Red Hair Question

Study finds no additional surgical risks for people with red hair.
The Chicago Tribune (12/9, Deardorff) "Julie's Health Club" blog reported that four Welsh researchers have determined that even "though redheads have a bizarre medical reputation for excessive bleeding and greater pain sensitivity, they pose no greater risk during surgery than those sporting blonde, brown, or black tresses." The study, which appears in the Dec. 9 issue of BMJ, suggested that red-haired people "are sensitive to ultraviolet light and have an increased risk of skin cancer," but that there is "no evidence" supporting claims that they bleed more or are more susceptible to developing hernias.
WebMD (12/9, DeNoon) reported that the researchers "searched the medical and anecdotal literature for evidence to support the belief" and came up empty-handed. "Despite sporadic reports to the contrary, the clinical implications of red hair...remain questionable," they concluded.

Doctor Fee Changes

House sends Medicare "doc fix" bill to Obama.
The New York Times (12/10, A22, Pear) reports, "The House gave final approval on Thursday to a bill that would avert a 25 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors by freezing reimbursement rates at current levels until the end of next year." The measure "goes now to President Obama, who hailed the action by Congress and promised to sign the legislation." The Times adds, "AARP, the lobby for older Americans, had pushed for the legislation, saying it was needed to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries could continue seeing" their physicians, many of whom "had said they would limit the number of their Medicare patients if payments were cut on Jan. 1 under a statutory formula established by Congress." Indeed, Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, president of the American Medical Association, "said doctors had 'spent this year in limbo' because of uncertainty about Medicare payments."
The AP (12/10) reports, "The House has passed and sent to President Barack Obama a bill to delay for a year an impending sharp cut in Medicare pay to doctors that threatened to disrupt care for the nation's seniors." This "action to prevent a scheduled 25 percent cut to doctors on Jan. 1 will cost an estimated $19 billion."
The Hill (12/10, Millman) reports in its Healthwatch blog, "The measure was approved in a 409-2 vote one day after the Senate approved the $19.2 billion fix by unanimous consent." The legislation "now goes to Obama's desk, after he urged Congress on Wednesday to use the next year to develop a more permanent fix to the Medicare physician rate formula," saying, "It's time for a permanent solution that seniors and their doctors can depend on, and I look forward to working with Congress to address this matter once and for all in the coming year."
CQ HealthBeat (12/10, Weyl, subscription required) explains, "The bill (HR 4994) would freeze current payment rates until Dec. 31, 2011, and would avert a 25 percent cut in the rates scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The measure also would extend several expiring Medicare programs, including protections for rural doctors and hospitals." Hitherto, "lawmakers have only been able to agree to short-term delays, often just before the extensions expired, and sometimes afterward. Physician and patient groups have urged a lengthier extension of the 'doc fix,' or permanent changes to the underlying payment formula, to provide more stability for the Medicare program," but "Democrats and Republicans have not been able to agree on how to offset the cost of those proposals."
CNNMoney (12/10, Luhby) quotes the AMA's Wilson as saying about the passage, "Stopping the steep 25% Medicare cut for one year was vital to preserve seniors' access to physician care in 2011. ... Many physicians made clear that this year's roller coaster ride, caused by five delays of this year's cut, forced them to make difficult practice changes like limiting the number of Medicare patients they could treat."
American Medical News (12/10, Silva) reports, "Numerous surveys by the American Medical Association and others have found that physicians facing Medicare pay reductions said they were less likely to accept more patients in the program, or that they might drop Medicare altogether. Those surveys said seniors view Medicare physician pay cuts as a serious problem that requires swift congressional action." Dr. Wilson is also quoted as saying, "The AMA will be working closely with congressional leadership in the new year to develop a long-term solution to this perennial Medicare problem for seniors and their physicians."
Modern Healthcare (12/10, Zigmond, subscription required) notes, "American Hospital Association President and CEO Richard Umbdenstock also hailed the move in a written statement, saying 'Congress also extended key Medicare policies that without action could have restricted access for many patients and communities in rural and other underserved areas."
Geriatrician: Medicare physician payment cuts hurt seniors most. Geriatrician Jerald Winakur writes in a Washington Post (12/10) op-ed, "The temporary fix that Congress has passed to stave off the looming 23 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements to physicians is better than nothing -- but the long-term problem remains unsolved. Lawmakers have for years kicked down the road tough choices on a critical issue -- and those who stand to suffer the most should physician pay be cut are elderly Americans." Winakur says that while he does not oppose all physician payment cuts, the "implement that is needed...however, is a scalpel, not the meat cleaver" Congress has been using. He concludes, "These days I can no longer promise my patients that I will be there when they need me. If Congress allows these unkindest of cuts to occur, the already-fragile health-care system serving our seniors will bleed."

Organized Sports

Study finds children not receiving sufficient exercise during organized sports.
NBC Nightly News (12/8, story 8, 0:30, Williams) reported that a new study "shows that kids don't get enough exercise from organized team sports." According to the findings, children on soccer, baseball, or softball teams "exercised heavily only for about 45 minutes during practice" on average; an exercise regimen that is "15 minutes less than the amount recommended by national guidelines."

New Tobacco Warnings

Surgeon general issues new tobacco warnings.
The Los Angeles Times /Orlando Sentinel (12/9, Shrieves) writes that a report set to be released Thursday by the US surgeon general has found that "any exposure" to tobacco smoke can cause immediate damage to the human body. "There is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke," Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said. "Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA, which can lead to cancer." The report also finds a minimal difference between being a light smoker and a heavy smoker. "That's because of the inflammatory processes occur at very, very low doses," said cardiologist Dr. Stanton Glantz.
The AP (12/9) notes that Thursday's report "is the 30th issued by the nation's surgeons general to warn the public about tobacco's risks," but "is unusual because it devotes more than 700 pages to detail the biology of how cigarette smoke accomplishes its dirty deeds -- including the latest genetic findings to help explain why some people become more addicted than others, and why some smokers develop tobacco-caused disease faster than others."
CNN (12/9, Young) says that the report "links smoking directly to 13 different cancers including esophagus, trachea, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix and acute myeloid leukemia." It also "ties smoking to more than a dozen chronic diseases like stroke, blindness, periodontitis, heart disease, pneumonia; reproductive problems like diminishing fertility; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and other respiratory illnesses."
The Washington Post (12/9, Stein) "Checkup" blog reports that Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the report "a stark reminder of how lethal and addictive smoking truly is." Bloomberg News (12/9, Peterson) also reported on this story.

Santa Cruz Earthquake, Oct 17, 1989

Adventures in Haiku

Begin to Last

Egg and leaf

Blowing and rolling down

Rain forgiving

Glades beginning

Sun rays form slices

Clarity shining

Windows remind

Slender plans forming now

Begin to last

Haiku-poems consist of respectively 5, 7 and 5 syllables in three units. In Japanese, this convention is a must, but in English, which has variation in the length of syllables, this can sometimes be difficult. Toyomasu.com

Steve Martin's version of haiku does not follow any of the traditional Japanese rules. He is not generally revered in Japan for his remarkable work but here in America he is one of our most respected artists. Martin created the fictional poet, John Lillison also known as, 'England's greatest one-armed poet'. He has given us two memorable poems;

Pointy Birds

Pointy Birds, O pointy birds,O pointy pointy.
Anoint my head, Anointy-nonity.

In Dillan's Grove.

In Dillan's Grove my love did die,
and now in ground shall ever lie.
None could ever replace her visage,
until your face brought thoughts of kissage.

Croquet Motocross

Our family likes to get together whenever we can and one of our family traditions is to play games in the yard. One game that we invented is a variation on the old, traditional and somewhat boring game of croquet. You remember croquet. Wooden balls, mallets and those fragile little wire hoops that the balls always bounce off of and never go through when you want them to.

Croquet motocross is a lot more fun and it is aerobic!

Object of the Game:

To be the first to hit your ball across the field, strike the wooden stake and then get back and put your ball through your own wicket before your competitors.

Rules of the Game:

1. Place all of the wickets in a line across one side of the lawn and place one of the multi colored croquet posts at the other side of the lawn.

2. A referee is stationed at the post to be sure that all players are competing fairly.

3. All contestants place their wooden balls in their own wicket and stand behind with their mallet all pointing toward the wooden stake at the far end of the field.

4. When someone shouts "Go!" all of the players hit their own ball as hard as they can toward the stake at the far end of the field.

5. All players are allowed to hit other contestants wooden balls along the way and send them off course but ultimately the goal is to hit your own ball and make the trip back over the field, hit the post with your ball and then go back and hit your own ball through your own wicket.