Health

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.

Consumer Reports finds that some drug prices can vary by $100 or more for the same bottle of pills
[May 21, 2008] For consumers who pay for all or most of their prescription drugs out of pocket, a new price study by Consumer Reports finds that it pays to shop around. Not only do prices vary from store to store for the same drug, but the fluctuations can be dramatic—sometimes more than $100 for the same prescription—even with the same chain, depending on whether consumers are filling their prescriptions in, say, Omaha, Nebraska, or Billings, Montana.

Consumer Reports identifies 10 overused medical tests and treatments
[Nov. 16, 2007] A new Consumer Reports investigation, published in the November issue, identifies 10 “Overused Tests and Treatments” and spells out how consumers can navigate a health-care system that rewards costly—and often unnecessary—tests and procedures and de-emphasizes preventive care.

Consumer Product Safety Commission finds home lead test kits to be unreliable
[Oct. 24, 2007] The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Monday the results of a special evaluation of consumer lead test kits. CPSC staff used commonly available test kits on a variety of paints and other products containing different levels of lead. Many of the tests performed using the kits did not detect lead when it was there (false negatives); some indicated lead was present when it was not (false positives).

Consumer Reports finds some home lead-testing kits useful, though limited, screening tools
[Oct. 23, 2007] Consumer Reports recently tested five home lead-testing kits and concluded that three of the five kits tested were useful though limited screening tools for consumers concerned about lead levels in the products in their homes. CR found that three of the five lead test kits, Homax Lead Check, Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit and Lead Inspector, detected surface or accessible lead but don’t detect lead embedded below the surface.

Back to school: Is your dorm fire-safe?
[Sep. 4, 2007] Consumer Reports provides tips which can help prevent dorm fires or accidents

Consumer Reports finds that 1 in 4 people insured but not adequately covered
[Aug. 21, 2007] A new Consumer Reports study identifies the “underinsured”—accounting for 24% of the U.S. population—living with skeletal health insurance that barely covers their medical needs and leaves them unprepared to pay for major medical expenses.

Health spas: Exercise your rights
[Jul. 9, 2007] Looking for a way to get in shape? Joining a health spa, fitness center, gym or sports club can be a great way to improve your physical condition. Nearly 33 million people are members of some 17,000 health clubs in the U.S. today, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. And, although many consumers who join health clubs are pleased with their choices, others are not.

Raccoon-based rabies is an endemic in Chatham County
[Jul. 8, 2007] Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system of any mammal infected. The nature of the virus drives the diseased animal to infect other animals with the virus before the host animal dies of the disease. Raccoon-based rabies is an endemic here in Chatham County. By Marissa Jelks

New FDA dietary supplement guidelines still don’t ensure safety and effectiveness before they go on the market
[Jul. 7, 2007] The FDA’s announcement last month of manufacturing guidelines for dietary supplements is a good step toward consistency in the ingredients that go into supplements, but it still does nothing to ensure that supplements are safe or effective before they go on the market, Consumers Union said.