Diagnostic Products

The creation and advancements of smart phones have impacted many industries and now have taken the portable device to endless possibilities. Mobile devices have revolutionized how the caretaker, physician, and end user practice medicine¹. Companies have developed apps to work flawlessly with their products to make your experience more rewarding and informational. Imagine sitting in line at the grocery store and wanting to know your blood pressure.  Simply pull out your phone, open a specific medical app, and the information at your fingertips is endless. You can calculate a couple quick numbers, and send those results in a flash straight to your doctor to review instantly.

The Journal of American Medical Association has raised the systolic number for people over 60 to 150/90.
 
CNN reports that after 30 years of the goal being set at 140/90 there was overwhelming evidence that the number should be raised for older adults.  Nobody knows exactly how many people this will affect, but it is suspected that millions of people will no longer need or qualify for blood pressure medication.

Although there is no definitive diet for diabetes, there are certain foods that should be avoided and other super-foods that can be sought out that will help the body to work more efficiently, while also keeping blood sugar levels in check.  A person with diabetes does not necessarily need to feel restricted in what they eat, although it is certainly a good idea to maintain healthy eating habits.¹

As we age, our doctors tell us to stay active and keep a healthy lifestyle. They take our blood pressure, recite a few numbers, and possibly talk about how to change the number. But what do those numbers mean?

Research published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that taking a daily multivitamin offers no more protection against heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease than taking a daily placebo pill.  The study was based on the Physicians' Health Study II (PHS II), a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that began in 1997 and ran through June 1, 2011. It included 14,641 male physicians (754 with a history of cardiovascular disease) who were 50 years or older at the start of the study. About half (7,317) of the men were randomly assigned to take a daily Centrum multivitamin; the other half (7,324) were assigned to take placebo pills.

Measuring your progress is the best way to stay on track whether you're reducing body fat, tracking your cholesterol, testing your eyesight or monitoring your heart rate.  AllegroMedical.com has a fantastic selection of the latest diagnostic products for home or professional use.

Starting the year with a list of New Year's Resolutions may be as commonplace as ending the year without them. Perhaps therein lies the problem - starting with a list of resolutions intead of just one specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based (S.M.A.R.T.) goal . . .  but I digress.  Below are a few tricks to improve your chances of making the right resolution(s) and seeing them through to success.  You can do it!

It's a shame we can't feel our blood pressure.  It's an even bigger shame when someone suffers a stroke, develops heart disease or flat out dies simply because they were unaware of their high blood pressure.  If you rarely get your blood pressure tested, or test only at doctor visits, you may be missing the bigger picture. 

Changes in weather, back-to-school germs, commuter travel, jobs in health care, stress and allergies are just a few of the factors working against you in the cold- and flu-avoidance areas.  Bottom line, if your immune system is shaky and you hang around a lot of people, you're wide open for a virus.   And if you're a stressed out school nurse that takes the train to work, well, um . . . good luck.  :)