K-healthy

Get a Cheap Glasses From Zenni Optical

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:48:00 +0000

Dear readers, How are you? it has been a long time since I published a blog post. Today, I want to talk about Zenni Optical, The #1 online Rx glasess store. What I like about Zenni Optical? Just one answer, it's very cheap. According to Eric's Review of Zenni Optical, Zenni sells full prescription eyeglasses starting at just $8 per pair up to arround $40 and shipping just $4.95 no matter how many pairs you order the eyeglasses.

Moreover, Zenni Optical provides good quality, many variants, and Lowest Price Progressive Glasses. Why it is possible? Because they are they bring their product directly from their factories in China to you and use the latest modern materials, technologies, and marketing systems. So, if your eyeglasses need to be replaced, then you must order ZenniOptical.com and you will get glasses with high quality stylish frame, anti-scratch coating, and many more.

Palmar Hyperhidrosis

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Palmar hyperhidrosis is a physical condition where the sweat on the palm can't be controlled. This can make problems such as, difficult to handle paper, pen, key, and electrical equipment. Many people have been searching for the treatment.

The characteristics of palmar hyperhidrosis are:
• sweat continuously.
• sweat without a clear reason.
• sweat that is not caused as a result of physical activity.
• sweat that is caused by stress or emotional.
• sweat will be reduced in the colder months.
• sweat stops during sleep.

Getting Slim Body With Minimal Cost

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Do you want to get slim body with minimal cost? Check out the tricks and tips from nutrition experts Chaterine Matthews.

To the Mirror, on Thursday (1/1/2008) Chaterina provide a simple formula to get slim and healthy body without a lot of costs, such as:

Do not go to store when not hungry

You must stop the habit of buying food that is not important. Besides dangerous for the health of the body, these habits can deplete the money in your wallet.

Bring food from home

You do not maintain the habit of buying food on the store. Making food from home can also be an alternative menu for lunch at your office.

Manage your budget every week

This is important to do so that you can manage incidental expenditures.

Write a shopping list of needs

Plan your menu of food for a week and also write your shopping list of needs. With a shopping list of needs, you can avoid to buy food that is not important. Also, you'll be not confused when you go to supermarket.

Happy New Year 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Hi all! Happy New Year 2009. I hope this year I can write more on this blog.

Remote Medical Diagnostics with Android Application

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:51:00 +0000

MIT has developed an open source project remote medical diagnostics application. This application is a Linux- and Android-based that is designed to improve diagnostics from underdeveloped world where cellular service is available, but trained physicians and hospitals are few and far between. They call "Moca" for the application.

Moca is a cellphone based clinical information system designed to improve diagnostic, screening, & therapeutic capabilities in remote underserved areas, says the nonprofit Moca project. The Android application is designed to be used by remote nurses and careworkers who work from clinics or mobile vans sent out to remote villages. They can quickly screen patients by filling out forms, and then upload them along with photo attachments via cellular modem to remote diagnosticians for analysis.

Why Android?

The reason is Moca's designer wanted a multitasking open source cellphone platform with a decent camera that also offered an advanced application development environment. The relatively high price of the current platform, the HTC/T-Mobile G1, will be a challenge in the developing areas they are targeting, says Celi. However, he is hopeful that time and a potential partnership with an NGO that might help subsidize the phones like One Laptop per Child (OLPC). It will help solve the problem. "Cheaper open source phones are available, but they don't have the functionality needed to implement all the things that we're promising, so there's a big tradeoff," said Celi.

source: linuxdevices.com

eHealth Initiative Applauds President-Elect Obama’s Recognition of the Importance of Information Technology to Improve U.S. Health Care System

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Today, I've found article about Barrack Obama and e-health. Btw, sorry, it's late. Since 6 days ago, I can't blog.

The independent, non-profit, eHealth Initiative applauds President-Elect Obama's inclusion of electronic medical records for every doctor's office and hospital in the country in his Economic Recovery Plan, key elements of which were announced as part of his December 6, 2008 Weekly Radio Address ( http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/the_key_parts_of_the_jobs_plan/).
"The effective adoption of health information technology and electronic, secure health information exchange promises to transform care delivery, improve the health of the American population, and enable individuals to more effectively manage their health and health care. We look forward to supporting President-Elect Obama and the new Administration in driving transformation of our health care system," said Janet Marchibroda, chief executive officer of the eHealth Initiative.

The eHealth Initiative (eHI) engages multiple stakeholders, including clinicians, consumers, employers, health plans, health information technology companies, hospitals and other providers, laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, and state and local leaders to reach agreement on and drive the adoption of common principles, policies and best practices for improving the quality, safety and efficiency of health care through information and information technology.

Last year, eHI released the eHealth Initiative Blueprint: From Consensus to Common Action, representing multi-stakeholder consensus on a shared vision and a set of principles, strategies and actions for improving health and health care through information and information technology. The eHI Blueprint is publicly available and can be accessed at http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/blueprint/aboutIntro.mspx.

Just last week, as part of the eHealth Initiative Annual Conference ( http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/events/2008EventsConfAgenda.mspx) on December 4-5, 2008, eHI convened a diverse group of experts, policymakers and leaders representing every sector of health care to review progress over the last five years and develop recommendations for 2009 and beyond to support the work of the new Obama Administration and Congress.

Over the next several weeks, eHI will continue to bring together leaders and representatives from every sector of health care to build upon the work of the eHI Blueprint, and finalize a set of recommendations to support both the new Administration and Congress as they consider the reform of the U.S. health care system and the expansion of an electronic health information infrastructure as part of the Economic Recovery Plan and economic stimulus package.

source: http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/

gethealthy-starluvmoon

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:04:00 +0000

If you want to find health article, you can visit http://gethealthy-starluvmoon.blogspot.com/.
I think it's a nice blog.

Awareness about HIV/AIDS

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:08:00 +0000

I think this is a good news. I just found article that explain awareness of HIV/AIDS in Guyana, Africa has improved dramatically in the past five years. Why? The reason is Since the World Bank came on board in 2004 and after President George W Bush's Aids initiative, more money has been made available to promote awareness and education. Dr Shanti Singh, who heads the country's national Aids programme, feels that this has had an impact on the number of cases. For further information about this, click here.

Skinny Pill

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:45:00 +0000

Wow! A pill can deliver the health benefits of diet and exercise without any of the effort. Is It Dream? Fortunately, the answer is no.

As I cited from technologyreview,

European scientists have found that mice fed a high-fat, high-calorie diet and prevented from exercising regularly can be protected from weight gain and metabolic disorders when given a drug that targets a gene linked to longevity. The treatment even increases the animals' running endurance. scientists tested the health effects of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, that targets the same pathway as the synthetic compound SRT1720. In both instances, mice fed these compounds have increased running endurance. The mouse (fed resveratrol) runs for longer than the untreated mouse on the left.

Benefits of Using a Stability Ball in Your Training

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:34:00 +0000

If there is one equipment you should not miss in your training, it is the stability ball. The market comes up with new training tools every now and then. Yet you are not sure if they do work and if they are safe. So for one that is guaranteed to work, use the stability ball.

What Is a Stability Ball?

This is a large and inflatable ball used as an exercise equipment. Despite being air-filled, it is generally heavy-duty and capable to hold 600 to 700 pounds of weight. It is comfortable and gives good support. It perfectly suits the trainee as it easily goes with the structure of the body.

This exercise tool is also sometimes called as the physioball or the Swiss Ball.

The good thing about using the stability ball is it reduces the perception of ‘working’ in training, especially for beginners. It gives some element of ‘play’ as you get rough with the training. It adds some fun and excitement as you advance in the movements and techniques.

Another good point with the ball is that it can be used by anybody. No fitness level is required. It is very portable and light weight, easy to bring along even when traveling. It is also inexpensive compared to other exercise equipment and it could last for a very long time.

How Stability Balls Came About?

The use of the stability balls for training can be traced in rehabilitation. As early as the 1900’s, physical therapists have been using balls in addressing the neurological disorders of their patients.

Then, in the early 1960’s, Aquilino Cosani, an Italian toy maker, made the ball and sold it, known then as the ‘Gymnastik.’ Two decades after, Cosani came up with a company called Gymnic and became the major supplier of the stability ball to most rehabilitation programs and centers.

The ball then shifted from the rehabilitation to the athletic area, in the 90’s. It was used to condition the body of professional athletes. From then on, the ball became very prominent in the fitness community.

At present medical specialists and fitness professionals very much recommend the use of the stability ball by the public. It serves more than solving physical problems. It is good in preventing you from having one.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Stability Ball?

The stability ball definitely is best to improve the strength of the abs and the lower-backs. It improves as well the functional strength, balance and flexibility of the body.

1. Proper Alignment
Using the ball during training will test the body to make use of the different parts to maintain the proper balance. The dynamic movements during exercise will improve the natural motor reflexes of the body as different muscles are utilized in movement, especially the ones that are not usually used. The challenge posed by the ball is to maintain balance. As one aims to get the proper balance, the alignment of the body parts is also improved.

2. Great Abs
For people working out to achieve great abs, this ball can definitely target the abdominal areas. The abs and the back muscles are simultaneously moved as you work in your balance. Just imagine the good feeling of having a flat stomach area and you will definitely love this ball.

3. Muscle Strength and Endurance
The stability ball can help in alleviating any back pain and preventing one in the future. As all the major muscle groups are exercised, the muscle tone, strength and endurance are also improved. Thus it gives the body flexibility, stability and resistance.

4. Core Stability
This concerns the major muscles that helps stabilize and support all of the body movements. This is made up of back and the deep abdominal muscles. With the ball, no matter how ‘deep’ or ‘into the core’ these muscles are, they are still exercised. This is something only the stability ball can guarantee.

5. Stretching
The ball is a good companion during stretching exercises. With this, you can easily move into and move out of different stretching positions.

6. Losing Weight
Of course, with all the good benefits of using the ball, you will not miss out on the aspect of losing weight. With regular exercises and trainings done with the stability ball, a person can lose some unwanted pounds as the body is firmed.

Health is definitely your most important asset. So do your regular exercises and maintain a healthy diet.

Cross Training for Fitness and Fatloss

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:57:00 +0000

The numbers on your scale do not indicate whether you are fit or fat. Far more significant than your total body weight is the composition of your body tissue. If a man’s fatty tissue is bigger than 14% up to 15% of his body mass, or if a woman’s is more than 20% to 22%, he or she is overweight, or overfat.

A small amount of fat is needed for padding the internal organs and as insulation under the skin. Excess fat leads to such diseases as diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and gallbladder problems. There are very few, very fat persons. The reason is that the fittest, not the fattest survive.

The problem now is focused on how to resolve the problem. The problem with most people who want to lose weight is that they have the propensity to concentrate more on getting those numbers lower than what they are seeing now. What happens next is that they strive harder to achieve a lower weight, according to the “ever reliable” result of the weighing scale.

It would be more important to think of the human body as a heat-exchange engine that works on the basic principles of energy physics. The caloric balance equals the total calorie intake minus the total calorie expenditure.

Some of the calories people ingest are used for basal metabolism. As people get old, their bodies require fewer calories for this basic upkeep. Some calories are excreted as waste products. Some go into “work metabolism,” the energy expenditure required for any physical activity.

Hence, if people take in more calories than are used by these functions, there is a definite caloric excess. By the laws of physics, energy is transformed rather than destroyed. In this case, each excess of 3,500 calories is changed into a pound of fat. If people want to reverse this process, they have to burn up 3,500 calories to lose a single pound.

Winning the War Against Fat

When you think of fighting fat with exercise, you probably think of hours of hard, sweaty exertion. If this is the case, then, you will not get any farther. This is because people who are so much into losing more by exerting more effort tend to get bored easily.

Why? Because experts contend that when people exert more effort than what they are capable of doing creates a tendency to develop weariness and ennui. Hence, they give up, stop doing their routine exercises, and end up sulking in the corner with a bag of chips that seems to have all the bad calories in this world.

Now, you might ask, "What should be done instead?" The answer: cross training.

After some intensive studies and experimentations, health experts were able to come up with the concept of incorporating cross training in order to overcome or break the monotony or dullness in an exercise program.

Cross training refers to the integration of diverse movements or activities into a person’s conventional exercise routine. The main purpose of incorporating cross training into an exercise program is to avoid overdoing excess muscle damages and to put a stop to an imminent boredom.

Three of the most commonly used activities whenever a person decides to engage into cross training are swimming, running, and cycling.

In cross training, distance is one way to extend your activity as your condition improves. For this reason, you need to traverse a measured distance.

If possible, swim the course and measure the distance. If you will be using a running track, such courses usually are a quarter-mile per lap for a complete circuit.

Cross training offers a variety of benefits for fitness and fatloss. It builds up the strength and endurance of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. It has also some tranquilizing effect on the nerves, and it burns up calories as much as it makes your “losing weight” more bearable.

Cross training has three basic components:

1. Endurance exercises to condition the heart, lungs, and blood vessels and to induce relaxation. These begin with a careful planned walking and jogging regimen, depending on fitness level.

2. Exercises to strengthen the muscles, particularly those important to good posture. These include some activities that are selected to encourage some people who are already burnt out with a particular routine.

3. Exercises to improve joint mobility and prevent or relieve aches and pains. These consist of a series of static stretching positions that are safe and effective for most of the people who wish to try to lose some fat.

Indeed, cross training is a great way to modify the concept of exercising and losing fat without having to endure monotonous activities. In fact, the idea of exercising is to like what you are doing, hence, if you engage into cross training, you will be aware of it that you have already achieve your desired weight.

Boiled down, cross training is, certainly, one way of having fun.

Benefits of Stretching

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:44:00 +0000

The body is flexible. You must be able to bend and reach that something you dropped on the floor. You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on your own. You must be able to reach that book you need to read at the top shelf.

These are simple activities. Nothing grand about them, you merely stretched out a bit. However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple motions, then you have to stretch your limits. You already need a stretching program.

What Is Stretching?

Stretching is simply the act of extending to full length the body or simply a part of it. This activity involves straightening or stretching the structure or the limbs.

How Does One Do the Stretching?

Stretching is fairly easy. As mentioned in the introduction, it is involved in the normal activities. It can be done by any people, regardless of age.

However the extent of stretching and flexing differs. The muscles tighten as a person ages. The range of joint movements can be minimized. This can very well obstruct an on-the-go lifestyle. That is why as the person grows older, bending or flexing becomes more limited. This is why stretching regularly, as part of a routine is very important.

Simple stretches can be done everyday. It can be incorporated in the lifestyle and the daily activities. It does not require much of your time.

Stretching exercises can also be done while training. Actually, stretching is an essential part of any training or sport. It must be done first before anything else. Stretching the body and the limbs is a good preparation for a more rigorous activity.

Most athletes would do the sit and reach, wherein they position on the floor, extend their legs and reach the tip of their foot with the tip of their hand. Actually, most trainers actually require their athletes to really do the stretching before playing.

There is actually an ideal length of time in stretching. It is best to do it in 10 minutes. This will give the body enough opportunity to move and flex the muscles, thus preparing it for more complicated and strenuous movements.

Experts however would frown upon going way beyond 10 minutes. Stretching the exercise to 30 minutes or more will already wear out the body. This will not be favorable if one is preparing for a game.

What Are the Benefits of Stretching?

1. Increase the Range of Movement
As one constantly do the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and the tendons are also increased. This will help in increasing the range of your movement. Thus, the limbs and joints will be able to move, way before an injury can take place. You are definitely physically fit.

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills
When you have a wide range of movement, the more you will be able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you land back on the floor. This will also help you start a new sport or improve more if you are in one. Stretching in this aspect also allows you to have a more active lifestyle.

3. Injury Prevention
One can prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles with stretching. When the muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are considered in good working order. This will help in a faster recovery and decreased soreness. The muscles of the body will be able to take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of being injured.

4. Reduce Muscle Tension
If the muscles are given their regular exercises and stretching, it is less likely that they will contract. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.

5. Enhance Energy
Being able to move more will also give you more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your awareness, like knowing that you have a body that is capable of doing many things. As such, you are going to be more driven to move rather than sulk in the corner.

6. Reduces Cholesterol
Research also shows that doing prolonged stretching exercises, like yoga, will help reduce the cholesterol in the body. This of course must be done with a healthy diet at hand. This could prevent and even reverse the hardening of the arteries, allowing you to avoid coronary diseases.

Incorporate stretching in your everyday lifestyle. It has benefits you can not say no to. It also does not require much. It can be your usual activities, bending and flexing every now and then. After all, your fitness is everything so do what it takes to keep the body healthy.

Why Muscles Get Sore

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:52:00 +0000

As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince.

Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints.

The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.

Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joint’s motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint.

If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion.

Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue—muscle and connective tissue—limit the motion range.

The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky.

Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use

What happens next is that the muscles become shortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue.

However, Here are some other factors that trigger sore muscles:

1. Too much exercise

Have you always believed on the saying, “No pain, no gain?” If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles.

The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together.

2. Aging and inactivity

Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packed fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways.

3. Immobility

Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the body’s reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain.

First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back.

4. Spasm theory

In the physiology laboratory at the University of Southern California, some people have set out to learn more about this cycle of pain.

Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.

In one experiment, the researchers measured these electrical signals in the muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched.

In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or partially.

These experiments led to the “spasm theory,” an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.

According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles.

Hence, it is extremely important to know the limitations and capacity of the muscles in order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show that there is no truth in the saying, “No pain, no gain.” What matters most is on how people stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range than once rarely but on a rigid routine.

Heart Rate Monitors

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:49:00 +0000

Heart rate monitors used to be exclusively operated by physicians and nurses alone but that was soon rectified with today’s multi-tasking generation.

What is a Heart Monitor?
Also known as a cardiac monitor, a heart monitor is a piece of electronic equipment that can be used to track or observe heart functions continuously. It allows people to place a numerical value on their healthiness based on their heart rate and have a target heart rate to work for. The more complex versions of the heart monitor allow physicians to see any signs of deterioration or improvement and make the necessary adjustments immediately.

Types of Heart Monitors
Today, heart monitors are produced by the millions and designed to cater specific types of individuals. Some heart monitors are primarily designed for weight loss programs while others are meant for the use of athletes or fitness programs. Some are wireless or come as a built-in feature of exercise equipment like a treadmill or an exercise bike. It can be strapped to your wrist or of considerable size. It may or may not emit any electromagnetic waves, depending on its purpose. A fetal heart monitor, for instance, must not produce any waves at all as this may affect the health of the baby.

Factors on Selecting the Best Heart Monitor for You

ECG-Accurate Monitors with Chest Straps – Heart monitors that come with chest straps are more often not the most accurate of heart monitors. The chest strap is strapped around your chest, a few centimeters below your breast. It contains a device that’s able to detect electrical activity of your heart and transmit it to the brain of the machine – just like an ECG. The results are shown on the display monitor, which most of the times is attached to your wrist like a watch. Others however prefer results to be transmitted through audio messages via earphones.

Upon choosing heart monitors with chest straps, you need to remember to keep the strap constantly connected to your body lest you want the heart monitor to produce inaccurate readings.

Lastly, the only alternative against buying heart monitors with chest straps are the ones that rely on pulses on your fingertips. These however do not provide readings as accurate as those with chest straps.

Heart Monitor Features – Basic and lower end models tend to display only your heart rate and maybe the elapsed exercise time as well. This of course does not provide sufficient information if you want to know exactly how much you need to improve before you can be qualified as a completely healthy individual. Higher end models will naturally offer a wider range of features – for a price. Examples of such features are – but not limited to – heart rate zone alarms, timers and number of calories burned. It may also allow users to set pre-programmed workouts along with a targeted heart rate.

Ease of Use – Lastly, you must purchase a heart rate monitor that you will have no problems of using. What good would a high end heart monitor do if it takes you an hour to operate it? Are the numbers and words appearing in the heart rate monitor readable? Can it be used in no-light situations? Are buttons well-labeled and ergonomically positioned?

To Buy or Not to Buy a Heart Monitor
Heart monitors can be especially costly, more so if you are intent on purchasing higher-end models. If you have a limited budget, you should ask yourself whether or not you truly need to buy a heart monitor. You can of course purchase one of the lower-end models but low quality heart monitors can lead to inaccurate results and that sort of defeats the purpose of buying one.

If you are intent on purchasing a heart monitor, you need to ask yourself another question: do you need to make a solo purchase or is it alright with you to use the heart monitor that comes as a built-in feature of a treadmill? Lastly, you should remember as well that you can always pay your doctor regular visits and have him monitor your heart rate for you.

Medical Tourism with Pangae Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Not many people know about medical tourism. It is a new concept. As I cited from Medical Tourism Wiki, Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain health care. It allows patients to choose from best available treatment without restriction of geographical boundaries.

Pangaea Medicine is one of medical tourism companies. It uses Internet to connect healthcare providers around the world, so that you can directly contact these providers. In order to find Healthcare Provider who appropriate with you, you can read about healthcare provider description first. Moreover, Pangaea Medicine not only gives you list about high quality healthcare provider, but also gives useful information for you.

You can read all about medical tourism articles. You can research the best medical tourism destinations, general travel advice, and cost of procedures. You can view before and after pictures, that gives you pictures before and after treatment. In addition, Pangaea Medicine gives you Questions & Answer feature. Actually, I like this feature. With this feature, you can send your question and get answer from qualified doctors.

For further details, you can register and sign in to http://www.pangaemedicine.com

Open Health Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:24:00 +0000

Open Health Tools (OHT) announced its Health Interoperability Framework, which will make companies from UK, Australia, Canada and US develop common healthcare IT products and services.

As I cited from Zdnet site, Open Health Tool's mission is to provide software tools and components that will "accelerate the implementation of interoperability platforms responsible for storing and sharing electronic health information".

OHT said that any hospital, organization, and individual can build applications using its framework free of charge.

Atos Origin awarded Gematik

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:36:00 +0000

International IT services provider Atos Origin has signed a 5-year contract with the Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungender Gesundheitskarte mbH (gematik) for the implementation of the German electronic health card.

Atos Origin will be in charge of the design and implementation of the Directory Service in the IT infrastructure, and will be responsible for the organisation of the service rights in the eHealth card central IT network.

The electronic health card will extensively simplify the administration of medical data in Germany, thus reducing costs in the healthcare system. It enables a simple and secure exchange of important data between insured persons, doctors, pharmacies and insurance companies.

With the contract for the implementation of the Directory Service, Atos Origin now extends its commitment that began in December 2007 with the acceptance of the bid for the installation
of two central elements of the infrastructure – the Time Service and the Name Service.

The Time Service synchronises the time settings of all central and distributed hardware and software components. The Name Service handles the conversion of domain names to IP addresses so that the assignment of the name to the storage location will
be possible. [source]

Free medicines guide for iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:37:00 +0000

a free downloadable medicines guide for the iPhone has been produced by US company Epocrates. The company conducted surveys among 607 doctors and consumers to evaluate how the software on the iPhone is being used to support clinical decisions and ensure medication safety. [source]

Cancer pain management training for healthcare professionals on CD-ROM

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:32:00 +0000

The Institute of Cancer Research has produced an interactive CD-ROM, Breaking Barriers: management of cancer-related pain, for medical professionals to help manage their patients' pain.
read the rest of article...

FDA Licenses New Vaccine for Prevention of Cervical Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:19:00 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18. The vaccine is approved for use in females 9-26 years of age. Gardasil was evaluated and approved in six months under FDA's priority review process--a process for products with potential to provide significant health benefits.

"Today is an important day for public health and for women's health, and for our continued fight against serious life-threatening diseases like cervical cancer," said Alex Azar, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "HHS is committed to advancing critical health measures such as the development of new and promising vaccines to protect and advance the health of all Americans."

HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 6.2 million Americans become infected with genital HPV each year and that over half of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives. On average, there are 9,710 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,700 deaths attributed to it in the United States each year. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women; and is estimated to cause over 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year.

For most women, the body's own defense system will clear the virus and infected women do not develop related health problems. However, some HPV types can cause abnormal cells on the lining of the cervix that years later can turn into cancer. Other HPV types can cause genital warts. The vaccine is effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers and against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause approximately 90 percent of genital warts.

"This vaccine is a significant advance in the protection of women's health in that it strikes at the infections that are the root cause of many cervical cancers," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs. "The development of this vaccine is a product of extraordinary work by scientists as well as by FDA's review teams to help facilitate the development of very novel vaccines to address unmet medical needs. This work has resulted in the approval of a number of new products recently, including Gardasil, which address significant public health needs."

Gardasil is a recombinant vaccine (contains no live virus) that is given as three injections over a six-month period. Immunization with Gardasil is expected to prevent most cases of cervical cancer due to HPV types included in the vaccine. However, females are not protected if they have been infected with that HPV type(s) prior to vaccination, indicating the importance of immunization before potential exposure to the virus. Also, Gardasil does not protect against less common HPV types not included in the vaccine, thus routine and regular pap screening remain critically important to detect precancerous changes in the cervix to allow treatment before cervical cancer develops.

"This is the first vaccine licensed specifically to prevent cervical cancer. Its rapid approval underscores FDA's commitment to help make safe and effective vaccines available as quickly as possible. Not only have vaccines dramatically reduced the toll of diseases in infants and children, like polio and measles, but they are playing an increasing role protecting and improving the lives of adolescents and adults," said Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH, Director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Four studies, one in the United States and three multinational, were conducted in 21,000 women to show how well Gardasil worked in women between the ages of 16 and 26 by giving them either the vaccine or placebo. The results showed that in women who had not already been infected, Gardasil was nearly 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical lesions, precancerous vaginal and vulvar lesions, and genital warts caused by infection with the HPV types against which the vaccine is directed. While the study period was not long enough for cervical cancer to develop, the prevention of these cervical precancerous lesions is believed highly likely to result in the prevention of those cancers.

The studies also evaluated whether the vaccine can protect women already infected with some HPV types included in the vaccine from developing diseases related to those viruses. The results show that the vaccine is only effective when given prior to infection.

Two studies were also performed to measure the immune response to the vaccine among younger females aged 9-15 years. Their immune response was as good as that found in 16-26 year olds, indicating that the vaccine should have similar effectiveness when used in the 9-15 year age group.

The safety of the vaccine was evaluated in approximately 11,000 individuals. Most adverse experiences in study participants who received Gardasil included mild or moderate local reactions, such as pain or tenderness at the site of injection.

The manufacturer has agreed to conduct several studies following licensure, including additional studies to further evaluate general safety and long-term effectiveness. The manufacturer will also monitor the pregnancy outcomes of women who receive Gardasil while unknowingly pregnant. Also, the manufacturer has an ongoing study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Gardasil in males.

Gardasil is manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc., of Whitehouse Station, NJ.

For more information, see:

Soniccare Electric Toothbrush

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Soniccare Electric Toothbrush. It can kill bacteria in your mouth. Also, The brush heads are small, making it easier to get into deep territories of your mouth.

Thirsty

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:53:00 +0000

if you're excessively thirsty all the time, it may be a sign of a serious health problem on your body. As I cited from Healthday site, These are common causes of excessive thirst:

- Significant blood loss or loss of body fluids.

- Diabetes or diabetes insipidus.

- A side effect of certain drugs. Anticholinergics, phenothiazines, diuretics or demeclocycline can make this effect.

- Significant loss of water or salt. This condition can be caused by not drinking enough water.

So, what are you waiting for? Drink water as much as you can.

FDA Clears Test that Helps Identify Type of Cancer in Tumor Sample

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:52:00 +0000

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing a test that can help health care professionals determine what type of cancer cells are present in a malignant tumor.

The Pathwork Tissue of Origin test compares the genetic material of a patient’s tumor with genetic information on malignant tumor types stored in a database.

It uses a microarray technology to analyze thousands of pieces of genetic material at one time. The test considers 15 common malignant tumor types, including bladder, breast, and colorectal tumors.

"The clearance of the Pathwork test is another step in the continued integration of molecular-based medicine into standard practice," said Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which oversees medical diagnostics. "In the past, scientists have classified different types of cancers based on the organs in which the tumors develop. With the help of microarray technology, they will be able to classify these types of cancers in a standardized non-reader dependent manner based on the patterns of gene activity in the tumor cells."

The Pathwork Tissue of Origin test is the second in vitro diagnostic multivariate index assay (IVDMIA) device to be cleared by the FDA. In July 2007, the FDA issued a draft guidance document to address premarket pathways and postmarket requirements for IVDMIAs. IVDMIA tests combine the values of multiple variables to yield a single, patient-specific result.

Nearly every cell of the body contains a full set of chromosomes and identical genes but only a fraction of these genes are turned on or expressed in any given cell. Gene expression occurs when certain molecular information contained within DNA is transcribed to create molecules known as RNA. These molecules in turn make the proteins that perform most of the critical functions of cells.

Microarray technology can simultaneously measure gene expression levels of large numbers of genes. Small DNA fragments are placed or arrayed on a slide and then RNA, which has been extracted from the tumor tissue and labeled with a fluorescent marker, is spread over this "microarray."

Since RNA binds to its complementary DNA strand, how much binding occurs indicates how active the gene being evaluated is. This can be determined by putting the array under a scanning microscope and measuring the intensity of the fluorescent light at each point on the array.

Pathwork’s proprietary software converts the scanned image data to gene expression measurements. The gene expression patterns are compared with known gene expression patterns in the database that correspond to different tumor types.

The Pathwork Tissue of Origin test has been found to provide patterns that confirm existing tissue of origin of the 15 common tumor types using standard clinical and pathological information. This accuracy of this test is similar to that achieved by expert pathologists using current standards of practice.

PathChip, the gene expression array used in the Pathwork Tissue of Origin test, is custom-designed for Pathwork Diagnostics of Sunnyvale, Calif., by Affymetrix Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif. PathChip is the first custom Affymetrix gene expression array to be cleared for diagnostic use.

Information for Healthcare Professional

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:33:00 +0000

FDA ALERT [9/4/2008]: FDA is notifying healthcare professionals that histoplasmosis and other invasive fungal infections are not consistently recognized in patients taking tumor necrosis factor-α blockers (TNF blockers), Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), Enbrel (etanercept), Humira (adalimumab), and Remicade (infliximab). This has resulted in delays in appropriate treatment, sometimes resulting in death.

FDA has received reports of patients developing pulmonary and disseminated histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis and other opportunistic infections while taking TNF blockers. In some patients, the diagnosis of histoplasmosis was initially unrecognized and antifungal treatment was delayed. Some of these patients died from histoplasmosis. There were also deaths in patients with coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis.

For patients taking TNF blockers who present with signs and symptoms of possible systemic fungal infection, such as fever, malaise, weight loss, sweats, cough, dypsnea, and/or pulmonary infiltrates, or other serious systemic illness with or without concomitant shock, healthcare professionals should ascertain if patients live in or have traveled to areas of endemic mycoses. For patients at risk of histoplasmosis and other invasive fungal infections, clinicians should consider empiric antifungal treatment until the pathogen(s) are identified. Consultation with an infectious diseases specialist should be sought when feasible. As with any serious infection, consider stopping the TNF blocker until the infection has been diagnosed and adequately treated.

FDA will require the makers of the tumor necrosis factor-α blockers (TNF blockers) to further highlight the information about the risk of invasive fungal infections, such as histoplasmosis, in the Boxed Warning and Warnings sections of the drugs’ prescribing information and the Medication Guide for patients. FDA will also require that the makers of the TNF blockers educate prescribers about this risk. [source]

4 Steps to Start Exercise Habit

noreply@blogger.com (Kunto Aji Kristianto) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:34:00 +0000

1. Set one easy, specific, measurable goal. There are several keys to setting this crucial goal:

* Written: Write this down. Post it up. If you don’t write it down, it’s not important.

* Easy: Don’t — DO NOT — set a difficult goal. Set one that is super, super easy. Five minutes of exercise a day. You can do that. Work your way to 10 minutes after a month. Then go to 15 after 2 months. You can see what I mean: make it easy to start with, so you can build your habit, then gradually increase.

* Specific: By specific, I mean what activity are you going to do, at what time of day, and where? Don’t just say “exercise” or “I’m going to walk”. You have to set a time and place. Make it an appointment you can’t miss.

* Trigger: I recommend that you have a “trigger” right before you do your habit. For example, you might always brush your teeth right after you shower. The shower is the trigger for brushing your teeth, and because of that, you never forget to brush your teeth. Well, what will you do right before you exercise? Is it right after you wake up? Right after your coffee? Right when you get home? As soon as you take off for lunch? A trigger that you do every single day is important.

* Measurable: By measurable, I mean that you should be able to say, definitely, whether you hit or miss your goal today. Examples: run for 10 minutes. Walk 1/2 a mile. Do 3 sets of 5 pushups. Each of those has a number that you can shoot for.

* One goal: Stick to this one goal for at least a month. Two months if you can bear it. Don’t start up a second goal during that 30-day period. If you do, you are scrapping this goal.

2. Log it daily. This is the key habit. If you can log your workout, you will start to see your progress, and it will motivate you to keep going. And you have to make it a habit to log it right away. Don’t put it off, and say you’ll do it before you go to bed. As soon as you’re done working out, log it. No exceptions. And don’t make the log complicated — that will only make you resist doing the log. Just the date, time, and what you did.

3. Report to others. I think this is key. You can do it on your blog, on an online forum, with your spouse, or friends or family, or a workout partner, or a coach, or a group, or a class. However you set it up, make it part of the process that you have to report your daily workout to other people. It could be using an online log, or on a forum, or through email, or the phone, or just by telling your co-workers what you did this morning. But be sure that they know your goal, and that you are going to report to them, and be sure that they are expecting it every day.

4. Add motivation as needed. The first three steps might be enough for you to get the habit going. But if not, don’t just give up. If you miss two consecutive workouts, you need to look at why, and add a new motivation. Rewards, more public pressure, inspiration, whatever it takes. Read this article for more on this. You can add one additional motivator, and then see if it works. If you miss two more consecutive workouts at any time, add another motivator. And so on, until the exercise habit sticks. [source]