There’s a New Way to Find the Perfect Doctor For You

Photo: Getty Images

It turns out that those boring, confusing insurance claims are a great crowd-sourcing resource for health information. En masse, they can tell you how frequently an obstetrician-gynecologist does a Cesarean section or whether an orthopedic surgeon is really experienced at performing hip replacements.

Amino, a new consumer-targeted health care app, mines insurance claims from 188 million people to tally such trends. That’s big data: 3.9 billion claims filed by every practicing physician in the country—all 900,000 of them—since 2012. After de-identifying personal details, Amino spits out information that can help people choose a doctor with more precision. Ask the app for a breast cancer doctor in your area, for example, and it will provide you with a list from which you can drill deeper to find out how many mammogram screenings they do, how many biopsies they perform based on those screenings and how many operations like mastectomy or lumpectomy they perform.

If you have a less common condition, Amino can help find nearby doctors who have treated similar patients, says Amino’s founder David Vivero. “We’re using the data to help people learn from the decisions of 188 million people and their doctors over the course of the last few years,” Vivero says. “It captures what happens in the doctor’s office, the clinic and the lab.”

This digestion of a large database of insurance claims is only the latest example of the popularity of health care analytics, which makes sense of the reams of health care data generated by doctors, hospitals and everyone who sports a wearable monitor that records their heart rate, steps and more. Analysts predict that the big data market in health will balloon to $10-20 billion by 2020.

Amino’s first service of finding doctors will be free. Hospitals, insurers and employers may sign up to license the data, which Amino will further customize. Employers may want to know, for example, which health care fees (like obesity or heart-related services) are costing them the most; they can then create programs to address those conditions to bring costs down. Insurers may also look to see which physicians are relying on more expensive therapies and which are more cost conscious.

Eventually, Vivero hopes to mine the data in more sophisticated ways for consumers, too. For nearly every disease or condition, he says, “you can see the journey from diagnosis to the treatment for that diagnosis to produce a profile of what’s happening in doctor’s offices and hospitals across America.” That may help you to make sense of your own options when discussing your health with your doctor.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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Obama Administration Takes Aim at Epidemic of Heroin, Painkiller Abuse

By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday will announce a major new initiative aimed at fighting the ongoing epidemic of prescription painkiller and heroin abuse.

Dozens of major medical groups, leading pharmacy chains, law enforcement agencies, media outlets and anti-drug groups will take part in the nationwide effort, the White House said in a statement.

In 2016 alone, $133 million is earmarked towards the effort, the White House said.

“Prescription drug abuse and heroin use have taken a heartbreaking toll on too many Americans and their families, while straining law enforcement and treatment programs,” the White House said. The new programs are “aimed at addressing the prescription drug abuse and heroin epidemic.”

The widespread use of these so-called “opioid” drugs — pills such as Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet, along with heroin — continues unabated across the United States.

One study, reported Oct. 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, outlined the scope of the problem. It found that the rate of fatal overdoses from prescription narcotics has almost doubled — from 4.5 out of every 100,000 Americans in 2003 to 7.8 per 100,000 by 2013.

The new federal government initiative will work in partnership with dozens of groups representing “providers” — doctors and other health care staff who are gatekeepers for prescription narcotic painkillers. Some of the groups involved include the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Pain Society.

Groups like these will work with the federal government to help more than 540,000 health care workers undergo training specific to opioid prescriptions, the White House said. Another 4 million health care providers will be targeted for “awareness messaging” on better prescribing practices.

There will also be funding to double the number of health care providers certified to dispense drugs such as naloxone and buprenorphine, which help addicts wean themselves from opioids.

Major drug store chains are getting involved as well, the White House said. For example, CVS Health will now widen ease of access to naloxone across more states, and Rite Aid plans to train 6,000 more pharmacists on naloxone use over the next year. Similar efforts are underway by groups representing pharmacists nationwide.

With regard to law enforcement, police organizations nationwide are ramping up efforts to educate members about how to either prevent or spot/react to overdoses from heroin or prescription painkillers, according to the White House.

The government’s new initiative also includes reaching out to major media to get its message out to the public. For example, networks such as ABC, CBS, Turner Broadcasting, and print outlets such as The New York Times are donating $20 million in advertising space or air time to an anti-drug campaign from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, the White House said. WebMD, Medscape and the popular Dr. Oz show are also planning to devote more space and airtime to the issue.

Schools are a major focus of the campaign, so groups representing school athletics and PTAs are a prime focus of the new initiative, the White House added.

Finally, numerous government agencies — including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy — are all initiating new efforts focused on reducing prescription drug and heroin abuse.

Earlier in October, Murthy announced that his office’s first-ever Surgeon General Report on substance abuse, addiction and health is slated for publication in 2016.

In a statement released Wednesday, Dr. Patrice Harris, chair-elect of the American Medical Association, said that the group is “extremely pleased that President Obama is undertaking initiatives to halt the nation’s opioid crisis.”

“As physicians, we know that it is our responsibility to help provide a clear road map that will help bring an end to this epidemic,” Harris said. “And we are dedicated to showing the leadership our patients need and deserve to once-and-for-all bring an end to this public health crisis.”

More information

Find out more about the White House’s plans here.

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Mediterranean Diet May Keep Your Mind Healthier in Old Age

By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In news that sounds a bit like it came straight from a sci-fi thriller, researchers say that eating too much meat might shrink your brain.

On the flip side, however, eating healthy foods from the so-called Mediterranean diet may help your brain stay in good shape as you get older, the new study suggests. The researchers said that people over 65 who ate more fish, vegetables, fruit, grains and olive oil had a larger brain volume than a similar group who didn’t follow a Mediterranean diet.

“It was encouraging to see that the more you adhere to this Mediterranean diet, the more protection you get against brain atrophy [shrinkage],” said study author Yian Gu, an assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University in New York City. “For people interested in the diet and lifestyle factors leading to better health, I think this is another study consistent with previous studies that indicate the Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet,” she added.

But Gu noted that her study’s observational findings cannot prove a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between diet and brain volume. The study was only designed to find an association.

Findings from the research were published online Oct. 21 in the journal Neurology.

Previous research has linked the Mediterranean diet to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the study said. The diet stresses the consumption of vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), fruits, cereals, fish and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, the study authors said. The eating plan also includes a low intake of meat, poultry, saturated fats and dairy products, as well as mild to moderate amounts of alcohol, according to the researchers.

For the study, Gu and her colleagues split 674 adults into two groups based on how closely their diets aligned with the Mediterranean diet. Their average age was 80 years. All participants underwent MRI scans of their brains to measure total brain volume and thickness. They also completed questionnaires about their food choices and eating patterns.

The researchers found that brain volumes of those who didn’t follow a Mediterranean diet were smaller than those who did. The difference was minor in overall size — equated to about five years of aging, the study authors said.

But, more specifically, the investigators found that eating more fish and less meat was associated with even less brain shrinkage.

Gu said scientists don’t yet know exactly why the Mediterranean diet seems healthier for the brain. However, other research has established that a higher intake of fish and vegetables and a lower intake of meat are beneficial for brain cell growth, she said.

Dr. Joseph Masdeu, director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital, praised the research as “an elegant way of looking at this [issue].”

Masdeu, who wasn’t involved in the research, said, “I think the take-home message is clear . . . a diet containing less meat and perhaps more fish is good for you. There are negative studies [focusing on] the Mediterranean diet as well, but several confirming a positive effect. So it’s tentative, but it’s the strongest preventive approach we have [promoting brain health] together with exercise.”

Using the study findings, Gu contended that eating at least 3 to 5 ounces of fish weekly, or no more than 3.5 ounces of meat each day, could protect the brain from shrinkage.

She acknowledged that study participants may have inaccurately recalled their food consumption habits in the questionnaires used.

“We asked people to recall their past dietary habits, so that’s prone to recall bias,” she said.

Dr. Malaz Boustani, a spokesperson for the American Federation for Aging Research, said the new study provided “very good messaging” for the public.

“This is an encouraging study that will really make us work harder to see how we can actually encourage people . . . to change their diet to accommodate the Mediterranean diet,” said Boustani, also founding director of the Sandra Eskenazi Center for Brain Care Innovation at Indiana University. “It makes it very easy for people to do the right thing.”

More information

The American Heart Association has more about the Mediterranean diet.

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Ultrasound Might Speed Up Digestive Drug Delivery: Animal Study

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Ultrasound waves could be used to rapidly deliver drugs to the digestive system, new animal research suggests.

This new approach to drug delivery might potentially benefit people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. However, this new method of drug delivery hasn’t yet been tested in humans.

“With additional research, our technology could prove invaluable in both clinical and research settings, enabling improved therapies and expansion of research techniques applied to the [gastrointestinal] tract,” said co-senior study author Daniel Blankschtein, a professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge.

“[Our study] demonstrates for the first time the active administration of drugs, including biologics, through the GI tract,” he said in an MIT news release.

The ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery method was first tried in a pig gastrointestinal tract. The method significantly improved absorption of both insulin (a large protein), and mesalamine (a smaller-molecule drug), which is often used to treat colitis, the researchers said.

Follow-up tests showed that colitis symptoms in mice could be reduced by delivering mesalamine followed by one second of ultrasound every day for two weeks. There was no improvement when the drug was delivered without ultrasound.

The researchers also found that ultrasound-enhanced delivery of insulin lowered blood sugar levels in pigs, the study showed.

Findings were published Oct. 21 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

While research on animals often fails to pan out in humans, further animal studies are being conducted in order to prepare for possible testing in human patients.

Currently, drugs to treat IBD are administered as an enema. The drugs must then remain in the colon for hours while the drug is absorbed. However, this can be difficult for patients suffering from diarrhea and incontinence.

The drug would still need to be administered as an enema, but with the use of ultrasound, the hope is that the drug would be absorbed faster, the researchers suggested.

Study co-senior author Dr. Giovanni Traverso, a research affiliate at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, and a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in the news release, “We’re not changing how you administer the drug. What we are changing is the amount of time that the formulation needs to be there, because we’re accelerating how the drug enters the tissue.”

This technique may also offer a new way of administering drugs for colon cancer or infections of the gastrointestinal tract, the researchers said.

More information

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America has more about treatments for inflammatory bowel disease.

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Being Mindful May Guard Against Belly Fat

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Being self-aware may help reduce your risk of obesity, a new study contends.

Researchers looked at more than 400 people in New England and found that those with higher levels of what is known as dispositional mindfulness — an awareness and attention to current feelings and thoughts — had less belly fat. They were also less likely to be obese than those with lower levels of such mindfulness.

Specifically, people with low levels of this type of self-awareness were 34 percent more likely to be obese and to have a bit more than a pound of belly fat than those with higher levels of self-awareness, the investigators found.

The study was published Oct. 19 in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Dispositional mindfulness is not the same as meditation, the Brown University researchers explained.

“This is everyday mindfulness,” study author Eric Loucks, an assistant professor of epidemiology, said in a university news release. “The vast majority of these people are not meditating.”

Previous research has shown that mindfulness can help people overcome cravings for unhealthy foods, and it may also help people overcome their reluctance to start exercising, Loucks added.

“That’s where the mindfulness may come in. Being aware of each and every moment and how that’s related to what we do and how we feel,” he explained.

While the effects of mindfulness on weight and belly fat are significant, they are not huge, the scientists said.

“Awareness seems to be enough to have a small to medium effect. Then there is the question of what could we do to increase it,” Loucks said.

He pointed out that this study found an association, but did not prove that higher mindfulness levels actually cause weight loss. Further research is needed to determine if that’s the case.

Loucks’ next study will examine whether mindfulness helps people adhere to doctor-prescribed healthy lifestyle regimens, such as changing eating habits or getting more exercise.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how to prevent weight gain.

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Many Seniors Given Antipsychotic Meds, Despite Potential Problems

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Antipsychotic drug use in American seniors increases with age, a new study cautions.

The researchers found that the percentage of people aged 80 to 84 who received a prescription for an antipsychotic drug was twice that of people aged 65 to 69. This increase is occurring despite the known risks of serious side effects such as stroke, kidney damage, and death, they added.

“The results of the study suggest a need to focus on new ways to treat the underlying causes of agitation and confusion in the elderly,” study author Dr. Mark Olfson, from the College of Physicians and Surgeons and Columbia University in New York City, said in a news release from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

“The public health community needs to give greater attention to targeted environmental and behavioral treatments rather than medications,” he added.

The investigators reviewed the use of antipsychotics between 2006 and 2010. They found that about half of seniors who used antipsychotics, used the drugs more than 120 days in a year.

Antipsychotics are appropriate for treating certain mental disorders, the researchers said. But, more than three-quarters of seniors given a prescription for such drugs in 2010 had no documented mental disorder diagnosis that year, the study found.

For those who did have a diagnosed mental disorder and/or dementia, nearly half had dementia and received antipsychotics although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that the drugs increase the risk of death in dementia patients.

“Typically, psychiatrists are more familiar with the properties of antipsychotic medications. However, about half of the people age 65 to 69 and only one fifth of those age 80 to 84 who were treated with antipsychotics received any of these prescriptions from psychiatrists,” study co-author Michael Schoenbaum, from NIMH said in the news release.

The study was funded by NIMH and published Oct. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about mental health medications.

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The Dynamic Warm-Up You Aren’t Doing (But Should!)

Photo: Getty Images

The following moves come to you from DailyBurn 365 trainer Gregg Cook. To try his complete workouts, head to DailyBurn.com/365.

Ever launch into a workout prematurely, only to become hyper-aware of every…single…ache and pain in your body? (Slowly raises hand.) Because when time is short, it’s natural to want to jump right in and skip your warm-up. But don’t! Many studies show your strength, mobility and speed might suffer.

RELATED: The 5 Keys to a Perfect Warm-Up

Enter: DailyBurn 365’s mobility guru Gregg Cook, and the eight-minute dynamic warm-up he lives by in preparation for every workout. These seven moves will keep you loose, mobile and ready to take on just about any sweat session, whether it’s True Beginner, Black Fire or just about anything in between.

According to Cook, his signature warm-up is a “gentle, joint-by-joint progression that’s great for anyone just getting up in the morning or someone’s who has been sitting at a desk all day.” In both situations, he explains, you’re left with tight, stiff joints that need dynamic stretching to relax a bit.

“With these seven key moves, you’ll warm and prep your muscles, tendons, joints and fascia for your upcoming workout, in addition to practicing fundamental movement patterns and increasing mobility within those patterns,” Cook says. So don’t expect to hold a quad stretch for minutes on end. In this style of warm-up, the goal is to “move in all planes of motion, with an emphasis on increased range of motion,” he says. Better mobility, better workout, better results, right?

RELATED: 5 Essential Benefits of Mobility Training

Your 8-Minute Dynamic Warm-Up

1. Shoulder Rolls
Kick tension to the curb by rotating shoulders in big, circular motions; first forward, then back. Be sure to stand tall while keeping your upper body relaxed.

2. Chest Openers
Keep your core engaged and chest wide open as you counteract any hunching (like if you sit at a desk all day) with this stretch-strengthening combo move.

3. Lateral Reaches
This long reach, completed on each side, give you a deep stretch through the rib cage and down to the hip. Avoid collapsing on the downswing!

RELATED: Short on Time? Your 6-Minute Ab Workout

4. Standing Hip Rotations
Get your heart-rate and keep knees bent as you reach across your body, loosening your obliques while getting your heart rate up.

5. Sumo Squats
Activate your entire lower body with this wide-stance take on the traditional squat. Since you drop lower, it also requires you to work your core — and focus on your balance.

6. Runner’s Stretch
Getting deep into your hips — as well as your hamstrings — keeps the movement fluid. For a greater challenge, start with your back leg raised.

7. Mini Fencer to Crab Reach
The first part of this stretch focuses on activating your lower body — just make sure the activated knee is ahead of the toe. Then, reach under to engage your shoulders and lats, finishing the move with twist to open the chest.

Can’t get enough of these moves? Head to DailyBurn.com/365 for new workouts every day, live at 9 a.m. ET.

All GIFs: Courtesy of DailyBurn 365

More from Life by DailyBurn:

3 Quick HIIT Workouts for Beginners

5 Better Ways to Sculpt a Stronger Butt

13 Quick and Easy Protein Shake Recipes

Life by DailyBurn is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength or de-stress, a better you is well within reach. Get more health and fitness tips at Life by DailyBurn.

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Celebrity Makeup Artist Gives Us the History of Beauty in Under 7 Minutes

Lisa Eldridge has created masterful beauty looks for A-list celebrities like Kate Winslet, Cara Delevingne and Keira Knightley, but she doesn’t only know her way around a modern-day beauty bag, she’s got the history of makeup down pat as well.

Eldridge is launching her book FacePaint: The Story of Makeup, and to promote the launch she created a mesmerizing video of just about every beauty look dating back to the days of Cleopatra. It’s fascinating to watch looks evolve and also note where some current trends may have gotten their origins.

 

Who knew a Grecian goddess favored a unibrow or that 16th century aristocrats were all about the bright red blush?

Not only is this a fun little history lesson, it also provides some Halloween inspo, if you’re still looking or a beauty look that will work as a costume. We’re totally digging the silent film era look.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

More from MIMI:

A History of the Selfie Only 20-Somethings Would Understand

How a Nagging Mom Made Beauty History

MIMI Chatter is an endless stream of beauty content. We bring together the must-knows and the how-tos from your favorite sites, beauty influencers, our editors, and YOU.

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A Super-Simple Strength Routine to Soothe Your Aching Back

When dealing with an aching back, the last thing you feel like doing is a workout, I know. But when it comes to back pain, gentle exercise really is the best medicine. Studies show it can work about as well as physical therapy for injuries, and that a strengthening program for your core may actually help you alleviate minor back pain for good.

Below you will find a super simple routine to help protect your back from pain. You’ll want to work this circuit into any strength-training you’re already doing—repeat the circuit three times, and do it twice a week.

(Important: If you’re dealing with shooting pains or an acute back injury, check with your doctor before you start any exercise routine, including this one.)

RELATED: 9 Best Workouts to Do When You Have Your Period

Dead bug

Lie on your back and place your feet in the air at a 90 degree angle with your lower back pressed into the floor. From here lower your right heel and tap the ground. Then bring it back to neutral position. Then lower the left. Alternate for 20 reps before moving to the next exercise.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your feet placed firmly on the ground and your knees bent. Keeping your hands at your sides and your core tight, squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips off the floor as high as you can. Hold for 1-2 seconds before lowering back down. Repeat for 20 reps.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

Superman

Lie on your stomach with your arms above your head and legs straight out behind you. In one movement, lift your arms and legs off the floor as high as you can, squeezing your glutes and thighs, as well as your back. Hold for 1-2 seconds before lowering back down to the floor. Repeat for 20 reps.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

RELATED: The Jillian Michaels Circuit Workout

Pelvic tilt

Just like the hip bridge, lie on your back with your feet placed firmly on the ground and your knees bent. Keeping your hands at your sides and your core tight, squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips off the floor as high as you can. From here, you will pulse up and down without coming back fully down to the floor. Complete 30 pulses before lowering back to the floor.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

Wall squat

Find a sturdy wall and lean up against it with your back. Squat down until your hips are parallel with your knees. Make sure your knees are straight above your toes, keeping your legs at a 90 degree angle. Hold for 1 minute.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

Do you want more articles like this? Check out 5 Moves to Work Your Abs From All Angles

Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, entrepreneur and best-selling author of the new book, Strong is the New Skinny. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW’s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants’ to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show, Extra, The Doctors and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and on Pinterest.

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Zendaya Slams Magazine for Seriously Slimming Her Hips and Thighs in Photos

Nineteen-year-old actress and singer Zendaya took a powerful stand Tuesday night after a magazine severely re-touched images of her.

After seeing the outcome of a recent photo shoot for L.A.-based fashion magazine Modeliste, she was totally taken aback: “Had a new shoot come out today and was shocked when I found my 19-year-old hips and torso quite manipulated,” the Disney star wrote in an Instagram post, along with a before-and-after pic of her obviously Photoshopped body.

RELATED: Misty Copeland Gets Candid About Body Image Issues

The image is troubling and serves as a reminder of our society’s obsession with an unattainable body type. After all, if the already super-slim actress had to be manipulated for print, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Luckily Zendaya wasn’t having any of it. “These are the things that make women self-conscious. That create the unrealistic ideals of beauty that we have,” she wrote.

No doubt thanks to her stand, the magazine announced they would swap the retouched photo for the original image, and Zendaya thanked them via Instagram for fixing it. Modeliste released a statement on the brand’s Instagram stating the unedited photos will be released on their website later today:

 

While these incidents are frustrating, it’s comforting to know awesome young women like Zendaya aren’t going to put up with this nonsense. “Anyone who knows who I am knows I stand for honest and pure self-love,” said.

RELATED: 5 Times Ronda Rousey Seriously Inspired Us

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