Andrew Jimenez: An Èxito! Grad Who Is Committed to Helping Latinos Live Healthier Lives



Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Andrew Jimenez Ontario, Calif. Encouraged by his great-grandfather’s spurs and his father’s ever-present support, Andrew Jimenez is driven to make a difference in helping Latinos live healthier lives. He is his family’s first college and grad school student, and he works as a research assistant while he studies health promotion. He’s open to new topics and challenges because he believes in the mantra, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Andrew obtained his bachelor's degree in biology from Whittier College and is currently attending Claremont Graduate University to obtain his masters in Public Health with a ...

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Dental ER Visits Have Doubled; Dental Benefits Go Unused



SaludToday Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics Dental ER visits have doubled since 2000. An analysis of federal data by the American Dental Association reported a total of 2.2 million dental health-related emergency room visits. That’s one visit every fifteen seconds. Latinos have the lowest dental utilization rate, putting them at a higher risk for developing abscess or infections that may require hospitalization. In fact, patients with private insurance plans are among the highest group to visit the emergency room for a dental abscess, reports a study conducted by the Journal of Endodontics. Uninsured patients report the lowest rates of hospitalization for the same condition. Emergency dental visits can cost more than three times the price of an average dental ...

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Join our #SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 01/05/16: Connecting Latinos to Coverage Before the End of Open Enrollment



The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to increase access to quality health care for everyone in the country, especially the Latino community. The ACA’s open enrollment phase is currently underway through January 31, 2016. Health coverage under the new enrollment period began as early as January 1, 2016. To date, nearly 17 million individuals have gained coverage through the ACA and it has seen the largest reduction of uninsured Americans in four decades. Overall, 4.2 million Latinos (ages 18-64) gained health coverage and nearly 9 million now have access to vital preventive services such as mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, and flu shots. In 2014, an estimated 80% of uninsured Latinos qualified Medicaid, CHIP, or lower costs on monthly premiums through the Health ...

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El exceso de TV afecta el cerebro



El pasar mucho tiempo viendo televisión no solamente es malo para el corazón si no también para el cerebro, reporta NPR Health. Un nuevo estudio por la Universidad de California, encontró que aquellos que solamente hacen menos de tres horas de ejercicio y pasan por lo menos tres horas en frente del televisor tuvieron malos resultados en exámenes de enfoque cognitivo y velocidad que aquellos que hacen mas ejercicio y ven menos televisión. Según los expertos la perdida de poder cerebral causada por el exceso de televisión y poco ejercicio esta asociada con el hecho de que poco o nada de actividad física es mala para el ser humano. Marcus Richards, psicólogo de la Universidad de Londres piensa que la diferencia en habilidad y enfoque cognitivo de aquellos que ven mucha ...

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Study: E-Cigs Linked to Dangerous Lung Disease



Over 75 percent of flavored electronic cigarettes contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to severe lung disease. Diacetyl along with two other compounds was found in most sweet tasting flavors, such as cupcake, cotton candy and fruit squirts, CBS News reports. Researchers at Harvard University looked for the presence of dyacetyl, a chemical additive that’s often added to foods such as popcorn to give them a buttery flavor. Diacetyl has been associated with a severe lung disease condition known as bronchioles obliterans more commonly known as “popcorn lung,” named after many workers at microwave popcorn factories were diagnosed with the disease.. "One of three flavoring chemicals was found in 92 percent of the e-cigarettes we sampled and these chemicals are of interest because of ...

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3 Ways to Deal with Loneliness During Holiday Season



While most people spend the holidays in the company of family and friends a recent survey by the American Psychological Association showed that 1 in 4 Americans experiences loneliness during the Christmas season. Among the most affected by loneliness are senior citizens who have lost communication with family members and or don’t have the means to travel. To cope with the feeling of loneliness here are a few recommendations: Reconnect with old friends and family using social media. The holiday season is the perfect time to reconnect with old friends and family. Social media has made it easier and cheaper to keep in touch with family and friends. Platforms like Facebook and Skype offer free video calling. If your family lives abroad, you can keep in touch with them ...

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Learn Your Family Medical History This Holiday Season



Christmas is the perfect holiday to learn more about your family history and listen to the stories of your abuelo and abuela; catch up with la typical tia who wants to know everything about your romantic life and los primos you haven’t seen the whole year. Christmas can also be the perfect opportunity to learn about your family medical history and how likely you are to develop one of the 100-plus autoimmune diseases. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) has the following advice to help you get started: 1. Get educated. There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases and an additional 51 diseases that are suspected to be autoimmune-related. Autoimmunity is the underlying cause of these diseases. It is the process whereby the immune system mistakenly ...

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Andrea Fernandez: An Èxito! Grad Who Believes in the Value of Perseverance



Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Andrea Fernandez San Antonio, Texas It’s not always easy to stay calm, cool and collected under stress or facing adversity. However, Andrea is ready for anything that comes her way thanks to her mother, who stayed positive and encouraged her to continue her education despite battling cancer.  As the first person in her immediate and extended family to attend a university, Andrea has  the desire to evolve and excel. Andrea completed her bachelors in Psychology at UT Pan American and her masters in Public Health from the UT Health Science Center Houston-School of Public Health. Andrea thought that she might be past the stage where she ...

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Study: The Effects of Discrimination on Latino Youth



Latino immigrant youth who have been discriminated tend to suffer more from depression and low self-esteem, Latina Lista reports. A study conducted by the University of Missouri followed “302 immigrant youth, ages 13 to 17, who had lived in the United States for five years or less, three questionnaires over the course of a year. The surveys asked about their experiences with discrimination, their mental health, and whether they volunteered or helped others.” The study concluded that immigrant youth who have been exposed to discrimination had higher symptoms of depression and felt negative about their surroundings and helping others. “This study showed unlike previous studies that there may be a cyclical process such that discrimination is related to both depressive symptoms ...

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