Americans are living a record 77 years and 11 months on average...according to two studies that led researchers to suggest raising the retirement age." The first study, from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, found that in the "US in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available," the "0.76 percent death rate is the lowest ever," driven by "a decline in deaths from heart disease and other ailments." Meanwhile, a second study published Dec. 14 in the health journal Milbank Quarterly, found that "every year that gets tacked on to the average life expectancy costs an extra trillion dollars in expenditures by Social Security and Medicare."
Overall, the 2007 data "show continued improvements in life expectancy for all Americans, although women are faring better than men, and whites fare better than other racial groups" by a "race differential" of about "4.6 years." But, even amid this progress, vast geographical discrepancies remain -- with people in southern states still facing higher death rates than those living in other parts of the country."
And, "even though Americans can expect to live longer than their parents, life expectancy in the" US "is still lower than in many other industrialized countries, including Canada and Japan. Even so, the "dramatic improvements in the health of Americans over the last 20 years" will "have unforeseen effects on the country. The Social Security and Medicare "programs weren't designed to support people for that long."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Concerned About Switching From A Brand Name To A Generic?
For many people, generic drugs work very well. But if you are concerned about switching from a brand name to a generic, or among different generics, then you need to keep tabs on your meds and how they are affecting you.
Here’s some guidance:
1. KEEP THE PACKAGING If you take a generic medication or are switched to one, keep the label.
Most state laws require that the manufacturer’s name be on the label, according to Kathleen Jaeger, chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
If the label does not state the name of the maker, ask your pharmacist to add it or write it down for you. You can also look up the pill at Drugs.com or RxList.com (click on pill identifier) to find the maker.
2. KEEP A DIARY Or at least make notes about any side effects you experience when taking a new drug.
Generic drugs are allowed to contain different inactive ingredients from the brand drug — like flavors, fillers and dyes — which could potentially cause side effects.
3. BE CHOOSY If one generic version works better than another, shop around for it.
“Don’t assume your pharmacist will continue to carry a specific product indefinitely,” said Joe Graedon, who runs a consumer advocacy Web site, the People’s Pharmacy (peoplespharmacy.com). “Call ahead and ask.”
4. ENLIST YOUR DOCTOR If you are convinced that only the brand name of a drug works for you, discuss the issue with your doctor.
You can ask him or her to write “DAW” — dispense as written — on your prescription. This will usually ensure that the pharmacist gives you exactly what the doctor ordered.
If your insurer balks, ask your doctor to make a phone call for you or write a letter explaining why only the brand name is appropriate for you. Sometimes this actually works.
5. REPORT PROBLEMS If you do have side effects or reactions to a specific drug, tell your doctor and then report it to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch Web site and post a message on the People’s Pharmacy Web site.
If enough people complain about a specific medication, there’s a good chance the F.D.A. or an independent group will investigate it.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Here’s some guidance:
1. KEEP THE PACKAGING If you take a generic medication or are switched to one, keep the label.
Most state laws require that the manufacturer’s name be on the label, according to Kathleen Jaeger, chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
If the label does not state the name of the maker, ask your pharmacist to add it or write it down for you. You can also look up the pill at Drugs.com or RxList.com (click on pill identifier) to find the maker.
2. KEEP A DIARY Or at least make notes about any side effects you experience when taking a new drug.
Generic drugs are allowed to contain different inactive ingredients from the brand drug — like flavors, fillers and dyes — which could potentially cause side effects.
3. BE CHOOSY If one generic version works better than another, shop around for it.
“Don’t assume your pharmacist will continue to carry a specific product indefinitely,” said Joe Graedon, who runs a consumer advocacy Web site, the People’s Pharmacy (peoplespharmacy.com). “Call ahead and ask.”
4. ENLIST YOUR DOCTOR If you are convinced that only the brand name of a drug works for you, discuss the issue with your doctor.
You can ask him or her to write “DAW” — dispense as written — on your prescription. This will usually ensure that the pharmacist gives you exactly what the doctor ordered.
If your insurer balks, ask your doctor to make a phone call for you or write a letter explaining why only the brand name is appropriate for you. Sometimes this actually works.
5. REPORT PROBLEMS If you do have side effects or reactions to a specific drug, tell your doctor and then report it to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch Web site and post a message on the People’s Pharmacy Web site.
If enough people complain about a specific medication, there’s a good chance the F.D.A. or an independent group will investigate it.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Friday, April 15, 2011
DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS
The FDA sent out a nationwide announcement about "the potential side effects of osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax [alendronate]." the agency "said in their announcement...physicians need to watch for the possibility of possible risk of femur fractures. And this didn't just apply to Fosamax, this applied to all four drugs that are in this group Fosamax, Actonel [risedronate], Boniva [ibandronate], and Reclast [zoledronic acid]."
Studies show the bones of some post-menopausal women who take bisphosphonates...to ward off osteoporosis can stop rejuvenating and become brittle after long-term use." Researchers found that "the drugs are effective initially in slowing bone loss," but "the quality of the bone diminished after long-tern bisphosphonate use." A separate study indicated that "bone densitometry (DXA) scans show a buckling potential in the femur area of the hip in patients being treated for osteoporosis with bisphosphonates."
The FDA is now examining whether long-term use of the drugs increases the risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures, but so far, the agency said the data it "has reviewed have not shown a clear connection."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Studies show the bones of some post-menopausal women who take bisphosphonates...to ward off osteoporosis can stop rejuvenating and become brittle after long-term use." Researchers found that "the drugs are effective initially in slowing bone loss," but "the quality of the bone diminished after long-tern bisphosphonate use." A separate study indicated that "bone densitometry (DXA) scans show a buckling potential in the femur area of the hip in patients being treated for osteoporosis with bisphosphonates."
The FDA is now examining whether long-term use of the drugs increases the risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures, but so far, the agency said the data it "has reviewed have not shown a clear connection."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Monday, March 21, 2011
DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS
The FDA sent out a nationwide announcement about "the potential side effects of osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax [alendronate]." the agency "said in their announcement...physicians need to watch for the possibility of possible risk of femur fractures. And this didn't just apply to Fosamax, this applied to all four drugs that are in this group Fosamax, Actonel [risedronate], Boniva [ibandronate], and Reclast [zoledronic acid]."
Studies show the bones of some post-menopausal women who take bisphosphonates...to ward off osteoporosis can stop rejuvenating and become brittle after long-term use." Researchers found that "the drugs are effective initially in slowing bone loss," but "the quality of the bone diminished after long-tern bisphosphonate use." A separate study indicated that "bone densitometry (DXA) scans show a buckling potential in the femur area of the hip in patients being treated for osteoporosis with bisphosphonates."
The FDA is now examining whether long-term use of the drugs increases the risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures, but so far, the agency said the data it "has reviewed have not shown a clear connection."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Studies show the bones of some post-menopausal women who take bisphosphonates...to ward off osteoporosis can stop rejuvenating and become brittle after long-term use." Researchers found that "the drugs are effective initially in slowing bone loss," but "the quality of the bone diminished after long-tern bisphosphonate use." A separate study indicated that "bone densitometry (DXA) scans show a buckling potential in the femur area of the hip in patients being treated for osteoporosis with bisphosphonates."
The FDA is now examining whether long-term use of the drugs increases the risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures, but so far, the agency said the data it "has reviewed have not shown a clear connection."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Medical Malpractice Is Frequent On TV
According to the American Academy of Neurology Television dramas are potentially a powerful method of educating the public so it is a concern to find that TV shows inaccurate showed seizure management which would qualify for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is rife on the television medical shows with specifically nearly half of TV doctors and nurses committing seizure management errors. Researchers screened the popular medical dramas Grey's Anatomy, House, Private Practice and ER to see if TV medical dramas were helping to educate the public about first aid and seizures. The study found inappropriate practices occurred in 25 cases, or nearly 46 per cent of the incidents.
The researchers found in 327 episodes screened, 59 seizures occurred. Fifty-one seizures took place in a hospital. Nearly all first aid was performed by nurses or doctors.
"People with epilepsy should lobby the television industry to adhere to guidelines for first aid management of seizures," the study’s lead author said.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
The researchers found in 327 episodes screened, 59 seizures occurred. Fifty-one seizures took place in a hospital. Nearly all first aid was performed by nurses or doctors.
"People with epilepsy should lobby the television industry to adhere to guidelines for first aid management of seizures," the study’s lead author said.
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
RISKY HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE USE
H.G.H. is among the drugs prescribed some doctors to athletes.
The United States, however, determined that potential harm from H.G.H. is so great that federal law puts it in an unusual category of drugs that doctors cannot prescribe for unapproved, or off-label, uses. (No such ban exists in Canada.)
Its approved uses are not conditions common among professional athletes: it can be used in children with severe growth problems, H.I.V. patients may receive it if they have muscle wasting, and it can be prescribed to offset exceptional weight loss in people who have had much of their small intestine surgically removed.
Physicians and medical researchers who have studied people with medical conditions that lead to growth hormone overproduction said that available evidence suggested that athletes who cheat by using costly" human growth hormone (HGH) as a performance-enhancing drug may "simply wind up" exposing themselves to "cardiovascular problems, an increased risk of diabetes, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, glucose intolerance, colon polyps, skin growths, excessive sweating," and "serious headaches," as well as "abnormal bone growth in the face, head, hands, and feet," and possibly even cancer.
Growth hormone does not act directly. Instead it prompts the body to produce insulin-like growth factor 1, or I.G.F.-1, which then triggers growth. The overwhelming majority of I.G.F.-1 is produced by the liver and delivered through the blood stream. Evidence shows, however, that growth hormone can prompt local I.G.F.-1 production in other cells of the body
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
The United States, however, determined that potential harm from H.G.H. is so great that federal law puts it in an unusual category of drugs that doctors cannot prescribe for unapproved, or off-label, uses. (No such ban exists in Canada.)
Its approved uses are not conditions common among professional athletes: it can be used in children with severe growth problems, H.I.V. patients may receive it if they have muscle wasting, and it can be prescribed to offset exceptional weight loss in people who have had much of their small intestine surgically removed.
Physicians and medical researchers who have studied people with medical conditions that lead to growth hormone overproduction said that available evidence suggested that athletes who cheat by using costly" human growth hormone (HGH) as a performance-enhancing drug may "simply wind up" exposing themselves to "cardiovascular problems, an increased risk of diabetes, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, glucose intolerance, colon polyps, skin growths, excessive sweating," and "serious headaches," as well as "abnormal bone growth in the face, head, hands, and feet," and possibly even cancer.
Growth hormone does not act directly. Instead it prompts the body to produce insulin-like growth factor 1, or I.G.F.-1, which then triggers growth. The overwhelming majority of I.G.F.-1 is produced by the liver and delivered through the blood stream. Evidence shows, however, that growth hormone can prompt local I.G.F.-1 production in other cells of the body
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Stuttering may have "strong" genetic component
While environmental factors and stress can play roles in stuttering, new research provides further evidence of a strong genetic component." Led by geneticist Dennis Drayna, PhD, at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers "have discovered the first genes linked to stuttering -- a complex of three mutated genes that may be responsible for one in every 11 stuttering cases, especially in people of Asian descent." "The takeaway message of this is stuttering is not a social or emotional disorder. ... It is not the fault of a bad parent, or unwilling child. It is a serious disorder and worthy of treatment."
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice. For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.
Deepen your understanding of "medical malpractice"... www.MedMalBook.com
For more health info and links visit the author's web site www.hookman.com
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