Weight Loss Without Tears (health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Weight Loss Without Tears

WEB ADDRESS: http://thesolitarycyclistweightmanagementpro.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: There's no mystery to weight loss. Consume less calories than you burn away, and you will lose weight. Eat the right number of calories, and you'll maintain your weight. The problem is people have such a hard time controlling their appetite - for a variety of reasons. If that's your problem - if you're healthy enough for exercise, and have no dietary restrictions because of diabetes or similar diseases, Weight Loss Without Tears can help you.

MY REVIEW: If you've been trying to lose weight for a while, but just "don't have the willpower," this blog is for you. It explains that weight loss is permanent if you lose the weight gradually, and don't obsess over it.

The blog first started out as a prosletyzer for biycling, hence the title.

Recommended.

RECENT POSTS:
--Have You Had Your 6-Month Checkup Lately?
--Organize for Success
--Breaking Bad Habits Continued
--Is Jenny Craig - or Weight Watchers - Better than ...
--Don't Shop While Hungry
--How Varied Is Your Menu? And can you make a habit ...
--Live "Purpose-Driven" Days
--Are You Honest in Your Record Keeping?
--A couple of weird old tips...
--Beware Email Warnings or Requests For Charity
--There are no "weird old tricks" or "secrets your d...

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Insomnia Land (health, insomnia)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Insomnia Land, by Martin Reed

WEB ADDRESS: www.insomnialand.com/blog

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A regularly updated blog featuring news, information, support and advice for insomnia sufferers.

MY REVIEW: A lot of people suffer from insomnia in silence - they don't realize there is anything they can do about. This blog highlights the causes of insomnia and the possible solutions.

Highly recommended.

Sample post
An excerpt:

New guidelines for insomnia treatment
The British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) recently released new guidelines for sleep disorders. These guidelines are intended to act as a comprehensive guide for health professionals managing patients in primary or secondary medical care.

...

Insomnia triggers
Typical factors that can trigger insomnia include stress, life changes, a new baby and shift work.

Causes of insomnia
These can include anxiety about sleep, bad sleep habits, problems with internal sleep regulating mechanisms, depression and diseases such as cancer or arthritis.

Insomnia cures
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is seen as just as effective as sleeping pills for short-term treatment of insomnia. CBT is also more likely to have a longer lasting effect than drug treatment. Unfortunately this type of treatment is not always easy to access.

Treatment with hypnotic drugs is recommended for only two to four weeks. Insomnia medication should only be taken when needed, rather than every night.

The long-term safety of hypnotic drugs remains uncertain.

Insomnia facts
Women are more likely to suffer from insomnia than men.
The older we get, the more likely we are to suffer from poor sleep.
6%-15% of adults in Western countries are thought to suffer from insomnia.
There doesn’t seem to be much that’s new to insomnia sufferers in these guidelines. However, it’s always good to see insomnia taken seriously and being given the respect it deserves.

RECENT POSTS:
--Coffee as an insomnia cure?
--Almost a quarter of adults with arthritis suffer from insomia
--Women who drink get less sleep than their male counterparts
--A noisy workplace may cause insomnia
--Relaxation drinks continue to pretend they'll cure your insomnia
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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
_______________________
Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

The Road (a multi-sport blog)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Road [A Multi-Sport Blog], by Patrick Mahoney

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.theroadmultisport.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: 41 year old husband, father, friend to some, in the midst of unfortunate misunderstandings with others. In 2007 I started a journey to regain my fitness. In 2009 I started participating in triathlons. I have not looked back, not even once. The Road is my daily story and is just as much a part of my training and preparedness as a long bike ride or an interval workout.

MY REVIEW: This blog focuses not only on triathletes and their sports, but also in how to get fit, and parenting. Highly recommended!

Sample post

Man, what a weekend. I had a great ride on Saturday and a great run today. And the frosting on the cake is that Oregon is in the BCS National Championship.

Saturday morning I headed out with OC Velo on a 60 mile ride from Huntington Beach, down to Lake Forest and back through Shady Canyon in Irvine and Newport Coast in Newport Beach. It was an epic ride, being that it was slightly warmer than last weekend and there was more climbing than usual. The coastal range around here isn't too high, but if you cross over it a few times you can get some good climbing in - we did about 2300 feet. I don't live for climbing, but I'm starting to enjoy it more than I used to. Plus after every uphill there is a downhill, so there is always some sort of payoff in the end.

I had to take Ian to a birthday party Saturday afternoon so I texted all my Oregon Ducks loving friends and told them I was in a sports news lockdown until I had a chance to watch the game on the DVR. I didn't get to it until about 9 last night, but I was still (thankfully) in the dark about it. The game was a pretty good, actually great at times, and the end result was that Oregon won. For that I am happy.

This morning I went for a 7.6 mile run in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. I've fallen into this pattern on Sundays where I'll rotate a 7-8 mile trail run one week with a 10 + road run on the other. Unlike two weeks ago, when I ran this route for Black Knight's Virtual 10K, the winds where calm and the trails where dry. I even stumbled upon a quarter mile spur path I had never found before, so I checked that out as well. No snakes, plenty of rabbits. Just the way I like it.

I then took Ian to an arcade called "Nickel Nickel" for a few hours so Mary could Christmas Shop. This place is a total dump filled with games that are all at least 10 years old. But everything is five cents and we made $7 last an hour and a half. It's also conveniently located next to Surf City Cyclery. I've been meaning to buy a new saddle wedge bag since the one I have is terrible, so I picked up a Fi'zi:k bag that has a special clip system that integrates with their saddles. Way better than straps.

Finally, I don't want to become known as the boy who cried wolf, but there are some things cooking with Endurance Athlete Project that might be cool and that I might be able to talk about later in the week or early next. This means I might be a little scarce on the blog posting side for the week, but I'm going to do my best on the blog reading side.

I hope everyone had a good weekend.

RECENT POSTS:
--I'm Dreaming About You Guys Now
--Kick A** Weekend
--November in Review & A Reunion.
--Make Believe


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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Can't Sleep (health and medicine)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Can't Sleep, by Adventory Limited

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.cantsleep.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Can't Sleep blog provides a wealth of information, advice and discussion about coping with sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea, as well as looking at sleeping aids, drugs that assist sleeping, and dealing with non-sleeping specific disorders and situations that may impact on your ability to get a good night's sleep.

MY REVIEW: An interesting blog for those suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders. Some of the blog entries are personal, about one individual's bout with insomnia, others are factual in nature about the causes and potential cures for the condition.

The blog averages one to two posts per week.

RECENT POSTS:
--Common Symptoms of Clinical Depression
--What Is Narcolepsy?
--Getting Restful Sleep With Valerian
--Seeking Natural Cures For Insomnia
--Going In For A Sleep Apnea Test

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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Breathing Space (health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Breathing Space, by Jeff Davidson

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.breathingspaceblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Is the constant crushing burden of information and communication overload dragging you down? By the end of your workday, do you feel overworked, overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted? Would you like to be more focused, productive, and competitive, while remaining balanced and in control?

If you're continually facing too much information, too much paper, too many commitments, and too many demands, you need Breathing Space.

MY REVIEW: This blog offers some good advice on how to slow down, relax, and enjoy life. Unfortunately, it is only updated twice a month or so. At 99 cents a month, I think one should get at least one post a week!

Nevertheless, check it out for yourself. If you're feeling stressed out and need a break, this blog might be just what you're looking for.

RECENT POSTS:
--Sleeping Less, Enjoying it Less?
--Maintain a Positive Perspective
--For Bloggers Everywhere
--News Buyers Beware
--Terry Paulson on Optimistic Attitudes

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Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Cara's Weight Loss Journal (diet, health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Cara's Weight Loss Journal, by Cara Showers

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.carasweightlossjournal.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: I am writing this blog to keep myself accountable to weight loss. This blog, and the friends I have met on here, has helped me stay on track week after week. If it were not for for this blog, I would have quit losing a long time ago and been satisfied with whatever my loss was at the time and gone on with my life. Losing weight is way to hard to do it alone. Blogging helps me through this one pound at a time.

MY REVIEW: The author of this blog joined Weight Watchers 3 years ago and, up until a couple of weeks ago, had lost 104 pounds. A great success story, except for one thing. Losing the weight is only half the battle. The easy half. The other half is keeping it off, and if this poor woman's latest posts are any indication, she's not going to be able to do it. As with most people who lose weight, once they reach their goal they return to the same bad habits that caused them to gain so much weight to begin with. And as they continue to put back on the weight that they lost, they find themselves unable to stop, until they not only put back on ALL the weight, but even a few pounds more.

I hope I'm wrong and that someone at her Weight Watchers meeting takes her in hand and points out that she's sabotaging herself for no good reason...

I recommend this blog, therefore, so that you can see just how easy it is to destroy your weight loss success if you lose your focus at the end -- what any person who has lost 104 pounds needs to do is say to themselves...okay, I stay on my diet for another 3 months, and only gradually come off it. That way, my body will have 3 months to become acclimated to my new weight, and then I'll be able to eat a bit more and it won't automatically convert into fat - which is what will happen if you start eating with abandon immediately.

Sample post

I've been hiding in a corner...

Blue, when you're right you're right. Was I on vacation? Nope, I was cowering in the corner beating myself up.

Can you believe that? Just a few weeks ago, I was on top of my game. On top of my world. Three years of total dedication to my weight loss and three weeks later I feel like a total failure.

I've been eating and eating and eating. I just can't stop. I'm not even hungry most times, I just feel the urge to eat. And then I wonder...

Why can't I get these last few pounds off?

Well, I'll tell you why. I have been doing some deep soul searching lately and I've come to some conclusions.

#1. I love food.

I have a passionate love affair with food. Any kind of food. My favorite, of course, are the baked kind. The sweet, sweet baked kind. But I can't limit my love affair to the sweets. No, I'm an equal opportunity food lover. I LOVE a great cheese burger. And I'm all over the cheese fries. Yup, I'm desperately in LOVE with food.

I kept thinking that one day I'd grow strong enough to over come this love and keep the food demons at bay. But I'm coming to the realization that THAT just isn't going to happen. So what I've got to do is coexist with my obsession with all things edible. I need to embrace it and recognize it for what it is and learn to live with it.

#2. If I really wanted to lose these last few pounds, I'd get off my lazy butt and do something about it. Uh hem. Which translates into... exercise!

Walking is great exercise. Tremendous exercise. It's helped me lose the 100+ pounds that I've lost so far. And walking is awesome for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But I have to be honest with myself and say that walking--alone--isn't going to help me shed these extra few pounds. I need real exercise.

So somewhere I need to come up with the motivation to kick it in gear and commit to regular, hard exercise. I mean, I don't have to go crazy about the whole thing. Just regular calisthenics you know, would do the trick. Jumping jacks. Sit ups. Speed walking. Push ups. Lunges. Etc., etc.

I have all the resources I need. I've got ExerciseTV on demand. I've got DVDs out the wazoo. I've got several books (one of which is the Biggest Loser exercise plan). I'm equipped. I just need to do it.

So hear I go, crawling out of my corner of shame. Climbing up to my feet and taking that first step...

P.S. Thanks, BlueRaspberry for the email encouragement. You're always there when I need you. Love you!!

RECENT POSTS:
--HOT ONE!!! Weight Watchers magazine for only $2.99 a year!!!
--6 Pounds from Goal...
--One small step for Cara...
--Nobody puts Baby in the corner...
--I've been hiding in a corner...

_______________________
Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (health)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Mindfulness and Psychotherapy

WEB ADDRESS: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Mindfulness and Psychotherapy helps you learn free mindfulness techniques to help you improve your life and increase your happiness. Updated regularly by Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., who is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles. Dr. Goldstein is a trained teacher of the increasingly popular Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He stands at the progressive end of integrating mindfulness into the therapeutic setting. He has personally been integrating concepts and behaviors of mindfulness into his daily life, and has helped his clients apply these concepts in both clinical settings and their daily lives.

MY REVIEW: People today are under so much stress...more stress than ever before, I think. It's not just the threat of sudden destruction via nuclear war or a dirty bomb, but if one can keep one's job, care for one's children, etc. Or, if one is a kid, can one survive the day to day bullying in school, find a girlfriend, or boyfriend, etc. and etc.

In such a climate as this, "Knowing yourself" in my opinion, is all important. "Mindfulness" would seem to be the key.

I recommend this blog for everybody.

Sample post:

Why You Should Hire Someone with ADHD and How to Tap into Their Brilliance
By Kathryn Goetzke

Idea Quality Spectrum, ADHD vs. Non-ADHD
You might not first understand how it is possible someone with ADD / ADHD is brilliant. On the outside they may look to be a mess. They might show up late for meetings, lose their keys, forget your name, not catch a detail or jump from one subject to the next without you following. Working with them can be the most frustrating experience at times.

Lucky for you, those with ADHD are also the most likely to come up with your next product line, provide a new solution to your customer service issue, think of a new angle on a legal case, introduce innovative laws that address multiple parties, or come up with an exciting PR campaign. The number of ideas people with ADHD have, and provide when their skills are appreciated and utilized, is simply staggering.

I liken it to a horizontal and vertical axis. A person with ADHD’s preferred state is horizontal, and a person without ADHD’s preferred state is vertical. I’ve attached a diagram to help explain this in more detail. Basically someone without ADHD is focused, disciplined, moving straight ahead in a single line with minimal peripheral vision, and someone with ADHD moves side to side easily with one detour leading to another to another, never moving very far forward.

The goal is to end up in the upper right hand spectrum of idea quality. You want both breadth and depth of ideas – as these are the most innovative, leading, winning ideas. If you have only depth you will get blindsided by your competition, and if you have only breadth it will be hard to really get anywhere. You need both types of people to achieve optimal results.

Don’t get me wrong, people can do both, but it takes a LOT of energy for for those with ADHD to stay very focused and moving ahead in a straight line, just as it takes a lot of energy with those that don’t have ADHD to come up with a million ideas and solutions. Personally, I find it painful and exhausting to stay focused, but again I can do it.

So instead of focusing on what folks with ADHD are doing wrong, encourage them with what they can do right. It not only energizes them it gives an organization a breadth of ideas and solutions otherwise never considered or imagined. In today’s market with change happening at the speed of light, it is especially important these idea makers are on board. Sure, a company may have to put up with some disorganization or tardiness or forgetfulness, but it is much better than being the company that fails to come up with that next great idea, getting left in the dust by the competition.

RECENT POSTS:
--How to Make Today Matter: Byron Katie and Joan Halifax
--Introducing Coming Out Crazy
--Why You Should Hire Someone with ADHD and How...
--Mental Health Statistics
--When Bad Advice Becomes Bad Beliefs
--Update: The 15 Minute Heart Cure
--Treatment for Schizophrenia: Current Limitations and Future Promises...
--Happy Birthday Family Mental Health
--Boost Your Body Image with a Mantra
--Rosalynn Carter: Ending the Mental Health Care Crisis Is...
--That’s PERI Menopause I’ll Thank You Very Much –...
--Malingering PTSD: Could Certain Soldiers Be ‘Faking it’?...
--The Decision to Euthanize A Pet
--The Value of Sorrow
--DBSA – Chato B. Stewart 1st Stand-Up for Mental...
--Feel Like Venting to a Complete Stranger? Try BlahTherapy.com...
--To Tell Or Not To Tell Your Boss: Bipolar...
--In a Good Relationship, Partners Inspire One Another
--DBSA – I’m In The Comedy Show!!!

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Ms. Cairo writes three blogs of her own:
Topical Murder and Dated Death
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Pharma Strategy Blog (health Industry)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Pharma Strategy Blog, by Sally Church

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.pharmastrategyblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Commentary by Sally Church, Ph.D on hot new products in Pharma & Biotechnology, including targeted therapies. Insight is provided into the science behind diseases such as cancer, and how social media & market intelligence is changing the industry.

MY REVIEW: This is an undistry specific blog for the pharmaceutical. The posts are rather over the heads of the layperson (that'd be me) but I would imagine would be of much interest to pharmacy professionals.

Check it out.

Sample post:

The biology of pancreatic cancer
The cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown, although there are risk factors involved, such as increased exposure to tobacco smoke and a family history of the disease. It is usually detected late when advanced stage disease has set in because most patients are asymptomatic for a long period and then it is too late. This raises the question of how can we learn and understand more about the biology of the disease as well as develop early warning signs via biomarkers used in screening?

It was therefore fascinating to be browsing through the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine over coffee this morning to discover an article on the medical progress in pancreatic cancer while simultaneously noticing an item on a new potential biomarker for the disease in Twitter! The NEJM review hasn't been published online yet, so I'll add the reference later.

Essentially, the NEJM article reviewed the biology of what we know of pancreatic cancer so far:

Results from successive accumulation of gene mutations (average of 23 per tumour)
Most patients with malignant disease carry 4 or more mutations (eg KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, DPC4)
It's extremely heterogeneous (more difficult to treat)
Formation of dense tumour stroma (dermoplastic reaction)
It is poorly vascularised (due to stellate cells and activation of TGFβ1, PDGF and FGFR)
Poor prognosis and treatment resistance has been conferred by the presence of cyclooxegenase-2 and PGFR, VEGF, SPARC and Hedgehog overexpression to name a few
The poor vascularisation of the tumour may well explain why anti-angiogenic therapies have not yielded promising results in the clinic to date.
Treating advanced cancer is always more difficult than earlier cancers in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. The big challenge with pancreatic cancer to date, though, has been finding useful biomarkers for earlier detection, which would most likely impact outcomes for the disease. According to the NEJM article:

"The overall 5-year survival rate among patients with pancreatic cancer is <5%."

That's a pitiful number that needs to change.

There are a number of agents in the clinic for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer including inhibitors of SPARC, MEK, Mucin-1, IGF-1R, Hedgehog, PDGF and FGFR, Src, RAS, JAK-STAT and TNFα, for example.

Many of these agents are looking at single agent studies or in combination with the current standard of care, gemcitabine, itself with limited effectiveness. It is, therefore, quite hard to imagine that blocking one pathway alone is likely to be the panacea for such a hard to treat and highly complex cancer, as the graphic to the left shows (click to see the detail).

Source: Genway Bio (graph not included)

Meanwhile, progress may be possible on the detection front. Goicoechea et al. reported in PLoSONE that a type of protein called "palladin" is produced in large amounts in groups of cells in the stroma surrounding pancreatic tumours, known as the 'tumour nest'. By measuring the levels of palladin in patient samples, doctors could have an improved way to screen for the disease, potentially detecting it earlier than current tests.

However, I say potentially, because these findings while interesting, need to be validated in large scale phase III clinical trials before we can really be certain of their long term validity. Nevertheless, it is a promising start for a devastating disease.

If there was one cancer that would hugely benefit from better earlier detection and diagnosis, it's pancreatic cancer. We need more cowbell. That is all.

RECENT POSTS:
--FDA conducting safety review of commonly used prostate cancer drugs
--What makes a great Pharma marketer?
--#ASCO10
--The lull before the Dendreon storm?
--The biology of pancreatic cancer

___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Disease Management Care Blog

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Disease Management Care Blog, by Jaan Sidorov

WEB ADDRESS: http://diseasemanagementcareblog.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: An ongoing forum for information, insights and musings from the world of disease management, the medical home, the chronic care model, the patient centered medical home, informatics, pay for performance, primary care, chronic illness and health insurance

MY REVIEW: This blog is offered twice at Amazon, one for $1.99 and the other for .99 cents. (The link I've provided above is for the 99 cent blog!)

This is a blog for the health care professional, not a layperson. If you are a health care professional, you will find this blog of interest.

Sample post:

Patient Centered Medical Home "vs." Disease Management for Hypertension: More Similarities than Differences
Long ago, the Disease Management Care Blog was a co-investigator in a multi-center high blood pressure (hypertension) research program. Everyone was treated with a precisely defined script and, compared to it's regular patients, the blood pressure of all the DMCB's research participants dropped. The DMCB concluded that that was thanks to two features of the research trial: 1) free drugs, and 2) a nurse devoted to making sure people took their free drugs.

That nurse helped convince the physician-DMCB that disease management could work.

"Could work," with the emphasis on could, is also the context of this report by the expert health insurance actuaries over at Milliman, who examine the same potential of the patient centered medical home (PCMH) in the management of hypertension. In this handy and thoroughly researched review (63 references), authors Kathryn Fitch, Kosuke Iwasaki and Bruce Pyenson discuss how the PCMH could improve the treatment of hypertension thanks to its a) ongoing patient monitoring and treatment plans, b) use of telephonic and email outreach, c) concurrent co-morbidity management, d) efficient medication adjustments, e) liberal use of non-physicians for low-risk patients, f) increased patient-provider communication, g) coordination of specialist access and g) an ability to measure population-based outcomes.

All well and good, says the DMCB, but the reason why policymakers and other stakeholders may want to download the report is because it contains some key caveats:

1. While the Milliman report doesn't come right out and say so, there's a lack of studies that have consistently concluded that the PCMH results in better blood pressure control and/or reduction in complications or cost over usual care. The PCMH and hypertension is more a matter of potential and possibilities than promise and proof.

2. That being said, if health insurers believe its impact on hypertension is one reason to support the PCMH, the "hard" additional costs of new physician fees, service codes, higher payment rates or incentives will need to be reconciled against 'soft' cost offsets, such as the expectation that this will result in reduced hospitalizations.

3. Outcomes reporting for the PCMH and its impact on the combined financial and clinical outcomes for hypertension will be needed, 'much like those used by the disease management industry' that avoid regression to the mean, minimize selection bias, use HEDIS®, study 'ambulatory care sensitive conditions' and assess medication possession ratios (MPR).

4. Smaller physician groups may find it a struggle to create medical homes. What's more, there's a mismatch between the rising number of patients with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, so insurers will need to think about the role of a) physician extenders and b) specialist physicians in the PCMH.

The Milliman also report pooh-poohs classic disease management for hypertension because of the spate of negative reviews and, more importantly, the stubborn persistence of uncontrolled high blood pressure in the U.S. today. The DMCB isn't too sure about either argument because:

1. There aren't any good studies examining the impact of disease management for hypertension. The lack of proof isn't the same as proof that disease management doesn't work. What's more, the same could be said of the PCMH when it comes to hypertension.

2. While suboptimally treated hypertension remains a persistent problem in the U.S., check out this NCQA report and go to pages 47 and 48. The DMCB did and found out that in commercial and Medicaid managed care, there has been a gratifying increase in hypertension control. The DMCB suspects these payors rely heavily on disease management programs to achieve many of the same outcomes described in the Milliman report.

Ultimately, however, it makes little difference if it's old fashioned DM or newly annointed PCMH. Both approaches' similarities outweigh their differences: non-physicians - like nurses - helping patients to choose to do the right thing.

RECENT POSTS:
--Patient Centered Medical Home "vs." Disease Management for Hypertension: More Similarities than Differences
--Accountable Care Organizations: Physician Group Competition, Divided Loyalties, Monopolies & the Risk of Abandonment
--The Latest Health Wonk Review Is Up
--The Busywork Burden of Primary Care Physicians: A Review and What Population-Based Care Management Organizations Already Know
--The Future of Digital Medicine: Smartphones Will Replace the EHR As the Workhorse Informatics Device In Clinical Care Settings
--Dietary Counseling for Obesity As A Covered Benefit In Medicare: Is It A Good Idea?

___________________
Ms. Cairo writes three blogs of her own:
Topical Murder and Dated Death
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Accidental Thong (health, Asperger's)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Accidental Thong, by Bek C.

WEB ADDRESS: http://accidentalthong.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The adventures of an artist and mama juggling parenting and the creative life as a blindfolded volunteer from the audience throws flaming knives at her. The part of the flaming knives are played by: autism/ASD, Asperger's syndrome, ADD/ADHD (adult and pediatric),type 1 diabetes, arthritis, the economy, small business operations, apartment living, and a rather large family. Like knives and fire, the flaming knives can be useful tools, depending on the situation.

Watch me gracefully work the flaming knives into my juggling act through a series of anecdotes, photographs, and How To's so you can focus on the rest of your personal circus.

MY REVIEW: This is a must-read blog for any parent who has a child with ADHD, Asperger's or Autism, or indeed, anyone who has any of those conditions. It's well written and interesting.

It hasn't been updated in 12 days, however, which has me a bit worried...the author certainly has a lot on her plate and it may be easier for her to stop posting, but I hope she will continue it.

If you're interested, check it out. You get a two week free trial period, so there's no reason not to subscribe to see if she's back to posting. Alternatively, I'll keep checking back, and let you know if it's got any new posts.

(She's been writing it since April 2007, so if nothing else there are plenty of archives for you to take a look at, and draw something from.)

RECENT POSTS:
--Homework, Demons, and Metaphorical Mountain Climbing
--No Returns Without Receipt.
--The plan is…
--You may have noticed…
--I’m compiling a list….

___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Healthy Travel Blog (travel, health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Healthy Travel Blog, by HTH Worldwide

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.healthytravelblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Welcome to healthytravelblog.com sponsored by HTH Worldwide.

We started this blog because staying healthy while traveling the world can be challenging.

It is our hope that this forum helps you understand the interplay between travel and health and lets you share your insights with your fellow travelers. We encourage you to check in often for updates on news, trends, issues and solutions—everything you should consider before you pack your bags for a vacation, business trip, study abroad program or expat assignment.

Tell your friends and family about this site because healthy travel is the only way to go.

MY REVIEW: If you're planning on traveling abroad, this blog is a must read. It has all the information you need. It's well written, and updated on a regular basis.

Sample post:

Virtual Kidnapping: Advice on How to Handle a Widespread Scam
April 14th, 2010 by Frank Gillingham, MD

It is the phone call every parent of a child abroad is horrified to receive: “Mom, Dad, please help me!” followed by a concealed voice making monetary demands for the safe return of the kidnapped child. In years past, this usually meant that the child had indeed been abducted and was being held for ransom. In recent years, however, many of these calls are placed by “virtual kidnappers” who may be nowhere near the alleged victim.

One of the consequences of the “information age” and social media such as Facebook and My Space is the widespread availability of names, addresses and phone numbers. The resourceful virtual kidnapper is someone who collects data on prospective victims who have shared details online about upcoming adventures such as a trip down the Amazon, a hike to Machu Picchu, or an African Safari — all places where cell phone reception is spotty or nonexistent, creating the conditions for scams to go undetected.

The calls to the families of the “virtual victims” convey a sense of urgency — that the victim will be executed within the hour unless funds are transferred to a foreign bank account, for instance. Since the family has no way to determine the veracity of the kidnapping, payment is made. Sophisticated virtual kidnappers go to great lengths to “fake out” the families of their victims by pretending to be the victims themselves — speaking in short, frantic sentences that are muffled by “poor cell phone reception.”

Because cell phone coverage has grown ever wider– even the remote jungles of sub-Saharan Africa are often reachable today — many virtual kidnappers do not limit their victims to those whose cell phone reception is marginal. Instead, perpetrators contact prospective victims and tell them that their phones should be turned off for an hour or two for servicing. The virtual kidnappers take advantage of the window to make their calls back home.

The problem has become so severe in Mexico that the country’s government has set up a hot line for victims of virtual extortion. The U.S. State Department, in its section on travel precautions for Central and South American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Peru www.travel.state.gov/ suggests that families of victims should: 1) not reveal any personal information over the phone, 2) insist on speaking with the victim to corroborate his/her identity and 3) contact the nearest US Embassy or consulate. Although the temptation to respond immediately to demands is very high, most “virtual kidnappers” will abandon their efforts within an hour or two if payment is not received.

Here are a few imperatives to avoid becoming a victim of “virtual kidnapping”:

Register with the State Department prior to travel

Verify cell phone reception at all proposed locations on the itinerary
Do NOT turn off a cell phone at any time- claims that a phone must be disconnected for servicing are universally false
Do NOT share any information about an upcoming trip on line
Maintain regular contact with family and loved ones back home
Establish a code word to be used to verify any kidnapping claims
Never travel alone, particularly in Latin America, Africa and the mid East where both real and virtual kidnappings are epidemic

RECENT POSTS:
--No Approval Yet for the Jet Lag Drug
--The Gender Gap Around the World: Implications for Health and Happiness?
--Volcanic Ash Health Effects Expected to be Minimal
--Volcanic Ash Spillover: Travelers Encounter Medical Issues
--Virtual Kidnapping: Advice on How to Handle a Widespread Scam

___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

30 Day Fitness Experiment (health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: 30 Day Fitness Experiment

WEB ADDRESS: http://30dayfitnessexperiment.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Creating a new, healthy habit can take around 30 days.
Step 1: Decide on 1 or 2 small changes.
Step 2: Implement those changes for 30 days.
Step 3: Repeat

MY REVIEW: Losing weight is simultaneously very easy and very difficult. It's very easy because there is absolutely no mystery about it. Burn more calories than you consume, and you lose weight. It's very difficult because way too many people eat more calories than they consume...because they find it difficult to control their appetite.

Learn how to control your appetite... problem solved. (And I'm not talking about anorexics - they dont' control their appetites, they starve themselves to death!)

I have long been interested in helping people lose weight - and what is even more difficult.... keep that weight off once they lose it, and as a result I am infuriated more often than not when I read today's headlines about the "obesity epidemic" and how kids are fatter than ever, ya da ya da. Dangerous propaganda! Oh...kids may be obese.... you know which ones (if any)? The boys! Girls aren't obese, 4 out of 5 of em go on diets by the time they are 10 and never get off. It's the eatiing disorder epidemic they have to worry about, and that's going to skyrocket now that the government is mandating what schools have to do to make sure their little charges don't eat fattening foods, and get their 30 minutes of exercise a day.

Then there's the mass media. The makeup commercials which tell girls they have to hide those "flaws" in their skin, the weight loss commercials that promise great things (and in teeny tiny print at the bottom say, Results not typical), the movies that have pot-bellied, coarse young men scoring at will with beautiful, slender young things (but never plain girls with handsome guys. Never that.)

So, now we come to 30-Day Fitness Experiment. (Sorry for the rant. I just do rant a lot when the subject of weight loss comes up...) This author, Sarita Johnson, appears to be on the right track. Eat healthy foods, don't starve yourself, and exercise.

Sample post:

Six Ways to Measure Your Progress Without a Bathroom Scale

I gained .5 pounds this week. Yep, I’m half a pound heavier. Documenting this (and not feeling sad about it) got me thinking about metrics: what is the best way to measure progress?

That depends partly on what your goals are. If you’re in a body building program, you probably expect to gain weight.

In this project, I’ve stated my starting weight and measurements. I’ve also stated my basic, loose goal: Lose 100 pounds. Here’s how I got that number: I did not enter my height, sex, and age into an “ideal body weight” chart. I did not wake up one day and shriek: “Oh no, I’m fat! I’d better lose 100 pounds!” I did not research a celebrity, find out her weight, and make that my goal.

What I did was this: I thought back to the time in my life when I was most fit. I tried to remember what my lifestyle was. I’ve never gone on a diet or been involved in a sport, so what I came up with was this: I was physically active, I avoided fast food and junk food, and I ate lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The physical activity I participated in so regularly was using my two legs to get me places. That’s it. At that time, I weighed about 100 pounds less than I did at the beginning of this project.

That’s why I’m using 100 pounds as a basic gauge. If, however, I find myself physically fit and active but over 120 pounds, I am not going to take extreme measures to get myself to weigh less. See, the pounds in themselves are not the measure of my progress.

Six Ways to Measure Fitness and Weight Loss Without a Bathroom Scale:
Waist to Hip Ratio: This is a measurement of the distribution of your body fat. People with a lot of abdominal fat are at higher risk for heart disease and other maladies. How to do it: Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For women, the number should be 0.8 or lower. For men, 1.0 or lower.

Vital Signs: Your blood pressure and cholesterol levels speak volumes about your health, including your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Resting Heart Rate: The fitter you are, the more efficient your heart becomes. To calculate your resting heart rate (RHR), count your pulse for one minute, before getting out of bed in the morning. Take an average over three days. The normal range is between 60-80 beats per minute, but the average rate steadily declines among people who are more physically active.

Endurance: The more you exercise, the easier it becomes. Find a way to log your mileage if you walk or bike. Compare what you can do at the beginning of the month with what you can do at the end of the month.

Body Composition: Your body composition can be measured by a doctor, or at a gym or university. There are several methods of testing. What it tells you: A body composition test tells you what percentage of your body is composed of fat. 32% is considered obese for women; 26% is considered obese for men.

Clothing Size: The good ol’ dress size test. If you can fit into clothes you couldn’t before, you’ve improved your body. You don’t need a bathroom scale to tell you that.

RECENT POSTS:
--Six Ways to Measure Your Progress Without a Bathroom Scale
--Beginner’s Guide to a Car-Less Commute
--Making Physical Activity a Family Affair
--Three “Eating Away From Home” Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
--Simple Living Sunday 25 April 2010
___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Bipolar Makes it Twice as Fun (lifestyle and culture, health)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Bipolar Makes it Twice as Fun, by Glorious Dawn

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.bipolarmakesittwiceasfun.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: [No description at the blog. I take this from her announcement of the blog] I suffer from and live with Bipolar Disorder, but it's worse that just regular ol' BP, I have a form that is difficult to control and is continuously cycling (always going through episodes). My blog, which I try to update daily, is about my experiences and my thoughts/reactions to the mental health industry. It most certainly is an industry.

Through the blog I prove (well, I hope I prove) that it's possible to live a relatively normal life. I am the complete opposite of the stigma; highly functional, compliant, perfect hygiene, and happily married. I take care of the house just like any other woman would do. I have a job. I have all this normal stuff but sometimes my thinking gets a little crazy.

Another goal of my blog is to show that dealing with this illness doesn't always have to be bad, I've had a lot of fun being bipolar.

MY REVIEW: If you have bipolar, or know someone with bipolar, check this blog out. Well written and interesting, told from the point of view of someone with the condition - which is always better than being told by an outside observer! Author is in her twenties, and writes the way young people write (slang etc that I don't particularly care for) but - obvious literate and educated.

Check it out.

Sample post

Disease, condition, illness, whatever it is
I just found this in a journal, it was dated: November 27, 2006. This is 22 year old me.

I hate being me. I hate my disease, condition, illness, whatever it is. I hate that I'm insecure and am always second guessing myself; but, at the same time, I'm a perfectionist and have a constant need for approval from everyone else. I hate that I make my decisions for everyone else and not for myself. I'm scared to make my own decisions because they might be, and usually are, wrong.

I want to be a smart person. I want to be more than "the fun girl with a pretty face."

I want to achieve something, to set a goal that will give me a purpose to go on, and that will make me proud of myself. If I could make a decision about what to do, it would be easier. And my drugs hold me back, too. There are things I wanna do but can't because I've been admitted into the psych ward at the hospital. You won't see me on Big Brother, The Real World, or The Amazing Race. I don't know what to write about so I can't start my book. That is going to be a difficult decisions so I'm not gonna do it.

I hate everything about bipolar:
it holds me back from doing my best
it gets in the way of some of my dreams
it drives me into deep depressions
it flings me high in the air
it doesn't help me get down
it escalates my feelings of insecurity and my perfectionist drive.
I wish I could make a decision. A good one. For myself. That will please everyone.
I'm "the fun girl with the pretty face" because I have worked so diligently at constructing that image of myself. Having fun comes easy to me, even when I'm depressed, so when I'm around people that's who they see. Plus, I am an attention-whore and being pretty helps with that.

RECENT POSTS:
--Chicken or the Egg, Smoke or the Crazy
--Let's see that O-face
--Being Manic is Being Out of Control
--Disease, condition, illness, whatever it is
--It wards off the demons!
___________________
Ms. Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
Winged Victory: Women in Aviation
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters

Rob Aquatics - Master Swimmer (swimming, health and fitness)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Rob Aquatics - Master Swimmer, by Rob Dumouchel

WEB ADDRESS: http://robaquatics.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Swimming blog focused on training for and competing in USMS (United States Masters Swimming).

MY REVIEW:
When people get out of high school or college, they think that their competitive sports days are behind them. Not so. There are plenty of sports programs that you can participate in - you just have to find them in your area.

The Masters Program
http://www.readysetgofitness.com/links/masters_sports.shtml

There's also such a thing as the Senior Games, and a FitPast50 organization.

Here's the author describing his blog on swimming:

When I started this blog I was the founder, coach, president, CEO and star swimmer of the most exclusive swim team in California – Rob Aquatics. In other words I was swimming unattached :) Since then there have been some changes! In December of 2008 I was adopted by Coach Nancy Reno and I’m currently attached to and compete on her team,Conejo Valley Multisport Masters (CVMM). I also workout with a group of masters in Santa Maria a couple times a week and do ocean swims with a small group of open water enthusiasts in Avila Beach. Because of my work schedule I still do a fair amount of working out by myself.

I try to get out and swim at as many meets and events as I have the time and money to get to. You’re most likely to find me at just about any South Pacific Masters meet, but I do venture up into the Pacific Masters region and down to the San Diego Imperial region from time to time.

Since getting into masters swimming I’ve gotten myself very involved with the organization. In 2009 I went to the US Aquatic Sports convention as a delegate for SPMA, and starting in January of 2010 I will be part of the board for Southern Pacific Masters Swimming as the Member at Large.

This blog is basically my diary of getting back into swimming through USMS. You’ll find all my workouts, events I’m participating in, some masters’ news, and unsolicited opinions about watery stuff. If you ever have questions or comments for me feel free to leave them on the site or send me an e-mail (rob@robaquatics.com).

It's a fun blog, and inspirational. Check it out.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Heat Wave… We’re Up to 56 degrees in the Water!
--Breathing Easy Outside
--Getting Myself Recombobulated
--Dropping In with the Masters at the SW YMCA
--2010 Wisconsin Masters Meet Wrap Up – Day 2

___________________
Ms Cairo writes two blogs of her own:
You Fly Girl
Volcano Seven

f i t . g i r l . c a r i

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

OUR RECOMMENDATION: NO

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: fit.girl.cari

WEB ADDRESS: fitgirlcari.blogspot.com

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: some personal, some professional, but always something useful in the world of health, fitness and life in general!

OUR REVIEW: Random! What do a short discussion on flax, Taza Green Tea at Starbucks, recipe for homemade vapor rub, pronto pups (which are treats on a stick), and "stories of a lifetime: grandma draft" have in common?

These are five sequential posts on this blog. And, I read them and still find them to be random. She only posts every two weeks so maybe she loses track of what she was blogging about? Seriously, the blogger is a personal fitness trainer and most of the posts have "something" to do with fitness. In order to carry off this "random" theme, she needs to post more often. Cari's blog needs some training.

THE GOOD: not much

THE BAD: Does not post often enough to make this worth while.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• amy's tasty flax snax (a recipe) (Feb 15, 2010)

• my secret drink at Starbucks (Starbucks sells Green Tea) (Feb 2, 2010)

• homemade vapor rub . . . naturally (do it yourself directions) (Jan 13, 2010)

• pronto pups? then ya better snowshoe! (Pronto Pup sidewalk store opened for two days during winter) (Dec 29, 2009)

• stories of a lifetime: grandma draft (motorcyle accident) (Dec 26, 2009)

___________
Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normal www.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiar strangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/