ARA) – With about three-quarters of the nation’s population taking at least one prescribed medication, it’s no secret that our bodies need help to be healthy. Heart disease, insomnia, depression and other diseases have reached epidemic levels.

Heart disease has almost quadrupled since 2000. Nearly 80 million people in the United States have heart disease, up from 22 million. More than 70 million people in the United States suffer from insomnia, a number that has stayed the same for a number of years. Roughly 18 million adults in the United States suffer from depression. Ten times more people suffer from major depression now compared to 60 years ago.

Fortunately drugs like Lipitor, Ambien and Zoloft have improved our quality of life and allow people to live longer, healthier lives.Lipitor is used to lower the amount of bad cholesterol, and Ambien is used for people with insomnia to help them sleep better. Zoloft is an antidepressant, but it’s also used to help obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

These valuable drugs don’t happen by themselves. And often, the frontline of drug discovery and ultimately development begins with a relatively unknown profession: veterinary pathology. These scientists are part of a team that not only finds the drugs that keep us healthy; they also keep thousands of unsafe drugs from ever hitting the drug store shelves.

These individuals are uniquely aware of animals’ and humans’ responses to drugs, because to know the animal body makes it easy to know the human body.

Ricardo Ochoa, a veterinary pathologist and pharmaceutical consultant, says veterinary pathologists have helped keep thousands of compounds that could have been harmful to humans from getting into development. Ochoa has worked extensively in the pharmaceutical industry discovering and developing drugs as a drug development scientist.

“People don’t realize that most of the compounds that we start working with actually don’t make it,” adds Ochoa. “Veterinary pathologists are guardians of the safety of compounds, and ultimately, of the greater population. The odds of becoming a winner in American Idol are better than getting a compound to the market.”

Hundreds of processes go into producing a therapeutic drug. Veterinary pathologists have proved to be invaluable assets in the pharmaceutical industry, but there is currently a shortage in the pipeline that could hinder future pharmaceutical development. Currently there are approximately 1,500 licensed veterinary pathologists – and only a small percentage in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ochoa says that the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) is working hard to ensure that there will be sufficient veterinary pathologists to continue to serve humanity. For more information on the profession, and other areas of public health served by veterinary pathologists, go to http://www.acvp.org . And the next time you pop a pill, quietly thank a veterinary pathologist.

(ARA) – From flowers to guest lists, engaged couples spend months planning the perfect wedding. After the vows are said and the reception is complete, most newlyweds are ready to relax. But there are several steps newlyweds should take before their happily ever after can begin.

“Settling into life as a married couple takes some work,” says Lindsey Leesmann, a recent newlywed and contributor to YesYouCanOnline.info. “If you’re taking your husband’s last name, you must complete the name change in several places. You also have to discuss managing money as a couple and learn how to live together.”

Leesmann offers the following to-do list for newlyweds changing their last names:

Obtain a copy of your marriage license
If you stated you’d be changing your last name when purchasing your marriage license, you’ll receive a copy of the license in the mail. This license should be taken to each location on your path toward a new last name.

Go online
Next, acquire a new Social Security card and update your passport. Complete Form SS-5 and take it to the local Social Security office to obtain a new card. The form can be found on the Social Security Administration’s Web site (www.ssa.gov). Your passport can be changed by completing Form DS-5504, found at www.travel.state.gov.

Drive to the DMV
The next stop for newlyweds is the local Department of Motor Vehicles. Each state is different, so make sure to bring all the items required to get your name changed and renew your driver’s license.

Check in at your bank
Most banks simply need a copy of the marriage license and the account holder’s signature to approve a name change. Some may also require your spouse to be present.

Drop by the post office
To change your name at the post office, just pick up a change of address envelope, fill it out and mail it back.

Once the name change is complete, newlyweds can focus on managing money as a couple.

“Money is often a tricky topic for new couples,” says Sam Goller, award-winning author of “Yes, You Can… Achieve Financial Harmony.” “But it’s important to start communicating about money at the beginning of your marriage.”

Goller offers the following suggestions for newlyweds working to manage their finances as a couple:

Determine priorities
Prior to creating a financial plan, talk about your histories with money and what’s most important to each of you when it comes to money.

Find missing dollars
You have to understand your spending habits before you can spend money in a way that helps meet your goals. Consider keeping a spending journal to find out where your money really goes.

Choose a system that works for you
You may prefer to sit down each month as a couple to pay bills and develop a monthly budget. Or maybe one of you is better at handling expenses and prefers to do it alone. Find a system that works with your needs.

“The key to managing money as a couple is to never stop talking,” says Goller. “With shared determination, a plan and open communication, newlyweds have the power to improve their financial position both now and well into retirement.”

For more information on managing money as a couple, visit http://www.YesYouCanOnline.info .