Health

Black Heart Attack Patients Less Likely to Get Top Hospital Care

When compared with their white counterparts, older African Americans who suffered heart attacks were less likely to get treated at top-notch hospitals, according to study findings published in the journal Circulation and reported by Reuters Health.

For the study, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles reviewed more than 65,000 heart attack patients’ 2005 Medicare records. Scientists found that black patients were 17 percent more likely than whites to go to a “low-quality” hospital. In addition, black heart attack patients were less likely to choose hospitals that performed angioplasty and bypass surgery—procedures commonly used to clear heart attack–causing artery blockages.

To understand the quality of care different heart-attack victims received, researchers gave each hospital in the study a “quality score” based on the center’s 30-day death rate and whether it met certain standards for treating heart attacks, such as giving patients aspirin and heart drugs called beta-blockers within 24 hours.

Researchers admitted that there weren’t clear-cut reasons as to why black heart patients did not receive high-quality cardiovascular care, especially since, on average, African Americans lived closer to the best hospitals. But after scientists took a closer look at the data, they found that black patients were 13 percent less likely than whites to be admitted to these quality medical facilities.

“I think this really points to location, and what kinds of choices people have in their local health care market,” said Ioana Popescu, MD, a psychiatrist and the lead study researcher.

For the most definitive results, scientists must look into how people choose which hospital to go to, and whether routine access to health care, ambulance use, or patient awareness of heart attack symptoms affect hospital choice, said study authors.

Alkaline Water: The Benefits of Alkaline Drinking Water

We all know we should be drinking plenty of water each and every day, and although many of us fail to reach our recommended daily target, we generally understand the massively important role it plays in our everyday health and well being. But why? And perhaps more importantly – if we are going to be consuming so much water, shouldn’t we make sure it is the best quality?

Water Facts

Water is widely accepted as one of the most important considerations when creating a healthy lifestyle. Water comprises between 50-70% of an adult’s body (up to 90lbs in a 130lb adult!) – and when water is taken out of our diet our survival time is 2-3 days at best so we have to make sure we are always well hydrated.
According to mayoclinic.com, at the very least dehydration can cause:

• Excessive thirst
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Little or no urination
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• Light headed

Just to give a further idea of the importance of water in our diets, to survive the body can stand to lose the following:

• 50% of your glucose
• 50% of your fat
• 50% of your protein; but
• only 20% of your water!

So water is important, but what about the quality of water?

Alkaline Water and the Benefits of Alkaline Drinking Water

The average suggestion of water consumption per day ranges from 2.5 liters to 4 liters – so it is imperative that we ensure that this water is of the highest quality.
There is a lot of discussion about the merits of alkaline water (particularly in the open publishing medium known as the Internet) – however, regardless of who you listen to regarding this debate there is one thing that is certain:
the process of making making water alkaline increases the purity of the water by filtering out toxins and impurities
For those who are not so skeptical about the benefits of the alkaline lifestyle, alkaline water helps to neutralize acids and remove toxins from the body – it is a great cleanser and helps to detoxify our system.

How Do We Make Alkaline Water?

Using a water ionizer
Water ionizers are, unsurprisingly, products that ionize water. The water is ionized (electrically enhanced) by running it over positive and negative electrodes. This separates the water into alkaline (70%) and acidic (30%). This is exceptionally beneficial as the alkaline water is then used for drinking, while the acidic water can be used on the outside of the body as it is proven to kill many types of bacteria.
These are more expensive that distillers but are FAR more user friendly, as they simply attach to your tap and produce water at a pH of your choice instantly, as soon as you turn the tap on!
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Adding alkaline ingredients to the water
The third method is to add ingredients to the water to increase its alkalinity. I would only make these alkaline water additions to water that had already been put through an alkaline water filter, however they can be handy in an emergency when there is only mineral or tap water to hand.

• Lemon Water: I have already blogged lemon water to death, however, I will mention it here as it really is an alkalizing superstar. By squeezing lemon juice (or lime juice) into water you immediately give it a healthful kick. Lemon water is very alkaline and is great in helping to detoxify the liver and kidneys.
• pH Drops: these are an excellent way to dramatically increase the alkalinity of the water. These drops offer intense alkalinity and only a few are needed for an incredible boost to the alkalinity of your drink. There are several types around but I would only really recommend Alkalize pH Booster or Inner light Prime pH.

So What is Alkaline Water and Why Make Our Water Alkaline?

Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead – not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.
In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkaline and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralist acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkaline water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a pH between 8 and 9, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you’ll develop more of a thirst for water.
Wanting to Lose Weight?
It is also true that food cravings are often the body’s cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realist – and if you are going to quench it, make sure your water is alkaline!