· If your spouse has a separate plan, act quickly to get on it.
· Ask about your COBRA rights. With some exceptions, laid-off workers can continue their coverage for 18 months by paying its full cost. (Congress is considering a temporary, 65 percent premium subsidy.)
· If COBRA coverage isn’t an affordable option, explore non-group plans. Make sure that any coverage meets the requirements to protect you against preexisting condition exclusions Read the rest of this entry »

As a 30-something, I hereby resolve to sleep more in 2009. And published today in the
, a predictor of
. In fact, the study showed that one extra hour each night lowered the estimated odds of having such gunk in the vasculature by 33 percent. According to the study authors, getting that extra hour brings a benefit, cardiovascularly speaking, similar to that of lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number in the blood pressure ratio) by 17 Read the rest of this entry »

Why Women Should Eat Less, Move More And Consider Wearing Transdermal Patches During Menopause
Weight and appetite experts from around the world met at a conference in Bangkok 1 earlier this year to discuss sex differences in obesity. One line of discussion looked at factors leading to women’s weight gain during menopause, and how it might be avoided.
Co-chairs of the conference, Dr Amanda Sainsbury-Salis from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Read the rest of this entry »

I keep hearing that Viagra is available on the Internet, and that I don’t even need a prescription when I buy it that way. It sounds like a great way to save money, but are there any reasons this would not be a good idea? What are the potential risks when ordering prescriptions online?
Although ordering Viagra online may appear less expensive, the cost to your health could be quite high. Ordering prescription drugs online has many risks — from Read the rest of this entry »

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging people to consider resolutions for a healthy lifestyle for the New Year. Whether your resolution is to take better care of your general health, lose weight, or quit using tobacco, the DPH offers tips and resources to help you succeed in leading a healthier lifestyle.
Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in the United States, and lead to pain, disability and decreased Read the rest of this entry »

Doctors use a protein called antithrombin to treat a rare genetic
disorder that causes dangerous blood clotting, but that molecule is in
very short supply. ATryn contains the same chemical, but it is produced
by animals rather than humans.
“As an example, if you were to take all the donated human plasma in
the U.S. and devote it to making plasma-derived antithrombin you could
get about 100 kg per year,” Newberry said. “We can produce 100 kg per
year Read the rest of this entry »

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – If the Illinois Supreme Court decides to strike down limits on medical malpractice awards it could mean fewer doctors practicing in the state, sources told Legal Newsline Tuesday.
The state’s high court is examining the constitutionality of caps lawmakers placed on lawsuit awards. In 2005, state legislators passed a law that capped non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, in medical malpractice suits Read the rest of this entry »

Sofia.
It became clear at a press conference of the Bulgarian Medical Association that medical people consider effective protests after November 22,
reporter informed. They insist that Ministry of Health should give an answer until November 11 whether it will pass the proposed amendments in orders, which have become fact until the end of the year.
Family doctors will wait until November 18 Minister of Finance Plamen Oresherski to explain why Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators
want the Department of Veterans Affairs to consider converting a
Spring Valley, Illinois hospital into a VA medical center for
north-central Illinois.
suggesting the agency take over St. Margaret’s
Hospital. They say it would benefit area veterans who travel up to
100 miles to Chicago or 140 miles to
,
, to visit a
medical center.
St. Margaret’s officials plan to build a $90 million replacement
hospital in Spring Read the rest of this entry »

Doctors use a protein called antithrombin to treat a rare genetic
disorder that causes dangerous blood clotting, but that molecule is in
very short supply. ATryn contains the same chemical, but it is produced
by animals rather than humans.
“As an example, if you were to take all the donated human plasma in
the U.S. and devote it to making plasma-derived antithrombin you could
get about 100 kg per year,” Newberry said. “We can produce 100 kg per
year Read the rest of this entry »