The American Academy of CPR and First Aid is accredited by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine who is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education® (ACCME) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Online CPR Certification Blog

Folic acid deficiency anemia: frequently asked questions

Oct
04

Date: October 4th, 2012

What causes people to develop this condition?

When people have low levels of folic acid in the body, they may develop a condition known as folic acid deficiency anemia. Folic acid, categorized as a B vitamin, is very important in the creation of new corpuscles (cells).  When people develop anemia, they have low levels of red corpuscles which are responsible for transporting oxygen to parts of the body.

Daily vitamin E increases a man’s risk of prostate cancer

Oct
02

Date: October 2nd, 2012

A new study that was performed to find whether or not vitamin E reduces the threat of prostate cancer in men has found that too much vitamin E can actually increase a man’s chance of developing this form of cancer. The study looked at men who consumed supplements consisting of 400 IU (international units) of the vitamin each day compared to another group of men who were given a daily placebo pill.

Benefits of coffee include protection from skin cancer

Oct
01

Date: October 1st, 2012

Over recent years numerous health benefits have been attributed to drinking black coffee.  Now, a recent study has revealed that coffee can protect people from skin cancer which causes growths on sufferers’ skin that vary in degrees of malignancy.

The study looked at people who drank both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and found that women who drink over 3 cups of caffeinated coffee each day were 21% less likely to develop a condition known as BCC (basal cell carcinoma) than women who consumed less than a cup of caffeinated coffee each month. Men who drink three or more cups of caffeinated coffee saw a risk reduction of about 10%. The researchers did not find the same correlations in people who drink decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that the protective effect to the skin is likely due to caffeine consumption.

Researchers were quick to note that drinking coffee is no replacement for sunscreen. While caffeine appears to have a protective effect on the skin, it does not compare to the protection offered by a quality sunscreen and ample shade.

Moderate exercise can improve overweight teens’ self-esteem

Oct
01

Date: October 1st, 2012

With the normal perception of how people should look and the name calling that is associated with teenagers, the psychological effect of obesity is usually felt more vividly than the actual physical effects. There is hope. New study shows that just a little bit of exercise can greatly boost the self-esteem of teenagers who are overweight.

Questions to consider before buying and consuming vitamin supplements

Sep
30

Date: September 30th, 2012

Many people believe that taking supplements is important to their health and can only do them good. While having an appropriate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential to a healthy body and mind, supplements are not always the answer. Here are a few questions you should ask before buying your next supplement.

Vitamin D linked to higher survival rates in breast cancer patients

Sep
28

Date: September 28th, 2012

A study out of Belgium shows a direct correlation between vitamin D levels and survival rates in women diagnosed with breast cancer. The study looked at women’s levels of vitamin D when they found out that they had breast cancer and discovered that women with higher levels of the vitamin were more likely to survive.

Heart attack risk associated with serious dental procedures

Sep
27

Date: September 27th, 2012

Research from a recent study has shown that patients on Medicare who had a heart attack or suffered a stroke over the course of five years were one and a half times more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event within four weeks of having a serious dental procedure or invasive treatment performed.

Eliminate diet soda and sodium to reduce your chance of stroke

Sep
26

Date: September 26th, 2012

You may think that reaching for a diet soda is a good choice for your heart, but you may want to think again. One study has shown that people who drink diet soda have a 61% greater risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack compared to people who don’t drink any soda at all. A separate study has also found that people with high sodium diets are at greater risk for suffering a stroke.

Low vitamin B12 levels linked to dementia amongst seniors

Sep
25

Date: September 25th, 2012

According to PubMed Health (U.S. National Library of Medicine) a deficiency of vitamin B12 may be linked to dementia in elderly people. A study of 121 people found that participants with lower vitamin B12 levels did worse on cognitive tests and had smaller brain volumes, as shown by MRI scans. Other studies have shown that decreased brain volume is linked to dementia.

Limited access to sugary drinks in schools: A strong first step

Sep
24

Date: September 24th, 2012

Improving the food and drink options that our nation’s children have access to in school is an important step towards reducing the obesity epidemic throughout the country. New reports show that major headway has been made on this front over the last several years in terms of sugary beverages.