Scientists Identify Master Gene That Switches On Disease-Fighting Cells

The master gene that causes blood stem cells to turn into disease-fighting 'Natural Killer' (NK) immune cells has been identified by scientists, in a study published in Nature Immunology. The discovery could one day help scientists boost the body's production of these frontline tumour-killing cells, creating new ways to treat cancer.

Seniors Most Skeptical Of Health Overhaul

Age plays a role in shaping people's thoughts on health care reform with seniors worried and confused about an overhaul. The New York Times reports: "As the population ages and the nation faces intense battles over rapidly rising health care and retirement costs, American politics seems increasingly divided along generational lines.

Internists Remind Public To Get Seasonal Flu Shot

While H1N1 flu has received a lot of attention this year, it is imperative for people to get vaccinated for seasonal flu, advises the American Colleges of Physicians (ACP). Every year in the U.S. about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications.

Campaign Puts North West Aerial Fitters In The Picture Over Safety, UK

Aerial fitters and satellite installers preparing for the North West's big digital switchover this autumn were today warned not to 'switch off to safety'. Hundreds of homes in the region could need new aerials or satellite dishes fitted over the next three months to get ready to receive digital TV signals.

Emergency Air-Medical Transport: 1 In 20 Patients Experiences A Critical Event

A new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reports that during air-medical transport of acutely-ill patients, one in twenty experiences a critical event such as death, major resuscitation or blood pressure deterioration. The study examined 19,228 transported adult patients in Ontario, Canada and is the largest of its type.

Blogs Comment On Obama's Health Reform Speech, Baucus' Reform Proposal, Other Topics

The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. "National and State ACLU File Suit To End Ab-Only Funding in Mississippi," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday "asked a federal court in Mississippi to end government funding of religion in the state's abstinence-only-until-marriage program," Jacobson writes.

Inner Workings Of Molecular Thermostat Point To Pathways To Fight Diabetes, Obesity

Best known as the oxygen-carrying component of hemoglobin, the protein that makes blood red, heme also plays a role in chemical detoxification and energy metabolism within the cell. Heme levels are tightly maintained, and with good reason: Too little heme prevents cell growth and division; excessive amounts of heme are toxic.

Psychological Growth From 'Ground Zero-Scale' Trauma

People who live through an extreme traumatic experience such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks or an airplane crash often have the capacity to bounce back or even grow to a higher level of functioning and personal strength, according to a University at Buffalo researcher and expert in the effects of horrifying trauma.

IQWiG Finds Indication Of Positive Effect Of Routine Screening For Gestational Diabetes

Pregnant women who develop marked increased blood sugar levels during pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain birth complications if they receive treatment. This is a prerequisite for offering all pregnant women routine screening for gestational diabetes. However, potential disadvantages of this type of routine screening have not been thoroughly researched.

Study Finds Second-Hand Smoking Results In Liver Disease

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside has found that even second-hand tobacco smoke exposure can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common disease and rising cause of chronic liver injury in which fat accumulates in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol.

Overshadowed Republican Reply Asks For Compromise, New Beginning

The official Republican response to President Barack Obama's speech, delivered by Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., was overshadowed by Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie," remark Newsweek reports. The line GOP lawmakers meant to push was that the president should scrap current Democratic proposals and reboot a bipartisan effort to shape the overhaul.

FDA Issues Complete Response Letter For Trabectedin Combined With DOXIL

Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for trabectedin when administered in combination with DOXIL(R) (doxorubicin HCI liposome injection) for the treatment of women with relapsed ovarian cancer.

Ureteral Stone Location At Emergency Room Presentation With Colic

UroToday.com - Contrary to traditional dictum, ureteral stones most commonly obstruct and present emergently at the ureterovesical junction (61%) and the proximal ureter between the UPJ and iliac vessels (23%). The remaining 16% of the ureteral stones causing renal colic are located at the UPJ (11%), between the iliac vessels and the ureterovesical junction (4.

South East Asian Health Ministers Adopt Declaration To Improve Disaster Preparedness, Address Childhood Diarrhea

Health ministers from 11 member states in the WHO's South East Asian region on Tuesday at the 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South East Asia adopted the Kathmandu Declaration on Protecting Health Facilities from Disasters, which commits them to make health facilities better prepared for health emergencies, Republica reports.

Firms Warned Of Electricity Risk After Staffordshire Worker Suffers Shock

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers to be wary of operating machinery near overhead power cables after a Staffordshire man suffered serious burns when he was hit by an electrical charge. The injured man, Andrew Perry, was visiting a waste site at Booths Farm, Cheadle, Staffordshire on 3 September 2008.

TURis Plasma Vaporization Electrode From Olympus Revolutionises The Therapy Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

About one third of men over the age of 50 and half of those over 70 suffer from the effects of an enlarged prostate gland. From the age of 30, a man's prostate can begin to enlarge as a natural process of aging whereby it increasingly presses on the urethra and thus narrows it.

Yale Researchers Succeed In Repairing Brain Damage Caused By Chronic Stress, Lead Poisoning, Potential Implications For Bipolar Disorder

Yale University researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (September 7-11 edition) that damage to the brain caused by chronic stress or lead poisoning can be repaired by blocking a key molecular pathway. Research shows that rats exposed to chronic stress develop damage to the prefrontal cortex.

A Molecular Search For Happier Skin

Leeds scientists are using the most sophisticated techniques to tackle a question almost as old as mankind itself - what makes skin feel good, and why? The research is coordinated at the University of Leeds by Professor Peter Olmsted of the School of Physics and Astronomy, who is bringing atomic f

Improving Immune Defense Against Anthrax

Scientists discover a gene in anthrax-causing bacteria may help defend against this form of bio-warfare. Spread of the deadly disease anthrax by spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis is a known terrorism risk and protection includes finding ways to treat the disease, according to an academic paper reviewed by Faculty of 1000.

FDA Says GSK's Cervarix Effective Against HPV; Gardasil Effective Against Male Warts

An FDA Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for this Wednesday will address GlaxoSmithKline's application for approval of its human papillomavirus vaccine, Cervarix, as well as Merck's vaccine Gardasil for use in males to prevent genital warts, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports. FDA posted related information on its Web site on Friday.

Shalala, Cleveland Clinic's Cosgrove Weigh In On Current Health Debate

Two health care industry players have views about to handle the current overhaul debate. NPR's Guy Raz interviews Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove who says people should take responsibility for their own health: "Dr. Cosgrove says Congress needs to focus on encouraging people to take responsibility for their own health.

Also In Global Health News: West Africa Flooding; UNICEF Official Ordered To Leave Sri Lanka; South Africa Child Health Campaign; More

Nearly 600,000 West Africans Affected By Flooding, U.N. Says The U.N. on Monday "sharply increased its toll of the number of people affected by floods in West Africa, putting the number at more than 592,000 in no less than 10 countries," Agence France-Presse reports. Yvon Edoumou, a spokesperson for the U.N.

1,200 Nurses Make A House Call To Dianne Feinstein To Demand She Cosponsor Employee Free Choice Act

1,200 registered nurses representing every state in the union will make a house call to Dianne Feinstein this Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. to demand she become a cosponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. The nurse action will come as part of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee national convention.

American Association Of Kidney Patients Host Kidney Disease Education Program In Brooklyn, New York

Kidney disease patients, family members and those at risk of developing kidney disease are invited to join the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) as it hosts Kidney Beginnings: Live. The program is being held Sunday, Sept. 13 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Health Science Education Building in the Alumni Auditorium.

New Vaccine Shows Promise For COPD Patients At Risk For Pneumonia

A new vaccine against pneumonia may offer better protection from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients than the currently accepted vaccine, according to recent research that will be published in the September 15 issue of the American Journal of the Respiratory and Critical Care Journal, a publication of the American Thoracic Society.

Gene Link Marks Major Breakthrough In Dementia Research

Two new genes associated with Alzheimer's disease have been discovered in a British scientist led genome study. In a separate study French researchers revealed links between a third gene and the disease. The British study, led by Professor Julie Williams, is the largest ever Alzheimer's genome-wide association study and involved 16,000 individuals.

Alzheimer's Society And BBC Launch Brain Training Trial With A 'Bang'

Alzheimer's Society has teamed up with the BBC's Lab UK to launch Brain Test Britain, a unique trial that will seek an answer to the question: Does brain training really work? Launching on BBC One tonight (1930, Monday, 7 September 2009), Brain Test Britain will investigate the effects of brain training on mental fitness.

AACAP Annual Meeting Offers Latest Science On Childhood And Adolescent Mental Illness

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry convenes its 56th Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii October 27-November 1, 2009. Registration for the meeting is free for credentialed journalists. Who More than 3,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists and allied experts on childhood and adolescent mental illnesses from the United States and more than 100 countries.

Tort Reform And Changes To Doctor Payment Could Cut Health Costs

Limiting medical malpractice lawsuits and changing the doctor payment system are being debated as possible ways to make health care more cost-effective. One of the "gang of six" Senate Finance Committee negotiators, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., recently listed changing tort law as a "common sense reform" to reduce health care costs.

GM Agrees To Pay Retiree Health Care

The Detroit News reports that General Motors Co. "has agreed to pay another $50 million to fund health benefits to nearly 50,000 hourly retirees and dependents at Delphi Corp. who were represented by the IUE-CWA and other smaller unions. ... GM also agreed to a number of other concessions in the deal announced Tuesday.

SDI Reports: Number Of Flu Vaccines Given In Physicians' Offices Up 237% So Far This Season

According to SDI, a leading healthcare market insight and analytics firm that consolidates electronic healthcare claims data, there have been over 477,000 seasonal flu vaccinations already administered through Aug. 29 - the fourth week of this year's flu season. That is an increase of 237% compared to the same four weeks during last season.

Acceleron Pharma's ACE-031 Increases Lean Body Mass In Phase 1 Single Dose Clinical Trial

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that modulate the growth of cells and tissues including red blood cells, bone, and muscle, announced preliminary results from the ACE-031 Phase 1 single dose clinical trial indicating that ACE-031 was safe and well-tolerated at all dose levels and increased lean body mass.

Death Rate From Unintentional Poisoning Triples In Middle-Aged White Women

While the total mortality rate from unintentional injury increased in the U.S. by 11 percent between 1999 and 2005, far larger increases were seen in some subgroups analyzed by age, race, ethnicity and type of injury by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy.

The ASCO Cancer Foundation And BCRF Announce 2010 Comparative Effectiveness Research Professorship In Breast Cancer

The ASCO Cancer Foundation, with the support of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), has created the Comparative Effectiveness Research Professorship (CERP) in Breast Cancer. This five-year grant award will provide flexible funding to an outstanding researcher who has made and will continue to make significant contributions in breast cancer research.

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols Features ChIP And Vector Recombineering Methods

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is an invaluable method for studying the interactions between proteins and DNA on a genome-wide scale. ChIP can be used to determine whether a transcription factor interacts with a candidate target gene, and is used to monitor the presence of histones with posttranslational modifications at specific genomic locations.

Australia: Hospital Infections Cost $1 Billion In Lost Bed Days

Infections caught in hospital are costing the Australian healthcare system more than 850,000 lost bed days, according to a new study by Queensland University of Technology. Associate Professor Nick Graves, from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, said there were 175,153 cases where patients had acquired an infection during their hospital stay.

Influenza Immunization Essential For Healthcare Workers

Amid reports that the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus could infect half of the U.S. population and the low rates of flu immunization among healthcare workers, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) urges healthcare institutions to require annual flu vaccines for all employees with direct patient contact.

Government Of Canada Is Investing In First Nations And Inuit Health

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced an investment by the Government of Canada of $135 million for new construction and the renovation of health services infrastructure in First Nations communities across Canada. "Improving the health and well-being of Aboriginal people is of utmost importance to our Government," said Minister Aglukkaq.

Military Health Research Forum: Researchers To Discuss New Study On Gulf War Illness Treatment

Clinical trial of the drug mifepristone aims to evaluate treatment of Gulf War illness symptoms New research on treating Gulf War Illness (GWI) is being presented this week at the Military Health Research Forum (MHRF), a scientific meeting hosted by the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

Esophageal Cancer: Minimally Invasive Treatment Found Effective

Researchers have found that early stage cancers of the esophagus can be treated as effectively by less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy as compared to more complex surgical removal of the esophagus, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the September 2009 issue of Gastroenterology. In 20 percent of esophageal cancer (http://www.mayoclinic.

Depression And Anxiety Affect Up To 15 Percent Of Preschoolers

Almost 15 percent of preschoolers have atypically high levels of depression and anxiety, according to a new study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The five-year investigation also found that children with atypically high depression and anxiety levels are more likely to have mothers with a history of depression.

Infective Endocarditis: An Old But Changing Disease

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe form of valve disease characterized by infection located in the valves of the heart. It is still associated with a high mortality (10-26% in-hospital mortality). IE is a rare disease, with reported incidences ranging from 3 to 10 episodes/100,000 people per year. Previous guidelines were published in 2004.

For Prostate Cancer Patients With Low-Risk Tumors 'Watchful Waiting' Is A Viable Option

Appropriately selected prostate cancer patients, including older men and men with small, low-risk tumors, may safely defer treatment for many years with no adverse consequences, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), the study appears online.

New Method For Safer Bone Marrow Transplants For Sick Children

An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that minimal-intensity conditioning (MIC) regimen using antibodies instead of high dose chemotherapy may reduce the short and long term toxicity related with stem cell transplants in children. This could allow successful transplantation even in the sickest children.

Potential New Treatment For Ovarian Cancer

In the future, women with metastatic ovarian cancer could be treated with a radioactive substance that can seek and destroy tumour cells. An initial study in patients conducted jointly by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has found that the treatment has no unwanted side-effects.

Reduction In Cardiovascular Death Shown For The First Time With New Oral Antiplatelet Agent Ticagrelor

The presentation of the PLATO (A Study of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes), showed that ticagrelor (Brilinta®) reduced the rate of cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, myocardial infarction or stroke) from 11.7% to 9.8% compared clopidogrel (Plavix®) XX% (p About Ticagrelor Ticagrelor is the first reversibly binding oral adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonist.

Two New Studies From A Federal Agency Point To Risks, Costs In Health Care

Two new reports from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality made news Thursday. One addresses the consequences of leaving the hospital against the doctor's orders, while the other notes that health spending on seniors rose by over $100 billion between 1996 and 2006. McKnight's Long-Term Care News: "The U.S. spent an estimated $333.

Officials Flesh Out New Grant Program To Help States, Doctors With Health IT

Two weeks ago, the Obama administration offered nearly $1.2 billion in stimulus-funded grants to set up state-run health information exchanges, and create 70 "health IT regional extension centers" to help physicians adapt to the digital era, a term officials defined in greater detail during a conference call late last week, Modern Healthcare reports.

Up To 15 Percent Of Preschoolers Affected By Depression And Anxiety

Almost 15 percent of preschoolers have atypically high levels of depression and anxiety, according to a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The five-year investigation also found that children with atypically high depression and anxiety levels are more likely to have mothers with a history of depression.

Government Of Canada Helps Keep Youth In School Through Illicit Drug Use Education

Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, announced today the Government of Canada's support for a project that will help discourage young people from taking illicit drugs. Dr. Carrie made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health.

NRAS Bill Still Fails The Public Interest Test, Australia

While welcoming some progress this week from the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council on the exposure draft of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009, the AMA believes the Government's national registration and accreditation scheme is still unacceptable to the medical profession and the community because it fails the public interest test.

Dealing With High-blood Pressure? Eat More Melons

Summer is the time to chill out with cool summer fruits. So, why not lower your blood pressure at the same time? Nutrition experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center say there's no better way to lower your blood pressure than by indulging in some of the season's potassium-rich fruit and vegetables.

The King's Fund Statement In Response To The Patients Association Report 'Patients Not Numbers, People Not Statistics', UK

Commenting on the report published by The Patients Association documenting examples of poor hospital care, Jocelyn Cornwell, Director of The Point of Care programme at The King's Fund, said: 'From our own research we know that there are incidences of poor quality care where staff do not show compassion for patients.

New Study Of House Health Reform Bill: Ohio Faces Over $2.5 Billion In Medicare-Funded Nursing Home Cuts Over Ten Years

A new American Health Care Association (AHCA) analysis of the pending House health reform bill, combined with the impact of a recently-enacted Medicare regulation cutting Medicare-funded nursing home care by $12 billion over ten years, finds seniors in Ohio requiring nursing and rehabilitative care will face total funding cuts of more than $2.

Data Presented From Two Phase 3 ERBITUX® Studies In First-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients At Joint 15th European Cancer Organisation

According to a recent retrospective analysis of the pivotal Phase 3 CRYSTAL study, ERBITUX® (cetuximab), when added to FOLFIRI, was shown to increase median overall survival to 19.9 months in an intent-to-treat (ITT) population of first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients compared to 18.6 months in those receiving FOLFIRI alone (hazard ratio [HR] 0.878; 95% CI 0.774 0.995; p=0.

Afinitor(R) (everolimus) Now Licensed In UK For Advanced Kidney Cancer Patients After Failure Of First Line Vascular Targeted Therapy(1, 2)

Afinitor(R) (everolimus) has recently been licensed for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer after failure of treatments which prevent the growth of the tumour's blood vessels. The growth of the blood vessels are essential for the cancer to survive.(1) The European Commission (EC) approved everolimus for this use on 3rd August 2009.

Teva Provides Update On Generic Evista(R) Litigation

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has issued a decision invalidating two patents listed in the FDA's Orange Book for Eli Lilly's Evista® (raloxifene hydrochloride) Tablets in litigation concerning Teva's abbreviated new drug application to market a generic version.

FDA Approves First Drug For Treatment Of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Folotyn (pralatrexate), the first treatment for a form of cancer known as Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma (PTCL), an often aggressive type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Folotyn was approved under the FDA's accelerated approval process, which allows earlier approval of drugs that meet unmet medical needs.

What Is Urinary Incontinence? What Causes Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine; in simple terms, to wee when you don't intend to. It is the inability to hold urine in the bladder because voluntary control over the urinary sphincter is either lost or weakened. Urinary incontinence is a much more common problem than most people realize.

2nd Annual Oncology Market And Patient Access Conference, 14-15 December 2009, Prague, Czech Republic

This conference and networking event will present a fresh and original perspective on communicating the value and cost-effectiveness of high-value oncology drugs with payers, HTA assessors and other key stakeholders. Unlike other general pricing & reimbursement meetings which broadly discuss many therapeutic areas, this event will be focused specifically on the oncology marketplace.

New Paper From Internists Calls For Increased Role For FDA

A new policy paper that calls for broader authority and increased funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Improving FDA Regulation of Prescription Drugs offers a half-dozen recommendations about how to improve the agency's ability to approve and monitor new drugs.

Concept Acquisition In The Human Brain

A new study explores how our brains synthesize concepts that allow us to organize and comprehend the world. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 24th issue of the journal Neuron, uses behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to track how conceptual knowledge emerges in the human brain and guides decision making.

IAVI Statement On Results Of Phase III ALVAC-AIDSVAX Trial In Thailand

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) greeted with excitement today's announcement by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health that, according to an initial analysis, a prime-boost combination of two AIDS vaccine candidates has shown partial efficacy in a phase III efficacy trial in Thailand.

Results Of ADAGIO Study With AZILECT(R) In Parkinson's Disease Published In New England Journal Of Medicine

Results from the ADAGIO trial, published online today in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that Parkinson's disease patients receiving AZILECT® (rasagiline) 1mg/day at the start of the study (early-start group) experienced superior benefit over 18 months compared with those who started the exact same treatment nine months later (delayed-start group).

Perlegen Introduces BREVAGen⢠Breast Cancer Risk Stratification Test

Perlegen Sciences, which develops genetic tests that correlate genetic variation to disease risk and drug response, announced today that its BREVAGenâ„¢ breast cancer risk stratification test is now clinically available in select U.S. markets. Perlegen plans to add sales areas to make the test available nationwide over the next few months.

New Clinical Data On Medtronic Transcatheter Heart Valves Featured In More Than 25 Presentations At TCT 2009

With the promise of percutaneous treatments for patients with diseased heart valves growing, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced that more presentations than ever before - at least 25 - on the company's portfolio of unique transcatheter valves will be presented at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2009, the world's premier annual meeting for interventional cardiologists.

Pelosi Says House Health Bill Will Have Public Option

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted Monday that a final version of the House health care legislation will pass in the next few weeks with a public option intact, according to The Associated Press/Philly.com: "'No bill can pass the House of Representatives without a public option in it,' Pelosi, D-Calif.

New Report Shows Rising Tide Of Fractures In Asia

A new audit report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) shows that osteoporosis is a serious and growing problem throughout Asia. Gathering data from 14 Asian countries, regions or territories, 'The Asian Audit' is a landmark report examining epidemiology, costs and burden in individual countries as well as collectively across the region.

Flavored Cigarettes Aimed At Children Banned By FDA

Cigarettes with candy, fruit or clove flavorings have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA. The ban has been authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Many people accuse the tobacco industry of trying to lure children into smoking by adding flavors to their cigarettes.

Spontaneous And Medically Induced Preterm Births Contribute Equally To The Rising Rate Of Preterm Births: Scottish Study

Research published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine shows that the rising rate of preterm birth in Scotland is as much a result of an increase in spontaneous preterm birth as it is of preterm birth that is medically-induced to avoid risking the lives of the mother and child.

In Dallas, Doctor-Owned Hospitals Are Common And Lucrative; But Do They Add To Costs?

Doctor-owned hospitals prove to be lucrative, as seen at a Dallas hospital system, while opinions vary about their benefits. The Dallas Morning News reports: "The American Hospital Association wants to ban doctors from referring patients to hospitals they own, because 'the effect on health delivery and costs in communities can be devastating.

Rising Costs To Business, Government And Consumers Inspire, Complicate Health Reform

Every 10 years or so, the cost of health care doubles. It went from $714 billion in 1990 to $1.4 trillion in 2000 to an expected $2.5 trillion this year, the Sacramento Bee reports. "As the health care reform movement goes into high gear, there is little question that escalating cost is the major factor driving the effort.

California Nurses Association Seeks Contempt Citation Against Sutter/CPMC For Defying Federal Court By Refusing To Restore Nurses' Health Benefits

Federal Judge Charles Breyer today set an October 16th hearing date and ordered Sutter Healthcare's California Pacific Medical Center (Sutter/CPMC) to show cause why it should not be adjudged to be in contempt of a July 30, 2009 court order that it restore healthcare benefits for nurses which have been illegally reduced since 2007.

American Psychiatric Association Endorses H.R. 3200 As Basis For Reform

The Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association voted unanimously to support H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, as the basis for health reform. "In doing so, the APA is pleased to stand with the American Medical Association," said a letter presenting the board's decision to the American Medical Association.

35,000 Pounds Of Unlicensed Medicine Found In Car Boot

More than £35,000 of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicine was seized in Sutton Coldfield yesterday as part of a covert investigation undertaken by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). A 60-year-old man was arrested for possession with intent to supply the medicines which included Kamagra, Savitra and Apcalis, all unlicensed Indian products.

Protein Link To Fat Storage Pinpointed By Scientists

A protein found present in all cells in the body could help scientists better understand how we store fat. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that the protein invadolysin, which is essential for healthy cell division, is present in lipid droplets - the parts of cells used to store fat.

British Veterinary Association Welcomes Strong Veterinary Voice On Responsibility And Cost Sharing Group

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed the Defra announcement on the membership of the Responsibility and Cost Sharing Advisory Group. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed the Defra announcement on the membership of the Responsibility and Cost Sharing Advisory Group, in particular the appointment of Professor Bill Reilly, BVA President-Elect.

Work Out With Friends For A Natural High

Exercise classes or going for a run with a friend will make you feel better than working out alone, according to new research published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. When we exercise, happiness' hormones called endorphins are released by the body giving us a natural high', a feeling of elation.

Teenage Birth Rates Higher In More Religious States

Rates of births to teenage mothers are strongly predicted by conservative religious beliefs, even after controlling for differences in income and rates of abortion. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health have found a strong association between teenage birth rates and state-level measures of religiosity in the U.S.

Genetic Hint For Ridding The Body Of Hepatitis C

More than seventy percent of people who contract Hepatitis C will live with the virus that causes it for the rest of their lives and some will develop serious liver disease including cancer. However, 30 to 40 percent of those infected somehow defeat the infection and get rid of the virus with no treatment.

Vitamin D: Many Benefits; Optimal Dose Uncertain

Vitamin D appears to boost health from head to toe, according to the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. But, so far, there's no consensus on what level of vitamin D is optimal for good health. Recent reports on vitamin D suggest that it offers many benefits, especially for older adults.

Difficulties With Daily Activities Associated With Progression To Dementia

Among individuals with mild cognitive impairment, often considered a transitional state between normal cognitive function and Alzheimer's dementia, those who have more difficulties performing routine activities appear more likely to progress quickly to dementia, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Eye Injections Of Corticosteroid Medication May Improve Patients' Vision

Scientists have identified the first long-term, effective treatment to improve vision and reduce vision loss associated with blockage of large veins in the eye. This research was part of a multi-center, phase III clinical trial supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health. The Standard Care vs.

Treatment For Chronic Shoulder Pain: Better Results With Exercise Than Shockwave Treatment

A study just published on bmj.com reports that supervised exercises are more effective than shockwave treatment to relieve chronic shoulder pain. Shoulder pain is the fourth most frequent type of musculoskeletal pain reported to general practitioners and physiotherapists. Physiotherapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroid injections are often part of the treatment.

Patchwork Drug Coverage Causing Financial Hardship For Many Cancer Patients, Canada

Canada's patchwork system of drug coverage is leading to financial hardship for many cancer patients, says a Canadian Cancer Society report released today. The report - Cancer Drug Access for Canadians - shows that 1 in 12 Canadians face catastrophic drug costs, defined as more than three per cent of a household's net income.

Abortion-Rights Groups' 'Good Will' On Health Reform Not Returned By Opponents, Salon Opinion Piece Says

While it was "discouraging to hear" President Obama say in his health reform speech to Congress that "'under our plan no federal dollars will be used to fund abortion," abortion-rights groups do not "wan[t] to bear the responsibility for health care reform failing," Frances Kissling writes in a Salon opinion piece.

Merz Pharmaceuticals' Belotero(R) Balance PMA Filing Formally Accepted For Review By The FDA

Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review Merz's premarket approval (PMA) application for Belotero(R) Balance. Belotero(R) Balance is a hyaluronic acid based monophasic gel dermal filler that utilizes a cohesive polydensified matrix (CPM(TM)) technology.

Seniors In Medicare Advantage Receive Higher Quality Care, New Reports Show

Seniors in Medicare Advantage spent fewer days in a hospital, were subject to fewer hospital re-admissions, and were less likely to have "potentially avoidable" admissions, for common conditions ranging from uncontrolled diabetes to dehydration, according to a new analysis of publicly available AHRQ data released today by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

Negotiations Continue As Senate Finance Committee Prepares To Release Health Reform Bill

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Monday said the bipartisan "Gang of Six" negotiating group needs more time to discuss several outstanding details of its health reform bill, The Hill reports. The measure will now be released on Wednesday, a day later than originally anticipated, Baucus said (Young, The Hill, 9/14).

In Aging-Related Diseases, Prolonged Stress Sparks ER To Release Calcium Stores And Induce Cell Death

Li et al. explain how prolonged stress sparks the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to release its calcium stores, inducing cells to undergo apoptosis in several aging-related diseases.The study will appear in the September 21, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology (online September 14). Stressful conditions cause misfolded proteins to accumulate in the ER.

Trust Your Gut? Study Explores Religion, Morality And Trust In Authority

In a world filled with dogma, doctrine and discipline, it is accurate to say most of us strive to do what we believe is "right." These convictions and beliefs permeate every aspect of our lives, including education, ethics and even common law. Psychologists Daniel C. Wisneski, Brad L. Lytle and Linda J.

Guideline: Kids With Small Head Size At Risk Of Neurologic Problems, Screening Needed

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology, developed in full collaboration with the Child Neurology Society, finds that children with microcephaly that is, children whose head size is smaller than that of 97 percent of children are at risk of neurologic and cognitive problems and should be screened for these problems.

Discovery Of New Marker For Alzheimer's

Gothenburg researchers have discovered a previously unknown substance in spinal fluid that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The findings, described in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, will also be useful in research on new medications. The substance is a beta-amyloid protein called Abeta16.

Forbes Examines Efforts To Bring Clean Drinking Water To India, Kenya

Forbes examines efforts currently under way to help people living in India and Kenya access clean drinking water through a partnership between Acumen Fund, "a nonprofit global venture fund focused on alleviating poverty" and the design firm IDEO. Called the Ripple Effect, the partnership received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

'Public Option' Fight Misses True Measure Of Reform, Says Expert

The political struggle over the "public option" continues to run the health care reform debate aground, stealing the spotlight from the true measure of any plan, argues University of Maryland Public Policy Dean Don Kettl. Instead, the debate should focus on what Kettl calls the 'r' word: not 'rationing,' but 'regulation.

Road Accidents, Suicide And Maternal Conditions Among Leading Causes Of Death In Young People

The first study of global patterns of death among people aged between 10-24 years of age has found that road traffic accidents, complications during pregnancy and child birth, suicide, violence, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) are the major causes of mortality. Most causes of death of young people are preventable and treatable.

New Study Proves That Communication Between Male And Female Occurs In Our Innermost Beings

In the week that the University of Leicester celebrates the 25th anniversary of the discovery of DNA fingerprinting (Thursday September 10) new findings from the world-renowned University of Leicester Department of Genetics reveal for the first time that the male and female do truly communicate - at least at the fundamental genetic level.

Statement From Karen Davis: New Census Data On Uninsured Americans

The Census Bureau released the latest data on the number of Americans without health insurance. The number of uninsured individuals rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008. This increase of 0.6 million would have been much worse without a growth in government-provided insurance of 4.4 million, including a 3.0 million increase in coverage under Medicaid.

Centocor Ortho Biotech Receives FDA Complete Response Letter Regarding DOXIL(R) For The Treatment Of Advanced Breast Cancer

Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for DOXIL (doxorubicin HCI liposome injection) in combination with docetaxel for the treatment of women with locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer.

UK Among Losers In Europe's Heart Disease League Table

New research reported at a European heart conference this week points to large disparities in rates of death due to heart disease among 16 European countries, with the UK showing up among the losers in many of the league tables: the report also highlights huge inequalities in those countries' cardiovascular disease prevention policies.

Myths About Abortion Coverage Offer 'Disservice' To Health Reform Debate, Opinion Piece Says

The "inflammatory statements" about coverage for abortion services in congressional health care reform proposals "do a disservice to a complex issue of public policy: how, in the context of health reform, to balance the deeply felt views of both sides in the abortion debate," columnist Ruth Marcus writes in the Washington Post.

Sotomayor Officially Takes Seat On Supreme Court

Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday officially took her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in a formal ceremony attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden, the Washington Post reports. Sotomayor was sworn in as a member of the court on Aug. 8 following her confirmation by the Senate (Barnes, Washington Post, 9/9).

NICE Proposes To Refuse Nexavar(R) (Sorafenib) For Liver Cancer Patients

Today, in an alarming move, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has, once again, proposed to deny Nexavar® (sorafenib) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - a form of liver cancer. Nexavar® is the only systemic treatment option that could potentially extend the survival of these patients.

10 Grants Awarded By The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Awards In Health Policy Research

In an effort to tackle major health policy issues in the United States, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® (RWJF) has announced the selection of this year's recipients of its Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research. Sixteen scholars affiliated with major universities across the country will receive funding to support 10 new research projects.

FDA Grants Protalix Orphan Drug Designation For prGCD

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE-Amex:PLX), announced that it has received notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development has granted orphan drug designation to prGCD, the Company's proprietary plant cell expressed recombinant form of glucocerebrosidase (GCD) for the treatment of Gaucher disease.

CytRx Receives FDA Letter Regarding Arimoclomol Phase IIb Clinical Trial For ALS

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, today announced its intention during the 2009 fourth quarter to submit a revised protocol for its planned Phase IIb clinical trial for arimoclomol as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).

Ureteroscope Cleaning And Sterilization By The Urology Operating Room Team: The Effect On Repair Costs

UroToday.com - Endourological experience, and a vested interest in the good working order of the specialized equipment used for these complex procedures, is key to their protection from damage during the cleaning and sterilizing process. This prospective tracking study of a single center's flexible ureteroscopes cleaning process irrevocably confirms this finding.

In New Book Husband-And-Wife OB-GYNs Explore Common Pregnancy Myths

Expectant mothers are virtual magnets for unsolicited advice. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, new mothers, friends, and even strangers offer what seems to be an endless supply of supposedly authoritative opinions on every aspect of pregnancy: A craving for spicy food denotes a boy. Carrying the baby low means it's a girl.

Race Shown To Affect Severity Of Lupus Disease

In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, their race can affect how severe the disease will become, according to a new study. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common form of lupus a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the kidneys, joints, blood and nervous system.

DSM PTG Experts To Speak At The 2009 International Medical Devices Conference & Expo

Whar DSM PTG, part of DSM Biomedical, a global leader in biomedical materials, will be active participants in the upcoming International Medical Devices Conference & Expo (IMD EXPO). Who DSM PTG's Nelson Cooke will co-chair two sessions taking place on Tuesday September 15: Advances in Materials Complementing Design and Medical Device Design and Development.

Nurses Urge Governor To Sign "Disclosure" Bill

Most people avoid thinking about what goes on inside a hospital until they themselves are hospitalized. Then, they may discover that there are not enough registered nurses to provide adequate care for all the patients on the unit. They may develop complications and infections. They may be the victims of medical errors.

In-Body Health Monitoring Devices

Antennas for the latest implanted medical devices are being developed by Queen Mary University of London and tested through a unique piece of kit at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL). In the near future in-body medical devices such as pacemakers will use radio frequency (RF) technology to improve healthcare for patients.

Function Of A Neglected Structure In Neurons Revealed After 50 Years

Fifty years after it was originally discovered, scientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have elucidated the function of a microscopic network of tubules found in neurons. This structure modulates the strength of connections between two neurons, thereby contributing to our ability to learn and to adapt to new situations.

Researchers Restore Missing Protein In Rare Genetic Brain Disorder

UCSF researchers have successfully used protease inhibitors to restore to normal levels a key protein involved in early brain development. Reduced levels of that protein have been shown to cause the rare brain disorder lissencephaly, which is characterized by brain malformations, seizures, severe mental retardation and very early death in human infants.

Bednets Plus Larvicides Help Fight Malaria In Kenya

The risk that children will become infected with malaria can be substantially reduced through a novel combination of measures to kill the larvae of the malaria mosquito and the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITN), according to a paper published in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

What Is Tetanus? What Causes Tetanus?

Tetanus, or lockjaw is a serious infection caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria which produce a toxin that affects the brain and nervous system. The toxin leads to stiffness in the jaw muscles as well as other muscles. The infection can cause severe muscle spasms, serious breathing difficulties, and can ultimately be fatal.

NCI Renews Fox Chase / Penn Ovarian Cancer "SPORE" Grant For A Third Five-Year Term

National Cancer Institute (NCI) has renewed a $11.5 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer, which supports multidisciplinary research at Fox Chase Cancer Center and the University of Pennsylvania. First approved in 1999, this marks the third five-year term for the Fox Chase-Penn Ovarian SPORE.

2009 Charles River Laboratories' Excellence In Refinement Award

Paul Flecknell, PhD, widely recognized for his expertise in the identification and management of pain in laboratory animals, is the 2009 recipient of the Charles River Laboratories' Excellence in Refinement Award. This award was presented on September 3 at the 7th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Rome.

New IDEAL IMPLANT Is The Next Breast Thing, Combining Natural Results And Safety Of Saline

Like many women, Teri did her research before making the decision to undergo breast augmentation. As a health-conscious mother seeking a better fit in her clothes, she was dissatisfied with the current breast implant choices of saline for safety or silicone gel for a more natural look, yet with bothersome potential risks.

Increase In Weight-Loss Drugs Prescribed To Combat Childhood Obesity

Thousands of children and adolescents are using anti-obesity drugs that in the UK are only licensed for use by adults. The number of young people receiving prescriptions for these drugs has increased 15-fold since 1999, but most stop using them before they could expect to see any benefit, according to a new study.

Baucus-Grassley Bipartisan Partnership Frays Under Health Reform Pressure

Kaiser Health News reports on the partnership between Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and how health reform has affected that dynamic. "For nearly a decade, the cross-aisle team ... has shaped dozens of tax cuts, trade measures and health bills on the Senate Finance Committee.

Births Decline In Most Areas Hardest Hit By Hurricane Katrina

Births in most of the Gulf Coast areas hit by Hurricane Katrina plunged in the 12 months following the deadly storm, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report from CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics, "The Effect of Hurricane Katrina: Births in the U.S.

Students Coping With High School Put-Downs Find It Hard To Learn

High-school put-downs are such a staple of teen culture that many educators don't take them seriously. However, a University of Illinois study suggests that classroom disruptions and psychologically hostile school environments can contribute to a climate in which good students have difficulty learning and students who are behind have trouble catching up.

Leading International Headache Journal Cephalalgia To Be Published By SAGE

SAGE, the world's leading independent academic and professional publisher is delighted to announce a new agreement with the International Headache Society (IHS) to publish their official journal, Cephalalgia. Now in its 29th volume, Cephalalgia provides an international forum for original research papers, review articles and short communications on all aspects of headache.

Exercise Minimizes Weight Regain By Reducing Appetite, Burning Fat,And Lowering 'Defended' Body Weight

Exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting by reducing appetite and by burning fat before burning carbohydrates, according to a new study with rats. Burning fat first and storing carbohydrates for use later in the day slows weight regain and may minimize overeating by signaling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

Pancreatic Cancer Affects Blacks At Higher Rates

Regardless of risk factors linked to pancreatic cancer, such as smoking and body mass index (BMI), blacks experienced higher rates of pancreatic cancer death than whites. "Reducing overweight/obesity and smoking will help reduce pancreatic cancer overall, as well as prevent other diseases," said Lauren D. Arnold, Ph.D., M.P.H.

American Psychological Association Awards Outstanding Psychology Teachers With Excellence In Teaching Award

Two high school psychology teachers have been selected by the American Psychological Association's Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) for its prestigious APA TOPSS Excellence in Teaching Award. Award winners are Trudy Loop of The Altamont School, Birmingham, Ala., and Jeff Norby of West De Pere High School, De Pere, Wis.

Progress Made In Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment And Diagnosis

Pioneering research to improve outcomes for 'signature injury' of Iraqi war unveiled at Military Health Research Forum New research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) is being presented this week at the Military Health Research Forum (MHRF), a scientific meeting hosted by the Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

During Hepatitis C Therapy Men Experience Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual impairment is common among men with chronic hepatitis C undergoing antiviral therapy, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. This is the first time a study evaluating the combination therapy, peginterferon and ribavirin, has identified sexual dysfunction as a side effect.

AMP President Updates CDC Committee On H1N1 Testing

Dr. Jan Nowak, President of the Association for Molecular Pathology presented public comments at the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee meeting. During the initial weeks of the pandemic H1N1 influenza outbreak, community based molecular pathology laboratories developed diagnostic tests capable of rapidly detecting and confirming suspected cases of pandemic flu. Dr.

In Heart Failure Patients Treated With ACE Inhibitor And/or Beta Blocker, Higher Plasma Renin Activity Is Related To Greater Risk Of Mortality

Data confirm that in heart failure patients being treated with ACE inhibitor and/or beta blocker, higher plasma renin activity still predicts greater risk of mortality1. PRA is a measure of the activity of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) which, when chronically activated, can lead to increased blood pressure and organ damage.

NeuroLogica Corporation Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance For InSPira HD: Portable High Resolution SPECT

NeuroLogica Corporation announced at the XIV World Congress of Neurological Surgery in Boston, MA, receipt of 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its portable high resolution SPECT system: inSPira HD. The inSPira HD is a battery powered, high resolution, portable SPECT designed primarily for brain imaging.

Safety Of Drug-Eluting Stents: First Results From The ISAR-TEST-4 Study

Drug-eluting stents (DES), which slowly release medication to inhibit the build-up of scar tissue, have proved very successful in preventing restenosis (renarrowing) of stented coronary arteries. However, several studies have shown persistent risk of blood clot formation inside DES over a longer time period after implantation than observed with bare metal stents.

Natural Compounds, Chemotherapeutic Drugs May Become Partners In Cancer Therapy

Research in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University suggests that some natural food compounds, which previously have been studied for their ability to prevent cancer, may be able to play a more significant role in treating it - working side-by-side with the conventional drugs that are now used in chemotherapy.

Biomedical Needs Met By Silk-Based Optical Waveguides

There is a growing need for biocompatible photonic components for biomedical applications - from in vivo glucose monitoring to detecting harmful viruses or the telltale markers of Alzheimer's. Optical waveguides are of particular interest because of their ability to manipulate and transport light in a controlled manner in a variety of configurations.

New Book On Signal Transduction

In biology, 'signal transduction' refers to any process by which a cell converts one kind of signal or stimulus into another. Most processes of signal transduction involve ordered sequences of biochemical reactions inside the cell, which are carried out by enzymes and activated by second messengers, resulting in a signal transduction pathway.

New Asthma Predictors Needed To Determine Future Risk In Certain Patients

Screening tests used to predict asthma activity in patients may have little tracking success when applied to people with persistent disease who are adhering to their health care regimens, UT Southwestern Medical Center physician report. Previous reports have suggested that certain clinical findings and laboratory tests could help predict future asthma attacks.

Children Find Ways To Cope With Cancer

More than 12,000 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year. Although these children and their parents undergo a tremendous amount of stress during this time, researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that most children are able to cope with their diagnosis without experiencing high levels of depression or anxiety.

Iowa Hospital Uses Innovative Design To Reduce Error

The Des Moines Register reports on the design of Mercy Medical Center-West Lakes, a $100 million hospital with 83 beds set to open Sept. 8, that uses innovative approaches to try to reduce medical errors."The hospital's administrator Dan Aten described how the facility "is the result of three years of design, discussion and research. ...

New Book: Crisis Management In The European Union

Floods, forest fires, bombings, swine flu: In less than a decade, Europe has witnessed a series of large-scale natural disasters, widespread illness and two major terrorist attacks. Catastrophes do not recognize national borders, and policy makers have increasingly realized that cooperation within the Union is a necessary prerequisite for efficient crisis management.

Town Halls Still Volatile In Many Districts

Town hall meetings have tempered since early August, but some lawmakers continue to face raucous crowds, Roll Call reports. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., a vocal conservative and opponent of the Democrats reform plans, "faced a volatile crowd [Thursday] looking for answers on the future of health care in America" (Palmer, 8/28). But Rep.

Insurance Workers: We're Not 'Villains'

Politicians have targeted the insurance industry in their pitch to overhaul health care. House speaker Nancy Pelosi went as far as calling insurers "villains" and "immoral." "I'm certainly not villainous or immoral in any way, shape or form," Max Shireman, a project manager for the insurer Humana, told The New York Times.

Concerns About Anti-Obesity Drug Orlistat

US authorities are investigating concerns that anti-obesity drug Orlistat may cause liver damage. Orlistat went on sale under the brand name Alli without the need for a prescription in the UK in April. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 30 reports linking the drug to serious liver injury.

Stroke Survivors At Risk Of Another Cardiovascular Event May Be Identified By A Simple Test

Measuring circulation in the ankle using a device similar to a blood pressure cuff can help identify asymptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) in stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) survivors, a group at much higher risk of subsequent cerebrovascular events, according to a study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

NIH Study Discovers 3 Dog Coat Genes: Findings Could Lead To Understanding Of Complex Human Diseases Caused By Multiple Genes

University of Utah researchers used data from Portuguese water dogs - the breed of President Barack Obama's dog Bo - to help find a gene that gives some dogs curly hair and others long, wavy hair. It was part of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study - published online Thursday, Aug.

Researchers Find High-Dose Therapy For Liver Disease Not Effective

A national team of researchers led by scientists at Mayo Clinic has found that a common treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver disease, is not helpful for patients, according to a study published this month in the journal Hepatology. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a disease of the bile ducts.

Eating Healthier For Less: Nutritional Tips For You And Your Family

Today's tough economic challenges make it a good time to re-examine the way we and our family members eat, as more of us try to stretch the budget by dining on the cheap on foods like hot dogs, bologna sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese. But eating healthy doesn't have to cost more.

Association Betgween Vitamin D Deficiency In Younger Women And Increased Risk Of High Blood Pressure In Mid-Life

Vitamin D deficiency in premenopausal women may increase the risk of developing systolic hypertension 15 years later, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference. Researchers examined women enrolled in the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study and analyzed data from 559 Caucasian women living in Tecumseh, Mich.

New Ways To Predict Violent Behaviour?

In the future, diagnosing severe personality disorders, evaluating the childhood environment, assessing alcohol consumption and the analysis of the MAOA genotype may provide more accurate means for assessing risk among violent offenders, according to the Finnish research carried out jointly at the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki University Central Hospital Psychiatry Centre.

Tips For Making Flu Shots Easier On Kids... And Parents

Crying, screaming or even trying to run away-these are typical reactions when kids are about to get an injection. Unfortunately, kids will probably be dismayed to learn that they will need an extra shot this year since recommendations call for children to receive both a seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine.

First 2009 Pesticide Residue Figures Released

The Pesticide Residues Committee today published findings from its first quarterly report in 2009. The report found that the majority of foods had no detectable residues and those that did contain pesticides were not likely to be harmful to health. Tests found that 392 out of 570 samples of 16 different foods tested had no detectable residues.

New Study Shows Mobile Infants Have Established Neural Pathways To See Looming Danger

Do infants only start to crawl once they are physically able to see danger coming? Or is it that because they are more mobile, they develop the ability to sense looming danger? According to Ruud van der Weel and Audrey van der Meer, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trond

Study Dispels Myth That New Residents Cause Increase In Medical Errors In July

New research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons challenges the widely held belief that more medical errors occur in teaching hospitals during the month of July due to the influx of new graduates from medical and nursing schools - also known as the "July Phenomenon.

Obesity: Will It Become the Leading Cause of Preventable Cancer Among Women?

Obesity may have been the cause of over 124,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Europe last year alone. In addition, obesity could become the leading preventable cause of cancer in women in Western countries within a decade.

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A New Take On Why Social Cues Confuse Babies And Dogs In A Classic Hiding Game

A study by developmental scientists at the University of Iowa and Indiana University challenges the conclusions of two recent studies on how babies and dogs respond to certain social cues. The new findings, published in the journal Science, indicate that babies and dogs may not be as clever as the other studies suggest.

New Brain Pathway For Regulating Weight And Bone Mass Identified By Researchers

Contrary to the prevailing view, the hormone leptin, which is critical for normal food intake and metabolism, appears to regulate bone mass and suppress appetite by acting mainly through serotonin pathways in the brain, according to a recent study published in Cell by Yale School of Medicine researchers and colleagues at Columbia University.

By Resurrecting Ancient Proteins, University Of Oregon Researchers Find That Evolution Can Only Go Forward

A University of Oregon research team has found that evolution can never go backwards, because the paths to the genes once present in our ancestors are forever blocked. The findings -- the result of the first rigorous study of reverse evolution at the molecular level -- appear in the Sept. 24 issue of Nature.

Ultrasound Can Predict Tumor Burden And Survival In Melanoma Patients

Researchers have shown for the first time that patterns of ultrasound signals can be used to identify whether or not cancer has started to spread in melanoma patients, and to what extent. The discovery enables doctors to decide on how much surgery, if any, is required and to predict the patient's probable survival.

Health Care Reform Legislation Would Expand Access To Pharmacist-Patient Care Services

The American Pharmacist Association (APhA) applauds Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont, for unveiling the Committee's long-awaited health care reform proposal. The release of the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 will continue to advance legislative process and hopefully lead to passage of meaningful healthcare reform that will benefit millions of Americans.

Gene Variant Shows Strong Gender Bias For Cancer Predisposition

Cancer predisposition resulting from the presence of a specific gene variant shows a strong gender bias, researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have demonstrated. In addition, the research indicates that the risk for development of cancer in individuals harboring the gene variant can be further increased as a result of environmental exposure.

Simple, Cost-Effective Diagnosis Of Gastrointestinal Cancers Predicted Using New Blood Tests

Promising results from two new blood tests that can aid in the early identification of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers were presented at Europe's largest cancer congress, ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 [1], in Berlin, September 21). The tests will make GI cancer detection simpler, cost-effective, and more acceptable to patients than current methods, the researchers say.

Don't Make Assumptions About HIV - A Major New Campaign Tells Gay Men, UK

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) launches a major new awareness raising campaign aimed at gay men in London. 'Assumptions' is aimed at men who don't use condoms because they think they have correctly identified their partner's status. This campaign urges men not to assume that they 'know' the HIV status of a new partner.

Study Demonstrates Possibilities Of Reducing Unnecessary MRI Tests For Stroke Detection And Improving Safety

In a small "proof of principle" study, stroke researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Illinois have found that a simple, one-minute eye movement exam performed at the bedside worked better than an MRI to distinguish new strokes from other less serious disorders in patients complaining of dizziness, nausea and spinning sensations.

Free PAC Sessions For Pharmacy Assistants, Australia

The importance of pharmacy assistants to the pharmacy profession is being recognized in special weekend presentations for assistants at the Pharmacy Australia Congress in Sydney this year. Pharmacy assistants outnumber pharmacists by a ratio of more than five-to-one and it is estimated there are currently more than 27,000 pharmacy assistants working across the nation.

Local MP Backs Muscle Campaigning Group, As Vulnerable Patients Launch Petition

Manchester Withington MP John Leech this week added his support to families with rare illnesses from across the North West. The MP met with families who are all part of a new campaigning network focussed on improving access to essential care for the estimated 6,500 people living with severe muscle-wasting conditions in the region.

Some Catholic Leaders Pledge Support For Health Reform, Despite Concerns On Abortion Coverage

Several Roman Catholic groups and officials have pledged support for President Obama's health care reform plan, despite lingering concerns that the legislation would not add new restrictions on abortion coverage, Anne Hendershott -- head of the Politics, Philosophy and Economics Program at King's College -- writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

Lawmakers Wonder If The Baucus Plan Does Enough To Control Premiums

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers fear a new plan unveiled by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., could impose added costs on middle-class people in the form of higher health insurance premiums, a problem they will seek to mitigate, The Washington Post reports: "Some Senate Democrats, along with a key moderate Republican, Sen. Olympia J.

Drinkaware Responds To fpa Research Revealing Alcohol Influences Sexual Decision Making

Reacting to research from the fpa which reveals that alcohol influences sexual decision making, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says : "People can often feel invincible on a night out, so it's important to think carefully about how much you're drinking and remember that alcohol can affect your ability to make rational decisions.

NHS Is About Patients Not Cash Units Says UNISON, UK

Commenting on Andy Burnham's speech to the King's Fund, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK's largest public sector union, said: "UNISON has never seen the sense of so called "payment by results" or tariffs in the health service. Getting rid of the market in the NHS would generate significant cost savings.

FDA Approves Donor Screening Test For Antibodies To HIV

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the Abbott Prism HIV O Plus assay, as a screening tool designed to detect the presence of certain antibodies to HIV. The assay is one of five assays that run on the fully automated Abbott Prism System. There are two types of HIV.

Mylan's Matrix Receives Tentative FDA Approval Under PEPFAR For Efavirenz, Lamivudine And Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets

Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) announced that its privately held Indian subsidiary, Matrix Laboratories Limited, has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for its New Drug Application (NDA) for Efavirenz, Lamivudine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets, 600 mg/300 mg/300 mg.

How Vital Are Toilets And Hand Hygiene For Child Growth?

Many studies have been done into how nutrition and child growth (or lack of stunting) are linked. But a Viewpoint in this week's edition of The Lancet explores the importance of toilets and hand hygiene in ensuring children grow normally in the developing world, where toilets are largely absent and hand hygiene poor.

New Evidence That Green Tea May Help Improve Bone Health

Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting new evidence that green tea - one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and now available as a dietary supplement - may help improve bone health. They found that the tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and help slow its breakdown.

FDA Issues Warning To Breast Pump Maker

FDA last month sent a warning letter to a breast pump manufacturer, telling company officials that they should have investigated complaints from women who said the "Comfort Select" pumps electrically shocked them, the Wall Street Journal reports. FDA found manufacturing violations at two of Evenflo's Ohio plants during inspections in January and February.

Insomniac Mice Created With Gene Variation That Lets People Get By On Less Sleep

A University of Utah sleep expert has joined with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Stanford University to identify a genetic variation in humans, which the scientists also developed in mouse models, that allows a rare number of people to require less sleep than others. Published in the Aug.

Watch-and-Wait Approach to Prostate Cancer in Seniors

Men over the age of 65 who are diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and choose the conservative approach of “watchful waiting” are living longer. Opting out of undergoing more aggressive treatment is working for many.

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Blind Patient Regains Sight With "Eyetooth" Implanted In Her Eye

Blind for nine years, Sharron "Kay" Thornton has just regained her sight through a first-in-the-U.S. surgical procedure at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The procedure -- modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP) -- implanted her eyetooth in her eye, as a base to hold a prosthetic lens.

Swine Flu Pandemic: NMC Announces Readmission Action, UK

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) announced that it would be writing to over 90,000 nurses and midwives whose registration has lapsed within the previous four years. This action is being taken to support services to address any potential staffing shortages which may occur in the event of a surge in the swine flu pandemic.

News From The Annals Of Internal Medicine, Sept. 15, 2009

1. Three Medications Reduce the Risk for Invasive Breast Cancer but Carry Heavy Risks for Adverse Events Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, causing 40,000 deaths a year. For women with a close family history of the disease, physicians may prescribe drugs to help reduce their risk of getting breast cancer.

Web-Based Screening And Intervention May Reduce Drinking In University Students

Web-based screening and personalized interventions for alcohol use may reduce drinking in undergraduate students, according to a report in the September 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Unhealthy alcohol use is becoming more prevalent among young adults in many countries, according to background information in the article.

American Lung Association's Faces Of Influenza Campaign Stresses The Importance Of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination

The American Lung Association is intensifying its seasonal influenza public education initiative to urge families to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The Faces of Influenza campaign aims to ensure Americans get immunized against seasonal influenza, which each year causes an estimated 36,000 deaths and over 226,000 hospitalizations from the virus and its related complications.

Adult Help Required For Children Under 3 To Learn Action Words From TV

American infants and toddlers watch TV an average of two hours a day, and much of the programming is billed as educational. A new study finds that children under age 3 learn less from these videos that we might think - unless there's an adult present to interact with them and support their learning.

States Face Growing Health Costs, Dwindling Budgets

As states wrestle with shortfalls in health care funding, many are hoping to brace with budget cuts, while others focus on changes that keep costs down over the long term. The Times-Picayune/Associated Press: "While politicians argue about the nation's long-term health care problems, Louisiana faces a health care tsunami within a year.

Ice Cream May Target The Brain Before Your Hips, UT Southwestern Study Suggests

Blame your brain for sabotaging your efforts to get back on track after splurging on an extra scoop of ice cream or that second burger during Friday night's football game. Findings from a new UT Southwestern Medical Center study suggest that fat from certain foods we eat makes its way to the brain.

Lobbyists Ramp Up Efforts To Shape Health Care Reform

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/New York Times reports: "Top lobbyists for every major sector of the health care industry publicly insist they are squarely behind the health care reform effort of President Barack Obama's administration. But as the debate gets down to the details, the lines dividing friend from foe are getting blurry.

Depression Significantly Impacts Survival Rates Among Cancer Patients

Cancer patients who suffer from depression are less likely to survive than those who do not. An analysis conducted by Canadian researchers suggests that being depressed while fighting cancer can actually take years off your life.

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Comparative Effectiveness Research May Save Money, But Remains Controversial

Comparative effectiveness research could change how certain procedures are paid for and it may be a better solution than some current cost-saving policies. The Louisville Courier-Journal reports: "Democrats' plans for health care reform would try to provide answers with more studies on which drugs, medical devices and procedures work best for different patients.

Companies Warned To Manage Transport Safely After Employee Crushed To Death By Forklift Truck, UK

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to manage transport in the workplace after a man was killed when his forklift truck was obstructed in its path, toppled over and crushed him. Trackline (International) Ltd of 9 Spencer Parade, Northampton was today fined £7,500 and ordered to pay £6,690 costs at Lincoln Crown Court.

Developmental Psychologists Hold 2009 Annual Conference

How infants and young children develop the ability to control their actions, and how they learn their food preferences were among the topics which were discussed at the Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference 2009; part of the British Psychological Society. The conference took place between 9 and 11 September at Nottingham University and Nottingham Trent University.

State Round-Up: California Adult Day Care, Massachusetts And D.C. Insurance News

In today's state news, a California judge rules that state cuts to adult day care violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, pending legislation in Massachusetts could help ease the insurance burden for small businesses and insurers in Washington, D.C., may have to share a portion of their $687 million surplus with the city.

Goal To Extend Useful Life Of Arthritic Knees And Hips

An existing osteoporosis drug is the first ever found to prevent cartilage loss from osteoarthritis following injury to a joint, and may also regenerate some cartilage that has been lost to osteoarthritis, according to an early study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Denver.

Controlling Pain Can Speed Recovery For Children With Cancer

Cancer and its treatment causes discomfort on many levels, but controlling pain can speed recovery for children battling the disease, say pain management experts at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Tumors press on nerves, bones and organs; radiation can damage the skin and mucus membranes; and chemotherapy agents can inflict harsh side effects.

CDC Awards $5 Million To Support State Biomonitoring Programs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded $5 million to the states of California, New York and Washington to assess residents' exposure to chemicals. Using a technique known as biomonitoring, the states will determine which environmental chemicals people have been exposed to and how much of those chemicals are in their bodies.

What Is Hypothyroidism? What Causes Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid, is a condition in which the thyroid gland, which supplies hormones to keep the metabolism in working order, is not functioning properly. This results in lower-than-required levels of essential hormones that are distributed to the rest of the body - undermining the body's ability to function efficiently.

Mpex Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Phase 2b Clinical Trial Results With Aeroquin(R) (MP-376) Treatment In Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Mpex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive data from its Phase 2b clinical trial with Aeroquin((R)) (a novel aerosol formulation of levofloxacin, MP-376) in cystic fibrosis (CF). Trial results showed that nebulized Aeroquin met the primary endpoint of reducing bacterial counts of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in sputum after 28 days of dosing versus placebo.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Joins Alliance For A Healthier Generation's Healthcare Initiative

Nationwide Children's Hospital has renewed its commitment to the health and well being of children by collaborating with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, to provide employees comprehensive health benefits for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood obesity.

New NIST Trace Explosives Standard Slated For Homeland Security Duty

Security personnel need to be able to find explosive materials and persons who have been in contact with them. To aid such searches, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with support from the Department of Homeland Security, has developed a new certified reference material, Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2905, Trace Particulate Explosives.

African Children: Vaccination Against Various Bacterial Diseases Is Needed

An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that the organisms causing bacterial infections in African children with sickle-cell anaemia are the same as those in developed countries. Vaccination against these bacterial infections could considerably improve survival in these children. Vaccines are already available in developed nations.

Sickle Cell Study Boosts Call For Improved Childhood Immunization Programs In Africa

Children in Africa with sickle cell anaemia are dying unnecessarily from bacterial infections, suggests the largest study of its kind, funded by the Wellcome Trust. The results are published in the journal the Lancet. The study has prompted calls for all children in Africa to receive vaccinations against the most common bacterial infections.

HAMILTON Unveils ARC Sensor Technology

HAMILTON Company, a world leader in fluid measurement, has announced the Hamilton ARC concept, a new sensor family for process control that includes pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity measurements. More than simply sensors, ARC Sensors are the complete solution: innovative premium quality sensors with a robust, direct, and standard interface to the PLC.

Feelings Of Belonging Affect School Children

The extent to which a child feels they belong at home, school and in the community may impact on their physical health as well as their psychological well-being. This is the finding of a paper presented at the British Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology annual conference at Aston University, today, 10th September 2009.

BIO Responds To President Obama's Health Care Reform Address

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood released the following statement in response to President Obama's address on health care reform delivered tonight before a joint session of the U.S. Congress: "BIO shares President Obama's goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, sustainable, high quality health care.

Regular Aerobic Exercise Reduces Health Concerns Associated With Fatty Liver

Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia determined that patients with a sedentary lifestyle who engage in routine physical activities lower their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The lower risk of problems associated with fatty liver was not contingent upon weight loss, but a direct result from the increased aerobic exercise.

UMDNJ-University Behavioral HealthCare Provider To Comment During National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 6-12)

Every 16 minutes, someone in the United States commits suicide, according to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). Worldwide, there is a suicide every 40 seconds. The AAS says that in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available, 33,300 people in the U.S. completed suicide. Of these, 4,189 were between the ages of 15 and 24.

Bacteria Detected Instantaneously By New Biosensor

A research group from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona has developed a biosensor that can immediately detect very low levels of Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid fever. The technique uses carbon nanotubes and synthetic DNA fragments that activate an electric signal when they link up with the pathogen.

Health Bills Would Maintain COBRA, Offer More Help For Unemployed

The health care reform bills would keep provisions from the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) that allow workers who lose their jobs to buy health insurance through their old plan, The Plain Dealer reports in answer to a reader's question. But the Cleveland paper notes that other options could also be available.

Tightening The Belt For Health Reform

Kaiser Health News asks: "If health care reform has to be put on a diet to pass this year, how much must the proposal slim down?" And officials are already considering the possible cuts. "The Senate Finance Committee negotiators are focusing on a health care package in the range of $700 billion over 10 years ...

Anticancer Compound Found In American Mayapple

A common weed called American mayapple may soon offer an alternative to an Asian cousin that's been harvested almost to extinction because of its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum emodi, produces podophyllotoxin, a compound used in manufacturing etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for treating lung and testicular cancer.

Great Day Houston Honored As NACDS "Pharmacy Great Communicator"

Yesterday the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) recognized Great Day Houston, and its host Deborah Duncan as a NACDS "Pharmacy Great Communicator". Great Day Houston, which broadcasts on KHOU-TV (Houston, TX), recently aired a segment entitled, "Buffalo Pharmacy Joins The H-E-B Family," which highlighted H-E-B Pharmacy and H-E-B Pharmacist Steve King.

Market Based Reforms Have Not Harmed Equity In The NHS, Say Researchers, UK

Recent NHS reforms, such as the introduction of patient choice and provider competition, have not had a deleterious impact on equity with respect to waiting times for elective surgery in England, concludes a study published on bmj.com today. Until recently, hospital waiting times were seen as a significant problem for the NHS.

Periurethral Suspension Technique Results In Greater Continence Rates After Radical Prostatectomy

The September issue of European Urology, the official journal of the European Association of Urology, features an article and a video in the Surgery in Motion section by Vipul R. Patel et al, showing that the periurethral suspension technique results in significantly greater continence rates at 3 months after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP).

Human Brain Could Be Replicated In 10 Years

A model that replicates the functions of the human brain is feasible in 10 years according to neuroscientist Professor Henry Markram of the Brain Mind Institute in Switzerland. 'I absolutely believe it is technically and biologically possible. The only uncertainty is financial. It is an extremely expensive project and not all is yet secured.

Scottsdale Healthcare-TGen Clinical Trial Results Signal Advances Against Skin Cancer

Analyses of clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) shows a potential new investigational therapy for advanced and metastatic basal cell skin cancer. The study, conducted at TGen Clinical Research Service (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare and two other sites appears to demonstrate tumor shrinkage and limited side effects.

Study Shows LIVALO(R) Is Not Affected By Co-Administration Of Itraconazole

LIVALO (pitavastatin) may have the potential for fewer drug-drug interactions, versus other statins, as evidenced by a new study that evaluated the effects of itraconazole, an antifungal medication, on the pharmacokinetics of LIVALO in healthy volunteers. The data were presented by Kowa at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Resident Duty-Hour Reform Associated With Increased Complication Rate

A new study finds a 2003 reform of the length of resident on-duty hours has led to an increase in the rate of perioperative (the span of all three phases of surgery: before, during and after) complications for patients treated for hip fractures. Among other restrictions, this reform limited the resident workweek to 80 hours.

Wireless Sensor Systems Enable A Better Sleep

Sleep disorder is a major health problem. 10% of the population of the U.S. is affected by sleep apneas, and 1 billion people worldwide experience some kind of chronic nasal congestion during sleep. IMEC's wireless sleep staging system which is light weight, wearable and miniaturized can drastically increase the comfort of sleep disorders tests.

Collagen Deficient Mice Show Signs Of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) are common, chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Both diseases cause joint pain, loss of function, and decreased quality of life for the more than 27 million OA and 59 million DDD suffers in the US. According to a 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, arthritis such as OA costs the U.S.

What Is Colic? What Causes Colic?

Colic is an attack of crying and what appears to be abdominal pain in early infancy (babies). Colic is a common condition and is estimated to affect at least 20% of babies during their first few months. All babies cry for various reasons; hunger, cold, tiredness, heat, or because the diaper (nappy) needs changing.

Study Of White Blood Cell Response Has Future Implications For Cancer And Injury Treatment

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has provided funding for new research to learn more about how white blood cells work. Jonathan Reichner, PhD, of the department of surgery at Rhode Island Hospital has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Saving Daylight, Increasing Danger: Daylight Saving Time Leads To Less Sleep, More Injuries On The Job

Every March, most Americans welcome the switch to daylight saving time because of the longer days, but also dread losing an hour of sleep after they move their clocks forward. Now a new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep could pose some dangerous consequences for those in hazardous work environments.

Legal Immigrants To Receive Scaled Back Health Care Benefits In Massachusetts

Thousands of legal immigrants in Massachusetts will face scaled-back health care benefits, the governor announced Monday. The Boston Globe reports: "Thousands of legal immigrants facing steep cuts in state-subsidized health care will keep core medical services such as routine doctor visits and hospital treatment under a plan unveiled yesterday by Governor Deval Patrick.

Will Playing Tetris Benefit The Brain?

Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes. A research team based in New Mexico is one of the first to investigate the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques.

New European Guidelines On Pulmonary Hypertension Provide New 6-Group Clinical Definition

New 2009 Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension have been made public. The Guidelines have been jointly produced by a Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS); the Task Force also included experts from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).

Long Travel Distances To High Volume Centers May Pose A Barrier To Optimal Cancer Care For Some Patients

Do patients choose where to get their care based on how long it takes to them to get there? Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have recently documented a growing trend in the centralization of cancer surgery - more patients seeking care at high volume centers, which are generally located in metropolitan areas.

Rhode Island Hospital Awarded $11 Million, 5-Year Renewal

Rhode Island Hospital has received an $11 million renewal of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to fund its Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Center for Cancer Research Development (CCRD). Rhode Island Hospital's COBRE CCRD offers cancer researchers access to the latest technologies in molecular pathology and the emerging field of proteomics.

ANF Welcomes Inaugural Nursing And Midwifery Board, Australia

The ANF welcomed the appointment of the inaugural Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia in the lead up to national registration and accreditation in 2010. ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney said the appointment of 10 health professional boards is an important development in the move towards a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for Health Professionals.

Draft National Primary Health Care Strategy: GP Role Must Not Be Watered Down, Australia

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, called for the National Primary Health Care Strategy to strengthen the role of general practitioners to ensure that Australians can have access to better primary care services. Dr Pesce warned that any moves to water down the key leadership role of general practitioners would be a backward step.

For Healthy People Daily Aspirin May Do More Harm Than Good

A UK study presented at a conference last weekend found no evidence to support the idea that a daily dose of aspirin protects people who do not have artery or heart disease from developing it in the future any better than a placebo, and experts suggest given the higher risk of internal bleeding

Research Conducted At Leicester Reveals Effects Of Blood Pressure Drugs On Cardiovascular Disease

A University of Leicester-led study may have uncovered the reason why Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure, when compared to other drugs for high blood pressure. The research, carried out by Bryan Williams, Professor of Medicine at the University of Leicester, and his colleague Dr.

Online Resources Relevant to Elderly Patients

Information about Parkinson's disease and current treatment options for it has been added to the National Institutes of Health's senior health Web site. The site is geared toward older adults and features clear language, large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos, and audio versions. To view the information, visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov/parkinsonsdisease/toc.html.

Weight-Loss Diets Best When Matched to Patient Preferences

BOSTON â€" The most successful diet for weight loss is the one that patients will stick with, provided that it has a balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. “Successful diets for weight loss can emphasize a large range of macronutrient intakes,” Dr. Frank Sacks said at a symposium sponsored by the International Atherosclerosis Society.

40% of Emergency Room Visits Billed to Public Insurance, Says Report

More than 40 percent of the 120 million visits that Americans made to hospital emergency departments in 2006 were billed to public insurance, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  More »

September Is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatment and prevention options surrounding the various forms of this disease. Gynecologic cancer is the growth and spread of cancer cells in the cervix, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina and vulva.

Secretary Sebelius Releases New Report: America's Seniors And Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage And Strengthening Medicare

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today issued a new report, America's Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare. The report highlights the problems with the status quo that leave seniors paying escalating costs for their health care while outlining how health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare and protect coverage for seniors.

Government Of Canada Announces Funding For Tobacco Cessation Programs For Industries With Higher Than Average Smoking Rates

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, federal Minister of Labour, announced funding for a project administered through The Lung Association, Alberta & NWT that is designed to reduce tobacco use among employees who work in industries with higher than average smoking rates. Today's announcement is being made on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health.

Global Prostate Cancer Research Meeting Opens

Nearly of 300 of the world's leading researchers focused on the problem of prostate cancer will begin a three-day meeting today to discuss the latest scientific data and breakthroughs in prostate cancer. The meeting, held in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, is the 16th Scientific Retreat sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

MIT Retinal Implant Could Help Restore Some Vision

Results: MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness. The retinal prosthesis would help restore some vision by electrically stimulating the nerve cells that normally carry visual input from the retina to the brain.

VCA Animal Hospitals Offers Free Boarding For Pets Affected By Southern California Wildfires

VCA Animal Hospitals announced that all VCA facilities located near the Ventura County Fillmore fire and the Riverside County Norco fire that have burned more than 10,000 acres in Southern California are offering free boarding for companion animals whose families have been evacuated or displaced from their homes as a result of the latest firestorms.

The Length Of Time Before Breast Cancer Worsens Significantly Improved By Sorafenib

One of the first of a series of trials to investigate the use of sorafenib - a targeted anti-cancer drug - for the treatment of advanced breast cancer has found that if it is combined with the chemotherapy drug, capecitabine, it makes a significant difference to the time women live without their disease worsening.

70,000 Lives Saved By NHS Stop Smoking Services, UK

At least 70,000 lives have been saved by NHS Stop Smoking Services in the ten years since they were established, according to new figures released today. The number of people whose lives have been saved could fill Old Trafford football stadium or 875 double decker buses. NHS Stop Smoking Services celebrate their ten-year anniversary this month.

FDA Awards Three Grants Designed To Stimulate Development Of Pediatric Medical Devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the awarding of three grants to stimulate the development and availability of medical devices for children. A panel of six experts with experience in medicine, business, and device development reviewed 16 applications for the grants, which will be administered by the FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development.

Accurate Diagnosis Of Adult Asthma

The second article in a series on asthma in the Canadian Medical Association Journal's (CMAJ) provides useful guidance for the diagnosis of adult asthma, including occupational asthma. Accurate diagnosis is essential since asthma is quite frequent and may require lifelong treatment. It is the most widespread chronic respiratory disease in Canada. There are approximately 2.

Community Pharmacy Staff Access To Swine Flu Vaccine - NPA Urges PCTs To Move Swiftly

Following the announcement by the Department of Health (DH) on the H1N1 vaccination programme for front line workers that stated: "those pharmacists and their clinical staff…who have regular clinical contact with patients and who are directly involved in patient care as part of their pharmacy practice will be eligible for the vaccine".

FDA Announces Second Annual Science Writers Symposium

Science is a key foundation for the decisions FDA makes daily on a wide-range of products affecting human and animal health-from the most common food ingredients, to complex medical and surgical devices, to lifesaving drugs. The Second Annual Science Writers Symposium on Nov. 4 and 5, 2009, at the FDA's White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Md.

People With Diabetes Still Missing Out On Sight-Saving Screening, UK

Diabetes UK warns that almost a quarter of people with diabetes in England are at increased risk of losing their sight because they have not been screened using a digital camera to spot signs of retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population. The latest Department of Health figures show that 24.

White Post Farm, Nottinghamshire Closed As Precautionary Measure

The Health Protection Agency this morning advised the closure of White Post Farm in Nottinghamshire, following confirmation yesterday that a second individual who visited this farm had the same strain of E. coli O157 as another visitor. The farm has closed voluntarily and the HPA and its partners are conducting a full epidemiological investigation.

Bollywood DVD Launched - Diabetes UK

Diabetes UK has launched a DVD aiming to raise awareness of the seriousness of Type 2 diabetes among the UK's South Asian population. The short film, called 'Meethi Baatein' or 'Sweet Talk', highlights the risk factors and complications of Type 2 diabetes, and has been produced with the South Asian Health Foundation and Pink Sequin Productions.

Jefferson First Hospital In City To Offer New, Non-Invasive Tinnitus Treatment

The Jefferson Balance and Hearing Center of the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first hospital in Philadelphia to offer the FDA-cleared Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment. This therapy is proven to interact, interrupt and desensitize tinnitus by delivering a customized neural stimulus, embedded in clinically modified music.

Some Dems Push Back On Obama's Proposed Ban On Illegal Immigrants Buying Insurance

Questions abound about immigration and health care reform as the two issues become increasingly linked. The Los Angeles Times reports: "Trying to quell a conservative uproar over his healthcare agenda, President Obama has proposed barring illegal immigrants from a possible government-arranged health insurance marketplace -- even if the immigrants pay with their own money.

Phone Assessment Effective For Evaluating Cognition In The Elderly

Cognitive testing by telephone in elderly individuals is generally as effective as in-person testing, according to a new study by Effie M. Mitsis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and part of Mount Sinai's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The study will appear in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

16th International Conference Of The Nursing Network On Violence Against Women

The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies hosts the 16th International Conference of the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI). This year's conference theme, "Trajectories for Change: Creating Culturally Meaningful Interventions to Prevent and Reduce Violence," underscores the fact that violence against women is a pressing health issue worldwide.

Also In Global Health News: Tanzania's Health Care; Polio, Diarrhea In India; ITNs In Nigeria; Health In Sudan

NewsHour Examines Health Care In Tanzania PBS' NewsHour is airing a three-part series from Sept. 15 - Sept. 17 examining new models of health care delivery in Tanzania, which could provide a model for the rest of the world. The videos examine health worker shortages, the country's program to fight river blindness and malaria eradication (Suarez, 9/09).

Hand Hygiene Monitor Tested At VCU Medical Center

A wireless, credit-card-sized sensor that can detect whether health care workers have properly washed their hands upon entering a patient's room is being studied at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. The device could greatly reduce the number of hospital acquired infections nationwide since most are transmitted through contact due to poor hand-washing practice.

New 'Adjuvant' Could Hold Future Of Vaccine Development

Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new "adjuvant" that could allow the creation of important new vaccines, possibly become a universal vaccine carrier and help medical experts tackle many diseases more effectively. Adjuvants are substances that are not immunogenic themselves, but increase the immune response when used in combination with a vaccine.

Dexamethasone-Based Therapy Shows Improvement In Survival For Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

A dexamethasone-based treatment reduces the risk of relapse and improves the cure rate in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) without the use of cranial radiation and some routinely used chemotherapy drugs, thus minimising the risk of unnecessary side-effects. This highly effective treatment strategy produces results on a par with the best protocols worldwide.