Tuesday Tidbits

Nausea really sucks. But the news keeps coming. Here you go:

David Lazarus of the LA Times says President Obama should be taking a harder line on health reform implementation rather than letting the states do what suits them. I tend to agree.

US healthcare spending rose only 3.9% in 2010 -- the second lowest increase on record as people avoid health care during the recession. So health reform did NOT result in a spike in cost.

And here's a new book on health reform written by the architect of the law, Jonathan Gruber at MIT. It's a book for consumers in comic book form -- like a graphic novel except it's non-fiction.

The research arm of health reform is also getting more play these days. It's all about helping consumers make informed decisions.

What happens when a patient really "owns" his/her own medical record? Doctors worry, but a study is underway to see how it goes.

A diabetes patient talks about the way people respond to her. I think you could take pretty much any chronic illness and it would be about the same. People who don't have it don't "get" it. Do you know about spoons? Read here. This works pretty well. Another study says diabetes can affect jobs and wages for young people. Why do employers even know about it? They aren't allowed to ask.

Meanwhile, post-menopausal women who take statins for cholesterol run a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.

What personality traits lead to obesity? This is fascinating -- I just have to completely change who I am and I'll be thinner!

Some doctors want a credit card before they will see you. Is going to the doctor like going to the store to buy something? I don't know -- this feels weird to me.

What happens to a relationship when one partner has a brain injury? Tears and courage.

Guess what? Nicotine gum, patches don't work! But you're tough; you can do it. And nicotine patches may boost memory in people with mild cognitive impairment. So it's not for nothing!

Exercise may help Parkinson's patients.

Our friends at New Haven Legal Assistance have sued the Connecticut Department of Social Services for failing to process Medicaid applications in a timely manner. Great job.

And that's today's news. Have a great day! Jennifer