Taking aspirin at night does more to lower blood pressure than taking it in the morning. First time researchers have ever noticed this. These scientists in Spain divided people with mild hypertension into three groups. Average age 44.
One group took aspirin in the morning. Another took it at night. And the rest took no aspirin at all. Aspirin at night was the clear winner after three months of evaluation. (Just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology)
Many of us find this simple change to be interesting. Some of us have been doing this for many months. With doctors approval.
Aspirin News Update here
Saturday, September 17
Wednesday, September 14
Nursing Shortage not good
Kentucky Nursing Shortage
Texas Nursing Shortage
Scotland, UK Nursing Shortage
New Zealand Nursing Shortage
These links are just four from over forty news items concerning the worldwide nursing shortage. Its a proven fact this shortage can endanger the welfare of patients. I couldn't help but notice most nurses were older as I visited a nearby hospital. I mentioned this to an older RN on duty that day and she told me her daughter had just finished college and was working a computer job for more money and better benefits than she was earning after all these years as a caring RN. So, maybe its about the money. For one thing.
Another thing is mentioned in the Texas report above. There aren't enough nursing schools with sufficient faculty to meet the increasing demand. Can you imagine Texas turning away 4,200 people who applied to nursing programs ? That was a couple years ago. Its more like 5,000 last year. Everyone of them was needed and would have been hired in a heartbeat. IF they could have been trained. Where are the teachers? Some have retired, others went to private sector for more money.
The bottleneck is the lack of faculty in this case. Not the lack of willing students. Good jobs waiting if they could only receive training. If only there were more teachers ~!
Nationally, the shortages are continuing to mount. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that registered nurses will be the fastest-growing occupation by 2012.
The New Zealand report above mentions five nursing vacancies amongst the Mental Health staff. And that is why six beds have to remain empty out of 31. It doesn't help that Mental Health nurses are paid less than general nurses. Why would that be ?
The Scotland report above mentions the nursing shortage there is affecting patient safety. No doubt it would. What can any of us do to help? Two of my family were nurses and I always respected that. One way the nursing shortage affected them was in working overtime so much. I saw first hand the weariness this caused and wondered how do they expect nurses to be on top of things when they are weary to the bone.
Texas Nursing Shortage
Scotland, UK Nursing Shortage
New Zealand Nursing Shortage
These links are just four from over forty news items concerning the worldwide nursing shortage. Its a proven fact this shortage can endanger the welfare of patients. I couldn't help but notice most nurses were older as I visited a nearby hospital. I mentioned this to an older RN on duty that day and she told me her daughter had just finished college and was working a computer job for more money and better benefits than she was earning after all these years as a caring RN. So, maybe its about the money. For one thing.
Another thing is mentioned in the Texas report above. There aren't enough nursing schools with sufficient faculty to meet the increasing demand. Can you imagine Texas turning away 4,200 people who applied to nursing programs ? That was a couple years ago. Its more like 5,000 last year. Everyone of them was needed and would have been hired in a heartbeat. IF they could have been trained. Where are the teachers? Some have retired, others went to private sector for more money.
The bottleneck is the lack of faculty in this case. Not the lack of willing students. Good jobs waiting if they could only receive training. If only there were more teachers ~!
Nationally, the shortages are continuing to mount. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that registered nurses will be the fastest-growing occupation by 2012.
The New Zealand report above mentions five nursing vacancies amongst the Mental Health staff. And that is why six beds have to remain empty out of 31. It doesn't help that Mental Health nurses are paid less than general nurses. Why would that be ?
The Scotland report above mentions the nursing shortage there is affecting patient safety. No doubt it would. What can any of us do to help? Two of my family were nurses and I always respected that. One way the nursing shortage affected them was in working overtime so much. I saw first hand the weariness this caused and wondered how do they expect nurses to be on top of things when they are weary to the bone.
Myth: drink 8 cups water daily
How often we now see people with bottled water in their hand as they walk around, go shopping, or just sit in the yard. One lady could not attend a one hour meeting of ours without bringing (and sipping) her bottle of water. Some of us older folk find this hard to understand. We and our family and friends have lived well all these years without ever carrying a bottle of water around. Not even when some of us were avid joggers all year long.
The bottled water folk are sure we must have been (and still are) dehydrated..!!
A related issue that comes up is the dire need of drinking 8 cups of water daily. Here we are living well all these years and have never done this. Drink water...yes. More so when thirsty...yes. But eight cups every day regardless?
I have looked and looked over the years for the proof we need to drink 8 cups of water daily. And have not found it. The reason I mention this now is because The Harvard Medical College Health newsletter (email) arrived today and reminded me of this very subject.
They too have looked for proof we need to drink 8 cups of water daily and could not find it. Imagine that. Let me give you a sample paragraph from this Health letter:
"More recently, a kidney specialist at Dartmouth Medical School searched the scientific literature for studies that might support the idea that people need 8 glasses of fluid a day. Not only did he determine that no such evidence exists, but concluded that the research that has been done "strongly suggests that such large amounts are not needed"
If you would like to read more why not subscribe to Harvards free Healthbeat eletter. I have to pay for some of their research but this publication regularly arrives free of cost.
Subscribe Harvards Healthbeat here
And you can read todays edition here.
The bottled water folk are sure we must have been (and still are) dehydrated..!!
A related issue that comes up is the dire need of drinking 8 cups of water daily. Here we are living well all these years and have never done this. Drink water...yes. More so when thirsty...yes. But eight cups every day regardless?
I have looked and looked over the years for the proof we need to drink 8 cups of water daily. And have not found it. The reason I mention this now is because The Harvard Medical College Health newsletter (email) arrived today and reminded me of this very subject.
They too have looked for proof we need to drink 8 cups of water daily and could not find it. Imagine that. Let me give you a sample paragraph from this Health letter:
"More recently, a kidney specialist at Dartmouth Medical School searched the scientific literature for studies that might support the idea that people need 8 glasses of fluid a day. Not only did he determine that no such evidence exists, but concluded that the research that has been done "strongly suggests that such large amounts are not needed"
If you would like to read more why not subscribe to Harvards free Healthbeat eletter. I have to pay for some of their research but this publication regularly arrives free of cost.
Subscribe Harvards Healthbeat here
And you can read todays edition here.
Fat Couch Potato Kids
Some new research adds to what makes kids fat. Usually we hear about the lack of exercise and eating too much causing many to become obese. It seems the number of children becoming obese has doubled in last few years. We see proof of this walking up and down our streets. At least they are walking.
This latest report mentions something worse than lack of exercise and eating too much. Its called Television.
You can help children avoid getting fat by limiting their TV viewing. In some ways children watching too much TV are getting fatter and fatter regardless of exercise or what they eat. These researchers observed 1,000 children between age 3 and age 15.
Those who watched the most TV were also the ones most obese. Especially the girls.
They used BMI (body mass index) -- an indicator of body fat -- to identify obese and overweight kids.
I once asked a parent who was complaining about her kids becoming fat couch potatos, " Why don't you just turn it off and let them go out and play ball or something?" Or even go walking together. She said the TV was her baby sitter and it was the best she could do. Poor kids. Poor parents. So many are addicted to this Plug-In Drug.
If you don't think its addicting........try stopping it for a few days. Pull the plug. Then you'll know more about its power over both children and parents. No wonder obesity amongst children has doubled.
TV couch potato report
One more
This latest report mentions something worse than lack of exercise and eating too much. Its called Television.
You can help children avoid getting fat by limiting their TV viewing. In some ways children watching too much TV are getting fatter and fatter regardless of exercise or what they eat. These researchers observed 1,000 children between age 3 and age 15.
Those who watched the most TV were also the ones most obese. Especially the girls.
They used BMI (body mass index) -- an indicator of body fat -- to identify obese and overweight kids.
I once asked a parent who was complaining about her kids becoming fat couch potatos, " Why don't you just turn it off and let them go out and play ball or something?" Or even go walking together. She said the TV was her baby sitter and it was the best she could do. Poor kids. Poor parents. So many are addicted to this Plug-In Drug.
If you don't think its addicting........try stopping it for a few days. Pull the plug. Then you'll know more about its power over both children and parents. No wonder obesity amongst children has doubled.
TV couch potato report
One more
Tuesday, September 13
Vitamin C fights Cancer ?
We have read research reports of Vitamin C fighting cancer for the last 40 years. And we also have read reports where it does not. Some say yes, some say no. What do you say?
Click here and read a report in todays MedlinePlus confirming large doses of Vitamin C do have anti-cancer powers.
So how do they explain some clinical tests were pro Vitamin C fighting cancer and some clinical tests were anti vitamin c fighting cancer ? The research against vitamin c used oral forms. And this research today went back and repeated some of the original pro research that used both oral and intravenous vitamin c.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found vitamin c ascorbate killed cancer cells at high doses which requires intravenous infusion. And normal cells were not adversely affected at any size dose.
These high intravenous doses of ascorbate led to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, a cancer killing chemical.
Vitamin C cancer update here
Click here and read a report in todays MedlinePlus confirming large doses of Vitamin C do have anti-cancer powers.
So how do they explain some clinical tests were pro Vitamin C fighting cancer and some clinical tests were anti vitamin c fighting cancer ? The research against vitamin c used oral forms. And this research today went back and repeated some of the original pro research that used both oral and intravenous vitamin c.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found vitamin c ascorbate killed cancer cells at high doses which requires intravenous infusion. And normal cells were not adversely affected at any size dose.
These high intravenous doses of ascorbate led to the formation of hydrogen peroxide, a cancer killing chemical.
Vitamin C cancer update here
Monday, September 12
Hearing Loss. Aging Ears on young people
A young friend showed me a car trunk full of expensive music equipment that produced those loud sounds they love and we shun. I asked about his ears and the possibility of hearing loss. Not concerned. I asked about Acne troubles so many teens have and that was a concern..!!
Check out a couple links here and learn more about the very real danger of hearing loss amongst our young people. The baby boomers have already found this out the hard way. Even President Clinton had to get fitted for hearing aids a few years ago.
Ear doctors tell us most of this damage from continual loud sound is not reversible. Tell that to one young fella that denied this could happen. "And if it does, they will have a way to fix it by the time I get older." Its great to be young. Nothing to worry about. Postpone it all to the future and then fall back on the hope medical science will come up with something to restore their aging ears to young ones again.
MP3 players can damage your hearing more than popular Walkmans and CD players.
The National Health Interview Survey revealed hearing loss increased 26% in people 46 to 64.
And 17% in people 18 to 44.
My young friend said the music has to be loud to do any good. Going without it was impossible. And turning it down to levels us older folk could accept would not work either. He tried that and was not happy. It seems many younger folk need this almost like the druggie needs more drugs. It appears to be something addictive and controlling.
The Pediatrics journal estimates over 5 Million children between ages of 6 to 19 have hearing loss that is ' noise-induced.'
Young people with Aging Ears will be more common. The loss of hearing associated with age is moving down the ladder to the younger generation.
Read Hearing Loss News here
More News here
Check out a couple links here and learn more about the very real danger of hearing loss amongst our young people. The baby boomers have already found this out the hard way. Even President Clinton had to get fitted for hearing aids a few years ago.
Ear doctors tell us most of this damage from continual loud sound is not reversible. Tell that to one young fella that denied this could happen. "And if it does, they will have a way to fix it by the time I get older." Its great to be young. Nothing to worry about. Postpone it all to the future and then fall back on the hope medical science will come up with something to restore their aging ears to young ones again.
MP3 players can damage your hearing more than popular Walkmans and CD players.
The National Health Interview Survey revealed hearing loss increased 26% in people 46 to 64.
And 17% in people 18 to 44.
My young friend said the music has to be loud to do any good. Going without it was impossible. And turning it down to levels us older folk could accept would not work either. He tried that and was not happy. It seems many younger folk need this almost like the druggie needs more drugs. It appears to be something addictive and controlling.
The Pediatrics journal estimates over 5 Million children between ages of 6 to 19 have hearing loss that is ' noise-induced.'
Young people with Aging Ears will be more common. The loss of hearing associated with age is moving down the ladder to the younger generation.
Read Hearing Loss News here
More News here
Sunday, September 11
Doctors, Medical Workers: Katrina Heroes
Disasters always spawn heroes.
On Sept. 11, 2001, many of them wore dark blue uniforms that said FDNY.
On Sept. 1, 2005, many wore hospital scrubs that said MD, RN and EMT. Thousands of health care workers stayed with patients in devastated hospitals after the storm struck.
Doctors, medical workers are Katrina’s heroes
Just one example:
And Dr. Lee Garvey, 48, an emergency room doctor at Carolinas Medical Center who dropped everything to staff a state-of-the-art mobile hospital that provided the only trauma care for seven devastated counties in rural Mississippi.
“We’re here because this is what we live to do,” Garvey said, “trying to offer something to these people.”
Read more here.
On Sept. 11, 2001, many of them wore dark blue uniforms that said FDNY.
On Sept. 1, 2005, many wore hospital scrubs that said MD, RN and EMT. Thousands of health care workers stayed with patients in devastated hospitals after the storm struck.
Doctors, medical workers are Katrina’s heroes
Just one example:
And Dr. Lee Garvey, 48, an emergency room doctor at Carolinas Medical Center who dropped everything to staff a state-of-the-art mobile hospital that provided the only trauma care for seven devastated counties in rural Mississippi.
“We’re here because this is what we live to do,” Garvey said, “trying to offer something to these people.”
Read more here.
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