- The JAMA Connection [Editorial]
- The JAMA Connection: The View From JAMA [Editorial]
- Venous Thromboembolism in Colorectal Surgery: How Much Does Laparoscopy Impart an Advantage? [Correspondence]
- Surveillance Bias and Postoperative Complication Rates--Reply [Correspondence]
- Surveillance Bias and Postoperative Complication Rates [Correspondence]
- Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders Among American Surgeons [Original Article]
- Statins for Everyone: Are We There Yet?: Comment on "Effect of Perioperative Statins on Death, Myocardial Infarction, Atrial Fibrillation, and Length of Stay" [Invited Critique]
- Surgeon, Heal Thyself: Comment on "Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders Among American Surgeons" [Invited Critique]
- Image of the Month--Diagnosis [Special Feature]
- Mechanical Bowel Obstruction: A Tale of 2 Eras ; Comment on "Change in Mechanical Bowel Obstruction Demographic and Etiological Patterns During the Past Century" [Invited Critique]
Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
US Government Seeks To Address Obesity
More than a billion people around the world are overweight and 400 million are obese according to the World Health Organization. Two thirds of American adults are now overweight or obese. U.S. health officials are so alarmed that they called an unprecedented conference on obesity in America.
Jo Chiti has battled weight for most of her life. “When you’re heavy as a woman, it’s depressing. It affects you emotionally,” she said.
Chiti stopped eating high fat foods, began exercising…and lost 18 kilograms. New research shows that obesity costs the United States $147 billion a year, or $1,400 a year more, for an obese person than for someone of normal weight.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.
SLE most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The course of the disease is unpredictable, with periods of illness (called flares) alternating with remissions. The disease occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially between the ages of 15 and 50, and is more common in those of non-European descent.
SLE is treatable through addressing its symptoms, mainly with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants; there is currently no cure. SLE can be fatal, although with recent medical advances, fatalities are becoming increasingly rare. Survival for people with SLE in the United States, Canada, and Europe is approximately 95% at five years, 90% at 10 years, and 78% at 20 years.
Going to the Emergency Room
When your child is sick or injured, it’s natural to panic and head straight for the emergency room, because you know that you can get care, regardless of the time, day, or severity of your child’s injury. In some cases, it is a true medical emergency and the ER is the most appropriate place to get care. In other cases, the illness or injury can be handled at an urgent care clinic, or treatment can wait until your child’s doctor can see you.
The New Obesity Scare Statistics
The policy highlights of this Weight of the Nation conference are designed to scare people in power. And since everyone in Washington is obsessed with cost, the big news out of the conference this morning is the latest estimate of obesity’s direct costs from obesity cost guru Eric Finklestein $147 billion per year. His calculations are exacting, although it is extremely difficult in reality to make such a snapshot estimate of something so complicated as obesity. This is one reason why researchers in the field tend to focus on suffering and disparities within populations, rather than aggregate cost. But policy-makers take their cues from numbers, and the CDC has an agenda to sell too. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, given the problem at hand, but it’s an example of how it is impossible to separate science and values.
Teen Weight Loss: Safe steps to a healthy weight
Healthy habits are the key to teen weight loss. Show your teen the way with this practical plan for success.
Teenage obesity is a dangerous — and growing — problem. There’s no magic bullet for teen weight loss, but there’s plenty you can do to help. Start by encouraging your teen to adopt healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Metagenics CEO: Peanut Butter Scare Highlights the Need for Extra Caution in Food Safety
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(Business Wire)-- Jeff Katke, the CEO of Metagenics, Inc., a maker of nutraceuticals, medical foods, and the popular ProteinFusion Peanut Butter Crunch Bars said today that "adequate testing for contamination may be more expensive but it`s worth it to protect consumers."