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Friday, October 26, 2012

Health care is strong second to economy among concerns of Ky. registered voters; candidates compared on handling of issues

Health care ranks high among the concerns of Kentucky voters, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll taken for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The poll, taken Sept. 20 through Oct. 14, asked registered voters to name the two most important issues in the Nov. 6 presidential election. The economy was mentioned by 65 percent; health care was second, with 42 percent. Foreign policy was a distant third, at 21 percent. The error margin on the sample of 1,160 voters is plus or minus 2.88 percentage points.

The poll did not ask voters whom they favored for president, but did ask which candidate they trusted to do a better job on certain issues. Romney, who is considered certain to win Kentucky, had a clear advantage on two issue areas, listed first:
• Dealing with the federal budget deficit: Romney 49%; Obama 36%
• Dealing with the economy and jobs: Romney 48%; Obama 36%
• Dealing with the future of the health reform law: Romney 45%; Obama 40%
• Addressing terrorism: Romney 43%; Obama 42%
• Dealing with the situation in Afghanistan: Romney 42%; Obama 40%
• Improving education: Obama 45%; Romney 40%
• Looking out for the best interests of women: Obama 42%; Romney 40%
• Making decisions about women's reproductive health choices and services: Obama 41%; Romney 38%

"This poll gives us a reliable snapshot of the issues most important to Kentucky voters as they decide who they will vote for on Nov. 6," said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president/CEO of the foundation. "Regardless of the outcomes of the election, our foundation believes it is essential for our elected officials to know what Kentuckians think about these issues." To download the full report by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, click here.
Health care ranks high among the concerns of Kentucky voters, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll taken for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The poll, taken Sept. 20 through Oct. 14, asked registered voters to name the two most important issues in the Nov. 6 presidential election. The economy was mentioned by 65 percent; health care was second, with 42 percent. Foreign policy was a distant third, at 21 percent. The error margin on the sample of 1,160 voters is plus or minus 2.88 percentage points.

The poll did not ask voters whom they favored for president, but did ask which candidate they trusted to do a better job on certain issues. Romney, who is considered certain to win Kentucky, had a clear advantage on two issue areas, listed first:
• Dealing with the federal budget deficit: Romney 49%; Obama 36%
• Dealing with the economy and jobs: Romney 48%; Obama 36%
• Dealing with the future of the health reform law: Romney 45%; Obama 40%
• Addressing terrorism: Romney 43%; Obama 42%
• Dealing with the situation in Afghanistan: Romney 42%; Obama 40%
• Improving education: Obama 45%; Romney 40%
• Looking out for the best interests of women: Obama 42%; Romney 40%
• Making decisions about women's reproductive health choices and services: Obama 41%; Romney 38%

"This poll gives us a reliable snapshot of the issues most important to Kentucky voters as they decide who they will vote for on Nov. 6," said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president/CEO of the foundation. "Regardless of the outcomes of the election, our foundation believes it is essential for our elected officials to know what Kentuckians think about these issues." To download the full report by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, click here.
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Statewide trauma system established; called 'most significant advancement in health of Kentuckians for the last 20 years'

Dr. Andrew Bernard, chair,
State Trauma Advisory Committee
Ten Kentucky hospitals have been recognized as part of the state's first official statewide trauma system. The announcement came during the 2012 Statewide Trauma and Emergency Medicine Symposium Friday in Lexington. Dr. Andrew Bernard, a University of Kentucky trauma surgeon and chair of the State Trauma Advisory Committee, called this "the most significant advancement in the health of Kentuckians in the last 20 years and lives will be saved because of it."

More than half of the states have such systems.  "The goal of the state trauma system is getting the right patient to the right place at the right time," said Bernard, explaining that the system provides education so that proper assessment can be made of severely injured patients, so that they are taken to the most appropriate facility as quickly as possible.

Trauma centers are graded I through IV, with Level I hospitals able to treat the most severely injured and most at risk.  Level I trauma centers are UK Chandler Hospital (Lexington), Kentucky Children's Hospital (Lexington), Kosair Children's Hospital (Louisville), and University of Louisville Hospital.  Level III  are Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (Danville) and Taylor Regional Medical Center (Campbellsville). Level IV are Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital (Stanford), James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital (Harrodsburg), Livingston Hospital (Salem) and Marcum & Wallace Hospital (Irvine).
Dr. Andrew Bernard, chair,
State Trauma Advisory Committee
Ten Kentucky hospitals have been recognized as part of the state's first official statewide trauma system. The announcement came during the 2012 Statewide Trauma and Emergency Medicine Symposium Friday in Lexington. Dr. Andrew Bernard, a University of Kentucky trauma surgeon and chair of the State Trauma Advisory Committee, called this "the most significant advancement in the health of Kentuckians in the last 20 years and lives will be saved because of it."

More than half of the states have such systems.  "The goal of the state trauma system is getting the right patient to the right place at the right time," said Bernard, explaining that the system provides education so that proper assessment can be made of severely injured patients, so that they are taken to the most appropriate facility as quickly as possible.

Trauma centers are graded I through IV, with Level I hospitals able to treat the most severely injured and most at risk.  Level I trauma centers are UK Chandler Hospital (Lexington), Kentucky Children's Hospital (Lexington), Kosair Children's Hospital (Louisville), and University of Louisville Hospital.  Level III  are Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (Danville) and Taylor Regional Medical Center (Campbellsville). Level IV are Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital (Stanford), James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital (Harrodsburg), Livingston Hospital (Salem) and Marcum & Wallace Hospital (Irvine).
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More child-welfare indicators added to Kids Count data site

Kentucky Youth Advocates has added four new child welfare indicators to the agency's Kids Count Data Center. These four new indicators provide Kentuckians and those who report on them with more information on vulnerable children and families in the state.

One new indicator shows the prevalence of certain risk factors -- substance abuse, mental health issues, and income -- in cases where child abuse or neglect was found to have occurred after an investigation was done. Another new indicator include the numbers of children community members bring to the attention of the state Department for Community Based Services due to suspicions of child abuse or neglect. (Read more)

Kids Count provides information across states and for Kentucky counties and school districts on many measures of child well-being, including economic well-being, education, health, and safety. To find the data center, go here.


Kentucky Youth Advocates has added four new child welfare indicators to the agency's Kids Count Data Center. These four new indicators provide Kentuckians and those who report on them with more information on vulnerable children and families in the state.

One new indicator shows the prevalence of certain risk factors -- substance abuse, mental health issues, and income -- in cases where child abuse or neglect was found to have occurred after an investigation was done. Another new indicator include the numbers of children community members bring to the attention of the state Department for Community Based Services due to suspicions of child abuse or neglect. (Read more)

Kids Count provides information across states and for Kentucky counties and school districts on many measures of child well-being, including economic well-being, education, health, and safety. To find the data center, go here.


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Rural states with declining immunization rates have increasing incidence of whooping cough

In the state that once had the highest immunization rate, Vermont's medical community is not so proud of anymore. Fewer people are vaccinating their children in the nation’s most rural state, reports Dr. Wendy Mahoney, a private practioner in the state. But Vermont isn't alone. Stories about declining immunization have come in from across rural America, Mahoney writes in the Daily Yonder, and they "come in the midst of a pertussis outbreak the likes of which Vermont has not seen in years, if ever." Pertussis is whooping cough.

Mahoney says she can find one reason for the recent outbreak: a new law in her state, like some in other rural states, that allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations "because of a personal, moral, or other belief." Mahoney says many rural residents use the exemption, which she finds hard to fathom in the face of scientific advances that prove that vaccination has ended smallpox, wiped out polio in most of the world, and controlled measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza type b and other infectious diseases.

The top map shows the estimated percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten who have been exempted from receiving one or more vaccines in the 2011–12 school year. Comparison with the other map shows that states with large numbers of exemptions are those where whooping cough is making a comeback. (Centers for Disease Control maps)

A comparison between states with low vaccination coverage rates and those reporting higher numbers of whooping cough cases shows some, though not consistent, overlap. (Read more)
In the state that once had the highest immunization rate, Vermont's medical community is not so proud of anymore. Fewer people are vaccinating their children in the nation’s most rural state, reports Dr. Wendy Mahoney, a private practioner in the state. But Vermont isn't alone. Stories about declining immunization have come in from across rural America, Mahoney writes in the Daily Yonder, and they "come in the midst of a pertussis outbreak the likes of which Vermont has not seen in years, if ever." Pertussis is whooping cough.

Mahoney says she can find one reason for the recent outbreak: a new law in her state, like some in other rural states, that allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations "because of a personal, moral, or other belief." Mahoney says many rural residents use the exemption, which she finds hard to fathom in the face of scientific advances that prove that vaccination has ended smallpox, wiped out polio in most of the world, and controlled measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza type b and other infectious diseases.

The top map shows the estimated percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten who have been exempted from receiving one or more vaccines in the 2011–12 school year. Comparison with the other map shows that states with large numbers of exemptions are those where whooping cough is making a comeback. (Centers for Disease Control maps)

A comparison between states with low vaccination coverage rates and those reporting higher numbers of whooping cough cases shows some, though not consistent, overlap. (Read more)
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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Association of Health Care Journalists' reporting fellowship application deadline is Nov. 9

The Association of Health Care Journalists is offering fellowships for reporting on health care performance to journalists who wish to pursue a significant year-long reporting project related to the U.S. health care system. It can be local or national in scope -- or a little of both, according to materials included with the announcement, which suggests a topic could be "an aspect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act playing out in your community or subject specialty, or the impact of particular evidence-based treatments on health outcomes, or an analysis of a health care organization’s performance, using public data sets."

Newsrooms for which the fellows work need to commit to publish or air their work. Freelancers will also need to have that commitment from a news source. Guidance is provided by AHCJ fellowship leaders through seminars on health care systems, conference calls and email consultations. The fellowship covers the cost of attending the seminars and conferences, and a project allowance is available. Application deadline: Nov. 9, 2012. (Read more)

Here are some examples of the work done by those awarded fellowships in 2012:
The Association of Health Care Journalists is offering fellowships for reporting on health care performance to journalists who wish to pursue a significant year-long reporting project related to the U.S. health care system. It can be local or national in scope -- or a little of both, according to materials included with the announcement, which suggests a topic could be "an aspect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act playing out in your community or subject specialty, or the impact of particular evidence-based treatments on health outcomes, or an analysis of a health care organization’s performance, using public data sets."

Newsrooms for which the fellows work need to commit to publish or air their work. Freelancers will also need to have that commitment from a news source. Guidance is provided by AHCJ fellowship leaders through seminars on health care systems, conference calls and email consultations. The fellowship covers the cost of attending the seminars and conferences, and a project allowance is available. Application deadline: Nov. 9, 2012. (Read more)

Here are some examples of the work done by those awarded fellowships in 2012:
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CaldWELL County group campaigns for smoking ban

A committee dedicated to the wellness of Caldwell County, which makes the most of the county's name, is pushing for a smoking ban. The CaldWELL Committee's internal acronym stands for Wellness Education through Local Leadership, and members did some of that Tuesday when the group asked the county Fiscal Court for an ordinance banning cigarette smoking indoors in public buildings. The group was joined by representatives from the local health department, housing authority, Extension office, law enforcement, education, emergency services, mental health, senior services and other public and private agencies, reports Jared Nelson of The Times Leader.

The committee has been collecting survey data from residents about their health perceptions and needs. Their request to the fiscal court is a direct result of that data, said Allison Beshear, health educator and public information officer with the Pennyrile District Health Department. In Caldwell County, about 27 percent of adults are identified as smokers. That number is down from 34 percent reported in the results of a 2008-10 survey. The Times-Leader is behind a paywall. To credit an account, go here.
A committee dedicated to the wellness of Caldwell County, which makes the most of the county's name, is pushing for a smoking ban. The CaldWELL Committee's internal acronym stands for Wellness Education through Local Leadership, and members did some of that Tuesday when the group asked the county Fiscal Court for an ordinance banning cigarette smoking indoors in public buildings. The group was joined by representatives from the local health department, housing authority, Extension office, law enforcement, education, emergency services, mental health, senior services and other public and private agencies, reports Jared Nelson of The Times Leader.

The committee has been collecting survey data from residents about their health perceptions and needs. Their request to the fiscal court is a direct result of that data, said Allison Beshear, health educator and public information officer with the Pennyrile District Health Department. In Caldwell County, about 27 percent of adults are identified as smokers. That number is down from 34 percent reported in the results of a 2008-10 survey. The Times-Leader is behind a paywall. To credit an account, go here.
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Understanding FIP virulence

Chang HW, Egberink HF, Halpin R, Spiro DJ and Rottier PJ. Spike protein fusion peptide and feline coronavirus virulence. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012; 18: 1089-95. [free, full text article]
 
Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses known for their potential to change their cellular tropism. Tropism refers to the specificity of a virus for a particular host tissue, determined in part by the interaction of viral surface structures with receptors present on the surface of unique host cell (e.g., endothelial cells, macrophages). Whether tropism switching leads to cross-species transmission as happened with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) jumping from bats to humans or, as in the case of feline coronaviruses, switching leads from a relatively low virulence enteric virus (FECV) to a systemic pathogenetic form (FIPV), it is clear that this family of viruses is an important public health concern and feline pathogen. In the case of FECV, identifying the genetic mutation(s) leading to this tropism switching still remains a quandary for researchers, veterinarians, and cat owners alike.

The researchers in this study compared full genome sequenced data from 11 viruses in each pathotype and identified the most distinctive site(s) by further refining sequence variation between the two pathotypes around those site(s). Two putative sites that both code for regions in the fusion peptide domain of the spike protein were found to distinguish FECV from FIPV, accounting for > 95% of cases. The S protein functions in cell entry via receptor attachment (involving the N terminus) and membrane fusion (membrane-proximal domain). These researchers further speculate that these two mutations in addition to other mutations likely within the accessory 3c gene account for switching to the virulent FIPV form. [GO]

See also: Pedersen NC, Liu H, Scarlett J, et al. Feline infectious peritonitis: Role of the feline coronavirus 3c gene in intestinal tropism and pathogenicity based upon isolates from resident and adopted shelter cats. Virus Research. 2012; 165: 17-28.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Chang HW, Egberink HF, Halpin R, Spiro DJ and Rottier PJ. Spike protein fusion peptide and feline coronavirus virulence. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012; 18: 1089-95. [free, full text article]
 
Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses known for their potential to change their cellular tropism. Tropism refers to the specificity of a virus for a particular host tissue, determined in part by the interaction of viral surface structures with receptors present on the surface of unique host cell (e.g., endothelial cells, macrophages). Whether tropism switching leads to cross-species transmission as happened with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) jumping from bats to humans or, as in the case of feline coronaviruses, switching leads from a relatively low virulence enteric virus (FECV) to a systemic pathogenetic form (FIPV), it is clear that this family of viruses is an important public health concern and feline pathogen. In the case of FECV, identifying the genetic mutation(s) leading to this tropism switching still remains a quandary for researchers, veterinarians, and cat owners alike.

The researchers in this study compared full genome sequenced data from 11 viruses in each pathotype and identified the most distinctive site(s) by further refining sequence variation between the two pathotypes around those site(s). Two putative sites that both code for regions in the fusion peptide domain of the spike protein were found to distinguish FECV from FIPV, accounting for > 95% of cases. The S protein functions in cell entry via receptor attachment (involving the N terminus) and membrane fusion (membrane-proximal domain). These researchers further speculate that these two mutations in addition to other mutations likely within the accessory 3c gene account for switching to the virulent FIPV form. [GO]

See also: Pedersen NC, Liu H, Scarlett J, et al. Feline infectious peritonitis: Role of the feline coronavirus 3c gene in intestinal tropism and pathogenicity based upon isolates from resident and adopted shelter cats. Virus Research. 2012; 165: 17-28.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Infections, other safety issues plague hospitals, maybe more so when nursing is cut; here's a good series on it

The Centers for Disease Control has reported that nearly 1 million patient-safety incidents, including infections that patients acquired in hospitals, occurred among Medicare patients over the years 2006, 2007, 2008. In all, the incidents -- which represented 2.3 percent of Medicare admissions -- were associated with $8.9 billion in costs. One of every 10 patients involved died as a result, the "HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals" study reported.

Financially squeezed hospitals should be careful about reducing nursing staff, because the fewer such staff they have, the more likely they are to have a patient-safety incident, says Kevin Kavanagh, a Somerset doctor and board chairman of Health Watch USA, in "Moving Healthcare Quality Forward with Nursing-Sensitive Value-Based Purchasing," an article in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Kavanagh explains that research has shown that adverse events in hospitals and any subsequent mortality "are highly dependent on nurse staffing levels and skill mix." He cites studies in which nurse staffing levels were a clear indicator of whether or not patient-safety accidents or "sentinel" events occurred. (Examples of "sentinel" events include falls, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, postoperative infections, pneumonia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, shock and cardiac arrest.)

Kavanagh's article notes that nursing is at serious risk from being cut in cost-driven healthcare delivery systems. He is quick to point out the dangers and financial costs of making that cut. (To read the study, go here.)

So, how to report on this issue? In 2011, The Las Vegas Sun revealed that during the second half of 2009 area hospitals had reported 44 preventable hospital injuries or hospital-acquired infections when, in fact, those facilities had experienced 342 such events. That revelation led the paper's staff to take on the issue of hospital accountability in an award-winning five-part series, "Do No Harm: Hospital Care in Las Vegas." When all was said and done, the newspaper not only unearthed repeated incidences where the hospitals' own records did not reconcile with what they reported to the state, but showed lawmakers and health-care professionals how to properly disclose the incidence of patient infection and accidents. Their work eventually forced Nevada lawmakers to pass legislation that requires hospital records in two of the state's largest counties to be transparent, consumer-friendly and readily available on the state's Health and Human Services Department website. (To read their remarkable work, go here.)

Health Watch USA will host its annual conference in Lexington on Nov. 9 at The Four Points Sheraton, 1938 Stanton Way. Cost is $35 including lunch. Over 6 hours of continuing education credits have been approved for doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and human resource managers  For more information or registration, go to www.healthconference.org.
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that nearly 1 million patient-safety incidents, including infections that patients acquired in hospitals, occurred among Medicare patients over the years 2006, 2007, 2008. In all, the incidents -- which represented 2.3 percent of Medicare admissions -- were associated with $8.9 billion in costs. One of every 10 patients involved died as a result, the "HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals" study reported.

Financially squeezed hospitals should be careful about reducing nursing staff, because the fewer such staff they have, the more likely they are to have a patient-safety incident, says Kevin Kavanagh, a Somerset doctor and board chairman of Health Watch USA, in "Moving Healthcare Quality Forward with Nursing-Sensitive Value-Based Purchasing," an article in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Kavanagh explains that research has shown that adverse events in hospitals and any subsequent mortality "are highly dependent on nurse staffing levels and skill mix." He cites studies in which nurse staffing levels were a clear indicator of whether or not patient-safety accidents or "sentinel" events occurred. (Examples of "sentinel" events include falls, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, postoperative infections, pneumonia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, shock and cardiac arrest.)

Kavanagh's article notes that nursing is at serious risk from being cut in cost-driven healthcare delivery systems. He is quick to point out the dangers and financial costs of making that cut. (To read the study, go here.)

So, how to report on this issue? In 2011, The Las Vegas Sun revealed that during the second half of 2009 area hospitals had reported 44 preventable hospital injuries or hospital-acquired infections when, in fact, those facilities had experienced 342 such events. That revelation led the paper's staff to take on the issue of hospital accountability in an award-winning five-part series, "Do No Harm: Hospital Care in Las Vegas." When all was said and done, the newspaper not only unearthed repeated incidences where the hospitals' own records did not reconcile with what they reported to the state, but showed lawmakers and health-care professionals how to properly disclose the incidence of patient infection and accidents. Their work eventually forced Nevada lawmakers to pass legislation that requires hospital records in two of the state's largest counties to be transparent, consumer-friendly and readily available on the state's Health and Human Services Department website. (To read their remarkable work, go here.)

Health Watch USA will host its annual conference in Lexington on Nov. 9 at The Four Points Sheraton, 1938 Stanton Way. Cost is $35 including lunch. Over 6 hours of continuing education credits have been approved for doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and human resource managers  For more information or registration, go to www.healthconference.org.
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Medicaid managed-care firm files suit, alleging the state's rush job resulted in unreliable financial information for bidders

Medicaid managed-care company Kentucky Spirit alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that Gov. Steve Beshear so hurriedly privatized the service last year that he gave incorrect cost information to the bidders. The company said it relied on the bad information and thus has lost $120 million since its work began a year ago.

John Cheves of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Kentucky Spirit had hoped that it could let its contract terminate a year earlier than scheduled without paying the damages that Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Haynes has now said the state will pursue. Cheves writes that Kentucky Spirit says they relied on a "data book" -- what managed-care companies used to estimate costs in their bids -- prepared by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. (Read more)

Medicaid managed-care company Kentucky Spirit alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that Gov. Steve Beshear so hurriedly privatized the service last year that he gave incorrect cost information to the bidders. The company said it relied on the bad information and thus has lost $120 million since its work began a year ago.

John Cheves of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Kentucky Spirit had hoped that it could let its contract terminate a year earlier than scheduled without paying the damages that Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Haynes has now said the state will pursue. Cheves writes that Kentucky Spirit says they relied on a "data book" -- what managed-care companies used to estimate costs in their bids -- prepared by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. (Read more)

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Chiropractic vs. Medical Management of Scoliosis: Let's Look at the Numbers


By Mark Studin, DC, FASBE(C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
For more than 100 years, chiropractors have been treating adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Both myself and my colleagues, current and former, have realized and reported within the profession remarkable and often dramatic positive results.
But only recently has the viability of chiropractic treatment for scoliosis been documented through research and reported in the indexed medical literature.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown. Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to straighten severe cases of scoliosis."1
Scoliosis xraysThree-dimensional lateral curvatures of the spine affect 2-3 percent of the adolescent population.2Utilizing 2000 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the number of adolescents in the United States is 41,747,962. If 2.5 percent of all adolescents have scoliosis based on the 2-3 percent estimate, this equates to 1,043,699 (1.04 million) children facing issues as a result of scoliosis.3 Yet keep in mind that "only 10% of adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis have curve progression requiring medical intervention."4
Lou, et al., state: "Brace (orthotic) treatment is recommended for growing children with curves of 25-45 [degrees] Cobb angle. Surgery is the final treatment option for curves greater than 45° and its goals are to obtain safe correction, to produce a solid spinal fusion of the curve region, and to bring the spine and body into a more balanced position."2However, they conclude, "Although brace treatment for scoliosis has been used for more than fifty years, its effectiveness is still debatable. ... Most studies used the amount of curve progression (as measured by the Cobb angle) to determine the effectiveness of brace treatment. Some defined success as 5° or less curve progression."2
Bracing in adolescent males had unsuccessful results in 76 percent of the cases, with 46 percent requiring surgery for idiopathic scoliosis.2 The overall surgical rate for failed bracing was 23 percent when used as a treatment for idiopathic scoliosis.6 "A retrospective review of 16,536 individual costs and charges, including overall reimbursements, for 125 consecutive patients who were managed surgically for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by three different surgeons between 2006 and 2007.... The mean age of the patients was 15.2 years." Costs ranged from $29,995 to $33,652, averaging $31,832.50 per case.7
The total number of hospital discharges in 2009 for idiopathic scoliosis for children under 18 years of age was 6,709. However, the estimated number of children undergoing spinal fusion was 38,000, with 85 percent being a result of idiopathic scoliosis. That means the total number of children being operated on is 32,300, with a national price tag of more than $1 billion ($1,028,189,750).
Scoliosis bracing is estimated to be used for 30,000 children. If we take the same statistic of 85 percent for idiopathic scoliosis, the approximate number of children braced for idiopathic scoliosis is 25,500. According to MG Labs, a prosthetic and orthotic lab in New York, the national average cost of a thoracolumbosacral orthosis is $2,100. That places the national cost for bracing at over $53 million ($53,550,000).
The estimated number of physician visits for scoliosis is 600,000.9 Again, if we take the 85 percent statistic for idiopathic scoliosis, the number of physician visits is 510,000. Omitting X-rays, MRIs and other required services for scoliosis, the average cost for a doctor's visit is conservatively $100, averaging both primary and specialist care. This would be for a range of E&M codes for initial visits including 99203-99204 and 99205. The national price tag is thus $51 million. (Note: For this review, we aren't considering the negative sequellae of radiation exposure for tracking the scoliosis as the adolescent matures.)
While allopathic medicine is still entrenched in the debatable practice of bracing and eventual surgery with the inevitable progression of scoliosis, there are proven solutions. A 2011 study concluded that as a result of chiropractic spinal adjusting and chiropractic spinal manipulation, a thoracolumbar curvature (scoliosis) averaged a 17.2° reduction that was maintained for 24 months, the length of the study. Across all spinal groups, an average 10° reduction persisted for 24 months, again the length of the study. It was also concluded that pain scales reduced by 60 percent at 24 months and function improved by 70 percent, while respiratory capacity increased by 7 percent.10
The real issue is that if adolescents have their curvatures reduced by between 10° and 17.2°, then a significant amount of bracing and surgery will no longer be an option because it will not be indicated. As bracing has been deemed questionable in the literature and now the literature reflects chiropractic as a highly effective modality, the standard of care across professions should be chiropractic care for scoliosis as the first-line treatment option and should be standardized in every discipline.
Considering the overall national cost of idiopathic scoliosis of $1,132,739,750 ($1.13 billion), excluding imaging studies and the research results on chiropractic care, the conclusion is that as a society our money can be better spent while simultaneously helping our children. The question remains, "Will politics and prejudice or facts rule the day?"
References
  1. Scoliosis: Definition. The Mayo Clinic, 2009.
  2. Lou E, Hill D, Hedden D, Mahood J, Moreau M, Raso J. An objective measurement of brace usage for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Medical Engineering and Physics, 2010;33(3):290-294.
  3. ACT for Youth Center of Excellence. U.S. Teen Demographics, 2011.
  4. Lenssinck M, Frijlink AC, Berger MY, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Verkerk K, Verhagen AP. Effect of bracing and other conservative interventions in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents: a systematic review of clinical trials. Physical Therapy,2005;85(12):1329-1339.
  5. Karol LA. Effectiveness of bracing in male patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Spine, 2001;26(18):2001-2005.
  6. Dolan LA, Weinstein SL. Surgical rates after observation and bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: an evidence-based review. Spine, 2007;32(19S):S91-S100.
  7. Kamerlink JR, Quirno M, Auerbach JC, Milby AH, Windsor L, Dean L, Lonner BS. Hospital cost analysis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis correction surgery in 125 consecutive cases. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2010;92 (5:1097-1104.
  8. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 2009 Hospital Stays for Children Only - Principal Only.
  9. National Scoliosis Foundation. Information and Support.
  10. Morningstar M. Outcomes for adult scoliosis patients receiving chiropractic rehabilitation: a 24-month retrospective analysis. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2011;10(3):179-184.

Dr. Mark Studin is a 1981 graduate of New York Chiropractic College. He is the co-founder and former executive director of the New York Chiropractic Council. Currently, he is president of CMCS Management. Contact Dr. Studin with questions and comments regarding this article at drmarks380@aol.com .




About Dr Kevin Lau


Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

By Mark Studin, DC, FASBE(C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
For more than 100 years, chiropractors have been treating adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Both myself and my colleagues, current and former, have realized and reported within the profession remarkable and often dramatic positive results.
But only recently has the viability of chiropractic treatment for scoliosis been documented through research and reported in the indexed medical literature.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown. Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to straighten severe cases of scoliosis."1
Scoliosis xraysThree-dimensional lateral curvatures of the spine affect 2-3 percent of the adolescent population.2Utilizing 2000 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the number of adolescents in the United States is 41,747,962. If 2.5 percent of all adolescents have scoliosis based on the 2-3 percent estimate, this equates to 1,043,699 (1.04 million) children facing issues as a result of scoliosis.3 Yet keep in mind that "only 10% of adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis have curve progression requiring medical intervention."4
Lou, et al., state: "Brace (orthotic) treatment is recommended for growing children with curves of 25-45 [degrees] Cobb angle. Surgery is the final treatment option for curves greater than 45° and its goals are to obtain safe correction, to produce a solid spinal fusion of the curve region, and to bring the spine and body into a more balanced position."2However, they conclude, "Although brace treatment for scoliosis has been used for more than fifty years, its effectiveness is still debatable. ... Most studies used the amount of curve progression (as measured by the Cobb angle) to determine the effectiveness of brace treatment. Some defined success as 5° or less curve progression."2
Bracing in adolescent males had unsuccessful results in 76 percent of the cases, with 46 percent requiring surgery for idiopathic scoliosis.2 The overall surgical rate for failed bracing was 23 percent when used as a treatment for idiopathic scoliosis.6 "A retrospective review of 16,536 individual costs and charges, including overall reimbursements, for 125 consecutive patients who were managed surgically for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by three different surgeons between 2006 and 2007.... The mean age of the patients was 15.2 years." Costs ranged from $29,995 to $33,652, averaging $31,832.50 per case.7
The total number of hospital discharges in 2009 for idiopathic scoliosis for children under 18 years of age was 6,709. However, the estimated number of children undergoing spinal fusion was 38,000, with 85 percent being a result of idiopathic scoliosis. That means the total number of children being operated on is 32,300, with a national price tag of more than $1 billion ($1,028,189,750).
Scoliosis bracing is estimated to be used for 30,000 children. If we take the same statistic of 85 percent for idiopathic scoliosis, the approximate number of children braced for idiopathic scoliosis is 25,500. According to MG Labs, a prosthetic and orthotic lab in New York, the national average cost of a thoracolumbosacral orthosis is $2,100. That places the national cost for bracing at over $53 million ($53,550,000).
The estimated number of physician visits for scoliosis is 600,000.9 Again, if we take the 85 percent statistic for idiopathic scoliosis, the number of physician visits is 510,000. Omitting X-rays, MRIs and other required services for scoliosis, the average cost for a doctor's visit is conservatively $100, averaging both primary and specialist care. This would be for a range of E&M codes for initial visits including 99203-99204 and 99205. The national price tag is thus $51 million. (Note: For this review, we aren't considering the negative sequellae of radiation exposure for tracking the scoliosis as the adolescent matures.)
While allopathic medicine is still entrenched in the debatable practice of bracing and eventual surgery with the inevitable progression of scoliosis, there are proven solutions. A 2011 study concluded that as a result of chiropractic spinal adjusting and chiropractic spinal manipulation, a thoracolumbar curvature (scoliosis) averaged a 17.2° reduction that was maintained for 24 months, the length of the study. Across all spinal groups, an average 10° reduction persisted for 24 months, again the length of the study. It was also concluded that pain scales reduced by 60 percent at 24 months and function improved by 70 percent, while respiratory capacity increased by 7 percent.10
The real issue is that if adolescents have their curvatures reduced by between 10° and 17.2°, then a significant amount of bracing and surgery will no longer be an option because it will not be indicated. As bracing has been deemed questionable in the literature and now the literature reflects chiropractic as a highly effective modality, the standard of care across professions should be chiropractic care for scoliosis as the first-line treatment option and should be standardized in every discipline.
Considering the overall national cost of idiopathic scoliosis of $1,132,739,750 ($1.13 billion), excluding imaging studies and the research results on chiropractic care, the conclusion is that as a society our money can be better spent while simultaneously helping our children. The question remains, "Will politics and prejudice or facts rule the day?"
References
  1. Scoliosis: Definition. The Mayo Clinic, 2009.
  2. Lou E, Hill D, Hedden D, Mahood J, Moreau M, Raso J. An objective measurement of brace usage for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Medical Engineering and Physics, 2010;33(3):290-294.
  3. ACT for Youth Center of Excellence. U.S. Teen Demographics, 2011.
  4. Lenssinck M, Frijlink AC, Berger MY, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Verkerk K, Verhagen AP. Effect of bracing and other conservative interventions in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents: a systematic review of clinical trials. Physical Therapy,2005;85(12):1329-1339.
  5. Karol LA. Effectiveness of bracing in male patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Spine, 2001;26(18):2001-2005.
  6. Dolan LA, Weinstein SL. Surgical rates after observation and bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: an evidence-based review. Spine, 2007;32(19S):S91-S100.
  7. Kamerlink JR, Quirno M, Auerbach JC, Milby AH, Windsor L, Dean L, Lonner BS. Hospital cost analysis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis correction surgery in 125 consecutive cases. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2010;92 (5:1097-1104.
  8. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 2009 Hospital Stays for Children Only - Principal Only.
  9. National Scoliosis Foundation. Information and Support.
  10. Morningstar M. Outcomes for adult scoliosis patients receiving chiropractic rehabilitation: a 24-month retrospective analysis. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2011;10(3):179-184.

Dr. Mark Studin is a 1981 graduate of New York Chiropractic College. He is the co-founder and former executive director of the New York Chiropractic Council. Currently, he is president of CMCS Management. Contact Dr. Studin with questions and comments regarding this article at drmarks380@aol.com .




About Dr Kevin Lau


Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.
Read More


Wellness programs looking good as business investments

Businesses should like these numbers a lot: Invest $1, get $3 back. That's the latest math on the return on employee wellness programs and experts are saying that may just be the start for the financial returns they can expect from targeted prevention efforts. Mark Green of The Lane Report writes that no less of an expert than Dr. William Frist of Nashville -- doctor, policy specialist, former U.S. Senate majority leader and venture capitalist -- has said: “No question in my mind, if we are to invest a dollar to have the greatest value in terms of outcome and results, we should put that dollar in prevention and wellness."

Frist, reports Green, "is a strong advocate of wellness -- as a business practice to adopt and a business sector to be in. Individual doctors, hospitals and the entire healthcare industry need to get involved, he said." Frist broke down for Green what factors most determine how long someone lives: “The numbers break down 30 percent genetic, 5 percent environmental, 15 percent socioeconomic, which is surprising to a lot of people, and then 40 percent behavioral: wellness, prevention. And then what is left (10 percent) is who your doctor is, what hospital you go to, what your emergency room is.” Those numbers  are important to Frist because to impact longevity healthcare spending over time, he said, resources should be on the 40-percent sector: behavior, wellness and prevention. Think smoking programs, weight loss, exercise, nutrition, seatbelt use. (Read more)
Businesses should like these numbers a lot: Invest $1, get $3 back. That's the latest math on the return on employee wellness programs and experts are saying that may just be the start for the financial returns they can expect from targeted prevention efforts. Mark Green of The Lane Report writes that no less of an expert than Dr. William Frist of Nashville -- doctor, policy specialist, former U.S. Senate majority leader and venture capitalist -- has said: “No question in my mind, if we are to invest a dollar to have the greatest value in terms of outcome and results, we should put that dollar in prevention and wellness."

Frist, reports Green, "is a strong advocate of wellness -- as a business practice to adopt and a business sector to be in. Individual doctors, hospitals and the entire healthcare industry need to get involved, he said." Frist broke down for Green what factors most determine how long someone lives: “The numbers break down 30 percent genetic, 5 percent environmental, 15 percent socioeconomic, which is surprising to a lot of people, and then 40 percent behavioral: wellness, prevention. And then what is left (10 percent) is who your doctor is, what hospital you go to, what your emergency room is.” Those numbers  are important to Frist because to impact longevity healthcare spending over time, he said, resources should be on the 40-percent sector: behavior, wellness and prevention. Think smoking programs, weight loss, exercise, nutrition, seatbelt use. (Read more)
Read More


Opportunity for news stories: New federal rules mean all nonprofit hospitals must do a community health needs assessment

It's long been the rule that nonprofit hospitals have had to provide charitable benefits to their community in order to keep their nonprofit status. That's no small matter, given that 60 percent of the nation's almost 3,000 hospitals are nonprofits and those tax benefits equal $12.6 billion annually. The benefits those hospitals provide have usually come in form of care for those unable to afford it, but it's unclear how, and how much, hospitals spend on community benefits has led to increased oversight by the Internal Revenue Service and Congress.

This year, there's a new kink for nonprofit hospitals and one that is important to every community those hospitals serve -- and a golden opportunity for every news outlet that reports on them. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires each nonprofit hospital to conduct a community health needs assessment, which must include a wide variety of community stakeholder input, prioritize needs, and eventually, when completed, be made widely available to the public. As explained by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the assessment does more. It "offers an opportunity for the entire community to work together to collectively improve health." Participants can include health systems, health departments and other government agencies, community organizations, employers, the faith community, the United Way and other non-profits, local funding organizations, academic institutions, and other community leaders.

To read the issue brief and find more resources about the benefit and programs associated with it, go here.
It's long been the rule that nonprofit hospitals have had to provide charitable benefits to their community in order to keep their nonprofit status. That's no small matter, given that 60 percent of the nation's almost 3,000 hospitals are nonprofits and those tax benefits equal $12.6 billion annually. The benefits those hospitals provide have usually come in form of care for those unable to afford it, but it's unclear how, and how much, hospitals spend on community benefits has led to increased oversight by the Internal Revenue Service and Congress.

This year, there's a new kink for nonprofit hospitals and one that is important to every community those hospitals serve -- and a golden opportunity for every news outlet that reports on them. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires each nonprofit hospital to conduct a community health needs assessment, which must include a wide variety of community stakeholder input, prioritize needs, and eventually, when completed, be made widely available to the public. As explained by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the assessment does more. It "offers an opportunity for the entire community to work together to collectively improve health." Participants can include health systems, health departments and other government agencies, community organizations, employers, the faith community, the United Way and other non-profits, local funding organizations, academic institutions, and other community leaders.

To read the issue brief and find more resources about the benefit and programs associated with it, go here.
Read More


Breast cancer awareness: Testing urged, guidelines explained, misconceptions explored

Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2, the
genes most commonly involved in breast
cancer, have up to an 80 percent chance
of getting the disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although Kentucky's breast cancer rate is slightly lower than the nationwide rate, almost 600 women die every year from breast cancer in the Commonwealth. The American Cancer Society predicts approximately 3,160 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Kentucky this year. Early detection and prompt treatment can significantly reduce suffering and death from the disease.

According to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, all health plans serving Kentuckians must, by law, cover mammograms. Medical guidelines strongly recommend that women older than 40 have annual mammograms and women younger than 40 with a family history of breast cancer should also have regular screenings. Through local health departments, the Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program provides breast cancer screenings, mammograms and Pap tests to eligible women in every county. During the 2011 fiscal year, KWCSP provided breast cancer screenings to 14,212 women. Services are provided to low-income women through the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Those women must be uninsured with incomes less than 250 percent of federal poverty guidelines.  For more information about breast cancer or screening services, call your local health department.

There are many misconceptions about the risks of developing breast cancer. Genetics, of course, is a well-documented factor but lifestyle issues have gotten a lot of talk. So what's true? Wendy Chen, MD, MPH, a breast cancer expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard University, tackles some of the more common questions here:

1) Soy may increase the risk of breast cancer returning.
False. Chen, who was part of a study that looked at over 9,500 American and Chinese breast cancer survivors who ate soy every day, says that eating soy may be linked to a lower risk of recurrence of breast cancer.

2) Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer.
True. Dana-Farber researchers found that women who consume one alcoholic drink a day may increase their risk for breast cancer.  Chen and her colleagues analyzed data from over 105,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study. Those who consumed three to six glasses of wine a week were 15 percent more likely to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer. Those who drank fewer than three drinks a week had no increased risk.

3) Fertility treatments increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
False. According to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health, ovulation-inducing fertility treatments like Clomid and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) do not significantly increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

4) Wearing deodorant can increase the risk of breast cancer.
False. According to the National Cancer Institute, there is no conclusive research linking underarm deodorants to breast cancer.

5) The bigger the baby the bigger the risk of getting breast cancer.
Possibly true. “This is a tough one because the research is still evolving,” says Chen. "But the latest research shows that women who have larger babies have more than twice the risk of developing breast cancer than mothers who give birth to smaller infants. Researchers say that having a heavier baby may create a hormonal environment in pregnancy that could lead to the future development of breast cancer. They found that during pregnancy in women who have heavier babies, the ratio of estrogen to anti-estrogen is unusually high. The greater the level of estrogen, the higher the risk of breast cancer. However, Chen emphasizes, women who have larger babies should not panic. There is definitely a need for further research.” (Read more)
Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2, the
genes most commonly involved in breast
cancer, have up to an 80 percent chance
of getting the disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although Kentucky's breast cancer rate is slightly lower than the nationwide rate, almost 600 women die every year from breast cancer in the Commonwealth. The American Cancer Society predicts approximately 3,160 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Kentucky this year. Early detection and prompt treatment can significantly reduce suffering and death from the disease.

According to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, all health plans serving Kentuckians must, by law, cover mammograms. Medical guidelines strongly recommend that women older than 40 have annual mammograms and women younger than 40 with a family history of breast cancer should also have regular screenings. Through local health departments, the Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program provides breast cancer screenings, mammograms and Pap tests to eligible women in every county. During the 2011 fiscal year, KWCSP provided breast cancer screenings to 14,212 women. Services are provided to low-income women through the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Those women must be uninsured with incomes less than 250 percent of federal poverty guidelines.  For more information about breast cancer or screening services, call your local health department.

There are many misconceptions about the risks of developing breast cancer. Genetics, of course, is a well-documented factor but lifestyle issues have gotten a lot of talk. So what's true? Wendy Chen, MD, MPH, a breast cancer expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard University, tackles some of the more common questions here:

1) Soy may increase the risk of breast cancer returning.
False. Chen, who was part of a study that looked at over 9,500 American and Chinese breast cancer survivors who ate soy every day, says that eating soy may be linked to a lower risk of recurrence of breast cancer.

2) Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer.
True. Dana-Farber researchers found that women who consume one alcoholic drink a day may increase their risk for breast cancer.  Chen and her colleagues analyzed data from over 105,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study. Those who consumed three to six glasses of wine a week were 15 percent more likely to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer. Those who drank fewer than three drinks a week had no increased risk.

3) Fertility treatments increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
False. According to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health, ovulation-inducing fertility treatments like Clomid and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) do not significantly increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

4) Wearing deodorant can increase the risk of breast cancer.
False. According to the National Cancer Institute, there is no conclusive research linking underarm deodorants to breast cancer.

5) The bigger the baby the bigger the risk of getting breast cancer.
Possibly true. “This is a tough one because the research is still evolving,” says Chen. "But the latest research shows that women who have larger babies have more than twice the risk of developing breast cancer than mothers who give birth to smaller infants. Researchers say that having a heavier baby may create a hormonal environment in pregnancy that could lead to the future development of breast cancer. They found that during pregnancy in women who have heavier babies, the ratio of estrogen to anti-estrogen is unusually high. The greater the level of estrogen, the higher the risk of breast cancer. However, Chen emphasizes, women who have larger babies should not panic. There is definitely a need for further research.” (Read more)
Read More


Northern Kentucky group forms in response to what some consider 'epidemic' of heroin use in their area

Ashel Kruetzkamp with a vial of Naloxone
HCl, used to treat those who overdose
on heroin. (Photo by Patrick Reddy)
Heroin use is reaching such high levels in Northern Kentucky that experts are calling it "a plague." The problem is so dire that local agencies are coming together to form the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact and Response Workgroup.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Terry DeMio reports that the group includes leaders from St. Elizabeth Healthcare, law enforcement, addiction treatment programs, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and those who have been impacted by heroin. The goal of the group is “to fight, treat and prevent the destructive force of heroin in our community,” said Dr. Jeremy Engel, a family doctor with St. Elizabeth Physicians, Bellevue. Engel spearheaded the effort based on his belief that heroin use in the area has hit “epidemic” levels.

Engel points to first nine months of 2012 when St. Elizabeth Healthcare treated 311 heroin overdose patients in the emergency rooms of its five hospitals. For the same time period in 2011, the heroin overdoses presented in those emergency rooms numbered 186. With help from the chamber, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and others, Engel is forming the task force under the NKY Vision 2015 umbrella. (Read more)
Ashel Kruetzkamp with a vial of Naloxone
HCl, used to treat those who overdose
on heroin. (Photo by Patrick Reddy)
Heroin use is reaching such high levels in Northern Kentucky that experts are calling it "a plague." The problem is so dire that local agencies are coming together to form the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact and Response Workgroup.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Terry DeMio reports that the group includes leaders from St. Elizabeth Healthcare, law enforcement, addiction treatment programs, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and those who have been impacted by heroin. The goal of the group is “to fight, treat and prevent the destructive force of heroin in our community,” said Dr. Jeremy Engel, a family doctor with St. Elizabeth Physicians, Bellevue. Engel spearheaded the effort based on his belief that heroin use in the area has hit “epidemic” levels.

Engel points to first nine months of 2012 when St. Elizabeth Healthcare treated 311 heroin overdose patients in the emergency rooms of its five hospitals. For the same time period in 2011, the heroin overdoses presented in those emergency rooms numbered 186. With help from the chamber, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and others, Engel is forming the task force under the NKY Vision 2015 umbrella. (Read more)
Read More


Cure for cancer developed, but kept a secret to benefit Big Pharma


 
 
 
One of the major issues and diseases that the people are concerned with is the deadly disease, cancer. This issue is something that concerns almost everybody in the world now. This disease has become a common ailment now days and people look for its cure. Every household throughout the world is affected with this serious problem. The health rangers of this sector aim to provide and offer good range of information and knowledge to the individuals all throughout the world so that they can be aware of the diseases, its effects and the cure.


Is Disease just an “ailment”

The big pharmaceutical companies offer their products to the people and have created a monopoly over the market. They refuse any kind of natural remedies or cure that has the power to actually make an individual get rid of this disease. But the big companies are afraid that these natural remedies will take over their market and will destroy their monopoly that has been established by them in the market.

The scientists and researchers of the developed countries like the United States have found ways to treat the disease easily but most of them are reluctant to make the information public.

Big pharmaceutical companies control the media!

The authorities are well aware about the seriousness of cancer and the number of people it affects each and every year and the rising number of lives that it takes away, but just to make money they refuse to divulge this information and share it with the people.

Big pharmaceutical companies control the media, which is a medium of mass communication and through which a lot of facts can come to light. This control helps them to actually keep the cure and the remedy of this disease away from the reach of the general public so that they have to rely on their services. This will help in the growth of their companies and its expansion in the market. It shows that though being in a developed and highly educated and sophisticated country; for these people, money is much more valuable than the lives of general public.


Get educated. Get Natural News today. Get the inside scoop. Detox your body if you’ve been eating GMO. Get free from “free radicals”. Get healthy. Get your pH alkaline. Get smarter. Don’t be fooled by the system, the media, the food lies. Don’t drink fluoridated water. Never eat processed food. Go organic. Go to your local farmer’s market. Make your own garden great! Buy organic seeds. Never feed your kids GMO. Boycott all Fast Food. You can do it! Fry vegetables at home and put them on organic bread if you want a “fried sandwich”. This is the way to live to be 100 and healthy all the while. You can win the health war. Eat organic and avoid Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, IBS, depression and lack of energy. Find out the real YOU and function at the best of your abilities!


Natural News and Natural Health go hand in hand.

 
 
 
One of the major issues and diseases that the people are concerned with is the deadly disease, cancer. This issue is something that concerns almost everybody in the world now. This disease has become a common ailment now days and people look for its cure. Every household throughout the world is affected with this serious problem. The health rangers of this sector aim to provide and offer good range of information and knowledge to the individuals all throughout the world so that they can be aware of the diseases, its effects and the cure.


Is Disease just an “ailment”

The big pharmaceutical companies offer their products to the people and have created a monopoly over the market. They refuse any kind of natural remedies or cure that has the power to actually make an individual get rid of this disease. But the big companies are afraid that these natural remedies will take over their market and will destroy their monopoly that has been established by them in the market.

The scientists and researchers of the developed countries like the United States have found ways to treat the disease easily but most of them are reluctant to make the information public.

Big pharmaceutical companies control the media!

The authorities are well aware about the seriousness of cancer and the number of people it affects each and every year and the rising number of lives that it takes away, but just to make money they refuse to divulge this information and share it with the people.

Big pharmaceutical companies control the media, which is a medium of mass communication and through which a lot of facts can come to light. This control helps them to actually keep the cure and the remedy of this disease away from the reach of the general public so that they have to rely on their services. This will help in the growth of their companies and its expansion in the market. It shows that though being in a developed and highly educated and sophisticated country; for these people, money is much more valuable than the lives of general public.


Get educated. Get Natural News today. Get the inside scoop. Detox your body if you’ve been eating GMO. Get free from “free radicals”. Get healthy. Get your pH alkaline. Get smarter. Don’t be fooled by the system, the media, the food lies. Don’t drink fluoridated water. Never eat processed food. Go organic. Go to your local farmer’s market. Make your own garden great! Buy organic seeds. Never feed your kids GMO. Boycott all Fast Food. You can do it! Fry vegetables at home and put them on organic bread if you want a “fried sandwich”. This is the way to live to be 100 and healthy all the while. You can win the health war. Eat organic and avoid Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, IBS, depression and lack of energy. Find out the real YOU and function at the best of your abilities!


Natural News and Natural Health go hand in hand.
Read More


One of Humana's plans to get 5% more in Medicare payouts under bonus plan that rewards proof of preventive care

The Courier-Journal reports that Louisville-based Humana Inc. will get 5 percent more in Medicare payments and the highest rating for one of its health plans under a government program that is likely improving care for the elderly, according to an analysis. The program provides bonus payments to insurers that limit "how many members are readmitted to the hospital after a discharge, increasing the amount of preventive care and getting acceptable ratings on patient satisfaction surveys, among other criteria," according to the report. Separate analyses by the consulting firm Avalere Health LLC and the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund conclude that the bonus system, created by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is working. It has since been modified by the Obama administration to allow for bigger payments to more plans.
The Courier-Journal reports that Louisville-based Humana Inc. will get 5 percent more in Medicare payments and the highest rating for one of its health plans under a government program that is likely improving care for the elderly, according to an analysis. The program provides bonus payments to insurers that limit "how many members are readmitted to the hospital after a discharge, increasing the amount of preventive care and getting acceptable ratings on patient satisfaction surveys, among other criteria," according to the report. Separate analyses by the consulting firm Avalere Health LLC and the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund conclude that the bonus system, created by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is working. It has since been modified by the Obama administration to allow for bigger payments to more plans.
Read More


Ragdoll cats and kidney disease

Paepe D, Saunders JH, Bavegems V, et al. Screening of ragdoll cats for kidney -disease: a retrospective evaluation. J Small Anim Pract. 2012; 53: 572-7.

A very popular cat breed worldwide is the Ragdoll. Ragdoll breeders often advise clients to watch for future renal disease in their cats. Most of these questions center around potential chronic interstitial nephritis and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). There is minimal scientific evidence regarding risk of renal disease in this breed. The Veterinary Medical College at Ghent University in Belgium performed a retrospective evaluation of Ragdolls screened for renal disease over an 8-year period. The screening methods included abdominal ultrasonography, measurement of serum creatinine and urea concentrations, and genetic testing for the PKD-1 mutation. The study population was made up of 244 Ragdoll cats: 172 females and 72 males.
 
In this study, 8.6% of the screened cats showed ultrasonographic abnormalities that could be compatible with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The suspected CKD cats were significantly older and had significantly higher urea and creatinine concentrations compared to cats with normal ultrasound results. Ragdolls are one of the breeds that have been outcrossed with Persians, so Ragdoll cats could be at risk for PKD. The researchers found a PKD prevalence of less than 3% in the study cats, considerably lower than the 31-42% prevalence of PKD described in European studies of Persians and related cats. Only one PKD-positive and one suspected PKD-positive Ragdoll cat were noted in the last 7 years of the study. This could mean that PKD screening before breeding is effective at eradicating PKD in this breed. All genetically tested cats tested negative for PKD.

In conclusion, almost 10% of this healthy Ragdoll population had ultrasonographic findings compatible with CKD, and PKD occurs at a low prevalence in Ragdoll cats in Belgium and the Netherlands. [VT]

See also: Heiene R, Rumsby G, Ziener M, et al. Chronic kidney disease with three cases of oxalate-like nephrosis in Ragdoll cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery. 2009; 11: 474-80.

More on cat health:
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Paepe D, Saunders JH, Bavegems V, et al. Screening of ragdoll cats for kidney -disease: a retrospective evaluation. J Small Anim Pract. 2012; 53: 572-7.

A very popular cat breed worldwide is the Ragdoll. Ragdoll breeders often advise clients to watch for future renal disease in their cats. Most of these questions center around potential chronic interstitial nephritis and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). There is minimal scientific evidence regarding risk of renal disease in this breed. The Veterinary Medical College at Ghent University in Belgium performed a retrospective evaluation of Ragdolls screened for renal disease over an 8-year period. The screening methods included abdominal ultrasonography, measurement of serum creatinine and urea concentrations, and genetic testing for the PKD-1 mutation. The study population was made up of 244 Ragdoll cats: 172 females and 72 males.
 
In this study, 8.6% of the screened cats showed ultrasonographic abnormalities that could be compatible with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The suspected CKD cats were significantly older and had significantly higher urea and creatinine concentrations compared to cats with normal ultrasound results. Ragdolls are one of the breeds that have been outcrossed with Persians, so Ragdoll cats could be at risk for PKD. The researchers found a PKD prevalence of less than 3% in the study cats, considerably lower than the 31-42% prevalence of PKD described in European studies of Persians and related cats. Only one PKD-positive and one suspected PKD-positive Ragdoll cat were noted in the last 7 years of the study. This could mean that PKD screening before breeding is effective at eradicating PKD in this breed. All genetically tested cats tested negative for PKD.

In conclusion, almost 10% of this healthy Ragdoll population had ultrasonographic findings compatible with CKD, and PKD occurs at a low prevalence in Ragdoll cats in Belgium and the Netherlands. [VT]

See also: Heiene R, Rumsby G, Ziener M, et al. Chronic kidney disease with three cases of oxalate-like nephrosis in Ragdoll cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery. 2009; 11: 474-80.

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Flu Vaccine Study Reveals It To Be Quack Science...

Research Proves That Flu Shots Are Medically Useless
October 21, 2012
Member of the Pastoral Medical Association

Have you been waiting in line to get that needle full of Animal DNA, Human Fetal Tissue From Abortions, Mercury Formaldehyde and many more lovely, life improving ingredients? 
Well you may want to read this post first….

A recent study out of the University of Minnesota (UM) suggests that it isn’t necessary, having found that the two groups most at risk from developing serious complications from the flu, seniors and children, derive little or no benefit from getting flu shots.
Michael Osterholm from the UM Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy analyzed more than 12,000 peer-reviewed studies, documents, transcripts, and notes dating back to the 1930s, and found that there was very little solid evidence that the flu shot provides any real protection for most people.
"We found that current influenza vaccine protection is substantially lower than for most routine recommended vaccines and is suboptimal…we can no longer accept the status quo regarding vaccine research and development." said Osterholm about the findings.”
In Osterholm's opinion, a flu shot should ideally be between 85 and 95 percent effective in all age groups before ever being considered effective and useful. This means that the types of flu shots currently administered to hundreds of millions of Americans every single year are COMPLETE MEDICAL QUACKERY.
Yet even this researcher manipulates the numbers to get results. (Can You Say Unethical?!?!),  He claims efficacy in 60% of those vaccinated, but the facts tell otherwise, as do his own numbers.
When taken in the light of the research that was used for this studies' research, the efficacy associated with influenza vaccine is negligible at best.
In a major study published in Lancet 2011, which involved 13,095 non-vaccinated adults who were monitored to see if they caught influenza, which 357 of them did, in fact, contract influenza resulting in 2.7% infection rate.
The vaccinated group, on the other hand, had an overall infection rate of 1.2%.
So even if you believe this study, and even if you believe all the pro-vaccine hype behind it, the truly "scientific" conclusion from this is rather astonishing:

Flu vaccines only prevent the flu in 1.5 out of every 100 adults injected with the vaccine!
So where does this "60% effective" come from?

This is know as Statistical Manipulation",and it's an old statistical trick that the vaccine industry (and the pharmaceutical industry) uses over and over again to trick people into thinking their useless drugs actually work.
First, you take the 2.7% in the control group who got the flu, and you divide that into the 1.2% in the treatment group who got the flu. This gives you roughly 0.45.
You can then say that 0.45 is "45% of 2.7," and claim that the vaccine therefore results in a "60% decrease" in influenza infections. This then becomes a "60% effectiveness rate" claim.
The overall "60% effectiveness" being claimed from this study comes from adding additional data about vaccine efficacy for children, which returned higher numbers than adults. 
There were other problems with the data for children, however, including one study that showed an increase in influenza rates in the second year after the flu shot.
So when the media (or your doctor, or pharmacist, or CDC official) says these vaccines are "60% effective," this, to the average person, means that of 100 vaccinated people, 60 of them will not get the flu.
However, as you have seen, this is not the case, if you were to 100 adults then 1.5 of them would avoid getting the flu.
In other words, to prevent 60people from getting the flu a total of 4,000 people would have to be immunized!
Or, put another way, flu vaccines do nothing in 98.5% of adults.
But you've probably already noticed that the mainstream media won't dare print this statistical revelation. They would much rather mislead everybody into the utterly false and ridiculous belief that flu vaccines are "60% effective," whatever that means.
As for children and flu shots, well the evidence is lacking at best and what is spewed by those that profit from these vaccines is just parroted from what they have been told or seen, because if they would just read some research they would know things such as: A systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD004879).

How To “Cook The Books” With Statistics!
This little statistical lying technique is very popular in the cancerindustry, too, where these "relative numbers" are used to lie about all sorts of drugs.
You may have heard, for example, that a breast cancer drug is "50% effective at preventing breast cancer!"
 But what does that really mean? It could mean that 2 women out of 100 got breast cancer in the control group, and only 1 woman out of 100 got it in the treatment group. Thus, the drug is only shown to work on 1 out of 100 women. 
But since 1 is 50% of 2, they will spin the store and claim a "50% breast cancer prevention rate!"
And most consumers will buy into this because they don't understand how the medical industry lies with these statistics. So they will think to themselves, "Wow, if I take this medication, there is a 50% chance this will prevent breast cancer for me!"
And yet that's utterly false. In fact, there is only a 1% chance it will prevent breast cancer for you, according to the study.

 Real Protection From The Flu…


Become Pro-Active with your health! Eat more organic fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy veggies, supplement with garlic, colloidal silver, plenty of B vitamins, get plenty of good quality sleep every night and drink plenty of purified, mineral-rich water.

These are just some of the highly effective ways to naturally avoid the flu without risking potentially deadly side effects.

-->
-->



Research Proves That Flu Shots Are Medically Useless
October 21, 2012
Member of the Pastoral Medical Association

Have you been waiting in line to get that needle full of Animal DNA, Human Fetal Tissue From Abortions, Mercury Formaldehyde and many more lovely, life improving ingredients? 
Well you may want to read this post first….

A recent study out of the University of Minnesota (UM) suggests that it isn’t necessary, having found that the two groups most at risk from developing serious complications from the flu, seniors and children, derive little or no benefit from getting flu shots.
Michael Osterholm from the UM Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy analyzed more than 12,000 peer-reviewed studies, documents, transcripts, and notes dating back to the 1930s, and found that there was very little solid evidence that the flu shot provides any real protection for most people.
"We found that current influenza vaccine protection is substantially lower than for most routine recommended vaccines and is suboptimal…we can no longer accept the status quo regarding vaccine research and development." said Osterholm about the findings.”
In Osterholm's opinion, a flu shot should ideally be between 85 and 95 percent effective in all age groups before ever being considered effective and useful. This means that the types of flu shots currently administered to hundreds of millions of Americans every single year are COMPLETE MEDICAL QUACKERY.
Yet even this researcher manipulates the numbers to get results. (Can You Say Unethical?!?!),  He claims efficacy in 60% of those vaccinated, but the facts tell otherwise, as do his own numbers.
When taken in the light of the research that was used for this studies' research, the efficacy associated with influenza vaccine is negligible at best.
In a major study published in Lancet 2011, which involved 13,095 non-vaccinated adults who were monitored to see if they caught influenza, which 357 of them did, in fact, contract influenza resulting in 2.7% infection rate.
The vaccinated group, on the other hand, had an overall infection rate of 1.2%.
So even if you believe this study, and even if you believe all the pro-vaccine hype behind it, the truly "scientific" conclusion from this is rather astonishing:

Flu vaccines only prevent the flu in 1.5 out of every 100 adults injected with the vaccine!
So where does this "60% effective" come from?

This is know as Statistical Manipulation",and it's an old statistical trick that the vaccine industry (and the pharmaceutical industry) uses over and over again to trick people into thinking their useless drugs actually work.
First, you take the 2.7% in the control group who got the flu, and you divide that into the 1.2% in the treatment group who got the flu. This gives you roughly 0.45.
You can then say that 0.45 is "45% of 2.7," and claim that the vaccine therefore results in a "60% decrease" in influenza infections. This then becomes a "60% effectiveness rate" claim.
The overall "60% effectiveness" being claimed from this study comes from adding additional data about vaccine efficacy for children, which returned higher numbers than adults. 
There were other problems with the data for children, however, including one study that showed an increase in influenza rates in the second year after the flu shot.
So when the media (or your doctor, or pharmacist, or CDC official) says these vaccines are "60% effective," this, to the average person, means that of 100 vaccinated people, 60 of them will not get the flu.
However, as you have seen, this is not the case, if you were to 100 adults then 1.5 of them would avoid getting the flu.
In other words, to prevent 60people from getting the flu a total of 4,000 people would have to be immunized!
Or, put another way, flu vaccines do nothing in 98.5% of adults.
But you've probably already noticed that the mainstream media won't dare print this statistical revelation. They would much rather mislead everybody into the utterly false and ridiculous belief that flu vaccines are "60% effective," whatever that means.
As for children and flu shots, well the evidence is lacking at best and what is spewed by those that profit from these vaccines is just parroted from what they have been told or seen, because if they would just read some research they would know things such as: A systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD004879).

How To “Cook The Books” With Statistics!
This little statistical lying technique is very popular in the cancerindustry, too, where these "relative numbers" are used to lie about all sorts of drugs.
You may have heard, for example, that a breast cancer drug is "50% effective at preventing breast cancer!"
 But what does that really mean? It could mean that 2 women out of 100 got breast cancer in the control group, and only 1 woman out of 100 got it in the treatment group. Thus, the drug is only shown to work on 1 out of 100 women. 
But since 1 is 50% of 2, they will spin the store and claim a "50% breast cancer prevention rate!"
And most consumers will buy into this because they don't understand how the medical industry lies with these statistics. So they will think to themselves, "Wow, if I take this medication, there is a 50% chance this will prevent breast cancer for me!"
And yet that's utterly false. In fact, there is only a 1% chance it will prevent breast cancer for you, according to the study.

 Real Protection From The Flu…


Become Pro-Active with your health! Eat more organic fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy veggies, supplement with garlic, colloidal silver, plenty of B vitamins, get plenty of good quality sleep every night and drink plenty of purified, mineral-rich water.

These are just some of the highly effective ways to naturally avoid the flu without risking potentially deadly side effects.

-->
-->



Read More