Trump signs executive order against Obamacare

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order aimed at limiting the "burden" of the Obamacare health law that the incoming US leader has vowed to repeal.

During the signing in the Oval Office, Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus described the order as aimed at "minimizing the economic burden" of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, "pending repeal."

Doing away with Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement is a top priority for Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and, since Trump's inauguration Friday, the White House.

In their view, Obamacare -- which aimed to ensure healthcare for the millions of Americans who are neither covered by public insurance, nor by their employers -- marked a costly drift toward socialized, European-style medical care.

Until lawmakers are able to repeal Obamacare, "it is imperative for the executive branch to... take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market," the executive order said.

The order instructs the US health secretary and other departments and agencies to "exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act" that imposes a fiscal burden or other cost on a state, on consumers, on insurers or on a range of healthcare providers.

Trump has pledged to start undoing the divisive health law on his first day in office, while also declaring it inconceivable that poor Americans are locked out of coverage.

The president has said the law should be repealed and replaced "simultaneously," a stiff challenge given the complexity of America's vast health care system.

Obamacare added more than 20 million people onto insurance rolls, lowering the percentage of Americans without coverage from 16 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent last year.

Republicans are pledging a repeal of Obamacare -- which has been blamed for sharply rising insurance premiums -- and rapid votes on a replacement bill in order to prevent gaps in coverage and reassure a restless insurance industry.

Only one third of the US population is covered by public insurance -- either Medicare, for those over age 65, or Medicaid for the poorest Americans.

Half of all Americans are insured through their employers, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, while about seven percent are covered through the so-called individual market, which serves those who are self-employed or are employees without coverage through work.

Obama's solution rested largely on requiring that everyone be insured, and providing federal subsidies to those who cannot afford coverage.

Republicans deemed the first requirement too coercive, and the latter too costly.

source: interaksyon.com

Filipinos should closely watch their heart health, urges cardiologists

While February is Valentine month, romance is certainly in the air these days. But at Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC), its medical experts are calling on Filipinos to take a closer look at their hearts—literally.

“There are four major risk factors for heart disease,” says Dr. Zenaida Uy, Chief Medical Officer for Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC). “These are smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Outside of those, obesity as well as family history can also lead to cardiovascular complications.”

Identifying risks, however, is not the problem, explains Dr. Uy. She adds, “It is persuading those at risk to visit the doctor regularly. And in the event that they do visit, the bigger challenge is getting them to commit to a healthier lifestyle.”

Heart disease is deeply rooted in basic lifestyle choices—particularly in diet and exercise. Eating excessive amounts of red meat or smoking cigarettes ultimately take their toll in the long run, advises Dr. Uy.

“It is all about healthier habit formation,” she asserts. “Nonetheless, most Filipinos forego preemptive behaviors in favor of instant gratification. But once this horrid disease has taken hold of your body, everything changes; at this point, your past choices can no longer be undone.”

Heart disease costs over P500K
The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks coronary artery disease (CAD) as the leading cause of death in the Philippines. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), cardiovascular diseases are responsible for at least five of 10 deaths in the country. In 2011 alone, this prevalent type of heart disease was responsible for 57,864 Filipino fatalities—that is over five times more than the death toll of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“When a doctor suspects a patient has CAD, an angiogram is immediately recommended,” narrates Dr. Uy. “If critical artery blockages are found, that patient will need to undergo angioplasty or bypass surgery as well.”

According to Dr. Uy, both operations would cost around Php500,000 (easily more in severe cases). And if you consider medicines, she adds, a patient needs to spend Php5,000 to Php8,000 in order to manage the condition.

“And that is just financially,” warns the cardiologist. “The severe chest pains you have to endure and the emotional toll that burdens your friends and family cannot be expressed in Pesos. Worst of all, CAD—and heart disease in general—could be avoided.”

Commit to a healthy lifestyle
Forming habits centered on healthier choices go a long way in securing a person’s health and wellness. And Dr. Uy says this begins with “a well-balanced diet and an effective exercise regimen.”

She elaborates, “Low-fat and low-salt diets should be complemented by a moderate exercise routine at least 45 minutes a day, five times a week. You may also opt for more strenuous exercises at a lesser frequency.”

“Most Filipinos dread exercise, but it really depends on how you frame it,” notes the doctor. “I always advise couples to look at exercise as a bonding experience—an activity that not only maintains their health but also strengthens their relationship.”

She concludes, “Your body has a remarkable capacity to maintain your health. All you have to do is commit to healthier choices.”

source: interaksyon.com

Oral care: Window to overall wellness

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Steve Mark Gan, one of the Philippines’ most respected dentists, opted to establish a dental practice here instead of in the USA where he had pursued advanced studies in Prosthodontic and Implant Education. One of the compelling reasons why he did so was to promote much-needed dental care and share his knowledge and skills with his fellow Filipinos.

“Dental health is still not a priority in our country. It was number 35 in terms of priority, based on studies conducted several years ago, compared to the USA, for instance, where it is always in the top 10,” says Dr. Gan.

Compounding the challenge was the state of dental healthcare when he first came back. “The standards of hygiene, like correct sterilization, were not being followed by some dental practitioners,” explains Dr. Gan, who founded the state-of-the art clinic Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC).

This prompted him to ally with the government and his fellow practitioners in the mission to improve the state of dental healthcare in the country. Dr. Gan was the former chairman of the Board of Dentistry and former president of the Philippine Academy of Implant Dentistry (P.A.I.D.) under the Philippine Dental Association.

It has also led him to pursue his “SerbisyongBayan” advocacy, where he has embarked on projects to reach out to the grassroots level by organizing monthly dental missions and educate  people on the value of dental care. “Proper oral hygiene plays a significant role in life. Statistics show that 98% of the nation’s youth has dental caries, dental decay, or missing teeth. What people might not be aware of is that oral health can serve as a window to one’s overall wellness.”

Dr. Gan, also known as the “Dentist to the Stars” due to his high-profile, celebrity clientele, also debunks some myths surrounding dental care.





“People generally think that the harder you brush, the better — when in fact, harder tooth brushing only leads to abrasions and gum recession. It is also not true that going to the dentist means setting yourself up for pain.”

On the topic of proper oral care, he touches on the subject of mouthwashes with a “sting.” “More often than not, mouthwashes with a stinging effect due to high alcohol content are detrimental to the health of the gums and to the health of the oral mucosa in the long run,” he points out. “Also, dark mouthwashes should be used sparingly as these mouthwashes have been known to stain the teeth.”

It is important, therefore, to be discerning when choosing a mouthwash. OraCare, for instance, has a no-alcohol formulation with Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide, a breakthrough active ingredient and antibacterial agent that gently cleans without the stinging sensation. It neutralizes odor-causing volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth, working continuously to eliminate bad bacteria that cause plaque buildup, gum disease, and tooth decay.

To know more about OraCare’s gentle yet effective anti-bacteria action, check out www.oracare.com.ph.

source: philstar.com

Saturated fat tied to sinking sperm counts in Danes

(Reuters Health) – Saturated fats, like those found in rich cheeses and meats, may do more than weigh men down after a meal – a new study also links them to dwindling sperm counts.

Researchers found that young Danish men who ate the most saturated fats had a 38 percent lower concentration of sperm and 41 percent lower sperm counts in their semen than those who ate the least fat.

“We cannot say that it has a causal effect, but I think other studies have shown that saturated fat intake has shown a connection to other problems and now also for sperm count,” said Tina Jensen, the study’s lead author from Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.

The new research is not the first to connect diet and other lifestyle factors to sperm production and quality.

In 2011, Brazilian researchers found eating more grains - such as wheat, oats or barley – was associated with improved sperm concentration and motility, and fruit was also linked to a speed and agility boost in sperm (see Reuters Health story of November 18, 2011 here: reut.rs/TBfCrA).

But that study and most others looked at these associations using data on men seeking fertility treatments, which may not be representative of all men.

For the new study, Jensen and her colleagues surveyed and examined 701 young Danish men who were about 20 years old and getting checkups for the military between 2008 and 2010.

They were asked about the food they ate over the prior three months, and then asked for a semen sample.
Jensen told Reuters Health the young men’s main motivation to participate in the study was the $85 it paid – not to see if they were fertile.

The researchers then broke the results into four groups, depending on how much of the men’s energy intake came from saturated fats, and compared how much sperm the men in each group produced.

The men who got less than 11.2 percent of their energy from saturated fats had an average sperm concentration of 50 million per milliliter of semen and a total sperm count of about 163 million.

That compared to 45 million sperm per milliliter of semen and a 128 million count in men who got more than 15 percent of their energy from saturated fats, the researchers report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The World Health Organization defines anything over 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen as normal. In the study, 13 percent of men in the lowest-fat group and 18 percent of men in the highest-fat group fell below that level.

Although the study cannot determine whether other lifestyle factors might account for the link, Jensen said her team’s findings may partially explain studies that have found sperm counts decreasing around the world.

Last year, French researchers reported that the number of sperm in one milliliter of the average 35-year-old Frenchman’s semen fell from about 74 million in 1989 to about 50 million in 2005 (see Reuters Health story of Dec 4, 2012 here: reut.rs/Vzg2NU).

“I think obesity is another cause, but (saturated fats) could also be a possible explanation,” she said.

Jensen said that the next step is to find the mechanism by which saturated fat could influence sperm count, and then to see whether sperm counts improve when men cut down on saturated fat in their diets.

Until then, she said it’s still too early to tell men with low sperm counts to cut back on saturated fat, but added it’s still probably a good idea since it’s also linked to other problems, such as heart disease and cancer.

SOURCE: bit.ly/UL3VhP The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online December 26, 2012.