RPM Campaigns Blog

Archive for April, 2010

It is strange how putting a number on something makes it seem either so much better or so much worse. The presence of a chemical causing cancer in food is scary even though only in a few parts per million. Just the thought of the risk is enough to frighten people away. So what should we make of the newly released figure showing doctors wrote more than 56 million prescriptions for sleeping pills in 2008? Keeping this in a historical context, this is 70% more prescriptions than were written in 2002. And if you are worried about the cost of the drugs to the insurance industry and your own pockets through co-payments, that is $4.5 billion. Remember, this is only talking about prescriptions and not the number of tablets. Further, remember you do not need a prescription to buy sleeping pills online so there could be millions more pills used. You just have to ask whether the use of this volume of drugs by the current population of the US is a good thing.

We need to start at the beginning. In theory, the majority of pills are distributed on the basis they should only be for short-term use. The reality is rather different. These drugs are the most heavily advertized and the most profitable to the pharmaceutical industry. As a result of this promotional effort, most sleeping pills are taken for an average of five years, i.e. there is a high degree of dependence. But, you will say, all these drugs do is help us to get a good night’s sleep. This must be a good thing. Well, sadly, the pills do not induce natural sleep. All they do is knock you out for a few hours. The argument then runs on. Insomnia is a bad thing. It has to be treated. Well, there is no clinical evidence that lack of sleep is bad for you or changes life expectancy. People sleep when they are tired and natural sleep heals the body and mind. But there is excellent medical evidence that people who use sleeping pills over any length of time are twice as likely to become depressed, to experience memory problems and to die younger. It used to be argued that many people who had cancer also smoked. Now we understand the cause and effect. People who are depressed are more likely to suffer insomnia, commit suicide or have heart attacks.

All the best medical evidence confirms you should only buy ambien for short periods of time. Even though the ads for ambien cr may suggest it is safe to take it for longer periods of time, this is not supported by the evidence. Any use of sleeping pills over time is not recommended. If you find insomnia is genuinely affecting the quality of your life, the best form of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. This teaches you how to fall asleep naturally. In other words, you get all the advantages of taking the pills, but without exposing yourself to the risk of all the adverse side effects. So, finally, to answer the question posed in the article’s title, the nation’s health is being put at risk. While capitalism and the free market can be good for some markets, this market is actually damaging the health of the nation and government should do something to reduce the level of dependence.

Over the last eighteen months of the recession, a new term has emerged from the pages of academic textbooks and into the public consciousness. This is “moral hazard”. As applied to banks, large insurance companies and other financial institutions, the debate runs along the following lines. If the free market applies, businesses that fail go through bankruptcy. The market does not forgive bad decision making. So when the state proposes to bail out failing businesses, it distorts the market. Worse, if decision makers believe the state will bail them out, it changes the way in which they take decisions. They can be completely reckless, gamble with the investors’ money, and still have the government rescue them. The morality of their behavior is changed by the belief they will be saved no matter what they do. So now let’s apply this to children and teenagers. The First Lady is leading a campaign to tackle obesity in the young. The figures from 2004 do not make encouraging reading. About 5 million adolescents were then obese. There is every reason to believe this number will be significantly higher today.

Despite the absence of evidence showing bariatric surgery to be safe and effective in adults, there is increasing pressure to allow adolescents to go through the procedures, i.e. between the ages of 14 and 17 years. Not unnaturally, some of this pressure is coming from the for-profit hospitals and clinics that perform the surgery and from the device manufacturers who, amongst other things, make the Lap Bands used to restrict food intake. The adolescents themselves have bad body images and, thanks to peer pressure, also feel driven to “do something” to reduce weight. Parents understand their children’s health is at risk because they are overweight. Many will fall seriously ill before reaching thirty. They feel pressured to spend their money for the surgery – health insurance plans do not usually cover these operations because of the lack of medical evidence confirming safety and effectiveness. This is beginning to form a perfect storm. Except we have this moral hazard. Why are these young people eating so much? Who pays for all this excessive and unhealthy food? Why can they not diet, exercise and lose weight? Put another way: if you were a teen and knew your parents would pay for surgery, would you put any effort into dieting and weight loss?

Weight loss is a billion dollar industry and it is, frankly, depressing we should be even discussing the possibility of surgery for our children. It is bad enough when adults risk their health by going through surgical procedures not justified by scientific research. That we should be proposing the same unproven surgery for our children is morally indefensible. Parents should control their children from young and teach them good food habits. Schools should reinforce these habits and government should regulate the quality of food for children. If all fails, the children can take responsibility for their own health when they become adults. That means they diet, buy phentermine online and lose weight the hard way. Unfortunately, phentermine hcl is not suitable for children and adolescents, otherwise its power as an appetite suppressant could help children to eat less. The drug helps people when their own self-discipline is low. As it stands, the promotion of bariatric surgery is the latest bailout scandal and is introducing moral hazard into the behavior of our young. Government should step in and stop this.

Flaxseed – also know as linseed- comes from the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). The seed contain lignans which are fiber-type ingredients. The seeds also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Flaxseed may be ground into flour or meal. It is also available as capsules (1000 mg) and also as the oil which is generally taken as one to three tablespoons daily.

Flaxseed contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is converted to eicosopentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which are the active ingredients in fish oil. Because of the high lignan content, flaxseed is a good source of fiber.

While there are few conclusive studies confirming the beneficial effects of flaxseed in rheumatoid arthritis, it is known that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. Several uncontrolled studies suggest that flaxseed is helpful in reducing the symptoms of joint stiffness and pain.

Flaxseed has anti-coagulant (blood thinning) properties so that patients taking blood thinners (Coumadin, heparin, Plavix, Lovenox) or non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory medicines.

Flaxseed should also be avoided if a patient has a history of uterine or breast cancer or prostate cancer.

Flaxseed may have cholesterol-lowering properties. Since this effect has not been well characterized, patients are advised to use caution if there is a history of hypercholesterolemia or there is concurrent use of cholesterol-lowering medicines.

There are also claims flaxseed may lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. This may make it more appealing for people who have inflammatory forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis where the incidence and risk of cardiovascular disease is increased.

The fiber in flaxseed also can block absorption of some medications.

Not all foods edible to humans are safe for Labrador Retrievers. Sometimes, what we thought is safe and healthy for us is also safe for our four-legged friend to consume. But since dogs and humans do not have the same metabolism, some foods pose threat causing mild stomach upsets while some may cause severe illness and worst, death. It is important for every dog owner to know which foods are safe and not.

Listed below are some of the foods safe for human but not for dogs:

Chocolate and Caffeine

Chocolate, cocoa beans, cola, tea and even milk chocolate and unsweetened chocolate contains theobromine. Caffeine can also be found in coffee, tea, chocolate and colas. Theobromine and caffeine affects animals the way they affect humans. Too much ingestion of these foods increase the breathing and heart rate, sometimes causing irregular beating of the heart. Signs of too much dose include vomiting, diarrhea, panting, hyperactivity, restlessness, ataxia, muscle tremors, increased or decreased heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, increased body temperature, seizures, coma or even death.

Grapes/Raisins

Grapes and raisins should be given to Labrador Retrievers only in limited amount because of the unknown toxin that could damage the dog’s kidneys. Symptoms of poisoning from grapes or raisins include abdominal pin, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, lack of appetite and a halt in the production of urine.

Garlic and Onions

Garlic and onion contain sulfoxides and disulfides that can damage red blood cells and can lead to anemia. Symptoms include lethargy, weakness, discolored urine, diarrhea, liver damage, asthmatic attacks and vomiting. Whether fresh, cooked or powdered forms, these two should be avoided in preparing your dog’s meals.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are soft, light-colored nuts derived from the trees of Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla. These nuts are often used in cookie recipes. An unknown toxin present in macadamia nuts negatively affects the nervous and digestive systems as well as the muscles. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upsets, muscle tremors, stiffness, lethargy, vomiting, weakness and sadness. Symptoms usually start within three to twelve hours after of ingesting the nuts.

Mushrooms

Toxins in mushroom vary with species. Some causes abdominal pain, shock, hallucinations, diarrhea, vomiting and coma. Some causes kidney failure, liver failure and even death. Ingesting any type of mushroom should be prevented.

Other items to avoid are:

alcoholic beverages

milk and other dairy products

raw eggs

raw fish

sugary foods

tobacco

large amount of table scraps

chicken bones

You might assume that overcoming erectile dysfunction is as easy as taking a pill and dancing with your lover around the bedroom in a few minutes. However, it is not that easy, and it can cost you a big buck. For instance, one blue pill costs around $15. Unfortunately, you won’t get insurance for such costs, even though most men, who reach 65 years of age undergo ED.

Around 30 millions of men in the US suffer ED. Almost one third of males in their 50s are undergoing it, and even more do when they get over 60.

If you think that taking Viagra two times a week is the best solution, you could end up spending about $1,500 per year. In case you are lucky enough to get the coverage for your medicines, you will have a bill with around $500 costs. And the most discouraging thing is that most of the ED drugs don’t work well for nearly half of men, who undergo it.

However, there are other medications for the dysfunction. Some of which can turn out being even more affordable then the widely known medicines. The fact is that there are no men, who can’t be helped with their erectile dysfunction.

At first, it’s necessary to visit a doctor that is specialized in ED and let him check your general health condition. In case your primary doctor can’t recommend you anything, you can always address the Sexual Medicine Society and inquire a medical referral.

Often, ED is the symptom of some problem like hypertension or diabetes. As a matter of fact, among younger males, erectile troubles are frequently the first signs of cardiovascular disorder. Young men can suffer erectile problems up to three years prior to a stroke or heart attack.

That is because blood-plate will begin to hinder the small penis arteries before the larger coronary arteries. The physician will try to define if your erectile dysfunction is the consequence of a psychological matter, in case of which they will advise you to refer to a specialist. In dependence with your policy, your underwriter might cover a particular number of visits. Thus, you would have to pay a closer attention to this issue.

When you adopt a healthier lifestyle, you will be able to better your overall health and recover your erectile functioning.

In a recent research on ED and the risk of its development, Italian researchers concluded that the males might better their erectile abilities by losing their weight, bettering their diets, and doing more frequent physical exercises. After 2 years of perceptible changes in the lifestyle, 58% of men showed normal erectile abilities, in accordance to the research, which was posted in the January issues of Journal of Sexual Medicine.

However, changes in your lifestyle might be hard to make and might take months before taking effect. During this period, your physician will possibly prescribe a PDE-5 inhibitor, like Levitra, Viagra, and Cialis. These medicines improve the nitric oxide effects, which help to augment flow of blood to the penis. These three drugs work in the same manner, but distinguish in the periods they need for effect and how long it lasts.

This is, probably the best solution in such condition. You may consider to order Levitra online, which is not a bad decision at all, since when you want to buy Levitra, Viagra, or Cialis, Internet is the best way to save on your costs and receive a quality product.

The significant thing you have to remember is that if these inhibitors don’t work for you, you shouldn’t give up. In 40% of cases, it is the patient’s mistake, which causes the medicine to fail in its effect. Carefully follow the doctor’s instructions and you will work all things out.

There’s always quite a big slice of the population that’s down. For them, the world revolves through shades of grey into black and back again, and there’s nothing worse than meeting happy people to make them feel really bad. Somehow all the bitterness and resentment comes to the surface. It’s a Scrooge, “Bah, humbug!” day everyday, including Christmas, if the crowd around them is bouncing around being all joyful. Perhaps it’s a fear the happiness might somehow be infectious. They want to drive all these jolly people away unless, in a moment of weakness, they find a little joy creeps up and bites them on whichever part of the anatomy might be exposed. But, for whatever reason, unhappy people resist happiness with a real enthusiasm. Sadly, the increasing body of medical evidence is that this is shortening their lives.

Let’s start with the European Heart Journal which, this month, is carrying an article suggesting that people who find peace and joy, if not excitement, in their lives are less likely to suffer from heart disease. This is not to say everyone should walk around in a state of pure contentment all the time. Everyone is entitled to periods when they feel angry, anxious or depressed. It’s a balance between dark and light. It seems the people who feel positive about themselves for longer, live longer. While those who lapse into longer lasting anxiety and depressive states are more likely to suffer heart attacks. This builds on an increasing body of research findings that happy people have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure and are less likely to contract diabetes. Just as important, people with a positive outlook are more likely to enjoy good sleep, only drink moderate amounts of alcohol and are better able to quit smoking. But, as with all science, there is a need for more research. The immediate article comes out of a ten-year study involving 1,740 participants. This is on the borderline of statistical significance. There should more more studies involving larger numbers of people to tease out all the complex strands that contribute to longer or shorter life expectancy.

For those of you interested in this issue, you will find it useful to look at http://www.springerlink.com/content/0474658172222350/fulltext.pdf. The most interesting studies involve groups of nuns who live 7 to 10 years longer than average. They live “stress-free” quite unlike the modern secular majority whose lives are blighted by worry and anxiety. As it stands, the medical profession prefers to deal with simple remedies. To keep health insurance costs to a minimum, physicians write out a prescription for xanax while signalling for the next patient to enter. Dealing with abstract notions of happiness is not in the program for time-crunched doctors. This is unfortunate because, although there is no evidence that happiness cures serious illness, it can always make the experience of illness more bearable. This does not deny that if you buy anti-anxiety drugs like xanax online, you will not find anxiety levels reduce. But there is a difference between an absence of anxiety and a positive attitude to life. The evidence is mounting that happiness improves longevity. So, if you want to avoid an early death, start looking for a little joy. You never know. It may just creep up on you and bite you when you are least expecting it. That bite could add years to your life.