In The News
Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the Workplace
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and you may begin to notice pink adorning vehicles, parks and businesses. Thousands of Americans participate in some sort of breast cancer awareness campaign during the month of October, whether it’s a walk sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure or other non-profit organization, displaying pink … Read More
Doctor's own tumor led him to take up scalpel
Irvine — Dr. Robert Pettis asks for a scalpel. “”OK. Starting.”” Lying before him in an operating room at Hoag Hospital Irvine is a 71-year-old woman with a cancerous thyroid. Pettis, 46, begins to remove the entire shield-shaped gland from the woman’s throat. Though common, thyroidectomies require surgical precision and patience. Surgeons must carve around … Read More
Stress and Memory
Many employees perform well under pressure, but chronic stress can have a negative effect on the brain’s ability to store or access memories. The World Health Organization estimates excessive stress costs American businesses up to $300 billion each year with as many as 66 percent of workers reporting difficulty focusing on tasks at work due … Read More
Flu vaccines are in!
Fall is quickly approaching and the cooler weather promises more than jackets and sweaters. With autumn comes flu season and the chance to prevent employee illness with easy flu shots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, illness due to the flu costs businesses upwards of $10.4 billion each year1 in absenteeism, presenteeism, … Read More
Disease Management: Know Your Risks
Thanks in part to technology and continuing medical research the world’s industrial populations continue to live longer. Unfortunately living longer is not analogous to living healthier or indicative of our body’s ability to fight disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report this summer announcing the increased prevalence of multiple chronic conditions … Read More
New Generation Alzheimer's Drugs: Do They Work?
We’ve all been hopeful that a new class of Alzheimer’s drugs (monoclonal antibodies) would soon bring effective treatment to the growing number of Alzheimer’s patients. The latest approach is based on using antibodies that bind with harmful amyloid protein. The idea is that the antibodies will be naturally flushed from the body by the immune … Read More
Wired for Action: Nine Inch Nails in your brain
?By MICHAEL BRANT-ZAWADZKI MC FACR / For The Current Ever wish you could put your brain on remote control? Some people have to. Our brain’s activity comes from certain chemicals released by nerve cells. Their release sends an electrical current down the cells’ extensions. That activity is triggered in two ways. The first is voluntary. … Read More
How Technology is Transforming Health Care
We are living longer than ever. Mortality risk in America has decreased by over 50 percent since 1935 1and much of this can be attributed to advances in medical technology. Just during my medical career, technology has changed and become more “individualized” for the patient, rather than one size fits all. In a world where … Read More
Top Five Stretches for Sedentary Workers
Is your waistline feeling a bit more snug? Your workplace may be contributing to your unhealthy habits. According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com, 44 percent of workers said they have gained weight at their current job due to stress eating, eating out regularly, skipping meals due to time constraints, workplace celebration, temptation of the … Read More
'Friend' or foe: An Army psychiatrist says Facebook hurts our troops
By Mayrav Saar August 18, 2012 Our soldiers are being devastated on an unexpected front: Facebook. Troops who have survived shellings and shootings can find themselves emotionally wounded by online photos of spouses partying with strangers and innuendo-laden updates that betray a very different “status” than that of a devoted girlfriend back home. Access to … Read More