With February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month upon them, academic, industry and government leaders can point to improvements. They formed a Dental Action Committee that has won aid for local health centers; streamlined the Medicaid program; and sent hygienists into the community to provide screenings. They’ve been gaining commitments from dentists to treat poor children. They worry, however, that the bad economy will set back efforts and Read the rest of this entry »

Two separate studies have linked Mediterranean diet to a lower risk of heart disease in women and prostate cancer in men.
Researchers from Simmons College in Boston found that women whose diets most closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were 29 percent less likely to suffer from heart disease, and 13 percent less likely to have a stroke compared with those whose diets least resembled it.
This type of diet is includes monounsaturated fats, vegetables, Read the rest of this entry »

LONDON (Reuters) – Adding nuts to a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables appears to provide extra health benefits, Spanish researchers said on Monday.
A daily serving of mixed nuts helped a group of older people manage their metabolic syndrome, a group of related disorders such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and abnormal blood sugar, Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili in Spain and Read the rest of this entry »

About 500 University of Nebraska students participated in a 12-hour dance marathon in Lincoln Friday night into Saturday morning that raised more than $35,000 for Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.
The event ran from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds will help the hospital’s Child-Life Program and Rainbow House.
“Child-Life Program just gives different opportunities for the kids while they’re staying at the hospital, Read the rest of this entry »

Delphi Corp. faces a flurry of objections to its request to end health care benefits for about 15,000 salaried retirees.
Retirees across the country have expressed outrage to the plan in more than 35 letters to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain, asking him to deny Delphi’s motion for permission to terminate those benefits by April 1.
Also, retirees in Indiana have hired legal counsel to fight Delphi’s request.
Objections against Delphi’s request Read the rest of this entry »

The deal, announced yesterday, would allow Ford to pay as much as half of its $13.2 billion obligation to retirees with stock rather than cash, a bargain that essentially relieves the company of the cash requirement but makes health care a far riskier proposition for retirees. The agreement must still be ratified by union members and win court approval.
“The modifications will protect jobs for UAW members by ensuring the long-term viability of the Read the rest of this entry »

The days get shorter. The temperatures drop. The snow covers the streets. Welcome to winter. Upon its arrival, many outdoor enthusiasts rush to hot and crowded gyms. However, something seems amiss. Where’s the fresh air, where’s the scenery, where’s the love? Without negating the fitness benefits of indoor workouts, outdoor winter exercise has some unique benefits.
During winter, reduced exposure to sunlight causes some people to suffer from Seasonal Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials said Friday a blood thinner from Eli Lilly offers life-saving benefits over drugs currently on the market, though its use may have to be restricted due to bleeding side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the highly anticipated drug, called prasugrel, as a therapy for patients with acute heart problems such as heart attacks, who face increased risk of blood clots. Lilly developed Read the rest of this entry »

last updated: December 13, 2008 12:28:57 AM
When Jeanine Boggeri’s name was called as winner of the Wii Fit console, the 12-year-old was so shocked, she almost didn’t claim her prize.
The Hickman Middle School seventh-grader was one of hundreds of students at three Stanislaus County schools Friday hoping to get a prize for the miles and minutes of physical activity they log each week.
Almost half of the county’s schools have joined the county Read the rest of this entry »

RADNOR, Pa., Jan. 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Health Benefits Direct Corporation (OTCBB:HBDT), a leading technology innovator and software provider for the administration, marketing and distribution of a wide range of health and life insurance and related products, today announced it has closed on a $4 million private placement of preferred stock and warrants to The Co-Investment Fund II LP. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the private Read the rest of this entry »