FitSugar

Fight Heart Disease with a Red NuMetrex Sports Bra

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:30:00 -0800

I've told you how much I love NuMetrex's fabulous heart rate monitoring sports bras, but I just found another reason to love them even more.

In honor of American Heart Month, they've designed a limited edition red NuMetrex bra ($49.50). A donation of $5.00 from the sale of each bra will go to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program. Buy it directly from the NuMetrex site.

So go ahead and get yourself one, it's now a matter of the heart.

New Year's Resolution Suggestions

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:17:42 -0800

Are you still struggling to come up with your New Year's Resolutions for 2007 even thought it is just around the corner?

The American Medical Association (AMA) has come up with a list of suggestions to help you start looking ahead to changes you can make today to improve your health in 2007 and beyond.

Don't smoke
Eat your fruits and vegetables
Cut back on salt
Limit fat in your diet
Reduce the amount of soda you drink
Check cholesterol
Check blood pressure
Get a colonoscopy (50 years of age or older)
Get a mammogram
Protect your skin from the sun

To see the full list, visit the AMA's Website. Be sure to declare your own New Year's Resolutions (and see what others are doing for 2007) in "Declare it: The New Year's Resolutions Group".

Hard on Soft Drinks

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:30:00 -0800

A recent proposal to push for taxes on soft drinks was rejected on 11/14/06 by the American Medical Association. The initial proposal was an attempt to combat the obesity epidemic in the United States. Instead, the nation's most influential doctors' group voted in favor of a proposal for a broader-based effort to combat obesity, the Associated Press reported.

If you drink more cola than anything else, you're not alone.
Soft drinks currently account for 7 percent of the calories in the typical American diet, which makes them the leading source of calories.

For some tips on how to ease off the cola, read more

If you drink it for the fizz then switch to seltzer water and mix your own juice in.
If you drink it for the caffeine then try drinking tea (or even coffee) instead. Juice is OK, but can likewise be high in sugar and should not be your only beverage.
If you drink it because it is always there then start stocking your fridge with other alternatives. At work, ask whoever handles the food situation to have more non-cola alternatives available.
If you drink it because it's diet then you should know that the artificial sweeteners raise red flags in terms of many health concerns (experts are still figuring out how our bodies deal with artificial sweeteners) and the high acidity (diet sodas are more acidic than regular) can erode your teeth.
If you drink it because you just thought it was healthy then you couldn't be more wrong. If you want healthy, drink a glass of milk or water.

Fit's Tip: I am not sure the war to tax soft drinks is over, so you might as well wean yourself now for your health and your wallet.

Doctor of medicine profession (MD)

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:49:37 -0700

Illustrations

Types of health care providers

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Alternative Names

M.D. profession

Information

The practice of medicine in the United States dates back to colonial times (early 1600s). At the beginning of the 17th century, medical practice in England was divided into 3 distinct groups: the physicians, the surgeons, and the apothecaries.

Physicians were viewed as elite and usually held a university degree. Surgeons, in contrast, were typically apprenticed and hospital-trained, and often served the dual role of barber-surgeon. Apothecaries also learned their roles (prescribing, making, and selling medicines) through apprenticeships, sometimes within hospitals.

This distinction between medicine, surgery, and pharmacy did not survive in colonial America. University-prepared MDs from England, upon their arrival in America, were expected to also perform surgery and prepare medicines. The class distinctions and snobbishness associated with physicians over surgeons quickly became diluted.

The New Jersey Medical Society, chartered July 23, 1766, was the first organization of medical professionals in the colonies. It was developed to "form a program embracing all the matters of highest concern to the profession: regulation of practice; educational standards for apprentices; fee schedules; and a code of ethics." Later this organization became the Medical Society of New Jersey and, having survived numerous obstacles, remains the oldest medical society in the United States.

The regulation of medical practice, by examining and licensing practitioners, was initiated by professional societies through provincial legislatures as early as 1760. By the early 1800s, the establishment of regulations, standards of practice, and certification of doctors was firmly in the hands of the medical societies.

A natural next step was for such societies to develop their own training programs for doctors. These society-affiliated programs were called "proprietary" medical colleges.

The first of these proprietary programs was the medical school of the Medical Society of the County of New York, founded March 12, 1807. Proprietary programs began to spring up everywhere and attracted a large number of students because they eliminated 2 features of university-affiliated medical schools: a long general education and a long lecture term.

To address numerous abuses within medical education, a national convention was held in May 1846. Proposals from that convention included the following:

The creation of a national medical association
The adoption of uniform higher educational standards for MDs, including suitable courses of premedical education
A standard code of ethics for the profession

On May 5, 1847, nearly 200 delegates representing 40 medical societies and 28 colleges within 22 states and the District of Columbia convened and resolved themselves into the first session of the American Medical Association (AMA). Nathaniel Chapman (1780-1853) was elected as the first president of the association. The AMA was maintained and has grown to become a formidable organization capable of exerting a great deal of influence on issues related to health care within the United States.

Initial educational standards for MDs, set by the AMA, included the following:

A liberal education in the arts and sciences
A certificate of training completion from the preceptor over apprenticeship prior to medical-college entrance
An MD degree that encompassed 3 years of study, including two 6-month lecture sessions, 3 months devoted to dissection, and a minimum of one 6-month session of hospital attendance

In 1852 the standards were revised to incorporate additional requirements:

Medical schools had to provide a 16-week course of instruction that included anatomy, medicine, surgery, midwifery, and chemistry.
Graduates had to be at least 21 years of age.
Students had to complete a minimum of 3 years of study, 2 of which were under an acceptable practitioner.

Between 1802 and 1876, 62 fairly stable medical schools were established. In 1810, there were 650 students enrolled and 100 graduates from medical schools in the United States. By 1900, these numbers had risen to 25,000 students and 5,200 graduates. Nearly all of these graduates were white males.

Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931) was one of the first black MDs. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1883, Dr. Williams practiced in Chicago and was later a primary force in establishing Provident Hospital, which still serves Chicago's South Side.

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1920), upon graduating from Geneva College of Medicine in upstate New York, became the first woman granted an MD degree in the United States.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine opened in 1893. It is cited as being the first medical school in America of "genuine university-type, with adequate endowment, well-equipped laboratories, modern teachers devoted to medical investigation and instruction, and its own hospital in which the training of physicians and healing of sick persons combined to the optimal advantage of both." Johns Hopkins Medical School served as a model for the reorganization of medical education. After this, many sub-standard medical schools closed.

By 1930, nearly all medical schools required a liberal arts degree for admission and provided a 3- to 4-year graded curriculum in medicine and surgery. In addition, many states also required candidates for medical licensure to have completed a 1-year internship in a hospital setting in addition to possessing a degree from a recognized medical school.

The emergence of specialization within American medicine did not take root until the middle of the 19th century. People who objected to specialization said that "specialties operated unfairly toward the general practitioner, implying that he is incompetent to properly treat certain classes of diseases" and that specialization tended "to degrade the general practitioner in the view of the public." However, as the base of knowledge within medicine continued to grow and many doctors chose to do more of what they were interested in and good at, specialization became inevitable.

Economics may have also played an important role as the specialists typically enjoyed higher incomes than did the generalist physicians. The debates between specialists and generalists continue and have recently been fueled by issues related to modern health care reform.

Medicine was the first of the professions to require licensure. State laws specific to the licensure of medicine outlined the activities of "diagnosis" and "treatment" of human conditions strictly within the domain of medicine. Any individual who professed to diagnose or treat as part of the profession could therefore be charged with "practicing medicine without a license." As a result of strict licensure laws that were issued by the various medical societies, conventional Western medicine was able to establish itself as a monopoly over the health care of the American populace.

SCOPE OF PRACTICE

The practice of medicine includes the diagnosis, treatment, correction, advisement, or prescription for any human disease, ailment, injury, infirmity, deformity, pain or other condition, physical or mental, real or imaginary.

PRACTICE SETTINGS

MDs may be found within a wide range of practice settings, including private practices, group practices, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, teaching facilities, and public health organizations.

REGULATION OF THE PROFESSION

Medicine, like many other professions, is regulated at 2 different levels:

Licensure is a process that takes place at the state level in accordance with specific state laws.
Certification is established through national organizations with requirements for minimal professional practice standards being consistent nationally.

Licensure: All states require applicants for MD licensure to be graduates of an approved medical school and complete the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) Steps 1 - 3. Steps 1 and 2 are completed while in medical school and step 3 is completed after some medical training (usually between 12 - 18 months, depending on the state). People who obtained their medical degrees in other countries also must satisfy these requirements before practicing medicine in the United States.

With the inception of telemedicine, there has been concern as to how to handle state licensure issues when medicine is being shared between states through telecommunications. Laws and guidelines are being addressed.

Certification: MDs who wish to specialize must complete an additional 3 - 4 years of postgraduate work within their area of specialty, then pass board certification examinations. Doctors who claim to practice within one of the specialties should therefore be board-certified within that specific area of practice.

Review Date: 1/22/2007

Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_001936

Antimitochondrial antibody

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:11:37 -0700

Overview

Definition
How the test is performed
How to prepare for the test
How the test will feel
Why the test is performed
Normal Values
What abnormal results mean
What the risks are

Illustrations

Blood test

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) are substances (antibodies) that form against mitochondria, an important part of cells. Mitochondria are the energy source inside all of the body's cells. Mitochondria help cells work properly.

This article discusses the blood test used to measure the amount of AMA in the blood.

How the test is performed

Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.

Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.

Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.

In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.

How to prepare for the test

Your health care provider may tell you not to eat or drink anything for up to 6 hours before the test (usually overnight).

How the test will feel

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.

Why the test is performed

Your doctor may order this test if you have signs of liver damage. This test is most often used to diagnose primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

The test may also be used to tell the difference between bile system-related cirrhosis and liver problems due to a blockage, viral hepatitis, or alcoholic cirrhosis.

Normal Values

Normally, there are no antibodies present.

What abnormal results mean

A positive test may indicate:

Autoimmune hepatitis
Cirrhosis
Liver blockage
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Rheumatoid arthritis (this disease may occur along with PBC in some patients)
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Thyroiditis

What the risks are

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.

Other risks:

Excessive bleeding
Fainting or feeling light-headed
Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

Review Date: 5/27/2007

Reviewed By: Steve Lee, DO, Rheumatology Fellow, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_003529

Physician Assistant profession (PA)

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:49:36 -0700

Overview

Information

Illustrations

Types of health care providers

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Information

HISTORY OF THE PROFESSION

The first Physician Assistant (PA) training program was founded in 1965 at Duke University by Dr. Eugene Stead.

Most programs require applicants to have at least 2 years of college experience. Applicants also need some experience within the health care setting, such as an emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant, health educator, licensed practical nurse or associate-degree nurse. However, because of the competitive environment, the average PA student has a bachelor's degree in some field and about 4 years of health-related experience. Educational programs for PAs are typically associated with colleges of medicine, and vary from 25 to 27 months in length.

The first PA students were mostly military medics (or corpsmen) who were able to expand on the knowledge and experience they received in the military to move into a role in primary care. Over the years, male domination within the profession has consistently decreased, and about 58% of PAs today are women. The physician assistant role, legally associated with a supervising physician, has allowed PAs to perform tasks previously only performed by doctors: history taking, physical examination, diagnosis, and patient management.

Numerous studies have noted the ability of PAs to provide high-quality health care -- comparable to that of a doctor -- for about 80% of the conditions seen in primary care settings.

SCOPE OF PRACTICE

The physician assistant is prepared, both academically and clinically, to provide health care services with the direction and responsible supervision of a doctor of medicine (MD) or osteopathy (DO). PA functions include performing diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.

PAs in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam have prescriptive practice privileges. They may not receive direct third-party (insurance) reimbursement for their services, but their services are billed for through their supervising doctor or employer.

PRACTICE SETTINGS

PAs practice in a variety of settings in nearly every medical and surgical specialty area. The majority (45%) of them practice within primary care areas, with 28% in family practice. Other common practice areas are general surgery, surgical subspecialties, and emergency medicine. The remainder are involved in teaching, research, administration, or other nonclinical roles.

PAs may practice in any setting in which a physician provides care, allowing the doctor to focus skills and knowledge in a more effective manner. PAs practice in both rural and inner city communities. About 30% of PAs practice in areas that have less than 50,000 people. Because of the ability and willingness of PAs to practice in rural areas, the distribution of health care providers throughout the general population has been enhanced.

REGULATION OF PROFESSION

Like many other professions, physician assistants are regulated at two different levels. Licensure takes place at the state level according to specific state laws. In contrast, certification is established through a national organization, with requirements for minimal practice standards being consistent across all states.

Licensure: Laws specific to PA licensure may vary somewhat among the states. However, nearly all states require national certification prior to licensure.

All state laws require PAs to have a supervising doctor. This physician does not necessarily have to be on site at the same location as the PA. Most states allow physician supervision to occur via telephone communication with periodic site visits. Supervising doctors typically review and sign all visits recorded in the patient's file by the PA.

Certification: In the early stages of the profession, the AAPA (American Association of Physician Assistants) joined with the AMA (American Medical Association) and the National Board of Medical Examiners to develop a national competency examination.

Later, in 1975, an independent organization, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, was established to administer a certification program that includes an entry-level examination, continuing medical education, and periodic re-examination for recertification. Only physician assistants who are graduates of approved programs and have completed and maintained such certification may use the credentials PA-C (certified).

Review Date: 11/13/2007

Reviewed By: Michael Langan, M.D., Department of Geriatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_001935

Are You a Cyberchondriac?

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:00:00 -0800

When you cross a hypochondriac with the Internet you get a cyberchondriac.

Those of us prone to take on the various symptoms we hear or read about, are particularly vulnerable to thinking we have all those diseases we research on the web. The Internet is a useful tool, but there is a lot of information with little context provided, making it easy for the impressionable to jump to conclusions. In fact, in the year 2000, the American Medical Association (AMA) sent a press release asking patients to make a resolution not to go online and surf their symptoms, because so many people were concluding that they had MS or various cancers.

So, I am curious . . .

Source

Jordin Sparks Won't and Can't Be Stick-Thin

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0800

Jordin Sparks has always seemed very grounded to me. Even after seeing her at the AMAs I am still convinced that she has yet to let the pressures of Hollywood get to her - and here's to hoping she never does! Jordin sat down with OK Magazine to talk about being stick-thin, exercising, and eating turkey.

Here are highlights:

How do you cope with the pressure to be stick-thin?
I really think that Hollywood needs to get over that. I’m just saying! I kind of thought it was really dumb before, anyway, before I got into all this. I’m still the same. I’m not going to change just because you have this image of somebody and how they need to look, because I will never look like that. I would probably fall over if the wind blew if I was that skinny. I can’t help it. I love food and I love my curves. I’m very strong-willed and I’m stubborn in that sense to where I’m just like "no, I won’t be that way." I definitely do like exercise. I like to eat right. It’s all about being healthy. The stick-thin thing, I’m kind of just like "not gonna do it" and I couldn’t.

Do you follow a special diet and exercise regimen?
Well, before the show started and before the tour, because everything has been so crazy, I’ve kind of been out of it for awhile. Before I was hiking the mountain every morning and I was going to spin class every night. It was all about portion control. I was trying to do portion control but it’s kind of hard to do that because I need a little more self-discipline than I have. [Laughs] I eat salads, steaks and good stuff, and I’m trying to cut out soda but it’s kind of hard. That’s what I was doing, and I’m trying to get back into it. Since everything has been so crazy and sometimes I don’t really have time to go out and drive to the gym, I’ll just do some sit-ups in my room, jump rope in my room a little bit, to get that cardio in, and then just trying to eat right. I’m trying to get back into it.

There's more, including how she plans on staying in shape during the holidays so read more

During the holidays when you’re eating all this great food, is there anything special you do to stay in shape?
Sadly, no, because just from past years, all I want to do is have a good time and not have to worry about it, but I'm going to have to this year. I think I’ll be at home, so I’ll probably hike the mountain in the morning and my aunt is a trainer up at the gym. If she’s still doing that, I’ll probably go up there with her and do spin class again.

Source

Healthy Dose Link Time!!!!!!!

FitSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 13:30:00 -0700

The Skinny Website has the skinny on celebrity diets that work.

fitPod has a new free music mix for you to download.

Renee Gets Fit shares her top 5 books on tape. The plots will keep you moving when music fails to motivate.

vitabeat reports that the AMA is urging the Motion Picture Association to mandate R ratings for movies with smoking.

iFit&Healthy explains Tyra Banks new addiction to exercise.

About: Yoga shares details on becoming a yoga teacher and the training involved.

Complete Running has details on adventure racing collegiate style. Running, kayaking, mountain biking - it is all in there.

That's Fit knows road rage is not beneficial to your health. So they're offering some tips on how to avoid it.

diet-blog shares some ratings on 5 diet meal delivery plans.

Leslie Goldman, from the The Weighting Game, has a book coming out in paperback titled Locker Room Diaries, The subtitle explains it all: The Naked Truth About Women, Body Image and Re-imagining the "Perfect" Body.