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 'health media'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:16:04 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118644&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-nih-to-hold-a-course-on-medicine-in-the-media%2F2011.08.11 The NIH is doing it’s best to get science writers on the right track when it comes to responsible health reporting by holding an annual course on Medicine in the Media. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) presents a free annual training opportunity to help develop journalists’ and editors’ ability to evaluate and report on medical research. The course curriculum builds on the best of prior years’ offerings to create an intensive learning experience with hands-on application. When I read about the course on Gary Schwitzer’s tweet stream, I got really excited and started scouring the NIH course site to listen to some of the fabulous speakers in the 2011 course, which just finished in July. I was disappointed to discover (more&#823... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118644 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:30 +0100 5118644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4259132&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F12%2F14%2Fevidence-grows-showing-berlin-patient-cured-of-hiv%2F There’s an important update on a story we first shared with you back in November 2008, when Eric Brus, one of our resident HIV experts, weighed in on a sensational story that a man in Berlin had possibly been cured of HIV. At the time, Eric noted with caution: Based on what I’ve read, some HIV specialists think that the Berlin patient may be functionally “cured,” in the sense that he has no detectable HIV, a normal CD4 T-cell count, and remains off HIV treatment. However, because HIV has the capacity to live for a very long time in some cells, and it is not currently possible to scan every cell for HIV, we can’t be sure that the virus has been completely cleared from his body. Since that time, researchers have continued to monitor the patient. Based on several years of fo... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4259132 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:48:01 +0100 4259132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167957&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flung-cancer-ct-scan-marketing-spreads-across-the-country%2F2010.11.15 Last week, after the National Lung Screening Trial results were released, David Sampson, American Cancer Society director of medical and scientific communications, wrote that “our greatest fear was that forces with an economic interest in the test would sidestep the scientific process and use the release of the data to start promoting CT scans. Frankly, even we are surprised how quickly that has happened.” And, yes, the marketing has even hit fly-over country in the Twin Cities, with this ad appearing in the Sunday Minneapolis Star Tribune in the “A” section: Of course, no where in the ad will you read about the potential harms of such scans, the false positive rate, what happens when you get a false positive (unnecessary followup testing and perhaps unnecessary t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167957 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:00:34 +0100 4167957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965411&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-there-social-health-psychomanipulation%2F2010.09.13 Last week Michael Arrington wrote an important piece in Techcrunch, “Blogging and Mass Psychomanipulation.” It details how as bloggers we play to our readers for positive regard. We give ‘em red meat. I think there’s social health psychomanipulation. Many of us indulge the obvious social health memes. We universally bash pharma, blindly buoy the empowered, and champion just about anything at the intersection of digitally democracy and health care. Too many want to be accepted, retweeted, and linked by an evolving hierarchy of power brokers looking to advance one self-imposed new standard. And every now and again I fall into the trap and offer bread and circus. If you’re preoccupied with traffic metrics and the blind need to belong, go ahead and jump on the bandwagon.�... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965411 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:00:59 +0100 3965411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946452&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fjamas-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-article-getting-the-facts-straight%2F2010.09.08 Journalist Andrew Holtz has been a colleague for longer than probably either one of us wants to remember. He is currently one of our story reviewers on HealthNewsReview.org. In fact, he was one of the reviewers on four stories we analyzed last week on the same study. He thought there were some important take-home messages that rose above the walls of our formal systematic review, so he wrote this guest blog post, and we thank him for it: The Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association included an article that is likely to have a strong influence on the advice given to women who have a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer linked to mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Of the four stories we reviewed, only the AP report scored well on our review criteria. I kno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946452 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:00:38 +0100 3946452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933089&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprevention-magazines-inaccurate-coffee-cures-story%2F2010.09.03 The September issue of Prevention magazine inaccurately headlines the story ”4 Ways Coffee Cures.” There’s no solid proof that coffee cures anything — unless some of you cure bacon with java, which I don’t want to know about. What the story (below) did was to try to present a cute little graphic summary of observational studies that show a statistical association between increasing coffee consumption and fewer early deaths, fewer deaths from heart attack, fewer cases of dementia, and fewer cases of type 2 diabetes. But such observational studies (they actually never cite the source — I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt that they’re citing observational studies) CAN’T establish cause and effect, therefore it’s inaccura... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933089 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:00:50 +0100 3933089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911701&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsurvey-how-would-you-define-health-20%2F2010.08.27 My friend and fellow blogger Lucien Engelen asked the health community to help define what Health 2.0 exactly means through an online survey: After our systematic review about the definition of Health 2.0, one of our next steps will be sorting out what “the crowd” thinks that has to be part of a definition of Health 2.0. For this purpose we’ve set up a little questionnaire that you could fill in below. To make the crowd as big as possible, we have also made it available to put on your own blog or website. We would encourage you to do this and inspire others to do the same. You may remember that Lucien and his collegues published a review about the definitions of Health 2.0 and Medicine 2.0 currently available. *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911701 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:00:27 +0100 3911701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798746&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F07%2F28%2Fuse-of-hiv-pill-for-prevention-appears-safe-in-early-tests%2F The recently ended 2010 International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, Austria, provided some very welcome news on the development of HIV prevention technologies.  AIDS Action’s Ashley Smith has already blogged about an important breakthrough in microbicide research. I also want to draw your attention to the promising – but still early – results of a study involving another prevention approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP.  The idea behind PrEP is to give uninfected persons HIV medications to keep them from becoming infected with the virus.  At the IAC, researchers reported on a PrEP study involving nearly 400 gay and bisexual men from Boston, Atlanta, and San Francisco.   The study team, which included researchers from Fenway Health, found that once-daily dosing o... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798746 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:40:26 +0100 3798746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687101&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsocial-media-bill-of-rights%2F2010.06.22 Should we have a Bill of Rights for social media sites? It’s something we need to consider as such software becomes an integral part of our daily communications. Some might say such a document isn’t needed, that we aught to take a buyer-beware approach. But I would argue that the core issue of the privacy threats of new media isn’t really privacy, but rather dignity. Having to go through fifty steps to set your privacy settings is undignified, even if your privacy is ensured. So if we value human dignity, we aught to consider standards of dignity. A Bill of Rights, even if unenforceable, may at least remind us of the disturbing force of social technologies. What’s your take? *This blog post was originally published at Phil Baumann* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687101 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:00:15 +0100 3687101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267010&cid=t_304903_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FcqYI-ldG28w%2F That is so what I wanted to call this post. Then I thought of OSB. I turned to my cat, sitting beside me having his belly scanned, and said No! Every time we slag off the Daily Mail OSB cries and Viscount Rothermere kills a kitten (satire! please do not sue me, it was satire I tell you). My plan was to go to the Daily Mail website and do a search for something along the lines of “mental illness”, “schizo” and “knife wielding” and slag them off for the results. I might do that yet. Then I thought why not just browse around the general media web sites and see what recent mental health related themes are coming out. The Daily Mirror irked me first. The first headline that caught my eye after doing a fairly general search for mental health was this: Aisli... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267010 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:24:34 +0100 3267010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212309&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F37Z6_GRd5w0%2F By Chris Moody How the  right has ‘Avatar’ wrong: “At its core, the movie is about defending property rights — something conservatives should embrace.” Americans tuning out the State of the Union: “When Obama had to make way for ‘Lost,’ some lamented the fact that many Americans preferred trash TV over presidential enlightenment. But the public’s lack of interest in the SOTU is actually a sign of political health.” Why the health care takeover failed. Obama’s “mini-me” plan for health care. Podcast: “U.S. Should Cash Out of Social Security” featuring Michael D. Tanner. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212309 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:15:30 +0100 3212309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084932&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Fcongress-ends-20-year-ban-on-syringe-exchange-funding%2F Over the weekend, Congress passed an appropriations bill, including language that will end the 20-year ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs (SEPs). These programs are shown to effectively reduce new HIV infections among intravenous drug users, and to provide avenues to get otherwise hard to reach HIV-positive people into care. The following is a press release from the national advocacy group, AIDS Action Council, whose Executive Director, Rebecca Haag, is also President & CEO of AIDS Action Committee here in MA. For Immediate Release December 13, 2009 Contact: Ronald Johnson, (202) 530-8030 x3096, rjohnson@aidsaction.org  William McColl, (202) 530-8030 x3096, (202) 595-4167, wmccoll@aidsaction.org AIDS Action Applauds Congress for Historic End to Twenty Year Ban on th... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084932 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:43:27 +0100 3084932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832423&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F09%2F25%2Ftyra-banks-healthy-lifestyle-changes%2F Last year I blogged about Tyra Banks taking on her critics in her Retort on “Fat” Comments.  I’ve used this example for several years in the Nutrition course as an example of someone in the public eye, being labeled “fat” for having a healthy BMI. This year, she is in the news again about her weight, but for making healthy lifestyle changes. According to reports for Tyra Banks, what began as a game, a a three month “get fit, get healthy challenge” with seven of her friends has turned into a new lifestyle for her. As noted in the Video clip below, she felt conflicted and decided to say something about her weight loss after the media started to notice: “The media started taking notice and showing pictures of before and after of me losing weight, and I... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832423 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:32:42 +0100 2832423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691728&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2009%2F08%2F11%2Fhiv-treating-clinicians-support-health-care-reform-remain-concerned-about-hiv-specific-treatment%2F Yesterday the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) issued a press release stating the group’s support of ongoing health care reform efforts. Based on a survey, IAPAC found that nearly 91% of their 4,000 US members feel that health care reform is urgent (from somewhat to extremely), while 73% support (the hotly debated) public health insurance plan option. Despite general support for reform, individual members expressed a range of concerns about how reform outcomes will affect their profession and HIV/AIDS treatment, in particular. One nurse expressed concern about the possibility of limited health care choices, while a doctor assumes it will take significant reforms (like the ones proposed) to make it possible for his HIV-positive patients to finally afford al... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691728 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:26:56 +0100 2691728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786021&cid=t_304903_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fcurrent-psychiatry-publishes-covert.html Current Psychiatry has been publishing a series of deceptive ads that appear to be patriotic calls for freedom of the press, but which in reality are stealth endorsements of industry-funded CME, paid for by drug companies and medical education companies.I've reproduced the ad to the left here, but you can read it in its full, large-fonted glory here. "IN THE UNITED STATES," the ad begins, "THE PRESS CANNOT BE CENSORED. THE INTERNET CANNOT BE CENSORED. POLITICAL ADVERTISING CANNOT BE CENSORED." Here's the kicker: "WHY ARE SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND ACADEMIA TRYING TO CENSOR MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS?" (By the way, the sensationalized all-caps style is theirs, not mine.)Then there are a few paragraphs of gibberish stating that information is important for quality health care (that's true, tha... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786021 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:46:00 +0100 2786021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2527789&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmichael-jackson-lives-on-in-his-songs%2F Okay, so you’d have to be pretty much living on Mars not to have heard about the sad passing on of Michael Jackson. Within seconds of the news, the internet’s social media exploded with discussions. Of course, the mainstream media was in hyper action. It was like the rest of the world suddenly ceased to exist. The problem in Iran, the President’s health care and climate care reforms, even the death of another well known Hollywood actress Farrah Fawcett was pushed aside to make way for the death of Michael Jackson. Yes, it was very sad. Yes, the world lost a great musician. But all the media coverage and constant innuendos about the cause of death is just too much. Let the man rest in peace. Let his fans, friends, and family mourn his passing. Let us just enjoy and celebrate his musi... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2527789 Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:32:01 +0100 2527789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654072&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F04%2F13%2Fsam-spady-alcohol-poisioning%2F It is not too often that my worlds of Nutrition and Grief overlap, but they did in the case of Sam Spady. I discovered one of my poems, “A Message from an Angel Above,” was being used as a tribute on a Memorial Page set up for a college student, Sam Spady, who died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004. You can learn more about Sam Spady by watching the Video clips below: Death By Alcohol: The Sam Spady Story In June 12, 2006 Sam’s Parents Rick & Patty Spady and film producer Barry Bortnick appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to discuss binge drinking and the new DVD on Sam’s death. You can watch the interview with co-anchor Charles Gibson here. More about the Sam Spady Foundation The mission of the Sam Spady Foundation is to educate all parents a... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654072 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:43:15 +0100 2654072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2342041&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F04%2F13%2Fsam-spady-alcohol-poisioning%2F It is not too often that my worlds of Nutrition and Grief overlap, but they did in the case of Sam Spady. I discovered one of my poems, “A Message from an Angel Above,” was being used as a tribute on a Memorial Page set up for a college student, Sam Spady, who died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004. You can learn more about Sam Spady by watching the Video clips below: Death By Alcohol: The Sam Spady Story In June 12, 2006 Sam’s Parents Rick & Patty Spady and film producer Barry Bortnick appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to discuss binge drinking and the new DVD on Sam’s death. You can watch the interview with co-anchor Charles Gibson here. More about the Sam Spady Foundation The mission of the Sam Spady Foundation is to educate all parents a... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2342041 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:43:15 +0100 2342041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287290&cid=t_304903_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1935 Norman recently posted about the news that ministers would be reviewing whether PSA testing was sensible on the basis of a study reported in the media, with a further update by a reader here. His link takes you to an article by Sarah Boseley in the Guardian. Unlike some other papers, she at least notes [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287290 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:40:56 +0100 2287290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2228347&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fweight-loss-is-eating-fewer-calories%2F This study also found that attendance at group sessions was strongly associated with weight loss. Resources: Sacks FM, Bray GA. Feburary 26, 2009. Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. New England Journal of Medicine. 360:859-873 Parker-Pope T. February 25, 2009. Study Zeroes In on Calories, Not Diet, for Loss: Fewer Calories (Carbs, Protein or Fat ) Are Called Weight Loss Key. New York Times. Image: Modified Microsoft Clipart. Authored by Dr.Dyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2228347 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:03:30 +0100 2228347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654073&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fweight-loss-is-eating-fewer-calories%2F This study also found that attendance at group sessions was strongly associated with weight loss. Resources: Sacks FM, Bray GA. Feburary 26, 2009. Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. New England Journal of Medicine. 360:859-873 Parker-Pope T. February 25, 2009. Study Zeroes In on Calories, Not Diet, for Loss: Fewer Calories (Carbs, Protein or Fat ) Are Called Weight Loss Key. New York Times. Image: Modified Microsoft Clipart. Authored by Dr.Dyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654073 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:18:37 +0100 2654073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2228349&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F02%2F26%2Fweight-management-posts%2F I’ve pulled together links to prior entries that are dealing with Weight Managment, Weight Stereotypes and Weight Management Plans. Tyra Banks Retort on “Fat” Comments Queen Latifah - My Weight is “Healthy” Truth in Advertising: No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted Teaching Our Children to Have a Healthy Self Image: Dove’s Onslaught Campaign These prior posts look at many of the issues regarding our perceptions of beauty and weight as well as the impact of these images on our children. Authored by Dr.Dyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2228349 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:00:18 +0100 2228349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132732&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2009%2F01%2F25%2Fhow-food-affects-behavior%2F I’ve mentioned in lecture I believe we’re eventually going to be viewing food more like a drug; this news report has a bit of with a big of a lecture by Dr. Russell Blaylock on Nutrition & Behavior. An interesting news report that takes a look at the effect of Sugar, Alcohol and Sweeteners and how these may explain children’s behavior, poor performance, criminal behavior and perhaps even the growing numbers of Alzheimer’s patients. You can find out more about Dr. Blaylock’s lecture at www.atavistik.com. Authored by Dr.Dyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132732 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:41:17 +0100 2132732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052839&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FccVGdnlzW9A%2F We do not, as I’ve noted from time to time, have a TV set—a fact which, when I happened to mention it to my students a while back, completely shocked them. “What do you do?” they sputtered. The class was my Elementary Latin class and it was one of those “teachable moments” when I could have launched into a discussion about “how did the Romans spend their free time” and “what about those giadiator fights.” It was the week before exams and we had so much to review and so I let the moment past, and got back to the fourth conjugation of verbs. Apparently I’d made an impression on my students, as they brought up the not-having-a-tv business a couple of times (mostly, I suspect, to avoid having to think about that inevitable entit... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052839 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:23:07 +0100 2052839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033259&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F73blwjze_fA%2F Autism a factor in swallowing magnets, is the headline for a story in UPI today. The actual reference to autism in the news story does not make such a clear link about autistic individuals and magnets: U.S. researchers said a child’s medical or psychological status — such as autism — was a factor linked to swallowed magnets. “Not all children will be inclined to swallow magnets, but if a particular child displays tendencies to eat or swallow inappropriate objects, flags should be raised and special attention should be paid to ensuring that toys do not contain any type of magnetic components,” study author Dr. Alan Oestreich of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center say in a statement. A study in Pediatric Radiology is cited and it’s note... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033259 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:39:12 +0100 2033259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2008147&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F11%2F30%2Fsupersize-me-on-google-video%2F Supersize Me is available for you to watch on Google Video. If the video is not showing up below, click on the Supersize Me link or Google for it on Google Videos. SuperSize Me Video on Google Videos This is particularly an eyeopening film when viewed at the end of a nutrition course. Authored by drdyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2008147 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:01:53 +0100 2008147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1993647&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F11%2F25%2Freporting-on-driving-under-the-influence%2F I was able to find a short clip about a reporter who decided to become a volunteer drinker in a field sobriety test in this news report from 2007, on “How Much is Too Much?” His report shows some of the sobriety checks done by police officers to determine if someone has had too much to drink. Authored by drdyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1993647 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:02:54 +0100 1993647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1962532&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F11%2F14%2Fcorn-isotopes-in-fast-food%2F This study highlights the overwhelming importance of corn agriculture within virtually every aspect of fast food manufacturing. The presence of corn in so much of the food has some pretty striking implications. The Implications Science Blogger Ed Yong offers these insights in his blog post from November 11, Corn is everywhere in American fast food: …the fact that so much of said food can be traced back to corn has environmental implications. Corn feed is relatively cheap and provides farmers with a way of maximising the calories that their animals are eating for minimum cost. But corn agriculture in the US is encouraged by heavy government subsidies, but has been criticised for being environmentally unsustainable. It encourages heavy use of both fertiliser (as revealed by t... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1962532 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:16:55 +0100 1962532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960675&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F11%2F14%2Fa-potential-cure-for-aids%2F During the past week, there has been a flurry of media coverage about what some people are claiming is a “potential cure” for AIDS.  I’ve seen coverage in a variety of news outlets, from the Wall Street Journal to the Metro and Yahoo News. Having read about dozens – if not hundreds – of “AIDS cures” in the 25+ years of the epidemic, I maintain what I think is a healthy degree of skepticism about such claims. Many past claims of AIDS cures have had little of no scientific basis, often relying instead on magical thinking, secret ingredients, and pseudoscientific techniques. In a relatively few instances, the claims about potential cures have been based in legitimate medical research. Unfortunately, time and experience have shown that either the researchers, the media, or both ... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960675 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:31:47 +0100 1960675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895057&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fewfi1V_3iZk%2F As you’ve probably heard by now, Every Child By Two has been sending an email out requesting people  ask Oprah to “dedicate a show to the science behind the question of whether vaccines cause autism.” Some (”an excellent idea”—Kev at Left Brain/Right Brain) are in favor of calling for such. Others are not (”It’s highly unlikely that, even if Oprah did give a platform to ECBT, it would end up promoting vaccination in the way that ECBT desires”—-Orac at Respectful Insolence). I kind of suspect that a TV show like Oprah might try to frame the purported (not-supported-by-the-science) vaccine-autism link as a “debate”—-between, for instance, scientists vs. parents—-when there is no debate about the science. The... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895057 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:37:31 +0100 1895057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860611&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F10%2F04%2Fqueen-latifah-my-weight-is-healthy%2F I like the Queen Latifah ads because the focus isn’t so much on the numbers as it is losing weight to get to a healthy weight. I’ve lost 20 pounds and my cholesterol is down 20 points. I joined Jenny Craig to learn hot to make healthier choices and I’ve never felt better. According to Jenny Craig’s vice president of marketing Scott Parker “Queen Latifah joins forces with Jenny Craig to communicate the importance of how small lifestyle changes, in the areas of diet and exercise, can have positive effects on overall health.” These are the messages that need to be getting across to people. In a separate section of the Jenny Craig site, Queen Latifah, her friends and family talk about what is working for them on their journey to an “ideal size.”... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860611 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:00:54 +0100 1860611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1851056&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FrDAgYQYOjQM%2F The quote of the day on Time.com by Jenny “Mother Warrior” McCarthy is here and refers to actress Amanda Peet being on one “side” of views about vaccination, and to a certain part of the male anatomy. On the “side” of McCarthy is (per her quote) “an angry mob” of anti-vaccinationists who say that vaccines or something in vaccines cause autism. An angry mob? Yikes! Seeing as I (a confessed former warrior mom) don’t think vaccines or something in vaccines can be linked to autism, I ought to be typing this with fingers a-trembling. But why? Because study after study shows that there is no link between vaccines or something in vaccines and autism? Well yes. But actually because there’s too many friends (including my two best guys and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851056 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:24:12 +0100 1851056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860612&cid=t_304903_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2Ftyra-banks-retort-on-fat-comments%2F Tyra addresses rather effectively the unflattering bathing suit photos that were plastered across every tabloid and gossip website in 2007, claiming that she had gained 40 lbs. In calculating Tyra’s BMI, at 5′10″ and 161 lbs, she ends up right in the healthy range with a BMI of 23.1 You can read an interview with her at People Magazine online. Calculating BMI (Body Mass Index) BMI Formula BMI = [ Weight in Pounds / ( Height in inches ) x ( Height in inches ) ] x 703 BMI = ( kg/m² ) (weight in pounds * 703 ) height in inches² Metric BMI Formula BMI = [ Weight in Kilograms / ( Height in Meters ) x ( Height in Meters ) ] BMI = ( kg/m² ) weight in kilograms height in meters² Authored by drdyer. Hosted by Edublogs. (Source: Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50) Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860612 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:21:54 +0100 1860612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852531&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2F100-and-still-working-retirement-not-an-option%2F Watching what’s happening on Wall Street and following the politicians as they try to bailout what they are calling a crisis that could have catastrophic results for all Americans and the world, I am starting to have a recurrent dream of living out my ‘golden years’ as a bag lady sleeping under an apple tree. Retirement might just become a thing of the past. But for some, retirement has never been an option. Why? Because they love their jobs too much to give them up. Case in point - Mildred Heath. She’s 100 years old and still working in a career that she started in 1923 at the age of 15. And she has no intention of retiring. Working as a journalist what she does and who she is. Commuting the one block from her apartment to the office on an electric scooter, she ta... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852531 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:45:06 +0100 1852531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841095&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FvHL1XkWftDw%2F Today’s New York Times’ Science Times section looks at the “explosion of information about health and medicine — on the Web, in medical journals, in the doctor’s office, over the air” and offers some suggestions for sorting it all out: three principles to follow regarding clinical trials; how to swim rather than drown in so much health information; why not consult Dr. Google (calling on Jenny McCarthy with her Google U Ph.D.?). Yes, lots to sort through! Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, Books, disabilities blog, disability, google, Health, immunization, jenny mccarthy, measles, mercury, mmr, Myth, new york times, Parenting, pdd-nos, Science, shots, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841095 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:32:54 +0100 1841095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837286&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F6lp1YK0ma-Q%2F Apparently PETA is going to run a billboard with that very phrase around Newark, New Jersey. Reports that dairy consumption might be linked to autism have spurred this ad campaign, according to The Peta Files: Testimonials suggest that some people with this devastating disease may be able to find relief by simply removing milk from their diet. There’s a whole world of information out there for parents and for women who are pregnant or nursing about how to raise their kids dairy-free. Be an informed consumer and check it out! *The Newark area had the highest rates of autism occurrence among 14 states studied in one report. Aside from the “devastating disease” phrase which reinforces the view of autism as some dreadful disease, PETA should note that Newark is one among a f... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837286 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:21 +0100 1837286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825574&cid=t_304903_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2F400455629%2F Don’t ask me why I’m doing this. An absence of anything to bash on about I guess. So I thought I’d peruse the global news stands and link the interesting stuff back here. I’m such a martyr for the cause, I know. Following on from Z’s discussions on Anger Management in kids; NY Times has breakthrough news on how to help kids adjust - it suggests not punishing them for bad behaviour but reward them for good behaviour. Astonishing. The problem may not be the kids so much as the way parents define discipline. Childhood health experts say many parents think discipline means meting out punishment. But often the punishments parents use end up reinforcing the bad behavior instead of correcting it. Surprisingly, the most effective discipline typically doesn’t involv... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825574 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:36:07 +0100 1825574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815280&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F09%2F22%2Fgreys-anatomy-not-just-a-pretty-face%2F This study shows the enormous potential for entertainment television to serve as a health educator… for better or worse, viewers do absorb the health information they see on TV, so it’s important for these shows to get it right.” So we get pretty faces and knowledge too. What more could we ask for? (source) Share This (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815280 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:13:39 +0100 1815280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1688976&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F08%2F07%2Fgive-us-your-opinions-on-the-exercise-pill%2F By now it’s darn likely you’ve heard of this new exercise pill. You know, the one that essentially tricks your bod into thinking it’s worked out when it hasn’t. Now, in my dream world, this seems like just the ticket. After all, who has time to keep up with a regular exercise regime, right? And isn’t the whole point of modern medicine to make life better for all? And wouldn’t skipping exercise in lieu of a pill make everyone happy? Um, maybe not. The more I thought about this, the worse of an idea it became to me. Would there be any of that “exercise high” or stress relief that most of us get when we do go through with a real, live workout? Would we become a nation of sloth and laziness, spending what would have been our “healthy time&... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1688976 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:10:20 +0100 1688976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1658175&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F347532214%2F Much happened over the past two weeks but I want most of all to think about Evan Kamida, who passed away on July 24, just a few days shy of his eighth birthday. Please keep his mother Vicki Forman and Evan’s family in your thoughts and prayers—-and to honor his memory, here’s a small and lovely thing to do: Please take a photo of flowers at a swingset and post it to this Flickr pool. Shannon Des Roches Rosa and Jennifer Graf Gronenberg have posted more information. Thinking of Evan. Not a Team Player in the Office?—-Not Necessarily The difficulties that autistic individuals face in the workplace. Use of Restraints Increasing in Public Schools? Kids coming home with bruises on their wrists, arms, legs: That’s not supposed to happen in public school, and not at the ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1658175 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:02:36 +0100 1658175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645902&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2Fare-imf-loans-leading-to-higher-rates-of-tuberculosis%2F No loan comes without conditions. You know what I mean. You’re required to make regular payments on time, pay interest, and are charged late payment fees etc when you’re not following the rules. Well, it seems that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is no different. They, too, attach conditions on their loans to recipient countries. Conditions such as the country being required to reduce or limit their education, social services, and health expenditure in an effort to get inflation in check. The idea behind this is that, despite these cutbacks in services, once the country’s inflation has been controlled and economy restored, the health of the people will improve automatically. But as a recent article in Slate points out - this ain’t necessarily so! Turns out a n... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645902 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:50:19 +0100 1645902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603014&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F07%2F09%2Fget-virtually-involved-in-this-weekends-relay-for-life%2F Relay for Life: We’ve all heard about it. Most of us have supported it in one way or another. And, most importantly, many, many of us know someone who is currently or has been affected by cancer. To say that nearly everyone has been touched by this disease in one way or another is a complete understatement. So…with the Relay for Life walks on this summer’s schedule, are you going to participate? Have you formed a group with friends or coworkers to walk? If not, and you’d still like to get involved, head over to Second Life next weekend. There you can create a mini version of yourself and interact with some new online pals. What’s more? You can buy a little virtual Relay t-shirt to put on your virtual self. Last year alone, selling these “t-shirts” ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603014 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:00:38 +0100 1603014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526104&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F17%2Fjapanese-government-attacks-metabo%2F Japanese people may smoke too much and work too much. But on the whole they really can’t be accused of being overweight or metabo as the Japanese prefer to call it. The Japanese goverment, however, thinks otherwise and has embarked on a mandatory campaign to slim it’s nation down. Two months ago they passed a national law that requires all companies and local governments to measure the waists of their employees (including family members) aged 40 to 74 as part of their annual checkups. With almost half the Japanese population fitting into this category, that makes an awful lot of waists to be measured. The new law puts the maximum limit for male waistlines at 33.5 inches and women at 35.4 inches. Anyone exceeding this will be expected to bring their waists into line with the app... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526104 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:22:44 +0100 1526104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522227&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F312450605%2F Main event of the week: Charlie’s last day in elementary school. And, yes, Tuesday. In the comments, a link to a Press-Enterprise article about an 11-year-old, Nicholas Dooley, who has autism and possibly another psychiatric disorder. So Goeth the Autism Epidemic The June 6th Times (UK) has an article on The autism epidemic commeth, which heralds the publication of a book entitled Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism by anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker. If You Happen to Be Near a TV from 7-9am Tomorrow… See below. Trying to Be Pretty Good Neighbors Are nasty neighbors affecting your home’s value? asks a report today on ABC news. Telling the Grandparents A man writes about his 3-year-old niece to Dear Abby: Apparently the little girl has been diagnosed with aut... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522227 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:00:59 +0100 1522227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512129&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F12%2Ffarrah-fawcetts-on-a-wing-and-a-prayer%2F Former Charlies Angel Farrah Fawcett has been fighting a rare form of cancer since 2006 when she was diagnosed with anal cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society, anal cancer is rare (an estimated 4,650 cases in 2006) but the number is rising, with those most affected being female and in their early 60’s. Farrah’s spent the last couple of years fighting not only the cancer with chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but also the tabloids and paparazzi in an effort to protect her privacy. Having cancer is bad enough, but having to live it out in the eyes of the paparazzi and tabloids that ‘enthusiastically ‘ announce to the world that ‘”Farrah’s Cancer Is Back!” (as the National Enquirer did in 2007) must be the pits. Seems it&#8217... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512129 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:50:17 +0100 1512129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502521&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F09%2Fhealthbolts-gone-hollywood%2F This week is Celebrity Week at the b5Media Health and Wellness Channel and Healthbolt is joining in. So expect to see some posts over the coming days featuring some of your favorite (or not so favorite) celebrites and what they are up to (or not up to) healthwise. Personally, I try not to follow the celebrity trail too much, but of course it’s often hard to miss. The media make sure of that. But there’s good celebrity health coverage and then there’s bad celebrity health coverage. I’m going to try and stick to the good, and avoid the bad and the ugly. For example… A new study in Australia has found that Kylie Minogue’s breast cancer leads to screening spike in young women. Seems that after the pop star announced, in 2005, that she had breast cancer &#822... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502521 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:36:41 +0100 1502521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439662&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F289098729%2F In The “Open Question” on Vaccines and Autism, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson interviews Dr. Bernardine Healy, a former head of the National Institutes of Health and a member of the Institute of Medicine. Noting that Dr. Healy’s credentials “couldn’t be more ‘mainstream’”—no DAN! doctor she—Attkisson writes: According to Healy, when she began researching autism and vaccines she found credible published, peer-reviewed scientific studies that support the idea of an association. That seemed to counter what many of her colleagues had been saying for years. She dug a little deeper and was surprised to find that the government has not embarked upon some of the most basic research that could help answer the question of a link. T... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439662 Tue, 13 May 2008 01:57:00 +0100 1439662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353956&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F04%2F07%2Fwarning-blogging-could-be-bad-for-your-health%2F We posted about blogging and health back in January when tech blogger Om Malik suffered a heart attack which some thought may have been caused by his blogging habits. Now it’s back in the news with a New York Times article - In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop - questioning once again whether blogging is bad for your health…. Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December. Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353956 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:05:13 +0100 1353956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1323144&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F03%2F24%2Fterry-prachett-speaks-out-about-alzheimers-disease%2F Terry Pratchett, bestselling author of the Discworld novels, was diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease last year. When he announced his condition in December, he called it ‘an embuggerance’. Now he has a whole lot more to say. At the recent Annual Network Conference of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in England, Terry talked about how it felt to discover he had Alzheimer’s disease and the extreme measure he would go to in order to get cured… “Part of me lives in a world of new age remedies and science, and some of the science is a little like vodoo, but science was never an exact science, and personally I’d eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance.” He also discussed at length the lack of fu... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1323144 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:34:32 +0100 1323144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1322346&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F03%2F24%2Fterry-prachett-speaks-out-about-alzheimers-disease%2F Terry Prachett, bestselling author of the Discworld novels, was diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease last year. When he announced his condition in December, he called it ‘an embuggerance’. Now he has a whole lot more to say. At the recent Annual Network Conference of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in England, Terry talked about how it felt to discover he had Alzheimer’s disease and the extreme measure he would go to in order to get cured… “Part of me lives in a world of new age remedies and science, and some of the science is a little like vodoo, but science was never an exact science, and personally I’d eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance.” He also discussed at length the lack of fun... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1322346 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:28:12 +0100 1322346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1305360&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F252072943%2F It’s “highly educated parents” who are more likely not to have their children vaccinated with the MMR shot, today’s Daily Mail reports. So what kind of “education” are they getting, or following—-maybe an overdose of the course offerings on Google U? Tags: asd, asperger, autism, Health, measles, mercury, mmr, Parenting, pdd-nos, shots, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1305360 Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:00:21 +0100 1305360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300301&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F03%2F13%2Fdr-death-goes-to-washington%2F Have you heard the latest? Jack Kervorkian, aka Dr Death, is planning on running for US Congress as an Independent. If you remember, Dr Kervokian is an assisted suicide advocate who was paroled last year after spending eight years in prison for second degree murder. Apparently having served time for murder does not prohibit him from running for office. All he has to do is gather a minimum of 3,000 signatures on nominating petitions by July 17th and his name will be added to the November ballot. I guess, having agreed not to assist in any more suicides, Dr Kervorkian needs a new career path. His campaign, no doubt, will attract a great deal of attention. Just imagine what his slogan could be. Here’s my pick… ‘Dying for a Change…Vote Kervorkian’. So what would y... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300301 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:26:31 +0100 1300301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1298686&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F03%2F13%2Faccused-mafioso-too-fat-for-jail%2F According to Italian press reports, accused Mafioso Salvatore Ferranti has been put under house arrest instead of jail because he is ‘too fat to jail’. The house arrest was granted after his lawyer Raffaele Bonsignore filed a motion with the court asking to release Salvatore  because he suffered from “grave obesity”, a condition incompatible with prison. Salvatore has already spent six months in four different Italian prisons but was allowed to go home because there was “no bed big enough for him…he could not get through the bathroom door, and that they would be at a loss if he had to be taken to a hospital in an emergency.” Futhermore, the guards were being turned into caregivers, helping the prisoner with dressing  and bodily functions. Is... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1298686 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:15:20 +0100 1298686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1287810&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F03%2F07%2Fweekend-must-watch-discovery-channels-human-body-pushing-the-limits-2%2F Were you able to catch Discovery Channel’s Human Body: Pushing the Limits Parts 1 and 2 last week? If you did, what were your thoughts? I found it amazing. I learned a ton and was captivated from start to finish. This Sunday, March 9, Parts 3 and 4 will air. These are the final segments in the series, so be sure to tune in. Here’s what’s in store: Episode 3 - Sensation Airs at 9pm ET/PT, Sunday March 9 This episode focuses on the “antennae” that allow us to sense the world around us. These innate forces are crucial to our nervous system, and can travel across the body and to the brain at hundreds of miles per hour. During this show, we will see a father and daughter stranded in the scorching Australian Outback without water. As the situation worsens, their ner... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1287810 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:37:16 +0100 1287810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1197554&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F228154918%2F A certain TV show about a certain lawyer and a certain hypothesis about what causes autism dominated autism discussions this week, for better or for worse—-when I talk about autism, I’m thinking of a very real boy, my son Charlie, and not so much about a fictional TV character. My real boy’s week was more of a struggle than has been usual. And then, this evening as we stood in the checkout line at the grocery store, a teenage clerk in the next aisle said “his tooth’s on the floor!” and sure enough, there was Charlie bending over to pick up a large molar (which he tried to put back into his mouth, on the lower right). Things have been a little more peaceful easy feeling ever since—Charlie’s been saying “pull loose tooth” for the pa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1197554 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:36:58 +0100 1197554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194764&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F02%2F01%2Fthinking-positive%2F Thinking Positive By EJ Mandigo I’m writing this as a person who has been HIV+ for more years that I choose to count, but knowing it is close to 15 yrs. At some point during that time I went from being “positive” to having “advanced HIV” (which for me is really just an easier way to say that I have reached the stage of full blown AIDS). I don’t tell you this about me looking for pity but rather to give you a sense of my reality and how I can really share and appreciate how someone could go on national television and tell the world about their circumstances around being HIV+. What I am referring to here is the amazing courage that Jack Mackenroth had when exposing his life of “living with” HIV on the show Project Runway. I remember all too well: I was sitting in my living ro... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194764 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:25:25 +0100 1194764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188647&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F226107427%2F Autism is very real for me as it is, I think I can assume, for most of you reading this, whether you are autistic or you’re the parent, teacher, friend, grandparent, sister, brother, aunt, doctor, or otherwise know someone who has autism. Indeed, being my son’s parent has required me to think about some very real things as honestly as I can, from acknowledging that it’s best for his school programs to become more and more directed to vocational training and daily life skill—from saying that he “aggressed” a teacher—- to planning for the future by preparing a special needs trust. When you get down to it, that’s the basics of life with Charlie, a careful focus on getting through the days—with lots of stops to sit with him and enjoy the mo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188647 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:07:04 +0100 1188647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1161007&cid=t_304903_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F01%2F18%2Fbad-reporting-of-mrsa-study-in-gay-men%2F I’m blogging to vent about what I consider shoddy reporting on the occurrence of MRSA infections among gay men. MRSA is short for “methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus.” It is a type of bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin, which is commonly used to treat Staphyloccus (staph) infections. Some strains of MRSA are multi-drug-resistant (MDR), meaning that they are also resistant to other antibiotics. Clusters of MRSA cases among gay men aren’t new. They’ve been the subject of research reports and news stories for several years. The most recent stories were sparked by a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In a nutshell, the study found high rates of a particular strain of MRSA called USA300 among gay men in Boston and San Francisco. The USA300 strain in... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1161007 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:27:45 +0100 1161007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1034319&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F186336080%2F It fascinates me somewhat that so many inventions that are considered signs of how advanced our society has become—technological innovations like wireless technology and, yes, vaccines—are often pointed to as “causes of autism.” Is there some assumption that, because our society is so “developed”—–so that we live longer than people in the past, don’t have to worry about harvesting our next meal from the grain in the field, have access to education and school—–that sickness and disease and illness should be minimized, if not eradicated? Put another way, if we can’t cure the common cold, why are claims made that we can cure, or that we hope to cure, autism? And if wi-fi can be implicated as a cause of autism (according... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1034319 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:39:12 +0100 1034319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=880240&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158010556%2F Being an autism mother these past ten years, I have learned a lot of things I would not otherwise have: epigenetics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), what “stimming” is, why bread without wheat just isn’t the same, how to have a conversation with a tall 10-year-old using less than a dozen words (”Farm Families,” “tape,” “iPod,” “give,” “pig,” “meow,” “baby,” “two more”). With Charlie teaching me and challenging me, my education continues. There is one more item to add to the list of “what I know because of autism.” I know who Jenny McCarthy is. She’s an autism mother, same as myself. She has a website (well, this is a blog, technically, but I also have a webs... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=880240 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:35:26 +0100 880240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797117&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F143842328%2F “‘Striking good hair days and bad hair days’”: That is how Harvard neuroscientist and Massachusetts General Hospital neurologist Martha Herbert suggests that certain environmental factors might “influence an autistic child’s health and mental state” in today’s Boston Globe. Herbert and a number of others researching possible connections between the environment and autism are quoted in the article, Under Suspicion: Researchers now believe that autism can be caused by genes in combination with environmental triggers. The question is, what are those triggers?, which also refers to the MARBLES (”markers of autism risk in babies-learning early signs”) study being conducted by the University of California at Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. As... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797117 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:03:06 +0100 797117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=747131&cid=t_304903_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2007%2F07%2F20%2Fobesity%2F You know what’s awesome? Childhood obesity. Just a few short decades ago, this wasn’t an issue. Like, at all. You’ll be relieved to know we’ve solved that problem. Hey, we’re America. We innovate. The rate of childhood obesity has doubled since 1980. The rate of adolescent obesity has tripled since the year St. Helens blew her top. Now that’s the kind of growth spurt I like to see! Of course, you can’t fatten up five-year-olds without junk food. But for maximum results, they have to be able to play with the food, too. Hey, Jesuits: you could learn a thing or two from the crap food producers of America. Give a tot a Happy Meal, and I’ll give you an obese, diseased, miserable human being for life. And that miserable human being will spend a ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=747131 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:04:24 +0100 747131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=740503&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F134643413%2F “Charisma,” “postures of crusader and victim,” “egotism, cynicism and irrationality”: These are the words and phrases that Dr.  Michael Fitzpatrick uses to describe Dr. Andrew Wakefield in today’s Spiked Online. Fitzpatrick provides a sort of taxonomy of the “anti-MMR scare story genre” in reference to articles in last week’s Observer in which a “big surge” in autism, the MMR vaccine, and the charges of misconduct against Wakefield were mentioned: There is the “leaked story” (the unpublished paper that is said to suggest a 1 in 58 rate of autism in primary school children in Cambridgeshire); there is the “dubious maverick” (the doctor in this post’s title); the gullible journalist (includ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=740503 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:42:15 +0100 740503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=727325&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F132663659%2F Brent Hunter is a college student at Arizona State University. In My Turn: Redefinining Normal in the June 21st Newsweek, he describes his life with Arthrogryposis, a rare congenetial disorder that causes multiple joint contractures, and is characterized by muscle weakness and fibrosis. Says Hunter: After experiencing what I have throughout my life, I have made peace with my disability. I know I am not an abnormal human being. I am just simply more unique, and this is how I live my life. “More unique”: My son Charlie for sure. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=727325 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:00:49 +0100 727325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=559122&cid=t_304903_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fmy-red-herring-story.html At long last, I have a copy of my story from the April 23 issue of Red Herring. I'll post a PDF version later for easy downloading and printing, but for now, here's the text.Google, then GargleAmerica’s sorry performance on personal health records could soon change.By Neil VerselWith names like GlobalPatientRecord, NoMoreClipboard, HealthKey, and HealthCard, the U.S. marketplace for electronic personal health records, so-called PHRs, is getting crowded. And yet the public has barely noticed that the era of people tracking their own medical history has arrived.Dr. David Kibbe, a former director of the Center for Health Information Technology of the American Academy of Family Physicians, estimates that perhaps 10 percent of adults in the United States will have access to PHRs by the end of... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=559122 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:37:00 +0100 559122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=490929&cid=t_304903_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F103672494%2F When you are the parent of an autistic child, every single word your child says matters: My son did not develop speech when he was a toddler and each syllable, each vowel and consonant combination, has come thanks to his own hard work and lots of therapy, speech and otherwise. When Charlie talks, I listen. Since I was a child, I have been intrigued by literature and languages, but teaching Charlie to talk—to “have” language—-has made me even more aware of the power of words, of the difference on word can make. I therefore often look closely at the words used to describe and represent autistic persons and autism—-as the description of “the darkness of Autism” yesterday on Larry King Live. Can the ways that we talk about autism—-the words and m... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=490929 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:20:21 +0100 490929