The U.S. Army plans to give every one of its soldiers mental stress training, according to today’s New York Times. The training is meant to address troubling levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers and ex-soldiers. The Army suicide rate has continued to climb this year, with suicides even exceeding combat …
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Our health care’s not so bad, Brits point out
In the heated exchanges flying back and forth about President Obama’s proposed health care reform, some barbs have been landing a bit far afield, namely, on the other side of the Atlantic. And while moaning about the National Health Service (NHS)—the United Kingdom’s universal health care provider—may be a favorite pastime for Brits,
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The dangerous stuff in tobacco snuff
A study analyzing the chemical composition of smokeless tobacco—snuff and chewing tobacco—finds that, in excess of the risks posed by tobacco and nicotine exposure, users are subjecting their bodies to an array of harmful chemicals. Confirming and expanding on previous research into smokeless tobacco products, the researchers found
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Whole Foods C.E.O. infuriates liberal customers by condemning universal health care
In a Wall Street Journal editorial titled, “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare,” John Mackey, the founder and C.E.O. of Whole Foods—one of the world’s biggest retailers of “natural” and organic foods—stirred up furor among his left-leaning customer base by denouncing Obama’s health care plan as likely to “move us much closer …
Trade you an eye exam for a carpet cleaning?
With the economy in a rut, it appears that more people are turning to old-school trading of goods and services in exchange for health care. The Associated Press reported yesterday that “old-fashioned bartering has seen brisk growth since the economy soured.” To illustrate this, they point to companies like ITEX Corp., a Bellevue, …
Why the FDA needs to step up
Obama’s commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration says her agency must act faster and be more aggressive about enforcing food and drug safety laws. “The FDA must be vigilant, the FDA must be strategic, the FDA must be quick and the FDA must be visible,” Margaret Hamburg said in an address yesterday.
Is U.S. product safety …
Electronic records can save lives
A program that reduced cardiac deaths by 73% can also help heart-attack patients to stay healthy years later, with better control of their lipid levels and blood pressure. This new innovation, however, is nothing more than electronic records. During acute care, the program from Kaiser Permanente linked together information from primary …