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Putting a cherry on top of your health
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Food & BeverageTop it off with a cherry or two — or 10. Don't worry, they're healthy. But not the sugary sweet cherries often shot through with additional bright pink color. Not the ones that sit atop an ice cream sundae or are dropped into an alcoholic beverage.
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Smokers can depend on tobacco dependence treatment
Cynthia Sheppard Solomon PharmaceuticalCigarette smoking continues to lead to premature death with almost a half-million smokers dying each year in the U.S. Tobacco use causes numerous preventable diseases, including cancer as well as cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses. A recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings research study and editorial on "Helping Smokers Quit in the 'Real World,'" shows that smokers attempting to quit, using specialist clinics plus prescription medications, had more than 2.5 times the chance for successful abstinence versus unassisted quit attempts. And, using brief advice with prescription medications showed more than a 1.5 chance of successful abstinence compared with unassisted quitting.
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Preventing domestic violence one step at a time
Jessica Taylor Mental HealthcareVice President Joe Biden spoke at the National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence on Friday, and he stated that domestic violence is a public health epidemic. Biden made attendees — including doctors, nurses, social workers, etc. — aware that even though we've come a long way in the fight against domestic violence, we have to keep making sure we're working harder than ever for prevention and intervention.
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NFL’s new concussion rule continues focus on player health
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Sports & FitnessThe National Football League (NFL) adopted a new policy Tuesday that is intended to further protect players from the consequences of continued play when suffering a head injury. The ruling allows for input from athletic trainers in spotting signs of concussion or disorientation, and it enables them to stop play so that the athlete can have further evaluation.
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New treatments on the horizon for rheumatic diseases
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareThe overall prevalence of arthritis and rheumatic diseases in the U.S. alone is a staggering number. It is estimated that more than 52.5 million U.S. adults suffer from some type of arthritis (over 1.3 million from RA, over 5 million from fibromyalgia, and over 27 million from clinical osteoarthritis, among others).
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Affordable Care Act faces more hurdles in coming months
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Affordable Care Act has survived one repeal attempt in the Supreme Court, as well as more than 50 repeal attempts by the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, President Barack Obama's signature legislation faces yet another significant challenge to its existence.
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New research shows progress in the fight against lupus
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces antibodies to cells within the body, leads to widespread inflammation and tissue damage. Although the causes of SLE remain unknown, the disease is believed to be linked to genetic, environmental and hormonal factors, and is marked by periods of illness and remission.
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Providers plan to pursue Medicare’s chronic care management program
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationKryptiq, a Beaverton, Ore.-based developer of population health management technology, conducted a benchmark survey to gauge providers' pursuit of the newly available payments in light of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services starting to reimburse providers last Jan. 1.
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What about those ‘other’ running injuries?
Heidi Dawson Sports & FitnessMost runners will experience an injury at some point in their running career. If you don't, you're either very lucky or very wise with your training and blessed with fantastic form.
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EMR systems generating a new set of problems for nurses
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareOne of the biggest proposed purposes and benefits of the electronic medical record (EMR) was improved patient care and safety. Gone would be the days of "team reading" of illegible doctor's orders — now prescriber orders would be entered directly into the record, removing errors from handwriting and transcription.
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