For many people, purchasing food items that are low-fat or fat-free makes them feel like they are making a healthy choice for themselves and their families. However, what most people don’t realize is that many of these fat-free or lower-fat products may actually have a whole lot more salt in them than their full-fat alternatives. Food producers add extra salt to make up for the flavor that is lost when the fat content is reduced or eliminated, so it is important to read the labels and understand what you are buying. Especially for people that are looking to lower their consumption of saturated fats, it is essential that they also keep their sodium intakes in check.
Too much sodium in a person’s diet can lead to hypertension, or high blood pressure, which may eventually result in a heart attack or stroke. However, a healthy level of sodium intake does have benefits, such as stabilizing the body’s fluids. Still, doctors recommend that people keep their blood pressure at a healthy level in order to avoid the harmful effects of hypertension. It is recommended that most people in good health consume about 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, according to organizations like the USDA and the American Heart Association. However, it is estimated that most people in this country consume daily sodium levels closer to 4,000 milligrams. A major contributor to having higher sodium levels are processed foods, which have high salt contents to help preserve the foods and give more flavor.
It is important to be conscious of sodium at all stages of food purchasing and preparation, as well as with foods that are prepared outside of the home by restaurants and other food vendors. Also, it may be helpful to reduce sodium intake by choosing organic foods, which are sometimes lower in salt than other products. Making sure to prepare meals using fresh meats, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, as well as grains and low-fat dairy products may also be beneficial. If a canned vegetable or other type of food is going to be used in preparing meals, try to rinse the products to reduce the sodium content. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the more salt a person consumes, the more they crave it. So, by cutting back on the amount of sodium consumed daily, a person’s craving for salt will also be diminished.
A high level of salt in a person's diet may put them at greater risk of having a stroke or heart attack due to elevated blood pressure. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients with Nassau and Suffolk County medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Bronx medical malpractice and Queens medical malpractice cases. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos also serve clients located in Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us at 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Caffeine’s Effects on Pregnancy
In a study published by the British Medical Journal this month, it was reported that women that consume caffeine while pregnant increase their risk of fetal growth restriction, which is characterized by a fetal weight that is below the 10th percentile for gestational age as determined through an ultrasound. The study involved healthy, pregnant women, evaluating caffeine intake during their pregnancy, including their caffeine consumption one month prior to conception. The study found that fetal growth restriction was seen more often in women that consumed higher levels of caffeine, with women consuming more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day having a 40% higher chance of having a baby with fetal growth restriction when compared with those that consumed less than 100 milligrams a day. Women that consumed 100 to 199 milligrams of caffeine daily had a 20% higher chance, while women that consumed between 200 and 299 milligrams a day had the highest risk, with a 50% higher chance that their baby would have fetal growth restriction.
Researchers believe that caffeine may be to blame for some cases of fetal growth restriction because it is able to enter the placenta, allowing the mother to pass caffeine along to the fetus. In women with faster caffeine clearance (how quickly caffeine is metabolized), it was found that the relationship between caffeine intake and fetal growth restriction was much stronger than in those that metabolize caffeine more slowly. Another factor that increases the risk of fetal growth restriction is smoking, which doubles the risk of the fetus being below the 10th percentile for gestational age. Researchers compared the effect of caffeine on pregnancy with that of alcohol, saying that the two substances have similar ramifications and that women should avoid consuming caffeine one month prior to conception, stop consuming alcohol after conception, and avoid smoking.
Fetal growth restriction may result in reduced birthweight, requiring additional medical care for the infant. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Researchers believe that caffeine may be to blame for some cases of fetal growth restriction because it is able to enter the placenta, allowing the mother to pass caffeine along to the fetus. In women with faster caffeine clearance (how quickly caffeine is metabolized), it was found that the relationship between caffeine intake and fetal growth restriction was much stronger than in those that metabolize caffeine more slowly. Another factor that increases the risk of fetal growth restriction is smoking, which doubles the risk of the fetus being below the 10th percentile for gestational age. Researchers compared the effect of caffeine on pregnancy with that of alcohol, saying that the two substances have similar ramifications and that women should avoid consuming caffeine one month prior to conception, stop consuming alcohol after conception, and avoid smoking.
Fetal growth restriction may result in reduced birthweight, requiring additional medical care for the infant. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Pregnancy Weight Gain May Cause Health Risks
In a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, it was found that women that gain an excessive amount of weight while pregnant put their newborns and themselves at risk during and after the birth. Mothers that take “eating for two” literally and consume twice as much as when they were not pregnant tend to gain too much weight during their pregnancy, making it more difficult to drop the weight after the baby is born. Women that put on more than 40 pounds during their pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a larger baby, which can result in the need for a cesarean section, or tearing and bleeding if the baby is delivered vaginally. Larger babies also run the risk of breaking their collar bone during the delivery. In addition to the problems that may occur during the birth, larger babies are also prone to obesity and type 2 diabetes later on in life.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, looked at the weight of the mother and the baby at birth. Of the 41,540 pregnancies and births examined in Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, 20% of women that gained over 40 pounds during their pregnancy gave birth to larger babies, while less than 12% of women that gained less than 40 pounds had larger babies. The study also tested the mother for gestational diabetes, which increases a mother’s risk of having a bigger baby. About 29.3% of the pregnant women that gained more than 40 pounds and had gestational diabetes gave birth to heavier babies, compared with the 9.3% of women that gained less than 40 pounds and did not have gestational diabetes.
Revisions are currently being made to guidelines set in the early 1990s by the Institute of Medicine for pregnant women. The guidelines recommend that underweight women with a BMI (body mass index) below 19.8 gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy, normal weight women with a BMI of 19.8 to 26.0 gain 25 to 35 pounds, and overweight women with a BMI above 26.0 gain 15 to 25 pounds. Gaining too little weight while pregnant may also result in health problems for the mother and child, so staying within a healthy range is important. Doctors should discuss weight gain with pregnant patients in order to keep them within a healthy range.
Though the mother’s weight may cause complications when giving birth, the doctors or nurses that provided care or performed the delivery may be to blame if problems occur. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, looked at the weight of the mother and the baby at birth. Of the 41,540 pregnancies and births examined in Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, 20% of women that gained over 40 pounds during their pregnancy gave birth to larger babies, while less than 12% of women that gained less than 40 pounds had larger babies. The study also tested the mother for gestational diabetes, which increases a mother’s risk of having a bigger baby. About 29.3% of the pregnant women that gained more than 40 pounds and had gestational diabetes gave birth to heavier babies, compared with the 9.3% of women that gained less than 40 pounds and did not have gestational diabetes.
Revisions are currently being made to guidelines set in the early 1990s by the Institute of Medicine for pregnant women. The guidelines recommend that underweight women with a BMI (body mass index) below 19.8 gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy, normal weight women with a BMI of 19.8 to 26.0 gain 25 to 35 pounds, and overweight women with a BMI above 26.0 gain 15 to 25 pounds. Gaining too little weight while pregnant may also result in health problems for the mother and child, so staying within a healthy range is important. Doctors should discuss weight gain with pregnant patients in order to keep them within a healthy range.
Though the mother’s weight may cause complications when giving birth, the doctors or nurses that provided care or performed the delivery may be to blame if problems occur. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Monday, December 8, 2008
The 12 Best Children’s Hospitals for 2008
Hospitals that treat sick children make an extraordinary commitment to those children and their families that they will provide the best care possible. These facilities and their teams specialize in treating the physical and emotional needs that these children face when dealing with their diseases and sicknesses. In order to best treat their patients, these hospitals utilize the most cutting-edge equipment and technology. U.S. News and World Report began ranking hospitals in 1990, basing its ratings on hospital reputation, outcome of patient care and care-related measures, which includes volume, nursing and credentialing processes. The recent announcement of the top 12 children’s hospitals in the United States were in the category of general pediatrics, and were ranked as follows:
1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children’s Hospital Boston
3. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
4. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
5. Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
6. Texas Children’s Hospital
7. Children’s Hospital, Denver
8. Children’s Hospital, Seattle
9. Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles
10. Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh
11. New York Presbyterian Medical Center
12. Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
The hospital that received the number one ranking, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, also ranked first in the specialties of neonatal care, cancer facilities and respiratory disorders. Children’s Hospital Boston, which received the second best rating, was ranked first in the areas of heart conditions, heart surgeries and digestive disorders. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center received the top ranking in the specialties of neurology and neurosurgery, while ranking fourth overall.
This ranking information is useful to the medical facilities because it allows them to see what areas they are in need of improvement and where they are achieving excellence. The data is also helpful to the families of sick kids all over the county because they are able to see where the best children’s hospitals are while also being able to find out what hospitals rank highest in the specialty of care their child requires.
Unfortunately, not every child is able to get to such reputable hospitals to receive the treatment they need. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call toll free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children’s Hospital Boston
3. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
4. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
5. Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
6. Texas Children’s Hospital
7. Children’s Hospital, Denver
8. Children’s Hospital, Seattle
9. Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles
10. Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh
11. New York Presbyterian Medical Center
12. Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
The hospital that received the number one ranking, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, also ranked first in the specialties of neonatal care, cancer facilities and respiratory disorders. Children’s Hospital Boston, which received the second best rating, was ranked first in the areas of heart conditions, heart surgeries and digestive disorders. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center received the top ranking in the specialties of neurology and neurosurgery, while ranking fourth overall.
This ranking information is useful to the medical facilities because it allows them to see what areas they are in need of improvement and where they are achieving excellence. The data is also helpful to the families of sick kids all over the county because they are able to see where the best children’s hospitals are while also being able to find out what hospitals rank highest in the specialty of care their child requires.
Unfortunately, not every child is able to get to such reputable hospitals to receive the treatment they need. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call toll free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Friday, December 5, 2008
Cholesterol Drug Crestor May Benefit Healthy People
In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the makers of Crestor, AstraZeneca, it was found that the drug may be beneficial to people with healthy cholesterol levels by helping to reducing their risk of heart disease. Crestor, which is a statin, is normally prescribed to people that need help lowering their cholesterol. In the U.S., an estimated 36 million people qualify for a prescription to some type of statin drug, a number which will grow significantly because of this study’s findings.
According to the study published earlier this month, statins have proven effective in the 7,000 men and 5,000 women included in the trials who all had good cholesterol levels. The participants, coming from 26 different countries, had an average LDL level (bad cholesterol) of 108 and an average HDL level (good cholesterol) of 49. All of the participants, however, had an elevated hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), suggesting inflammation that can lead to coronary heart disease. The study participants took either a 20 milligram dose of Crestor (chemical name rosuvastatin calcium) or a placebo pill. In less than 2 years, the risk of stroke, heart attack and death dropped by nearly half (44%) in those that took Crestor, when compared with those taking the dummy pill. In addition to that, those that were taking the statin drug also saw a 50 percent drop in their LDL level (bad cholesterol) and a 37 percent drop in their hs-CRP levels.
Authors of the study estimate that 250,000 heart attacks, strokes, cardiac deaths and hospitalizations could possibly be avoided if these new candidates took statins over the next 5 years to lower their hs-CRP levels, and their overall risk. If changes are made to the current guidelines for statin prescriptions, people with good cholesterol levels would need to have a blood test done to see if their hs-CRP levels were high. If their levels were high enough for concern, these candidates would be able to begin taking the statin drugs and start lowering their risk of these serious health problems. More research still needs to be conducted before the guidelines will be changed, though this study did reveal some very useful information.
Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
According to the study published earlier this month, statins have proven effective in the 7,000 men and 5,000 women included in the trials who all had good cholesterol levels. The participants, coming from 26 different countries, had an average LDL level (bad cholesterol) of 108 and an average HDL level (good cholesterol) of 49. All of the participants, however, had an elevated hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), suggesting inflammation that can lead to coronary heart disease. The study participants took either a 20 milligram dose of Crestor (chemical name rosuvastatin calcium) or a placebo pill. In less than 2 years, the risk of stroke, heart attack and death dropped by nearly half (44%) in those that took Crestor, when compared with those taking the dummy pill. In addition to that, those that were taking the statin drug also saw a 50 percent drop in their LDL level (bad cholesterol) and a 37 percent drop in their hs-CRP levels.
Authors of the study estimate that 250,000 heart attacks, strokes, cardiac deaths and hospitalizations could possibly be avoided if these new candidates took statins over the next 5 years to lower their hs-CRP levels, and their overall risk. If changes are made to the current guidelines for statin prescriptions, people with good cholesterol levels would need to have a blood test done to see if their hs-CRP levels were high. If their levels were high enough for concern, these candidates would be able to begin taking the statin drugs and start lowering their risk of these serious health problems. More research still needs to be conducted before the guidelines will be changed, though this study did reveal some very useful information.
Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Medical Residents Need More Rest to Increase Safety
In a report released this past Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a new rule was implemented, allowing doctors-in-training to take an undisturbed five-hour break to rest after the first 16 hours of a 30 hour shift. A regulation implemented five years ago by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education put a cap on the number of hours these new doctors, allowing a maximum of 80 hours to be worked per week, with a maximum shift of 30 hours. Before this cap was enforced, some residents were working a 110 hour work week, on average. In a government requested study by the IOM, it was found that hospitals often demand longer shifts and longer work weeks, disregarding the limits put on medical residents’ work hours. Also, the fact that if a patient is in need of medical attention, a doctor can not just leave when their shift is over, tacking on additional hours to their already lengthy days. These extended work hours cause exhaustion in these young doctors, which leads to medical errors. In a separate study done in this field, it was found that residents make more mistakes during longer shifts. Still, it is hardly possible to determine if the time caps had any effect on the safety of patients, since it is reliant on so many components.
The Institute of Medicine is struggling to come up with a way to balance the education of these resident doctors and the safety of the patients they are treating, allowing them enough time to learn their specialty while not depriving them of much needed sleep. These young doctors, straight out of med school, work as residents for three to seven years, learning and training to be the best they can in their chosen area of medicine. In order to reduce the number of errors made by medical residents, the IOM suggests that more practiced physicians supervise the young doctors them more closely and that hospitals increase the number of involuntary days off and hours off between lengthy shifts. Also, the Institute recommends that a longer overlap of residents’ shifts, which would make it easier to pass patients off to the next doctor.
Any mistake made by a doctor or hospital, whether it be due to lack of sleep or lack of care, is not the fault of the patient. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free at 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
The Institute of Medicine is struggling to come up with a way to balance the education of these resident doctors and the safety of the patients they are treating, allowing them enough time to learn their specialty while not depriving them of much needed sleep. These young doctors, straight out of med school, work as residents for three to seven years, learning and training to be the best they can in their chosen area of medicine. In order to reduce the number of errors made by medical residents, the IOM suggests that more practiced physicians supervise the young doctors them more closely and that hospitals increase the number of involuntary days off and hours off between lengthy shifts. Also, the Institute recommends that a longer overlap of residents’ shifts, which would make it easier to pass patients off to the next doctor.
Any mistake made by a doctor or hospital, whether it be due to lack of sleep or lack of care, is not the fault of the patient. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free at 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Monday, December 1, 2008
Fan May Reduce Risk of SIDS
SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, is the name given to the unforeseen, unexplained death of an infant under the age of one year. SIDS deaths cannot be attributed to any other cause and it is currently the leading cause of death for infants from one month to one year old . In a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine involving 500 infants from 11 counties in California, it was found that a fan may help in reducing the risk of SIDS by circulating air and allowing the infant to get sufficient oxygen. It is believed that a cause for SIDS may be brain abnormalities, which can restrict an infant’s ability to gasp and wake up when they are not getting enough oxygen.
Experts have several recommendations for lowering the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, including putting babies to sleep on their backs and using a firm mattress. They also recommend that parents keep toys and pillows out of the crib when infants are sleeping, as well as making sure infants do not get too warm. The newest recommendation that suggests using a fan while infants sleep still requires more research. However, the study found that SIDS was reduced by 72 percent when a fan was used, with only 3 percent of infant deaths occurring while a fan was in use. The use of a fan was also found to especially reduce the risk of SIDS in infants sleeping in poor conditions.
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Health and is the first of its kind to look at the use of a fan to reduce the risk of SIDS.
SIDS may be the cause of the sudden, unexpected death of an infant, though a proper investigation should always take place in order to rule out other causes of death, especially if the infant is under the care of a hospital or daycare center. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM
Experts have several recommendations for lowering the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, including putting babies to sleep on their backs and using a firm mattress. They also recommend that parents keep toys and pillows out of the crib when infants are sleeping, as well as making sure infants do not get too warm. The newest recommendation that suggests using a fan while infants sleep still requires more research. However, the study found that SIDS was reduced by 72 percent when a fan was used, with only 3 percent of infant deaths occurring while a fan was in use. The use of a fan was also found to especially reduce the risk of SIDS in infants sleeping in poor conditions.
The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Health and is the first of its kind to look at the use of a fan to reduce the risk of SIDS.
SIDS may be the cause of the sudden, unexpected death of an infant, though a proper investigation should always take place in order to rule out other causes of death, especially if the infant is under the care of a hospital or daycare center. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM
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