Quit smoking: Strategies to help you quit

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/quit-smoking/art-20045452

Common nutrient may play role in heart issues

Low-dose aspirin might counteract the effect of a compound normally found in eggs and meat, a new study suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nutrient-choline-eggs-meat-linked-to-blood-clotting-heart-disease/

Quit smoking: Strategies to help you quit

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/quit-smoking/art-20045452

School helps teens fight opioids, substance abuse

“There’s a place in every community for a school like this"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hope-academy-school-helps-teens-fight-opioids-drug-alcohol-addiction/

Can you walk your way to better brain health?

The foot’s impact while walking has a direct impact on blood supply to the brain, a new ultrasound study found

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/walk-your-way-to-better-brain-health/

FDA Warns 14 Companies on Bogus Cancer 'Cures'

Warning letters issued for treatments sold without approval mainly on websites and in social media

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20170425/fda-warns-14-companies-on-bogus-cancer-cures?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Opioid-Related Deaths Might Be Underestimated: CDC

Death certificates from drug-linked infections may not label painkillers as possible cause

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20170425/opioid-related-deaths-might-be-underestimated-cdc?src=RSS_PUBLIC

'Mindfulness' Probably Won't Cure Your Back Pain

But one specialist still isn't ruling out this complementary therapy

From: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20170425/mindfulness-probably-wont-cure-your-back-pain-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Routine Tests Urged for Preeclampsia

Expert panel recommends blood-pressure check at every prenatal visit

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20170425/routine-tests-urged-for-pregnancy-complication-preeclampsia?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Is a Low-Salt Diet Always Healthy?

Study claims current guidelines are too restrictive when there's sufficient potassium intake

From: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20170425/is-a-low-salt-diet-always-healthy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Public health groups recognize water fluoridation champions

Recognizing the important health benefits of community water fluoridation, the ADA, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention honored leaders, states and community water suppliers at the National Oral Health Conference April 23.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/public-health-groups-recognize-water-fluoridation-champions

ADA water fluoridation staffer earns national public health award

Jane McGinley's first exposure to working in dentistry came during her high school years in rural Illinois, where she worked as an assistant in a local dental office two evenings a week and Saturdays for $1 an hour.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-water-fluoridation-staffer-earns-national-public-health-award

How to talk with your teen about "13 Reasons Why"

"Don't be afraid to have a conversation with your children," one expert says about the popular but disturbing show

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/13-reasons-why-suicide-how-to-talk-with-your-teen-about-netflix-show/

Welcoming Sonny Perdue as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKRiz32Vv4

May JADA looks at oral malignant melanoma prognostic factors

Early and detailed examinations for oral malignant melanoma are critical for improving the survival rate, according to research published in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.


From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/may-jada-looks-at-oral-malignant-melanoma-prognostic-factors

Are you raising an emotional eater?

Calming kids down with food can start a vicious, unhealthy cycle, a new study says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-you-raising-an-emotional-eater/

Are You Raising an 'Emotional Eater'?

Calming kids with food can start a vicious, fattening cycle, study says

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20170425/are-you-raising-an-emotional-eater?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA reaffirms support for Dental and Optometric Care Access Act

The ADA is reaffirming its support for the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act following the National Association of Dental Plan's opposition to the bill.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-reaffirms-support-for-dental-and-optometric-care-access-act

Signing Day at Howard University College of Dentistry

The ADA held a National Signing Day event April 13 at the Howard University College of Dentistry to welcome the Class of 2017.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/signing-day-at-howard-university-college-of-dentistry

Study: Government costs could rise $2.3B without Obamacare payments

Trump has threatened not to fund the payments as part of a governmentwide spending bill, but Democrats are insisting they be included

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-costs-could-rise-2-3b-without-obamacare-payments-study-says/

Mayo Clinic Minute: 4 ideas for smarter shopping

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfs_vzoF7DM

Why vaccines are important for our country’s financial health, too

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

Imagine there was a simple treatment that could be given to babies and toddlers that was not only remarkably effective in preventing illness, but also inexpensive. And imagine that this treatment was not only inexpensive, but also lowered overall health care costs.

There’s no need to imagine; the treatment exists. It’s called immunization.

It’s National Infant Immunization Week, a time to recognize and celebrate immunization. It’s during infancy that we give the most vaccines, but the benefits extend far beyond infancy and beyond those babies. The protection lasts for years, keeping babies safe from vaccine-preventable illnesses as they grow — and, by decreasing the number of sick children who might make others sick, vaccines protect entire communities.

But one aspect of immunization that doesn’t get as much attention is the impact they can have on health care costs. Given that national health expenditures were 17.8% of the Gross Domestic Product in 2015 (nearly $10,000 per person) and are expected to rise more than 5% a year through 2025, we need to pay attention to anything that cuts costs — especially when it cuts costs by preventing illness.

The current recommended immunization schedule calls for babies to get the following vaccines by about 18 months of age (some of these are given as combination vaccines):

• Four doses of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, and pneumococcus
• Three doses of vaccine against polio and hepatitis B
• Two doses of influenza vaccine (possibly three depending on when the child is born)
• One dose of vaccine against measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and hepatitis A

Prevention costs less than treatment

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cost of all of these vaccines is approximately $1,200 if obtained through CDC contracts, and about $1,600 if obtained through private insurance. While this sounds like a chunk of change, it’s nothing compared to the costs of doctor visits or hospitalizations.

The cost of an average doctor’s visit varies, but a sick visit can be $100-$200, more if any tests are needed. Emergency room visits can be several hundred dollars or more. Hospitalizations run in the thousands, sometimes tens of thousands. The average cost of a hospitalization to care for a baby with dehydration from rotavirus (a relatively simple problem) is $3,000-$5,000.

And if a child ends up with any disability from the illness —paralysis from polio, or neurologic problems from encephalitis caused by measles or varicella, or meningitis caused by Haemophilus or pneumococcus — the ongoing costs of treatments and special school services could be quite high.

Why immunization makes financial sense

There are also the costs that occur when parents must stay home to care for a sick child. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage in the U.S. is about $26 an hour. That means that every day off to care for a sick child is a lost $208 in wages, not to mention lost productivity.

It’s true that because vaccines are so effective, there are many fewer cases of vaccine-preventable diseases. This creates a “herd immunity,” meaning that the vaccinated people are protecting the unvaccinated ones; there are fewer of the germs around to catch. But there are still cases — and all it takes is a couple of $20,000 admissions for pertussis, $30,000 admissions for Haemophilus meningitis, or $37,000 heart surgeries for babies with congenital rubella syndrome, to show how vaccination makes good financial sense. And if fewer people vaccinate and the herd immunity breaks down, the costs will grow.

Prevention makes sense, not just for the physical health of our children and all our citizens, but for the financial health of our country, too.

The post Why vaccines are important for our country’s financial health, too appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Claire McCarthy, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-vaccines-are-important-for-our-countrys-financial-health-too-2017042511659

Mid-Life Exercise Could Jog Your Memory

Combination of aerobic, resistance training best for boosting brain health, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20170424/mid-life-exercise-could-jog-your-memory?src=RSS_PUBLIC

WHO Director-General’s statement to high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen

Nearly 19 million people in Yemen are in desperate need of assistance. This is a country that has been battered by conflict for more than two years. This is a country that, before the conflict intensified, was already extremely vulnerable following years of poverty, political unrest, and weak rule of law.

Since the conflict intensified, some 325 attacks have been verified on health facilities, schools, markets, roads, and other infrastructure, added to the challenges and the population’s many causes of misery.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/statements/2017/pledging-event-yemen/en/index.html

Quit smoking: Strategies to help you quit

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/quit-smoking/art-20045452

States with the best child vaccine rates

"It is a very, very sad fact when these kids end up in the hospital​ or dying from a vaccine-preventable disease. They’ve died of ignorance,” doctor says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/states-child-vaccination-rates-mmr-vaccine-dtap-whooping-cough-chickenpox/

Quit smoking: Strategies to help you quit

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/quit-smoking/art-20045452