Medicare now covers yoga for heart health

One of the genuine improvements in Medicare as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is the accent on programs that promote prevention, particularly in the areas of heart disease, such as cholesterol screening and blood glucose control tests. More than 25 million people participating in traditional Medicare during 2011 took advantage of at least one of the 21preventive testing programs available.  To fortify the commitment to prevention in the cardiovascular area, hospitals are now allowed to bill Medicare for their patient's yoga and group discussion sessions that are part of the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease.  The Ornish program is an approved intensive cardiac rehabilitation program.  Ornish  directed scientific research studies reporting that the progression of coronary heart disease can often be reversed by making significant lifestyle changes, including a very low-fat meat-free diet, moderate exercise, various stress management techniques including yoga-based stretching, breathing, meditation, and imagery; and enhanced love and social support, which may include support groups.

Sleepless in more cities than Seattle: New study tracks sleep disorders in 36 states

Where you live may affect how you sleep, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  People living in Southern states suffer from more sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue than other regions, while residents on the West Coast report the fewest number of problems, the research team reported in a study published online  in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Looking at nationwide data collected in 36 states by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the researchers developed a state-by-state sleep map. Among the states where data was collected, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia ranked in the highest bracket for each category. Many of the states reporting the worst sleep and fatigue problems are the same states that tend to report higher prevalence of other conditions, such as obesity.  The pattern differed slightly between men and women.
Some of the factors that may play a role in sleep disturbances include demographics, obesity, health and even weather and sunlight patterns in different states.  They found that regional differences in mental health, race and ethnic origin and access to medical care were the streongest factors that explain these regional differences.  The Penn research team suggests that for regions with the worst sleep patterns, public health programs focused on healthy sleep patterns and increased screening programs for sleeplessness symptoms may guide those suffering from sleeplessness to receive the appropriate medical care.
 
What you can do:  If you think you have a sleep disorder, you can find more information at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology and the WebMD's Sleep Disorders Health Center.