The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol

From the experts at one of the world’s most respected medical schools–your complete guide to managing cholesterol and staying healthy for life

Everybody knows that high cholesterol is something to be concerned about. But what does it really mean when your doctor tells you that your cholesterol levels are high, and what should you do about it? If you’re worried about your cholesterol, here’s your chance to get the answers you need from a top expert at the Harvard Medical School.

As founder and chief of the prestigious Lipid Metabolism Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Mason W. Freeman treats hundreds of patients each year and oversees breakthrough cholesterol research.

In The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol he explains:

* What cholesterol is and the difference between “good” and “bad” cholesterol

* How to assess your risk for high cholesterol

* How to work with your doctor to develop the best treatment plan for you

* Cholesterol-lowering drugs–who should take them, what to look out for, and how to be sure your doctor is monitoring you properly

* How to manage your cholesterol through diet and exercise

* The latest scientific findings on alternative therapies

About the Harvard Medical School health guide series

Each book from Harvard Medical School gives you the knowledge you need to understand and take control of your health. In every book, a world-renowned expert from Harvard Medical School provides you with the latest information on diagnosis, traditional and alternative treatments, home remedies, and lifestyle changes that can make a powerful difference in your health.

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES IN THE FIRST YEAR

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. Although each milestone has an age level, the actual age when a normally developing child reaches that milestone can very quite a bit. Every child is unique!

By 3 months of age does your child:
Motor Skills
* lift head when held at your shoulder
* lift head and chest when lying on his stomach
* turn head from side to side when lying on his stomach
* follow a moving object or person with his eyes
* often hold hands open or loosely fisted
* grasp rattle when given to her
* wiggle and kick with arms and legs


Sensory and Thinking Skills
* turn head toward bright colors and lights
* turn toward the sound of a human voice
* recognize bottle or breast
* respond to your shaking a rattle or bell


Language and Social Skills
* make cooing, gurgling sounds
* smile when smiled at
* communicate hunger, fear, discomfort (through crying or facial expression)
* usually quiet down at the sound of a soothing voice or when held
* anticipate being lifted
* react to "peek-a-boo" games


By 6 months of age does your child:
Motor Skills
* hold head steady when sitting with your help
* reach for and grasp objects
* play with his toes
* help hold the bottle during feeding
* explore by mouthing and banging objects
* move toys from one hand to another
* shake a rattle
* pull up to a sitting position on her own if you grasp her hands
* sit with only a little support
* sit in a high chair
* roll over
* bounce when held in a standing position


Sensory and Thinking Skills
* open his mouth for the spoon
* imitate familiar actions you perform


Language and Social Skills
* babble, making almost sing-song sounds
* know familiar faces
* laugh and squeal with delight
* scream if annoyed
* smile at herself in a mirror


By 12 months of age does your child:
Motor Skills
* drink from a cup with help
* feed herself finger food like raisins or bread crumbs
* grasp small objects by using her thumb and index or forefinger
* use his first finger to poke or point
* put small blocks in and take them out of a container
* knock two blocks together
* sit well without support
* crawl on hands and knees
* pull himself to stand or take steps holding onto furniture
* stand alone momentarily
* walk with one hand held
* cooperate with dressing by offering a foot or an arm


Sensory and Thinking Skills
* copy sounds and actions you make
* respond to music with body motion
* try to accomplish simple goals (seeing and then crawling to a toy)
* look for an object she watched fall out of sight (such as a spoon that falls under the table)


Language and Social Skills
* babble, but it sometimes "sounds like" talking
* say his first word
* recognize family members' names
* try to "talk" with you
* respond to another's distress by showing distress or crying
* show affection to familiar adults
* show mild to severe anxiety at separation from parent
* show apprehension about strangers
* raise her arms when she wants to be picked up
* understand simple commands

Vertebroplasty with Procedure Demonstration

What is Vertebroplasty :

The vertebral column or backbone tends to get weak as a person gets old. This is more common in women since female hormones are necessary for normal mineralization. The weak bones in the spine collapse, producing painful fractures. Till a few years ago the only treatment that was available for condition was a major surgery. However thanks to interventional radiology today a fractured bone of the spine can be strengthened by injecting a specialized medical cement ( bone cement) into the diseased vertebral body .

Procedure Demonstration :

Stryker Vertebroplasty uses a specially formulated acrylic bone cement to stabilize and strengthen the fracture and vertebral body. Its done on an outpatient basis and requires only a local anesthetic and mild sedation, eliminating the complications that may result from open surgery and general anesthesia. Stryker Vertebroplasty is considered a minimally invasive procedure because it is done through a small puncture in the patients skin (as opposed to an open incision). Technically simple, it usually takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Using sterile technique and fluoroscopic visualization, a 10-, 11- or 13- gauge needle is advanced into the fractured vertebra using a transpedicular approach. Bi-pedicular needle placement is recommended. Once the needles are in the correct position, bone cement is slowly injected into the vertebral body, diffusing throughout the intertrabecular marrow space and creating an internal cast that stabilizes the bone.

Following the procedure, patients lie flat on their back for a short period of time as the cement continues to harden. They may then go home. Almost all patients undergoing Stryker Vertebroplasty experience 90% or better reduction in pain within 24-48 hours and increased ability to perform daily activities shortly thereafter.

100 Questions & Answers About Your Child's Asthma (100 Questions & Answers about)

100 Questions & Answers About Your Child’s Asthma Gives You Authoritative, Practical Answers To Your Questions About Childhood Asthma, Treatment Options, Post-Treatment Quality Of Life, Coping Strategies For Both Patient And Caregiver, Sources Of Support, And Much More. This Book Is An Invaluable Resource For Understanding And Coping With The Medical, Psychological, Emotional And Financial Considerations Of A Child With Asthma.