If you're a healthy older adult looking for ways to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, don't turn to that age-old standby: daily low-dose aspirin. It's no longer recommended as a preventative for older adults who don't have a high risk or existing heart disease, according to guidelines announced Sunday by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
"For the most part, we are now much better at treating risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and especially high cholesterol," said North Carolina cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell, who wasn't involved in the new guidelines. "This makes the biggest difference, probably negating any previously perceived aspirin benefit in primary prevention."
Doctors may consider aspirin for certain older high-risk patients, such as those who have trouble lowering their cholesterol or managing their blood sugars, as long as there is no increased risk for internal bleeding, the guidelines say. European guidelines recommend against the use of anti-clotting therapies such as aspirin at any age.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Medicare-covered preventive services
You may have heard something lately about “preventive health care.” What does that mean?
At its most basic, preventive health care means living a healthful lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain a healthful weight. And stop smoking.
Like anyone else, people with Medicare can benefit from healthful living habits. But Medicare covers a wide variety of shots to help you stay healthy. It also covers numerous tests to help detect diseases early, when they’re in their most treatable stages.
You pay nothing for most Medicare-covered preventive services if you get them from a doctor or other qualified health care provider who “accepts assignment,” meaning they accept Medicare as payment in full for their services.
For example, you pay nothing out of pocket when you get a “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. This one-time exam is offered during the first 12 months after you’ve enrolled in Medicare Part B.
This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health, and education and counseling about preventive services, including certain screenings, flu and pneumococcal shots, and referrals for other care if needed.
If you’ve had Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly wellness exam. You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor accepts assignment. And the Part B deductible doesn’t apply.
The wellness exam is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on your current health and risk factors. Your provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a Health Risk Assessment, as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit
At its most basic, preventive health care means living a healthful lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain a healthful weight. And stop smoking.
Like anyone else, people with Medicare can benefit from healthful living habits. But Medicare covers a wide variety of shots to help you stay healthy. It also covers numerous tests to help detect diseases early, when they’re in their most treatable stages.
You pay nothing for most Medicare-covered preventive services if you get them from a doctor or other qualified health care provider who “accepts assignment,” meaning they accept Medicare as payment in full for their services.
For example, you pay nothing out of pocket when you get a “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. This one-time exam is offered during the first 12 months after you’ve enrolled in Medicare Part B.
This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health, and education and counseling about preventive services, including certain screenings, flu and pneumococcal shots, and referrals for other care if needed.
If you’ve had Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly wellness exam. You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor accepts assignment. And the Part B deductible doesn’t apply.
The wellness exam is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on your current health and risk factors. Your provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a Health Risk Assessment, as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit
Friday, March 15, 2019
Hawaii Five-O (or Hawaii Five-0)
The idea for “Hawaii Five-O” came from Gov. John Burns, who wanted to
create a statewide police task force that reported directly to the
governor to deal with serious crimes.
He shared the idea with CBS producer Leonard Freeman when the Legislature rejected it. Freeman set the show in Hawaii because his mother-in-law, Amelia, lived here and wanted to see him more often.
Islanders were concerned that a crime show might portray Hawaii negatively. Somehow, however, the 300 million people who watched the show in 80 countries did not see Hawaii as crime-ridden. They saw beautiful beaches and mountains. With the opening shot of a perfectly formed wave at Pipeline, they were hooked.
When “Hawaii Five-O” went on the air in 1968, about 800,000 tourists visited the islands each year. Twelve years later when it wrapped for the last time, 4 million visited.
KHON2 News anchor Joe Moore, who guest-starred in 12 episodes, believes that the economic impact of the original “Five-O” was enormous.
“The huge growth in our tourism can be directly attributed to the exposure given the islands every week on ‘Hawaii Five-O.’ It was an hourlong commercial for Hawaii every week for 12 seasons.”
The names of the original show and the current show are slightly different. You have to look closely. The “O” in the original was the letter. The current show, which began airing in 2010, uses the number, “0.” Both names are a nod to our being the 50th state.
Gregory Peck and Richard Boone were considered for the role of Steve McGarrett before Jack Lord.
Lord was seriously considered for the role of Captain Kirk in “Star Trek.” Lord wanted to co-produce that series and own a percentage of it. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, wasn’t willing to meet his demands and cast William Shatner instead.
He shared the idea with CBS producer Leonard Freeman when the Legislature rejected it. Freeman set the show in Hawaii because his mother-in-law, Amelia, lived here and wanted to see him more often.
Islanders were concerned that a crime show might portray Hawaii negatively. Somehow, however, the 300 million people who watched the show in 80 countries did not see Hawaii as crime-ridden. They saw beautiful beaches and mountains. With the opening shot of a perfectly formed wave at Pipeline, they were hooked.
When “Hawaii Five-O” went on the air in 1968, about 800,000 tourists visited the islands each year. Twelve years later when it wrapped for the last time, 4 million visited.
KHON2 News anchor Joe Moore, who guest-starred in 12 episodes, believes that the economic impact of the original “Five-O” was enormous.
“The huge growth in our tourism can be directly attributed to the exposure given the islands every week on ‘Hawaii Five-O.’ It was an hourlong commercial for Hawaii every week for 12 seasons.”
The names of the original show and the current show are slightly different. You have to look closely. The “O” in the original was the letter. The current show, which began airing in 2010, uses the number, “0.” Both names are a nod to our being the 50th state.
Gregory Peck and Richard Boone were considered for the role of Steve McGarrett before Jack Lord.
Lord was seriously considered for the role of Captain Kirk in “Star Trek.” Lord wanted to co-produce that series and own a percentage of it. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, wasn’t willing to meet his demands and cast William Shatner instead.
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Arrow to end
"Arrow" has only a few episodes left in its quiver.
The popular CW series, which helped launch a CW Arrow-verse of shows featuring DC Comics superheroes, will end its run with a shortened, 10-episode eighth season in the fall.
Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen and his alter ego, Green Arrow, announced the impending conclusion on Twitter Wednesday.
"Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can’t be a vigilante forever. Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall," he wrote. "There’s so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you."
Arrow reached a milestone, its 150th episode, earlier this year.
The popular CW series, which helped launch a CW Arrow-verse of shows featuring DC Comics superheroes, will end its run with a shortened, 10-episode eighth season in the fall.
Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen and his alter ego, Green Arrow, announced the impending conclusion on Twitter Wednesday.
"Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can’t be a vigilante forever. Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall," he wrote. "There’s so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you."
Arrow reached a milestone, its 150th episode, earlier this year.
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