http://blog.newsok.com/health Health information from The Oklahoman Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:39:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en There's no better way to honor dear old dad then by winning a competition for him.   Integris Men's Health is having it's first "What-A-Dad" contest. The rules are simple: In 200 words or less, tell why your dad deserves to win.   Prizes will keep dad healthy, happy and busy. The package includes ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/06/09/is-your-dad-the-best/ In the things-to-consider-for-the-sake-of-considering-them category, take a gander at this story from the May 27 edition of The Boston Globe:  After healthcare reform was made law in Massachusetts in 2006, the number of newly insured patients in the state started to grow, and so did the demand for care. The demand, coupled with a longstanding ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/05/29/unintended-consequences-of-insuring-the-uninsured/ After taking a hiatus from The Medicine Bag, I have returned ... with a question. Do you think it's fair and/or accurate to see Oklahoma ranked at or near the bottom of, well, just about every study of health that comes our way? We can't be worst in everything health-related, can we? I ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/05/28/oklahoma-ranks-last-again/   When I was asked whether I'd be interested in speaking to a Youth Leadership Exchange class last week, I was ambivalent. I knew I'd agree to speak, because I consider it to be an important form of outreach that may get kids interested in current events and perhaps even pick up ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/04/02/the-next-generation/  You can be forgiven for thinking yesterday was anything more than a nice day to watch college hoops. It was, but it also was National Doctor's Day. The American Medical Association uses the day to honor the more than 900,000 physicians in the United States. "On this day of tribute, Americans can express ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/03/31/did-you-miss-doctors-day/ USA Today had an interesting story yesterday about how the popularity of angioplasty, a commonly performed procedure in which doctors use a balloon to open blocked coronary arteries, may be eroding. "The rise of angioplasty procedures has leveled off and appears to be on the decline," Duke University's Eric Peterson, who ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/03/27/should-angioplasty-fall-out-of-favor/ Researchers have seen that weight-loss surgery appears to cure type 2 diabetes, which they have attributed to the huge drop in pounds. After all, being overweight is a risk factor for diabetes, and losing weight can effectively take care of the problem.   An article that appeared in a supplement to last month's ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/03/06/a-new-way-of-looking-at-diabetes/    Is retirement going to be a luxury for thirty- and forty- something workers? I increasingly think it will be, and a new estimate from investment giant Fidelity does nothing to dispel that. A 65-year-old-couple retiring this year will need approximately $225K to cover medical costs in retirement, Fidelity estimates. Let's not lose ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/03/05/the-cost-to-retire/ If you're interested in keeping tabs on your doctor, HealthGrades now offers a notification service. The Web site, www.healthgrades.com, is best known for its hospital ratings. But given the information it compiles, a physician notification service is a natural addition. The "Watchdog" e-mail alert service costs $4.95 a month.   Notification items include board ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/03/03/checking-on-those-who-give-check-ups/   I worked for six months or so in the emergency room at Saint Francis Hospital and saw a number of interesting things while I was there. Among them were patients who repeatedly visited the ER complaining of chest pains but who weren't having heart attacks. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today reported that such chest pain accounted ... http://blog.newsok.com/health/2008/02/27/chest-pain/