Bush Vetoed SCHIP Bill

Well, he did it. Bush vetoed the SCHIP bill - in private! Please read the full story in New York Times by clicking this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/washington/04bush.html?ex=1349236800&en=f77840ef7bf1ec66&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

We can only hope that Congress would override it.

As Children Are Left Behind

A month ago, I blogged enthusiastically about Congress passing the bill that extends SCHIP that will cover few more millions of uninsured and impoverished children. I thought, thank goodness, Congress is going for something that is obviously right. Apparently, between then and now, some renegotiations took place to make the bill palatable to Republicans who needed to vote for the bill to get re-elected but could not in their good political conscience turn their backs to their lofty republican ideals. To make the story short, the bill is now once again being voted on in the Congress with some changes that should make everyone happy - including medicare recipients whose benefits were erstwhile in danger of being reduced to finance the SCHIP expenses. Everyone, that is, except the president who threatens to veto the bill as soon as it passes. He claims that the bill which would provide health care to millions of children at the expense of increased excise tax on cigarette smokers is "an incremental step" towards the federalization of health care. I have not given much thought to federalized health care, but I intuitively know that health care to millions of uininsured and poor children should not be denied. I find myself agreeing with NPR's Danile Schorr commentary on the issue- please listen to it on this link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14663820

I find it distastefully sad that children and their health care and other needs are used as platforms on which politicians stump their selfish agendas at will. It is particularly appaling to see how politicans can politicize the issue of health care - an issue of life and death to some ill children and their families - and somehow think that they are doing the most people a benefit.
It is unknown to me how many Filipino-Americans and other Asian-Americans stand to benefit or suffer from the outcome of the impending SCHIP debacle. But nonetheless, I urge all of you to be aware of issues such as this, because if they are willing to turn their backs on sick children, only God knows, who's next.

New York Times also ran a story about it on 9/25th, here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/washington/25health.html?ex=1348459200&en=9656c7715fd92fd2&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Get to Know Thy Cholesterol

September is designated by the American Heart Association as Cholesterol month. However, for 36.6 million of Americans with a total cholesterol of 240mg/dl or higher, cholesterol is (or should be) an everyday reality. But the rest of us should never remain complacent or even think for a minute that we are immune from high cholesterol. High cholesterol is one of the leading and most preventable risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While there are some people whose genetic make-up predetermined them to have risky cholesterol levels, the rest of us can fight or prevent cholesterol with only the slightest modification to our diet, lifestyles and knowledge. Increasing our cholesterol literacy is the most important step we can make to improve our chances against heart disease and stroke.

In 2004, the CDC published the following findings regarding the health disparities in cholesterol status among minorities in United States. This is what they have to say about Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders:

In 2001, the age-adjusted death rate for diseases of the heart for APIs was 137.6 per 100,000 population. The age-adjusted death rate for diseases of the heart was 247.8 per 100,000 for all Americans, and 245.6 per 100,000 for white non-Hispanic Americans.
In 2000-2001, 60.5% of Asian men and 63.4% of Asian women in selected communities had ever received cholesterol screening. During the same period of time, 31.4% of Asian men and 23.3% of Asian women had high cholesterol (defined as ever being told by a doctor or other health professional that blood cholesterol was high).
Native Hawaiians disproportionately suffer the burden of heart disease, compared to other ethnic groups in the State of Hawaii. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among APIs.

When surveyed regarding the frequency by which their cholesterol is checked, the Asians and Latinos showed the least frequency. Such finding underscored the need for more education about the importance of having cholesterol checks within these populations. This is special crucial among Filipino-Americans and Vietnamese who showed the highest cholesterol levels within the Asian-American group.With the spotlight on cholesterol this month, the American Heart Association website offers useful information about cholesterol and its management. Recognizing the importance of health literacy in fighting heart disease by way of cholesterol, AHA developed a user-friendly informative digest on cholesterol - a Cholesterol 101 if you will - designed to increase one's understanding and chances to fight one of the most preventable risk factors for heart disease and stroke.