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Medicare: FCC Honors Innovators of Accessible Communications Technologies

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) presented the Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (AAA) to several organizations that have made important technological innovations to help people with disabilities benefit from communications technologies. The awards ceremony was held in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the one year anniversary of the 21st Century Communications … Read more

Sales Tax Holidays, Save Your Medicare Benefits

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It’s almost back to school time, and when you’re a parent, that means it’s back to school shopping time.  I don’t know why, but it always catches me by surprise. I should know better. The kids have grown and they need new clothes, and shoes. Their backpacks are worn to threads so they need new … Read more

Is It a Cold, or Something Else?

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As a kid, I was sick a lot and I missed school quite a bit. I seemed to spend a lot of time at the doctor’s office and I was often diagnosed with sinus infections, colds, post-nasal drip, chronic/acute bronchitis, or pneumonia. For months at a time, I lived on antibiotics, cough medicine, and cough … Read more

Medicare Help, Be Prepared When Storms Knock Out Power

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Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about not being caught off-guard in summer storms. Sometimes I need to learn to take my own advice. This past Sunday a wicked thunderstorm tore through the Maryland, DC and Virginia area. There were tornado warnings in some areas and, though I don’t think any funnel … Read more

National Farmers Market Week 2010

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I watched the movie Food, Inc last weekend and one of its messages was that if you want the healthiest food, you should strive to buy your produce locally. There’s no better way to do that than shopping at your local farmers market. The Department of Agriculture is promoting farmers markets this week by deeming … Read more

NIH Genomic Mapping Study Finds Largest Set of Genes Related to Major Risk Factor for Heart Disease

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Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides — the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation’s number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the … Read more

NIH Seeks to Break New Ground in Reducing Health Disparities

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The National Institutes of Health today launched a multidisciplinary network of experts who will explore new approaches to understanding the origins of health disparities, or differences in the burden of disease among population groups. Using state-of-the-science conceptual and computational models, the network’s goal is to identify important areas where interventions or policy changes could have … Read more

Science News, Experimental Medication Lifts Depression Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder Within an Hour

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People with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder experienced relief from symptoms of depression in as little as 40 minutes after an intravenous dose of the anesthetic medication ketamine in a preliminary study; while the patient group was small, this work adds to evidence that compounds in the class to which ketamine belongs have potential as rapid and … Read more

Harold Varmus Sworn in as National Cancer Institute’s 14th Director

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Nobel Prize winner Harold E. Varmus, M.D., today took the oath of office to become the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) 14th director. NCI is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Passport Fee Increase

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I got my first passport when I was fifteen and going on a school trip to England and France. This means I spent the following 10 years flashing a picture of me in braces and with hair styling fresh from basketball practice. When it was due for renewal I snickered when I realized that renewing … Read more

Letsmove.gov: Healthy Choices One Day at a Time

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Alright, confession time: I watch a lot of bad reality TV. Please don’t judge me. For many reasons, one of my favorite shows is the Biggest Loser. I’m a health nut; I love watching the transformations; and I get a kick out of the trainers screaming their heads off. But the fact that such a … Read more

Be a Summer Reading Volunteer!

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My fiance is an elementary school teacher and sometimes I think she gets more excited about summer vacation than her students. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t do anything school-wise during her break; summer reading is a big part of her R&R. In fact, last week she went to the local library, checked out a couple … Read more

HIV/AIDS Treatment Curbs Spread of HIV Among Drug Users, According to NIH Supported Study

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Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), currently known for its therapeutic benefits against HIV, also reduced the spread of the virus among people with a history of injection drug use, according to a population-based study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The study was published … Read more

Can Telemarketers Call Cell Phones? Do Not Call Registry for wireless phones

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Did you hear the rumor? Any day now telemarketers will be assaulting your cell phone! The good news is that it’s a rumor and nothing more. E-mails have been circulating and urging you to register your cell phone number with the special Do Not Call Registry for wireless phones. I just saw one in my … Read more

Federal Report Details Health and Economic Status of Older Americans

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Today’s older Americans enjoy longer lives and better health than did previous generations. These and other trends are reported in Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a unique, comprehensive look at aging in the United States from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

Five New Members Named to NIH Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health

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The National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health announces the appointment of five new members: Francisco Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., Ronda S. Henry-Tillman, M.D., F.A.C.S., Karen E. Kim, M.D., Claire Pomeroy, M.D., and Paul F. Terranova, Ph.D.