NLM Director’s Comments Transcript
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Summer 2012: 09/04/2012

Greetings from the National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus.gov

Regards to all our listeners!

I'm Rob Logan, Ph.D. senior staff National Library of Medicine for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Here is what's new this week in MedlinePlus.

The new edition of NIH MedlinePlus magazine encourages better children’s dental health, sounder sleep, an awareness of the bacteria that live on your skin, and understanding cholesterol.

The cover features an array of politicians, movie stars, journalists, and entertainers who experienced heart-related problems. Among the 10-featured celebrities are: former President Bill Clinton, comedian Robin Williams, singer Miley Cyrus, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.A section on understanding the links between heart disease and high cholesterol provides some current scales, including low to high overall levels as well as healthy to unhealthy stages of LDL (or bad) and HDL (or good) cholesterol. NIH MedlinePlus magazine notes excess weight, a lack of physical activity, and a diet high in saturated fat are linked to higher LDL — or bad cholesterol levels. Elevated LDL and overall cholesterol levels also tend to increase as we age; women’s LDL levels often increase post-menopause.

A section on understanding the links between heart disease and high cholesterol provides some current scales, including low to high overall levels as well as healthy to unhealthy stages of LDL (or bad) and HDL (or good) cholesterol. NIH MedlinePlus magazine notes excess weight, a lack of physical activity, and a diet high in saturated fat are linked to higher LDL — or bad cholesterol levels. Elevated LDL and overall cholesterol levels also tend to increase as we age; women’s LDL levels often increase post-menopause.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine explains recommendations regarding cholesterol levels change from time to time in response to new, more comprehensive research findings. For example, NIH MedlinePlus magazine reports there may be new, evidence–based clinical practice guidelines to detect, assess, and treat high cholesterol levels by the end of 2012.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine also contains an interesting feature on the bacteria (both helpful and harmful) that live on our skin. The article describes the work of Elizabeth Grice Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, who tries to distinguish between beneficial and damaging skin bacteria by understanding their genetic composition.

Grice believes by better understanding the nature of the healthy bacteria on our skin, we may discover what is genetically different about harmful bacteria. Grice adds (and we quote): ‘The skin is an important organ for human health’ (end of quote).

Grice’s comments are within a section about the National Institute of General Medical Sciences’ 50th anniversary and diverse research activities.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine additionally provides some background information about the importance of getting enough sleep. NIH MedlinePlus magazine reports about 30 percent of U.S. adults are sleep–deprived.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine continues chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders cost the U.S. as much as $16 billion in health care expenses and $50 billion in lost productivity each year. For example, drowsy driving alone is responsible for an estimated 1,500 deaths and 40,000 nonfatal injuries annually.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine adds sleep is as important to one’s health as diet and exercise.

A section that features our NLM colleague — former National Basketball Association and Harlem Globetrotter player David Nash — provides some information to help you attain more therapeutic sleep. Some of NIH MedlinePlus magazine’s quick tips include: stick to a sleep schedule, exercise earlier in the day, relax before bed, and do not lie in bed awake.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine provides a sleep diary you can keep and take to doctor’s visits.

Finally, a special section within NIH MedlinePlus magazine focuses on improving children’s dental health. NIH MedlinePlus magazine encourages parents to: clean your baby’s teeth, and ask your local water utility if the tap water in your residence contains fluoride (which helps prevent tooth decay).

NIH MedlinePlus magazine also recommends that you take your child to the dentist by their first birthday and ask the dentist to show you how to clean your child’s teeth safely.

NIH MedlinePlus magazine is distributed to physicians’ offices nationwide by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Friends of the National Library of Medicine. You can subscribe or find the latest edition online by clicking on ‘Magazine,’ which is on the bottom right side of MedlinePlus.gov’s home page.

Previous editions of NIH MedlinePlus magazine are available at the same site. A link to NIH MedlinePlus Salud, which provides other health information and resources in Spanish, is available there as well (see the top right of the page).

The web version of NIH MedlinePlus magazine now includes links that visually supplement the information in some articles.

Before I go, this reminder… MedlinePlus.gov is authoritative. It's free. We do not accept advertising …and is written to help you.

To find MedlinePlus.gov, just type in 'MedlinePlus.gov' in any web browser, such as Firefox, Safari, Netscape, Chrome or Explorer. To find Mobile MedlinePlus.gov, just type 'Mobile MedlinePlus' in the same web browsers.

We encourage you to use MedlinePlus and please recommend it to your friends. MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish. Some medical information is available in 43 other languages.

Your comments about this or any of our podcasts are always welcome. We welcome suggestions about future topics too!

Please email Dr. Lindberg anytime at: NLMDirector@nlm.nih.gov

That's NLMDirector (one word) @nlm.nih.gov

A written transcript of recent podcasts is available by typing 'Director's comments' in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov's home page.

The National Library of Medicine is one of 27 institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A disclaimer – the information presented in this program should not replace the medical advice of your physician. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any disease without first consulting with your physician or other health care provider. I want to take the opportunity to wish you a very happy holiday season and a healthy New Year. The National Library of Medicine and the 'Director's Comments' podcast staff, including Dr. Lindberg, appreciate your interest and company – and we hope to find new ways to serve you in 2012.

I look forward to meeting you here next week.