Poor State of Health in America is Preventable

America is in a poor state of health. According the American Diabetes Association, nearly 20 million adult and child Americans have diabetes. The American Heart Association reports that more than 80 million American adults have a form of heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that over 60 percent of American adults are overweight and not surprisingly, 60 percent do not engage in any vigorous physical activity. The National Cancer Institute has reported that one in two men and one in three women will have cancer at some point within their lifetime.

In addition, more and more children are on prescription medication, the obesity rates and diabetes rates in children are higher than they've ever been, and according to the Bogalusa Heart Study, nearly 70 percent of children are in the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries by age12.

Aches, pains, exhaustion, low energy and host of other symptoms plague many Americans. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are being diagnosed in record numbers and usually mark the beginning of a host of other destructive diseases and disorders, from heart attack, cancer and strokes, to diabetes and other neurological diseases.

While no one can deny that American is in a poor state of health, hardly anyone is accepting the fact that most of these diseases are preventable with routine exercise, a healthy diet and less stressful lives. Although Americans would like to think that taking medication and synthetic supplements can replace the health that comes with regular exercise and eating a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, the proof is in the statics.

The multibillion dollar pharmaceutical and supplement industries haven't changed the state of American healthcare. In fact, the flawed idea that drugs and supplements can take the place of essential nutrients has inarguably made America's health worse. Instead of becoming educated on which foods would supply the body with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins needed for optimum health, Americans think they can simply buy a pill or supplement and eat whatever they want, not exercise and live high stress lives.

Unfortunately, our bodies only generate 30 percent of the needed antioxidants to combat oxidative stress caused by free radicals. The other 70 percent can be found through proper nutrition. Without proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles, it appears that Americans are on an escalator to obesity, fatigue, stress and disease. Fortunately, for those who care, this is preventable.


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Reduce Sugar for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic fatigue and all-over achiness. While there are many lifestyle changes that can be made to help the disorder, such as getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and reducing stress, it can also be extremely beneficial to eat a healthy, low fat diet, which includes limiting your sugar intake.

Although the body needs carbohydrates to function properly, getting these carbohydrates through sugar sources can be very detrimental to those with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Sugar causes a 'sugar high', usually followed by a 'sugar crash'. While most people think of sugar as 'bad' due to weight gain that happens when the body stores the extra fuel as fat, too much sugar can be detrimental to one's health. The cells, organs and nervous system can be overworked, causing extra production of insulin to flood the body.

Glucose levels rise then drop drastically, resulting in the body craving even more sugar and thus the cycle starts again.

This 'sugar rollercoaster' is a bad cycle for anyone, but especially those trying to stabilize chronic fatigue and other symptoms of fibromyalgia.

What foods should you avoid to keep an internal balance? Of course avoid sugar (as in, putting it in your cereal, coffee and tea), and avoid candy bars, ice cream, sugary pastries and soda. Also avoid white foods, such as white break, potatoes, white rice and other refined sugars. These foods are just as bad for the rollercoaster ride as a candy bar. Another drink to avoid other than soda is fruit juice. Even the 100 percent juice variety can be harmful because the reaction in the body is exactly the same as with refined sugars.

In fact, today it is hard to avoid to sugar, because it can be found in everything from spaghetti sauce and peanut butter to ketchup, bread and nearly all processed or packaged meals. It hides in the terms sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose and can be found in abundance as 'high fructose corn syrup', which is simply oil and sugar.

If fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue plague your life, start reading labels and make an effort to cut much of the sugar in your diet. Your body will thank you.



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New Studies on Asthma

Nearly 20 million people suffer with asthma in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 13 million office visits due to the condition in 2004 and the disease has been on the increase over the past 50 years. Due to the increase, many studies are being performed to find reasons for the increase and ways to help control serious asthma attacks.

Many researchers and doctors think that it may be on the rise due to the increase use of antibiotics, which has resulted in a decrease of the much needed stomach bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. A new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases found that those aged 3 to 19 years were 25% less likely to develop asthma if they were carriers of Helicobacter pylori. The speculation is that the presence of the bacteria causes the stomach to be lined with immune cells. The immune cells help fight allergens and reduce the chance of asthma. The study was authored by Yu Chen, PhD, a New York University School of Medicine assistant professor of epidemiology.

Another completely unrelated study held by the Dutch government called 'Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy', found that expecting mothers who frequently ate nuts and nut products during their pregnancy were increasing their unborn child's risk of asthma by an almost unbelievable 50%, as compared to expectant mothers who never or only rarely consumed nuts and nut products during their pregnancy. The study included roughly 4,000 women and was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

A Cochrane review, published in the Cochrane Library, tested placebos and the beta agonist, salmeterol, on asthma patients and found that the patients who regularly used salmeterol have a much higher risk of serious, though non fatal, adverse events. Salmeterol does help to control symptoms of asthma, but alone it puts patients at an increase risk for attacks. It does not control inflammation.

And lastly, a study that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that when asthma patients combined inhaled corticosteroids with salmeterol they decreased the risk of problematic asthma, with no increase in hospitalizations or death due to the disease.

Most all patients who are prescribed salmeterol are also prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid.



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Sleeping Disorders Are Serious Business

Sleep is an essential part of a healthy life. Though we still aren't sure why we need sleep, the lack of it can cause many problems that can eventually lead to serious health conditions. We need sleep to live. The most common sleep disorders are insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

It is estimated that nearly 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, but unfortunately many go undiagnosed. Most sleep disorders can be cured or at least managed with the proper care and diagnosis, so if you are experiencing irritability, sleepiness or lack of concentration, you may want to talk to your doctor and make sure you are getting adequate sleep.

Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder and affects most people at one time or another for various reasons. It can be brought on by drinking too much caffeine, drinking caffeine too late at night or even by simply having a stressful day or new or uncomfortable sleeping conditions. Insomnia may be experienced by not being able to fall asleep, or if you do fall asleep easily you may wake during the night and be unable to stay asleep. It may also be characterized by waking up too early or not feeling refreshed after waking in the morning. While everyone will experience insomnia at one time or another, chronic insomnia is characterized by reoccurring insomnia night after night for a period of at least three nights, but can last for weeks or months.

How to cure it? Insomnia will usually diminish when the factors that are causing it are eliminated. Cutting caffeine, reducing stress and creating comfortable sleeping conditions can usually resolve insomnia.

Restless leg syndrome is characterized by unusual sensations in the legs that result in the desire to move the legs in order to relieve symptoms. It can feel like creeping, tugging or burning , and can be just slightly irritable to painful. Restless leg syndrome, like insomnia, can usually be relieved by lifestyle changes such as limiting caffeine or tobacco, taking iron, magnesium or folate supplements, or changing your sleeping patterns. Others find that hot baths, massage and heating pads or ice packs can help with symptoms.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that is characterized by abnormal breathing while one is sleeping. If the disorder is not treated it can lead to other conditions, such as stroke, reduced heart functioning and hypertension. Sleep apnea is either obstructive or central. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is due to the obstruction of air passages in the neck and throat and is the most common form of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is due to the brain signaling the respiratory muscles to breathe. For mild sleep apnea a doctor may suggest lifestyle changes, but if the case is seriously debilitating there are many devices that may help and in extreme cases, surgery may be needed.

Narcolepsy is another serious sleep disorder that is thought to be caused by a chemical deficiency in the brain, though no one knows the exact cause. Narcolepsy is characterized by falling asleep throughout the day, without any warning. This can happen while talking, while driving, or while doing any other normal daily activity. Many people will wake up as quickly as they fell asleep and resume normal activities as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, this type of sleeping disorder seriously impacts daily activities and can be very dangerous. There are many medications that can help narcolepsy, but there is no cure.

Sleep disorders are serious conditions. See you doctor is you are experiencing any form of sleep disturbances.



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Nerve Surgery Could Improve Diabetic Neuropathy

A new study is being planned by the UT Southwestern Medical Center, funded through the Multidisciplinary Clinical and Translational Pilot and Collaborative study initiative, to test whether a peripheral nerve surgery can ease pain and numbness for those with diabetic neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is disturbed function and structure of peripheral motor, sensory, and autonomic neurons causing nerve-related pain and numbness. There are four classifications of peripheral neuropathy: polyneuropathy, mononeuropathy, mononeuritis multiplex and autonomic neuropathy. The most common form is peripheral polyneuropathy, which mainly affects the feet and legs. Diabetes is the leading known cause of neuropathy in the United States. Neuropathy is the most common complication and source of mortality and morbidity in diabetes patients. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of all diabetics develop some form of neuropathy.

The UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers believe that pressure on the nerves is responsible for the symptoms of pain and numbness in some, but not all, diabetic patients. Nerves in the legs are oftentimes compressed, causing pain and loss of feeling in the lower leg and the bottom of the foot. Their strategy is to use surgery to release pressure from these nerves so that patients are relieved of the pain and numbness associated with neuropathy.

The surgical treatment they will be testing can be likened to the carpal tunnel surgery, where surgical nerve release is used to alleviate compression at the wrist, or surgery for a pinched nerve. The concept is not new, just a new concept for peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetics. They feel confident that pain may be relieved by releasing the nerve from pressure.

Due to numbness in the feet, there are nearly 100,000 amputations in the United States each year, directly related to diabetic neuropathy. If this surgery is successful, it will allow patients to have at least a bit of sensation in their feet, so they will be aware of whether or not they have injured themselves, which could cut back the number of ulcerations and amputations.

The team of researchers from the UT Southwestern Medical Center plastic surgeons and specialists in diabetes, neurology, pain management and rehabilitation will be launching their cutting-edge study of peripheral nerve surgery in the following months and years.







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Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with symptoms such as widespread pain, extreme sensitivity to light, odors, sound and touch, excessive fatigue and sleep disturbances. It can also be accompanied by a wide variety of other symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, facial pain, chest pain, anxiety, dizziness, numbness in feet and hands, depression, mood changes and dry eyes, mouth and skin.

Though the cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown, many studies have linked the condition to Lyme Disease, genetics, stress, anxiety, trauma, depression and abnormal dopamine or serotonin levels. Fibromyalgia is more prevalent in women than men, usually between the ages of 20 and 50, and is not contagious, life threatening or progressive in nature. It does however go through stages of flare-ups and remission.

There are many treatments that can reduce flare ups and keep the condition under control, from pain relievers, muscle relaxants and tricyclic antidepressants to anti-seizure drugs, dopamine agonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Fibromyalgia patients have also reported successfully using acupuncture treatments to lessen symptoms and provide relief.

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that is used for health and healing. In Chinese medicine it is thought that the body has 12 meridians or pathways in which energy flows. Acupuncture uses fine, thin needles on specific points along the meridians to unblock stuck energy and allow one’s energy or ‘chi’ to flow unobstructed throughout the body. It has been used in China for at least 2,000, though some say it has been a popular form of healing in China for 4,000 years.

There have been several different studies using acupuncture to help treat fibromyalgia. In these studies patients have reported that acupuncture helped to lessen and relieve pain, increase energy, reduce fatigue, reduce depression and help with the overall condition of fibromyalgia. Patients report less pain with acupuncture and many report a marked improvement in anxiety and depression.

Though there will always be skeptics, there are also many in the medical community who are suggesting acupuncture for fibromyalgia, in addition to regular doctor treatments. It is estimated that at least 10 million Americans spend nearly $500 million a year on acupuncture treatments for a wide variety of ailments.



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Estrogen Patch for Schizophrenia

Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have been studying the effectiveness of an estrogen patch for women with schizophrenia. Estrogen is a group of steroid compounds, otherwise known as the female sex hormone, and the patch was originally created to help women with the symptoms of menopause.

Estrogen is thought to play a part in schizophrenia for women because of certain evidence that has been presented about estrogen’s effect on the same chemical signals in the brain that are affected during schizophrenia. It has also been noted that schizophrenia in women occurs later in life than for men and oftentimes after childbirth or during menopause, when estrogen is at its lowest for women. Also, it is known that women often have a relapse in schizophrenia during the low-estrogen time of their menstrual period.

Since there is strong evidence that estrogen ‘may’ be linked to schizophrenia, the researchers used the estrogen patch, Estradiol, to see if there were noticeable differences for women who used the patch in addition to their regular antipsychotic medications. The study involved 102 women with schizophrenia who were also of childbearing age. The study lasted four weeks and the researchers reported that the patients who used the patch had reduced symptoms, such as hallucinations, disordered thinking and delusions.

In a separate 2-week study involving men instead of women, 52 men tried the hormone with reduced symptoms and success as well.

Unfortunately, estrogen is known to increase risk for various cancers, such as breast cancer, endometrial cancer and uterine cancer. It has also been linked to blood clots, stroke and heart attack in women taking the hormones for longer than five years. Due to these health risks, researchers are exploring the use of SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators), which can hopefully mimic the antipsychotic effect of estrogen in the body without harmful side effects.

New, larger and broader studies with SERMs are being planned for women and men to determine whether or not estrogen can be helpful and safe for those with schizophrenia.



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Hospital Heart Failure Program A Success!

St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin began a heart failure program in 2006 with the intent of lowering re-admissions and improving the overall health and wellbeing of their patients. The program consists of many different components, from encouraging patients to maintain an active lifestyle and eat right, to a weekly call from a nurse for all heart disease patients.

During the call the nurse and patient monitor blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, weight, and blood sugar if they are diabetic. It also gives patients the opportunity to ask any questions that may be on their mind, though they encourage their patients to call right away if they have any questions. This small change alone has made a big difference, doctors say.

Two years after later St. Mary’s say they are able to see the difference this program has made. Numbers of re-admissions are going down and the health of their patients is improving. The hospital has seen an 80 percent reduction in hospital admissions and length of stay, compared to three months prior to the program.

Hopefully other hospitals will follow in their footsteps and find a way to reduce their own admissions and re-admissions, while improving the quality of life for their patients.

Congestive heart failure can be a fatal condition and nearly 50 percent of those diagnosed die within 5 years of receiving the news. It is also responsible for over 1 million hospitalizations each year and has the highest rate of inpatient readmissions.

Simply put, congestive heart failure is when the heart cannot function adequately as a pump to deliver oxygen rich blood to the body. It can be caused by many things, including high blood pressure, long-term alcohol abuse, coronary artery disease and disorders of the heart valves. Symptoms vary from fatigue, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, increased urination, decreased appetite and swelling of the ankles, legs or abdomen.


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Is a Hepatitis C vaccine in the near future?

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that affects the liver. It is caused by the Hepatitis C virus, which is spread through sharing needles or other blood-to-blood contact. In rare cases it is also spread by sexual contact. Once established the disease causes flu-like symptoms, inflammation of the liver and can also go on to cause scarring of the liver, cirrhosis of the liver and in extreme cases, liver failure or liver cancer. It is estimated that nearly 200 million people are infected with hepatitis C worldwide.

Although there is no vaccine against the virus, the disease can sometimes be managed through anti-viral medications if diagnosed soon enough. Right now the only hepatitis C treatment is a drug combination treatment called Peg-interferon alpha, though it caused severe flu-like symptoms and only has a 50 percent response rate. For those who have already progressed to cirrhosis of the liver, Peg-interferon alpha only has a 20 percent response rate.

The biggest problem with creating a vaccine and understanding the virus has been an inability to use normal human liver cells for testing. There is no animal model to use for the testing and study of Hepatitis C. Hopefully, this problem may be solved since scientists have finally developed a tissue culture of human liver cells.


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Can Acid Reflux Cause Asthma?

It may seem a little strange that acid reflux could cause asthma. In fact, even scientists are perplexed at the potential association between acid reflux, or Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and asthma. A recent study was done at the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina to try and find a correlation. The study found that when mice inhaled minute amounts of gastric fluid that backed up into the esophagus, they developed asthma. The researchers are now wondering if gastric fluid compels the immune system to have an asthmatic reaction.

While the study was only on mice and there needs to be a lot more human-based research, this could be really great news. While GERD is not thought to cause asthma, it could make the condition worse or make those with asthma have more frequent attacks. The best news is that GERD can be treated and controlled. If more research is done and this is proven to be true, many people who have chronic asthma attacks may be able to decrease their attacks by treating acid reflux.

While this study is the first controlled study that linked the two conditions, doctors have been making the association for quite a while. One doctor says that she believes nearly 80 percent of people with asthma – estimated at 15 million Americans - also have acid reflux, even when regurgitation or heartburn aren’t symptoms. She also feels that acid reflux definitely causes asthma when it is aspirated into the lungs and that when acid gets into the esophagus it causes chest tightness and shortness of breath.

One known issue with asthma and acid reflux, especially if acid reflux is found to cause asthma, is that some bronchodilators are known to trigger acid reflux.

Some doctors have even seen the correlation so much, they know the symptoms. Many people who have asthma with acid reflux have a problem controlling the asthma, even with bronchodilators. Some have a nighttime cough, or get asthma after eating a big meal, lying down or drinking alcohol. There seem to be triggers that cause the acid reflux/asthma. Many people who are diagnosed with asthma as an adult, may be experiencing an acid reflux/asthma effect.

Some doctors prescribe their patients Nexim, Protonix or Prilosec. These proton pump inhibitors are generally for GERD and acid reflux, but have been known to help many asthma patients with tight chests and other symptoms that won’t go away. In extreme cases, when proton pump inhibitors do not work, an asthma patient may be referred to a gastroenterologist to further treat their issues.


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3 food studies: Type 2 Diabetes

It’s fairly commonplace now for people to know that what they eat can either increase or decrease their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. A high fat diet, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are well known to increase type 2 diabetes. Three new studies take a look at different aspects of diet and type 2 diabetes.

Drink water, not syrup!

The first study was done by Boston University and concluded that women who drink fruit drinks have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes than those who drink soft drinks. They studied nearly 44,000 African-American women over ten years. Their findings suggested that the women who drank 2 or more fruit juices a day had a 31 percent increased risk of diabetes, while the women who drank the same amount of soda only had a 24 percent increased risk. No mention was given to the type of soft drinks or the type of fruit juice drinks that were used. The only information that was given about the drinks was that they were not 100 percent juice and were sweetened with sugar. Most likely, they were sweetened with sugar, fructose and high fructose corn syrup.

Eat your fruits and veggies!

The second study was done by Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England. They studied the vitamin C blood levels of 22,000 people to find out how vegetables and fruit influence diabetes. They concluded, after a 12 year follow-up, that those with the highest amounts of vitamin C blood levels were 62 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, compared to the subjects with low amounts of vitamin C.

Must you cut fat?

The third study was conducted by the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and involved around 49,000 women. Some women ate their regular diet and other women were restricted to eating a diet with 20 percent of the calories being fat calories. The study lasted for eight years and in the end, nearly 7 percent of both groups had the condition. While this makes it appear that fat content and diet do not affect the disease, it makes one wonder what the ‘regular diet’ was.
Even though studies can be somewhat confusing and the medical community is constantly changing their opinions, it still holds true that eating a low-fat diet rich in natural, whole foods is the healthiest choice.


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Retiring - not so fast and not so easy

Retiring isn’t as easy as 1-2-3. Although Social Security benefits, a pension plan and retirement accounts are helpful, these days it’s beneficial to have alternative investments to supplement your retirement income. If you are getting ready to retire, there are a several income sources you may want to invest in.

An annuity is one option for alternative income. Annuities have several benefits such as tax deferral on investment earnings, protecting from creditors, tax-free transfers on investment options, benefits to your heirs, lifetime income and many, many options. There a several different types of annuities to consider: fixed or variable, deferred or immediate, fixed period, fixed amount or lifetime, qualified or nonqualified, single premium or flexible premium.

Real estate is another consideration when working toward alternative income. Whether you by individual properties or choose an REIT (real estate investment trust), real estate can bring you in a steady source of revenue to supplement your retirement income.

Another way to create more money is to let your money earn for you; money market accounts, Treasury securities, bonds and CDs (certificates of deposit) can produce interest on your investments. There are many different interest rates and tax exemptions, so do your homework before investing and find the best deal for you.

And of course, dividend paying stocks are also an option.

The point is, Social Security benefits, retirement accounts and a pension plan are all wonderful to have, but if you would like to generate a well-padded security blanket for retirement, there are a wealth of choices available. Do your research and choose carefully!


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Migraine Relief with Brain Music Therapy

What if you could buy a musical CD that allowed you to prevent migraine attacks? That is exactly what the assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, Galina Mindlin, M.D., is offering to her patients. She calls it Brain Music Therapy.

How does it work? First patients get a brief medical evaluation and fill out two questionnaires, Subjective Sleep Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. After that, the patient’s brain wave patterns are recorded with an EEG (electroencephalogram). This process takes a little less than 30 minutes and the recording time is 5 to 10 minutes. The patient needs to be in a relaxed state.

The recording of the brain waves is then processed through algorithms and translated into two musical files. The musical file is burned to a CD and arrives in the patient’s hands in about 3-4 weeks. This musical cure is thought to ‘reset’ brain waves and therefore, prevent migraine attacks. Patients are instructed to listen to the CD twice every night before going to bed. It’s painless, has no side effects , no chemicals and is completely non-invasive.

Does it work? The reviews are mixed. Many doctors don’t believe it’s a cure, but Dr. Mindlin believes it is quite effective and states on her website, BrainMusicTreatment.com, that it is scientifically proven for anxiety, depression, insomnia stress and a plethora of other ailments. While her website doesn’t state that it cures migraines, it does state that her patients report a decrease in severity of migraines.

How much does it cost? This may be the most expensive CD you’ve ever purchased: between $500 and $600 for the entire process. Although, if you’ve ever suffered a migraine, you might feel that is quite a steal if it really works.

Some doctors really do not believe it and are sure that listening to a CD could not reset brain waves. They just don’t believe a CD is enough to alter the brain’s electrical activity. Others are excited. They either believe it will work if the patient thinks it works or they truly believe in the altering of brain activity. There are many mixed reviews.

Migraine headaches are not understood fully and there is no cure. Different people have different ‘triggers’, or things that cause migraines. They are not simply headaches, but throbbing, pulsating headaches that usually make the person incapacitated and sometimes come with severe sensory sensitivities, nausea and vomiting.

It is estimated that migraine headaches are experienced on a regular basis by 10 percent of the U.S. population.


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Do Women Who Experience Migraines With Aura Have Increased Chance of Stroke?

A migraine with aura is a migraine that is accompanied by a visual disturbance before the onset of a migraine. It may involve flashing lights or zig zag lines and is sometimes accompanied by numbness on one side of the face or body. About 15 percent of migraine sufferers report aura with a migraine.

A recent health study on women may have found a gene involved in the migraine with aura, though they are unsure of whether this gene lessens the risk of migraines with aura or boosts the risk of stroke for those who do experience migraine with aura.

Nearly 25,000 white women participated in the study, which took place over 12 years. What the researchers found was that 18 percent of the women in the study reported migraine, 40 percent of those 18 percent experienced aura and in 12 years of follow up, 625 women had a cardiovascular issue, such as a stroke.

The gene, MTHFR 677C, was found in 11 percent of the study participants. By itself, it doesn’t appear to have an effect on cardiovascular health, but when found in women who experience migraine with aura they found that it increases the chance of cardiovascular disease. In fact, women with this gene and migraine with aura are three times more likely to have a stroke or other cardiovascular disease (including congestive heart failure and heart attack).

While it may seem that this would help in genotyping women with migraines with aura, experts are not suggesting it. Many say that more research needs to be done, on men and women, and that while they may be close to isolating the correct gene, it is a complicated process that is still unclear. The gene might be associated with stroke, but may not actually be the cause of stroke.

Doctors recommend that women with migraines with aura do not smoke or take birth control pills, because it increases their chances of stroke even further.

The study appeared in the online July 30th issue of Neurology.


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Hold Out on Retirement and Reap the Rewards

In the year 2000 it was reported that 51% of men and 60% of women claimed their Social Security benefits as soon as they could – age 62. In fact, the percentage of claimants at age 62 has been fairly consistent for decades, even though claiming benefits at age 62 shows a significant and permanent reduction in the amount received per month.

A new study published this year found that the number of claimants at age 62 is dropping. Only 43% of men and 48% of women claimed their Social Security benefits at age 62 in 2006. It seems that more and more people are working longer and in the end, reaping greater rewards.

If you are able, there are many reasons to keep working past the age of 62. Staying active, learning new things, developing new talents, developing new relationships and staying socially connected all have very healthy rewards. Why sit around the house and watch TV when you keep yourself healthier and gain monetary benefits by continuing to work? Perhaps you take on a new job, try your hand at something you’ve always wanted to do or start a new business venture from home. However you keep working, it will benefit you in the long run.

One of the biggest reasons people may be staying in the workforce past age 62 is their Social Security benefits. When you wait, the amount of your check goes up and when you finally do stop working, you can enjoy a higher standard of living. Now that is a true reward.




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Non-qualified Disability Insurance Applicants Bogging Down System

We all know about social security’s long-term issues; there are too many baby boomers retiring at a fast rate and too little funding and employees to get the backlog of applications processed in a timely manner. What many don’t think about is the fact that there is also a short-term issue that puts pressure on the system: non-qualified disability insurance applicants.

There are about 2.5 million disability insurance applicants a year. Although over half of those are denied in the first round and over 500,000 of those denied applicants go on to appeal. Around 60 percent of those appeals are approved. Disability insurance is funded by payroll tax and with these numbers growing every year, they are expected to run out of money about a decade before the main Social Security program.

One of the major problems is that insurance companies are requiring that employees apply for Social Security even when they are not qualified. This steady stream of non-qualified applicants puts stress on a system that is already overburdened and drowning in applicants. The hearing on a claim is already around 500 days, a number that was only half that in the year 2000.

With insurance companies requiring employees to apply for Social Security, how can we expect the system to get better?






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What Can Congress do, Really, to Restore Social Security?

The latest Social Security trustees’ report alerts Congress that they’ll have additional funds until 2027, having around $5.5 trillion, and that will keep benefits paid until 2041. If no action is taken, it might be the end. Is Congress listening and will they propose some solutions? More importantly can they offer solutions? Can this situation be helped without jeopardizing the American people?

This may seem like a long way off to be on alert, but maybe Congress should take this anonymous quote to heart: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

We must think ahead and we must do it now to offer security to our nation’s future generations.

Regardless of how far in the future Social Security will go bankrupt, Congress needs to think about the fact that to keep our countries citizens ‘secure’ it must act hastily.

One thing that may help the future of Social Security would be to increase the maximum amount of earnings subject to taxing. Billions of dollars are not taxed each year due to the current maximum of $102,000 a year. Only 6 percent of the workforce earns more than this a year, but the incomes of highly paid workers increase much more dramatically than those under the maximum. This alone would bring in a great deal of money for Social Security.

Congress could also allow Social Security to broaden its horizons and function as other public and private pension plans, by allowing it to expand its portfolio and invest in equities.

Lastly, Congress could accumulate more money for Social Security by dedicating the estate tax to Social Security funds, forcing those who benefit from our nation’s bounty to give back to the common wealth to continue the success of our nation.

All of these solutions are without increasing taxes, cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. Now, we wait….




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Bill asks for improvements on Social Security and pension plan penalties for late retirement

More and more Americans are deciding against sitting around and watching TV upon retirement and deciding in favor of continuing work. For many, the choice to keep working is a financial one, but for just as many the choice to stay an active part of working society is based on the need for health: emotional health, physical health and mental health. It is well known that the body, brain and emotional health of a person are improved with regular use.

If you are thinking about staying on part-time at your current job to supplement your income, taking on a new and interesting part-time job or beginning to consult or freelance, there are a few things to know to keep from experiencing financial penalties.

Unfortunately, United States Social Security and pension laws do not support or reward older Americans for contributing to society after retirement. Instead of creating incentives, there are several different penalties that can occur. Depending on your circumstances, Social Security benefits can be cut and pension payments can be decreased.

It’s best to check your pension plan thoroughly before deciding to continue working for your current employer for a reduced amount of hours and pay. Some pension plans base their payments on the last years of employment. You could find yourself getting a much lower pension payout, simply due to continued work.

Although it may seem that continuing to work and delaying Social Security benefits would be an excellent way to ultimately increase your payments, you must be sure that you do not bear consequences. If you happen to retire early and then decide you would like to return to work, you may be penalized.

Currently, if you return to work you may see a large cut in Social Security – as much as $1 out of every $2 you earn over the$13,560 yearly limit will be taken from your Social Security payments.

The Incentives for Older Workers Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), addresses both pension plan and Social Security penalties, but has not gained support thus far. The bill, which seeks to ban pension penalties for those continuing to work part-time and increases the Social Security cut to $1 for every $3 earned, also asks that retirement credits for Social Security be able to be delayed until age 72, up from the current 70 year limit.

While the bill offers improved changes that are a step in the right direction and could certainly help many, advocates are asking for a total reform that prohibits penalties and creates incentives for older Americans to continue working after the retirement age.



For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center
Medicare Information

Will the Boomers Really Bust the Retirement Bank?

You’ve heard the warnings no doubt: Baby boomers are going to bust the bank. The rumors have flown around for years: Social Security and Medicare cannot handle the strain of the boomer era ushering into their golden years, there are not enough younger workers to support the baby boomer era, there is no time to handle the crisis, the economy can’t handle it, the government can’t handle it, and there will have to be major tax increases and decreased support for retirement programs to handle it.

We’ve been hearing these things for years, but are they true? Are we seeing the whole picture?

There are a few things we have failed to notice when making the assumption that the economy cannot handle the strain of the baby boomers retiring.

If - and that is a big IF - the workforce happens to shrink, our demand for labor will grow. This means higher wages and higher taxes coming out of payroll. The end result is more money for the government and more money for Social Security and Medicare. This is a positive thing, should it happen: more money for workers and more money for the government.

It is hard to imagine our workforce shrinking though, because nearly 60 percent of women work outside the home today and that number is only growing. Forty or so years ago there were hardly any women working outside the home, so it appears that even though we are worried that our workforce is shrinking, in some areas it is actually growing. The Social Security Administration estimates that even in 2030 nearly 55 percent of our population will be of working age and able to provide goods and services. That is more than in the 60’s and 70’s, and only a few percentage points less than today.

While many computer and office jobs can be outsourced to other countries, we are always going to need people to work in the service field. As baby boomers retire, they are not going to stop spending money. They will still be adding to the economy by employing cooks, drivers, gardeners and other service employees. Best of all, these jobs do not require college degrees and will always be available.

Still of course, the economy is not doing well and the baby boomers are starting to cash in on their retirement. We haven’t seen a bust yet, let’s hope for the best.





For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability SSI Resource Center
Medicare Information