Nurses Press for New Patient-Handling Regulations

America’s obesity epidemic has spread beyond overweight people who put themselves at risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke; now, the nation’s runaway weight problem has serious consequences for healthcare workers who must lift and move overweight patients when they cannot move on their own.

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control confirm that the “average” American is over-weight, and the population is still packing-on excess pounds. Robert Longley reports, “Average adult Americans are a whopping 25 pounds heavier than they were in 1960. Average BMI has increased among adults from approximately 25 in 1960 to 28 in 2002.” BMI above 25 is the clinical standard for obesity. The BMI numbers translate to 191 lbs for the average American male and 165 for the average American woman. Therefore, if four female nurses “team lift” an ordinary man or woman from a gurney to a bed, each of them exceeds the OSHA lifting limit of 35 lbs.

Given the exigencies of everyday hospital operations, nurses more often violate the OSHA weight limit than ask for extra help. Amy Williamson, workplace safety coordinator for Baptist Hospital in Nashville, tells USA Today , “In the course of an eight-hour day, a nurse will typically lift 1.8 tons, which is pretty astronomical.” Follow-up studies indicate a nurse’s total daily lifting is up to 10 times that of commercial construction workers and workers at home improvement retailers, the two professions with exceptionally high rates of lift-related injuries.

In the wake of nurses’ record-high numbers of back injuries and workers’ compensation claims for knee, shoulder and joint problems, the American Nurses Association has launched a major initiative to update patient-handling requirements and assure their strict enforcement in America’s hospitals.

California leads reforms.

A model for other states’ new patient-handling regulations, California’s Employment Safety and Health Facilities Act (AB1136)…
Cites background data that inspired the legislation, including first and foremost the Legislature’s acknowledgement that injuries to healthcare workers accounted for 11 percent of California’s musculo-skeletal injuries in 2008 and 99 percent of those injuries came as a result of overexertion.

Amends the California Occupational Safety and Health Act and requires employers’ development, implementation and enforcement of safe patient-handling policies for all their units. The amended OSHA act also mandates properly trained staff and specially skilled lift teams in every general hospital and acute care facility.

Requires employers to phase-out manual lifting and transfer of patients, and it specifies they must replace obsolete lifting procedures with power-assisted lifting devices and specially trained lift teams.

Mandates employers’ adoption of comprehensive patient-handling plans and standard operating procedures which assure patients’ safety while making special provisions for doctors’, nurses’, orderlies’ and other professionals’ protection against musculo-skeletal injuries.

Redefines crimes and torts to assure local governments’ compliance with and enforcement of the statewide mandate for healthcare workers’ protection against musculo-skeletal injuries.

Nashville Baptist Hospital makes the case.

Under nurse Mary Ann Baylor’s direction, Nashville Baptist Hospital launched its own back injury prevention program which includes all the elements of California’s law and adds a buddy system. Tom Wilemon, reporter for the Nashville Tennessean, writes, “The buddy approach — matching up a new user with someone skilled at using the lift devices — boosted compliance. Baptist wound up reducing its patient handling injuries by more than 74 percent from 2008 to 2011.” Baylor herself exults, “We have not had any injuries since our pilot. It’s really a team project. We buddy up so that whenever we are using the lift, the chance of injury is nil.”

About the Author:

Ashley Stevens writes full-time for education blogs nationwide. If you’re interested in a career in health care, you might consider an online masters in nursing, like those programs offered by Ohio University and Georgetown University.

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Benefits Of Drinking Water: Tips And Tricks To Love Drinking Water

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How I lost weight MUST SEE!

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Rockstar Health & Fitness – Episode 7 ft. Kim Glass

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

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Skee.TV presents Rockstar Health & Fitness, a new original Web series hosted by music industry executive & KIIS-FM yoga instructor Lori Rischer. Rockstar H&F features celebrities sharing their health, diet, and fitness tips. In this episode Kim Glass shares some tips on how she’s preparing for the 2012 Olympics and shows us her recipe for her favorite “on the go” snack. The 9-episode Rockstar season’s all-star line up includes Kim Glass, Lala Romero, OneRepublic, Patrick Stump, Austin Brown among, others. Check out next week’s episode featuring OneRebublic’s Zach Filkins Created by Lori Rischer and Sera Roadnight. Produced By Skee.TV.

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My Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

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Here are my tips for a healthier lifestyle…if you adopt just ONE of these tips in your life, I promise it will be worth it! 1. Drink one ounce of water per pound that you weigh every day. Eliminate (or minimize) sugary drinks and soda from your diet; they are just unnecessary calories! 2. Keep track of what you eat! You will be surprised how well this works for making you aware of your diet. Online calorie tracking resources are best, because they provide you with accurate calorie counts and calories burned vs. intake reports. Online calorie tracking resources: – www.livestrong.com – www.sparkpeople.com 3. Use supplements, but use them wisely. Only take supplements that you cannot achieve through your normal diet. “Overdosing” on vitamins does not have any additional health benefits. My recommendations for vitamins: -Origins; Hair, Skin and Nails -One-A-Day; Womens Active Metabolism -Flinstones (or any generic brand) Chewable Daily Vitamins (YUM!) 4. Exercise at least 30 minutes every day! Get your heart rate elevated; cardio is key. You will have so much energy after you start exercising regularly. You don’t need to join a gym in order to “work out”- you can run up and down a flight of stairs, jog around the block, or do jumping jacks in your living room and get the same benefits as a treadmill or elliptical machine. Let me know if you have any questions!! I wish you the best of luck on your journey to a healthier lifestyle! My Formspring Account: www.formspring.me …

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ALA Omega 3 – PMS and Hormonal Imbalance – Women s Health

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Watch PMS and Hormonal Imbalance – ALA Omega 3 – Women s Health in HD.This episode covers the importance of ALA Omega 3 in curing the complications of the periodical cycle of a woman hormonal imbalance and curing the problems of life style habits in women.Subscribe to get daily updates on useful tips and tricks at www.youtube.com

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Rockstar Health & Fitness – Episode 5 ft. Hedley

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

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Skee.TV presents Rockstar Health & Fitness, a new original Web series hosted by music industry executive & KIIS-FM yoga instructor Lori Rischer. Rockstar H&F features celebrities sharing their health, diet, and fitness tips. In this episode, Hedley frontman, Jake Hoggard, discusses how he balances life, music and health. The 9-episode Rockstar season’s all-star line up includes Kirsten Price, Kim Glass, Lala Romero, OneRepublic, Patrick Stump, among others. Check out next week’s episode featuring recording artist Kirsten Price. Created by Lori Rischer and Sera Roadnight. Produced By Skee.TV.

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Food Factor – Healthy Eating for Women

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Food Factor is a programme that gives you an expert advice on how you can lead a healthy lifestyle by just following simple moderations in your daily life. Different topics relating to health are covered in each episode. The tips given are really simple and easy to follow. One can incorporate these tips given by our experts in their daily life and assure a healthy family life. Subscribe NOW to get daily updates on many such useful videos and At-Home Tips www.youtube.com

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Emjoi Emagine Cordless Epilator Review | Armpit Care

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

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I bought it here: “Emjoi Women’s Emagine Cordless Epilator” www.target.com If it’s still sold out, you can probably find it at Amazon, Walmart, or the Emjoi website. Check Out My Hair Channel! : youtube.com Catch Me on Twitter! : twitter.com Facebook! : www.facebook.com Not sponsored, everything bought myself.

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5 Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

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www.facebook.com www.onedrinks.com Follow me on twitter! www.Twitter.com LETS BE FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com ADD ME ON GOOGLE + plus.google.com Follow Me on TUMBLR! brittanyjoyal.tumblr.com

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How To Exercise Effectively for Weight Loss – Fitness

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www.jilltrains.com – Fitness Expert & Weight Loss Coach, Jill Rodriguez gives a demonstration of exercises found in her eBook, 5 Tips For An Effective Workout B.

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Saundarya – Everyday Make-up Tips – Mind Body Soul

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Saundarya – Everyday Make-up Tips – Mind Body Soul. The pollution and stress in today’s hectic lifestyle affects ones skin and hair. In this episode of ‘Saundarya’, beauty expert and host Rachana Sharma has Jeet, as her model. Rachana teaches her the basics of putting on an everyday make-up. Rachana also gives away tips of how to apply make-up based on one’s skin type. Tips on beauty and personality enhancement are the need of the day in today’s urban lifestyle. Beautician Rachana Sharma helps women to enhance their looks through different styles of make-up, hairstyles and so on. Rachana Sharma, with her in-depth knowledge in the field of beauty, gives away handy beauty tips to the viewers even as she is busy doing the make-up or hairstyle on her model. Follow her beauty tips when you want to rush for a party and don’t know what to do to your face and hair! Log on to www.rajshri.com watch more beauty, health & Yoga tips.

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Fast Weight Loss Tips

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Here are the top 3 Fast Weight Loss Tips. Find more fitness videos at diet.com or own this video for just {video_description}.75! *Sponsor: Lose More in Less Time – www.diet.com Start your new years resolution off right with a healthy lifestyle diet and exercise plan. These free weight loss diet tips will help you lose fat and weight fast! Happy New Years and clip this video for future art reference. Check Out Diet.com Video! Diet.com: www.diet.com Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com Go behind the scenes w/ Sarah’s Blog- www.diet.com Twitter twitter.com Facebook: www.new.facebook.com iTunes: tinyurl.com Sarah’s Fitness Blog – www.examiner.com

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Victoria’s Secrets – Victoria Pendleton’s tips to getting into shape

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From her first race at nine years old, Victoria Pendleton showed promise, and in 2001, whilst she was still a student, she won one bronze and three silver medals in the British National Track Championships. The next year she qualified for the England Commonwealth Games Team and after racking up a series of successes on the track, she took gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. So if you are looking to get yourself into shape in 2011, who better to offer some advice? And don’t worry; you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to follow them! To help get us on the right track, Victoria, in association with Hovis Wholemeal, has come up with a series of realistic and attainable tips that everyone can use. “I often get asked how I stay motivated,” says Victoria, “but the reality is I struggle just as much as everyone else. To help women everywhere, I’ve come up with ‘Victoria’s Secrets’, my top tips to staying on course during this January. It’s not rocket science, just some key pointers that should make it a bit easier!” Firstly a simple tip; make sure you keep yourself hydrated. “Often we can mistake feeling dehydrated for feeling hungry. Make sure you drink at least a litre and a half a day. Drinking tea, fruit juice and even eating fruit and vegetables all help provide fluid intake!” And whilst some of her tips are specific health advice, there are some fun ways to stay motivated too! Victoria believes you should reward all of your efforts; it shouldn’t be a chore. “Research …

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Factors that can affect semen quality (thus fertility)

Male fertility is highly dependent on semen and sperm quality. And quality of a man’s semen has been shown to be dependent on several factors. Let us look at these factors.

Age

The quality of semen deteriorates with age as sperms accumulate genetic errors over time. Dr. Cral Herbert explains how these errors occur:

“Since sperm production is so high, a man has to keep copying his DNA over and over again to make sperm. All this DNA copying leads to small mistakes, called mutations. If you remember that at its most basic level, DNA is a series of letters that make up recipes called genes. If the recipe is copied millions of times a day, mistakes inevitably happen.”

Excess weight is found to be associated with abnormal semen quality and male factor infertility by South African researchers. Obesity affects directly or indirectly male infertility by “inducing sleep apnea, alterations in hormonal profiles (reduced inhibin B and androgen levels accompanied by elevated estrogen levels) and increased scrotal temperatures, ultimately manifesting as impaired semen parameters (decreased total sperm count, concentration and motility; increased DNA fragmentation index).” Whether this negative effect on fertility is reversible by weight loss is not known.

Diabetes

Diabetes is another condition linked to infertility. British researchers found that men with diabetes have more DNA damage in their sperms than non-diabetics.

Their results showed that:

• Semen volume was lower in diabetic men compared with non-diabetic men (2.6 and 3.3 ml respectively).
• But sperm concentration was not significantly different between the two groups.
• Total sperm output, form, structure and “motility” (ability to move) were also largely the same in the diabetic and non-diabetic men.
• The nuclear DNA in diabetic men’s sperm cells was more fragmented than that of the non-diabetic men (52 per cent versus 32 per cent).
• There were more deletions in the mitochondrial DNA of diabetic men’s sperm cells than those of the non-diabetic men.
• The mitochondrial DNA deletions in the diabetic men’s sperm cells ranged from 3 to 6 and averaged 4, while for the non-diabetic men it ranged from 1 to 4 and averaged 3.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle factors, too, may play a role in semen quality, and lifestyle changes may help improve semen quality and thus fertility, according to a study by Italian researchers. The study looked at 52 male patients suffering a condition called high-grade varicocele without hypertrophy. Varicocele is characterized by swelling or lump that surrounds the testicle, usually the left. It is also associated with abnormal semen characteristics and decreased fertility. Semen quality as measured by spermiograms showed that smokers and alcohol drinkers have lower sperm counts and lower sperm motility and vitality compared to non-smokers and non-drinkers.

However, changes in lifestyle significantly improved sperm qualityby as much as 76%.

The lifestyle changes implemented included:

• Quitting smoking or at least reduction of the number of cigarettes smoked per day
• Reduction in alcohol consumption
• Reduction in alcohol intake
• Improved nutrition by increases daily consumption of fruits and vegetables

Blood pressure down, stress up after 30 years

A lot of things have changed in the last 30 years. The first test tube baby was delivered and thousands of IVF babies followed. Medical science has made great advances in fighting cancer and other diseases. If you look back 30 years ago, what has changed in your life?

A Swedish study gives a very good insight as to how middle-age women’s lives have changed (or haven’t changed) during the last 30 plus years. The study is part of the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden which was started during the late 1960s. 1,462 middle-aged Swedish women were followed up into the 21^st century, in terms of lifestyle and health, among others.

The study results showed that many things have changed for the better since the initiation of the study, namely:

• Blood pressure measurements have greatly improved.
• Serum lipid levels have also significantly improved.
• Average body mass index did not significantly change.
• Overall risk factors for cardiovascular disease have significantly decreased.

The researchers attributed these positive changes to healthier lifestyles. In the 60s, for example, only 15% of women exercised regularly. Nowadays it is about 40%.

There is, however, one thing that did not improve but in fact increased for the worse – stress.

At the start of the study (1968 to 1969):

• 28% of participants reported to be suffering from nervousness.
• 36% experienced stress.

Reports in 2004 to 2005:

• 75% of participants reported stress, more than double the numbers 32 years earlier.

This chronic stress seems to take a toll on the health of those suffering from it.

According to researcher Dominique Hange

“The women who stated at the end of the 1960s that they suffered from nervousness or perceived stress had a higher frequency of abdominal problems, asthma, headache, and frequent infections. This is true both at the time they were examined and nearly 25 years later. We could also in a longer perspective, see that the women who were mentally stressed had a higher mortality, and a somewhat higher incidence of breast cancer”.

Despite the great improvement in our lifestyles, has our lives become more stressful? Will stress eventually kill off mankind?

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Killing two birds with one stone: lower your cholesterol, lower your prostate cancer risk

There are two big “C’s” – cardiovascular disease and cancer – that we are fighting today. A study published in the American Journal of Pathology reveals that high cholesterol levels not only cause atherosclerosis and heart disease but can also contribute to prostate cancer development and progression.

The link between cholesterol and cancer has been observed in laboratory mice fed with high fat, high cholesterol diet and treated with the cholesterol uptake-blocking drug ezetimibe. The researchers observed that the fatty cholesterol rich diets promoted tumor growth whereas the drug ezetimibe prevented the tumor growth while lowering cholesterol levels at the same time. Ezetimibe works by blocking the absorption of cholesterol by the intestine.

Thus, the study results suggest

“cholesterol reduction, which is routinely accomplished pharmacologically in humans, may reduce angiogenesis, ultimately leading to less aggressive tumors.”

Prostate cancer is a very common cancer, affecting approximately 1 in 6 American men. Previous research studies have linked prostate cancer with the so-called typical “Western diet” which is rich in fat and high cholesterol. Progression of prostate tumors have also been linked to serum cholesterol levels.

Last December, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted that cancer will overtake cardiovascular disease as the world’s top killer in 2010. When the projected cancer statistics were published last year, it was noted that there are similarities between the two big C’s. The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement saying that

“The risk and demographic factors they have identified as predictive of an increase in cancer deaths are the very same factors that are going to result in more cardiovascular deaths, too, so we are on the same track.”

Some of these factors, mainly lifestyle factors are:

• tobacco use
• high calorie, high-saturated and trans-fat diets

The fact that people in less developed countries are rapidly adopting the “Western lifestyle” listed above led to the prediction that cancer and cardiovascular disease will rapidly increase worldwide despite the fact that they are currently declining in the US and other developed countries

According to AHA President Tim Garner

The American Heart Association has been working for decades to move out of that ‘top spot’ of being the number one killer. It’s a distinction that none of us want to have. And unless we can do better in reducing these risk factors in the United States, it may be a long time before we can shed the title of number one.”

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Ready for something new in 2009?

If yes, then make it something new that can benefit your health physically and mentally.

A new lifestyle.

Change, be it for good or for bad, begins at home. Let’s look at our 2008 lifestyle and see what we can change for 2009.

Exercise

Have you been physically active last year? If not, here are some very good reasons why you should be this year:

• Exercise keeps your heart healthy.
• Exercise keeps you young.
• Exercise keeps the blues away.

If you had been sedentary till now, then start slowly. Start small. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Check out the American Heart Association.site for help.

Smoking

Quitting is not so easy, I know. After all, nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult habits to break. And the new president of the United States is struggling with it as well so you are not alone in this. If you can’t do it on your own, then seek out support groups and professional help. Check out the American Lung Association site for assistance.

Diet

Diet is a key factor to health. Watching what you eat and drink may be one of the best things you can do for 2009. Not too little, not too much. Here, too, professional help might be warranted but a lot of self-help info is also available on the Internet. Check out the American Heart Association.site to “face the fats.”

Sleep

Did you get enough sleep last year? Many people are not aware of it but lack of sleep is a risk factor for many disorders, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and breast cancer. Give your body a break. Get some rest. Check out the American Sleep Foundation for assistance.

A new attitude

True, the economy is doing badly and the future is uncertain. But we should approach the New Year with optimism and a new purpose in life. Even if we can not do anything to turn the economy around, we can do something with our health and that of our families.

Reduce stress in your life. Stress, distress, and anxiety are the major factors in increased risk for cardiovascular disease and depression. The economy may be sick but let’s keep our heart, body and mind healthy. In other words, don’t worry, be happy.

A new purpose in life

Advocacy is the word. Advocacy for something worthwhile, such as advocacy for a health issue or an environmental or a social cause. Without becoming too radical, of course. There are many not-for-profit organizations out there which would be most happy to have your support be it financially, physically or spiritually. If money is tight, you can express your generosity in terms of donating your time. Volunteer for whatever tasks you can do. Every helping hand counts.

Now, you’d say, good for me to preach but do I practice what I write here? I try to, believe me. And I know I have to improve on a few lifestyle things myself for 2009, mainly on sleep and stress. Staying healthy is a continuous, ongoing process – and there is always room for improvement.

The lifestyle of the young is not good for the heart

The trend is disturbing. More and more children and young people are having cardiovascular problems. And the causes can be traced to unhealthy lifestyles.

Lack of proper nutrition

Project EAT, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota looked at 2,500 teenage girls over a 5-year period. Their findings show that 62.7% of female teens engage in unhealthy weight control strategies which include taking diet pills, laxatives, drugs that induce vomiting, as well as regularly skipping meals. The use of diet pills is especially popular. Ironically, these weight control behaviour can actually produce the opposite results. Girls who engage in such strategies are 3 times more likely to be overweight. This creates a vicious cycle of dieting, weight gain and eating disorders.

Lack of exercise

How many hours do your children in front of a screen – be it a TV screen, a computer screen or any other game console? Canadian researcher Dr. Ian Michael Janssen tells Reuters that adolescents nowadays “spend more hours daily in front of a screen than they do in a classroom in a given year.” This translates to lack of physical activity that leads to rising rates of obesity among adolescents. It is estimated that about 50% of Canadian children aged 5 to 17 years old do not get enough exercise. 26% of these children are overweight or obese. Excess weight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Lack of sleep

In this study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers found a link between poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration in teens and elevated blood pressure. Poor sleep quality or low sleep efficiency is defined as having “trouble falling to sleep at night or who wake up too early.”

The study looked at 238 adolescents (123 boys and 115 girls) ages 13 to 16 years old. Data on sleep habits and blood pressure were collected. Adolescents with less than 85% sleep efficiency had nearly three times the likelihood of having elevated high blood pressure.

Researchers say the culprit is technology present in bedrooms, be it in the form of phones, music, computers and other multimedia gadgets.

Childhood hypertension shouldn’t be underestimated, ignored or taken for granted. The likelihood of it developing to a full blown adult hypertension and then a serious cardiovascular disease is very high.

The study authors recommend:

“Adolescents need nine hours of sleep. Parents should optimize sleep quality for their family with regular sleep and wake times and bedrooms should be kept quiet, dark and conducive to sleep.”

 

Photo credit: nookiez at stock.xchng

CVD Weekend Newswatch September 5

Once again, I am bringing you a round up of heart-related news for this weekend. Happy reading.

CVD lifestyle watch

Poor teen sleep habits may raise blood pressure, lead to CVD

TV, Internet, technology – you name it, most young people nowadays have it. A recent article in the American Heart Association journal Circulation reports:

Poor sleep quality and shorter sleep periods in teens may increase the odds of elevated blood pressure.

Researchers found poor sleep quality in teens may be more likely than shorter sleep periods to lead to pre-hypertension.

Researchers say technology in bedrooms (i.e., music, phones, computers) may be part of the problem

CVD gender watch

Sex hormones link to heart risk

While female hormones seem to provide protection for cardiovascular health, male hormones seem to increase the risk for cardiovascular disorder (CVD). Men are more likely to die of heart disease than their female counterparts of the same age. And the male sex hormones estradiol, estrone, testosterone and androstenedione seem to be the culprit.

CVD nutrition watch

Grape antioxidant dietary fiber improves lipid profile and hypertension

Spanish researchers report that the natural plant product grape antioxidant dietary fiber (GADF) contains high conetrations of fiber and flavanoids. GADF nutritional supplements were shown to reduce in lipid levels (triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

CVD blood pressure watch

Babies’ rapid weight gain linked to higher blood pressure as adults

How does baby’s weight gain influence its risk for hypertension? This report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association says that

Babies that are lighter at birth have higher systolic blood pressure as adults.

Babies that gain weight more rapidly in the first five months after birth and from about ages 2 to 5 years have higher systolic blood pressure in young adulthood.

Immediate weight gain after birth is associated with higher adult diastolic blood pressure

CVD chemical watch

Bisphenol A linked to metabolic syndrome in human tissue

The notorious bisphenol A (BPA), the carcinogen hiding in hard plastics is also linked to metabolic syndrome. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati report that BPA suppresses adinopectin, a hormone responsible for many key processes in the body, including insulin sensitivity regulation. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors such such low insulin response, hypertension, and high blood sugar and lipid levels.

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