However, the funny bit about our endless quest to know how Google ranks pages is that the truth has always been right in front of us: do the hard work of knowing your customer inside and out, establish your authority, and deliver the high-quality content they need.
via Google Hummingbird: Are You Still Playing Russian Roulette with Google? | Copyblogger.
This is a seriously good article. I recommend it highly if you are trying to establish an online brand.
The U.S. already consumes 99% of the hydrocodone used in the world.
In 2010, Vicodin was the most prescribed medication in the U.S. with 131 million filled prescriptions. That same year, more than 16,000 people died of overdoses from narcotic painkillers, up from about 4,000 in 1999.
Central Oklahoma has sustained more than 200 earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.0 or greater since January 2009, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
via Insurance Commissioner urges Oklahomans to buy earthquake coverage | News OK.
Faithful readers are aware I bought earthquake coverage several years ago.
UPDATE 11.02.13
Our wake up call at 4:37 AM measured 3.7.
3.7 at 4:37 AM
Bisphosphonate use was associated with significantly increased risks of atrial fibrillation and serious atrial fibrillation, researchers found.
A systematic review of randomized controlled studies and observational studies showed use of bisphosphonates was associated with a 27% increased risk of atrial fibrillation (95% CI 1.16-1.39) in observational studies and, in randomized controlled trials alone, with a 40% increased odds of serious atrial fibrillation (95% CI 1.02-1.93), according to Abhishek Sharma, MD, of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and colleagues.
An estimated 20% to 50% of commercial drivers have sleep apnea. That high proportion may be in part due to the sedentary nature of long-haul trucking that contributes to obesity as a risk factor for sleep apnea, according to a statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in support of federal legislation.
via Sleep Apnea Plays Role in Car Crashes.
Presented without the usual caustic comment.
Measurement of coronary artery calcium stratified patient risk for cardiovascular disease regardless of dyslipidemia burden or definition, researchers found.
When measured across lipid abnormality categories, patients with a coronary artery calcium score of 100 or more had a 22.2 to 29.2 incidents of cardiovascular disease per 1,000 person-years versus 2.4 to 6.2 events per 1,000 person-years among those with arterial calcium scores of 0, according to Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, of Baptist Health South Florida in Miami Beach, and colleagues.
In 2010, there were 16.9 million people who had a first stroke, 33 million stroke survivors, and 5.9 million people who died from a stroke — increases of 68%, 84%, and 26% respectively since 1990, according to Valery Feigin, MD, of the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and colleagues.
Stroke mortality rates fell significantly in both groups of countries: by 37% in high-income countries and by 20% in low- and middle-income countries.
- Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly heart failure, a study found.
- The severity of obstructive sleep apnea was significantly associated with higher levels of high-sensitivity troponin, suggesting that subclinical myocardial injury may play a role in the association with risk of heart failure.
Red and processed meat consumption was significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk in patients who had a common gene mutation, researchers found.
- Note that, if replicated, the findings suggest selected individuals at higher risk of colorectal cancer based on genomic profiling could be targeted for screening, diet modification, and other prevention strategies.
He let himself down on the couch across from my desk with a wince, belying the back pain that brought him here. He looks around at my office, which is not only a place he didn’t expect to be, but not what he expects a doctor’s office to look like. First there’s the sofa he is sitting on, which is where my patients spend most of their time during their visits. Then there is my guitar just behind me. He and his wife comment on how their daughter would love the fact that I have a guitar, as she is into acoustic guitar music. Then there’s me, wearing jeans and an un-tucked button-up shirt, sitting back in my chair and chatting like an ordinary person. He seems intrigued.
via A new tagline for direct primary care.
You know you are old when you have children old enough to be your doctor. I had my annual wellness visit this past week. My vitals were taken by a young woman in her twenties. She was a medical tech student called in to help with the patient load. My next encounter was with a third year medical student from the nearby medical school. This student was approximately 25 years old and looked like he didn’t need to shave. Finally my PCP came in the room and I was receiving care from an older and wiser MD. If my doctor is 35 years old I’d be surprised.
No, not old yet. My kid is still in medical school.
lifeunderwriter.net 
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