Health

For decades, those with high cholesterol have been given a list of don'ts when it comes to their diet: Don't eat cholesterol-rich eggs; don't eat butter; don't eat red meat or regular ice cream. Well, now researchers have identified a list of do's for the diet that may work to lower cholesterol levels better than avoiding those don'ts. In a study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that eating cholesterol-lowering foods like nuts, soy protein, and certain fiber-rich items result in bigger drops in "bad" LDL cholesterol than avoiding...

With this state's recovery outpacing the nation's, Governor Patrick is riding high. Sixty-one percent of likely voters say the state is heading in the right direction, according to a new Suffolk University poll — and almost the same proportion have a favorable opinion of the governor. That shows something impressive: The state's congenial, consensus-oriented CEO has become a successful, well-regarded governor in tough times. But though it's no doubt a delight to be Deval these days, the governor also faces a ticklish policy problem in the weeks ahead.

Polls show that frustration with Washington has never been higher — and who could argue? Most Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Most lawmakers openly concede that nothing will get done before the November elections. The leaders of both parties are already trading threats over the possibility of a national debt default next year. Barack Obama got elected by promising to change the tone in Washington, but clearly he's failed, as George W. Bush did before him. That should be a clue that the partisan animosity consuming the political system doesn't originate in the White House.

The following was submitted by the office of state Senator Katherine Clark: BOSTON — The Senate on Thursday capped a framework of nation-leading health care reforms with landmark cost-control legislation that will save the Commonwealth $150 billion in the next 15 years while improving the quality of care and increasing the transparency and accountability of the state's entire health care system. The bill passed, 35-2. According to Senator Katherine Clark (Middlesex & Essex)

Days after state environmental officials found unacceptable noise levels from wind turbines in Falmouth, they are considering new regulations that would require the state to review potential noise issues before wind turbines are built in Massachusetts. The state might also conduct sound studies in other communities, such as Fairhaven and Kingston, where residents, as in Falmouth, have complained about newly installed turbines, officials said. A panel of independent scientists and doctors, convened by the state to look at the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby residents, urged the...

As a child, Steve Thompson displayed outsized reactions to ordinary events and intense mood swings. By age 12, doctors diagnosed him with bipolar disorder. The idea that he had a chronic mental illness - one typically marked in adulthood by manic periods followed by depression - frightened him. "It's something you think you'll have your entire life," said Thompson, a 23-year-old student at Massasoit Community College in Brockton. But over the past year, with the help of his longtime psychiatrist, he has weaned himself off mood-altering medication.

Last Monday, leaders from Partners HealthCare System Inc. gathered in the dark-paneled office of Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo to lay out their objections to his expansive 278-page plan to tame health care costs. The House proposal, unveiled 10 days earlier, called in part for closer oversight of the prices and operations of hospitals and their physicians groups, especially more costly ones like those owned by Partners, and influential board chairman Jack Connors requested a meeting.

Dementia is a major health concern of our aging population. The safe, effective treatment of dementia's behavioral complications challenges those who care for the cognitively impaired. The front-page articles " A rampant prescription, a hidden peril " (April 29) and "Finding alternatives to potent sedatives" (April 30) informed the public of the hazards of using antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes without providing the balance necessary for understanding this issue. As geriatric psychiatrists, we support the view that behavioral interventions are...

With his carefully tended hair, tight trousers and perfect harmonies, Robin Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era. As part of the Bee Gees — short for the Brothers Gibb — they created dance floor classics like "Stayin Alive," ''Jive Talkin'," and "Night Fever" that can still get crowds onto a dance floor. The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture mainstays. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of the Bee Gees hits, and they are still heard on dance floors and at wedding receptions, birthday...

You can find more of Dan's work on his blog, Out of Line .

General Electric Co. extended its sponsorship with the U.S. Olympic Committee through 2020 in a deal that provides U.S. team doctors with groundbreaking technology to manage the health care of the athletes. The deal, announced Thursday, will put thousands of pages of medical records into a computerized database that will replace hundreds of pallets of paper records that used to be transported to the Olympics on a ship several weeks before the games. The Centricity Practice Solution will put the athletes' medical history at the fingertips of the USOC's top doctor, Bill Moreau, and...

The US Food and Drug Administration has received about 900 reports from dog owners and veterinarians in recent months about severe illnesses and even deaths in dogs that have been linked to chicken jerky pet treats from China. "No specific products have been named or recalled because a definitive cause has not been determined," said FDA spokesperson Tamara Ward in an e-mail. "The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin. If the FDA identifies the cause, the agency will take appropriate action and notify the public.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, expanding a seven-year-old partnership with United HealthCare Services Inc., will use the national health insurer's network to offer Harvard Pilgrim health coverage to employers with offices outside Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Under the joint program, called Access America, multistate businesses based in the three New England states where Harvard Pilgrim does business will be able to offer their workers at plants, sales offices, or satellite sites across the country the same Harvard Pilgrim insurance products that employees in their home...

A man who once pleaded guilty to attempted murder was in custody Sunday after an Oregon mental health worker was stabbed to death while visiting him in St. Helens, authorities said. Brent Redd, a mental health services client, called police at about 8 a.m. Sunday to report that Columbia Community Mental Health worker Jennifer Warren had been stabbed, Police Chief Steve Salle said. Warren died and the 30-year-old Redd was hospitalized with injuries, but details of his wounds weren't immediately released.

Kidney dialysis services provider DaVita Inc. said Monday that it has agreed to buy the doctor network operator HealthCare Partners in a cash-stock deal worth about $4.42 billion. Denver-based DaVita said it will pay about $3.66 billion in cash and contributed common stock valued at $758 million as of last Friday to the deal. It also could pay an additional $275 million in cash if HealthCare Partners achieves performance targets this year and next. HealthCare Partners manages and runs medical groups and doctor networks, with operations in California, Nevada and...

Some people are absolutely sure gas drilling threatens public health, while others are absolutely sure it doesn't. Geisinger Health Systems is looking for more facts on the debate. "Our concern is getting reliable data so we know what to do for our patients," said David Carey, director of Geisinger's Weis Center for Research in Danville, Pa. Geisinger serves many patients who live in areas that have seen a recent boom in Marcellus Shale gas drilling. The gas-rich formation thousands of feet underground has generated jobs, billions of dollars and concerns about possible...

The Board of Selectmen and the Board of Health will hold a joint meeting March 19 to interview candidates for an interim position on the health board, according to Kate Burke, secretary to the selectmen. The appointee will serve until the April 2013 election. No deadline has been set for applications, Burke said. The Board of Health handles a variety of health and sanitation matters, including permits for septic systems and wells, beach water sampling, restaurant inspection, and health-related home inspection.

The Health Department has established a Facebook page as a way to keep residents informed, according to the city. The department will use the social media site to reach residents during events or emergencies such as disease outbreaks and food recalls, and to deliver seasonal health alerts. A link to the Facebook site can be found on the city's website, www.gloucester-ma.gov. - Steven Rosenberg

A STUDENT at Codman Academy, a charter public high school in Dorchester, once wrote a paper about buying some fresh fruit for lunch. She'd have to take a bus for miles, past fast food restaurants and liquor stores, to get to a produce market. It was a call to action for Mbakwe Okafor, Codman's wellness director. His mission: to pull students with few options for healthy eating off the road to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. But that was a challenge at Codman, which has no athletic facilities, and no kitchen or cafeteria.

IN THE UNITED STATES, physicians are as likely to tote a smartphone as a stethoscope, for communication and to help diagnosis. For veteran health care entrepreneur Donato Tramuto, it was clear that mobile devices could be a valuable tool for caregivers in developing countries. "This is the new frontier in improving patient care in remote regions of the globe that ironically, may have few hospital beds, but plenty of cellphones," said Tramuto, chief executive of Physicians Interactive in Marlborough.