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Eating Fruit Can Reduce Your Blood Pressure

You may possibly not understand how many folks are suffering from high blood pressure due to being overweight and the stress in individuals lives. And one thing you need to know is that this is not reserved for people over 40, as this is something that can effect people at any age. While your medical professional can suggest medicine for you to help lower blood pressure, many men and women don’t like taking these kinds of medicines due to the known and also unknown side effects they may result in. So we are going to discuss a few ways that you will be able to make use of one fruit to help you lower your blood pressure.

We are talking about tomatoes that most men and women mistake as being a vegetable. Tomato’s are filled with lycopene and it will be this antioxidant that can help you to reduce your blood pressure. In order to get the best results you should be eating 4 tomatoes each and every day. Naturally if you choose you are able to go to a drug store and and obtain a lycopene supplement of about 200mg. You will notice that by getting a supplement of lycopene containing 200mg’s, is actually more than you will need daily. Below you are going to discover a few meals that contain tomatoes and lycopene, and normally these things are generally things that most men and women like.

One thing that virtually everybody likes is a nice homemade spaghetti sauce. Just about everybody likes sauce, and you can truly make your own a lot easier than you may be thinking. Fresh tomatoes is the best approach to take but you can use tomato paste, herbs, onion and garlic. You can just chop up the actual herbs, onion and garlic and combine it with the sauce. Yet another thing you may want to do is to saute the particular onions and garlic in olive oil before including them to the sauce and when you do add them, include the olive oil you used to cook them with. Olive oil can actually help the results of the lycopene within your body.

Chili is another thing that you can produce from tomatoes and also another thing that can help you obtain your lycopene. Again you can begin with some tomato paste and also add garlic and onions, and then get yourself a wonderful lean meat to add to your chili. While most individuals add a meat to their chili, you can just add different sorts of beans if that is your selection. You’ll be able to give your chili some sort of kick by adding different types of spices, like chili powder. If you are not a fan of chili powder you may want to puree a few jalapeno’s and add them to your chili.

You can additionally have a salad before each meal and you will find that is simple method of getting your lycopene. Just make sure to chop up a fresh tomato to top the salad off properly. And if you don’t like the taste of raw tomatoes, you are able to have yourself a glass of tomato juice. Needless to say if possible make your own if you possess a juicer, in order to decrease the sodium over the store bought juice.

Get Natural – A Step-by-step 12-week Program To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally.

An Honest Report on Blood Pressure Factors(TM)

High blood pressure is a very significant condition. It affects people worldwide every single day. For a few, high blood pressure can be easily corrected. For others, high blood pressure is a big challenge that they have to battle every day. Some women and men overcome it with medication, while other people aren’t that lucky. It’s no wonder, then, that people look for holistic or quick fixes to this problem. This is one of the reasons there are so many so called “natural remedies” being sold on the internet. This article is going to take a look at the Blood Pressure Factors(TM) pills provided by Michael’s Naturopathic Programs.

Michael Schwartz formed Michael’s Naturopathic Programs during the mid ’80s. Michael Schwartz became recognized in the industry of natural medicine in the mid 1970s and was one of the first to start using gender-specific supplements. Blood Pressure Factors remains the company’s best-selling product for over 20 years. It’s incredibly favored in many natural healing circles.

Blood Pressure Factors is a health supplement in tablet shape. This item blends calcium sulfate, stearic acid, magnesium stearate and maltodextrin to help the body reduce its blood pressure levels. These ingredients combine to aid the body so that the arteries can accommodate good fluid levels while also providing extra nourishment to the nervous system. For the supplement to work correctly, you should take three doses every day. These could be consumed either throughout the day, at mealtimes or simultaneously with your breakfast.

In terms of cost, the supplement can be quite affordable. For seventeen dollars you can buy a bottle of sixty capsules and 22 dollars will buy 90 capsules. For 36 dollars you may buy a 2-month supply of the supplement (180 capsules). Price wise that is much better than almost every other natural supplement in the industry. As a result it is less likely that you will be squandering money on a product that was only created for affiliates to sell.

Thanks to the two decades of exceptional reviews, we’re pretty certain that the supplement isn’t dangerous. Furthermore, most of the reviews of this product have been overwhelmingly favorable. Whether this drug truly works or just helps spark the placebo effect, we simply cannot tell.

Just like any other product or supplement you want to try, you need to get your doctor’s guidance on it. Your doctor will have intimate knowledge of your medical history and will know, in relation to that, if this supplement really will lower your blood pressure. You should be glad to learn, though, that nearly all blood pressure levels can be controlled through the combination of medication and healthy diet. Prior to deciding to actually purchase a two-month supply of the Blood Pressure Factors supplement by Michaels, however, make sure that it can actually help you.

Get Natural, A Step-by-step 12-week Program To Lower Blood Pressure Naturally.

Pharmacies to push supplements as ‘fries and Coke’ to prescriptions

Dr Ken Harvey, from La Trobe University, raises some concerns about the potential for adverse events arising from the Pharmacy Guild-Blackmores deal. This story originally appeared in The Conversation.

Meanwhile, Croakey readers interested in Blackmore’s response to the widespread condemnation of the deal can read their media statement here.

Pharmacists are among the most trusted professions in Australia, regularly coming in the top ten of the annual Reader’s Digest survey alongside paramedics, fire fighters, pilots and assorted medical professionals. This makes it all the more frustrating to hear about a new partnership between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, (which represents about 90% of commercial pharmacy owners) and Blackmores.

The Pharmacy Guild is promoting a range of Blackmores products as prescription “companions”. Flickr/Angelina Pharmacists are among the most trusted professions in Australia, regularly coming in the top ten of the annual Reader’s Digest survey alongside paramedics, fire fighters, pilots and assorted medical professionals.

This makes it all the more frustrating to hear about a new partnership between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, (which represents about 90% of commercial pharmacy owners) and Blackmores.

The partnership aims to up-sell supplements to customers when getting a prescription filled.

From October, pharmacists’ computer systems will prompt them to discuss a Blackmores Companion range product with patients picking up a prescription for one of four popular medications.

Patients will also be given a leaflet explaining how the supplement can alleviate the side effects of the medications.

The Blackmores Companion range will carry the Pharmacy Guild’s Gold Cross logo.

Christine Holgate, CEO and managing director of Blackmores, told Pharmacy News the range gave Blackmores the opportunity to provide the “coke and fries” for these pharmaceutical medicines while “also providing a new and important revenue stream for community pharmacy”.

The Pharmacy Guild has denied the scheme is commercially motivated but President Kos Sclavos told Pharmacy News the deal represented a “huge opportunity for the male market”, as many men are reluctant to see a GP and may be more likely to visit a pharmacy.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this scheme is potentially very lucrative. Particularly when the new line of supplements are designed to be paired with prescriptions for statins, antibiotics, anti-hypertensives and proton pump inhibitors for gastrointestinal disorders.

These are all very popular pharmaceuticals, which account for more than a third of the 183.9 million scripts dispensed in Australia every year.

The Pharmacy Guild has always maintained that it’s more concerned about patients’ health outcomes than profit. and this drove its 2009 fight against a proposal for Big Supermarket to include pharmacies within their operations.

At that time, the Guild argued the objectives of supermarkets and pharmacies were incompatible because supermarkets had to put the interests of shareholders first and make a profit.

Pharmacists, on the other hand, were primarily concerned about their patients’ health.

I’m sure all good pharmacists care about their patients but in this deal, the Guild is clearly putting profits first.

But let’s consider for a moment that the Guild does have the best interests of patients at heart when they recommend a $15 bottle of CoQ10 with your statins.

So what is the evidence for the new Blackmores Companion range?

• “BIOTIC Companion” is what the pharmacist is encouraged to recommend for patients picking up a prescription for antibiotics.

It contains the probiotic strain Lactobacillus reuteri to reduce antibiotic-associated bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea.

While there is some evidence that certain probiotics may reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in some people, their routine use for this purpose isn’t recommended by medical authorities.

There have been a few cases where probiotic organisms have invaded the gut of immune-compromised patients and caused serious blood-stream infections.

• “ANTIHT Companion” will be recommended for patients with prescriptions for blood pressure-lowering medication. It contains zinc gluconate, which is claimed to complement the use of antihypertensives.

While there are occasional reports that antihypertensive therapy may lower zinc levels I’m unaware of any independent medical authority recommending routine zinc supplementation with anti-hypertensive therapy.

• “STAT Companion”, containing Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin D3, will be recommended for patients picking up a script for statins to lower cholesterol.

There is variable evidence that Coenzyme Q10 and/or Vitamin D is useful for treating statin-associated myopathy (muscle pain), which is rare and usually only occurs with high doses of statins.

The routine use of CoQ10 and Vitamin D in statin-treated patients is not recommended by medical authorities.

• “PPI Companion”, which contains magnesium will be recommended to aid use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

While there are occasional reports of clinically significant magnesium deficiencies in patients receiving long-term PPI therapy, the remedy is to stop the PPI, not routine supplementation with magnesium.

The fine print of the material provided by Blackmores contains a statement that if a nutritional deficiency is suspected, pharmacists should refer customers to their GPs for further investigation.

It’s likely pharmacists do this anyway, since part of their role in primary health care is to discuss the possibility of serious medication-related complications with their customers and, where necessary, refer them back to their GP for appropriate investigation.

What should not be part of their role as trusted health professionals is dishing out “companion supplements” as the “fries and Coke” of prescriptions in order to “give pharmacies a new revenue stream”. the practice lacks an evidence base and is unethical.

It may put added financial burdens on patients who feel compelled to buy these products. It also adds unnecessary complexity to patients’ often complicated combinations of medications.

This “initiative” by the Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores deserves wide condemnation.

Pharmacies to push supplements as ‘fries and Coke’ to prescriptions

Kadena airman earns Distinguished Flying Cross

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – An airman stationed at Kadena Air Base has earned one of the nation’s highest military honors for a combat rescue mission in Afghanistan in the summer of 2010 when he and his crew ran eight non-stop casualty evacuation flights that included the daring rescue of a U.S. soldier who had fallen off a mountain.

Tech. Sgt. Scott Lagerveld, 35, a Pave Hawk engineer with the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, received the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor in battle during a ceremony Monday at the air base, with 18th Air Wing commander Brig. Gen. Matthew Molloy presenting the medal.

Lagerveld told Stars and Stripes he hadn’t considered the danger of the mission at the time and the thought of receiving a medal for his heroism downrange never crossed his mind.

“you don’t really think about the bullets,” he said Thursday. “The only thing you think about is getting the guy [who is wounded], getting him in the door and going for the next guy who gets picked up.”

In 2010, Lagerveld was deployed with the squadron and other Kadena airmen to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, where he was part of the flight crew on a medical evacuation helicopter. Lagerveld’s Pave Hawk was working with Army combat units in the Kunar River Valley on June 27 when a battle with insurgents flared along the steep mountain banks.

Amid the thud of U.S. howitzers and squawk of radio calls, the crew began dropping in and flying out the soldiers who were wounded, some severely, by the enemy gun fire.

“The fighting was so intense,” Lagerveld said. “you could hear the .50 caliber in the background [on the radio] … you could hear explosions in the background.”

At some point in the battle, an Army lieutenant who had been manning an over-watch position along the surrounding mountains fell about 200 feet down the face, according to Lagerveld and an Air Force citation summary.

The radio call came in to rescue the officer, but moments later the crew was diverted to evacuate another soldier who had been shot through the neck. That pickup put the crew amid a firefight where two soldiers with an M240 machine gun held off the enemy while others loaded on the critically wounded soldier, who later died.

The crew then flew up to the mountainside to spot the fallen officer.

“we found his body armor in a pool of blood and he was actually 30 to 40 meters farther down,” Lagerveld said.

As the Pave Hawk hovered, Lagerveld lowered a para-rescue jumper down on a rope to help bring up the officer, who had broken his back and was now unconscious.

The bullets started coming in when the jumper hit the ground and were bouncing off the rock face of the mountain around the helicopter.

“my para-rescue man bear-hugged [the lieutenant] with his arms down so he wouldn’t fall out of the strop,” a harness used by rescue crews, Lagerveld said.

Lagerveld hoisted the two back up to the door of the Pave Hawk, but Lagerveld could not get traction on the slippery floor of the bird and it took three attempts to get them into the aircraft.

Finally, the two tumbled through the door along with a tangle of rope and the unconscious officer landed on top of Lagerveld.

They pulled away from the mountain and flew back to the evacuation point, a nearby forward operating base. None of the crew were injured by the attack.

The lieutenant would survive the battle despite the long fall down the mountain. After going to the United States to heal his back, which was broke in two places, he would return to Afghanistan and his unit – and eventually track down Lagerveld to thank him for the rescue.

For Lagerveld, there was little time for personal reflections on the mission. The rest of the day was spent filling out paperwork and recounting details to his command.

He is now back at Kadena and is scheduled to graduate from the base NCO academy on Thursday.

After all, it was his Air Force instructors who helped him learn how to stay cool under the pressure of combat, even when the bullets were flying.

“It all starts with the initial training and the guys who train you,” he said.

trittent@pstripes.osd.mil

Kadena airman earns Distinguished Flying Cross

Divide over when to use in-depth cholesterol tests

WASHINGTON – for heart health, you’re supposed to know your numbers: Total cholesterol, the bad LDL kind and the good HDL kind. but your next checkup might add a new number to the mix.

More doctors are going beyond standard cholesterol counts, using another test to take a closer look at the bad fats — a count of particles that carry LDL through the blood.

Cardiologists are divided over the usefulness of that approach. Proponents contend it might help them spot at-risk patients that regular checks might miss, or get more information about how aggressively to treat them.

But so far, guidelines from major heart organizations don’t recommend these extra tests. They’re pricier than regular cholesterol exams, although Medicare and many other insurers pay for them. and it’s not always clear what the results mean.

“I see a lot of people being confused,” says Dr. Nieca Goldberg of New York University Langone Medical Center and the American Heart Association. especially when they’re used on lower-risk people, “you don’t know how to make sense of the information.”

Yet up to half of patients diagnosed with heart disease apparently had normal levels of LDL cholesterol, and some doctors say particle testing might help find some of them sooner.

“For most people, the standard lipid profile is fine,” says Dr. Michael Davidson of the University of Chicago. but “I get referred people who said, ‘My cholesterol was fine, why do I have heart disease?’ We’re showing them, well, because your particle number’s sky high and they were not aware that was a problem.”

Davidson chaired a committee of the National Lipid Association which this month called the extra tests reasonable to assess which at-risk patients might need to start or intensify cholesterol treatment. That committee’s meeting was paid for by a grant from eight pharmaceutical companies, including some makers of particle tests.

Cholesterol isn’t the only factor behind heart disease. High blood pressure, smoking, obesity, diabetes or a strong family history of the disease can put someone in the high-risk category even if their cholesterol isn’t a red flag. Some doctors also are testing for inflammation in arteries that may play a role, too.

On the cholesterol front, doctors have long focused on three key numbers:

—Total cholesterol should be below 200.

—An LDL or “bad” cholesterol level below 130 is good for healthy people, but someone with heart disease or diabetes should aim for under 100.

—For HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps control the bad kind, higher numbers are better — 60 is protective while below 40 is a risk.

Where do particles come in? Scientists have long known that small, dense LDL particles sneak into the artery wall to build up and narrow blood vessels more easily than larger, fluffier particles. while overall LDL levels usually correlate with the amount of particles in blood, they don’t always, just as a beach bucket of sand may weigh the same as a bucket of pebbles but contain more particles.

Only in recent years have commercial tests made particle checks more feasible — although there’s no standard method, and different tests measure in different ways. the tests add another $100 to $150 to regular cholesterol checks.

But is knowing about your particles really useful, and if so when? That’s where doctors are split.

A study published last spring used one particle test, from Raleigh, N.C.-based LipoScience, to analyze a database of more than 5,000 middle-aged people whose heart health was tracked for five years. Most people’s overall LDL and particle counts correlated pretty well. but people had a higher risk of heart disease when their particle count was much higher than their LDL predicted — and, conversely, a lower risk if their particle count was lower than expected, says lead researcher Dr. David Goff Jr. of Wake Forest University.

“We could be treating some people who don’t need to be treated … and we may be missing some people who should be treated,” Goff says. “But I’d also say that we haven’t done all the research that needs to be done to prove that this will lead to better patient outcomes.”

Many of those higher-risk patients could be caught by a closer look at standard tests “for no additional charge,” says Dr. Roger Blumenthal of Johns Hopkins University and the American College of Cardiology.

Triglycerides, another harmful fat, are a good indicator, Blumenthal says. You’re at risk despite a low LDL if your triglycerides are over 130, not to mention a low HDL, he said. People who are obese, diabetic of borderline diabetic also are at greater risk, because they often have higher LDL particle counts.

Another way to measure without an added test: Just subtract HDL from your total cholesterol number. the resulting bad-fat total should be no higher than 30 points above your recommended LDL level — and if they are, it’s time for serious diet and exercise, adds Dr. Allen Taylor of Washington Hospital Center.

Still, even some doctors who don’t think particle testing is for the masses say they use it sometimes to tip the scales on a borderline patient.

Others use it to guide therapy. consider Denny Fongheiser of Santa Monica, Calif. at 52, his usual 3-mile-a-day walk suddenly left him panting, but his insurer wouldn’t pay for a stress test because his cholesterol was normal.

A month later, chest pain sent Fongheiser to the hospital where he needed a stent to unclog an artery. It turned out he had high particle levels, which his cardiologist now aims to get below the LipoScience-recommended level of 1,000 with cholesterol-lowering drugs.

“I was basically a time bomb,” Fongheiser says. He welcomes “being able to test this and know what’s going on.”

Divide over when to use in-depth cholesterol tests

New treatments available for brain aneurysm

Posted: 12:00am on Oct 17, 2011; Modified: 1:42am on Oct 17, 2011

2011-10-17T05:42:06Z by Dr. Christian Ramsey and Dr. Curtis given

New treatments for brain aneurysms are giving hope to patients who have been told that their aneurysms are inoperable or to those whose aneurysms have been treated and have recurred.

A brain aneurysm occurs as a weakness in the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. The weakness will frequently “balloon outward,” creating pressure on nearby brain structures that can cause a range of symptoms.

Unfortunately, aneurysms usually occur without symptoms, with the first sign of trouble being the unexpected rupture of the blood vessel. this causes catastrophic brain hemorrhage, killing up to 60 percent of its victims. those who live through such an event might be left with severe disability.

For 60 years, the gold standard of treatment for aneurysms has been brain surgery to place a clip at the base of the aneurysm. The clip protects the aneurysm from high pressure that can cause rupture.

In the 1990s, treatments called aneurysm coiling had the advantage of being performed through a catheter placed in the patient’s groin rather than requiring brain surgery. Through this catheter, many tiny coils are placed in the aneurysm until it is full. The blood among those coils then clots and walls off the aneurysm.

The disadvantage of coiling is that aneurysm recurrence happens slightly more often than with clipping. With coiling, the aneurysm still exists and occupies excess space in the brain and can produce ongoing symptoms.

A more recent advance in aneurysm treatment uses minimally invasive surgical techniques and involves a gluelike substance called Onyx, which fills the aneurysm. The advantage of Onyx is that it fills the aneurysm completely, giving it better durability than coiling.

The most recent treatment for large and complicated aneurysms is the pipeline embolization device, the first of a new class of FDA-approved devices known as flow diverters. this novel, stentlike device is braided into a flexible mesh tube that is then implanted across the opening to the aneurysm, diverting flow into the normal blood vessel.

This flow diversion shields the aneurysm from the high pressures inside of the aneurysm, allowing a blood clot to form at the base of the aneurysm to permanently prevent bleeding and encourage normal vessel healing. The aneurysm shrinks over time so it can no longer occupy brain space or cause troublesome symptoms.

Dr. Christian Ramsey is a neurosurgeon, and Dr. Curtis given II is a neurointerventional radiologist. both practice at Central Baptist Hospital.

New treatments available for brain aneurysm

iHealth Lab’s Digital Scale Provides Tools to Manage Health and Fitness Goals

Press Release Source: iHealth Lab inc. On Tuesday October 18, 2011, 8:00 am EDT

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — iHealth Lab inc., the pioneering designer and manufacturer of mobile personal healthcare products including the iHealth Blood Pressure Dock, today announced the US availability of its new Digital Scale with Bluetooth technology and accompanying mobile application. the iHealth™ Digital Scale enables users to test, track, graph and share weight information quickly and seamlessly with their iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad. The scale is now available for purchase on ihealth99.com, in Target and Best Buy as well as select national retailers for $69.95.

“We are excited to now be able to offer our Bluetooth scale to the public,” said Adam Lin, GM of iHealth Lab. “The iHealth Digital Scale helps you manage your short and long-term health and fitness goals, while letting the app do the hard work for you with automatic data entry.”

How It Works

The iHealth Digital Scale allows an unlimited number of users to measure, track and manage personal weight loss and gain with their iPod touch, iPhone and iPad through the Bluetooth-connected scale and application.

The companion iHealth Digital Scale App includes an easy-to-use interface with data and graphics that allow users to establish a personal profile using gender, age, height and starting weight. the app tracks weight fluctuations over time and records results in relation to daily activity, time of day, diet and exercise. Users can instantly keep their doctors, friends and family notified of progress by emailing one-time or long-term results or posting them to Facebook or Twitter. Users can also create an unlimited number of accounts to help manage and track weight goals for entire households who are using the Digital Scale at home.

Availability, Compatibility and Price

In addition to Target, Best Buy and other select national retailers, the iHealth Digital Scale is available for purchase for $69.95 from www.ihealth99.com

The companion iHealth Digital Scale App can be downloaded here for free from the Apple App Store for iOS devices.

About iHealth Lab inc.

iHealth Lab designs and manufactures consumer-friendly, mobile personal healthcare products. the company focuses on delivering easy-to-use products that make it simple for you to test, track, graph and share your health information regularly. iHealth plans to develop a suite of personal healthcare devices designed for the iOS mobile platform. The company’s first device, the iHealth Blood Pressure Dock for iOS devices, was launched in January 2011. Visit www.ihealth99.com for more information.

iHealth Lab’s Digital Scale Provides Tools to Manage Health and Fitness Goals

What is Considered Normal Blood Pressure?

Everyone has a level of blood pressure (BP) which is normal to them, however that same number may not be normal for someone else. there is no one set number that covers everyone. what doctors have done is given an average that most people should be at which hovers around 115/75. Obviously, ten points or so in either direction would still be within the normal range for a healthy adult.

So what is BP anyway? Blood pressure is the force exerted upon the blood vessel walls by the blood flowing through. This force weakens the further it travels from the heart so various spots on the body may give a different measurement. Generally, we are referring to the brachial blood pressure point, which is taken at or just above the elbow bend of the arm.

Different things can affect a person’s normal BP. Age is one factor because the pressure in your blood tends to rise as we age. In children, the normal range is lower than in adults just as the elderly tend to have a higher range than younger adults. Heart rate affects the normal blood pressure level. Because heart rate is how fast the blood is pumped through the circulatory system, a faster heart rate will mean a higher that normal pressure level in the blood than someone with a heart rate that is slower.

How thick the blood is makes a difference, too. someone who is on an aspirin regimen or any blood thinner medication will usually have a lower pressure level in their blood than someone who’s blood is of the standard viscosity. some medications can constrict or open the blood vessels which can also cause a change in the pressure level.

What is Considered Normal Blood Pressure?

Improving Your Health Literacy May Help You Improve Your Health, Survey Suggests

A new survey published on October 19 found that while almost eight in ten people who reported having a recent blood test claim they understood the results, in fact 48 percent did not know their cholesterol level, and 65 percent did not know their blood glucose level.

The survey, which examined the state of blood test health literacy in the US, also found, however, that of the 1,000 consumers who participated in the survey, 35% modified their lifestyle once they understood their blood test results.

This new “Fundamentals to Wellness and Prevention” national consumer survey was conducted by GfK Roper, and funded by Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (OCD), a Johnson & Johnson company in the diagnostic testing industry. The survey was co-sponsored by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), a non-profit public health organization for chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory.

The survey report is available on the website of the NACDD, as part of a “Know your Numbers” Educational Campaign being promoted by the NACDD and OCD.

The campaign was launched during October in connection with, National Health Literacy Month, an awareness effort taking place October 1-31, which was founded in 1999 to promote the importance of health literacy by patients and consumers.

As part of their know your Numbers Campaign, OCD has also published, “Know your Numbers,” a patients’ guide to diagnostic tests, which is available on a webpage launched by the NACDD at ChronicDisease.org. The webpage also includes links to other informational tools for patients to help them improve their health literacy and better influence critical decisions that relate to blood tests. these include a video ( see the video below) on the importance of blood tests in the diagnosis of many major medical conditions.

In addition, on October 19, OCD and NACCD released a report entitled, “Fundamentals to Wellness and Prevention: A Call to Action.” The report includes insights from the national survey as well as results from a summit convened by NACDD and OCD, along with 14 national public and private sector health organizations, focused on developing solutions to overcome blood test literacy barriers. among those participating in the summit were representatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Medicine Association Foundation, National Consumers League, and others.

The Fundamentals to Wellness and Prevention report from the summit calls upon business, healthcare and government leaders to work together to help consumers become more aware of the importance of blood tests, facilitate timely access to test results and help consumers understand their blood test “numbers” so they can translate the knowledge into action.

Government Promotion of Health Literacy

It has been estimated that lack of health literacy costs the American economy between $106 and $236 Billion annually, representing between 7 percent and 17 percent of all personal health care expenditures.

The U.S. government, including the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and other agencies, have placed high priority on engaging consumers in their own care to prevent chronic disease and lower costs, as part of a focus on prevention under the Affordable Care Act.

HHS issued a National Action plan to Improve Health Literacy in may, 2010.

This National Action plan seeks to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals, and families in a multisector effort to improve health literacy. The plan states that it “is based on the principles that (1) everyone has the right to health information that helps them make informed decisions and (2) health services should be delivered in ways that are understandable and beneficial to health, longevity, and quality of life.”

The stated vision of the plan is that of a society that:

■ provides everyone with access to accurate and actionable health information■ Delivers person-centered health information and services■ Supports lifelong learning and skills to promote good health

A summary included in the National Action plan states, in part:

“Two decades of research indicate that today’s health information is presented in a way that isn’t usable by most Americans. Nearly 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using the everyday health information that is routinely available in our health care facilities, retail outlets, media, and communities. … Without clear information and an understanding of prevention and self-management of conditions, people are more likely to skip necessary medical tests. they also end up in the emergency room more often, and they have a hard time managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Limited health literacy affects people of all ages, races, incomes, and education levels, but the impact of limited health literacy disproportionately affects lower socioeconomic and minority groups. it affects people’s ability to search for and use health information, adopt healthy behaviors, and act on important public health alerts. Limited health literacy is also associated with worse health outcomes and higher costs.” [emphasis supplied]

The HHS National Action plan states seven national goals to improve health literacy, and suggests strategies for achieving them:

Develop and disseminate health and safety information that is accurate, accessible, and actionable
Promote changes in the health care system that improve health information, communication, informed decision making, and access to health services
Incorporate accurate, standards-based, and developmentally appropriate health and science information and curricula in child care and education through the university level
Support and expand local efforts to provide adult education, English language instruction, and culturally and linguistically appropriate health information services in the community
Build partnerships, develop guidance, and change policies
Increase basic research and the development, implementation, and evaluation of practices and interventions to improve health literacy
Increase the dissemination and use of evidence-based health literacy practices and interventions

The National Action plan summary concludes, “By focusing on health literacy issues and working together, we can improve the accessibility, quality, and safety of health care; reduce costs; and improve the health and quality of life of millions of people in the United States.”

Improving the health literacy of the population is also identified as a key objective in the forthcoming HHS Healthy People 2020 report.

“Health literacy includes the ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles, appointment slips, medical education brochures, doctor’s directions and consent forms, and the ability to negotiate complex health care systems. Health literacy is not simply the ability to read. it requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, and the ability to apply these skills to health situations,” according to a report on Health Literacy provided by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM), part of HHS.

As part of National Health Literacy Month, the NNLM (at nnlm.gov) is also providing resources including free online courses on health literacy, videos on health literacy, and links to other health literacy websites and resources.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) also provides a Health Literacy website, which includes scientific and consumer information on health literacy, a focus on the health literacy goals of the HHS National Action plan, and targeted information to help organizations involved in health information and services develop their own health literacy plans.

Access to Health Records

HHS has recognized that an important part of facilitating consumer health literacy is to make consumers’ own health records more available to them. in August, HHS proposed new rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that would allow patients for the first time to gain access to their lab test results directly from the labs.

A key focus of the new Fundamentals to Wellness and Prevention survey and report by OCD and NACDD is “ensuring patient access to and understanding of blood test results, a critical component to maintaining health and wellness,” according to a release issued by OCD and NACDD in conjunction with the report.

According to the release, the survey found that although nearly 90 percent of people would prefer to discuss blood test results during a doctor’s visit, only about 40 percent have actually discussed their results in person. this was primarily because the results were either emailed to the patient or the patient never received the results. “in addition, some respondents reported that providers told them to assume everything was okay if the doctor did not notify them about the results,” the survey found.

“Based on these findings, the know your Numbers campaign was developed to help patients realize the importance of blood test results in maintaining their health, and encourage them to take a more active role in obtaining and engaging with their healthcare providers to understand blood test results,” OCD and NACDD said. “Key to achieving the goals of the campaign is ensuring that laboratories can get results directly to patients and their healthcare providers, currently a limiting factor in 39 states.”

“A key finding from the survey is that patients recognize the importance of their blood test results and want to have the information to participate in their care,” said Nicholas Valeriani, Company Group Chairman, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (OCD). “Initiatives such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recently proposed rules to provide direct access for patients to their lab test results will help ensure that consumers can take a more active role in managing their health in partnership with doctors and healthcare providers.”

“Diagnostic test results are your personal healthcare report card, influencing 60 to 70 percent of healthcare decision-making. it is crucial that people are able to obtain blood test results in a timely manner and understand the basic information provided to have a meaningful conversation with their doctors,” said John Robitscher, Chief Executive Officer, NACDD. “Empowering patients to understand the connection between their blood tests and lifestyle may help prevent the onset of a chronic disease, as well as help reduce unnecessary healthcare costs attributed to inadequate health literacy.”

“The first step to blood test literacy is access to timely information,” said Robitscher. “OCD and the NACDD urge healthcare professionals and government leaders to join the effort to ensure people have access to the information they need when they need it to become blood test health literate.”

About Blood Tests

“Diagnostic blood tests are a consumer’s wellness report card. they can flag the warning signs of a developing chronic condition and allow treatments to be better tailored to the individual,” OCD and NACDD said in the release accompanying their survey and summit report. “all this translates into increased healthcare productivity, potentially reducing chronic conditions and lowering healthcare costs.”

Blood tests are especially important in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which together “are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation’s health spending,” according to a 2010 release issued by HHS. The cost of health illiteracy is high and can lead to increases in waste and inefficiencies that are estimated to cost the healthcare system between $106 billion and $236 billion each year, as referenced above.

Watch this video produced by OCD/ Johnson & Johnson on the importance of blood tests in the diagnosis of many major medical conditions »

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More Information

The full announcement of the new OCD/ NACDD survey and additional information on the survey results, along with the summit report, Fundamentals to Wellness and Prevention: A Call to Action, and other patient resources can be found here.

See also the HelpingYouCare™ reports on:

At National Health IT Week Summit HHS Proposes New Rules to Give Patients Direct Access to Their Lab Reports

New AHRQ Initiative: questions are the Answer for Better Doctor-Patient Communication

Low Health Literacy Linked to Higher Death Rate among Heart Patients

Americans Increasingly find Health Information via Internet, CDC Reports

A Free Online Application to Manage Health

Study Finds Medical History Key to Correct Diagnosis

Can a Patient know too much? Are You Annoying your Doctors?

And see the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on:

Practical Tips, Skills, Checklists & Tools for Caregiving and

The Family Caregiver as Care Manager: A Crucial Role

See further the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on 14 different Medical Conditions Commonly Faced by Seniors, including resource pages for each of these 14 conditions on:

what is it; causes;
Symptoms & Diagnosis;
Prevention;
Treatments; and
Caregiving.

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Improving Your Health Literacy May Help You Improve Your Health, Survey Suggests

Cool temperatures bring young man grief

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: my 17-year-old son has Raynaud’s phenomenon. cool temperatures turn his hand and fingers blue, then white and then sometimes orange. The episode is painful. he had a difficult time functioning at school. he wears gloves with the fingertips cut off as well as using hand warmers. The doctor recommended blood pressure medicine, which I would like to avoid since he doesn’t have high blood pressure. Any ideas? — P.G. ANSWER: when exposed to cold, everyone’s arteries constrict to preserve body heat. Constriction shunts blood to deeper body parts, where it stays warm. People with Raynaud’s (ray-NOSE) have arteries that overreact to cold exposure. The hand arteries and sometimes the feet arteries shut tightly. with no blood flowing to them, the hands and fingers turn white. as oxygen is lost from the trapped blood, they turn blue. And finally, when the arteries open and blood rushes in, they turn reddish. Emotional stress causes the same reaction cold does. these are painful episodes. why are the fingertips of your son’s gloves cut off? It would be better to keep them. in fact, his whole body needs things to keep body heat intact. Thermal underwear and sweaters would help him stay warm. At the onset of an attack, quick action can abort it. Letting warm water run over the hands or swinging the arms in a circular motion like a windmill keeps blood flowing to the hands and fingers. some of the medicines used for Raynaud’s control are also used for blood pressure control. Medicines often have more than one use. in your son’s case, the medicines will not affect his blood pressure, but they will keep the arteries open. Nifedipine (Procardia) and Norvasc (amlodipine) are two such medicines. Nitroglycerin ointment applied to the hands and fingers at the onset of an attack keep arteries dilated. TO READERS: The booklet on headaches provides information on the different kinds of headaches and their treatments. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 901, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am presently taking Plavix and a baby aspirin daily. Someone, not my doctor, advised me that you cannot take these two medicines with Cialis, Levitra or Viagra. Will you tell me if this is correct? — D.C. ANSWER: Ask that someone where he got this information. I can’t find any reference that states incompatibility between aspirin and Plavix taken with Cialis, Levitra or Viagra. Was he thinking of nitrates, medicines most often used for angina, the chest pain that comes with blocked heart arteries? DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I recently had my annual physical examination, with blood tests. I was disturbed that my lymphocyte count was 19.7 percent, when the normal should be between 20 percent and 47 percent. my white blood count was 3,800, and the normal is 4,500 to 10,500. furthermore, the total protein should be 6.4 to 8.3 g/dL, and mine was 6.3. The doctor said these are not a concern. — H.H. ANSWER: I agree with your doctor. Your values are so little removed from the normal values that they don’t indicate an illness or future trouble with any illness. in addition, you have no symptoms. That, in itself, is proof that you are well. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Your dental advice isn’t as good as your medical advice. I hate it when you allude to doctors and dentists. you should say physicians and dentists. Both are doctors. — L.N., DDS ANSWER: I won’t let it happen again, Doctor.

* * *Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

Cool temperatures bring young man grief

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