Spending On Prescription Drugs Slows
Spending on prescription drugs in 2007 showed the smallest increase in more than four decades, driven by rising use of low-cost generic drugs, chain stores offering $4 prescriptions and more drug safety warnings that may have dampened consumer demand, the U.S. government says in a report out Tuesday.
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Prescription Drugs.
Firms Offer Bigger Incentives For Healthy Living
When Affinia Group first offered employees free testing for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes in 2003, it enticed them with a $10 Walmart gift card — and a strong pitch from benefits manager Bob Soroosh.
"Friends, for 250,000 Americans every year, the first sign of heart disease is death," Soroosh told more than 4,000 employees at the auto part maker's plants.
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Healthy Living.
RSNA: Exercise May Prevent Loss of Small Blood Vessels in the Brain
Older adults who exercise regularly may have increased cerebral blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain, researchers here said.
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Cognitive Functions.
When Kids Wheeze, Steroids Don't Help: Studies
Giving steroids to children who are wheezing because of viral or other infections does not help, researchers reported on Wednesday.
And an experimental treatment designed to prevent wheezing may be effective, but it seems to pose too many risks to be recommended, according to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Steroids.
Economy to Affect Dieting and Nutrition Trends in the Coming Year
Newswise — As the year comes to a close, many spend time reflecting on the past 12 months as well as making resolutions about the coming year. As 2008 ends, what new dieting and exercise trends can be expected for 2009? Beth Hubrich, MS, RD, of the Calorie Control Council weighed in on this issue stating, “With the continued rise in obesity, weight gain prevention has become just as important as weight loss. This, coupled with a decline in the economy, has many consumers searching for quality nutrition on a budget.”
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The New Year.
Work-based Wellness and Diet Coaching Help Employees Keep Resolutions
RALEIGH - Workplace Options, the largest provider of work-life employee benefits in America, reports that a recent poll of more than 700 working adults found that more than a third have made a New Year's resolution that includes weight loss and fitness.
The survey also showed that 63 percent want companies to offer wellness programs to employees, including coaches and diet workshops, to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With holiday eating and winter weather adding pounds as well as stress from current economic conditions, people may need guidance and an extra push to lose weight or modify their health habits.
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New Year's Resolutions.
Tips On Coping With Indoor Allergies
Although most people don't think of winter as an allergy season, indoor allergies can be particularly bad as people lock up their homes to avoid the cold temperatures.
The two main indoor allergies people suffer from are animal dander and dust mites, said Dr. Ronald Ragotzy, an allergist and immunologist at Mercy Clinic East in Janesville, Mercy Beloit Medical Center and Mercy Walworth Hospital and Medical Center in Lake Geneva.
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Indoor Allergies.
