Support Chiropractic Research!
FacebookX

John Wiens DC

About John Wiens DC

Dr Wiens created the very first chiropractic information page on the web in Nov 1994. In 1995 he joined chiro.org as chief designer. He lives in Canada.

Steps Set for Livestock Antibiotic Ban

By |March 24, 2012|Public Health|

Source NY Times

The Obama administration must warn drug makers that the government may soon ban agricultural uses of some popular antibiotics that many scientists say encourage the proliferation of dangerous infections and imperil public health, a federal magistrate judge ruled on Thursday.

The order, issued by Judge Theodore H. Katz of the Southern District of New York, effectively restarts a process that the Food and Drug Administration began 35 years ago, but never completed, intended to prevent penicillin and tetracycline, widely used antibiotics, from losing their effectiveness in humans because of their bulk use in animal feed to promote growth in chickens, pigs and cattle.

The order comes two months after the Obama administration announced restrictions on agricultural uses of cephalosporins, a critical class of antibiotics that includes drugs like Cefzil and Keflex, which are commonly used to treat pneumonia, strep throat and skin and urinary tract infections.

Siobhan DeLancey, an F.D.A. spokeswoman, would not say whether the government planned to appeal. “We are studying the opinion and considering appropriate next steps,” she said.

In a separate move, the F.D.A. is expected to issue draft rules within days that ask drug makers to voluntarily end the use of antibiotics in animals without the oversight of a veterinarian. (more…)

Read More
 3

WHO Focuses on Aging Population for World Health Day

By |March 12, 2012|Research|

Between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will double from about 11 percent to 22 percent.

Source Occupational Health and Safety

One of the biggest social transformations is population aging. Soon, the world will have more older people than children and more people of very old age than ever before. The World Health Organization is focusing on aging and health for World Health Day on April 7.

The world will have more people who live to see their 80s or 90s than ever before. The number of people aged 80 years or older, for example, will have almost quadrupled to 395 million between 2000 and 2050. There is no historical precedent for a majority of middle-aged and older adults having living parents, as is already the case today. More children will know their grandparents and even their great-grandparents.

With that in mind Chiropractic and Manual Therapy has just published the first paper in a thematic series on chiropractic care in older adults. This thematic series provides an overview of current best evidence in key aspects of evaluation and management of chiropractic care for older adults. Individual articles address the magnitude of musculo-skeletal problems in the elderly population, diagnostic challenges for chiropractors and other manual therapists seeing elderly patients, the evidence for chiropractic and manual therapy in the care of the elderly and also imaging modalities for musculo-skeletal disorders in the elderly including utility, validity and cost.

You can download the provisional pdf here.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More
 3

The CCE and Section 602.13

By |January 24, 2012|Guidelines|

 As has been (not so) widely reported, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) of the US Department of Education met on December 14, 2011 to consider the Council on Chiropractic Education’s petition for renewal of recognition. The process of continuing the recognition of an existing agency is generally unremarkable, often requiring only 15 minutes or so of discussion.

This proceeding involving CCE was anything but routine, with four hours of public comments, agency responses, and deliberations. In the end the Department of Education staff identified over 40 compliance issues that the CCE needs to address within the next year. These areas of deficiency exceeded the norm for re-accreditation violations. Chairman Wickes referred to the quantity of citations as “an embarrassing number.” The CCE expects an official letter from NACIQI approximately 90 days from the hearing date and they expect to be granted a maximum of 12 months from the date of this document to address the identified deficiencies. The Council predicts a deadline of March 2013 to complete a compliance report to NACIQI’s committee liaison.

Following overwhelming written and oral testimony to the committee expressing concerns about the CCE from the profession at large, the NACIQI added the following statement: “In addition to the numerous issues identified in the staff report, NACIQI asks the agency to demonstrate compliance with Section 602.13 dealing with the wide acceptance of its standards, policies, procedures, and decisions; and to address how its standards advance quality in chiropractic education.” (more…)

Read More
 15

Nutrition: 4 Vitamins That Strengthen Older Brains

By |January 6, 2012|Nutrition|

Source NY Times

Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E are associated with better mental functioning in the elderly, a new study has found.

Researchers measured blood levels of these nutrients in 104 men and women, whose average age was 87. The scientists also performed brain scans to determine brain volume and administered six commonly used tests of mental functioning. The study is in the Jan. 24 issue of Neurology.

After controlling for age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index and other factors, the researchers found that people with the highest blood levels of the four vitamins scored higher on the cognitive tests and had larger brain volume than those with the lowest levels.

Omega-3 levels were linked to better cognitive functioning and to healthier blood vessels in the brain, but not to higher brain volume, which suggests that these beneficial fats may improve cognition by a different means.

Higher blood levels of trans fats, on the other hand, were significantly associated with impaired mental ability and smaller brain volume.

The lead author, Gene L. Bowman, a researcher in neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, said that the study could not determine whether taking supplements of these nutrients would decrease the risk for dementia. But he added: “What’s the harm in eating healthier? Fish, fruits, vegetables all have these nutrients, and staying away from trans fats is one key thing you can do.”

Read More
 3

Doctors Going Broke

By |January 6, 2012|Health Care|

Source CNN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Doctors in America are harboring an embarrassing secret: Many of them are going broke.

This quiet reality, which is spreading nationwide, is claiming a wide range of casualties, including family physicians, cardiologists and oncologists.

Industry watchers say the trend is worrisome. Half of all doctors in the nation operate a private practice. So if a cash crunch forces the death of an independent practice, it robs a community of a vital health care resource.

“A lot of independent practices are starting to see serious financial issues,” said Marc Lion, CEO of Lion & Company CPAs, LLC, which advises independent doctor practices about their finances.

Doctors list shrinking insurance reimbursements, changing regulations, rising business and drug costs among the factors preventing them from keeping their practices afloat. But some experts counter that doctors’ lack of business acumen is also to blame.

Loans to make payroll: Dr. William Pentz, 47, a cardiologist with a Philadelphia private practice, and his partners had to tap into their personal assets to make payroll for employees last year. “And we still barely made payroll last paycheck,” he said. “Many of us are also skimping on our own pay.”

Pentz said recent steep 35% to 40% cuts in Medicare reimbursements for key cardiovascular services, such as stress tests and echocardiograms, have taken a substantial toll on revenue. “Our total revenue was down about 9% last year compared to 2010,” he said. (more…)

Read More
 3
Copyright 1995 - Chiropractic Resource Organization | All Rights Reserved | Powered by Chirowebs.net | Disclaimer
FacebookX