Men and women have different health needs, and each gender finds itself with special health risks and needs. Women, in particular, are required to pay particular attention to certain health conditions because of body composition, such as reproductive organs. And for reasons left to scientists, women are also more susceptible to certain diseases, thereby requiring them to pay more attention to their health and prevention practices.
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So far, as many as 5.7 million Americans have been infected with the H1N1 flu virus, which is widespread in 48 states—an unprecedented level for the early weeks of flu season. Yet the H1N1 vaccine supply continues to lag far behind what officials had estimated would be available, leaving public health departments, clinics, and doctor’s offices across the country scrambling for ways to vaccinate those at highest risk for complications. Officials initially announced that 120 million doses would be available by October 1. That number was later amended to 40 million, but as of Friday, only 26.6 million doses had been shipped. Even President Barack Obama has expressed frustration with the delays and Senators Joseph I. Lieberman and Susan Collins sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius demanding details about the lag in production.
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At a time when the issue of health care dominates news coverage and the attention of the government, as well as the public it represents, it only seems appropriate that the latest study is released with rankings of the states based on the performance of their health care systems. The state of health care in America is important each day of the year, but with the current concentration on accessibility, pricing, availability, and quality of the system, any analysis of the system rings particularly true.
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Heart specialists may advise you to drink a glass or two of red wine to keep your heart healthy but emerging research may be shedding a new light on the same theory involving diabetes health. Next time you are planning a road trip, ski trip, or just a quiet dinner at home, you may want to reach for the red grapes and put a bushel (or bottle) in your cart to ward off the danger of diabetes.
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Sign up now to have important CDC information about H1N1 flu and other topics delivered directly to your mobile phone! The CDC launched a three-month text messaging campaign pilot to share important, timely health information directly to users.
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Placebos, the ubiquitous sugar pills of old, are usually employed in drug trials to determine the effectiveness of a medication. Comparing the responses of both the medication and a placebo allows for the measurement of the efficacy of the treatment. However, in some cases, the placebo actually can have an effect, as is the case in a recent trial where the placebo actually reduced pain signaling in their spinal cord.
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expanding the list of conditions and diseases acknowledged as having a connection to being exposed to Agent Orange. Under the VA’s new proposal, additional medical conditions would have presumptive status, thereby making it easier for those who suffer from these illnesses to qualify for VA benefits.
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It’s a subject you’ve already heard a great deal about, and one that won’t be going away anytime soon—the H1N1 flu virus. Widespread flu activity is already being reported in 37 states, virtually all due to H1N1. Across the nation, flu-related doctor visits, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing and are higher than expected for this time of year. From August 30 to October 3, there were 3,874 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations, 240 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated deaths, 12,384 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based hospitalizations and 1,544 pneumonia and influenza syndrome deaths reported to the CDC. The agency is also reporting 19 influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the past week; 16 of which were associated with H1N1 virus infection and three with influenza A virus for which subtype was undetermined. (more…)

Ever feel like you are tired all the time but your doctor can’t seem to find the cause? You may suffer from a syndrome that approximately 10 million Americans have called chronic fatigue syndrome. Recently it has been discovered that a retrovirus is now linked with this syndrome, so treatment may be easier to find.
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Although becoming a mother-to-be can be a joyful time in a woman’s life, more than one in ten expectant mothers develop depression at some time during their pregnancy. Many of these women are treated with a type of antidepressant that may increase their likelihood of having an early birth, or raise the risk for their newborn to be placed in neonatal intensive care.
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