5 myths that keep some from a good workout

Published on April 6, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Here are 5 myths that make many people believe that they have to use a machine for the best workout:

Myth No. 1 Weight training will make you look bulky.

Of course this one seems to especially frighten the ladies. The truth is that if you need weight training if you want to change your body. Also, weight training can help prevent conditions like osteoporosis as you age.

Myth No. 2 Cardio burns more fat than other exercises.

Believe it or not, resistance training, such as the use of elastic bands, tends to burn the most calories across the board. While you are doing cardio, you are burning calories during the exercise. Now with resistance training, you also burn calories during the exercise, but more importantly, you continue to burn them for up to an astonishing 48 hours following your exercise! This is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or after-burn. Resistance training also revs up you metabolism, improves insulin resistance and turns off the fat-storing enzymes in your body.

Myth No. 3 I must not be working out hard enough since I don’t feel sore or have any pain.

Don’t depend on soreness to tell yourself that you are working out correctly. Soreness can come from things such as how many reps you did to what you ate before you worked out. Wearing a heart-rate monitor and working at 60 to 85 percent of your maximum rate will help you to have a quality workout.

Myth No. 4 I will never get more flexible because my muscles have always been tight.

Of course, not exercising can make you inflexible, but exercising the wrong way can cause muscle imbalances, such as working one part of your body more than the other.

You will move with more ease and have more range of motion if you condition your core correctly. Work on training your weak areas and you should improve.

Myth No. 5 To get a total workout, you must use machines.

It seems true, judging on how many machines there are in most gyms. The problem with machines is that they lock you into a certain range of motion that doesn’t copy real everyday movements. They don’t always adjust to your body height and type. Free weights can work the smaller stabilizing muscles that machines can not.

Negative outlook appears to interfere with pain relief

Published on March 30, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

New research seems to indicate that being pessimistic can dampen the effectiveness of even the strongest treatments.

Many have heard about the placebo effect, which is the healing power of positive belief. Well, being negative can cause the opposite, called the “nocebo” effect.

Even though negative thinking hasn’t been studied as much as the positive side, scientists believe it is overdue for doctors to begin looking more carefully at their patients outlook.

So, can a somber attitude really have negative effects? To find out, British and German researchers executed the most advanced study so far.

To perform the study, they attached a heat-beaming device to the legs of 22 healthy volunteers. Then they zapped it until the participants rated their pain at around 70 on a scale of 1 to 100.

Afterwards, the researchers gave them an IV of a strong morphine-like painkiller called remifentanil. It is usually used on patients undergoing surgery and it works quickly. It is also metabolized quickly. The researchers were able to switch it on and off as they alternated between administering the drug or plain fluid.

The brains of the volunteers were scanned while they described how much pain or pain relief they felt at various times.

While the researchers triggered the burn and secretly turned on the drug, the participants related that their pain improved quite a bit. Without expectations, the painkiller was working.

The real key was when the researchers told the volunteers that they were about to induce the painkiller even when they had never cut it off. These pain ratings decreased even more. So what does this mean? Expectations of feeling relief were actually doubled the drug’s painkilling effect.

Lastly, the volunteers were lied to again and told that the drug was going to stop and their pain would most likely increase.

As predicted, the volunteers’ pain levels surged up again to almost their pre-treated level as dreadful anticipation canceled out the painkiller’s effect.

Tamiflu not as effective against N.C. flu strain

Published on March 30, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Even though the flu season is coming to a close, federal and state health officials are analyzing a group of influenza B viruses in North Carolina that seem to not react to the antiviral drug Tamiflu as regular flu viruses have in the past.

Physicians have been informed by state health officials about the fact that the viruses apparently  have experienced a genetic change that has not been observed in virus samples from other states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have performed lab tests revealing that the modified viruses are less responsive to Tamiflu in the laboratory, but they are not totally resistant.

A state health department spokeswoman, Julie Henry, said that this most likely would not affect the average person, but that it is serious enough to inform physicians about this genetic change so that they can make the best treatment decisions.

Antiviral drugs remain the best treatment for those hospitalized with the flu, but doctors need to be alerted to the fact that since there has been a change in specific influenza B viruses, Tamiflu may not work as well in certain patients as it usually does.

From November to February, about 31 viruses were collected from 92 samples from North Carolina that showed the genetic change. Most of these patients had the usual flu symptoms and got better after a few days. This said, one patient did die soon after they were diagnosed with the flu, but they had extreme underlying immune conditions.

The CDC is currently testing more flue viruses from North Carolina as well as some surrounding states. The agency has also begun a telephone survey of residents in N.C. who have tested positive for influenza B.

Even though influenza B infections have been more prevalent this season, some physicians say that there is not a greater risk with them  than there is with other flu strains. They want to remind people that the very best way to keep the flu from spreading is to wash your hands, cover coughs and sneezes, stay home if you are sick, and avoid those that are sick at your home.

Locate an authorized agent in your area

Published on March 17, 2011 in BCBSNC. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina offers affordable health insurance for individuals and families in North Carolina. Their health plans include Blue Options HSA, Blue Advantage PPO, and Medicare.

Whether you just have some questions or are ready to purchase a plan, click on www.bcbsnc.com/apps/AgentGuidedSelling/ to locate an authorized agent in your area.

BCBSNC to change their prior requirements for specific prescriptions

Published on March 14, 2011 in BCBSNC. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

BCBSNC has made changes to their prior review/certification requirements for certain prescription drugs. The change will take effect on April 1, 2011.

Members who have filled prescriptions for oxymetholone (Anadrol-50), oxandrolone (Oxandrin) or doxepin (Silenor) within the past three months will be receiving letters from BCBSNC this week beginning March 14, 2011.

In the future a simple blood test could reveal Down syndrome

Published on March 9, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Recently, European scientists found that they could accurately diagnose Down syndrome through a blood test given to pregnant women. This new procedure gives hope that in the future pregnant women could evade the more invasive procedure that is currently used to test for Down syndrome.

The journal Nature Medicine published the online preliminary report on March 6. It is the most recent of many current studies that indicate that scientists can now pinpoint Down syndrome through fetal DNA found in the mother’s bloodstream.

Having an extra specific chromosome constitutes Down syndrome. Presently, pregnant women have a blood test and an ultrasound to see if the fetus is at risk for Down syndrome. To make absolutely sure of an accurate diagnosis, doctors extract a sample of amniotic fluid or the placenta. This procedure, called an amniocentesis, can cause some uncomfortable pressure, pain and even a risk of miscarriage.

Type 2 diabetes may mean shorter life

Published on March 7, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

A middle-aged person with Type 2 diabetes will lose about six years of their life due to the disease. According to researchers, this is just one year less than a smoker would lose of the same age. Additionally, he or she has more than double the chance of dying from cardiovascular disease as someone who does not have diabetes and the report also says that they are 25 percent more prone to die of cancer. The report was based on an international study of more than 820,000 people that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There is more bad news for people with Type 2 diabetes. The study indicates that they are also more likely to die from kidney disease, pneumonia, liver disease, infectious diseases and even intentional self-harm.

This study was run by the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration at the University of Cambridge in England. The data collected is particularly upsetting because of the speedy incidence of diabetes cases in the United States, most likely from the increase in obesity. There is currently an estimated 25.8 million Americans with diabetes, which is 10 million more than just 20 years ago.

Dr. David Kendall of the American Diabetes Association said that researchers already knew that diabetes could cut short one’s lifespan but this recent study shows just how many years of life could be lost and to what causes.

Also shown in the report was the fact that people with pre-diabetes, having blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet diabetic, are at risk from many of the same causes of death. There is an estimated 79 million Americans who have pre-diabetes.

Kendall said that even though diabetes is frequently seen as just a condition instead of an illness, as something one can just live with. He said, “well, in fact, this shows that it is associated with a significant risk of both morbidity and mortality.”

The report from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration found that diabetics were 2.32 times as likely as non-diabetics to die from cardiovascular disease and 25 percent more likely to die from cancer. Also diabetes was somewhat related to death from cancers of the pancreas, ovary, colon, liver, rectum, lung, bladder and breast.

The study did not have enough proof on whether Type 1 diabetes, when the pancreas stops producing insulin, is associated with a risk for cancer.

 

BCBSNC Bariatric surgery policy for morbid obesity

Published on February 20, 2011 in BCBSNC and Health and Wellness. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

Bariatric surgery, also called “weight-loss” surgery, is performed to help extremely overweight people to lose weight, attain better health and heighten their quality of life. In the United States alone, morbid obesity has almost risen to epidemic proportions, causing around 11 million to suffer from its crippling effects.

Morbid obesity is defined by a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 kg/m2 or 35 kg/m2 with related complications such as diabetes, hypertension or obstructive sleep apnea. Those who suffer from morbid obesity are at a substantially  higher risk for different types of cancers and even a shortened life span.

For the Corporate Medical Policy on morbid obesity with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, click http://docs.healthplansofnorthcarolina.com/page7/files/Surgery%20for%20Morbid%20Obesity.pdf

New DNA tests may eliminate most colonoscopies in the future

Published on February 15, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Here is some good news for those of you who cringe at the thought of getting a colonoscopy: new research indicates that most colonoscopies will not be necessary in the future. Why is this? Well there have been two new DNA-based tests that claim to be able to detect colon cancer early. If this holds to be true, this will have a huge impact on reducing colon cancer. Colon cancer is a devastating disease that affects around 150,000 people a year in the U.S. and costs and astounding $14 billion to treat.

These new tests could allow the majority of people to bypass colonoscopies, which are currently recommended for people who are 50 and older. Instead of screening everyone, doctors may refer people for a colonoscopy only in cases where they have tested positive in one of the DNA tests.

It is believed that more people will go and get one of these DNA tests, because they are noninvasive in comparison to a colonoscopy, which uses a seeing tube that is fed threw the colon. These new tests could be available within the next two years.

In one of the test, created by Exact Sciences of Madison, Wisconsin, stool samples are examined to see if they contain the four altered genes that are characteristic of colon cancer. This test could find cancerous and precancerous tumors at an early curable stage that can be removed quickly.

The other test searches for changes in a single gene, called Septin 9, which is not one of the Exact Sciences’ panel of four genes. Epigenomics AG in Germany developed this test.

The good news is that both of these tests would be less costly than a colonoscopy and perhaps even more effective. The first test, which examines stools, will cost around $300. The current average cost of a colonoscopy is around $2000. A lot of people tend to avoid colonoscopies because they are invasive, and the general cost per detection is high since most people are in pretty good health. They also miss many tumors in the upper part of the intestine.

Exact Sciences has decided to sign up several thousand patients in a future trial that they hope the FDA will approve. The trial will be finished in 2012 and the test will be available soon after that, as long as it is approved.

Dr. David Ahlquist from the Mayo Clinic, who is an adviser to Exact Sciences, said “If widely used, and regularly, this test really does have the opportunity to eliminate colon cancer.”

Of course, the value of the tests depend heavily on details such as their sensitivity, which means the proportion of detected tumors and their specificity, or how many of the positive results are false alarms. In July, Exact Sciences claimed that its test was extremely sensitive and specific when applied directly to cells taken from tumors. In reality, the tumor DNA has to be detected in stool samples. This is a much harder to accomplish, because almost all the DNA comes from the bacteria of the gut, and only 0.01 percent of the DNA in feces is human. In October, the company revealed  at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that in a trial of 1,100 patients, the test detected 64 percent of polyps, larger than 1 centimeter in diameter, and 85 percent of cancers, as judged by the colonoscopies that were also performed on the patients.

Dr. Ahlquist is happy with the results, particularly the 64 percent detection rate for precancerous polyps.

Even though this detection rate seems less than perfect, it will be highly effective is the test is performed on a regular basis. Ahlquist said that “The pap smear detects only 50 percent of cervical cancers, but applied over time it virtually eliminates the disease.”

The Exact Sciences test specificity is 88 percent. This means that 12 percent of the time a patient will be given a false alarm. This may not be so bad, since the worst that will occur is that the patient will have to undergo an unnecessary colonoscopy.

BCBSNC initiates customer market research panel

Published on February 2, 2011 in BCBSNC. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

BCBSNC is currently embarking on creating a customer market research panel. This panel will supply an organized, cost-efficient system for getting in contact with customers directly to perform research on health care and health insurance matters.

Members from three different divisions were sent invitations to participate during the last week of  January 2011. The process of enrolling members will continue through the end of February. If members desire, they will have the opportunity to cancel any e-mail communications associated with this program.

The minimum amount of members that they hope to enroll in the program are:

  • 2,000 individual members ages 18 to 64
  • 2,000 group members ages 18 to 64 (750 of these will be small business group administrators)

BCBSNC employees, Federal Employee Program members, and State Health Plan members will not be summoned to participate in this program.

In early March, panel members will start to receive surveys. These surveys will be directed to members who are picked by customer segment and /or demographics as needed. Every time a member finishes a survey, they will get the chance to enter a drawing for a gift card. These gift cards will differ in value, depending on the survey.

Those with questions concerning the customer market research panel are asked to call the Agent Contact Center.