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Maturity Helps Boost Self-Control A study published in Current Biology revealed that the ability to control impulses, make good decisions, and stay on task all increased over time. The study consisted of roughly 900 subjects from the ages of eight to 22. The results of the study show that abilities such as running or seeing are well developed by the time a person is eight years old, but that the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses doesn’t develop well until they are in their 20’s. The development of such self-control is known as executive function. One of the goals of the study was to determine how the brain changes as executive function develops. Researchers used diffusion imaging to observe the fibers making up the information highways of the brain. They discovered two things: Information highways in the brain cluster into modules that perform specialized functions, such as impulse control. The connections between those modules become stronger. These two changes allow information to flow more efficiently throughout the brain’s network. The more efficiently the brain is able to process information, the stronger a person’s executive function will become. While this study revealed enlightening information about how the brain functions and develops, the study itself was not without its limitations. Although there was a large study group, the observations of these subjects were not made over time. New studies that will explore the maturation of the brain and the development of executive function plan to rectify these limitations. The ability to identify the development of executive control could also allow medical professionals to identify individuals at risk of developing psychiatric or substance abuse disorders in the future. For more health-related news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Studying Fitness Trackers Euan Ashley, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center, and several colleagues studied seven types of fit trackers, comparing them to the official tests that doctors use to determine the accuracy of the data that they collect. They focused on two metrics that fitness trackers record: heart rate and calories burned. To determine how accurately fit trackers recorded the user’s heart rate, they compared it to an EKG (electrocardiogram). According to the study, the fit trackers ability to record the user’s heart rate was relatively accurate; most devices were only off by roughly five percent. When it came to calories burned, however, the fit trackers were highly inaccurate. The calories burned reported by fit trackers were compared to a scientific system of calculating metabolism. This system measures the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the breath of a person to determine how many calories are being burned. Compared to this system, fit trackers were anywhere from 20 percent to 93 percent inaccurate. Unfortunately, not only does this mean that the data tracked by fit trackers is not accurate enough to be relied on by medical professionals, users probably shouldn’t be basing their exercise goals on them either. The inaccuracy of the calories burned metric could fool users into undermining their diet and sabotaging their fitness goals. While fitness trackers do track certain metrics accurately, such as steps taken and heart rate, users shouldn’t rely on them heavily due to some of their inaccuracies. Keep up with all the latest news concerning health technology by visiting us at The Benefits Store today.

The Risks of Not Getting Enough Sleep Numerous studies have shown that getting enough sleep on a regular basis is important to one’s health. A lack of sleep can lead to an increased risk for obesity, high blood pressure, poor mental health, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even an earlier death. There’s also the short-term effects caused by a lack of sleep. People are more likely to be in a bad mood and to be unproductive the next day without a good night’s sleep. How much sleep a person needs, however, depends on their age. According to the Sleep Research Society and The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the following is roughly the amount of sleep a person should get depending on their age: Adults between 18 and 60 should get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Teens between 13 and 18 should get between eight and ten hours of sleep a night. Children between six and 12 should get between nine and 12 hours of sleep a night. Preschool children between three and five should get between 10 and 13 hours of sleep every 24 hours. Toddlers between one and two should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours. Infants between four and 12 months should get between 12 and 16 hours of sleep every 24 hours. In addition to getting enough sleep, people should focus on getting good quality sleep. Certain sleep disorders can cause poor sleep, even for those who are sleeping long enough. For more health-related advice and information, be sure to keep up with The Benefits Store today.

The Cost of California’s Single-Payer Healthcare The report was released by the state Senate Appropriations Committee. About half of that $400 billion would be offset by existing federal, state, and local funds. However, the other half would have to be accounted for with additional tax revenue from California residents. The report assumed that this tax revenue would be raised through a new payroll tax. This added tax rate could be upwards of 15 percent of earned income. While this may seem like a substantial cost to Californians, the report did note that these new payroll taxes would be largely offset by the amount of money saved on healthcare coverage by both employees and employers. Proponents for a California single-payer healthcare system argue that the system would not only make healthcare more affordable for California residents, but also more efficient since it would eliminate the need for as much paperwork as the current healthcare insurance system typically requires. Proponents also bring up Medicare, which is a federally funded healthcare program for seniors, as a model of how a single-payer healthcare system could work. However, there are still opponents of single-payer healthcare, who argue that it would raise taxes too much and that it would give the government too much power. A single-payer healthcare system could very well work in California, although there are still some detractors. To keep up with all the latest news within the healthcare industry, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Despite the anti-vaccer agenda, there has still been some US vaccination success, with 90 percent of children having received their recommended vaccinations for polio, chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella in 2015 according to a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Unfortunately, other vaccination rates fell below their target. Vaccination Rates Drop Short of Herd Immunity Herd immunity is the term used for the resistance of a population to the spread of disease. This results when a large percentage of people are immune. Unfortunately, vaccination rates for several serious diseases did not reach the level of herd immunity. Vaccination rates for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus were only at 80 percent according to the CDC. Additionally, vaccination rates for hepatitis B and the gastrointestinal disease rotavirus were only at 89 percent and 68 percent. There have also been a number of outbreaks over the course of the last few years of diseases such as pertussis and measles, both of which are preventable through vaccinations. For example, in 2015 there were 229 cases of Mumps. Last year, there were 5,748 cases of mumps. Dozens of children were infected with the measles this year as well – even after the measles virus was declared eliminated back in 2000. Improving the Vaccination Rate One state that has proven a US vaccination success is California, where the vaccination rate has increased after the state made it more difficult for parents to opt out of vaccination compliance. For example, after the pertussis outbreak in Marin County three years ago, the vaccination rate for kindergarteners rose from 77.9 to 93.2 percent. Although there has been some US vaccination success, the vaccination rate hasn’t quite met herd immunity as of recently. That’s why vaccination awareness is so important. To keep up with all California health-related news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Trump’s negotiation tactics Trump recently threatened to stop payments for the ACA’s cost-sharing reductions in an attempt to get Democrats to negotiate a healthcare law replacement. Such tactics could end up disrupting the insurance markets, not to mention could cause people to lose coverage. Around 60 percent of the American public disapproves of these tactics. Roughly 82 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Democrats disapprove, while 67 percent of Republicans approve. The ACA’s favorability Around 48 percent of Americans view the ACA as favorable compared to the 42 percent that view it unfavorably. However, 51 percent of the public still want a plan to repeal and replace the ACA. Healthcare priorities Repealing and replacing the ACA is not the number-one priority for most Americans. Instead, priorities include lowering healthcare costs and lowering prescription drug costs. However, 25 percent of Republicans believe that repealing the ACA should be the top priority. The future of the ACA Following the initial failure to repeal and replace the ACA, around 74 percent of Americans believe that the current administration should do what they can to make the current ACA law work. Around 64 percent believe that Trump and the Republicans are responsible for any problems that occur with the ACA from here on out. Healthcare funding Few Americans want to see healthcare funding cut as lawmakers negotiate the current federal budget. Only 21 percent of Americans want to reduce spending for reproductive health services for lower-income women and 24 percent believe Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services should cease. These are some of the key findings of the Kaiser health tracking poll. For all ACA-related news, be sure to keep visiting The Benefits Store.

Millions of surgeries are performed to replace worn-out knees and hips each year, and experts believe such operations will only increase substantially over the next couple of decades. To ensure that the surgery is a success, it’s recommended that patients spend time recovering at home directly following the operation. Recovering at Home Following Joint Surgery The majority of patients who undergo some sort of knee or hip surgery tend to recover without any type of complication if they go directly home following the operation instead of spending time at a rehab facility. This should come as good news for those about to go into surgery since recovering at home is a lot less expensive than recovering in a rehab facility. Many patients are sent to rehab facilities after undergoing replacement on both hips or knees or who have serious underlying health conditions. While some of these patients may benefit from inpatient rehabilitation, a new recovery study reveals that patients who go directly home instead can recover just as well – if not better. The study showed that patients who perform exercise recovery programs from the comfort of their own home recover just as well as those that spend ten days in a rehab facility. The study consisted of 252 patients, 81 of whom underwent knee replacement surgery and received ten days of inpatient rehab followed by a home-based recovery program lasting eight weeks. 84 patients performed all their rehab at home, while 87 patients acted as a nonrandomized observation group that performed only home-based rehab. Six months after the operation, the study found that there was no difference in recovery between patients that got inpatient rehab and those that recovered at home. Patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery can recover at home just as well as at an inpatient rehab facility. For more health-related news, visit The Benefits Store today.

The study was the very first hepatocellular carcinoma study of a liver-directed therapy against systemic chemotherapy. The results of the trial were showcased this year at the International Liver Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands. According to the leading investigator of the trial, Professor Valerie Vilgrain, sorafenib has been the go-to treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. She stated that even though the treatment has been proven effective at extending patients’ survival compared to a placebo, the treatment also resulted in side effects that diminished their quality of life. The way that selective internal radiation therapy works is that it delivers internal radiation directly to the liver tumors through the hepatic artery. This form of treatment only requires two total treatments, whereas sorafenib is provided via a tablet that’s taken twice a day. Until now, sorafenib was the only treatment available for advanced liver cancer. Over the course of the trial, the liver cancer patients/subjects’ quality of life was measured every three months using a questionnaire. The results clearly showed that patients treated with selective internal radiation therapy had a substantially better quality of life than patients that were being treated with sorafenib. These patients were also more likely to maintain their health status over time. Although certain treatments can extend the life of individuals suffering from serious diseases, such as liver cancer, diminishing the quality of life in order to extend it isn’t a fair tradeoff. It’s why researchers are hopeful that selective internal radiation therapy can become an effective alternative to sorafenib for liver cancer patients. New medical advancements are being made every day to improve people’s lives. To keep up-to-date with such medical advancements, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Staying positive reduces stress – People who are positive tend to be less stressed out. Stress can have a negative impact on one’s immune system and energy levels, which can affect the overall health of a person, reducing the risk of depression. Staying positive reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease – Several studies have shown that people with more optimism are at a lower risk of heart disease or failure than those who are pessimistic. Staying positive is linked to lower cholesterol levels – A study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health revealed participants who scored as being optimistic on their test tended to have higher levels of good cholesterol. Staying positive makes it easier to cope – People who are have a positive outlook on life have a stronger ability to cope with a worse turn in luck – such as developing a disease. By being able to cope with an illness better, it will have less of a negative impact on their life. Staying positive allows the enjoyment of life – Being positive won’t cure certain diseases, but it can give the person the ability to enjoy their life as they are living it – even while they are sick. Imagine having been negative for ten years while ill, only to have the illness disappear! That’s ten years of one’s life that was spent in misery when it could have been enjoyed. These are just five reasons why a positive outlook on life is so important to one’s health. For all the latest health-related news and advice, be sure to stay up to date with The Benefits Store.

The Importance of Healthcare American healthcare is more important than it’s ever been. In 2012, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), announced the current generation of children and young adults here in the U.S. would be the first generation to experience fewer healthy years of life as well as shorter life spans than their parents. In 2015, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), reported that the average American life expectancy went down for the first time in over 20 years. These recent discoveries on the state of American health are worrisome, to say the least. In order to ensure the U.S. moves in the right direction to help improve the health of Americans, there are three things that must be done: Americans will need better access to health insurance – Although the Affordable Care Act managed to help insure an additional 20 million Americans, there are currently still 28 million people who are uninsured as of 2015. The country has to invest more in health and prevention – Around 75 percent of healthcare costs are related to conditions that are preventable, including tobacco use and obesity. Investments in prevention can help lower these costs as well as save lives. Health disparities among various demographics must be addressed – There are health inequalities that are related to income and access to coverage across different demographics. For example, Hispanics are 65 percent more likely to develop diabetes than white Americans. To help American healthcare head the right direction, tell Congress to continue to support the Affordable Care Act and to authorize Medicaid expansion. To stay up-to-date with all of the latest healthcare related news, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Uber’s Accident Although Uber has halted its self-driving vehicle program, it has not terminated it. It is merely temporarily suspended while they investigate the accident that occurred in Arizona. Uber has also decided to temporarily suspend its Pittsburgh operations as well. Even though Uber has taken their self-driving cars off the road for now, the accident that occurred was not the fault of the autonomous Uber vehicle. The fault of the accident lies with another car, the driver of which failed to yield for Uber’s vehicle. The collision resulted in the Uber car ending up on its side, while the other car experienced several dents and smashed windows. Nobody was injured in the accident. Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Uber first began testing their self-driving cars last year in Pittsburgh before expanding the program to Arizona. They attempted to test them in San Francisco as well, but were banned from the streets by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Uber’s program has not been without controversy. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo sued Uber, claiming that they stole designs for their Lidar, an important component of their own driverless cars that they are also testing in Arizona. Uber has denied the charges. Waymo has tested their driverless cars for over two million miles on public roads. There were only a few minor incidents, all of which were caused by other cars rear-ending Waymo’s driverless vehicles in busier areas of the state. Although Uber is trying to stay at the forefront of the industry by implementing new technological advancements, they continue to court controversy in numerous areas, from their self-driving cars to various other scandals involving the evasion of government regulations and enforcements. Keep up-to-date on all the latest news that could affect you at The Benefits Store.

Insurers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many insurers offer some of the best customer service around. They realize that accidents happen at all hours, which is why they generally have customer service representatives to talk to no matter what time it is or what day. Insurers want people to save money. Many insurers offer free tools to help people save money. For example, some car insurance companies have apps that monitor drivers and reward safe behavior with discounts and other perks. Insurers want people to be safe. Insurers will often provide discounts on insurance premiums as an incentive for people to invest in safety. For example, installing a security system can help lower homeowner’s insurance premiums. Many insurers assist people with New Year’s Resolutions. Insurers will often provide resources for common resolutions, whether it’s to quit smoking or to lose weight. Insurers understand that nobody’s perfect. The mistakes that people make often result in the need to collect on insurance. For example, people have been known to leave the burner on in the kitchen, resulting in a fire, or to back up into a parked car, resulting in the need for repairs. Insurers understand that mistakes such as these happen, which is why they help pay for them. These are just a few reasons why people should embrace insurance as something to love, not to look down upon. For more information about health insurance or to keep up to date with all health insurance-related news, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.