(CNN) — What are the magic words to use when a loved one’s weight is rising dangerously high? Unfortunately, there are none.
“You’re not telling anyone something they don’t know,” warned Ed Abramson, a psychologist and professor at California State University.
Most people are undoubtedly aware of their own appearance and have also read at least one of the many reports about the dangers of excess weight, he added. After all, it’s no longer news that more than one-third of adults in the United States are obese — meaning a body mass index of 40 or more. And plenty of research shows the negative health effects of excess weight, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and difficult physical functioning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/24/health/how-to-talk-about-weight-loss-health/index.html
The one-year grace period for ICD-10-coded medical claims will end on Oct. 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday in a update to its FAQ guidelines for the diagnostic code set.
ICD-10 went live on Oct. 1, 2015, and at the time CMS said it would not deny claims as long as healthcare providers used codes in the correct “family” related to the treatment. However, with the grace period ending, providers will now be held to using the correct degree of specificity in their coded claims.
http://http://m.healthcareitnews.com/news/cms-icd-10-specificity
New noninvasive technique may lead to low-cost therapy for patients with severe brain injury.
A 25-year-old man recovering from a coma has made remarkable progress following a treatment at UCLA to jump-start his brain using ultrasound. The technique uses sonic stimulation to excite the neurons in the thalamus, an egg-shaped structure that serves as the brain’s central hub for processing information.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160824135049.htm
The devastating effects of the Zika virus on the brains of fetuses go beyond microcephaly, according to a new study published today in the medical journal Radiology.
Researchers evaluated brain scans of fetuses and infants with suspected Zika infection and found that in addition to microcephaly there were severe abnormalities in 94 percent of infants. The researchers studied 17 babies and fetuses with confirmed Zika diagnosis and 28 with suspected Zika infection.
Viral infection of a pregnant woman has been linked to increased risk of microcephaly in the fetus, but researchers are still learning how the virus affects brain development
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/devastating-effects-zika-virus-fetal-scans/story?id=41589655
It seems American musician Frank Zappa was wrong when he said “so many books, so little time.” According to a new study, reading books could extend lifespan by up to 2 years, and the more often you read, the better.
Adults who read books for as little as 30 minutes daily may live for up to 2 years longer
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312167.php
Immunization, or vaccination, helps prevent dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases. To stay protected against serious illnesses like the flu, measles, and pneumonia, adults need to get their shots – just like kids do.
National Immunization Awareness Month is a great time to promote vaccines and remind family, friends, and coworkers to stay up to date on their shots.
https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/Augusttoolkit.aspx
Existing models for measuring health impacts of the human diet are limiting our capacity to solve obesity and its related health problems, claim two of the world’s leading nutritional scientists in their newest research.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-08-framework-human-nutrition.html#ms
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