right decision and then second-guess the ones you make? Do you have a pervasive feeling that “something’s” just not right? If so, then noted author, therapist and former anxiety sufferer Rex Briggs can help free you from your fears with this step-by-step program. You’ll discover:why anxiety is not a disease to be controlled, but a mes­senger to be heeded;how normal anxiety differs from excessive anxiety;why unresolv... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197370 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:40:00 +0100 4197370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013191&cid=t_158246_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Ff8C7Inj47uw%2F Baby Tim is 3 months-old and has been crying inconsolably. His exhausted mother has brought him into the emergency department at one in the morning desperate for help. Can you help her? (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013191 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:00:29 +0100 4013191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761417&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3IJpRLoial8%2F By David RittgersThe USA Today editorial board is criticizing the use of state wiretapping laws to prosecute citizens who tape on-duty police officers. I have written on this extensively: here, here, here and here. The editorial joins the Washington Examiner and Washington Post in this critique. USA Today’s opposing view (presented by two AFL-CIO police union officials) provides this comment: In today’s environment, police officers have to assume that every action they take is captured on tape, somewhere. They must be comfortable that everything they say or do in the course of their duties may be shown on the 5 o’clock news. Our problem is not so much with the videotaping as it is with the inability of those with no understanding of police work to clearly and objectively inte... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761417 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:18:41 +0100 3761417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742286&cid=t_158246_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F10%2Fwhy-we-like-to-keep-busy%2F Do people like to keep busy for no reason? Or is being idle okay with most of us? Psychological researchers (Ysee et al., 2010) set to find out. In two experiments with college students, researchers discovered that we can be happy doing nothing at all and remaining idle. But given even the slimmest of reasons to be busy doing something, and most people will opt for doing something over nothing. The researchers also found that people were happier when they were busy, even if they were forced into busyness. How can people be happy being busy, if that busyness serves no purpose? In the first experiment, researchers had 98 students fill out surveys individually, and then gave them a choice before filling out a second survey 15 minutes after completing the first — they could drop off the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742286 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 10:30:19 +0100 3742286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701811&cid=t_158246_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fa-friend-or-partners-excessive-drinking%2F Millions of people are affected by the excessive drinking of someone close. These questions can help you decide if you are involved with an excessive drinker. Do you worry about how much someone else drinks? Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking? Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking? Do you feel that if the drinker loved you, he or she would stop drinking, to please you? Do you blame the drinker’s behavior on his or her companions? Are plans frequently upset, or cancelled, or meals delayed because of the drinker? Do you make threats, such as, "If you don’t stop drinking, I’ll leave you"? Do you secretly try to smell the drinker’s breath? Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a dr... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701811 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:51:08 +0100 3701811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691124&cid=t_158246_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F181%2Fcan-an-anti-aging-diet-really-reverse-wrinkles%2F Can an anti aging diet reverse wrinkles?  At least one dermatologist seems to think so.  It might work for some people.  It really depends on what they were eating before. Trying to eat right is well worth your while.  It’s not just about how you look.  It’s also about developing the so-called age-related diseases.  The latest research indicates that many of those diseases are preventable if people eat right and have a healthy lifestyle. Advice about eating right has changed over the years and continues to do so.  There are the high protein diets, the high carb diets, the low fat diets and others.  The proponents of each of those diets claim to have found the key to weight maintenance and good health. Here’s my advice.  Avoid packaged, processed and prepared foods.  Eat at ... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691124 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:03:06 +0100 3691124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666246&cid=t_158246_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F166%2Feczema-treatment-with-hydrocortisone-or-natural-shea-butter%2F Hydrocortisone is sometimes recommended as an eczema treatment.  It is a weak steroid that can be purchased over the counter.  Although steroids do not cure the condition, they do reduce the inflammation pretty quickly. The only problem is that our body’s build up a tolerance to steroids over time.  So they can stop working just as quickly.  If they do continue to work and are used for extended periods of time, they can cause the skin to become thin and fragile. If used over large areas of the body, steroids can cause health problems within the body.  We must remember that anything we put on the outside of our bodies can pass through the skin and into the inside of our bodies.  If it is something like a steroid hormone, it can cause a variety of health problems. Steroids repress th... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666246 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:52:19 +0100 3666246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641005&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4qxJgeSizj0%2F By David RittgersAn off-duty Baltimore police officer and a former Marine had a disagreement about the Marine’s advances toward the officer’s girlfriend. The officer ended it with thirteen rounds fired from his service pistol, six hitting the Marine and killing him. Baltimore police have confirmed that the Marine was unarmed. The officer refused a breathalyzer at the scene. (HT Instapundit) It gets better. The officer was involved in another shooting five years ago, which was determined to have been justified, but the officer was disciplined… for being intoxicated. I suspect that if your average citizen had defended his significant other’s honor with a dozen or so bullets, he would be in jail. Not so for the officer, who remains on administrative leave. Of course, anyone recording ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641005 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:44:06 +0100 3641005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595574&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRlOh34uO_1k%2F By David RittgersSeveral people videotaped the arrest of a belligerent woman at the Preakness Stakes and posted it online. The woman assaulted another patron of the race and two officers during her well-deserved arrest. The criminalization of citizens’ recordings of the arrest, which culminates in the woman lying face down and bleeding, is a different matter. Toward the end of the video, posted on YouTube (warning: violence and language), a police officer approaches the person filming the arrest and says, “Do me a favor and turn that off. It’s illegal to videotape anybody’s voice or anything else, against the law in the state of Maryland.” Unfortunately, the officer was right. The Maryland wiretapping law makes it illegal to record a conversation without the conse... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595574 Mon, 24 May 2010 16:20:24 +0100 3595574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482935&cid=t_158246_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fpolice-training-helps-treatment-of-mentally-ill%2F This article talks about a situation that happened in Utah where a man who apparently had bipolar disorder was Tasered twice, and died: The findings could add clout to a claim made in a federal lawsuit filed this month by the family of Brian Cardall, who died in June after a Hurricane police officer twice deployed a Taser on Cardall as he suffered a bipolar episode on a southern Utah highway. Filed by Cardall’s widow, children and parents, the lawsuit alleges Hurricane police declined to send officers to the training for at least eight years, which they claim played a role in Cardall’s death. The lawsuit says Hurricane Police Chief Lynn Excell failed to adequately train his officers by not sending them to attend the mental health training, in which dozens of police agencies ac... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482935 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:14:14 +0100 3482935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346728&cid=t_158246_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FLtrGQj2b7y4%2F Alcoholism is characterized by a preoccupation with alcohol and impaired control over alcohol intake. Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease. Left untreated, alcoholism can be fatal. You may continue to abuse alcohol despite serious adverse health, personal, work-related and financial consequences. Alcoholism usually involves physical dependence on alcohol, but genetic, psychological and social factors contribute to the addiction as well. It’s possible to have a problem with alcohol, but not display all the characteristics of alcoholism. This is known as “alcohol abuse,” which means you engage in excessive drinking that causes health or social problems, but you aren’t dependent on alcohol and haven’t fully lost control over the use of alcohol. Stat... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346728 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:42:23 +0100 3346728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3137465&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fsleep-epilepsy.html A new study evaluated daytime sleepiness in people with epilepsy.The study involved 83 people who have epilepsy. They were compared with 80 healthy controls. Participants completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and an overnight sleep study.Results show that people with epilepsy had a much higher level of daytime sleepiness than controls. They also spent less time in the stages of deep, slow-wave sleep and REM sleep. These changes were unrelated to the use of antiepileptic medications.Epilepsy is a condition that involves recurrent seizures. A seizure is a temporary disturbance in brain function. It occurs when groups of nerve cells in the brain produce abnormal and excessive electrical impulses.The AASM reports that stress and sleep deprivation are two factors that may trigger seizures. Som... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3137465 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:11:00 +0100 3137465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115155&cid=t_158246_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F23%2Fjuliet-schor-%25e2%2580%259ccolossal-failure-the-output-bias-of-market-economies%25e2%2580%259d%2F With the disappointing Copenhagen Climate Summit just behind us and with the most consumption-heavy holiday before us, there is no better time to hear Juliet’s Schor’s analysis of, and insights regarding, how we are living and what we might do differently. Juliet Schor is Professor of Sociology at Boston College. Before joining Boston College, she taught at Harvard University for 17 years, in the Department of Economics and the Committee on Degrees in Women’s Studies. Schor’s latest book is Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture (2004). Born to Buy is both an account of marketing to children from inside the agencies and firms and an assessment of how these activities are affecting children. Schor is author of the national best-seller, T... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115155 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:44:30 +0100 3115155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902736&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fuse-bedtime-routines-and-relaxation.html A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examines the strategies people use to reduce daytime sleepiness.Taking a bath was the most common sleep management practice for both men and women; 59 percent of men and 64.4 percent of women used it. Keeping a regular sleep schedule was the second most popular tactic.People also wound down for the night by listening to music, snacking and exercising.The results show that taking a bath and going to bed at the same time every night were the best ways to decrease daytime sleepiness. Snacking at night made people feel sleepier the next day.One of the study’s authors said that culture influences the way people manage their sleep.The study, conducted in Japan, includes data from 24,686 adults who completed a national health survey.Don’t ... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902736 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2902736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724474&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Frace-daytime-sleepiness.html Are African Americans sleepier than whites?Both a 2003 study and a 2006 study reported that African Americans have higher scores than whites on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The ESS measures how likely you are to fall asleep in eight common situations.Why might African Americans score higher on the ESS? It could be that they are more sleep deprived than whites; or perhaps they are more likely to suffer from sleep-disrupting disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.Or maybe there is another explanation. A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine investigated.The study analyzed the ESS scores of 687 patients who were referred to a hospital-based sleep clinic; 52 percent were African American. The results were validated in a second group of 712 adults; 57 percent ... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724474 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:52:00 +0100 2724474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699687&cid=t_158246_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FxHCe8NeAyuM%2F OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder, is one of those weird and fascinating diseases that confuses medical professionals. If you’ve ever seen someone with the disease, you know why. Is it caused by anxiety? Is it something related to an addiction? About four million Americans have some form of OCD. Right now, the medical community has it classified with other anxiety disorders. Some experts believe it should remain in this category because “people with the disorder tend to engage in repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety.” In other words, it isn’t so much that they are obsessed about something (like checking locks or washing hands) but they go back to this behavior because they think it will help soothe them. It doesn’t however. Other medical folks say the d... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699687 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:14:20 +0100 2699687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699423&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fdaytime-sleepiness-can-be-pain.html A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep reports that healthy people may be more sensitive to pain if they are sleepy.The study involved 27 healthy, pain-free adults between 18 and 35 years of age. A physical exam, drug screening and lab tests confirmed that they were in good health. An overnight sleep study verified that they didn’t have a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea.Participants were grouped as “sleepy” or “non-sleepy” based on the results of a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). The 14 people in the sleepy group fell asleep after an average of less than five minutes during the four daytime nap sessions; it took an average of about 13 minutes for the 13 non-sleepy people to fall asleep.All participants then spent eight hours in bed during a night at a... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699423 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:30:00 +0100 2699423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670614&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Finsomnia-sleepiness-quality-of-life-in.html A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep linked insomnia symptoms and daytime sleepiness with quality of life in older adults.The study involved 3,078 adults over the age of 40. Their mean age was 62 years at baseline and 67 years at follow-up.Results show that self-reported sleep problems were related to quality of life. An increase in insomnia symptoms was associated with a decrease in mental quality of life. Both mental and physical quality of life dropped as symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness increased.The study also tracked the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. It was measured objectively by overnight sleep study. OSA severity increased slightly over the five years of the study; but this change did not affect quality of life.“Only subjective measures of sleep were a... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670614 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:56:00 +0100 2670614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2507269&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Ftired-fatigued-cpap-improves-daytime.html Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. But a new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that many people with sleep apnea have other complaints: fatigue, tiredness or a lack of energy. The study also shows that treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy can help reduce all of these symptoms. The study involved 313 people with sleep apnea. They had an average age of 55 years. Before treatment more than half of participants complained of a lack of energy or tiredness. About 46 percent complained of fatigue; a little less than 40 percent complained of sleepiness. Women were more likely than men to report having a lack of energy.Results show that these daytime symptoms improved in participants who reported using CPAP for five or more hours per n... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2507269 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0100 2507269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2446481&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fobstructive-sleep-apnea-daytime.html Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea. But not everyone with sleep apnea feels sleepy during the day.Sleep apnea involves a wide range of severity levels. A person with mild sleep apnea may stop breathing five or ten times an hour during sleep. In contrast a person with severe sleep apnea may stop breathing 30 or more times per hour.Each breathing pause ends when the body briefly wakes up to take a breath. The more times this occurs, the more fragmented and disrupted your sleep will be.Mild sleep apnea should be taken seriously even if you don’t have daytime sleepiness. It can increase your risk of other health problems such as high blood pressure. It also can progress to more severe sleep apnea over time.Answer these questions on SleepEducatio... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2446481 Sat, 30 May 2009 10:31:00 +0100 2446481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380884&cid=t_158246_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F29%2Fworrying-about-the-swine-flu-some-pesky-questions%2F Another blogger here wrote a great piece on reducing your anxiety about the swine flu outbreak. My post is going to be a little different, a little less on the practical side. No global truths or silver bullet theories, just honest human wonderings about worrying and this swine flu thing. I’m about to be the pesky six ear old in your family who bombards you with questions at holidays. 1- Is all worry a bad thing? Well, excessive worry is definitely a bad thing. It causes people to build their lifestyle around their anxiety. It causes them to not do things they value because of the potential to make them anxious. 2- But couldn’t worrying be OK in some situations? I mean, a moderate amount of worry can get us off our rear ends and into planning mode or action when needed. For ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380884 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:06:04 +0100 2380884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2274550&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fare-smart-drugs-smart-choice-for-brain.html Early results from a new study in JAMA show that it may not be smart to take modafinil as a “brain booster.” The drug may have a greater risk of addiction than it was first thought to have.The small pilot study involved 10 healthy men. Taking modafinil increased the dopamine in their brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in addiction.The brand name for modafinil is Provigil. It was approved by the FDA in 1998. It is a safe and effective treatment for three sleep disorders. It improves alertness in people who have excessive daytime sleepiness from narcolepsy or shift work disorder.Modafinil also is approved for people with sleep apnea. Some people remain sleepy during the day even while treating their sleep apnea with CPAP therapy. These people may benefit from ... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2274550 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:27:00 +0100 2274550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2236542&cid=t_158246_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fis-daytime-sleepiness-excessive-risk.html Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in older adults. But is it anything to be worried about?A new study from France may raise a few eyebrows. It links EDS in older adults with an increased risk of death.The study involved 8,269 adults with an average age of 74 years. All of them were living in the community rather than in a nursing home. None of them had dementia when the study began.At the start of the study almost 19 percent of participants reported having regular or frequent EDS. The study group was followed for six years.During this time 762 people died. Of these deaths, 196 were caused by heart disease.Results show that the older adults with EDS had a much worse survival rate. There was a 33 percent increase in their risk of death. There also was a 49 percent increase in their risk... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2236542 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:26:00 +0100 2236542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227164&cid=t_158246_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F02%2Fmotherhood-and-depression%2F Let me first say that I’m glad that many many mothers around the world can go about the challenging and rewarding job of parenting without experiencing mental illness. Clearly the majority of mothers can weather the storms without having their boat completely capsize. But the reality is that a modest percentage of mothers do experience depression, excessive anxiety, and other mental illnesses. As a mother who’s had postpartum depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, I don’t have a grudge against the moms who have stayed healthy. Not that they would have all sunshine and lollipops every day as a mom either. Motherhood can be tough no matter how resilient you are. In fact, I thought I was being exposed to how difficult it really was — the truth behind the faca... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227164 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:50:06 +0100 2227164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1208968&cid=t_158246_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F229688710%2F Below you have a very insightful article on stress by one of our new Expert Contributors, Gregory Kellet, a researcher at UCSF. Enjoy! (Credit for Pic of Victoria Crater in Mars: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, via Wikipedia).  ---------------------------------------------- “My brain is…fried, toast, frazzled, burnt out.” How many times have you said or heard one version or another of these statements. Most of us think we are being figurative when we utter such phrases, but research shows that the biological consequences of sustained high levels of stress may have us being more accurate than we would like to think. Crash Course on Stress Our bodies are a complex balancing act between systems working full time to keep us alive and well. This balancing act is constantly adapting to th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1208968 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:39:22 +0100 1208968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=870406&cid=t_158246_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F14%2Ftoo-much-exercise-is-bad-for-you-too%2F Filed under: Research, ExerciseExercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But in individuals with heart troubles, too much exercise can be a bad thing too -- it can speed up heart failure ... in rats, at least. These findings are in direct opposition to what researchers thought they would find -- that the more they exercised, the healthier rats are. But don't use these findings as an excuse to skip the gym for the next few decades -- it's still thought that a reasonable amount of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive exercise might be a problem, but a daily walk will not kill you.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog) The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=870406 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 870406