Fewer Hospital Re-admissions = More Deaths

According to a study by Dr Ankur Gupta at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Medicare penalties for hospitals that readmit patients with heart failure have had their intended effect of reducing the frequency of readmission after discharge. Thirty-day readmission rates dropped from 20% before the penalties went into effect to 18.4% afterward. A whopping 1.6 point decline.

Unfortunately for the patients, this came at the cost of a 1.4 point increase in the 30-day mortality rate for heart failure patients - from 7.2% to 8.6%. Worse, the one year mortality rate rose from 31.3% to 35.3% - up 4 points - from before the program to after.

Medicare officials say that they are "monitoring" the readmission penalty program. Government healthcare at work.

Vitamin D and Colon Cancer

Vitamin D has long been known to be a factor in strengthening bones and teeth by acting as a catalyst for calcium absorption. But new research suggests it may also be helpful in preventing colon cancer, the third most common type of cancer and the cause of 50,000 deaths a year in the US.

Current dietary guidelines recommend that adults get at least 600IU of vitamin D daily. Unfortunately, very few foods are good sources (fatty fish such as salmon and trout are two). The body is capable of manufacturing vitamin D itself, but it requires sun exposure to do so, which is problematic for some people and in some places. That leaves supplementation as the best option for many people.

A recent study by the American Cancer Society analyzed data on over 12,000 people in the US, Asia and Europe concluded that people with a higher-than-recommended blood level for vitamin D had a 22% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer. Those with lower-than-recommended levels had a 33% higher risk of developing the disease.

The study's authors recommend that everyone ensure that they are maintaining at least the recommended blood level (your doctor can test this at your next physical) and that people over 70 increase their vitamin D intake to at least 800UI daily.

"What is optimal for bone health may not be optimal for colorectal cancer risk reduction," said study co-author Marji McCullough.

Three Simple Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Why worry about your diet? Just order Lipozene (as seen on TV), the diet pill that "melts away fat" without making any changes in your diet or lifestyle. Just take Lipozene and lose "four times more weight" (they never say four times more weight than what).

I haven't taken Lipozene, but I do understand the appeal. Everyone would like a simple way to lose weight without having to make any effort. I'm not sure that's really possible. But a recent Japaneses study of nearly 60,000 men and women with Type-2 Diabetes published in the journal BMJ Open identifies 3 weight loss strategies that just might come close.

First, just slow down while you eat whatever it is that you are eating. The slowest eaters in the study were 42% less likely to become obese over the next five years than those who ate quickly. Take your time and chew. Savor the flavor.
Put your fork down between bites. I mean really, how hard is that?

Skipping any after dinner snacks and not eating within 2 hours of going to bed also reduced the likelihood of obesity.

It really won't get much easier than that.

Of course, there is always Lipozene.