Archives for November 2010

Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs at Lowest Level Since Tobacco Settlement

November 30, 2010 | by

According to a report recently released by a coalition of public health organizations, states in the U.S. have decreased funding for programs to reduce tobacco use to the lowest level since 1999, when they first received tobacco settlement funds [1].

The coalition includes organizations such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Since the November 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement, these organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether states are keeping their promise to use a significant portion of their settlement funds to address the enormous public health problems posed by tobacco use in the United States.

Map of state funding for tobacco prevention

The Impact of Healthcare Reform – Grand Rounds Call for Submissions

November 30, 2010 | by

Highlight HEALTH will be hosting the next edition of Grand Rounds, 7.11, on Tuesday, December 7th.

Starting in January 2011, you’ll no longer be able to use your flexible spending account for over-the-counter medications unless you have a doctor’s prescription. For this edtion of Grand Rounds, we’d like to focus on the impact of healthcare reform: what are the changes to healthcare delivery, utilization, quality, costs (either as a provider or a patient) or outcomes. After all, these changes affect everyone, whether you’re a healthcare provider, a biomedical researcher and/or a patient. As host, I invite you to send your submissions.

Grand Rounds

What is Grand Rounds?

Grand Rounds is a weekly rotating summary of the best health and medical posts on the Web. Established in 2003, Grand Rounds is the oldest and most popular medical blog carnival on the Internet. Previous editions are listed at Blogborygmi and a calendar of upcoming editions is listed at Better Health.

Submissions are due by Sunday, December 5th at 10:00:00 UTC (6:00pm EST). The theme is “The Impact of Healthcare Reform”. Please use the following format and send your submissions to walter[at]highlighthealth.com.

Submission Format:

Subject line: Grand Rounds submission
Email body:
– Submitted Post Title
– Submitted Post URL
– Submitted Post Description

Receive e-mail notification when Grand Rounds 7.11 is published

About.com Health Study Finds Online Health Advertising Increasingly Helpful

November 29, 2010 | by

Earlier this year, About.com conducted a research study on health, revealing that significantly more people find online health advertisements helpful in coping with diseases and learning about the side effects and safety of medication [1]. The study confirms that people are turning to the Internet to take charge of their health and to better educate themselves about conditions and treatment options.

About.com Health Study

Vitamin C Improves the Mood of Acutely Hospitalized Patients

November 23, 2010 | by
ResearchBlogging.org

According to new research, supplementation with vitamin C could improve the emotional state of hospitalized patients [1]. The study, published in the journal Nutrition, demonstrates that increasing vitamin C levels in acutely hospitalized patients results in a rapid, statistically and clinically significant improvement in mood state.

Sixty percent of patients in hospitals have extremely low levels of vitamin C. Their plasma levels are less than half that of normal levels; one in five patients have levels so low that they have scurvy, a condition characterized by general weakness, anemia, gum disease and skin hemorrhages as a result of vitamin C deficiency. But rather than giving them sauerkraut, like eighteenth century sailors received to combat scurvy on long voyages, Dr. John Hoffer at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal gave them vitamin C supplements. He found that their moods improved significantly.

Blueberry Extracts Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Adults

November 18, 2010 | by

In the United States, 23.6 million children and adults — 7.8% of the population — have diabetes and one-third of U.S. adults are obese [1-2]. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as insulin resistance, a condition that precedes the development of type 2 diabetes. New research published in the Journal of Nutrition now suggests that blueberries can help improve insulin sensitivity in obese, non-diabetic and insulin-resistant people [3].