Princess Health and Pike County settles its part of Oxycontin lawsuit against Purdue Pharma for $4 million; state remains a plaintiff.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Pike County settles its part of Oxycontin lawsuit against Purdue Pharma for $4 million; state remains a plaintiff.Princessiccia

Gusty 07:23 Add Comment

Officials of Pike County, Kentucky, announced this week that Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, will pay $4 million to settle the county's part of a lawsuit the county and state filed in 2007 seeking damages for the addiction OxyContin caused "after the company aggressively marketed it to doctors as a safe option for pain relief," Russ Cassady reports for the Appalachian News-Express in Pikeville.

The state remains a plaintiff in the suit, which  is largely based on admissions of guilt made by the company and several top-ranking company officials in a May 2007 Virginia federal court settlement. Purdue Pharma, its president, chief legal counsel and former medical director pleaded guilty to misleading doctors, regulators and patients about OxyContin during that case.

The nation's prescription-drug epidemic apparently began in Central Appalachia, largely because of the introduction and high rate of prescription of OxyContin. The lawsuit sought reimbursement for drug-abuse programs, law-enforcement actions and prescription payments through Medicaid and the Kentucky Pharmaceutical Alliance Program. The local officials indicated the settlement could increase the size of a planned rehabilitation facility for people convicted of drug charges.

Princess Health and Food Reward Friday. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Food Reward Friday. Princessiccia

Food reward Fridays

Gusty 03:00 Add Comment

This week's "winner" will certainly be the most controversial yet... bacon!!

Bacon is a fatty cut of pork (typically side or back) that has been thinly sliced, cured, then cooked until crispy. This results in a fatty, salty, savory flavor that almost everyone loves. Bacon's extremely high calorie density, saltiness, and savory flavor give it a reward value that competes with chocolate and ice cream. Sometimes it's even used to flavor chocolate and ice cream!

Read more �

Princess Health and Update. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Update. Princessiccia

Gusty 21:10 Add Comment

I haven't been putting much effort into blogging these past few weeks.  Frankly, a little break has been nice while I take care of other things in my life.  But I haven't been twiddling my thumbs.  Obesity research hasn't slowed down and there are many topics that I'd love to write about here if I had the time.  I'll be starting a new series soon on the genetics of obesity-- a fascinating subject.  I also plan to cover some of my recent publications on obesity and blood glucose control by the brain.  Last but not least, we will soon roll out a substantially upgraded version of the Ideal Weight Program.  Those who have already purchased the program will continue to have access to the new version.

Princess Health and Rural cancer survivors are less healthy than urban counterparts; 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoke.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Rural cancer survivors are less healthy than urban counterparts; 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoke.Princessiccia

cancer rural health rural-urban disparities smoking tobacco tobacco prevention

Gusty 10:39 Add Comment

A quarter of rural cancer survivors smoke.

Cancer survivors from rural areas live less healthier lives than survivors from urban areas. That's the diagnosis of a study by the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., which asked a random sample of rural and urban survivors their body weight, and if they smoked, drank alcohol, and exercised.

The study found that 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoked, compared to 16 percent from urban areas. It didn't have state-by-state figures, but Kentucky has high rates of both cancer and smoking.

Fifty-one percent of rural survivors didn't participate in any physical activities at all, compared to 39 percent for urban survivors, and 66 percent of rural survivors were obese, while 63 percent of urban ones were. Fewer rural survivors drank alcohol, a difference of 46 percent to 59 percent, and 18 percent of them were more likely to be unemployed because of health reasons, compared to 11 percent for urban survivors.

"Rural cancer survivors may not be receiving messages from their health-care providers about how important quitting smoking and being physical active are after cancer," said Kathryn E. Weaver, assistant professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest Baptist. "It is concerning that we found higher rates of health-compromising behaviors among rural survivors, when we know cancer survivors who smoke, are overweight, or are inactive are at higher risk for poor outcomes, including cancer recurrence and second cancers." (Read more)

Princess Health and Fewer families report having trouble paying medical bills; near-poor struggle more than poor families.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Fewer families report having trouble paying medical bills; near-poor struggle more than poor families.Princessiccia

health care costs health insurance poll poverty

Gusty 11:14 Add Comment

Fewer American families are having problems paying medical bills, but 20 percent of them, particularly those without insurance and those that are "near poor" but not :poor," still struggle with health costs, says a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The report says 54.2 million people, or 20.3 percent of families headed by someone under the age of 65, had difficulty covering medical expenses in the first half of 2012. During the first half of 2011, 21.7 percent of families, or 57.8 million people, found it difficult to pay medical bills.

Hispanics (25.2 percent) and blacks (27.9 percent) were more likely than whites (20.1 percent) or Asians (10.3 percent) to report trouble paying their medical bills, says the report. It says families with incomes from 100 to 199 percent of the poverty line were most likely to have difficulty paying medical bills, probably because those below the poverty line qualify for Medicaid. State income limits vary; in Kentucky, income-based Medicaid is available to those with incomes less than 70 percent of the poverty line.

'Poor' are below the poverty line. 'Near poor' had incomes of 100 to 199 percent of the poverty line. 

Among families with insurance, 14 percent of those with private insurance and 25.6 percent  with Medicaid or other public insurance had similar problems paying bills in the first half of 2012, which represents a 1.7 percent and 2.5 percent decrease from 2011, respectively. For a report on the study, click here.

Princess Health and Study finds that daily use of sunscreen prevents aging of skin.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Study finds that daily use of sunscreen prevents aging of skin.Princessiccia

research skin cancer skin care sunscreen

Gusty 10:41 Add Comment

Sunscreen doesn't just prevent sun burns and skin cancer; using it daily can slow down your skin's aging too, says a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 

Australian researchers found that when adults regularly used broad-spectrum sunscreen, they were less likely to show increased wrinkling over a four-and-a-half-year period compared to adults who used sunscreen every once and a while, reports Barbara Mantel of NBC News.

This is the first study showing that sunscreen prevents skin aging, and the results show year-round use of sunscreen significantly slows the aging of skin caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays, Dr. Adele Green of Royal Brisbane Hospital in Queensland told the Gupta Guide.

"Previous research has shown that skin aging is associated with an increased risk of actinic keratoses and melanoma, and now we have the first randomized trial to show that sunscreen retards skin aging," Green said.

The sunscreen used in the study had a SPF of 15, which blocks about 94 percent of ultraviolet B rays. Stronger preparations have only a small additional effect; one with an SPF of 40 filters about 97.5 percent, Green told Mantel.

"The more important issue is applying the sunscreen well and reapplying it often," and you should make sure that sunscreen is broad spectrum, he said. The study also found that daily beta-carotene supplementation had no effect on skin aging.

The study shows that just 15 minutes of sun on any part of your body can age the skin, and it is never too late to start using sunscreen, said Dr. Nancy Snyderman of NBC News. Even in middle age, if you start using sunscreen, you can role back the aging of your skin, she said. Here's NBC's video clip:

Princess Health and UK joins Eastern Ky. Healthcare Coalition, giving it five hospitals .Princessiccia

Princess Health and UK joins Eastern Ky. Healthcare Coalition, giving it five hospitals .Princessiccia

Appalachia hospitals

Gusty 09:27 Add Comment

The University of Kentucky and St. Mary�s Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va., are joining the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, originally comprising Highlands Regional Medical Center of Prestonsburg, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital of Ashland and St. Claire Regional Medical Center of Morhead.

�UK HealthCare and St. Mary�s will make excellent additions to the coalition�s efforts to develop a clinically integrated network of providers to enhance the health status of our communities,�  coalition Executive Director Jim Fuzy said in a UK press release.

Although each medical center remains autonomous, the coalition promotes integration Dr. Michael Karpfto help coordinate for collective efficiencies, adapt to health reform, deal with vendor contracts and have combined health events, while increasing patient access to quality care, said the release.

"As Kentucky�s largest academic medical center, focused on providing advanced sub-specialty patient care, we at UK HealthCare are committed to improving the health of the people of Eastern Kentucky and through our collaboration with other members of the Eastern Kentucky Healthcare Coalition, we will be able to impact and improve the access and quality of care for Kentuckians,� said Dr. Michael Karpf, UK's executive vice president for health affairs.