India Drugmaker Cipla Cuts Prices of Generic Drug

By Lissette Talledo

Indian drugmaker Cipla has cut the generic version of Bayer’s Nevaxar by 75 percent. These are lung and brain cancer drugs which will be sold at 6,840 Rupees a month.

That is compared to how much Bayer sells these drugs for at 284, 428 per month.

Cipla says they do not expect these price cuts will affect their revenue. The products already have low volumes.

The reason for their decision is to make these drugs more affordable to patients.

Bayer is suing Cipla for patent infringement over Nexavar in court.

This occurred two months after India decided to allow another drugmaker to make a cheaper version of drugs despite Bayer’s objections.

Vogue: Skinny, Underage Model Ban

By Lissette Talledo

Vogue editors of all 19 editions have decided to ban the use of skinny models under 16. The purpose is an attempt to change the fashion industry for a healthier body image.

The editors made a six-point pact where they pledge to not knowingly use models under 16 or ones who appear to have an eating disorder.

Casting directors will also have to check the model’s ID before photo shoots as well as encourage healthy habits backstage.

Fashion designers will be encouraged to consider the consequences of using extremely small sample sizes.

In 2009, the Vogue editor for the UK criticized fashion houses for sending clothes too small for their models.

Worldwide Premature births: More than 1 out 10 babies

By Lissette Talledo

The World Health Organization released a joint report that suggests 15 million babies around the world are born prematurely each year. One million of them die immediately after birth.

Babies born before 37 weeks are considered premature, whereas full term babies are born at 40 weeks.

Being born premature is the second-leading cause of death in children under 5 worldwide. However, those who do survive may develop learning difficulties and other problems.

UN experts say that simple and inexpensive care can help keep these babies alive.

One example of that would be preventing cord infection by using antiseptic cream.

There are inequalities in survival rates for different countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sexual Abuse During Childhood is a Culprit for Some Adults with HIV

By Lissette Talledo

Duke University Researchers have found that about one in four adults with HIV were sexually abused as children.  This psychological trauma can be indicative of increased likelihood for HIV/AIDS and faster health decline.

The researchers studied more than 600 patients with HIV, ages 20 to 71, and found that about a quarter of them were indeed abused sexually at a young age.

They also found that about half of the patients experienced three or more traumatic events throughout their lives such as enduring physical abuse, or suffering the loss of a child.

Such traumatic experiences were indicative of worse health-related behaviors including instances of unprotected sex.

One can thus conclude the reasons behind reckless sexual behavior, which can lead to a person contracting HIV.

Extra Smoking Counseling Found Ineffective

By Lissette Talledo

A study in the British Medical Journal says that intensive counseling, as well as offering free nicotine patches, does not help smokers quit.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham found that this additional support does not contribute with people giving up on smoking.

They studied more than 2,500 smokers and followed up on them after a year and found no significant results in groups given either intensive counseling or nicotine patches versus groups who didn’t receive those treatments.

The Department of Health in England and the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies funded this study to see if they can improve their services. Because of the lack of positive results, the Department of Health will not offer those services for the NHS Smoking Helpline.

Underweight Model Ban in Israel

By Lissette Talledo

The Israeli government has passed a law which bans the use of underweight models. Publications will have to specify if the image has been manipulated to make the model appear thinner. Models in Israel are now required to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 percent. They will have to present updated medical records of their weight when applying to jobs. Supporters say the images of underweight models contribute to eating disorders in young girls. In Israel currently, around 2 percent of girls ages 14 to 18 have severe eating disorders. Critics say the focus should be on the model’s health instead of her weight since some are naturally thin.

¿Vive usted en un desierto de alimentos?

Aunque su patio trasero probablemente no tiene arena o nopales, todavía podría estar viviendo en un desierto: el desierto de alimentos. Olvídese de los espejismos y las serpientes de cascabel. Este tipo de desierto se trata de la comida sana, fresca — o más exactamente, la falta de los mismos.

El Departamento de Agricultura acaba de publicar una fantástica nueva herramienta en su pagina de web, llamado el “Localizador de desiertos de alimentos“, que le permite ver si su comunidad no tiene acceso a alimentos asequibles, fresca y saludable. Lo más importante, el Localizador ayuda a los políticos y los planificadores a identificar a las comunidades en las que la intervención pública o privada puede ayudar significativamente a las familias a mejorar su salud y nutrición a través de mejorar el acceso a las tiendas de comestibles, en lugar de tiendas de la esquina que venden excesivamente procesados productos​​.

Vea si su comunidad es un desierto de alimentos en el sitio del USDA. Foto/USDA.

Sabemos que los problemas de salud relacionados con la nutrición se han disparado en todo el país. Según los CDC, casi el 75% de los adultos estadounidenses (y 30% de los niños) están sobrepeso o son obesos. De individuos nacidos en el año 2000, uno de cada tres desarrollará diabetes durante su vida, estas tasas siendo mucho mayor en los afro americanos e hispanos.

El acceso a alimentos frescos y saludables es una parte enorme del problema. No podemos esperar que la gente come alimentos que son buenos para el cuerpo o el medio ambiente cuando no están disponibles.

Casi 50 millones de estadounidenses están sin seguro médico, dice el CDC

Más y más estadounidenses están teniendo más problemas para pagar el seguro médico, señalaron los del CDC. Foto via Flickr.

Considerando que la gente en EE.UU se esta poniendo más de sobrepeso y aumenta la probabilidad de tener alta presión y diabetes, es desalentador saber que ahora hay casi 50 millones de estadounidenses que viven sin seguro de salud, 3 millones más que el año pasado, según un informe de los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades y Prevención (CDC). Según el informe, uno de cada cinco personas no tenían seguro durante una parte de los últimos 12 meses.

Un experto de la Fundación de Kaiser Family, que supervisa estas cifras dice que la economía es parte de la culpa.

“En los EE.UU., la cobertura de seguro de las personas está relacionada con su trabajo y cuando la gente pierde puestos de trabajo, pierden la cobertura de seguro que viene con el trabajo”, dice Rachel Garfield, la investigadora y directora asociado de la Comisión Kaiser sobre Medicaid y “No Asegurados.”

Más de un tercio de los adultos desempleados menores de 65 años han estado sin seguro de salud para más de un año en comparación con aproximadamente una de cada seis adultos que todavía están trabajando, afirma el CDC.

La gente en el sur y el oeste eran menos propensos a inscribirse en un plan de salud. Y los hombres adultos menores de 65 años tenían más probabilidades de no tener seguro que sus contrapartes femeninas.

Los investigadores dicen que de 68.000 estadounidenses encuestados, dos tercios se consideran en buena salud, pero eso es menos que hace una década.


Illegal immigrants to receive better health care than citizens?

The year 2010 has been quite a year in terms of controversial decisions—Arizona passed a racist immigration bill that sparked a widespread boycott and Obama signed THE health insurance reform bill into law. To use a less-vulgar version of Joe Biden’s words, these decisions have been “very big deals.” Though these decisions put the care of illegal immigrants at the bottom of the barrel (obviously disregarding how vital they are  to the  prosperity of the U.S.), they are on the minds of some people.

Displaced patients to be covered by a new agreement met at an Atlanta-area church. —David Walter Banks for NYT

In this case, Grady Memorial Hospital is the entity who chose to provide for the needs of illegal immigrants. The Atlanta-based hospital, in a controversial decision that is likely to cause a national uproar, agreed to financially assist dialysis provider Fresenius Medical Services to offer care to 38 patients—including several illegal immigrants— who are end-stage renal patients.

This decision comes as a similar contract between Grady and Fresenius expires. That contract provided dialysis treatment to illegals for a transition period of one year after Grady closed its outpatient dialysis clinic, which was losing money. Sixty immigrants were affected by that decision. Important details, such as which patients will go where, what Grady’s portion of the bill will be and how long the treatment will last have yet to be determined.

In general, this issue of “caring” for illegal immigrants is sure to become a hot-button one, especially considering that the nation is brooding over a financial funk.

To learn more: read this New York Times article.

Subida de Cáncer entre Hispánicos y Latinos.

 

La importancia de su salud

 


En el ano pasado había historias de el subimiento en cáncer entre hispánicos y latinos. Es dicho que el populación que se han movido permanente a EE.UU. son los que están mas afectados.

Es importante que la comunidad estén educados en su salud y que practiquen una estilo de vida sano. Estos reportes hablan de la vida que cambia por la comida, la falta de seguro para la salud y información o la falta de conversación sobre la problema.

Naturalmente muchos han crecido con la idea que no se habla de la salud o de situaciones como cáncer, diabetes etc.… Pero es importante de hablar con su doctor de estar informada con su dieta y para seguir las instrucciones del al dadas a usted por su medico y familia.

Trata de comer comidas mas naturales paran de comer las comidas fritas, llenos de preservativos. Tomen mucho agua y hagan ejercicio cada dia.

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