Friday, July 18, 2008 

Laparoscopic gastric bypass provides better results (Reuters)

Reuters - Performing gastric bypass surgery buy bulk dehydroepiandrosterone reduce the weight of morbidly obese patients using a laparoscopic method, rather than the conventional more invasive "open" abdominal method, reduces postoperative complications, the need for a second operation, and shortens hospital stays, new research shows. Nevertheless, laparoscopic gastric bypass is more expensive.

Most students continue their education after high school graduation by enrolling in college. Many insurance plans carried by parents fail to cover their children after they reach the age of 20. This can be a real headache if the child is a full time student with no job and no insurance. Now many colleges offer health insurance plans for students, but you must decide if one of these plans will suit your needs.

The perception that a number of people hold regarding college health insurance is untrue. The benefits vary significantly between universities. Furthermore, although these plans usually offer free preventive healthcare and routine office visits, the student will be required to remit the cost of lab studies, as well as the fee for any specialist visit. Furthermore, in most cases, only services offered at the university health center will be fully covered. If a doctor outside the center must be seen, the student experience a decrease in coverage up to 70%, as well as face a high deductible.

If you have a pre-existing condition, then you may have a problem with getting treatment at the college health center. Having a pre-existing illness or disability does not mean that you will be disqualified for obtaining a college health insurance plan, but you may not be able to get treatment for that pre-existing illness. This can lead to a number of problems if a new problem arises and is a product of a pre-existing illness.

All plans are different, so be sure you find out everything you can about your college's plan. Be sure to check if you or your child will be covered during summer break when students are not taking classes. This is important because you don't want to have an accident and find out that the insurance becomes inactive when they are not in class. Many colleges have coverage during summer break, but some do not.

It is important to understand your health insurance plan. You will need to know if you have an HMO or if you are able to go to any provider. It is nice to know this so that in case of an emergency you will not have to worry about this. You do not want to have a large medical bill because you went to a provider that your insurance did not cover.

When considering health insurance for college students, a most useful strategy is to go to the internet and utilize the variety of online services that offer instant health insurance quotes. Usually these services will ask for only a limited amount of information regarding the student before generating quotes. After the data is entered, the services will almost instantaneously offer several plans that the shopper can compare to determine which premium offers the greatest value for the type of coverage required.

You must consider many factors before deciding whether or not to purchase college health insurance. The insurance does cost money up front but you will save if you need it to cover expenses incurred from an accident or illness. Study the insurance plan carefully before you buy and decide if it is right for you.

Quote comparisons of health insurance for college students is easier than ever. Receive up to 5 FREE instant health insurance quotes from national health insurance companies by completing our short 4-minute form! Just a few minutes of time now could save you thousands of dollars in just the next couple years!

 

Donor kidneys removed with single bellybutton cut (AP)

An illustration provided by the Cleveland Clinic showing surgery to  remove donor kidneys through a single bellybutton incision. The Cleveland Clinic has pioneered surgery to  remove donor kidneys through a single bellybutton incision, providing hope for almost no scarring and reduced recovery time for people providing transplant organs. (AP Photo/Joseph A Pangrace, The Cleveland Clinic)AP - Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it.

This article discusses vitamin B12 and most of the reported side effects of taking B12. It also outlines some of the medical conditions that taking B12 may exacerbate.

Background

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluable vitamin needed for normal cell activity. It is a part of a group of cobalt containing B complex vitamins, which are also known as cobalamins. Like other B vitamins, vitamin B12is important for metabolism. It also helps in the formation of red blood cells and in maintaining the central nervous system. It is found in most foods which come from animal products including liver, fish, shell fish, meat and dairy products.

Side Effects

The good news is that vitamin B 12 is usually non-toxic, even when taken in large doses. However, people have experienced some adverse effects, even though these side effects are quite rare. Generally, when vitamin B12 supplements are taken orally then there is little chance of side effects occurring. Some people choose to take vitamin B12 administered with an injection. This type of ingestion as been associated with the following side effects:

mild diarrhoea
anxiety and panic attacks
heart palpitations
insomnia
breathing problems
chest pain
skin rash, hives or itchy swollen skin

Some health professionals believe that patients buy pure n-acetyl l-tyrosine nutritional powder these reactions not because of the B12, but because of the preservatives that are part of the injection formula. Currently, most injections contain preservatives. To be on the safe side, it is probably better to take B12 orally.

Medical Conditions

Other side effects may be experienced by people who have an allergy or a sensitive to cobalamin and cobalt. If this is the case, then it is advisable to avoid vitamin B12 supplementation altogether and instead seek to eat the foods that contain naturally occurring B12. In addition B12 should be avoided by people suffering from Leber's disease, a hereditary disease in which the optic nerve wastes away. Ingesting vitamin B12 can actually speed up the atrophy of the optic nerve resulting in rapid loss of central vision.

There is also evidence to suggest that patients who have undergone heart surgery and received coronary stents may have an increased risk of the artery narrowing again when they take vitamin B12. A small risk, but one to bear in mind.

On a positive note, pregnant and breastfeeding women can take vitamin B12 quite confidently when it is taken orally in amounts not exceeding the recommended daily allowance (2.6 mcg/day if pregnant and 2.8 mcg/day if breastfeeding)

As can be seen, vitamin B12 is a relatively safe vitamin with very few adverse side effects even when taken in large doses. More problems than not arise from B12 deficiency than they do from ingestion of the vitamin itself.

Click on the link for more information on a huge array of vitamin related topics.