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 'hea'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:06:08 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169576&cid=t_227925_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2F99B5X6YMrKA%2F URL: http://www.get.gg/Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help mental health problems. This website offers CBT self-help information, resources and tools, including therapy worksheets. For: Anyone, Clinicians, ConsumersTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Cognitive, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Common Factors, Counselling, Depression, Eating Disorders, Emotional Health, General Psychology, Life, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Personality, Personality disorders, Psychology and Technology, Psychology and the Media, Self-helpFeatures: Articles, Assessment Instruments, Clinical Tools, File Sharing, Information, Links, Multimedia, Patient Handouts, Research Tools, Resources, Training, e-learning Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help mental hea... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169576 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:00:09 +0100 5169576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934123&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1366       We all know about Facebook. We all know that we can re connect with old friends and make new one via this site.  However, the parents of this yet unborn baby have already made a page for her and while doing so created an online journal of their nine months of pregnancy.  Many days  had posts of the baby girl’s progress and the daily accounting of the parents as well.  Although Facebook does not allow underage children to have their own page, this was created, obviously, by her parents for good natured reasons. It became a way for their families to keep in contact with one another as well as with the parents-to-be…read more here Creating a journal helps us remember the little things, like when we first felt a kick or heard a heartbeat. In addition i... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934123 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:24:26 +0100 4934123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455262&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintegrating-major-health-systems-could-make-things-worse%2F2011.02.09 Health reformers propose the proliferation of integrated health systems, like the Mayo Clinic or Kaiser Permanente, which, according to the Dartmouth Atlas, lead to better patient care and improved cost control. To that end, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been a major part of health reform, changing the way healthcare is delivered. Never mind that patients may not be receptive to the new model, but the creation of these large, integrated physician-hospital entities that progressive policy experts espouse comes with repercussions. Monopoly power. To prepare for the new model of healthcare delivery, physician practices have been consolidating. In many cases, they’re being bought by hospitals. Last year, I wrote how this is leading to the death of the private practice physician... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455262 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:00:58 +0100 4455262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441975&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-your-hospitals-maternity-ward-close%2F2011.02.06 When our country starts closing obstetrical units in hospitals because they “cost too much” money to operate, pregnant women need to pay attention because their babies are in serious trouble. Such was the case of the most recent casualty, South Seminole Hospital, a 200-bed hospital, that’s located within 30 minutes of my neighborhood. More than 20,000 babies were born in South Seminole Hospital during the past 18 years, and many of the babies were delivered by a local obstetrician who died approximately three years ago. I recall sitting in the emergency room of the hospital with a fractured ankle and listening to a chime that used to ring every time a baby was born. It was a soothing and humbling sound knowing that a new life was making its grand entrance each time that chime rang.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441975 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:00:12 +0100 4441975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253135&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femployee-health-the-first-benefits-package-blog-carnival%2F2010.12.13 Welcome to The Benefits Package — the very first employee benefits blog carnival. After healthcare reform, employee benefits move to center stage as one of the most important issues facing Americans. So what are employers, insurers, and the government really doing to rein in healthcare costs, get their employees to live healthier lives, and improve healthcare quality? The Benefits Package is the first-ever blog carnival dedicated to these issues. With benefits executives starting to make the leap into the blogosphere, The Benefits Package will highlight the best insights and opinions on this important subject. You will discover new blogs, learn new things, and hopefully think about issues a little differently. I’ll host the first couple of Benefits Packages, and then others will ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253135 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:00:58 +0100 4253135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4121854&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhos-first-social-media-effort-making-hospitals-disaster-safe%2F2010.10.30 I got an email from Mari (M4ID_Mari on Twitter) on behalf of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergencies and Humanitarian Action team in South East Asia, based in New Delhi about WHO’s first social media-driven effort, aiming to engage 1 million people in the issue of making hospitals safe in disasters. From WHO:  “Floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones – the WHO South-East Asia Region is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. In 1996-2005, such events led to the deaths of more than half a million people in this region. This makes up 58% of the total number of people killed worldwide due to natural disasters. Hospitals are lifelines in the aftermath of a disaster, when large numbers of people are critically injured or vulnerable. It is particularly vital tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4121854 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:00:06 +0100 4121854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082088&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-prevention-how-to-sift-through-the-headlines%2F2010.10.19 Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center Most of us can’t keep up with all the new ways to avoid cancer. Thanks to the Internet, we now have an unlimited supply of cancer knowledge at our fingertips. But, how can we filter out the good, the bad and the questionable? Below are steps to help you tease out the facts when reading that next big news story on preventing cancer. Says who? Don’t just take the writer’s word for it. Dig a little deeper to find out the source behind the hype. The American Cancer Society says you should ask yourself these questions when reading an article: Was this a press release from a company announcing a new breakthrough in cancer prevention? Was it a report from a clinical study that was given at a scientific conference? Was it a report from a st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082088 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:57 +0100 4082088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031368&cid=t_227925_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FB6qLbobY-Ng%2F Welcome to Grand Rounds, the weekly col­lec­tion of best health and med­ical blog posts. This week we invite you to enjoy a broad range of insights, tips, and first-hand stories, presented as a Q&A conversation with bloggers willing to answer, below, a total of 22 good questions. On Health and Medicine What can one-word prescriptions deliver How does food processing change food´s nutritional value Can diet Increases Risk of ADHD Is alcoholism an illness What´s better: steady dete­ri­o­ra­tion over 10 years, or symp­tom-free life for 9 years fol­lowed by rapid dete­ri­o­ra­tion in year 10 On Patient Life As we talk about wellness…what about developing self-compassion Can patients with chronic pain still live a full life What is the patient-doctor etiquette for usin... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031368 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:19:13 +0100 4031368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022899&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtXeNkujL5UU%2F By Michael F. CannonIn all of Washington, is there a greater enemy of free speech than Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius? Her department is forcing millions of Americans to finance speech that they oppose, by using taxpayer dollars to broadcast (misleading) television ads that promote ObamaCare. She is using the powers granted her under ObamaCare to threaten insurers with bankruptcy if they publicly disagree with her about the law’s cost. Now, she is decrying the growth of anonymous political speech in congressional campaigns. Would that coerced speech, or government suppression of speech, troubled her as much as anonymous speech. Sebelius: Anonymous Political Speech ‘Dangerous’ is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022899 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:46:09 +0100 4022899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784261&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcardiologist-job-security%2F2010.07.23 All it takes to assure you’ll keep your local cardiologist employed is 19 strips of bacon and an egg and you’ve got yourself one heck of a solid bacon burger: Having read about the difficulties people making such burgers have had keeping them together, I decided to add one large egg to the food processor along with the 19 slices of bacon. I ground the bacon and the egg together, then, using my hands, pulled the mixture out and used a hamburger press to make a burger. It is possible that my hands have been greasier at some point in my life, but if so I have (fortunately) forgotten it. I was not quite prepared for the raw burger to look like pure fat, and I must admit that it didn’t look very appealing. But it was for science, so I soldiered on! I put the burger on the rack-Pyr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784261 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3784261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757866&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-don-berwicks-patient-centered-medicine%2F2010.07.15 There’s been a bit of buzz in the health blogs over President Obama’s decision last week to use the mechanism of a recess appointment to be the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Recess appointments, for those who may not be aware, allow a President to put a nominee in place when Congress is in recess in order to have him in place without the messy process of having him approved by the Senate. True, the Senate still has to approve a recess appointment by the end of its term, or the seat goes vacant again, but it’s an excellent way to avoid having nasty confirmation fights during election years. Of course, both parties do it, and the reaction of pundits, bloggers, and politicians tend to fall strictly along partisan lines. If you support the President, t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757866 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:36 +0100 3757866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746708&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fflawless-to-a-fault-are-you-a-perfectionist%2F photo: Thinkstock We’ve all known since high school that perfectionism is a double-edged sword. While we might envy a golden girl’s body or brain, we certainly aren’t jealous of her bad temper or control-freak tendencies. Now there’s evidence that the stress of being a perfectionist has even higher stakes than we previously thought: Poor health. Researchers say that perfectionism is liked to bad health and death. In a study following 450 adults over 65 for 6.5 years, those who had high perfectionism scores had a 51% increased risk of death compared to those with low scores. We’ll be taking this new research as an excuse to act a little less than perfect today (which will be difficult for us). Like maybe we’ll pick off half our nail polish so we have weir... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746708 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:09:59 +0100 3746708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729847&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwomens-rights-iranian-woman-to-be-stoned%2F image via The Huffington Post Let’s face it: The Middle East is a dangerous place to be if you’re a woman. Just last week we learned about innocent women locked up in an Afghanistan prison for fabricated crimes, and today we read on The Huffington Post about an Iranian mother of two who could be stoned to death at any moment. Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani was accused of adultery in 2006 and received a punishment of 99 lashes. Her case was then re-opened, and she was put on trial for the alleged murder of her husband. Even though she was acquitted, the judge handed down her death penalty order – even though there was no evidence. Last week, Amnesty International called for Iran to halt all executions, but the International Committee Against Stoning and the Death Penalty says tha... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729847 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:51:53 +0100 3729847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542602&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-and-medicine-scientific-or-miraculous%2F2010.05.06 I was recently listening to an audiobook about diet, written and read by a “famous” doctor who gets people healthy through dietary changes. Since my podcast pushes me a little into the mainstream (more than this blog does), I thought it would be good to hear what the “average” person is reading about health. Plus, I am not exactly the most compliant patient when it comes to diet, so I thought I could possibly get something out of it personally. I did my best to listen with an open mind, ignoring what I thought were gimmicks and trying to glean the valuable information from what this doctor was saying. I had to stop, however, before finishing the book. It wasn’t the content so much that gave me cause to feel the desire to smash my iPod, it was the hype. The author was constantly u... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542602 Fri, 07 May 2010 01:00:29 +0100 3542602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366176&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FacSPGBdiobs%2F It’s another Monday and another week of to-ing and fro-ing on the health-care bill in Washington. But this week is different because there could actually be votes on the legislation. The gameplan has been set for a while now: first the House passes the same health bill approved in the Senate on Christmas Eve and that completed legislation goes to President Obama for his signature. The ink on that may hardly have time to dry before the House then takes up a package of changes to the new health law. Those changes — sometimes called a “sidecar” in Washington talk, the WSJ tells us this morning — would add more subsidies for low-income people to buy coverage than are contained in the health bill just passed. There are also other related amendments as well as compl... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366176 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:10:34 +0100 3366176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283608&cid=t_227925_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F17%2Fthe-buzzkill-of-google-buzz%2F Google Buzz is a new social networking tool that Google unleashed upon its unsuspecting Gmail users last week. I say “unsuspecting” because suddenly, without warning or notice, this new “feature” appears to Gmail users as a part of their email program. This was an unprecedented way to launch a product — in disguise right in the middle of another product. Google, despite generating billions of dollars in revenue every year and employing the supposedly brightest minds in the industry, didn’t foresee the backlash that would occur. Apparently, despite its ridiculous hiring process and wading through oceans of money, Google can’t hire people who understand privacy. But this isn’t the first time Google has had a lack of empathy or understanding abo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283608 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:33:06 +0100 3283608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744111&cid=t_227925_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FEx6IkJk3Nv4%2F URL: http://www.everyminute.org/everyminute.org supports innovative research that will profoundly transform the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders, paving the way for a cure. The need for transformative, innovative research is urgent; each year, as many as 57 million Americans meet criteria for some mental disorder, with roughly 12 million reporting symptoms so severe as to cause significant disability and interference with everyday living. Similarly, the economic costs of mental disorders are estimated at over $317 billion, with most due to the loss of economic productivity as a result of the illnesses. We know that mental disorders can also be fatal. Each year more Americans die from suicide than from homicide. In sum, these are real disorders requiring life-saving ... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744111 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:37 +0100 2744111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2515180&cid=t_227925_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmusic-keeps-heart-beats-in-tune%2F There is something very therapeutic about music. It brings out emotions, makes us want to dance and sing, and soothes and relaxes when you’re weary. Now a new Italian study highlights the fact that  “music induces a continuous, dynamic—and to some extent predictable—change in the cardiovascular system.” This new study is a follow on from previous studies done by Luciano Bernardi and his team which had found that changes in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems mirrored musical tempos. To find out more about how the body responds to changing rhythms, they hooked up 24 volunteers - half experienced singers, half with no musical training - to monitors that measure physiological signals. The volunteers were then subjected to five random selections of Bach, Beethoven, Pu... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2515180 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:41:04 +0100 2515180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442201&cid=t_227925_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fguideposts-in-a-life-of-daily-pain%2F One of my favorite magazines, which I’ve been reading for 30 years, is Guideposts magazine, founded by the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale and his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale. I’ve enjoyed that particular publication in good times and bad. One of the aspects of it I think I’m most fond of is that it embraces all religious faiths, without showing prejudice or preference so none are segregated or left out. This matter of finding our way in life, following our own guideposts, seems to be independent of any particular religious faith. Faith is faith. I apologize if that offends any of you; but it is my belief as I have lived a considerable number of years and witnessed the hardships of the Jews over the years, the bigotry toward the Catholics in some parts of the country and the judg... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442201 Wed, 27 May 2009 21:41:50 +0100 2442201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2295066&cid=t_227925_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmanaging-crohns-disease-and-your-fear%2F There are so many things in this world to fear: the economy, terrorism, loss of job, house, or possessions, asteroids hitting the Earth!  It seems that every day there is something new reported in the news for us to panic about.  If you live with Crohn’s disease, the fear is compounded since the fear of the disease can be added to the already seemingly overwhelming list of fears.  Living with a chronic disease like Crohn’s disease means that fear is an unwanted companion that we are always trying to get rid of. For me, dealing with fear is a constant battle.  I made a decision long ago that I don’t want to live in fear and I am constantly reminding myself of this.  We all have fear and I think that’s normal.  I think what really matters is how you handle your fear.  It can e... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2295066 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:03:30 +0100 2295066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258167&cid=t_227925_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F11%2Fspruce-up-your-mental-health-bring-the-green-indoors%2F Midweek Mental Greening I read an interesting article over at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer a few weeks ago about the mental health benefits of all things green (we’re talking actual living plants this time, folks – not recycling and cutting down on carbon footprints). In the article, Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz (or, the You Docs – the guys behind RealAge.com), outline some of the benefits of being surrounded by leafy green plant life and why city dwellers (or anyone who lives in a not-so-green area, really) should consider welcoming a new green addition or two to the family. Such benefits included lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, lung protection, and fewer sick days. I’ve never been big on houseplants. Don’t get me wrong – I love them and would have them in every room... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258167 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:37:00 +0100 2258167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924860&cid=t_227925_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fweb-searching-stimulates-seniors-psyches%2F Add Web searching to the list of mental activities like crossword puzzles that are thought to keep the aging mind engaged and healthy. Why? Take a look at the pictures below of two functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans. The one on the left shows brain activity while reading a book, while the one on the right shows brain activity while doing an Internet search. The differences are obvious and dramatic and the implication is that Web searching can be good for your mental health. UCLA Newsroom - http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/srp-view.aspx?id=34812 At least that’s the conclusion of researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior who studied 24 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. According to their press release, “[T]he study results are e... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924860 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:52:32 +0100 1924860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1704817&cid=t_227925_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2FKbJVdhBTYvo%2F AlzheimersNotes.com When Alzheimer’s patients can’t communicate, it often becomes very difficult to tell when they’re in pain, when they don’t understand, or when they’re being obstinate.  Are there any clues or signs we should look for? Marijke Durning, of Help My Hurt, has some suggestions: You need to be observant and pick up on body and nonverbal cues; some are obvious, others may not be. Check out her post for suggestions: If someone can’t talk - how do they tell you they have pain? (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's and pain, Alzheimer's Notes, alzheimers-care, alzheimers-caregivers, communicating pain, health, Help My Hurt, Marijke Durning, Mary Allen, Mary Emma, Mary Emma Allen, men's health, pain, women's healthShare This (Source: Alz... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1704817 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:00:25 +0100 1704817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671896&cid=t_227925_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fchronic-pain%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Flessons-from-fdr-for-a-life-of-chronic-pain%2F I’ve been recovering from various medical testing and been a bit lazier than usual. Today I spent the afternoon resting my body and watching a PBS production called “FDR: A Presidency Revealed.” I taped it some time ago but forgot about it. Sometimes, I truly believe books, people, movies and TV come into our lives when we need them. Today, FDR helped me out. Not bad for a dead President. I did appreciate it. In the current political climate, we hear that word “change” almost everyday. Everyone thinks it’s the answer for the future. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Just go out and change, just like that. Change the world, change the war, change our enemies and then insert miraculous new leadership. How naïve we can be, at times. Those of us whose ... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671896 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:04:41 +0100 1671896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446541&cid=t_227925_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fmad-pride-movement-seeks-to-destigmatize-mental-illness%2F On May 11, in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month, The New York Times ran a provocative article titled ‘Mad Pride’ Fights a Stigma, which reported on the burgeoning movement to destigmatize mental illness through proud – if not downright aggressive – acceptance, rather than shame-based avoidance. Taking their cue from other previously marginalized groups such as gay-rights activists, some advocates are going public with their mental health stories, using books and online blog and video posts. There are Web sites such as the Icarus Project and MindFreedom International, with the latter recently forming the International Association for Creative Maladjustment (based on an idea by Martin Luther King!) whose first president, appropriately enough, is Patch Adams, M.D., th... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446541 Fri, 16 May 2008 03:55:59 +0100 1446541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363912&cid=t_227925_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Ffrequent-blood-donation-doesnt-increase-cancer-risk%2F I’m a regular blood donor and so I was pleased to read about the results of a study that should put to rest one of the myths about blood donation that keeps some people from giving. This is the false belief that frequent blood donation might lead to an increased risk of cancer. Proponents of this concept have argued that since the routine removal of blood leads to routine renewal of that blood, these extra cell divisions could lead to a higher risk of a mutation occurring in one of the new cells, which could, theoretically, lead to a blood cell cancer. But a large study has found the opposite to be true. The study was reported on April 8, 2008 in the online version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It looked at about 11,000 regular blood donors who had developed a cancer d... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363912 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:41:40 +0100 1363912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292366&cid=t_227925_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fliving-with-brca-breast-cancer-gene-mutation%2F Sister goes for a prophylactic oophorectomy this week. That is the medical way of saying that she is having her ovaries removed because of the increased risk of ovarian cancer she has from being a BRCA2 carrier. She was tested after I was diagnosed with breast cancer and tested positive for the gene mutation. She is determined to keep her breasts however and will just be very vigilant about testing for breast cancer. Ovarian cancer is really more insidious only because there is no standardized testing to catch it at an early stage. In addition, Sister has had a colonoscopy and will continue to get this test on a regular basis. She has an MRI on her breasts yearly and is part of a study monitoring high risk candidates for breast cancer being conducted in Canada. Living with the BRCA II gene... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292366 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:13:30 +0100 1292366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1216588&cid=t_227925_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fhawthorne-for-heart-failure-good-news-and-bad-news%2F If you are an advocate of using natural remedies and you suffer from chronic heart failure, there’s good news on the beneficial effects of the herbal extract hawthorn. A recent analysis of 14 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies (the best types of medical studies available) found that oral preparations using hawthorn leaf and flower extracts improved both symptoms and heart function in patients with chronic heart failure. But before you rush off to the pharmacy or use the Internet to order hawthorn products, please bear in mind the following facts: • Chronic heart failure is an extremely serious medical condition that requires careful diagnosis, ongoing monitoring and complex medical therapy • Most of the people in the 14 medical studies were receiving hawtho... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1216588 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:09:39 +0100 1216588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676458&cid=t_227925_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F06%2F06%2Fa-gay-brothers-gay-brother%2F I’m feeling better having written this: It’s not too many LGBTQ-etc. people (the reclaimed “queer” is good shorthand) who can say they have a queer sibling although, that said, it has surprised me over the years just how often this does happen. Craig and I came out, four years or so apart, without knowing sufficient gaydar to [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676458 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:49:38 +0100 676458