cardiofitness

Syphilis was once referred to as the “Great Imitator”. Because of the variety of ways in which syphilis can manifest itself, individuals who are infected with this sexually transmitted disease often do not realize the full extent of their diagnosis until several weeks or months after infection.

As an individual who may have been exposed to any number of sexually transmitted diseases, it is important to seek medical attention early and as soon as you suspect you may have a health complication. Understanding the various signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis, is important to your health and the health of your sexual partner.

Syphilis, in its early stages, presents as a chancre sore that is painless. Often, because the sore is asymptomatic, most individuals infected with syphilis are not even aware of the complication.

As the STD progresses, the symptoms may become slightly more evident, although commonly misdiagnosed as, in many cases, the genitalia are not affected. Progression often results in swelling and poor function of the lymph nodes, rash that is intermittent and sporadic through the body and some evidence of fever. Still, even with these symptoms, many patients believe they are simply suffering from a flu type complication and assume self treatment which, in many cases, resolves the symptoms.

Self treatment is not a cure for syphilis. Without proper diagnosis, and several months after infection, lesions begin to develop but, again, there are no symptoms. One with blood work can a physician accurately diagnose your complication as associated with syphilis.

Many years after your syphilis infection, you will begin to notice the most substantial impact this STD will have upon your life. In fact, in some cases, the nervous system and cardiovascular system are involved, often resulting in heart damage and even early death.

Unlike other STDs, syphilis may not always present as a complication around the genitalia. For this reason, it is important to use protection when engaging in sexual activity. If you believe you have been exposed to an STD, such as syphilis, consult a healthcare professional for the appropriate testing and treatment. Often, with the use of penicillin or doxycycline, orally and intramuscularly, your syphilis complications can be resolved. For many patients, it is not the fear of diagnosis or treatment that delays medical attention but, instead, the simple ignorance of infection at all.

Like HIV or AIDs, syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can be confused with other health complications or completely misdiagnosed altogether. When engaging in unprotected sexually activity, be certain to see out the advice of a medical provider and obtain the necessary testing into any potential STD, especially syphilis, as the complications may be long term and life threatening when the STD is untreated.

“Reasearch just published in the journal “Behavioral Neuroscience” provides evidence that adequate omega-3 fatty acids are needed for healthy nervous systems. That could explain why low levels of omega-3s are associated with the information processing difficulties experienced by people with bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; schizophrenia; Huntington's disease and other illnesses affecting the nervous system. What's more, this research suggests that increasing dietary omega-3s may be a natural way to prevent and treat those conditions.

Scientists at the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism studied two forms of omega-3 essential fatty acids found in certain foods including fatty fish and some algae: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The human body can only acquire these key nutrients by metabolizing their precursor, linolenic acid (LNA), or from foods or dietary supplements with DHA and EPA in a readily usable form.

EPA has been shown in numerous previous studies to have anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective effects. DHA, although less studied, is also crucial to the body. In fact, it makes up more than 90 percent of the omega-3s in the brain, retina and the nervous system.

For their study, the research team fed four groups of pregnant mice and their offspring four different diets with no or varying types and amounts of omega-3s. Then, after the newborn mice grew into mature animals, the scientists recorded how they responded when exposed to a sudden loud noise. This classic test of nervous-system function normally makes healthy animals flinch. However, if animals with a normal nervous system are exposed first to a softer tone before the loud one, they flinch much less. Scientists believe that's due to an adaptive process known as sensorimotor gating which causes an initial stimulus to prepare the body for future stimuli. The results of the tests showed that only the mice raised on DHA and EPA, but not their precursor of LNA, demonstrated normal, adaptive sensorimotor gating. These healthy animals responded in a significantly calmer way to loud noises if they had first heard softer tones. The mice in all other groups, however, were startled almost as much by the initial soft sound as by the loud noise that followed.

The reason? The scientists concluded that when DHA was deficient the nervous system was in an abnormal state that left the animals almost constantly startled and easily overwhelmed by sensory stimuli. “It only takes a small decrement in brain DHA to produce losses in brain function,” lead researcher Norman Salem Jr., PhD. said in a statement to the media.

The researchers think this important information may be very significant for humans — because weak sensorimotor gating is a hallmark of many nervous-system problems including Huntington's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And they've suggested that omega-3s could have therapeutic potential for these and other diseases marked by nervous system problems. Moreover, the research underlines the dangers of the typical American diet of processed foods and lots of meat – making it far higher in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s. That imbalance reduces the body's ability to incorporate omega-3s and, as a result, “we have the double whammy of low omega-3 intake and high omega-6 intake,” stated Dr. Salem. “It is an uphill battle now to reverse the message that 'fats are bad' and to increase omega-3 fats in our diet.”

For years, prions have been known only as a serious danger to animal and human health. These misfolded brain proteins have been linked to fatal diseases–like mad cow disease in cattle and the deadly variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. But apart from causing these diseases, scientists puzzled for years about the exact function of a properly folded prion protein.

A new study in Nature Neuroscience may have some answers. After 20 years of research, an international team of neuroscientists reports that, in mammals, the mysterious proteins help to maintain the myelin sheath that protects the body’s nerves [Nature News]. A healthy sheath is necessary for nerve cells to transmit impulses rapidly.

The study, conducted by Adriano Aguzzi and his team at University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, observed mice that were bred lacking prion proteins altogether. They found that these mice developed a condition where their peripheral nerves, which connect the limbs to the central nervous system, lost much of their myelin coating [Nature News]. By the age of two months, the mice’s nerves had lost their protective coating and the mice had become more sensitive to pain. Scientists say this shows that prion proteins (in their properly folded form) play some role in keeping nerve cells healthy, and add that the findings could lead to new research on human diseases that involve the nerves. For example, it could offer a new way of looking at multiple sclerosis, an incurable disease caused by demyelination of nerves in the brain and spinal cord [Nature News].

But there have been other hints that prions play a beneficial role in human health. A few years ago, scientists found that prions could be safeguarding our brains by preventing neurons from overworking themselves to death [New Scientist]. Another team discovered evidence that  prion proteins could play a role in protecting our brains against the neural plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, noting that the more prion protein human brain cells made, the less plaque-forming protein they made, and vice-versa [New Scientist].

Related Content:
DISCOVER: Picturing Prions
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80beats: Who Needs DNA? Prions Evolve Without It
80beats: New Guinean Cannibals Evolved Resistance To Mad Cow-Like Disease

Image: Steve Gschmeissner/ SPL

January 25th, 2010 6:47 PM Tags: mad cow disease, prions

by Smriti Rao in Health & Medicine, Mind & Brain | 0 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

Today you will have a night of sex. It's good! You have prepared all necessary and of course stocked a tablet of Erectalis. With the approach of the long-awaited moment an excitement is increasing. You start to worry. You are more worried about an erection. Such concerns is quite frequent among men. And it is typical for many ages.

Emotional stress alone can cause troubles with erection. If you are young the body can easily manage with the emotional tension. But man need guaranty – pastille of ED group (Cialis tablets). They do well with this task.

The problem is that man are often incorrectly use these pastille. They think too much about theirs sexual impotence and simply forget to read the instructions. But it is much important to study guide for the use of Erectile Dysfunction pills.

If you hurry up and take a tablet of Viagra too soon – you can expect a fiasco. You will not be able to make anything when your woman just come in excitement. It's a shame to take a pill and be impotent, isn't it?

We earnestly recommend you to read the instructions of the drug application. This will help avoid any displeasing situations.

Effects of Viagra lasts for quite a long time. If you take it in time, you provided a lot of hours of making love. You will nicely surprise your partner with your sexual power. A small drug of Viagra (Levitra, Cialis, Erectalis) can make you a super man, if you take it in time.

Even after orgasm force of the Erectile Dysfunction medicines are not discontinued. After a short time they will give you the opportunity to have sex again. The tablet does not know that you have already finished. It just works. Your task is to take the medicine at the right time. Medicines wants to help you. Let them do it. Do not panic and do not hurry. You only have to calculate the correct time of taking the medicine.

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Barack Obama gave a speech to the American Medical Association in an attempt to get the organization's members on board with his plans for healthcare rethought. Meanwhile, the issue of healthcare reform continues to be not easy topic in Chamber, and the road to laws is sure to be long and accompanied with much debate. So, to assist Washington in the process, or in the end to keep the politicians sane with a little entertainment, we've come up with a little healthcare free downloads movies marathon .

The ten films selected are admittedly more left-leaning in their potential influence, but that's not necessarily a political films on our part. We simply chose titles we like, and maybe it just so occur that we love films that show charity as good, greed as evil and healthcare as a right that all humans should be brought.

Young Doctors in Love download full movies (1982)

The Hospital download movies online free (1971) Arthur Hiller's hospital-set black movie is much funnier.

Critical Care download full movies (1997)

Like Father Like Son free downloads movies (1987) The only reason this body swap comedy is included in the marathon is that it also contains a subplot involving a hospital's stance on uninsured.

Monsieur Vincent free downloads movies (1949)

Dr. Kildare Goes Home download movie for free (1940)

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu movie to download (2005) Though not set in the U.S., this Romanian movie will show Congress how bad our country's healthcare industry could be.

The Rainmaker download movies online free (1997)

John Q free downloads movies (2002)

Sicko free downloads movies (2007)

I permanently consider that Our kids have to do sports every day. Sport promote increase and leads to amelioration your health. Nowadays, research tell to us that the significance of physical activity in Children is stronger than ever. For instance, medical investigator have observed that highly energy are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure later in life. Sport is also aware to relieve depression. Some children experience as much depression, and anxiety as growth people. And because exercise improves health, a fit child is more likely to be not tired and mentally sharp.

Even moderate physical activity has been shown to improve a kid's skill at memorization. The primary purpose of parents and trainers is to help kids look through the success in sport they need to make them feel valued and wanted. Every child can be happy at one sport or another. Wait to find the sports that are right for each child. Exercises is an important learning area for children. One way children gain acceptance by their peers is to be the best at activities valued by other kids.

I permanently think that Little kids have to be active every day. Sport promote growth and leads to improved your health. Nowadays, investigations shows that the significance of sports in Children is stronger than ever. For instance, medical researchers have looked that highly energy are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure later in life. Sport is also known to relieve depression. Some children experience as much depression, and anxiety as adults do. And because physical activity increase health, a fit kid is more likely to be well-rested and mentally sharp.

Even moderate sport has been said to increase a child's skill at arithmetic. The important purpose of parents and coaches is to help children find the happy in exercise they need to make them feel valued and needed. Every child can be successful at one sport or another. Take the time to find the sports that are right for each child. Sport is an significant learning environment for children. One way children gain acceptance by their peers is to be the best at activities valued by other kids.

A new study published in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, reveals that men with good fitness levels exhibit better metabolic profiles and have less abdominal fat as compared to unfit individuals that weigh the same.

The work was conducted by Benoit J. Arsenault and Jean-Pierre Després academics in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the Hôpital Laval Research Centre in Québec, Canada.

The research was prompted by previous studies that have suggested that individuals who are overweight and even obese, but possess satisfactory levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

The objective of the study was to assess if there was a correlation between low fitness levels and visceral adipose tissue (abdominal fat). The team also wanted to determine if individuals with weak endurance levels exhibited poor metabolic profiles.

For this endeavor, the research team recruited 169 men with no prior history of diabetes and determined their body mass index (BMI). The average age of study participants was 37.1 years with a calculated BMI of 25.9. The scientists then measured adipose tissue (AT) buildup, CRF, and plasma insulin levels as well as cholesterol profiles.

When they team analyzed the data, they found that the bottom third of subjects with the lowest cardiorespiratory endurance, had a significantly higher level of abdominal fat as compared to men that were in the upper third of the population with the highest levels of fitness.

With regard to cholesterol profiles, individuals that had poor fitness, exhibited higher levels of fatty acids (triglyceride average of 161 ± 73 mg/dL) and bad cholesterol (LDL-Apo-B average of 106 ± 23 mg/dL) as compared to men with high cardiopulmonary endurance (fatty acid average of 99 ±45 and LDL-Apo-B average of 89 ± 24 mg/dL).

The researchers next grouped population subjects according to similar BMIs and categorized them into groups with low or high fitness ratings. Here they found that men with low levels of fitness had higher quantities of visceral adipose tissue as compared to men with high levels of heart and lung endurance (114.4 ± 59.9 vs 87.8 ± 49.1 squared cms). Further examination also revealed that these subjects had poor metabolic profiles.

The investigators concluded that the compromised metabolic profiles of individuals that exhibit poor fitness is significantly associated to their specific levels of abdominal fat. This, despite accounting for each individual's particular BMI.

In the press release by heartwire, Dr. Arenault stated that “this study underlines the importance of visceral adipose tissue accumulation in the previously reported association between CRF (fitness) and metabolic complications predictive of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Our results suggest that visceral abdominal tissue accumulation could be a key confounding factor when the relationship of CRF, coronary heart disease risk, and metabolic syndrome is examined.”

Sources:

Archives of Internal Medicine:

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/14/1518

Heart Wire News:

http://www.theheart.org/viewArticle.do?primaryKey=804611&nl_id=tho03aug07

Dennis Publishing has acquired Health & Fitness magazine from rival group Hubert Burda Media.

Health & Fitness, which is a female-focused title, had an ABC audited circulation of 35,436 in the first half of last year.

Dennis's portfolio already included Men's Fitness, which it acquired in the UK and Ireland in September, having published it under licence from American Media since 2001.

The editorial and advertising teams of Health & Fitness will join as Dennis Publishing employees and will move to the company's headquarters.

The editorial director of Men's Fitness, Pete Muir, will expand his role to include the second magazine.

The sum of money involved in the deal was not disclosed.

Female fitness is an active sector at present, with another monthly title, Women's Running, launched on 29 December with a a print run of 60,000 copies and a cover price of £3..

It is the first title to be launched by Wild Bunch Media, a health and fitness publishing company set up in September by the former NatMag-Rodale publishing director Nick Troop and the former IPC circulation director Kevin McCormick.

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.

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As 2010 gets underway, so does the pursuit of perhaps the most popular New Year’s resolution of all: to get in shape. Consequently, several major gym chains have seen an uptick in traffic to their Facebook pages this month, so we figured it would be a good time to look at a few of them and see the strategies they’re employing to capitalize on that traffic.

The four gym pages reviewed — Gold’s Gym, Bally Total Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and Life Time Fitness — are U.S. chains with locations across the country.

Pages generally conveyed the same message but the specific differences in how each used Facebook to engage users was important, especially when it came to the apps they promoted. These pages emphasized special deals, highlighted how their gym fit a user’s needs and pushed users towards their primary pages in fun and interesting ways and the apps gave users a measurable feel for how much the gyms would care about their fitness.

Gold’s and Bally prominently promoted Facebook on their main sites and 24 Hour Fitness promoted Facebook at the bottom of the page; Facebook was difficult to find on Life Time Fitness’ page. For reference, the number of fans, approximately: 24 Hour Fitness 41,100, Gold’s Gym 32,800, Life Time Fitness 14,800 and Bally Total Fitness 9,300.

Each page had the same basic info: membership, events, locator, a Wall where fans shared info, Photos including tours of some facilities, member success stories, including a place to upload your own story on Bally’s page.

Apps

Several of the gyms featured workout-related apps on their Facebook pages on tabs and boxes that performed an array of functions; Life Time Fitness did not offer an app, but did stress the use of Foursquare for its members when they’re at the gym.

Bally’s “What Gym Personality Are You?” quizzes the user with fun questions about food, music and workout preferences, suggesting inviting friends to the quiz and then requesting you to publish the results on your wall — potentially moving some traffic to the Facebook page if quiz results are published to the stream, or the user adds a Bally badge or becomes a fan. But, the app doesn’t retain the user’s interest after the quiz and likely wouldn’t continue to generate traffic.

Gold’s Gym and 24 Hour Fitness invested much more in their apps.

Gold’s “My Strength” is a fairly basic app that helps you create a fitness goal with specific numbers (e.g. minutes, pounds), share that goal with your Facebook friends and log your progress by uploading a photo, friending users with similar goals and recruiting “supporters” for your fitness goal. Gold’s Gym also offers “Tough Love,” an app similar to “Super Poke,” in which the user selects different types icons, such as a six pack or pep talk, to send to their friends’ Walls, an app that could likely be used repeatedly and continue to create traffic.

However, the most comprehensive and engaging app was 24 Hour Fitness’ “Get Fit Motivator.”

The app allows users to choose general goals such as, “Get Bikini Ready” or “Tighter Abs,” select a target date, set up goal reminders, commit to the goal by sharing with friends, find a mentor from among 24 Hour Fitness’ trainers on Facebook and create a step-by-step plan of your own, or select one already created.

Get Fit Motivator also includes a journal, allows you to post photos of your progress and includes a graph representing the user’s progress. One may also have more than one goal at a time that you can share with your friends by placing a box on your profile page.

In other words, it’s an application that reminds you and your friends it’s there, encourages journaling, gives you a visual reminder of your progress and fosters community involvement, all things that contribute to one user coming back to the app, if not anyone in the user’s network.

Free Passes and Specials

All four gyms had a free 7-day pass deal for people to try out their facility and by and large this feature was included as a tab on each page, with the exception of Bally, which hid this feature as a box at the bottom of its profile page. Facebook users go to the gym’s primary page after clicking on the offer and are prompted for personal information to obtain the free pass. Such offers are a good way to build up traffic on the main site, as well as get people in the door to sign them up for service contracts.

24 Hour Fitness takes this to the next level, explicitly stating on their Facebook page that members who become fans of the page are eligible for “exclusive content and cool offers,” for example recently holding a contest for nine fans on January 13 for ten free personal training sessions with the winners selected at random from the Wall. In that contest, though, it required users to post to the Page’s wall, which appears to be a violation of Facebook’s guidelines.

Can You Drink a lot of Liquid? I 'd like to tell you in last years investigation have shown that men and women don't get enough water for good health. Accordingly with basic healthy eating principals, most health promoters have urged us all to consume more water.

The appeal has been strong – avoid deprivation of water. However,my friends there is a a lot of facts appearing, more than usual amongst people who do sports. Accordingly to researchers almost as many sportsmen are putting their health at risk by over-consuming water as drinking too little. Drinking liquid at every possibility are able to occasion big challenges, like hyponatraemia or water poisoning. When the water concentration of the blood increases, the salt concentration is diluted.

Hence the quantity of salt available to body tissues decreases, which can lead to challenges with heart features. Hence the amount of salt available to body tissues decreases, which can lead to problems with function. I've remark initial signs of over-hydration include . But these symptoms are also amalgamated with dehydration – so it's mportant to be aware of how much you are getting. Is there cause for trouble? The British Dietetic Association directives state that an average men and women must consume 2.5 litres of liquid per day. This consume needs to be grow during periods of hot weather or during and after periods of physical activity.

Almost everyone would love to have a swimming pool in their yard. However, along with the maintenance of a swimming pool, there are safety issues. What can you, as a swimming pool owner, and responsible adult, do to be sure anyone who comes near your pool is safe? Here are a few ideas that may be helpful.

The first thing you may want to do to make your swimming pool safe is add a fence. In many communities a pool must be fenced, and a permit will not be issued for the construction of a pool unless a fence is also planned. This helps protect not just for your family members, but neighborhood children, and some pets that may find a pool an attraction. Protect them from harm.

If money is not an issue, a more desirable choice to make a swimming pool safe may be a screen enclosure. These not only add more protection than just a fence, they add considerably to the value of a home. Because you have a screened room, don't think you have done all you can for safety. Special fences are available for pools that are in the ground, and in a screen enclosure. Consider purchasing these if you have small children in or around your home.

Remove toys from your pool when you are not using the pool. If you have toys in your pool when no one is using the pool, realize this is a safety issue, as a small child may see these toys as a major attraction. Even with a fence, children get into areas where they should not be. Always move the toys to a safer location.

Give safety instructions to anyone old enough to listen on a daily basis. People forget. Kids fooling around in a swimming pool, or near the pool are not usually thinking for one minute that they could be injured, or hurt someone else. And it could take less than a minute for a tragedy to happen.

If you have family member who can't swim, be sure to concentrate on teaching them. If you have several children who need to learn, and you feel overwhelmed by the task, you may be able to hire a professional instructor for a reasonable rate.

Think about buying interior and exterior swimming pool alarms for extra protection. You can purchase alarms to place in the water, or near your pool. These alarms should alert you when someone enters the area, or when something falls into the pool. You definitely want one that includes the interior siren. The shriek from an interior alarm can't be ignored.

For added swimming pool safety, personal alarms for children, adults, disabled are available. These personal alarms are about the size of a watch, and worn on the wrist, so they are easy to wear. Using a personal alarm for your child at all times can be a great idea if you have a pool, and may help you avoid a tragedy you will relive every day. These alarms are also a great idea for anyone who is working near the pool alone. If an adult falls into a pool after having a heart attack or stroke while tending to the pool, the alarm could bring life saving help.

Search the Internet, and check with local pool supply companies to find the one that works for you. Don't think because you have a pool alarm, your job is done. Continually monitoring your pool is still important.

Be sure to learn basic CPR. Yes, if there is a swimming accident, you will dial 911. While you are waiting for help to arrive it is important that you are able to assist in this manner.

Consider having a family rule that no one swims alone. Even though teens, and some younger children may be great swimmers, too many things can happen, and go unnoticed until it is too late. Use an intercom system, or a baby monitor to hear everyone who is in or near the swimming pool. Some may think it invades their privacy. They will get over that quicker than they will a swimming injury.

Learn what you can about dry drowning. This can happen to anyone who has inhaled water from the swimming pool. A person does not have to have a near drowning experience for this to be a reality. Someone can swallow water while swimming, and it won't be an issue. However, if they have inhaled swimming pool water, and it is in their lungs, they could be in serious trouble. If anyone who has been in the pool doesn't act right in your opinion, ask questions. Do they feel odd? Do they feel ill? Never apologize to emergency room staff if you bring someone in who you feel may be in trouble. A person can feel they just need to sleep, and then die quietly due to dry drowning.

Another important issue when it comes to pool safety is cleanliness. Be sure you are chlorinating correctly, and checking the pH as recommended. If in doubt, check with your local pool supply dealership. Most will check your water without charge, and explain what you need.

On a regular basis, wash the exterior walkways of the pool with a bleach solution. In hot weather this may help prevent athlete's foot fungus, which can grow in areas that are moist and warm.

This information is by no means all you need to know about pool safety. Staying alert, and being aware of what everyone is doing when you are enjoying your pool will go a long way to protecting those you care about.

Dear friends I just wrote the word “diet” so youwould a aware to what I was talking about, but honestly, that should be a bad word. What do you say, “some easy ways to get food to serve you and your goals?” I think the food puzzle is necessary to be unraveled simply and gradually so that our point of view is simple but realistic to our lives.

Number 1 Drink only liquid. According to studies, this would refuse 20% of our caloric consume and help all of our body functions run more easy.

2. Reduce your portions I'm not even going to tell you what to eat and not eat. Itell you if you get that sub at lunch reduce it in half. We eat a lot, so just eat until you are full. It's not easy.

Number 3. Don't skip breakfast. You should have a seventy percent chance of overeating pending your day if you don't eat your breakfast.

4. Keep a food journal. That will help you see exactly what you consume and when. You can see patterns of grabbing food at stressful factors, etc. Making a journal just can do you aware and in charge of your food–not the other way around.

Number 5. If you can skip, you shouldn't eat after 7 p.m.

I was surprised during a recent trip back to South Florida how many opportunities were available for “routine health screenings.” Screening tests that identify risk factors or detect undiagnosed conditions enable doctors to intervene early with treatment or recommended lifestyle changes.

On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised because South Florida is — after all — one of the leading retirement locations in the United States. Besides, nothing is ever “free” and these “routine health screenings” are really just the hook to get you to buy into whatever the Healthcare provider at the moment is peddling.

No doubt about it, in shopping malls, churches, public schools and hospitals around the country, free or low-cost health screening fairs are becoming a popular means of promoting healthy living and raising awareness of conditions like heart disease, diabetes and colon, breast and lung cancers. For the thousands of people who attend them each year, the events are an inexpensive way to monitor their health.

But — (there's always a “but”) — according to the National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov) to some health care experts, frequent routine screenings-from the simple tests like those for cholesterol and blood sugar levels done at health fairs and screenings to mammograms and colonoscopies performed in hospitals or doctors' offices-are sometimes unnecessary and even harmful. For example — a false positive on a routine urinalysis, for example, could lead to more tests, including a kidney biopsy.

I'll have to admit: it is tempting. The lure of something free coupled with health information that normally you'd be paying for.

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (www.dphp.osophs.dhhs.gov) –an independent panel of experts set up by Congress to make recommendations for preventive tests and screenings — the task force doesn't favor annual physical exams across the board because it says there's not enough evidence to show a benefit. The group does recommend targeted screenings based on an individual's age, gender, underlying health condition or family history.

Interestingly enough, a study published in the American Journal of PreventiveMedicine (www.sciencedirect.com) in June, found that unnecessary medical tests cost the U.S. health system as much as $184 million a year. The study examined the costs incurred when results from urinalyses, electrocardiograms (EKGs) and chest X-rays mistakenly showed evidence of a health problem.

Do the math: the Journal points out that if — for example — 20 percent of EKGs given to asymptomatic patients in a routine exam are false, the follow-up tests will cost about $683 million. And that doesn't account for the stress a patient feels, the time off from work they have to take and the possible complications that result from the follow-up test.

Still, Americans are attracted to free or low-cost screening events. And in all fairness to the argument presented, routine health screenings can be used for good. An article in the AARP (www.aarp.org) recounts that in early January 2007, nearly 1,500 people in three cities took advantage of screenings for heart disease at a traveling clinic sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (www.nhlbi.nih.gov) Sixty-five percent were found to be at risk for heart problems.

Meanwhile in Colorado – the AARP article points out further — an estimated 100,000 people typically attend the annual health screening fairs sponsored by 9Health Fair (www.9healthfair.org) , a nonprofit, statewide organization. Of those, some 10,000 residents find they have health concerns and are urged to follow up with their doctors for further diagnosis or treatment.

So despite the misgivings of some critics, most doctors agree that certain screenings make sense for most adults at certain ages.

While vision checks are recommended every year or two for those 65 and older, people with glaucoma in their family history may want to start screening at 45. And hearing — which tends to worsen after age 50 — should be checked every 10 years, but more often by those who find they are turning up the TV or radio so loud that others complain, or are straining to hear normal conversation.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) also recommends that adults up to age 64 receive HIV testing in a health clinic or doctor's office. Though risk of infection is low, older adults are the most likely of all age groups to be infected with the virus and not know it.

Meanwhile back on first — routine screening for most people age 50 and older may be less important than doing things they can control, such as watching their weight, exercising and not smoking.

More sensible advice than that you can't get no matter what the price.