Pasadena, U.S.A. – Experts estimate nearly 30 million Americans, approximately 10% of the population, take some form of cholesterol-lowering drug, also known as statins, under brands such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, and Crestor.

Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States and cardiologists agree that they remain the most effective long-term treatment for cholesterol patients in the high-risk category. However, many patients are not aware that through regular statin therapy they may be depleting their bodies of valuable vitamins and nutrients essential for healthy living. The depletion may be associated with an increasing number of side effects exhibited by statin patients – and relief from these side effects is not commonly known.

In the past, statins have generally been considered to be safe, however, as the population of statin users continues to rapidly increase, statin studies continue to emerge showing that there is also a significant increase in the number of side effects, such as chronic fatigue and muscle pain.

In fact, studies show that 10 to 20% of patients treated with statins complain of muscle symptoms and in rare instances use may result in serious muscle damage with myositis, inflammation and rhabdomyolysis. Even in the absence of clinically relevant muscle damage a significant number of patients experience an array of symptoms including muscle pain (myalgia), weakness, cramps and fatigue.

“Statins reduce cholesterol production effectively but not selectively – they also block the synthesis of Ubiquinol, a powerful lipid-soluble antioxidant found in every cell in the body that helps to protect the cardiovascular system from oxidative damage and an essential coenzyme required for cellular energy production,” explains Dr. Robert Barry, Executive Director of Scientific Affairs at Kaneka Nutrients, the leading manufacturer of Ubiquinol supplements in the United States.

The company reports that depletion of Ubiquinol can induce mitochondrial dysfunction by impairing oxidative phosphorylation, energy production and aerobic capacity. Ubiquinol depletion resulting from statin treatment may therefore impair muscle energy metabolism and contribute to the development of myopathy and muscle symptoms.

Many statin patients are not informed of this sometimes severe side-effect. Statin-related symptoms can affect the quality of life and often result in multiple dose alterations, switching brands of statins and ultimately, non-compliance. Statin patients who take Ubiquinol as a supplement therapy will be replacing the loss of Ubiquinol in the body and giving back what the muscles need to perform.

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SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.A.- A Chicago Tribune investigation reveals that corporations making halogenated flame retardant chemicals spent tens of millions of dollars on public relations firms, lobbyists, and front groups to deceive the American people and legislators into believing their toxic chemicals are both necessary and safe.

“We have flame retardant chemicals similar to banned pesticides like DDT in our furniture that end up in our bodies, our pets, and wildlife,” said Arlene Blum, PhD,  UC Berkeley chemist, and Green Science Policy Institute founder. “This investigation should help stop new flammability standards  that are designed to sell chemicals rather than to increase fire safety.”

“Studies on halogenated flame retardants find they can cause lowered IQ, learning disabilities, infertility, other reproductive problems, and endocrine system irregularities,” says Sharyle Patton from Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center.

“Scientific evidence is exhaustive, yet the flame retardant industry continues to deceive the public and policymakers,” says Martha Dina Arguello of Physicians for Social Responsibility-LA. ”It’s time we stop exposing ourselves to unnecessary toxics that can impede children’s ability to learn, can cause cancer, and are linked to many health problems low-income and communities of color face.”

“Firefighters have elevated rates of multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, testicular cancer, malignant melanoma, brain cancer; many linked to halogenated flame retardants,” says Tony Stefani, cancer survivor, founder, San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, and retired SF Fire Department Captain. “Lawmakers should stop listening to chemical industry representatives who misrepresent the facts.”

Judy Levin  with Center for Environmental Health comments, ”It is time that devious tactics used by the chemical industry are exposed to the public. Their drive for corporate profit trumps ethics, honesty, or concern for human health or the environment.”

“California leaders should be moved to stop the use of these dangerous chemicals,” says Janette Robinson Flint of Black Women for Wellness. ”Our community already has staggering health inequalities, and is overburdened with chemical exposure in our personal care and cleaning products, food, and now even furniture in our homes…enough is enough.”

“An obsolete CA. regulation (Technical Bulletin 117) de facto forces companies to use toxic chemicals in their products. Both business owners and consumers lose with this industry influenced scenario,” comments Richard Holober of Consumer Federation of California.

Info: http://toxicfreefiresafety.net/CaliforniansForToxicFreeFireSafety.php

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Washington, U.S.A. – Following Wednesday’s hearing ‘Is Government Adequately Protecting Taxpayers from Medicaid Fraud?’, the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare praised the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for calling attention to the impact Medicaid fraud is having on beneficiaries and taxpayers alike.

The home healthcare community supports tough measures that target and prevent fraud and abuse. In order to strengthen program integrity, home healthcare leaders have developed reform proposals that would prevent payment of aberrant claims and enhance conditions of participation and claims validation processes. Policy solutions that target fraud and abuse can strengthen state Medicaid programs to more effectively ensure that valuable taxpayer dollars are not falling into the hands of fraudulent individuals.

“Medicaid fraud that could amount to billions of dollars per year is a serious problem that must be remedied,” said Senator John Breaux, senior counsel to the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare. “Wednesday’s hearing underscores the fact that we must do more to protect America’s 50 million Medicaid beneficiaries and the taxpayers who fund this essential healthcare benefit.”

Home healthcare plays a vital role in delivering clinically advanced healthcare services to Medicaid patients requiring treatment for illnesses related to acute, chronic or rehabilitative needs.  Highly trained healthcare professionals and clinicians are helping patients effectively manage chronic diseases with care that was once only available in more costly settings.

Home healthcare services today include cardiac and pulmonary care, physical therapy and rehabilitation, wound care, intravenous (IV) therapies and a myriad of other advanced care services, which are distinctly different from personal care services incorrectly associated with skilled home healthcare.

“Medicaid fraud and abuse must not be tolerated,” added Breaux. “Solutions are urgently needed to ensure we are taking all possible steps to protect beneficiaries and taxpayers alike, which means fighting Medicaid fraud with tough reforms like those crafted by the home healthcare community.”

The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare was established in 2010 to assist government officials in ensuring access to quality home health services for all Americans. Representing more than 1,500 community- and hospital-based home health agencies nationwide, the Partnership is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the program integrity, quality, and efficiency of home healthcare for our nation’s seniors.  To learn more, visit www.homehealth4america.org .

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TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*, announced the results of its annual air travel survey of more than 1,000 U.S. respondents. Americans are flocking to the skies this year as 91 percent of respondents said they plan to fly domestically in 2012, compared to 84 percent that did last year. International flights are also on the rise, with 65 percent planning a flight out of the country, up from 55 percent in 2011.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/49263-tripadvisor-survey-reveals-air-travel-on-the-rise-in-2012

Mobile Use Takes Off

There has been a significant increase in mobile device usage for air travel among survey respondents.

• Nearly half of all fliers now use a smart phone to check flight status, up from 30 percent from last year’s survey.
• 30 percent report using a device to check-in to a flight, up from 17 percent.
• Use of tablets and iPads in-flight are up 15 percent, with more than one in four travelers now calling theirs a carry-on essential.

Fliers seem skeptical about the need to shut off their beloved mobile devices.

• 58 percent question whether shutting off electronic devices during takeoff and landing is really necessary.
• 40 percent can remember a time when they’ve left their devices on during flight (accidentally or intentionally).

Shh… Anti-social in the Air

When it comes to flying, the majority of travelers have no interest in socializing.

• 76 percent of travelers prefer to keep to themselves while in-flight.
• Only 9 percent expressed interest in trying a “social seating” program that allows fliers to choose a seatmate based on social network profiles.
• 40 percent would pay extra to sit in a designated “quiet” section of the plane.

Not even a presidential candidate could get some fliers to come out of their shell: 33 percent would not choose to sit next to Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, or Newt Gingrich, if given the opportunity.

Calling for More Comfort

Twenty-two percent of survey participants don’t enjoy a single thing about air travel, and most travelers cite legroom and seat comfort (or lack thereof) as their biggest complaint.

• 41 percent believe that more legroom is the biggest improvement airlines can make, with 30 percent citing more comfortable seating.  However, 71 percent aren’t willing to pay for extra legroom on domestic flights less than four hours long.
• On flights longer than four hours, however, 35 percent would shell out $25 for more legroom.

Frequent Flier Favorites

Travelers like their frequent flier programs and, when it comes to booking, brand does matter.

• 52 percent subscribe to frequent flier programs and find them valuable.
• 58 percent say the brand of airline is important when considering which flight to book.
• 15 percent say that racking up frequent flier miles is the most enjoyable thing about air travel.
• Of the 20 percent of fliers who order an alcoholic drink on-board, 42 percent favor wine.
• Singapore Airlines tops most people’s wish lists, with 17 percent saying they haven’t yet flown with this global carrier but would like to.

Top 5 Favorite U.S. Airports:

Additional Air Travel Tidbits

• More than half plan to participate in TSA’s pre-check program.
• The three most popular months for air travel this year are May, October, and September.
• 27 percent would choose one airline over another if the flight offered Wi-Fi.
• 45 percent are concerned that rising gas prices will cause air fares to increase, so they plan to book travel plans early.
• 43 percent consider airplanes to be the most germ-laden travel location, more so than hotel rooms and public transportation.

“As air travel becomes more stressful, fliers flock to mobile technology,” says Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of TripAdvisor Flights. “In-flight Wi-Fi, powerful new mobile devices, and other tech carry-on essentials allow fliers to create a more relaxing and enjoyable flying experience.”

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London, UK – Voters will select presidential nominee and convention delegates. Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the US Democratic Party for Americans living outside the US, will hold its Global Primary at 5 sites in the UK.

The Global Primary gives members of Democrats Abroad UK the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate to represent the Democratic Party in this autumn’s election. Voters will also select delegates to represent Democrats Abroad at the party’s convention in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 3-6, 2012.

This is the only opportunity American citizens have to physically participate in the US election outside the country and its territories. The Republican Party does not hold a primary for its global members. And in the general election, all Americans living abroad must vote by absentee ballot.

Rob Carolina, Chair of Democrats Abroad UK, said, “Americans living overseas are very excited to vote in this important Presidential and Congressional election, and Democrats Abroad are proud to offer the only opportunity they will have to cast a vote for the President in person, right here in the UK. We would encourage all Americans living in the UK to join Democrats Abroad, take part in the Global Primary, register to vote at http://www.votefromabroad.org and sign-up to help us return President Obama to the White House.”

Polling places:

London – Tuesday, 1 May 6:30-9:30 pm / Sunday, 6 May 6:30-9:30 pm (live music, speeches and other entertainment provided), The Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, Westminster SW1P 3BU

Oxford – Friday, 4 May 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Rhodes House, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RG

Cambridge – Tuesday, 1 May 6:30-8:30 pm, University of Cambridge Graduate Centre, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RX

St. Andrews – Tuesday, 1 May 11:00 am-2:00 pm / Thursday, 3 May 11:00 am-6:00pm, St. Andrews Students’ Association, St. Mary’s Place, St. Andrews KY16 9UZ

Edinburgh – Wednesday, 2 May 11:00 am-6:00 pm / Friday, 4 May 11:00 am-6:00pm, NUS Scotland, 29 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LE

http://www.democratsabroad.org/uk-primary 

Image Courtesy of   Alan Hainkel / Shutterstock.com

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As the United States has removed itself from one extended military conflict in the Middle East – in Iraq – another one possibly looms on the horizon, brought on by Iran’s suspected nuclear program and, among other things, Israel’s desire to abolish it. The U.S. has a tricky and nuanced road to navigate, made only more complicated by Israel’s role, the rising price of oil, and the presidential election in November. When Americans were asked about various items related to the potential conflict with Iran, the responses reflect the complicated nature of the issue.  Seven in ten Americans agree that Iran’s nuclear capabilities pose a threat to the United States (72%), yet what action the United States should take in response is less clear.

Over half of U.S. adults say that if Israel takes action against Iran’s nuclear program that the U.S. should support Israel (56%), yet fewer than half of Americans say Israel should take action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program (45%) and fewer believe that the U.S. should take this action themselves.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,451 adults surveyed online between March 12 and 19, 2012 by Harris Interactive .

While a majority of all U.S. adults agree that Iran’s nuclear capabilities pose a threat to the United States this belief is stronger among older generations; 77%-79% of Baby Boomers (ages 48-66) and Matures (ages 67+) agree, compared to 63%-71% of Echo Boomers (ages 18-35) and Gen X (ages 36-47) who do.  The older generations are in similar agreement about the U.S. supporting Israel if Israel takes action against Iran’s nuclear program: over three in five Baby Boomers (63%) and Matures (68%) say the U.S. should support Israel, yet just 55% of Gen X and 45% of Echo Boomers respectively say the same.  There is a less strong opinion on whether Israel should take military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.  Approximately half (47%-51%) of Gen X, Baby Boomers and Matures say Israel should, although just 38% of Echo Boomers agree.  If Americans are uncertain about how Israel should act, they are even more uncertain about what the U.S. should do:

• Overall 45% of U.S. adults agree that the United States should NOT take military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, 39% disagree and 16% are not at all sure;
• Matures (aged 67+) are most likely to say that the U.S. should not take action against Iran and Gen X is least likely to say this (40%).

Political Differences
Military engagements and involvement with Israel are usually politically charged issues, but that sense is even more escalated in an election year. Republicans, Democrats and Independents show a different mind when considering Iran’s nuclear situation:

• While a majority of all political parties say that Iran’s nuclear capabilities pose a threat to the United States and that if Israel takes action against Iran the U.S. should support Israel, Republicans are the most likely to say these things (83% say Iran poses a threat and 70% want the U.S. to support Israel). Democrats and Independents agree that Iran poses a threat (70% and 73% say so respectively), yet these groups are less strongly in favor of supporting Israel taking action (51%-57% agree the U.S. should do so);
• When asked directly if Israel should take military action against Iran’s nuclear program Republicans agree they should (59%), yet significantly fewer Democrats and Independents say the same (40% and 45%);
• On the other hand, a majority of Democrats say that the U.S. should not take military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program (52%), yet fewer than half of Independents (46%) and Republicans (37%) agree.

Taking a more philosophical look, interestingly a majority of Americans — in all political parties — disagree that Iran has the right to continue working on its nuclear program (65%-71% of Republicans, Democrats and Independents say this).

So What?
Although most reports indicate that neither Israel nor the U.S. is likely to take immediate military action against Iran – the results of which could be enormous and costly — the continued discussion and analysis on what each country should do might have consequences of its own, particularly if Iran sees the ongoing discussion as provocation unto itself.  It will be interesting to see how President Obama handles the discussions and decisions moving forward — it seems unlikely that he would want to enter into a new military engagement, yet the potential threat from Iran is felt by Americans, the pro-Israel lobby is strong, and the U.S. demand for oil continues to be pervasive.

Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between March 12 and 19, 2012 among 2,451 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Harris Poll  #39, April 10, 2012
By Samantha Braverman, Sr. Project Researcher, Harris Interactive

Image Courtesey of  Steve Rhodes

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Higher food costs and rising gas prices could prove to be damaging to the nation’s food banks and their ability to provide adequate emergency food to the nearly 49 million Americans who are currently living at risk of hunger, Feeding America, the network of the nation’s largest food banks announced.

Although recent reports indicate that the economy is beginning to improve and that the unemployment rate is also beginning to shrink, Feeding America’s food banks continue to face significant struggles as America recovers from the worst economic recession in decades.

The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 local partners are feeding 37 million Americans a year, including nearly 14 million children and 3 million seniors. But with rising operating costs and decreasing supply, a number of factors are contributing to a “perfect storm” of challenges that threaten to leave food banks unable to meet the need in their communities.

Gas prices increased 26% in 2011, adding tremendous costs to transporting food. Increased fuel costs particularly affect rural areas, where populations are less dense. Many food banks support emergency feeding across a vast service area.
Food inflation is also hitting food banks hard. Grocery prices increased an average rate of 6% in the last half of 2011, and food banks have been hard pressed to make up the difference.

Feeding America Food banks have seen significant increases in the price of household staples like milk, which increased in price by nine percent in 2011, and peanut butter, which costs 38% more now than it did a year ago. Rising food prices also mean that healthy, nutritious food becomes further out of reach for many of the clients served by Feeding America, further increasing their reliance on food banks
“A major concern for us is the significant decline in USDA commodities provided to our food banks.

These commodities generally account for about a quarter of the 3 billion pounds of food our food banks distribute each year. This is highly-valued, nutritious food – fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy product. We saw a reduction of about 30 percent last year, and are already experiencing more reductions this year,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America.

Donations of food from food manufacturers also declined by about 15% last year, due to increased manufacturing efficiencies.

“We are also deeply concerned about the potential for cuts to Federal hunger-relief programs like SNAP (food stamps) as Congress looks for ways to reduce the deficit. More than 40 million Americans, including many of our clients, rely on SNAP. We understand that there must be reductions in government spending, but cutting anti-hunger programs is penny-wise and a pound foolish,” Escarra said.

“Federal nutrition programs meet an urgent and immediate need. They also reap long term benefits by eliminating the health, educational, and workforce productivity costs associated with hunger and poor nutrition,” Escarra said. “Feeding America urges Congress to maintain robust funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Nutrition Program and SNAP.”

Image Courtesy of   lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Over the past several months President Obama’s overall job ratings have been alternately holding steady and inching upward. His ratings on the economy are following suit. In March, 32% of Americans gave President Obama positive ratings on his handling of the economy while 68% gave him negative ratings. This is the same as in February and an improvement from the 25% and 75% who rated him positively and negatively respectively in December and January.

While there is still a concern about unemployment, more Americans say the job market in their region of the country is good. Over the past three and a half years The Harris Poll has regularly asked Americans about the job market in their region of the country. An average of 11% have called it good between July 2008 and January 2012, however the last few months have seen a steady rise from the 9% who said the job market was good in October 2011, to the 14% who said so in January 2012, now 20% report these feelings in March 2012. Although the numbers are improving, a majority still says that the job market in their region is bad (56%) while 24% say it is neither good nor bad.

The improvements in the job market are encouraging, as is the belief that the job market is growing. Currently one third (33%) of Americans believe the job market in their region is going to be better over the next six months while half (50%) say it will remain the same. Only 17% think it will be worse, which is lower than the 25% who said this in July 2011 and the 21% who said so in January.

Politics and the Economy

In an election year, it’s not surprising that the economy and job market are considered political issues, and it is also not a surprise that opinions differ between Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

Currently over half of Democrats (59%) and Liberals (55%) give President Obama positive ratings on his handling of the economy while only 12% of Conservatives and 6% of Republicans do; Independents (26%) and Moderates (35%) fall somewhere in the middle. Possibly showing more faith in the current administration, almost half of Democrats say that the job market will be better in the next six months (47%) — one third (33%) of Independents agree — yet only 18% of Republicans say the same. A majority of Republicans think the job market will remain the same (55%) and over a quarter say it will get worse (27%).

Despite improvements in how Americans view the job market and expect it to change over the next six months, a majority are still concerned that their family’s income will not be enough to cover all of their costs and expenses this year.

Currently 63% of Americans say they are concerned, with 26% very concerned. This is not very different from the 62%-65% who stated concern over the past two years. Not surprisingly, the higher a person’s household income, the less likely they are to be concerned about covering their costs and expenses.

However, it is somewhat alarming that large numbers of people even in the highest income brackets — 61% of those who earn $75,000 to $99,999 and 41% of those who earn $100,000 or more — say they are concerned about meeting their costs and expenses. And, despite their differing opinions on President Obama’s role in the economy and the outlook for the job market, when Democrats and Republicans were asked about their own financial concerns the story is the same: over six in ten Democrats (61%), Republicans (63%) and Independents (65%) say they are concerned that their family’s income will not be enough to cover all of their costs and expenses this year.

The economy and unemployment have been the focus for political initiatives and public discontent for some time. However, there are some possible green shoots, in that Americans overall are feeling better about the job market and President Obama’s handling of the economy than they have indicated for many months.

However, the large number of Americans communicating concern about covering their family’s expenses is disconcerting and indicates that while we may be moving in the right direction, the country still has a way to go on the road to full economic recovery. It will be interesting to see how these issues and concerns are addressed by President Obama and his Republican opponent in the upcoming presidential election.

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Leaders from business, political and religious life are falling desperately short of expectations around the world – with Europeans and Americans the most disillusioned according to a 12-country survey by global communications firm Ketchum. More people globally believe leadership will actually get worse in 2012. Quite startling the report found a 28% gap between expectations of leaders and their delivery against those expectations

The study reveals leadership credibility in 2012 and beyond requires a combination of decisive action and honest, transparent communication – most effectively achieved through a leader’s personal presence and involvement.

“Our study reveals for the first time the full extent of the world’s disappointment with its leaders across every category of human endeavor,” said Rod Cartwright, Director of Ketchum’s Global Corporate Practice. “What is clear is that effective leadership and effective communication are inextricably linked

Perhaps unexpectedly, the Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor found that business leaders were seen as the most effective over the past year – beating politicians, not-for-profit bosses and even religious leaders. More than a third of respondents said they were more confident in business leaders than a year ago, with 36% viewing business as providing effective leadership (receiving an “excellent” rating of 8 or above on a scale of 0-10) and 48% seeing them as effective communicators.

This compared with just 25% of politicians and religious leaders, who achieved the same “excellent” rating. Although expectations of politicians to provide effective leadership in difficult times were higher than any other group (63%), they suffered the lowest vote of confidence, with 47% expecting worse political leadership in 2012.

Within the business community, knowledge-based industries were perceived as having the most effective bosses. Ranked highest on leadership effectiveness was technology, with a 44% approval rating, followed by media (39%) and telecommunications (36%). Banking chiefs came in fourth overall in the poll worldwide with 32%. The energy sector and financial services leaders were ranked fifth (31%) and sixth (30%) respectively. Consumer business leaders lagged far behind on leadership, with consumer packaged goods placed lowest at 20%.

Perhaps most significant for the business community, the research underlines a direct link between positive perceptions of leadership and business-critical decisions such as a willingness to buy stock, goods and services or recommend working at a company. This explains crisis response being seen as the most important area for business leaders to communicate personally (53%), followed by financial results (48%) and the state of the business (40%).

Clear, transparent communication topped the table of key leadership behaviors. For 84%, effective communication is extremely important to strong leadership, while 48% rated it as the number one factor. However, action matters – with tough decision-making, leading by example and calm crisis-handling following immediately behind.

The study also revealed that globally, the number one action leaders should take to restore confidence in 2012 is to be open and honest about the nature and scale of the challenge ahead (57% US; 52% Europe vs. 43% China). By contrast, only 17% indicated a preference for leaders to spare them the full picture to avoid panic.

Trustworthiness was seen as the number one source of leadership credibility for corporations, placed above quality of management and financial strength. In order to win that trust, the report found that the personal “presence” and involvement of a leader in communicating was vital. As a result, communication via face-to-face and traditional media left social media trailing. Face-to-face contact provided the greatest source of leadership credibility (50%), followed by televised speeches (43%), broadcast media (41%) and print media (38%). Digital platforms and social media were well off pace, with blogs at 20%, Facebook at 16%, advertising at 13% and Twitter at just 8%.

Cartwright said: “It is clear that mainstream media still carries a great deal of credibility. When it comes to digital and social media, the message is that most people don’t believe that the leader is actually involved. This doesn’t mean we should conclude that these channels are redundant as a vehicle for establishing credible leadership – quite the contrary. Rather, it underlines the absolute imperative of making the ‘presence’ of the leader shine through.”

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As President Obama starts his fourth year in office, people have many opinions of the job he has done so far and these opinions have changed over the past three years. In looking at fourteen different statements there are three that have changed fairly substantially over time.

In 2010, almost three in five Americans (57%) said President Obama made other countries feel better about the United States. That number dropped to 50% last year and is now even lower, at 43% this year.

Over half of U.S. adults (55%) agree that President Obama is not changing things fast enough and in 2010, 43% felt that way. Another large shift is in the speed of change. In 2010, less than two in five (38%) agreed the President was changing things too fast; this year one-quarter of Americans (26%) feel this way.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,016 adults surveyed online between January 16 and 23, 2012 by Harris Interactive .

Looking at some of the more positive statements, each shows a decline in the number of Americans who agree. While majorities believe that the President is trying to put the country back on track (57%), trying to bring about much needed change (54%) and is open, honest and trustworthy (50%), two years ago, in 2010 between 54% and 61% agreed with each statement and in 2011 between 53% and 59% agreed.

Looking at some of the more negative statements, more than three in five Americans say President Obama has not lived up to his campaign promises (63% up from 56% who said this last year) and that he spends too much time talking and there isn’t enough action (61% up from 56%). In 2010, three in five U.S. adults (61%) believed the President hadn’t done much for them yet and that dropped to 56% last year but is back up to 58% this year.

Other findings of this poll include:

• A few things haven’t changed too much since last year. About half of Americans agree President Obama does a good job of explaining issues to people (49%) and that he is working for the people’s best interests and doing the right thing (49%);
• Less than half of Americans (47%) believe the President provides a fresh outlook with new ideas, down from 52% last year and 56% in 2010;
• Three in five Americans (59%) say the President is spending too much and creating too much debt, which is down from 61% who said this in 2010 and up from 56% who agreed in 2011; and,
• Up from 41% last year, this year 45% of U.S. adults say President Obama doesn’t care about people like them.

Partisan Differences

As it has been in the past two years, it is not surprising that Democrats agree with more of the positive statements about the President, and Republicans agree with more of the negative ones.  There are, however, a few interesting similarities that came out in the data. For example:

• Majorities of Republicans (52%), Democrats (55%) and Independents (59%) say President Obama is not changing things fast enough;
• But, at the same time, two in five Republicans (40%), one-quarter of Independents (24%) and 14% of Democrats say the President is changing things too fast; and,
• While four in five Republicans (82%) and almost two-thirds of Independents (64%) say President Obama has not lived up to his campaign promises, so do almost half of Democrats (48%).

So What?

President Obama has had a complicated year. The economic indicators are improving, but Americans are only slowly coming around to that. He’s had some big national security wins, but with the focus on the economy and jobs, the President is not getting a lot of credit.

And, there is also the focus on the Republican candidates vying to challenge the President in the fall. All of this is something President Obama has to contend with and could help explain why Americans are a little conflicted about their feelings towards him at the moment. He has some time before he has to convince the American public to re-elect him, but in order to do that he will need to work diligently to alter some of these views.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding; NA indicates not asked in that year

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding; NA indicates not asked in that year

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between January 16 to 23, 2012 among 2,016 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with non response, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

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With tsunamis, earthquakes and financial concerns dominating the headlines over the past year, National Geographic Channel and Kelton Research on February 7 released the results of a survey gauging Americans’ preparedness levels and mind-set related to a potential “Doomsday” scenario.

Most Americans are fearful of catastrophes, yet are poorly prepared, according to the new survey.  Eighty-five percent of the nation is not ready for a devastating event, blame the recession for their unpreparedness and are more fearful of a man-made catastrophe if a Republican wins the presidential election.

This comes as NGC launches its new series Doomsday Preppers focusing on Americans with an unshakable certainty that America soon faces tougher times – when grocery stores are empty, water is in short supply and electricity is unavailable – and are stockpiling for survival.

In the survey of more than 1,000 men and women conducted online from January 3 to January 10 with a 3.1 percent margin of error, the question was asked, “Which of the following, if any, do you think might happen in the United States in the next 25 years?”  Earthquakes (64%), hurricanes (63%) and terrorism (55%) are the most feared, followed by financial collapse (51%), significant blackout (37%), a pandemic (29%) and nuclear fallout (14%).

Regardless of the incident, more than 62 percent Americans think the world will experience a major catastrophe in less than 20 years.  And nearly three out of every four people (71%) envision a major disaster in their lifetime as an act of God, not man.  Nearly one-third (27%) believe that the Mayan calendar’s prediction about a calamitous event in December 2012 will be at least “somewhat true.”

“The results demonstrate that in a disastrous scenario most people are unprepared,” says Scott Hunt, co-owner and engineer with Practical Preppers, a firm specializing in emergency preparedness.  “You need to take a practical approach to preparedness so that in a crisis situation you are not part of the problem, but the solution.  I hope more people feel compelled to start looking at this seriously and take solid steps to be ready.”

With the presidential election this November, politics also factored into the results, with more than half of the nation (52%) believing that if Mitt Romney or one of his Republican counterparts overtake Barack Obama, a man-made catastrophe is more likely.

Among those who feel unprepared, 40 percent cite the lasting effects of the recession as the reason for their unpreparedness.  But the same number (40%) is saying “to hell with a 401(k)” to save money for catastrophe arrangements.  Nearly half (49%) of Americans would forgo new high-end appliances in a new home if it had a safe room or bomb shelter instead.

Dr. Berger, senior lecturer on modern apocalyptic narratives at Yale University, expands on why Americans are straying away from such items for their homes:  ”If large numbers of people are to be protected from some natural or social disaster, there must be some public mechanisms put in place – for evacuations, food, water, medicine, etc., as well as proper infrastructure that will mitigate damage.”

While one in four Americans have done nothing to prepare, among those who have prepared, actions they have taken are very basic: 60 percent have stored canned food; 58 percent drinking water; and 56 percent batteries.  However, only 12 percent of the population has practiced drills, and 39 percent have learned basic survival skills.

Were “doomsday to arrive,” nearly four in 10 (39%) don’t think they would last two weeks based on the supplies they have on hand.

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Pointing to a study he delivered at a recent (Congressional Health Care Caucus), Phil Lebherz, Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), has called upon Congress and the Obama administration to make 2012 a watershed year for adopting a “Point-of-Care” approach with Medicaid’s administrative program in an effort to save as much as $56 billion in administrative costs.

The costs being targeted are derived from complicated and duplicative steps that keep government administrative costs high and prevent qualified Medicaid recipients from seeking needed care.  Delayed treatment often results in higher overall costs, as patients are treated in hospital emergency rooms with higher incidence of requiring surgery and expensive intensive care services.

“If we continue to run government’s biggest program – Medicaid utilizing the program with 1980s technology, we will be out of money before we reach 2014,” said Lebherz.

In his testimony before the Congressional forum, Lebherz laid out the reasoning behind changing Medicaid from a complicated enrollment system to a “point-of-care” program by describing the current holes. The proposed (Point-of-Care Eligibility) system would target a large segment of the population who are eligible for Medicaid, yet are not enrolled, and access their care in hospitals’ Emergency Rooms. With these patients, the hospital is often left with unpaid bills that should be turned into Medicaid or another liable public entity.

The solution of moving to a Point-of-Care concept was created following (Onsite Study) conducted at four Emergency Rooms in San Diego, California in 2011. Over a period of a year, Sharp Healthcare asked 20,000 uninsured patients FHCE’s Eligibility Quiz, and 80.2% were found eligible for free or low-cost public health coverage.

A previous analysis of Medicaid numbers, detailed in this 2011 (Health Affairs article), demonstrates that a “point-of-care” system could solve the uninsured problem for an estimated 17 million Americans and trim billions of dollars from the government budget.

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Netsmart, the leading provider of clinical solutions for health and human services organizations nationwide, has announced the launch of www.EveryDayMatters.com, an interactive, informational website designed to highlight the positive clinical and financial impacts provided by the behavioral health community.

In an era of huge budget deficits, improvement of health and healthcare cost containment cannot be achieved without the coordination of behavioral and physical health. It is with this thought in mind that www.EveryDayMatters.com was developed to highlight the enormous contribution made by behavioral health providers to the nation’s health.

Content on the website includes videos, blogs, news feeds, social media links and an interactive message board. Behavioral health organizations, clinicians, practitioners, consumers and industry vendors are encouraged to visit the site and share stories that celebrate successes and debunk myths and stigma about mental health issues.

The site allows visitors to be aware, inspired and enlightened by each other’s stories, ask questions, share opinions, eliminate barriers and celebrate successes. Current topics and news articles will also be shared for education and discussion.

“The care provided by those who work in behavioral health changes lives. You cannot treat just the mind or just the body; you must coordinate care to treat the whole person,” said Mike Valentine, CEO, Netsmart. “As healthcare in the U.S. evolves to address the health of populations, we want to ensure that the millions that suffer from some type of mental illness are not left behind.

For them – and the people that serve them – every day matters. For us, that starts with www.EveryDayMatters.com. It’s a venue where those in the community can share success stories, tell their personal stories and learn more about behavioral health.

“We also believe that technology can play a big role in advancing care in behavioral health,” said Valentine. “The primary care world spent the last 10 years integrating evidence-based medicine into their electronic health record systems. Our goal is to do it for behavioral health in half that time.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four adults, or approximately 57.7 million Americans, experience a mental health disorder in a given year. The World Health Organization has reported that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders.

By 2020, major depressive illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children. As a leader in the industry, Netsmart is committed to transforming the way care is delivered. Part of that transformation includes new innovations that lead to improved care and outcomes.

“EveryDayMatters.com is where we can share, learn from each other, educate, and start conversations across our industry,” said Dr. Steve Ronik, CEO of Henderson Behavioral Health, the oldest and largest community-based, not-for-profit behavioral health system in South Florida. “Anything we can do to hear directly from those who have insights into mental health issues and increase awareness will only serve to benefit us all as we look at services, treatments and results.”

“Our goal is that the site becomes a trusted resource for insight, education, innovation, advocacy and awareness about mental health issues,” said Valentine. “While Netsmart is proud to sponsor this site, it is not a Netsmart site. The site is an open, public forum for all to use.”

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Doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston are just another step closer to securing a cure for sickle cell disease thanks to a little help from some superstar friends.

More than $1 million was raised in support of their research efforts Sunday, January 15 during the ‘Play Without Pain: Children’s Sickle Cell Benefit,’ a partnership with international megastar Celine Dion, Caesars Entertainment, AEG Live and Children’s Hospital Boston. Held at Caesars Palace, the evening included a performance of Celine Dion’s glamorous show directed by Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich, including a touching tribute to sickle cell victims during her rendition of Billy Joel’s “Lullabye.”

“As a parent, I’ve been touched by the stories that were shared with me about the impact sickle cell anemia has on millions of children around the world,” said Dion. “We know that doctors with Children’s Hospital Boston are very close to discovering life-saving treatments for these children, and I wanted to help.

No child should have to live a life filled with pain and, hopefully, tonight’s benefit show moves us one step closer to ending their suffering.” Sickle cell disease is a debilitating condition that causes excruciating pain, organ failure, stroke and early death. It is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 100,000 Americans and the number of sufferers is in the millions worldwide.

Affected populations are mainly of African descent, but the disease also strikes individuals of Hispanic, Mediterranean and Caribbean heritage. And its treatment is costly: an estimated $1.1 billion a year in the U.S. alone. ”Even though sickle cell is one of the most common inherited disorders, research on the disease is historically under-funded,” said Gary Fleisher, M.D., Physician-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Boston.

“The team at Children’s is making important progress toward developing new gene therapies that could help millions of sickle cell sufferers across the globe. We are incredibly grateful to Celine Dion and Gary Loveman, with Caesars Entertainment, for helping us work toward our fundraising goals and inching us ever closer to achieving a cure.”

Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have found a genetic switch that overrides the sickle cell defect and have identified the gene that controls the unhealthy form of hemoglobin, the protein responsible for sickle cell disease. Treatments to flip the switch promise to deliver lifelong relief.

The new therapies would turn off the unhealthy form of hemoglobin and turn a healthy form back on. These therapies promise to reverse disease rather than simply treat symptoms. ”Children’s physician-researchers have done what others have tried to do for decades; they’ve found a way to override the sickle cell defect,” said Gary Loveman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caesars Entertainment and a member of Children’s Hospital Boston Board of Trustees.

“I am pleased that tonight’s benefit has placed these doctors on a path toward delivering life-saving treatments to patients and proud that Caesars could play a part in helping meet their goals. I hope that tonight’s benefit will inspire others to join me, Celine and the doctors of Children’s Hospital Boston in the fight to find a cure.”

Prior to Celine’s benefit performance guests were treated to dinner at Restaurant Guy Savoy, where they enjoyed a menu personally created by the acclaimed French chef who flew in from France especially to participate in the benefit. Guests enjoyed Savoy’s signature artichoke soup, turbot and black truffle mouselline, beef Wellington and, for dessert, chocolate fondant with chicoree sauce. Guests were also treated to an exclusive meet and greet with Celine Dion prior to the show.

The benefit concluded with a VIP cocktail reception at PURE Nightclub featuring a special performance by Las Vegas-based entertainer A.J. Green, a 19-year old sickle cell patient. Green’s performance at PURE included hits from his debut album ‘Whatever You Need’ including ‘Jump,’ ‘I’ll Be There’ and ‘Superstar,’ a Luther Vandross cover. The reception was sponsored by Angel Management Group and Southern Wine & Spirits.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcfly1er/

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HealthyWomen, the nation’s leading nonprofit health information source for women, and Allrecipes, the world’s number one digital food brand, joined forces to survey home cooks about their healthy eating habits and, in particular, fast food consumption.

Findings from the 1,563 persons polled, who were largely female, showed more than 56 percent ate at fast food restaurants at least several times a month. Among those, nearly 15 percent ate fast food two or more times a week. As consumers ponder their New Year’s resolutions, cutting back on fast food meals is one way to reduce weight and improve health.

“The majority of respondents, 75 percent, say they pay more attention to eating healthy now than they did five years ago,” said Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of HealthyWomen. “Unfortunately, the quick stops at fast food restaurants often sabotage their efforts.”

Indeed, the majority of respondents (54 percent) admitted they feel “a bit guilty” after eating fast food and another 16 percent say they just feel “bad.”

So why stop at the fast-food drive thru? Half of the survey’s respondents said convenience to accommodate busy schedules and faster meal availability were the top reasons for eating fast food instead of cooking at home. To skip a fast food meal and instead cook a healthy meal at home, 83 percent said it would have to be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Nearly half of survey respondents (47 percent) report the most challenging aspect of eating healthy is finding recipes that are healthy, affordable, and easy to make. Finding recipes that are flavorful and healthy is the biggest challenge cited by nearly one-third.

The study was conducted November 8-14, 2011, among 1,563 Allrecipes community members. Visit Allrecipes’ Fresh Bites blog to read a complete survey overview in the January issue of Allrecipes’ Measuring Cup Consumer Trends Report.

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It’s a new year, and many Americans are dieting with new resolve. To help them, U.S. News & World Report has released its second annual Best Diets rankings. The centerpiece of Best Diets 2012 is U.S. News’s first-ever ranking of Easiest Diets to Follow. Dieters who choose a diet at or near the top of this list are more likely to succeed in staying on their diet for the long haul.

Any diet can promise weight loss, but it’s those that dieters can stick with all year — and year after year — that prove successful. Of the 25 diets evaluated, the five Easiest Diets to Follow are: (#1) Weight Watchers, (#2) Jenny Craig, (#3) Mediterranean Diet, and (tied at #4) Slim-Fast and Volumetrics.

Best Diets 2012 features six other rankings: Best Diets Overall, Best Commercial Diet Plans, Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Best Diabetes Diets, and Best Heart-Healthy Diets. All six rankings were first published in 2011, when U.S. News evaluated a total of 20 diets. The five new diets added for 2012 are the Abs Diet, Biggest Loser Diet, Dukan Diet, Flat Belly Diet, and Macrobiotic Diet.

Big winners across the rankings included:

• DASH Diet: ranked #1 in Best Diets Overall, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and Best Diabetes Diets (tie)
• Weight Watchers: ranked #1 in Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Commercial Diet Plans, and Easiest Diets to Follow
• Biggest Loser Diet: ranked #1 in Best Diabetes Diets (tie)
• Ornish Diet: ranked #1 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets

“The Best Diets rankings are designed to guide each dieter to the diet or diets best suited to his or her goal, whether that’s weight loss, management of diabetes, healthy eating, or something else,” said U.S. News’s Lindsay Lyon, who directed the project. To create the rankings, U.S. News profiled each diet using information culled from scientific journals, government reports, and other resources. Profiles describe how a given diet works, how it breaks down nutritionally, how safe it is, and more.

A volunteer panel of 22 nationally recognized experts in diet and nutrition reviewed each profile, conducted independent fact-finding, and rated the diets on seven criteria, such as their ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss. U.S. News converted panelists’ ratings to scores and constructed the rankings.

For the Easiest Diets to Follow list, panelists assessed likely taste appeal, ease of initial adjustment, ability to keep dieters from feeling hungry, and special eating restrictions. U.S. News turned to the same 22 experts for Best Diets 2012 as it did for Best Diets 2011. “I can’t say enough about their commitment and hard work,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “They enabled us to provide meaningful, evidence-based rankings.”

The roster of participating panelists:

• Kathie Beals, Ph.D., R.D., University of Utah, Division of Nutrition
• Amy Campbell, M.S., R.D., C.D.E, L.D.N., Joslin Diabetes Center
• Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Michael Davidson, M.D., University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• Marion Franz, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Concepts by Franz, Inc.
• Teresa Fung, Sc.D., R.D., L.D.N., Simmons College
• Andrea Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D., Spokesperson, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Carole Harris, Ph.D., Public Health Division, ICF International
• Sachiko St. Jeor , Ph.D., R.D., University of Nevada School of Medicine
• David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center
• Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., Pennsylvania State University, Department of Nutritional Sciences
• Robert Kushner, M.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• JoAnn Manson, M.D., Dr.P.H., Harvard Medical School
• Lori Mosca, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D, New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia andCornell
• Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., R.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Elisabetta Politi, M.P.H, R.D, C.D.E., L.D.N., Duke Diet and Fitness Center
• Rebecca Reeves, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., R.D., University of Texas School of Public Health
• Michael Rosenbaum, M.D., Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Lisa Sasson, M.S., R.D.,  New York University, Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health
• Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., R.D., University of Minnesota, Department of Food Science and Nutrition
• Laurence Sperling, M.D., Emory University School of Medicine, Center for Heart Disease Prevention
• Brian Wansink, Ph.D., Cornell University Food and Brand Lab

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2012 Presidential Candidates are answering the calls from thousands of Alzheimer’s disease advocates around the country asking leaders how they would stop Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects 5.4 million Americans and cost the nation $187 billion last year.

Three presidential candidates – Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Michele Bachmann – are the first to release videos discussing how they would address the Alzheimer’s crisis and lead a national effort to stop the disease. The videos represent the first indication that the fight against Alzheimer’s will be an issue in the 2012 Presidential race. To view all three videos, please visit:http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/alz2012/.

“Alzheimer’s disease will cost our nation $2 trillion over the next decade if we don’t act,” said George Vradenburg, co-founder and chair of USAgainstAlzheimer’s, who led the effort to gather comments from all 2012 candidates. “These three candidates emphasize that a strategy of curing Alzheimer’s disease can be a critical driver in reducing health care costs, with the proper regulatory environment and private and philanthropic partnerships and investment. We look forward to hearing from the other candidates, including President Obama, on how they would address Alzheimer’s.”

In the past month, USAgainstAlzheimer’s reached out to the campaigns of all 2012 presidential hopefuls, including President Obama, seeking a video response to how they would address the Alzheimer’s crisis. The following are excerpts from the videos received thus far:

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has long made Alzheimer’s disease one of the centerpieces of his campaign, outlining a series of proposals in his new “21st Century Contract with America” that emphasize the need for greater brain science research, medical innovation and a more agile Federal Drug Administration. “Alzheimer’s affects millions of people, and it affects the families of millions of people because an Alzheimer’s caregiver is twice as likely to have a health problem as somebody who’s not a caregiver. Alzheimer’s is going to cost us between now and 2050, as much as 20 trillion dollars, and that’s why it’s very important that we take steps such as I’m proposing in my brain science initiative,” Gingrich said. To see Gingrich’s video, click here: http://bit.ly/snq9k7.

Ambassador Jon Huntsman aims to increase funding for research and bolster public-private partnerships to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. “[Alzheimer's] carries a tremendous human toll, but also a financial toll, driving up health care costs by hundreds of billions of dollars a year. It is a disease with no treatment and no cure, but that doesn’t mean there is no hope. Experts believe a cure is possible by the end of this decade, but only with a sustained, targeted, and national commitment,” said Huntsman. “Now it is time for us to declare a War on Alzheimer’s, and rally the American people around the belief that this disease is beatable.” To see Huntsman’s video, click here: http://bit.ly/tQuvTf.

In her message, Rep. Michele Bachmann referenced the development of the polio vaccine and how this cure gives hope to those seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s. She said, “It was once predicted we would spend$1 billion a year on polio, maybe even more. Today, polio costs us virtually nothing, because Jonas Salk found a vaccine — a cure — and I’d like to see that same thing happen with Alzheimer’s. Because I believe a cure is always better — and cheaper — than more care.” To see Bachmann’s video, click here:http://bit.ly/v1WAHN.
Currently, 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s and the disease impacts 14.9 million caregivers nationwide. In the coming decades, the number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s will triple. Without a cure, over 10 million baby boomers will die from the disease.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and remains the only disease in the top ten with no means of prevention, treatment or cure. It is a disease that destroys not only one’s memory and shortens one’s life, but disables one’s physical capacities as well. Despite the personal and financial toll Alzheimer’s inflicts, the National Institutes of Health invests only about $450 million per year toward Alzheimer’s research — less than $90 per person living with the disease.

USAgainstAlzheimer’s is a national advocacy campaign and advocacy network committed to stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020. An independent non-profit organization working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s community, USAgainstAlzheimer’s works to advance policies and elect candidates dedicated to stopping the disease by supporting research for a cure.

For more information about USAgainstAlzheimer’s, visit http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/.

Image Courtesy of  Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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With the economy slow to recover, Americans continue to cut costs and conserve money. The Pennsylvania Dental Association reminds the public that good oral health is vital to overall health and urges people of all ages to not neglect their oral health care.

It is understandable that families are trying to be frugal with their finances during these tough times. While dental care may seem like an easy expense to cut, postponing regular dental checkups could result in a serious oral health problem and a more expensive treatment plan in the long run.

“When a patient is not seen at a regular three-month, four-month, or six-month intervals, problems are left to progress, which leads to more expensive treatments such as crowns, root canals, or periodontal surgeries,” said Dr. Tamara S. Brady, a PDA member dentist in Exton. “Not only are these procedures more expensive, they also may not be covered by a patient’s dental insurance.”

PDA has no statistics on whether more Pennsylvanians are avoiding dental checkups because of the economy. However, there is anecdotal evidence. Gallup-Healthways surveyed 177,000 Americans from January through June 2011. The survey showed that 35 percent, or more than one-third, of Americans did not visit a dentist in the last 12 months during this time period. Pennsylvania was close to the national average at 33 percent.

“It is important to not skip your routine dental checkup appointments because it is not always apparent to a person when there is a dental problem that should be addressed,” said Dr. Brady. “Many patients build up significant plaque and tartar in between dental hygiene exams and these materials need to be removed professionally at your routine recall appointment. Also, dental decay can begin to develop and will need to be detected by a dentist via a dental exam and X-rays.”

Once a tooth begins to decay, it will never heal on its own. It is better to catch the decay early before it progresses into a larger lesion. Dr. Brady said, “In cases of extreme decay, a person may have to have the affected tooth extracted or removed.”

By avoiding the dentist to save money, patients are putting their overall health in jeopardy, too. Dentists also check for more serious conditions, such as oral cancer and jaw diseases. They are trained to look for many systemic diseases simply through your regular oral exam. Lack of dental treatment can lead to or exacerbate medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Studies show that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Periodontal (gum) disease is linked to coronary artery disease, stroke, bacterial pneumonia, pre-term births, and low-birth weight babies. In addition, oral health problems can negatively affect your ability to speak, chew, and swallow properly, which can have an adverse impact on your ability to consume the nutrition your body needs to remain healthy.

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As the Republican primaries near, Zoosk, a romantic social network, recently surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. singles to gather their thoughts on the presidential candidates.  Questions ranged from which candidate has the best hairdo, to which contending couple would make for the best double date, and to who has the best sense of humor.  The survey findings resulted in the following:

Singles say the Obamas would be their first choice couple for a double date.

• 38% of singles say they would choose a double date with the Obamas over any of the other presidential candidate couples.
• 16% of singles would choose to enjoy an evening out with the Bachmanns for a double date.
• 9% of singles would pick the Pauls.  The Gingrichs, Perrys, and Romneys each received 8% of singles’ vote for double date companions.

Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney have the “best hairdos” among the Republican candidates.

• 35% of singles give Michele Bachmann their vote for best hairstyle. She is followed by Mitt Romney (21%) and Rick Perry (15%).
• Rick Santorum received the fewest votes for his “do,” nabbing just 4% of the vote.

Republican men prefer Newt Gingrich, while Republican women prefer Mitt Romney for the GOP nominee. When asked, “If you were to vote today, who would receive your vote?”…

• Republican men gravitated towards Newt Gingrich with 33% of men saying the former Speaker of the House is their top choice compared to 18% of men who would choose Romney.
• Republican women have a slight preference for Mitt Romney with the former Governor of Massachusetts gathering 25% of the Republican female votes compared to 24% of women who would chose Gingrich.

Who is the “sexiest” candidate?

• Clearly, Michele Bachmann gets the sexiest female candidate vote, but 41% of single women say President Obama is the sexiest candidate among the 2012 contenders.

Singles vote President Barack Obama as having the “best sense of humor” among the candidates.

• 30% of singles say President Obama has the best sense of humor among all the presidential candidates.
• 15% of singles prefer Newt Gingrich’s humor.
• Tied for third place with 12% each of the “best sense of humor” vote are Rick Perry and Ron Paul.

Singles wish Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were on the ballot.

• When asked who they wish were on the ballot in 2012, 57% of singles who identify themselves as Democrats and 30% of singles who identify themselves as Independents say Hillary Clinton.
• 30% of single Republicans say they wish Donald Trump were running for president in 2012.

More singles than ever plan to vote in the 2012 presidential election.

• Compared to 64% of Americans who voted in the 2008 presidential election, singles are a politically active group. An equal percentage of single men and women (87%) say they plan to vote next year.

The data for this report was conducted online in December 2011 and fielded 4,218 responses from singles in the U.S. who use Zoosk.  Respondents were equally divided among political parties with 30% being Democrat, 34% being Republican, and 36% being Independent.

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There is nothing that brings a little sparkle to your holiday get together with friends and family more than champagne. In fact, Americans will consume more than one billion glasses of champagne this year, over 40 percent during the holiday season, according to Impact Databank. While champagne will add the sparkle, what you do not want to add are injuries to your holiday festivities.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the careless handling of champagne is one of the most common causes for holiday-related eye injuries. These injuries are often caused by improperly opening the bottle, as a champagne cork is just under 90 pounds of pressure – three times the pressure inside a car tire. So, before you break open a high-pressured bottle of bubbly, it is important to know the proper technique. By following these simple tips, you can open the champagne bottle like a pro – without injury or spilling.

While the popping of a cork may sound festive and exciting, it tends to waste champagne and can be dangerous. The recommended way to properly open a bottle is to ease the cork out slowly, with the sound of a gentle sigh. In order to celebrate this holiday season without injury (or wasting champagne) follow these five easy steps:

1. Make sure your champagne is chilled and unshaken. Chill the bottle for at least four hours in the refrigerator (a warm bottle is more likely to pop unexpectedly).
2. Remove the foil cap covering the top of the bottle, exposing a wire hood.
3. Undo the wire hood with six half-turns of the knob.
4. Hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle while holding the cork firmly with one hand and the base of the bottle with the other. Be sure to point the bottle away from your guests.
5. Do not twist the cork.  Rather, turn the bottle slowly while letting the cork glide out gently, emitting a gentle sigh.

Note: Never use a corkscrew.  A champagne cork is highly compressed. If a corkscrew is inserted at an angle, you may have an exploding bottle in your hand.

Other Champagne tips:

• Expect six generous glasses from one standard size (750ml) bottle.
• The most popular champagne is Brut – it is medium-dry, light, and crisp.
• There are more than 50 million bubbles in a standard bottle of champagne.
• It is best to serve champagne in tapered champagne flutes, as they highlight the fine stream of bubbles. While short, wide goblets can be used in a pinch, they tend to cause the bubbles to dissipate quickly.
• When transporting champagne, keep the bottles upright. The shaking bottles receive in the car can cause champagne to quickly lose its sparkle after opening.  Upright bottles keep wine movement to a minimum and the bubbles in the wine.
• Crisp and versatile, Brut, Natural, Chardonnay, and Brut Rose are delicious with hors d’oeuvres and rich enough to enjoy with many main courses. Sweet Rose, Extra Dry, and Sweet Cuvee offer a bit of sweetness that works well as an aperitif or paired with dessert.
• Celebrate responsibly.  Don’t drink and drive; take a taxi or have a designated driver do the honors.  The best celebrations are those from which everyone gets home safely.

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