Health

Prostate cancer is a major health issue in North Carolina
[Mar. 9, 2009] Prostate cancer is a major health issue in North Carolina. The death rate from prostate cancer in North Carolina is one of the highest in the nation; African-American men in North Carolina have one of the highest death rates from prostate cancer in the world.

Consumer Reports finds that 48% of Americans don't have carbon-monoxide detectors, at least 24% sometimes don't fasten seatbelts
[Feb. 25, 2009] Some 48 percent of Americans don’t have a carbon-monoxide detector at home, 24 percent sometimes fail to fasten a seatbelt, and 39 percent often eat raw dough when making cookies, according to a nationally representative poll of 1,000 Americans conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Council on Aging has several wellness programs that reduce the risks of falls
[Feb. 24, 2009] Falls are the number one accidental cause of death among older adults. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among adults age 65 and older. By Angel Dennison

Tick borne diseases are a big problem in North Carolina
[Feb. 23, 2009] Tick borne diseases are a problem in North Carolina as in other states. I had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for years as did my dogs with out knowing it. No fever, no rashes, no bulls eyes. Just joint pain. By Carole Henry

Consumer Reports health poll finds that 80% of Americans are too sick or tired to have sex
[Feb. 22, 2009] More than eight out of ten sexually active adults have put off having sex in the past year. Their reasons? Eighty percent say they’re too sick or too tired for sex. And forty percent say they’re just plain “not in the mood.” Other top reasons include taking care of children and pets (30%) and working (29%).

Consumer Reports finds that big promises of some infomercial exercise machines fall flat; plus, set up a home gym for under $100
[Jan. 19, 2009] Two new reports from Consumer Reports separate the wheat from the chaff in home workout equipment – from ab crunchers, cardio gadgets, and upper-body devices sold on TV and Internet infomercials, to treadmills, elliptical exercisers, stationary bikes, heart-rate monitors, and pedometers.

Consumer Reports survey finds that 58 percent of cyclists never wear a helmet, 27 percent never use sunscreen
[Jan. 16, 2009] Some 58 percent of Americans never wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, 70 percent never wear hearing protection when using a gas lawn mower or leaf blower, and 27 percent never use sunscreen when they’re in the sun for a long time, according to a nationally representative poll of 1,000 Americans conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Consumer Reports finds that more than half of successful dieters lose weight on their own
[Jan. 13, 2009] A new survey published in the February issue of Consumer Reports reveals the secrets of successful dieters, many of whom say they lost weight themselves, without the aid of a commercial diet program, medical treatment, book, or diet pills. Their successful do-it-yourself strategies are unveiled along with tips for healthful meals on a budget in a New Year’s do-it-yourself guide to diet and fitness at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Chatham county Senior Centers are not “Beltone Hearing Care Centers”
[Aug. 22, 2008] It has come to my attention that Beltone Hearing Aids has been publishing the addresses of the Chatham County Senior Centers in Pittsboro and Siler City in national directories as “Beltone Hearing Care Centers.” This is a misrepresentation. By Angel Dennison

Council on Aging offers services for older adults in Chatham County
[Aug. 17, 2008] You may not need this information today, but one day, you will. The only thing that we ALL have in common is that we get a day older every day. By Angel Dennison

Consumer Reports' ratings of blood pressure monitors and blood glucose meters show big differences in accuracy and consistency
[Aug. 8, 2008] According to the September issue of Consumer Reports, there are big differences in accuracy and consistency among self-monitoring kits for hypertension and diabetes. The report, also available online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org, suggests that relying on the readings of an inaccurate model could lead to inadequate care.

Consumer Reports joins Dartmouth to launch new web tool to rank nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals for chronic care
[Jul. 29, 2008] Consumer Reports, working with the Dartmouth Atlas Project, is launching a new free Web tool at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org that illustrates for consumers the wide variation in treatment they can expect for serious chronic conditions depending on which hospital provides their care. The tool, which ranks nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals, exposes sharp contrasts in the amount of time people with serious chronic conditions spend in the hospital and how much they will pay.

Council on Aging offers options to help seniors cope with heat wave
[Jun. 16, 2008] The Chatham County Council on Aging offers several programs and suggestions to help local senior citizens cope with heat waves. “We know that extreme temperatures can be a serious health threat to all of our residents, but seniors must be especially careful,” said Angel Dennison, director of the Council on Aging.

Consumer Reports details medical care credit crisis
[Jun. 15, 2008] Some of the biggest names in the consumer credit business, including GE Money, Citigroup, and Chase, are pushing risky credit for financing medical procedures, according to the latest issue of Consumer Reports, which describes the new lending practices as akin to subprime mortgages. Plastic is playing an increasing role in covering medical costs: at about $45 billion today, it could more than triple to $150 billion in 2015.