Aetna CEO on acquisition by CVS, rising health care costs

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini says the health care industry currently works "backwards"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cvs-aetna-acquisition-ceo-mark-bertolini/

Make Chicken Parmesan the Healthy Way

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmsJUEqNK3k

2018 Agricultural Outlook Forum

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xatg1RunoGA

Pediatrician arrested for giving partial vaccine doses; 500 kids possibly affected

As many as 500 children may have been affected

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pediatrician-arrested-for-giving-partial-doses-of-vaccines/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Lose weight by just standing

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW7cDm0lAzc

Infectious Diseases A-Z: Measles cases surge in Europe

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52poPt3zpf8

Drug That Kills Flu in One Day Approved In Japan

Unlike existing flu drugs, such as a Tamiflu, which require patients to take it twice-a-day for 5 days, the Japanese medication is taken in a single dose regardless of age the company said.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180226/drug-that-kills-flu-in-one-day-approved-in-japan?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Active mind/body, healthy mind/body

Spring is just around the corner and if you’re ready to reboot one of your New Year’s resolutions, here’s why exercise should be at the top of the list. Current medical research continues to robustly establish vigorous physical exercise as a major influence on overall health and well-being, in addition helping in the treatment of many diseases including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. A recent study found that regular, intense exercise beneficially influenced the action of 400 genes — that’s right, 400 genes, a huge number — that produce proteins increasing the healthy functioning of mitochondria, the energy-producing machinery inside every cell. Exercise is synergistic with medicines and surgery. Developing, undertaking, and maintaining an exercise regimen is one of the best steps a person can take toward a self-actualized style of medical care.

An exercise “prescription”

We are a physician couple who have been physically active all our lives. We prescribe exercise regularly in our practices (one of us is a neurologist, the other a psychiatrist) and approach it in exactly the same way that we approach prescribing a medication, informing patients of dose and frequency benefits, possible side effects, and mechanisms of action. We describe a concrete regimen of exercise rather than simply saying, “exercise” and leaving it at that. Many patients don’t know how to get started, and specific details about using machines, weights, running, and other techniques prove valuable. Practical details are important, and we take time to answer any and all questions a patient might have. The physician-patient partnership around overall health goals is crucial. As partners, they can work together to include exercise as one tool among many to help achieve good health.

Follow-up is also key to encourage continued elaboration of goals, to educate about the interventions, and to support motivation. An exercise regimen is not static, and for best effect changes organically over time.

We have also found it is important to describe our own exercise experience, as a way of modeling what is possible.

Here’s how we make room for exercise

We have discovered many techniques that help us maintain our exercise routines in the face of the daily demands of busy lives. Here is a partial list.

• On Sunday night, when you think about your week, schedule your exercise just as you plan for work, errands, and other commitments. It’s easier to stick with it when you have concretely planned time.
• Mix it up. Plan different types of exercise to challenge different muscle groups, as research shows us this is the best way to stay in shape and develop endurance and muscle mass.
• Don’t get bogged down if you don’t have a lot of time. Research has demonstrated that intense, short bursts of exercise can be as effective as a longer workout, perhaps more so.
• Get your heart rate up, but watch it recover to baseline too. Wearing some type of heart rate monitor can be helpful.
• Try something new. Winter is a great time to try cross-country skiing. In the summer, why not go for a kayak paddle? Everything physical that you do counts as exercise.
• Find an exercise buddy. That way, if you want to beg off, your partner can motivate you, and vice versa. Our cardinal rule is: never miss your exercise session!
• Consider a consult with a personal trainer. You don’t need to commit to the time or expense of regular meetings, but a one-time consult can be informative and motivating.
• Keep an exercise journal, at least at the start. You will be surprised when you concretely see how much progress you are making (be sure to set goals).

Do remember to get an okay from your PCP before you start. And one last thing — it never fails to motivate us that exercise can decrease your risk of developing cognitive impairment. That thought has us lacing up our running shoes and heading out the door every time. Hope we see you out there.

Sources

Enhanced Protein Translation Underlies Improved Metabolic and Physical Adaptations to Different Exercise Training Modes in Young and Old Humans. Cell Metabolism, March 2017.

Three Minutes of All-Out Intermittent Exercise per Week Increases Skeletal Muscle Oxidative Capacity and Improves Cardiometabolic Health. PLOS One, November 2014.

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In a new online course from Harvard Health Publishing, Starting to Exercise, today’s leading fitness instructors show you workouts that work…the exercises that will help you enjoy a healthier, more vigorous, and longer life. You can access Starting To Exercise on your smart phone, tablet, or desktop computer. With easy log-in and simple-to-navigate screens, this online course is designed for adults of all ages.

The post Active mind/body, healthy mind/body appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Carolyn A. Bernstein, MD, FAHS https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/active-mind-body-healthy-mind-body-2018022613327

Defib Device Boosts Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate

The American Heart Association says that of the more than 350,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside of U.S. hospitals each year, more than 100,000 occur outside the home

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20180226/defib-device-boosts-cardiac-arrest-survival-rate?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Two Healthy Diets Equally Good for Your Heart

On either diet, participants lost about 3 pounds of body fat and about 4 pounds of weight overall. They also had similar decreases in body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20180226/two-healthy-diets-equally-good-for-your-heart?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Aetna CEO on proposed $69 billion acquisition by CVS

New government data shows nearly 29 million Americans do not have health insurance. Twenty-two million of those who do have medical insurance use Aetna. That number could soar if regulators and shareholders approve CVS Health's $69 billion acquisition of the health insurer. Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss how the merger could impact Americans.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/aetna-ceo-on-proposed-69-billion-acquisition-by-cvs/

Concerns over health effects of vaping - and rising use among teens

Researchers say young people who use e-cigarettes are six times more likely as those who have never vaped to later begin smoking

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vaping-health-effects-rising-use-among-teens/

Researchers raise concerns about teens and vaping

A new study found e-cigarettes can potentially release significant amounts of toxic metals in its vapors, which users inhale. Anna Werner spoke to scientists and advocates who are concerned about vaping's growing popularity among teenagers.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/researchers-raise-concerns-about-teens-and-vaping/

A Conversation with Crystal Jackson and Dr. Fran Cogen: Part 1

Recently, our Safe at School Director, Crystal Jackson, got the chance to chat with Fran Cogen, MD, CDE, Director of Diabetes Services and Interim Co-Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital. Dr. Cogen’s practice serves approximately 1,800 patients in the DC/Maryland/Virginia metro area, with 85 percent of those patients living with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Cogen has been working with diabetes patients since 2002 and is also a member of the ADA’s Safe at School Working Group. Crystal and Dr. Cogen spoke about the Safe at School program, diabetes management in schools and how parents can work with schools as a team—check out part one of this interview series that will be helpful to parents, diabetes providers and school staff.

Dr. Fran Cogen

Crystal Jackson: Most of [your patients] are school age. What are some common school diabetes care complaints that you hear from parents?

Fran Cogen, MD, CDE: Let’s start with insulin—sometimes, private schools may refuse to give insulin at school (but that’s happening less and less). Another concern is independence of the student. Many school nurses insist that students go to the clinic to check blood glucose or to receive other diabetes care. Students then often miss class time. That also goes for insulin pumps—some of the nurses feel that the students are not capable of bolusing on their own. In addition, some schools refuse to give glucagon…even if (in some cases) a child is seizing, they call 911 and give glucose gel. Other schools insist that every time the healthcare provider OR the parent/caregiver makes an insulin dose adjustment, we have to send new orders, which is impractical and can result in delaying an insulin dose and the child being able to eat lunch with classmates. Many school nurses take the position that they will not accept parental permission for insulin dose adjustment and require written orders from the student’s provider. This is unnecessary. Parents and self-managing students adjust insulin doses all of the time without input from the child’s provider.

CJ: What is your feeling about the need for provider authorization to make changes? What do you base that change on; for example, do you know what the child has been up to that day?

FC: I don’t personally know the latest insulin adjustments made by the family, but what we do (at least on the Maryland school form) is give permission to adjust the insulin-to-carb ratio at a certain range, and we give them permission to adjust the correction factor to a certain range…a responsible parent is best positioned to make these adjustments.

CJ: Going back to insulin, you mentioned that some of the private schools don’t have anybody to give insulin?

FC: Some schools don’t have nurses. [In those cases,] We ask that they delegate and train a school employee to give insulin—we haven’t seen many problems with that as of late. Of course, with some day care situations, that may be an issue.

CJ: What about public schools in the D.C. area?

FC: I haven’t heard any issues with the public schools in the area giving shots or using pens—what I am hearing are issues with the insulin pumps. They’re not comfortable letting the children manage them. For example, I recently got a call from one family whose child is perfectly capable of adjusting pump settings, and the child was low and knew what to do, but the nurse was trying to change the basal rates which she had no experienced in how to change. The father was very angry and ended up meeting with the principal.

CJ: What do you think could help to address a situation like that?

FC: It is my personal belief that we want someone trained and experienced to handle insulin pumps. Many school nurses—unless they’re insulin pump nurses—usually do not have that experience. I can understand if there’s a problem and [the school] wants to go over it with the parents on the phone, but I don’t feel it’s appropriate for a nurse to be changing pump basal rates, or changing infusion sites if they fall out in school unless they have training, experience and are comfortable with doing so. I don’t want someone who has little experience changing basal rates and replacing infusion sets basal rates in school, especially with the back-up option of giving insulin injections by pen or syringe.

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Interested in learning more about our Safe at School program? Check out our resources here.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2018/02/23/a-conversation-with-crystal-jackson-and-dr-fran-cogen-part-1/

"Moral obligation" to wipe HPV off the face of the planet

Public health experts are sounding the alarm about a rise in cancers caused by the HPV virus. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon Lapook reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/moral-obligation-to-wipe-hpv-off-the-face-of-the-planet/