Tag Archives: cancer

How Private Health Saved One Journalist’s Life

Cost is always an issue when it comes to health care, but if the coverage and care are still poor, what are we really paying for?

This is a question Leslie Michelson, CEO of Private Health Management, asked after spending nearly 30 years in the health-care business and noticing something was wrong that needed to be fixed.

His solution? A private health care network which he founded in 2024 that provides high value service – both in cost and quality – to ensure people receive the best care available to them regardless of their diagnosis.

Some Americans are pleased with the health coverage they’re receiving, according to a 2024 Kaiser Family Foundation study on American’s Satisfaction with Insurance Coverage. It found that most people were satisfied with their coverage and care. However, the full synopsis revealed this wasn’t necessarily the whole story.

“…Significant portions of those who rate their insurance positively still say they face problems paying their medical bills or are dissatisfied with certain aspects of their coverage. Additionally…substantial portions of insured people are concerned about the cost of their health care and insurance, the adequacy of their insurance to meet potential health care needs, and the stability of their insurance coverage.”

One area this survey did not gauge was the level of care for people facing serious health problems, such as a cancer diagnosis or lung or heart disease. These are the areas in which companies like Private Health perform best as they are able to quickly connect patients in extreme need with the best doctors available to them.

As some might expect, this service doesn’t come cheap. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Private Health primarily caters to “high net worth individuals” and to businesses that use its services as a benefit to their executives. Michelson reports that Private Health currently serves between 12,000 and 15,000 clients, mainly in ‘private equity, hedge funds, professional and financial services firms.’

By establishing strategic patient-physician relationships that are difficult and often dizzying for a person to establish on his or her own, Michelson suggests that people can avoid the run around and find the best doctor to treat their condition when using Private Health – and that is worth the extra money.

Liz Neporent, health expert and ABC News writer, believes in this service firmly and chose Private Health after receiving a life-threatening diagnosis earlier this year. As with many others in her circumstance, Neporent felt that the odds were so stacked against her both from an insurance and medical point of view that professional help from someone who could better navigate the system was extremely valuable. (more…)

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Dana

Suicide, Cancer, Obesity Among Factors That May Shorten Baby Boomers’ Lives

For those in their 20s and 30s, consider this a wake up call: Research now suggests that baby boomers may not live longer than their parents, as a collection of studies surrounding those born between 1946 and 1964 suggests their health is on the decline.

S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been studying the longevity of baby boomers under a MacArthur Foundation Grant. And based on his findings thus far, he predicts noticeable drops in this generation’s lifespan.

“If you look at the health status of the baby boom versus the generation that just preceded them, they are in worse shape,” Olshanksy told Reuters in a recent interview. He added that health experts are seeing greater frailty, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and declining cognitive function among this generation.

With improvements in healthcare, innovative drugs, and increasing life expectancies among most age groups, it’s been an assumption that baby boomers would easily outlive their parents’ generation. However, because of factors like obesity and cancer, their lifespans may be cut short. (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Dana

Weight Loss Reduces Risk of Cancer in Overweight Women

A new study conducted on post-menopausal women showed those who are overweight or obese can reduce their levels of inflammation linked to cancer by losing just 5% of their body weight.

The study looked at women who either dieted, exercised or both. Those who lost weight through diet and exercise were able to lower their C-reactive protein by 42%, and their interleukin-6 marker by 23% in just one year.

Both of these inflammation markers have been previously linked to cancer. Dr. Anne McTiernan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle stated, “Both obesity and inflammation have been shown to be related to several types of cancer.” (more…)

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Descygna

Fitness Icon Robert Kennedy Loses Battle with Lung Cancer

The fitness world lost an icon this April 12, 2024 with the passing of Robert Kennedy, publisher of Oxygen magazine and husband to Tosca Reno, fitness model and creator of the Eat-Clean diet.

Bob Kennedy lost his battle with lung cancer at the age 73 and is survived by wife, Tosca Reno and four adult daughters Chelsea Kennedy, Rachel Corradetti, Kiersten Corradetti, and Kelsey-Lynn Corradetti (he was preceded in death by his only son Braden Robert James Kennedy last year following complications with pneumonia).

On April 9th, Tosca announced on her blog that Bob’s treatments were unsuccessful and that the family was coming to terms with the time he had left:

“We will soon be losing a wonderful person, father, great leader and inspiration for both the Company and this industry at large. However Bob’s life’s work, dedication and impact on bodybuilding, fitness and health and the support and inspiration to 10’s of millions of people will continue through all of you.”

(more…)

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Kelly

Seaweed Can Increase Cancer Risk for Post-Menopausal Women

A Japanese study released Wednesday said post-menopausal women who consumed seaweed had an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, linking it to iodine in the macrobiotic food.

The national survey included nearly 53,000 Japanese women over 14 years. They looked at women aged 40 to 69 and found the group reported 134 thyroid cancer cases and 113 of those cases were papillary carcinoma.

Papillary carcinoma is a relatively common well-differentiated thyroid cancer. According to Medscape.com, these tumors may spread easily to other organs. The life expectancy of patients with this cancer is related to their age. The prognosis is better for younger patients than for patients who are older than 45 years.

According to the study, women who ate seaweed daily were 1.7 times more likely to develop cancer than those who ate it no more than twice a week.

The risk doubled among post-menopausal women, they were 3.8 times more likely to develop cancer than those who limited their intake. (more…)

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Kristina

Coca-Cola Changes Formula Rather than Add Cancer Warnings

A new law has caused Coca-Cola to reformulate their soda.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the compounds in the caramel coloring in many soft drinks has been shown to cause lung, liver, and thyroid cancer in lab mice and rats. Because of these findings, the CSPI has called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of caramel coloring. The guilty ingredients are 2-methylimidazole (2-MEI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI). These compounds form when sugar is mixed with ammonia and sulfites. It may not effect the flavor, but it creates the caramel, or brown color.

This year the state of California determined that 4-MEI qualified as a carcinogen. Because of this ruling, companies using that coloring compound would be required to print cancer warnings on their packages or reformulate their products. Further, the CSPI said their recent lab studies found that the 4-MEI levels in many 12-ounce sodas exceeded the 29 microgram limit set by California law.

“The body of science about 4-MEI in foods or beverages does not support the erroneous allegations that CSPI would like the public to believe,” said a Coca-Cola representative. “The 4-MEI levels in our products pose no health or safety risks.”

Regardless of the debate, Coca-Cola has decided to change its manufacturing process rather than print cancer warnings on their drinks.

(more…)

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Lacy

Gwyneth Paltrow Using Fear to Motivate, Not Motivated By Fear

There are many types of motivation for making any change. Some people decide to make a change for their children, to be able to keep up with them and play with them more. Some people decide to make a change to feel better about themselves – like Brittany Aberle wanting to be “steamy hot.” Some people decide to make a change to have more energy or to be happier or to be able to think more clearly. Some people are motivated by money. Some people, like Gwyneth Paltrow, decide to make a change as a result of a negative experience. Wednesday, Fitperez shared a quote from Gwyneth Paltrow that explains how her focus on healthy living came as a result of watching her father’s death from cancer.

“I would do anything to have him back, but half the reason that my life is good, has real, true value, is that he died. All I’ve learned about nutrition and health came from his cancer,” she says. “I’ll probably have a long and healthy life because he didn’t. I wish he hadn’t smoked, because the fact is that he did and he died. As much grief and pain and trauma and heartache are caused, there was an equal amount of positivity that came out of his death.”

Gwyneth does a great job of reframing her father’s death, which is a therapist term for finding the silver lining. When something negative occurs in our lives, we have the option to dwell in the negativity or to use the experience to drive us to better understanding and a better life. It is possible that fear could be part of Gwyneth’s motivation, but I am not sure we can read that into what she has said. While I would like to believe that changes in my dietary habits have come as a result of what I have learned from Diets in Review, there could also be some fear for me in knowing just how dangerous certain things could be.

(more…)

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

BHA is Lurking in Your Cereal, but is it Safe?

By Lauren O’Connor, MS, RD for Nutri-Savvy.

You may tread on it, wear it, and yes, even ingest it! The same chemical used in making tires and the make-up you wear may be found in a wide variety of common, everyday food products.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a synthetic chemical found in petroleum, rubber, cosmetics, animal feed, and food packaging. Because it prevents oxidation, it is also used to “preserve freshness” in food products. It works by retarding rancidity and eliminating odors in fat and oil-containing foods. Though an “antioxidant,” this widely-used substance may be cause for concern.

The exposure to BHA in foods increased nearly two-fold from the 1970s to the early eighties, with US annual usage rising from 170,000 kg to 300,000 kg. The additive may be found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snacks, nut products, dry beverage mixes, active dry yeast, dehydrated potatoes and beer! And let’s not forget the environment: If you work around livestock or in the cosmetics, rubber or petroleum industries, you have increased exposure. Fast-food employees who cook and serve fried, oily foods are also more exposed. (more…)

Posted on February 5, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Fran Drescher Campaigns to Get Carcinogens Out of Household Products

Fran Drescher, herself a uterine cancer survivor, has launched a new campaign to get cancer-causing chemicals out of homes and banned from manufacturing. Drescher points out that these chemicals are in all kinds of household products, from cleaning to body products. So, as part of her Cancer Smhmancer Movement, she’s created “Trash Cancer,” an initiative to help promote awareness about everyday toxins.

(more…)

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Margaret

Fish Oil May Cure Leukemia

Fish oil has long been touted for its heart, neurological, and cancer risk-lowering health benefits. Now, an ingredient that can be extracted from fish oil may lead to a cure for leukemia.

According to Penn State researchers, a compound called delta-12-protaglandin J3 (D12-PGJ3) appears to target leukemia stem cells. The compound killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, Penn State associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. (more…)

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Jason

Fashion Icon Donna Karan Launches Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program at UCLA

Finding calm amidst the chaos, bringing like-minded people together, and getting to a point where a life threatening disease can be dealt with in a healthy way through spiritual healing and alternative medicine is the goal of Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program (UZIT) at UCLA, which launches today, November 17, 2024.

The idea for such a program was born when world-renowned fashion designer Karan felt a deep desire to see that her husband Stephan Weiss, who was dying of lung cancer, received the soul healing spiritual care not offered by traditional Western medicine.

Today, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is partnering with Karan’s UZIT to become the first hospital on the West Coast to offer yoga therapy, mindfulness meditation, nutrition, Reiki, and aromatherapy for patients at their bedside and beyond.

According to Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, and associate vice chancellor for health sciences, UZIT works perfectly at UCLA as it matches their mission of treating the whole patient rather than just the symptoms of a particular illness. (more…)

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Jill