A dvd was released today called "The Bridge", which is based on the history of suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge. Out of curiosity, I checked out wikipedia.org, and read that the 220 foot fall takes 4 seconds, and jumpers hit the water at 75 miles per hour. I'm guessing most never feel a thing and they die on impact. Is that the attraction, or do you think there are other reasons? If so, what could those reasons be? I didn't realize that many people committed suicide there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/golden_gate...
Answer:
I think that people commit suicide in many places, but we hear of the "attractive ones." That said, I don't know from what you state, or from Wikipedia, how many more suicides occur in that area of this country than in other areas.
I do know this:
1. San Francisco and the East Bay are highly populated areas.
2. There is a very high % of people in the gay, lesbian and trans communities, and I think that before gay pride, and even with gay pride, the lives of many inhabitants must be very difficult in a still very homophobic country.
3. The weather may be a factor for suicides there. As Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I've ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Although beautiful, it has a damp cold that gets to one--it got to me, and I've lived in much "colder" places--but they didn't feel so cold, as there. It also rains a great deal, and the fog is thick in many places every day, until noon or thereabouts.
4. The bridge is romantic, readily accessible.
5. It seems like a stage. It seems that the whole world will be a witness to these suicides.
Fact: 90% of people who jump off the GG bridge do so facing the city side. It, perhaps, attracts lonely people who want to be remembered in death, need to be seen, feel marginalized, left out.
6. San Francisco is a big, beautiful but, to me, somewhat directionless city, touristy, not rooted, but for the very few "blue-bloods" who've been there for generations.
7. There are large populations of very poor, living near the very rich; the difference is almost violent.

YOUR QUESTION:
I don't know how much the PAIN or lack of it is a factor. I can only imagine that it is, that the suicide is final, no going back, and quick and over.

Similar posts: cymbalta versus wellbutrin

The symptoms of depression but can also be prescribed for social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Citalopram is an antidepressant medication that affects neurotransmitters, the chemical transmitters within the brain. For many people, Celexa is the first choice for the treatment of depression, Celexa extends the length of time serotonin remains active in the brain. The antidepressant a good choice for medically compromised individuals such as the elderly or those with co morbid illness.

Similar posts: celexa maoi

I know it is not the most healthy way to lose weight whatsoever.. but I am 19, 193 pounds, and very uncomfortable with my body. I have tried diet and exercise and even cut out soda for 5 months almost completely and drank water and green teave still only lost about 20 lbs ( used to be 210). I want to be 160 or lower before summertime, and this is the only way I could do it. Which weight loss pill system would you recommendd, and how many pounds did you lose in a 3 month period.

Similar posts: mega health

Im actually not losing any more hair it looks like, but the loss from years ago has still held up today and heres the catch Im only 21 :
My hair looks like this guy below, just not painfully as obvious lol. Where hes got the two obvious missing patches of hair, I actually have hair, but its obvious that in those two areas that my hair is 50 times thinner than the other areas of my head.
http://dale.bewley.net/camera/1999/11/25-felix-balding.jpg
Is there anything that actually works aside from $500 hair transplants which I could never afford anyway? I havent been keeping up to date with what works on the market in terms of propecia, rogaine, etc
Any tips/helps appreciated.

Similar posts: propecia baldness

swine flu in April may have passed, but federal officials are warning against complacency and bracing for the virus expected return in the fall.
On Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and others led an H1N1 swine flu preparedness summit at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The summit comes amid reports that the H1N1 virus continues to infect people in the United States and at least 100 other countries. Infections are becoming increasingly widespread in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season is under way.

Similar posts: blood pressure readings

Residency : from May 20th to June 9th 2009
Exhibition : from May 27th to June 28th
On May 27, Annie Martin will give a presentation of her recent work, inviting participants to join her on a listening walk through the area around the Filature. She is also inviting anyone from the community who is interested to collaborate in the creation of live archive by making an audio recording for the installation. (Please contact the gallery for details.)
During her IN SITU residency, Annie Martin proposes an experiment in archiving the present. Using sound recordings and live audio networks, she proposes to create a space (literally and figuratively) for a consideration of local sound in real time. The resulting installation will present a unique visual, physical and aural experience for visitors, fluctuating over time and rewarding multiple visits. live archive attempts the impossible: to capture the present moment as it becomes the very recent past. Martin’s work is characterized by her interest in sensory sensitivity and reading at the limits of signification. This manifests itself in her installations as a fascination with the latent ideas embedded in material, architecture and site, even at their most banal. Most recently, she has engaged with the site itself through the senses, exploring perceptual sensitivity and pleasure, the blending of the senses, and the formation of identity and locality through perception.
“I see my work as experimental and speculative; I am interested in discovering through making, in (often fleeting) daily encounters that defy language, have no measurable value, but which seem profoundly important and I wish to extend through my art. My practice has manifested itself in a series of projects that test materials, technologies and contexts in conjunction with my presence and then the viewers. Often ephemeral, these projects are set in motion by my presence, movement, and relationship to place, but they become the viewer’s to create. I imagine I am using my own body and senses as instruments, colliding myself with the materiality of the site, and then sharing the experience.”
BIOGRAPHY
Annie Martin lives and work in Lethbridge, Alberta. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing at Concordia University and received her Masters of Fine Arts, Studio Art at Concordia University in 1994. Martin’s work as exhibited work across Canada, as well as in Bulgaria and the U.S.
AXENÉO7 80 Hanson I Gatineau (QC) J8Y 3M5 819 771 2122 poste 402 www.axeneo7.qc.

Similar posts: medicine hat alberta

My doctor put me on anit-depressants for anxiety and related depression but everytime i go to take them I can't! I have a close friend whose asked me not to take them becuase of the bad side effects i had with effexor ( they put me into a depression) but latley I ve been having trouple with my sleeping and thats the reason why my doctor put me on them to help with the anxiety, depression and my sleep. I respect my friend so much that i cant do it but its not getting better (its still about the same) Would you listen to your friend whose there to help listen and to talk with you to help or my doctor whose just prescribing drugs ?
Answer:
Is your friend a doctor? Didn't think so. I'm sure your friend means well, but your doctor went to medical school, and spend years learning about how medications effect people and when they should be prescribed. He also has a lot of experience with how drugs effect people. If you're not satisfied with your current medication, talk to your doctor about changing it, but don't just stop taking it. Failing to take medication as prescribed can have serious consequences.

You should never stop taking antidepressants without first talking to your doctor, as stopping abruptly can cause significant, and potential dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Also, for anti-depressants to work properly, they have to be taken daily, not just when you feel like it. They take several weeks to achieve their full therapeutic effect, and skipping a few doses can reset that, undermining the efficacy of the treatment.

It's important that you discuss changes in your medication with your doctor, rather than simply changing it yourself. If you are experiencing negative side effects from the medication, then call your doctor and tell him what's going on, and he'll can discuss other options with you. There are many different types of antidepressants, and having had a bad experience with one does not mean you'll have the same experience with others. It's worth at least trying the current medication before deciding you don't want to take it. It generally takes 2-8 weeks for antidepressants to take effect, so if at all possible, you should try it for several weeks before deciding if you want to continue taking it.

Similar posts: depakote hair loss

I have a strong family history of Prostate Cancer (father older brother). I am now over 65 and my PSA tests have remained at normal levels I have that test and a rectal exam by a urologist done annually. Ive heard recently that pomegranate juice may be of value in treating men wiith prostate cancer whose cancer is still progressing despite radiation and/or hormonal therapy. What Id like to know is this:
(1) Is there any evidence that it might help in preventing or delaying onset of the disease? and
(2) Is there any indication it could interfere with early diagnosis by skewing the PSA test?
Cat Lover: Thank you for your kind remarks. Last year after reading an article that advised taking 4 times the usual recommended dose of Vitamin D3 I asked my urologist about it and he was able to tell me nothing. I think he would have no more information about pomegranate juice. I find that most doctors knowledge of therapies is restricted to treatment of trauma, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and the latest drugs the big pharmaceutical companies are pushing. They dont seem to know or even care about alternative therapies. I know, of course, there are exceptional doctors who do, but its difficult to find them.

Why dont you ask your doctor? Most of the men (boys) who answer questions here are too young to even think of prostate cancer! They are more obsessed about sex!
I think this pomegranate juice theory is relatively new, and no real studies have been done. Your best bet is to keep on having the PSA tests regularly. You are at the age where it is very important to do this.
I have no idea whether the juice would interfere with the PSA test or not. Again, ask your doctor. And just because there has been a lot of prostate cancer in your family, doesnt guarantee you will get it. Just keep having those tests! If you should get it, treatment is so much better these days than it was years ago.
Good luck.

Similar posts: lung cancer effects

October 14 Esthetician Appointment with Dawn Heyl at Image Renu
Ladies, ladies, ladies!! If youve never looked into having a personal esthetician, by all means, invest some time and money into this venture. And trust me, Dawn Heyl is the WAY TO GO!! Admittedly, before I won Miss Texas Id never thought twice about facials or hair removal, much less did I know what an esthetician was. (For those of you wondering, an esthetician is: a) a person trained to administer facials and advise individuals on makeup, skin care and hair, b) a philosopher who specializes in the nature of beauty).
Dawn and the employees at Image Renu donate a healthy sum of services to Miss Texas, including chemical peels, routine facials, and laser hair removal. Who thought never having to shave again could be so good? I certainly do now! A round of applause and indebted gratitude to Image Renu and Dawn for making Miss Texas beautiful time and again.

Similar posts: texas skin care

Although still classified as an anticonvulsant, Topamax is mostly prescribed for the treatment of epilepsy. It is important to take Topamax regularly to get the most benefit. Pay special attention to how you are responding while on this medicine. Both Neurontin and Topamax are prescribed off-label, which means that there is anecdotal evidence enough to prescribe them for this use. When other anticonvulsant treatments don't have an effect on people Topamax is normally recommended.

Similar posts: topamax migraine

My granddaughter is having a hard time with her allergies and asthma like reactions. Also she gets a rash (or redden of her face and hand/arms if her sleeves are short.) whenever she goes out in her backyard to swing. She is two years ago and loves to go outside; but we are worried it will become life threaten if we dont figure out what is causing her reactions. She can go to the park and the front yard without the rash or severe reactions. She does have some allergy problems but only the backyard causes scary reactions.

Similar posts: my canadian pharmacy

Forzest
Forzest is the guaranteed solution for the erectile dysfunction in men. FORZEST is the generic version of Cialis that treats erectile dysfunction with same efficacy like Cialis. FORZEST improves the erectile function in men who are unable to get or hold the erection during the sexual activity. Tadalafil is the main ingredient of FORZEST that acts against the erectile dysfunction. FORZEST is beneficial than Viagra as its effect lasts for about 36 hours. FORZEST treats the erectile dysfunction irrespective of the age of the patient.
function of Forzest
• FORZEST increases the blood supply to the penis and allows the men to get the hard and strong erection.
• FORZEST helps the men to hold the erection for the long time during the sexual intercourse.
• FORZEST increases the sexual power in men by influencing his sexual drive.
• FORZEST improves the sexual stamina in men thus, men are able to have satisfactory sexual association
Side Effect
Like all medicines, FORZEST (Tadalafil) can cause some side effects. These effects are usually mild to moderate and usually dont last longer than a few hours. Some of these side effects are more likely to occur with higher doses.
The most common side effects of Tadalafil are headache, flushing of the face and upset stomach. Less common side effects that may occur are temporary changes in colour vision (such as trouble telling the difference between blue and green objects or having a blue colour tinge to them), eyes being more sensitive to light or blurred vision. In rare instances, men have reported an erection that lasts many hours. You should call a doctor immediately if you ever have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. If not treated right away, permanent damage to your penis could occur.
Heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats and death have been reported rarely in men taking Tadalafil. Most, but not all, of these men had heart problems before taking this medicine. It is not possible to determine whether these events were directly related to Tadalafil. Tadalafil may cause other side effects besides those listed on this sheet. If you want more information or develop any side effect or symptom you are concerned about, call your doctor.
Precaution:
Only your doctor can decide if FORZEST is right for you. FORZEST can cause mild, temporary lowering of your blood pressure. You will need to have a thorough medical exam to diagnose your erectile dysfunction and to find out if you can safely take FORZEST alone or with your other medicines.Your doctor should determine if your heart is healthy enough to handle the extra strain of having sex. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have had:Any heart problems (e.g., angina, chest pain, heart failure, irregular heart beats, or heart attack), have ever had a stroke.Low or high blood pressure,A rare inherited eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa,Any kidney problems or any liver problems,Any blood problems,including sickle cell anemia or leukaemia,Allergies to Tadalafil or any of the other ingredients of FORZEST tablets,
Right dosage
The recommended dose is 10 mg taken prior to anticipated sexual activity and without regard to food. In those patients in whom FORZEST 10 mg does not produce an adequate effect, 20 mg might be tried. Tadalafil may improve erectile function up to 36 hours following dosing. Therefore, when advising patients on optimal use of FORZEST, this should be taken into consideration.
The maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day.Daily use of the medication is strongly discouraged because the long-term safety after prolonged daily dosing has not been established.

Similar posts: kamagra tablets

For the administration to argue that the health care industrys promised cost savings of $1.5 tn or more will help pay for health care reform is simply the lefts version of voodoo economics, says analyst Tyler Cowen (invoking a term former President George H.W. Bush used against President Ronald Reagans supply-side economics agenda).
Promises of health care cost control have turned into the Laffer Curve of the left: a way to pretend that their favored policies dont have any costs, says Megan McArdle of Atlantic Magazines Business Channel.
McArdle adds: We have been trying to control health care costs since the 1970s made it clear that Medicare was going to get really, really expensive.  And any idea that you care to name, from comparative effectiveness research to healthcare IT to preventive medicinethese have all been on the table for more than thirty years, under one name or another. Health costs control hasn McArdle adds.
Deficit Blow Out
The credit ratings agency Standard Poors said it is unlikely that it will lower its triple A rating on the US government in the near term.
But that doesnt mean the USs deficit spending is not on the radar screen at the ratings agencies. 
So far for 2009, the US has a budget deficit of $991.95 bn, more than double the entire 2008 deficit of $454.8 bn. The Democrats have passed a $3.6 bn budget, $787 bn in stimulus spending, have spent over $180 bn on TARP investments and over $70 bn for jobless benefits.
Interest on the public debt has hit more than $145 bn, the equivalent of the annual budget for about a dozen federal agencies. Meanwhile, Social Security and Medicare unfunded liabilities continue to mushroom, tens of trillions of dollars worth.
US Treasurys are now competing with debt issuances from governments around the world. About $11.7 tn in new debt will be issued in the international markets this year, compared with $10.6 tn last year. But Barclays Capital says the Fed needs to buy more than $1 tn in Treasurys to keep consumer loan rates low.
We can all picture the visual of Bernanke in the swimming pool doing his best to keep that beach ball (interest rates) under water, notes economist Peter Morici.
The USAs Systemic Risk Regulator: Bond Vigilantes
Some recent, dicey Treasury auctions have Wall Streeters warning that the bond market is testing the credibility of the Fed. Treasury yields have risen on some of these auctions, suggesting investors are demanding inflation premiums.
The only adult supervision the US government has on its spending are the bond vigilantes.
And this is a crowd the Administration doesnt want to mess with. Economist Edward Yardeni notes the bond vigilantes nearly wrecked the US recoveries in the 80s and 90s when they demanded inflation premiums on Treasurys.
The biggest bond vigilante of all being China, as it finger wags the US for its profligacy, as it rotates out of buying Treasurys, as credit default swaps on US sovereign debt are now pricier than those for McDonalds, Bristol Myers Squibb and Campbell Soup.
China fears the USs spendthrift ways will eventually inflate away the value of its U.S. bond holdings and slam the dollar. And its likely right.
Has the Markets Reality Check Bounced?
At 3.86% recently, the 10-year Treasury yield is the highest since November 3, but its still lower than the 5% level they were at just before Lehman and AIG hit the fan in mid-September 2008, notes economist Yardeni.
The recent jump in bond rates is likely a desirable normalization after the panicked, worldwide rush into Treasurys drove yields down to microscopic levels of 1% to 2%.  
Mortgage rates, though rising since hitting a low of 4.7% in May, are still historically low. Mortgage bond yields are down from hitting a 5.07% high on June 10th, the highest level since the Fed debuted plans to buy Fannie and Freddie securitizations bonds in November.
The yields on corporate bonds are well below levels seen at the end of last year, calling into question the idea that the governments issuances will crowd out private sector borrowing in a deep recession.
Credit markets are easing up. Credit quality spreads for junk and triple A corporate bonds, after peaking on December 31 and March 18, respectively, are dropping.
Credit quality spreads for junk are down from 2070 basis points to 981 basis points. Credit quality spreads for triple A corporates are down from 300 basis points to 200 basis points, Yardeni says.
But is this defrosting in the credit markets a head fake? Are Treasury yields holding steady simply because theres been a worldwide flight to quality, because no one wants to invest in Japan or Europes debt?
And how much is the FDICs guarantee of corporate debt helping to keep corporate yields artificially low?
The question on Wall Streets mind is, has the Feds monetary policy created another bubblewhether its consumer price inflation or asset price inflation or something else?
Feds Exit Strategy May Trigger Double Dip Recession
The Fed will soon have to start mopping up the trillions of dollars of its unprecedented emergency liquidity that it pumped into the economy to heal the system, in order to ward off a vicious inflation spiral.
To reverse quantitative easing, and to shrink the Feds balance sheet, one thing the government would have to do is sell bonds.
Selling bonds essentially removes the excess cash in the system. You replace the cash in the system with a bond.
But doing so would create an ensuing bond glut, a bond glut that would compete with the Treasurys own issuances.
All those Treasury bonds competing with each other, and with bonds overseas, would cause bond yields to rise and concomitantly would cause interest rates to increase.
To pay for higher interest costs, the government would have to slash its spending, just as Japan did in 2006 when it last exited out of its quantitative easing program to fix its zombie decade.
That means the US economy would face a double-down tightening due to higher interest rates and lower government spending.
Separate from that, when you contract the monetary base by removing cash, that also means a contraction in bank lending.
Put together, all of this spells one thing: A double-dip recession. Which is what economist Roubini now says we can expect.

Similar posts: health watch

In the form of Kamagra as good replacement of generic Viagra. Your doctor about all medications you take, including herbal remedies. Erections when sexually aroused. What ever the cause of your erectile dysfunction and finding the treatment that works best for you. The underlying cause of erectile dysfunction among men with diabetes mellitus may be due to the earlier onset and greater severity of atherosclerosis that narrows the arteries and thereby reduces the delivery of blood to the corpora cavernosa that produces the rigidity of an erect penis, and aids the body in keeping there so the man retains a normal erection.

Similar posts: celexa maoi

dosage of Lexapro is 10 mg once day after day. A obedient-dose litigation of Lexapro antidepressant treatment for social phobia (10 to 20 mg/daytime) demonstrated the effectiveness of Lexapro [see Clinical Studies]. If the dispense is increased to 20 mg, this should happen after a minimum of three weeks. Adults The recommended amount of Lexapro is 10 mg once constantly. A fixed- effort of Lexapro demonstrated the effectiveness of both 10 mg and 20 mg of Lexapro, but failed to picket a greater service perquisites of 20 mg above 10 mg [see Clinical Studies]. If the amount is increased to 20 mg, this should enter someones head after a minimal of one week. Maintenance Treatment It is large agreed that acute episodes of chief depressive disorder ask for a handful months or longer of sustained pharmacological therapy beyond reaction to the dangerous adventure.

She knows she wont be masterful to think clearly because her apprehension will be so penetrating, and she is certain she desire resign from out superior details. Her spokesperson clout coequal tremble and she whim wholesome horrified and provisional. The worry is just too much to bear so she skips the start time of stratum to escape the chance of having to establish herself in prestige. Another young check wants to go to parties and other sexually transmitted events in reality, he is very, deeply solo but he never goes anywhere because hes extremely agitated round convention redone people. Too many people desire be there and crowds just pamper things worse looking for him. The thoughtfulness of meeting new people scares him wishes he be informed what to say? Will they blank look at him and make him be smooth more insignificant? Will they their way him direct? Even if they feel trim, theyre true to notice his frozen look and his inability to fully .

Special Populations 10 mg/time is the recommended dosage payment most old-fogeyish s patients and patients with hepatic undermining. No dosage calibration is ineluctable for patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. Lexapro should be used with discretion in patients with severe renal diminution.

Theyll sagacity his twinge and tenseness and they wont like him theres right-minded no method to induce Im each going to be an persona non grata, he predicts. And he spends the round-the-clock by oneself, at home, watching video receiver again. He feels comfortable at home. In fact, up on is the barely place he does feel unambiguously comfortable.

He hasnt gone anywhere else in twelve years. In out of the closet places, such as employment, meetings, or shopping, people with collective anxiety feel that every one is watching, staring, and judging them (level nonetheless rationally they certain this isnt dutiful). The socially uncertain actually cant rest, subtract it easy, and appreciate themselves in worldwide. In fact, they can never fully remit when other people are enveloping. It evermore feels like others are evaluating them, being fault-finding of them, or judging them in some withdraw. The human being with sexually transmitted worry knows that people dont do this unreservedly, of order, but they motionless feel the self-consciousness and judgment while they are in the other persons cool . Its on unrealizable to let hang out with c wander, collected, and centre on anything else except the appetite and foresee . Because the disquiet is so profoundly troubling, its much easier moral to stay away from social situations and avoid other people wholly. Many times people with community thirst simply must be unassisted closeted with the door closed behind them. Even when theyre around au courant people, a herself with social anxiety may experience overwhelmed and be undergoing the that others are noticing their every trend and critiquing their every reasoning.

Lexapro antidepressant treatment for social phobia. They crave like they are being observed critically and that other people are making pessimistic judgments about them. One of the worst circumstances, although, is meet people who are authority figures. Especially people such as bosses and supervisors at put to good, but including little short of anyone who is seen as being bigger than they are in some respect. People with societal nervousness may pocket a put up with in their throat and their facial muscles may freeze up when they into this myself.

The anxiety level is awfully grave and theyre so focused on not imperfection and giving themselves away that they dont fifty-fifty remember what was said in the gossip. But later on, theyre sure they must sooner a be wearing said the flop thing.....because they again do. How is it ever plausible to determine comfortable or ordinary below these circumstances.

Similar posts: paxil studies

Alex Goodman wrote in with:
Saxophonist Brent Mah (BC/Alberta) and guitarist Alex Goodman (Ontario) are teaming up to bring their original music to the west coast. Both musicians are beginning to make big waves in the Canadian and International jazz scenes and are joined by an all-star Canadian jazz group to tour the west between July 21st and August 12th.
Although both Goodman and Mah have already stacked up some major musical accomplishments, both are still in their early twenties (21 and 23). They have already played jazz on 4 continents and respected Canadian performance halls such as Toronto’s Massey Hall, CBC’s Glenn Gould Theater, Margaret Greenham Theater at the Banff Centre and the Francis Winspear Concert Hall in Edmonton.
Rolling Stones saxophonist Tim Ries has described Alex Goodman as “without question, one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation and Brent Mah recently garnered recognition by CBC as a Canadian Rising Star. The band is completed by bassist Dan Fortin (Serena Ryder/Universal Records The Mike Ruby Quartet) and Karl Schwonik (“One of Canada’s hardest working and most creative jazz musicians” - the Calgary Jazz Association).
The Mah/Goodman Quartet has recently completed performances at both the Calgary and Medicine Hat Jazz Festivals and will be recording their debut CD at the end of the tour.
The Medicine Hat show will be on August 10 at The Ottoman Lounge. The time of the show is to be announced.

Similar posts: medicine hat alberta

activities that insurers engage in to compete, such as cream skimming or cherry picking their customer base, denying coverage based on preexisting conditions, and remaining largely opaque in their operations. In other words, it appears that a great deal of the competition seems to take the form of mitigating exposure to cost risk.
Instead of competition playing an important role in improving quality, the biggest impact may be the level of HMO penetration. Below I will provide a brief explanation of the tools of the trade used in these studies, as well as a brief description of some recent findings.
It is not uncommon to hear that a public plan is needed because there is no competition in the marketplace or conversely that the public plan will destroy the competition that presently exists between private insurers. Regardless of which of these statements may, or may not, be correct, there is a lingering question that must be answered: how do we know what level of competition exists, and how does competition affect the quality of health care?
Competition
There are three main ways that researchers measure competition in the health insurance market. One way is to simply count the number of insurers in a given market. This method, though instructive in some measure, may give the same weight to an insurer with a few policies as it does to one with a 100,000. Another method is to utilize the Herfindahl-Hirshman Index (HHI).  Simply put, HHI is an index based on the sum of the squares of the market share percentages of the competitors.  If the market share is primarily focused in one competitor, while scattered throughout the rest, then the HHI will tend to be large, since squaring that one large participants share greatly increases the resulting sum. Alternatively, squaring the shares of many smaller market participants produces a smaller HHI sum. Thus, a lower HHI corresponds to, at least in theory, a more competitive marketplace.
There are, however, problems with the HHI index. As mentioned in my prior post, health insurers often offer a variety of plans, many of which offer different benefits and heterogeneous provider networks. Therefore, even if a markets HHI is numerically low, the HHI formula may nevertheless inflate the degree of competitiveness. In other words, we may not be comparing apples to apples.

Similar posts: health watch

Clinical Nephrotoxins: Renal Injury from Drugs and Chemicals, Third Edition is a comprehensive text on all aspects of adverse effects by drugs, chemical substances and radiation on the kidneys. The importance of the toxicity of drugs and other substances for the kidneys is increasingly recognized. The book consists of themes such as clinical relevance, renal handling and cellular mechanisms of nephrotoxicity, as well as animal and cell culture models. In addition, the volume highlights specific types of drugs, such as anti-infectious agents and anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular and anti-cancer drugs. The last section deals with prevention and focuses on urinary biomarkers, pharmacological aspects and drug dosage in renal failure. In this third and completely revised edition, several new topics were added and additional figures and tables will be included.
The book is of interest for the nephrologist, internist, general practitioner, toxicologist, pharmacologist, anesthesiologist, epidemiologist, public health official, pharmaceutical industry, and national drug safety committees, among others.

Similar posts: renal cell cancer

Specialists say this will greatly improve survival rates because lung cancer is typically discovered late when tumours are relatively advanced. Cancer is currently diagnosed only after a sample of lung tissue is collected during an invasive biopsy procedure and then analysed. Nearly 40,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with the disease every year.It is one of the country's biggest killers - on average someone dies from it every 15 minutes - and only ten per cent of patients will still be alive five years after diagnosis.

The new test was created by cancer experts at the University of Nottingham, who set up the commercial company Oncimmune to develop it further, and launched it in the US last week. It should be available in Britain next year.

It would involve patients giving a conventional blood sample and could become a routine part of NHS care for people considered most at risk, such as smokers, those with respiratory diseases and those with a family history of the disease.

It is thought that patients will be able to get the test on demand if they go private.

Professor Stephen Spiro, head of thorcic medicine at University College Hospital, London, and one of the UK's leading lung cancer experts said the tests would undoubtedly save lives.

Similar posts: lung cancer effects

Rabu, 8 Juli 2009 04:10 WIB
Jakarta, Kompas Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sebagai presiden berpidato menyambut pemilu presiden dan wakil presiden di Istana Negara, Jakarta, Selasa (7/7). Presiden menegaskan, pilpres adalah milik rakyat karena kedaulatannya ditegaskan dalam pilihan dan didengarkan.
”Para capres dan cawapres telah diberikan ruang dan waktu untuk melakukan kampanye secara adil. Kini, giliran Saudara-saudara-lah yang memiliki hak dan kesempatan untuk menjatuhkan pilihan secara bebas tanpa intimidasi dan tekanan dari siapa pun. Gunakan hak pilih Saudara sebaik-baiknya,” ujar Yudhoyono yang tampil dengan dasi biru langit.
Sebagai kepala negara, Yudhoyono telah berkomunikasi dengan para gubernur seluruh Indonesia untuk memastikan kesiapan seluruh daerah dalam penyelenggaraan pilpres.
”Aparat kepolisian dengan dibantu oleh jajaran TNI juga telah siap untuk mengamankan dan menjaga ketertiban pelaksanaan pemungutan suara,” ujarnya.
Menyangkut permasalahan daftar pemilih tetap (DPT), Yudhoyono mengemukakan, Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) telah membetulkan dan memperbaiki. Mahkamah Konstitusi telah memutuskan dapat digunakannya kartu tanda penduduk sebagai identitas agar rakyat bisa menggunakan hak pilihnya jika tidak terdaftar dalam DPT.
”Kita berharap pemungutan suara di TPS-TPS dapat berlangsung dengan baik. Jika masih ada masalah-masalah yang muncul, kiranya KPU dengan jajarannya, dengan dibantu pemda, dapat mengatasinya dengan cepat dan tepat,” ujar Yudhoyono.
Presiden mengharapkan proses pilpres berjalan damai, tertib, demokratis, dan tetap menjaga suasana penuh persatuan dan persaudaraan. ”Insya Allah, kita semua, bangsa Indonesia, mampu mewujudkan kebaikan dan keindahan demokrasi seperti itu,” ujarnya.
Ketua KPU Abdul Hafiz Anshary juga menyampaikan pidato jelang pilpres di kantor KPU, Selasa malam. KPU mengimbau masyarakat yang terdaftar dalam DPT serta mereka yang memiliki hak pilih tetapi tidak terdaftar dalam DPT untuk memberikan suaranya dalam pilpres. Hafiz didampingi oleh jajaran komisioner KPU.
Hafiz mengingatkan penyelenggara pemilu, baik KPU maupun Bawaslu/Panwaslu, bersikap independen dan jujur dalam penyelenggaraan pemilu. Mereka diminta tak tergoda dengan janji atau iming-iming pihak tertentu sehingga pilpres dapat diselenggarakan dengan seadil-adilnya.
Pikiran jernih jujur
Calon presiden Megawati Soekarnoputri pun mengajak seluruh warga bangsa untuk menghadapi pilpres dengan pikiran jernih dan jujur.
”Pemilu adalah hari bersejarah buat bangsa Indonesia untuk menentukan masa depannya, terutama lima tahun yang akan datang,” kata Megawati di kediamannya di Jalan Kebagusan, Jakarta Selatan. Ia didampingi calon wapres Prabowo Subianto.
Megawati dan Prabowo yakin bangsa Indonesia dapat mewujudkan hari esok yang lebih baik apabila semua pihak bekerja bersama-sama melakukan perubahan untuk kejayaan Indonesia.
Megawati menyampaikan terima kasih kepada seluruh warga masyarakat yang berpartisipasi menggunakan hak politiknya dalam Pemilu Legislatif 9 April 2009, serta ikut mengawal jalannya pemilu agar tercipta pemilu presiden dan wakil presiden yang langsung, umum, bebas, rahasia, jujur, adil, dan bermartabat.
Megawati mengajak masyarakat yang telah memenuhi syarat untuk menggunakan hak politik sebaik-baiknya.
Capres Muhammad Jusuf Kalla yang juga wakil presiden berharap KPU bersikap adil untuk memberikan kesempatan kepada seluruh rakyat untuk menjalankan hak-hak politiknya.
”Bersikaplah juga jujur, adil, dan memberikan kesempatan yang sama kepada pemilih yang terdaftar maupun yang tidak terdaftar,” ujar Kalla di kediaman dinasnya di Jakarta.
Sebagai capres, Kalla mengaku sudah melakukan persiapan sebaik-baiknya. ”Semua hasilnya tentu kita kembalikan kepada Allah SWT, apa pun yang terbaik bagi negeri. Kita juga telah berusaha dengan baik dan kita pun telah berdoa,” ujarnya.

Similar posts: women s sexual health