A cheerful heart is good medicine

I was reminded today that "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." This comes from Proverbs 17:22 (which is in the Bible).

You may have also heard of it like this: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." or "A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry." or "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

So what's the bottom line here? Do our attitudes really impact our health and well being? Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the placebo effect is so powerful (it may not be ethical, but it is powerful).

My lunchtime ice cream experiment has backfired

Earlier this week, I asked the question, "Is it better to eat ice cream after lunch or dinner?" Many people answered, "yes!" I'm an ice cream lover too! I had been eating ice cream after dinner, but this week I wanted to try something a bit different. I was going to eat ice cream after lunch. My little clinical study backfired when I couldn't control myself from eating ice cream after dinner every night! So, I've decided that I should limit my ice cream consumption to once/day (otherwise, my BMI will go through the roof). However, now that I've gotten used to eating ice cream after lunch, I'm having a difficult time breaking that habit.

Are You Sceptical about What Causes or Prevents Cancer

According to the BBC News, people in the UK are "deeply sceptical about scientific claims for what causes or prevents cancer." Hmm, let's see exactly what this poll tried to uncover.

Here's the first snippet: "The YouGov survey of 2,400 people for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found more than half thought scientists were always changing their minds."

I admit that we as medical scientists and researchers have made some mistakes in the past. At one time, we physicians made claims about the healthy effects of cigarette smoking. Either we were all being bribed by the tobacco industry or we really had an erroneous knowledge of the carcinogenic effects of smoking. Now, we all know that smoking causes lung cancer. The scientific evidence is very compelling and I doubt that anyone would argue that point.

How about red meat and colon cancer? That seems to be another point where some scientists are going back and forth (regarding whether we have enough evidence to substantiate that eating red meat does or does not increase the risk of colon cancer).

Here's another snippet from the article: "The WCRF says that most scientists agree about the steps people can take to reduce their risk of cancer - and that this advice has largely stayed the same for the last 10 years." The basics have not changed. We should eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. I don't think any scientist will argue that the evidence has changed on these aspects of healthy living.

Women and Mental Illness

What role does gender play in the diagnosis, course and treatment of mental illness? Are women more prone to mental illness? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH) has a report called "Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health." According to that report, women are twice as likely to suffer from major depression; three times as likely to attempt suicide; and they experience anxiety disorders two to three times more often than men. Why? What makes women so different from men?

CNN has a story about this interesting topic and highlights the personal stories of a few individuals. As technology improves brain imaging abilities and we gain a better understanding of how hormones affect our mood and cognition, are we as healthcare professionals moving in the right direction when it comes to the management of mental conditions?

Are Computers Helping Patients Self-Manage Their Diseases?

Most patients these days have a household computer. In fact, they may have two or three computers at home. However, do they use it for their health? Are computers making a difference in the way patients manage their chronic conditions?

Read about this interesting topic here: Health and Computers

Future of CDHP

I was having a discussion the other day about the future of consumer-directed (or driven) health plans (CDHP). We live in a world where managed care dominates the healthcare industry. Under this new administration, many things in the healthcare system will change. Some are talking about universal health coverage. Will that be like the VA (Veterans Affairs) system? Will be turn into Canada? No one seems to know the answers to these questions, but one thing is clear: we need to reduce healthcare costs and also improve disease management.

I personally believe that technology will help patients with disease self-management. If we look at some of the conditions that burden the healthcare system, they would include things such as: diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, COPD, asthma, and many others. Patients who have any of these conditions must be very active in caring for their conditions. They must adhere to their medication regimen. They must follow-up appropriately with their healthcare providers. The use of modern technology is improving the care of some of these conditions. Glucose monitors and insulin pumps are becoming more sophisticated. Cardiac devices are saving lives at home. Home monitoring devices are improving care for millions of patients. Patients are receiving education through the Internet (although they're also getting misinformation).

Well, I've obviously gone on a tangent, but I will return to this topic of CDHP in a later post.

Blog Experimenting

I'm still doing some experimenting with my blog, so I hope you'll bear with me. On one hand, I've decided to keep everything focused on medicine and technology. On the other hand, I realize that I can write about almost anything and somehow tie that in with medicine and/or technology. Therefore, I'm diversifying my writing while keeping it all related to health and technology.

A Look at Natural Health and Wellness

Have you visited Oasis Advanced Wellness? Are you famliar with holistic health and wellness remedies? The word "wellness" is such a buzzword in today's healthcare environment because many people equate wellness to disease prevention and optimal health. In fact, most managed care organizations are looking for ways to promote wellness among their subscribers. This includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a relaxed mind. The interest in holistic medicine continues to grow as more people seek after natural remedies, herbs, and alternative forms of medicine.

Many physicians, nurses, and pharmacists have never heard of some of these holistic products. For instance, have you heard of Poly MVA or Intramax? How about Lithium Orotate? These are various compounds that often fall under the category of "supplements" and they are not rigorously tested by the FDA. Hence, it's often difficult to know what you're getting when you shop for these types of supplements because the content is not strictly regulated.

If you have a strong interest in holistic medicine, then I encourage you to join the American Holistic Medicine Association (AHMA) and learn more about alternative medicine. You may also want to check out the American Alternative Medical Association (AAMA)

This blog entry is brought to you by your friends at www.oasisadvancedwellness.com

Oasis Advanced Wellness is a provider of various wellness products and was founded by Dr. Loretta Lanphier.