Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Book Wins Top Medical Book Competition

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Severe Mental Illness by Jesse H. Wright, M.D., Ph.D., Douglas Turkington, M.D., David G. Kingdon, M.D., and Monica Ramirez Basco, Ph.D., won first prize in the Mental Health category of the 2009 British Medical Association book competition. The book is published by the American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Public Option Politically Charged On Both Sides Of Aisle

Alternatives to the government-run public option for health insurance are part of a long list of policy and politics considerations that officials are pondering in the run down to the final health care reform bill this week. Roll Call: "Centrist Democrats are increasingly interested in a 'trigger' - originally floated by moderate GOP Sen.

Pioneering Technology Will Detect DNA Damage To Radiation Incident Victims

For years scientists have struggled to find quick ways of assessing the extent of radiation damage, at a cellular level, in those involved in radiological and nuclear incidents. Because of this bottleneck choosing the right treatment for people caught up in such incidents, but who are not suffering visible medical effects, can be slow.

Northern Ireland Doctors Welcome Swine Flu Vaccination Programme Announcement- British Medical Association

Further to the announcement by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey that a UK wide deal has been agreed regarding administration of the vaccine this autumn, Dr Brian Dunn, Chairman of the BMA's Northern Ireland GP committee said, "GPs in Northern Ireland are pleased that agreement has now been reached regarding the pandemic 'flu vaccination programme.

Illegal Immigrants: A Fact Check On Their Place In Health Reform

Reuters did a "fact box" on illegal immigrants and President Obama's health care reform push. Among the findings: "There were 46.3 million people without health insurance in the United States in 2008 from 45.7 million a year earlier, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey released on Thursday." "Some 44.7 percent of non-citizen immigrants were uninsured in 2008.

Company Fined After Exposing Employees To Risks Of Developing Severe Dermatitis, UK

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding companies of the importance of managing dermatitis risks, by effective risk assessments and taking adequate precautions to ensure that employees are not exposed to hazardous substances at work. The call comes after the sentencing today (9 September) of Prysmian Cables and Systems Limited at Southampton Crown Court.

Republicans: Malpractice Reform Demonstration Projects Insufficient

The Associated Press: "In his Wednesday speech and again in (a CBS "60 Minutes" interview), the president signaled he was open to so-called tort reform. Under current practice, doctors and hospitals must pay huge amounts to insure themselves against malpractice lawsuits by patients seeking large court-ordered settlements for poor treatment. … 'I would be willing to ...

Baby See, Sometimes Baby Do: Babies Decide When To Imitate You

Babies are smart imitators; they mimic your actions only when it helps them learn something new. These are the findings that Natasha Kirkham and Rachel Wu, both at Birkbeck College, University of London, and Ellen Markman, Stanford University, USA, presented at the British Psychological Society Division of Developmental Psychology Annual Conference on Thursday 10 September 2009.

Hard To Build And Easy To Lose: How Aging Affects Muscle

Have you ever noticed that people have thinner arms and legs as they get older? As we age it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy. They get smaller, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood of falls and fractures. New research is showing how this happens - and what to do about it.

New Data Show Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain Maintained Pain Reduction On Duloxetine

New data show patients with chronic low back pain on duloxetine hydrochloride (Cymbalta®) maintained reductions in pain for 41 weeks.[i] In patients who initially responded to duloxetine, this maintenance of pain reduction was accompanied by further reduction in pain that was statistically significant as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain rating.

Animal Health And International Development To Be Discussed At BVA Congress 2009

The British Veterinary Association's 2009 Congress boasts a packed agenda and includes sessions highlighting the links between animal health and international development. The pivotal veterinary event will be held in Cardiff from 24 to 26 September under the theme 'Together forever?' looking at veterinary issues in the context of devolution. The BVA Overseas Group's programme (Fri 25, 9.

New Data Show Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain Maintained Pain Reduction On Cymbalta(R)

New data show patients with chronic low back pain on Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) maintained reductions in pain for 41 weeks.(1) In patients who initially responded to duloxetine, this maintenance of pain reduction was accompanied by further reduction in pain that was statistically significant as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain rating.

Novel Use Of Neurotechnology To Solve Classic Social Problem Developed By Caltech Scientists

Economists and neuroscientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that they can use information obtained through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements of whole-brain activity to create feasible, efficient, and fair solutions to one of the stickiest dilemmas in economics, the public goods free-rider problem - long thought to be unsolvable.

Genetic Region Controlling Cardiovascular Sensitivity To Anesthetic Propofol Discovered

Researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have identified the genetic region in rats responsible for cardiovascular collapse during anesthesia. While it is well known that people have different cardiovascular sensitivity to anesthesia causing some to collapse even when low doses are administered, the mechanism responsible for this susceptibility is not clear.

Money For Contraception Services Not Reaching Frontline, As Teen Pregnancies Remain High

A 2009 snapshot survey of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) by Brook, fpa and Terrence Higgins Trust shows that additional investment in contraception services is not always reaching the frontline, despite rates of teenage pregnancies remaining high in particular areas across England. The under-18 conception rate increased from 40.9 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17 in 2006 to 41.9 in 2007.

Amgen Highlights Data To Be Presented At American Society For Bone And Mineral Research (ASBMR) Meeting

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) announced that new data will be presented on the burden of osteoporosis, current osteoporosis treatment challenges and Prolia(TM) (denosumab) at the 2009 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) annual meeting in Denver from Sept. 11-15, 2009. Prolia currently is being evaluated by regulatory bodies in the United States (U.S.

New Nationwide Poll Finds Most Americans Want Medical Malpractice System Changes As Part Of Health Care Reform

A new nationwide poll reveals that a strong majority of America's voters want Congress to include lawsuit reform in any overhaul of the health care system. The survey found that: -- 83 percent of the nation's electorate want Congress to address reform of the medical malpractice system as part of any health care reform plan.

Vaccination Of Children And 70 Percent Of U.S. Population Could Control Swine Flu Pandemic

An aggressive vaccination program that first targets children and ultimately reaches 70 percent of the U.S. population would mitigate pandemic influenza H1N1 that is expected this fall, according to computer modeling and analysis of observational studies conducted by researchers at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (VIDI) at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Endothelin: International Conference September 9-12

One of the most intriguing developments in recent medical science is the discovery of the human chemical endothelin (ET). Since its detection in 1988, over 22,000 scholarly articles (about 3 per day) have been published on the subject, a new class of drugs has been developed, and 25 Phase I, II and III clinical trails are now underway.

Genes Linked To Lou Gehrig's Disease Identified By Michigan Tech Mathematicians

Michigan Technological University researchers have linked three genes to the most common type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), generally known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Shuanglin Zhang, who holds the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Professorship in Mathematical Sciences, leads the team of mathematicians that isolated the genes from the many thousands scattered throughout human DNA.

Anadys Pharmaceuticals Commences Dosing In Phase II Study Of ANA598

Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANDS) announced that dosing has begun in a Phase II trial of ANA598 in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The study will evaluate ANA598 over 12 weeks, taken in combination with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin, in treatment naive HCV patients. ANA598 is an investigational, oral, non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor.

Abortion Provisions Could Jeopardize Obama's Health Care Reform Plans, Post Opinion Piece Says

"As President Obama prepares to address Congress on health care reform, America's pro-life movement is gassing up," Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker writes, adding that abortion-rights opponents next week are "planning a major drive ... to try to stop federal funding of abortion." According to Parker, such funding is allowed under proposed health care legislation.

Baucus Sends $900 Billion Health Care Proposal To 'Gang Of Six'

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has sent his "gang of six" colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee a health overhaul proposal that would cost under $900 billion. The proposal is the "first concrete and comprehensive proposal to come out of the bipartisan talks" in the Senate Finance Committee, Politico reports.

U-M Sleep Center Gets National Honor

The University of Michigan Center for Sleep Science isn't dozing off when it comes to comprehensive patient care, research, and education. It is now one of only three institutions to be named a Comprehensive Academic Sleep Program of Distinction by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The academy praised U-M for its milestone achievement.

MRSA Activists To Lift The Veil Of Secrecy On World MRSA Day

MRSA Survivors Network, the Chicago-based nonprofit and official organization for World MRSA Day, along with fellow MRSA activists will lift the veil of secrecy surrounding MRSA. The history making inaugural kick-off event will be held at Loyola University Chicago on October 1st. The 2009 theme is "You Can Not Change What You Do Not Acknowledge".

News From The September Issue Of Chest

PEDIATRIC CHRONIC COUGH LINKED TO REFLUX AND ALLERGIES New research shows that chronic cough in children is most often caused by gastroesophageal reflux and allergies. Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, evaluated 40 patients aged 5 to 12 years with chronic cough ( 8 weeks in duration) with no obvious cause. Each patient underwent extensive multispecialty testing.

Large Thighs - Protection Against Heart Disease?

A new study of 3,000 people has claimed men and women with thighs over 60cm (23.6in) in circumference have a lower risk of heart disease and early death. People with narrow thighs may not have enough muscle mass to use insulin properly, raising the risk of diabetes and, in turn, heart disease, the researchers say.

Recent NHS Reforms Have Not Lead To Inequity In Waiting Times For Elective Surgery, England

A study just published on bmj.com reports that recent NHS reforms, such as the introduction of patient choice and provider competition, have not had a harmful impact on equity with respect to waiting times for elective surgery in England. For the NHS, hospital waiting times were seen as a considerable problem until recently.

Researchers Find First Evidence Of Virus In Cancerous Prostate Cells

In a finding with potentially major implications for identifying a viral cause of prostate cancer, researchers at the University of Utah and Columbia University medical schools have reported that a type of virus known to cause leukemia and sarcomas in animals has been found for the first time in malignant human prostate cancer cells.

Promising Results With Anti-Alzheimer's Agents

A series of iron-binding agents to prevent Alzheimer's disease has shown promising potential for getting into brain tissue. The new compounds can bind to excess iron in the brain and may prevent it from participating in the formation of abnormal protein deposits that are typically seen in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Experience Of Seattle's Group Health Cooperative Raises Questions About Co-ops' Role In Reform

An examination of Group Health in Seattle raises questions about the role of health co-ops in insurance reform. Seattle Weekly reports: "Two weeks ago, as the national debate over health care began to fixate on cooperatives like Seattle's Group Health as a possible model for reform, Eugene and Yukiko Gatlin filed for bankruptcy protection.

Easier Detection Of Pesticide Pollution And Impact In Rivers

The long-term effects of pesticides on living organisms in rivers and on water quality can now be assessed more easily. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have developed a tool that can estimate the harmful effect of pesticides, such as those flushed into rivers and streams from agricultural land, within minutes.

Health Systems, HIV/AIDS, Malaria Discussed At WHO Regional Committee Meeting

Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO regional director for Africa, on Tuesday at the 59th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, presented a nine-point guide suggesting malaria control strategies for African countries, Agencia AngolaPress reports. Suggested approaches include updating policies and strategic plans, strengthening research and scaling up supplies of medicines (9/1).

FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Gloucester Pharmaceuticals' Romidepsin For Approval For Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

Gloucester Pharmaceuticals announced that the Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) appointed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 10 in favor with one abstention to recommend approval of romidepsin to treat patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). CTCL is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is a cancer of the immune system.

NovaDel Article Published In Headache: The Journal Of Head And Face Pain

NovaDel Pharma Inc. (NYSE AMEX: NVD) announced that an article titled "Rapid Oral Transmucosal Absorption of Sumatriptan, and Pharmacodynamics in Acute Migraine" was published online on June 22, 2009 in the peer-reviewed journal Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. NovaDel conducted two clinical trials evaluating sumatriptan administered via its oral spray drug delivery technology.

UNICEF Appeals For Over $6 Million To Help Women And Children In Northern Yemen

UNICEF launched today an appeal for $6.1 million to meet the needs of women and children affected by the current fighting in Yemen's northern region of Saada. The appeal is part of the inter-agency Flash Appeal launched by the United Nations for nearly $23.5 million, to cover humanitarian needs until the end of the current year.

Mediterranean Diet Trumps Low-fat Diet For Diabetes Management

In one of the longest-term randomized trials of its kind, researchers compared the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet versus a typical low-fat diet for diabetes management. The trial was designed to assess the effectiveness, durability, and safety of the two diets on the need for diabetes medications in overweight patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

New 'Music Therapy On Wheels' Delivers Healing Tunes To Pediatric Patients

Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA has a new mobile tool to deliver music therapy and help pediatric patients cope with the fear, isolation and pain associated with being in the hospital. The Music Rx unit is a high-tech, interactive studio on wheels that includes everything necessary for music therapy, both in group settings and one-on-one.

Study Results Promise Faster Recovery From Life-Threatening Blood Cell Shortages

A key compound resupplies bone marrow with fast-acting stem cells that can more quickly rekindle blood cell production, according to a study published online today in the journal Blood. While the study was in mice, in the study authors say it has the potential to increase survival among patients with life-threatening blood cell shortages.

Newborn Blood Data Used To Study Cerebral Palsy

A statewide team of researchers led by a Michigan State University epidemiologist are hoping Michigan's archive of newborn blood spots will help them uncover the causes of cerebral palsy, the most common disabling motor disorder in children with annual health costs of $12 billion. The research team, led by MSU's Nigel Paneth and recently awarded $1.

Justice Department Announces Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement In Its History

American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. (hereinafter together "Pfizer") have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest health care fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of certain pharmaceutical products, the Justice Department announced today.

Teflon-coated Cells Could Help Treat Type 1 Diabetes

Scientists have invented a tiny implant covered in Teflon coating that contains transplanted insulin-producing cells. Teflon, the chemical used to coat non-stick pans, has been used in medicine for more than 30 years, as it is compatible with human tissue and does not cause the immune system to attack itself when implanted in the body.

Link Between Dynamic Changes In DNA And Human Diabetes

A study in the September issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, may give new meaning to the adage, "You are what you eat." The DNA isolated from the muscles of people with diabetes bears chemical marks not found in those who respond normally to rising blood sugar levels, according to the report.

FDA Clears Hologic's MammoSite(R) ML Radiation Therapy System For The Treatment Of Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Hologic, Inc. (Hologic or the Company) (Nasdaq: HOLX), a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the Company's 510K application for the MammoSite((R)) ML radiation therapy system.

Surprising Rate Of Recurring Heart Attacks, Strokes Globally

Despite many medicines and other treatments for patients with vascular disease, a large international study shows these patients have a surprisingly high rate of recurring events such as strokes, heart attacks and hospitalizations as well as mortality. Also unexpected: patients in North America (including the U.S.) experienced an above-average rate of these events.

Priory Expert Says Increased Stress Linked To Rise In Eating Disorders

The Priory Group, Europe's leading provider of acute mental health services, believes increased stresses on young Scots are linked to a rise in eating disorders in both men and women. There has been a rise in Scotland in the number of patients being seen by the Priory Group for treatment for an eating disorder.

Walgreens To Offer Seasonal Flu Shots At More Than 7,000 Points Of Care Nationwide Beginning September 1st

Walgreens (NYSE:WAG)(NASDAQ:WAG) is making it faster and easier to get a flu shot this season. The nation's largest drugstore chain announced it will begin offering seasonal flu shots on Sept. 1 at more than 7,000 points of care nationwide, including nearly all of its stores in 50 states and almost 350 in-store Take Care Clinics.

St. Jude Medical Announces European Launch Of New Version Of Remote Patient Care Network

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced European launch of the next generation Merlin.netâ„¢ Patient Care Network (PCN), a secure, Internet-based remote care system for patients with implanted medical devices. Merlin.net PCN gathers and stores data from the implant procedure, in-clinic follow-up visits and from remote transmissions sent from a patient's home.

First Patient Enrolled In CYPRESS, A Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Trial With The CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent

Cordis Corporation, a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of interventional vascular technology, announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in the CYPRESS study, which will assess clinical outcomes in a broad range of patients with coronary artery disease who take dual anti-platelet therapy after receiving a CYPHER® Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent.

Early Life Nurturing Impacts Later Life Relationships

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have demonstrated that prairie voles may be a useful model in understanding the neurochemistry of social behavior. By influencing early social experience in prairie voles, researchers hope to gain greater insight into what aspects of early social experience drive diversity in adult social behavior.

Patients With Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes Treated With Otamixaban

Data from a phase II trial of an investigational intravenous drug designed to block the formation of blood clots shows potential to reduce the risk of death, a second heart attack, or other coronary complications compared with the current standard of care in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks or unstable angina).

Replacing Kennedy Tall Task For Reform-Minded Democrats

Conservatives are accusing Democrats of politicizing Kennedy's death to pass health care legislation, Politico reports: "So his allies on the left have made no secret of their hopes that his legacy will serve to bolster the uncertain health reform plan, with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) even suggesting the bill be named for Kennedy.

Blogs Comment On Health Reform, CDC Circumcision Recommendations, Other Topics

The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. "The Abortion Distortion: Setting the Record -- and John Boehner -- Straight on the Capps Amendment," Jessica Arons, Huffington Post blogs: Arons -- director of the Center for American Progress' Women's Health and Rights Program -- writes that a GOP Leader Alert released Tuesday by Rep.

Safeguarding Water Supplies: ORNL Scientists Hone Technique

A method to detect contaminants in municipal water supplies has undergone further refinements by two Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers whose findings are published on line in Water Environment Research. The new work demonstrates that the technology that uses algae as sentinels has broader applications than previously reported, according to authors Miguel Rodriguez Jr.

Age Concern And Help The Aged Comment On The Patients Association Report, UK

Andrew Harrop, Head of Public Policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: "This report adds to the huge number of complaints we've heard from older people and their families about hospitals' failure to treat patients with dignity and care. "Stories of patients being left without food or drink come as no surprise.

Predicting Cancer Prognosis

Researchers led by Dr. Soheil Dadras at the Stanford University Medical Center have developed a novel methodology to extract microRNAs from cancer tissues. The related report by Ma et al, "Profiling and discovery of novel miRNAs from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded melanoma and nodal specimens," appears in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

Study Underway On Whether Aspartame Affects Sensitive People

Aspartame is 150 times sweeter than sugar and is found in thousands of products, including sodas (fizzy drinks), yogurts, chewing gum, cereal bars and diet foods. The University of Hull, England, has been commissioned by The Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK, to assess whether aspartame causes symptoms in individuals who feel they are sensitive to it.

Pfizer Launches Phase 3 Clinical Trial With Novel Alk Inhibitor In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Specific Gene Mutation

Pfizer Oncology announced today that it will initiate a global, Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational oral c-Met and ALK inhibitor, PF-02341066, versus standard of care chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carrying the ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinases) fusion gene, who have progressed on one prior treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy.

Sleep Deprivation And Dementia

A study published in Science has found that levels of amyloid beta, a protein fragment associated with Alzheimers disease, rose and fell in association with sleep and wakefulness in mice. 'It is interesting that there may be a link between sleep and the build up of the protein associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Biden Emerges As Health Care Messenger

The vice president took the stage Wednesday for the administration's health reform campaign with a talk with seniors at Leisure World in suburban Maryland. The Associated Press reports: "Vice President Joe Biden sought to reassure nervous seniors Wednesday that they won't see cuts in their Medicare benefits if the nation's health care system is revamped. ...

Statement By Medicare Rights Center President Joseph Baker On Key Votes Facing The Senate Finance Committee

Today, the Medicare Rights Center sent a letter to all members of the Senate Finance Committee, urging them to vote for amendments to health reform legislation that would close the coverage gap in the Medicare drug benefit-the infamous doughnut hole-and improve access to programs that help low-income people with Medicare afford their premiums and copayments.

ImThera Medical Completes Development Of Targeted Hypoglossal Neurostimulation Treatment For OSA

ImThera Medical, Inc. announced that it has completed development of its Targeted Hypoglossal Neurostimulation (THN) system for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). More than 800,000 patients in the US are annually diagnosed with OSA. While Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) remains as the established therapy, studies show that up to 50% of patients do not comply with CPAP.

Breakthrough In Experimental HIV Vaccine Prevents Infections In 31% Of Cases

A phase III efficacy trial organized by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health, involving 16,000 volunteers in Thailand has revealed that volunteers who received a prime-boost combination of two AIDS vaccine candidates - ALVAC combined with AIDSVAX - had infection rates 31.2% lower than people who received a placebo.

What Is Infant Jaundice? What Causes Infant Jaundice?

Infant jaundice, also known as physiological jaundice, is a condition in which the skin, and sometimes the sclerae (the white part of the eye), of the baby appear yellow. The color of the skin and sclerae varies depending on levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream. Bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin) is the substance that causes yellowing of the skin and sclerae.

Prisoners Got Drunk On Swine Flu Gel

Prisoners at Her Majesty's Prison The Verne, Portland, Dorset, England had their swine flu gel withdrawn after officers discovered they were drinking it and getting drunk. Instead of rubbing the gel into their hands, prisoners had been wrapping their lips around the dispenser outlets and consuming it only hours after the dispensers were installed. The liquid soap-gel contains alcohol.

Pendemrix, Swine Flu Vaccine, Gets Positive Opinion From European Regulators

Pendemrix, a candidate pandemic (H1N1) swine flu adjuvanted vaccine has received a positive opinion from CHMP (the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) - the vaccine is indicated for protection against pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza (swine flu). A dose will consist of 3.75ug antigen of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza strain and GSK's proprietary adjuvant system AS03.

Understanding The Flu Vaccine

David P. Calfee, MD, Infection Control Officer, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, recently discussed the flu vaccine: -- What is the seasonal flu shot? The seasonal flu shot is given annually and protects against three common viruses, one influenza A (H3N2) virus, one regular seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus not the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus and one influenza B virus.

William Hague And Vince Cable Turn The Tables On Natasha Kaplinsky And Robert Peston, Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK hosts its tenth annual Turn the Tables event on Monday 19th October, giving politicians the opportunity to interrogate journalists and help raise essential funds for cancer research in the process. The lunchtime event will place two of the UK's most popular journalists in the hot seat as they switch roles for the afternoon with two political giants from Westminster.

Health Coverage, Quality Depend Heavily On Geography

An analysis of Census date finds that health care quality and coverage is closely connected to geography. The Associated Press reports: "Where someone lives makes a difference in whether or not that person has health insurance. Census data released this week shows a vast geographic inequality in the uninsured that has been shaped by an area's state laws, population makeup and jobs.

E Coli O157 In Surrey: Update, UK

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) reports that the total number of cases of E Coli O157 linked to Godstone Farm in Surrey is 82. Three children remain in hospital all of whom are described today as stable. None are described as seriously ill. Notes - E coli O157 bacteria usually cause diarrhoea which settles within seven days without treatment. The diarrhoea may contain blood.

Diets High in Fructose are Raising Blood Pressure in Men

We all know how important it is to make sure we have a healthy diet, and now men have one more thing added to their plate. It has been found that a diet saturated with foods that have large amounts of fructose sugar, such as soft drinks, increases blood pressure in men. Also, it was found that a medication used to treat gout could block this effect.

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New Inventions to Keep Your Child Healthy During Flu/Cold Season

It’s that time again, school days are here and that means the cold and flu season will be following soon after. We already know how to take care of our school-aged children with oscillococcinum, the natural remedy against the flu as well as precautions against the H1N1 virus, but as a prevention tactics maybe we should be looking in the local patent office.

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The Rise of Eco-Dentistry

Recently dentistry has taken on a new role in our annual lives by adding an adjective to its process: comfort. No more stiff chairs, old copies of Highlights magazine, and outdated art on the walls like my childhood dentist; these days offices have waiting room chairs so nice you want to get there early to take a nap, iPods to listen to during your visit to help drown out the ugly sounds of the tools, and the newest copies of all the hip magazines and newspapers. What is next for dentists to adopt?

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Are You Prepared for Flu Season?

Well, it is just about that time of year again: flu season. No one is really ever ready for it, but it is better to be prepared early than to catch the flu and regret it later. The flu is a type of contagious respiratory illness that is caused by influenza viruses. Most of the time it is a mild illness, but in some cases it can be more severe and at times even cause death. The best way to prevent against the seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination annually.

Each year, on average, in the United States:

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Flu Virus Can Raise Risk of Heart Attack Among Heart Patients

The common flu virus may raise the risk of dying from heart disease by increasing the likelihood for heart patients to suffer a heart attack. Those who have diabetes or other risk factors may also be at greater risk.

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Surgery Residents Indicate Satisfaction With Training, But Concerns With Confidence, Career Motivation

A survey of nearly 4,500 general surgery residents finds that the majority are satisfied with their training and relationships with faculty and peers, but also indicated concerns regarding motivations for pursuing surgical careers and the need to complete specialty training, according to a study in the September 23/30 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

Targeted Heat Therapy Offers New Standard Treatment Option For Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Patients with soft-tissue sarcomas at high risk of spreading were 30% more likely to be alive and cancer free almost three years after starting treatment if their tumours were heated at the time they received chemotherapy, according to new research. The finding bolsters the case for intensifying exploration of the strategy in other types of cancer.

Impax Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Results Of Phase II Trial Of IPX066, A Novel Formulation Of Carbidopa-Levodopa For Parkinson's Disease

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the brand products division of Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) reported the positive results from a recently completed Phase II trial of its late-stage Parkinson's Disease drug candidate IPX066 In this cross-over trial, IPX066 reduced subjects' "off" time during waking hours by 2 hours compared to Sinemet (3.8 hours of "off" time for IPX066 vs. 5.

Physio-Control Receives Market Approval From Health Canada For LIFEPAK(R) 15 Monitor/Defibrillator

Physio-Control, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT) announced today it received approval by Health Canada to market the LIFEPAK 15 monitor/defibrillator within Canada. Official license notification was received on Sept. 1, 2009. Physio-Control was granted CE mark in January 2009, certifying compliance with the European Union Medical Device Directive and began its U.S.

Increased Risk Of Death From Lung Cancer With Hormone Replacement Therapy

An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using oestrogen and progestin increases the risk of death from lung cancer. This finding should be included into risk-benefit consideration for women considering HRT. It is especially essential for women at high risk of lung cancer.

Safety Of Home Birth (McMaster Study)

Midwives in Ontario, Canada, have been providing care for expectant mothers in both home and hospital settings. They have been integrated into the provincial health-care system since 1994. A recent study by McMaster University researchers reveals that low-risk women giving birth with the assistance of midwives have positive outcomes regardless of where the delivery takes place.

Intelligent Surveillance System Could Monitor Pedestrian Crossings

A team of researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) has developed an intelligent surveillance system able to detect aberrant behaviour by drivers and people on foot crossing pedestrian crossings and in other urban settings. The study, published this month in the journal Expert Systems with Applications, could be used to penalise incorrect behaviour.

Drug Sellers, Benefit Managers Poise For Court-Ordered Price Cuts

"A forthcoming rollback of benchmark drug prices -- a court-approved move meant to benefit consumers -- should have little effect on the bottom line for pharmacy-benefit managers or their clients, as companies have taken protective steps," the Wall Street Journal reports. Pharmacies, however, worry the 4 percent reduction in benchmark prices could result in Medicaid reductions.

New Report Outlines Importance Of Health Insurance Reform For Young Americans

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a new report, Young Americans and Health Insurance Reform: Giving Young Americans the Security and Stability They Need. The report highlights the vulnerability young adults face in the current health care system and the urgent need for health insurance reform. The complete report is available at http://www.healthreform.gov.

World Rabies Day: Vets Urged To Raise Awareness

Organisations around the world will be aiming to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of rabies prevention on the third annual World Rabies Day on September 28. The BVA's Overseas Group is supporting World Rabies Day by urging UK veterinary surgeons to raise their clients' awareness of the implications of rabies when they travel abroad.

Positive Phase IIb Results For GSK1838262 (XP13512) Reported For Neuropathic Pain Associated With Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT) announced top-line results from a Phase IIb clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) for neuropathic pain associated with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults. In this study, subjects were randomized to receive placebo, 1200, 2400 or 3600 mg/day of GSK1838262 dosed twice a day.

Anemic Patients With MDS Gain Long-Term Benefits From Erythropoietin And Myeloid Growth Factor Hormones

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood disorders that can lead to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in some patients, often cause severe anemia (when the body lacks a sufficient number of functional red blood cells). While certain treatments can help manage the symptoms of anemia, some studies have suggested that they may lead to complications.

ClariVein(TM) Catheter For Varicose Veins: Further Clinical Trial Results To Be Presented

Further results from the initial clinical trial of the ClariVein(TM) catheter, used in a new minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins, will be delivered on Friday, September 25, at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Vascular Society in Philadelphia. The device combines mechanical and chemical modalities to accomplish vein treatment in an in-office setting.

Success For The European Federation Of Neurological Associations 'Good Life' Symposium

The European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) celebrated the success of its 'Good Life' symposium at the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) conference in Florence last weekend. More than 300 guests attended the session which was hosted by Mary G. Baker MBE, President of EFNA and Professor David Vodušek, of Slovenia, Treasurer of EFNS.

Indian Stem Cell Trial To Broaden Diabetic Foot Inclusion Criteria

Fortis Healthcare, one of India's leading private hospital groups, has announced it will broaden inclusion criteria for its upcoming diabetic foot clinical trial. The study will use stem cells derived from peripheral blood to treat critical limb ischemia (diabetic foot). Current treatment of diabetic foot ulcers involves intensive wound management, risk reduction and lengthy rehabilitation.

Let's Not Repeat That Pain: Tips To Reduce Risk Of Kidney Stones

Passing kidney stones can be an extremely painful process that no one wants to repeat. But patients who have experienced kidney stones have a 50 percent chance of recurrence within 10 years. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers how kidney stones are formed, treatment options and ways to reduce the risk of a repeat.

Tryton Celebrates 250th Implant Of Innovative Side Branch Stent System

Tryton Medical, Inc., the leading developer of stents designed to definitively treat bifurcation lesions, announced that the company's Tryton Side Branch Stent has been used in 250 procedures to treat atherosclerotic lesions at a bifurcation in patients with heart disease. "Bifurcation lesions have presented a challenge for cardiologists since the earliest days of angioplasty," said Prof.

American Nurses Association Testifies Before Congress On Health Insurance Reform, Calls For Action Now

The American Nurses Association (ANA) testified on Capitol Hill today to advocate for health care reform that would ensure that patients have ready access to affordable, quality health care services, and express its strong support for the many measures outlined within H.R. 3200 that will reform the insurance industry to protect all individuals and families.

Today's Op-Ed Selections

Maybe It's Time To Slow Down The Pace Of Medical Treatment The Washington Post My patient had just been the recipient of a rare and highly valued medical commodity, a treatment that is as quantifiable in its effects as the milligrams of a medication or the number of stitches in a wound: Time (Daphne Miller, 9/15).

USA Today Examines Arguments On Safety, Risks Of Home Births

USA Today on Monday examined the debate over the safety of home births attended by certified midwives. The percentage of home births dropped dramatically in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. Currently, less than 1% of births in the U.S. take place at home, compared with nearly 30% in the Netherlands.

Workers Face Higher Costs For Employer-Sponsored Insurance; Checking In With Dr. Abraham Verghese On The Importance Of The Bedside Manner

Workers Face Higher Costs For Employer-Sponsored Insurance Kaiser Health News reports that "employers struggling with the steady rise of health insurance costs -- which in 2009 increased 5 percent to an average of $13,375 for family coverage -- are passing on more of the expense to their workers through higher deductibles and co-payments, according to survey released today.

A Step Closer To Understanding Skin, Breast And Other Cancers

Stem cells have a unique ability: when they divide, they can either give rise to more stem cells, or to a variety of specialised cell types. In both mice and humans, a layer of cells at the base of the skin contains stem cells that can develop into the specialised cells in the layers above.

Scientists Probe Laptops' Wi-Fi Emissions

MEASUREMENTS on radio signals generated by laptop computers using Wi-Fi, have found they are low power and exposures are well within safety guidelines. Scientists at the Health Protection Agency began a research project on wireless local area networks (WLAN) in late 2007. One aspect of public concern over Wi-Fi is its use by children in schools.

ZaBeCor Pharmaceuticals Begins Phase II Clinical Trial In Asthma Patients Following Positive Phase I Results

ZaBeCor Pharmaceuticals ("ZaBeCor" or the "Company") announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trial for its asthma drug candidate Excellairâ„¢, following the successful results of the Company's Phase I clinical trials. ZaBeCor is one of the first companies to deliver siRNA to the lung and one of the first to target asthma with siRNA.

AVI BioPharma, Inc. Demonstrates Effectiveness Of Immune Control Via RNA-Based Therapeutics In Hemorrhagic Virus Infections

AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, announced the presentation of data regarding the Company's antisense technology for control of the immune response in hemorrhagic virus infections, including Ebola and Marburg virus, at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco, CA. Patrick L. Iversen, Ph.D.

Understanding The Implications Of Prenatal Testing For Down Syndrome

With new prenatal tests for Down syndrome on the horizon promising to be safer, more accurate, and available to women earlier in pregnancy, the medical community must come together and engage in dialogue about the impact of existing and expected tests, argues a new leading article published Online First by Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Fla. Antiabortion-Rights Advocates Petition For 'Personhood' Ballot Initiative In 2010

Antiabortion-rights advocates in Florida on Friday filed a proposal to amend the state constitution to define someone as "person" "from the beginning of the biological development of that human being," the Tampa Tribune reports. The proposed ballot initiative was filed by Personhood Florida, a loose coalition of antiabortion-rights advocates supported by the American Life League.

2009 Lasker Awards Recognize Promise Of Stem Cells -- Global Market Could Top $700 Million

The recipients of The 2009 Lasker Awards, represent the dramatic advances achieved in biotechnology research that have led to a revolutionary cancer treatment and the tremendous promise of stem cell therapy for regenerative medicine. Such advances portend a potential $700 million global market for new therapies within less than five years, according to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News .

A Selection Of Opinions And Editorials

Health Care: Now, It's War NPR What emerges from this year's historic debate will now be a distinctly Democratic bill opposed by virtually every Republican in both the House and the Senate. It will pass or fail depending entirely on Democratic leaders' ability to rally their own troops in support (Ron Elving, 9/11). Will U.S.

Engineering Team To Design And Study Liver Mimics

Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers will use more than $1 million in grant funding to study engineered tissues that mimic the liver, one of the human body's most complex organs. Padma Rajagopalan, an assistant professor in the department of chemical engineering, is designing liver mimics that eventually could form the basis for extracorporeal liver-assist devices.

Steroid Injections May Help Restore Vision In Some Patients With Blocked Eye Veins

Injecting the eye with the corticosteroid triamcinolone appears effective in improving the vision of some patients with retinal vein occlusion, an important cause of vision loss that results from blockages in the blood vessels in the retina, according to two reports in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

We Need To Cut Sodium Consumption

An article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reports that reducing sodium intake is a key public health priority that must be addressed by governments and nongovernmental organizations to improve population health. A diet high in sodium has been associated to high blood pressure, vascular and cardiac damage, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases.

Boston Scientific To Participate In Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) is scheduled to participate in the Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference, September 14-15. Ray Elliott, President and Chief Executive Officer and Sam Leno, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will participate in a 35-minute discussion about the Company on Tuesday, September 15th, beginning at approximately 9:45 a.m. E.T.

Medtronic Recognizes Recipient Of World Journal Of Surgery "Best Of 2008" Award

Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) today recognized Henning Dralle, M.D., Professor at the University of Halle-Wittenberg in Halle, Germany, who received the World Journal of Surgery award for Best Paper of 2008. Professor Dralle received the award as lead author for the paper, "Intraoperative Monitoring of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid Surgery," published in the Feb.

Laura W. Bancroft, M.D., Travels To Bolivia Through International Education Program

Radiologist Laura W. Bancroft, M.D., from Florida Hospital in Orlando, will bring her medical expertise to Bolivia as part of the International Visiting Professor Program offered by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The program fosters international relations among radiology societies to assist with medical education in developing and newly developed nations. Dr.

Variations In Treating Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Found

The Office for Research and Clinical Audit (ORCA) at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has published the results of a study into the treatment of women with heavy menstrual bleeding in England. The study found that the use of surgery was four-times greater in some regions compared to other parts of England.

Five Chosen For Innovative Cancer Research Training

The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), one of the nation's largest cancer clinical trials networks, has selected five talented researchers who are early in their careers for its 2009 Young Investigator Training Course. These five will attend a three-day workshop September 15 - 17 in Seattle, WA for intensive training in how to design and conduct cancer clinical trials.

Pesticide Residues Committee Publish 2008 Annual Report, UK

The Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) publishes their 2008 annual report today. Key findings are that residues found this year are unlikely to affect people's health, even vulnerable groups such as older people and children. Chairman of the PRC, Dr Ian Brown, said: "The results of the 2008 monitoring programme show we did not detect any pesticide residues in 53.

Reactive Oxygen In Fruit Flies Acts As A Cell Signalling Mechanism For Immune Response

For years, health conscious people have been taking antioxidants to reduce the levels of reactive oxygen in their blood and prevent the DNA damage done by free radicals, which are the result of oxidative stress. But could excessive use of antioxidants deplete our immune systems? Research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has raised that question.

Enzyme Is Key To Clogged Arteries

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have made an important discovery in understanding what causes arteries to clog up. They have discovered that an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase-8 plays a crucial role in raising blood pressure and causing abnormal build-up of cells in the arteries - both of which increase the risk of heart disease.

European Medicines Agency Recommends Authorisation Of Two Vaccines For Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that two vaccines against influenza A(H1N1) ('swine flu') be granted a marketing authorisation. Vaccines are one of the most important tools in the management of an influenza pandemic, helping to reduce illness and deaths by building up immune protection against the pandemic flu virus.

Increase In Alzheimer's Plaques And Sleep Loss Linked

Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report online this week in Science Express. They also found that orexin, a protein that helps regulate the sleep cycle, appears to be directly involved in the increase.

Heads Of Indian Health Service, Hispanic Doctors Speak Out On Reform

NPR interviews Dr. Elana Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), on the one-third of Hispanics in the U.S. who are uninsured. She says the reasons are cultural as well as economic: "Hispanics have health beliefs that are unique, lots of traditional ways of taking care of disease with teas and herbs and other things.

Costs To Government, Consumers Remain Unclear In Finance Bill

The effect of a health overhaul on the country's finances is hard to predict. The Congressional Budget Office, the official scorekeeper for new legislation's price tag, tends to miss the mark on bigger bills, the office's director said, Bloomberg reports. When it comes to "more dramatic or novel changes in policy, there's no previous experience to refer to. ...

Excess Body Weight Causes Over 124,000 New Cancers A Year In Europe

At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. The proportion of cases of new cancers attributable to a body mass index of 25kg/m2 or more were highest among women and in central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

G20 Countries Could Tax Foreign Exchange To Help Achieve U.N. MDGs, Opinion Piece Says

The G20 countries "could help both the poor and the global economy by fully financing lagging efforts to fight poverty and disease worldwide, and the best way to do this would be to impose a very small tax on the prosperous foreign exchange industry," Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former French foreign minister who is a special adviser to the U.N.

Priority Health To Cover Seasonal And H1N1 Flu Vaccines

Priority Health has announced its coverage of both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines. "Preventing the flu through immunization is the best way to keep yourself and your family healthy," said John Fox, M.D., associate vice president of Medical Affairs at Priority Health. "We encourage our members to receive both vaccines to protect themselves against the two viruses.

Dems Hope To Merge House Health Reform Bills By Next Week

House Democratic leaders on Wednesday said that they hope to merge the three committee versions of their health reform bill (HR 3200) by next week to allow time for members to review it and the Congressional Budget Office to score it before it is introduced on the floor for a final vote, CQ Today reports (Roth, CQ Today, 9/23). House Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson (D-Conn.

Abnormally Large Hearts May Be Shrunk By A Relative Of Viagra

Compounds related to Viagra, which is already in clinical trials to prevent heart failure, may also counter the disease in a different way, according to a study published online in the journal Circulation Research. The results hold promise for the design of a new drug class and for its potential use in combination with Viagra or beta blockers. In heart failure, which affects about 5.

What Is Mouth Cancer? What Causes Mouth Cancer? What Is Oral Cancer?

Mouth cancer has the same meaning as oral cancer - it is cancer that occurs in any part of the mouth; on the tongue's surface, in the lips, inside the cheek, in the gums, in the roof and floor of the mouth, in the tonsils, and also the salivary glands. Mouth cancer is a type of head and neck cancer, and is often treated similarly to other head and neck cancers.

We Can Challenge Our Brains Or Our Bodies, But Not Both, Says Study

Have you ever sat down to work on a crossword puzzle only to find that afterwards you haven't the energy to exercise? Or have you come home from a rough day at the office with no energy to go for a run? A new study, published in Psychology and Health, reveals that if you use your willpower to do one task, it depletes you of the willpower to do an entirely different task.

Recall Alert: Childrenâs Tylenol Liquid Products

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Tylenol, has voluntarily announced a recall of 21 of its children’s liquid Tylenol products. According to the offical statement by McNeil, “All products manufactured met internal specifications. However, the company is implementing this recall because during this period, an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it was decided to recall all Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products … which were made during this time.”

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Sebaceous Carcinoma Of The Penis

UroToday.com - Sebaceous carcinoma may arise in ocular or extraocular sites and exhibit such a variety of histologic growth patterns and diverse clinical presentation that the diagnosis is often delayed for months to years. The histopathologic criteria for sebaceous carcinoma are high mitotic activity, nuclear pleomorphism, lobular architecture, and foamy vacuolization in the cytoplasm.

Anti-Smoking Law Helps Waiters To Quit Smoking

Researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology have studied the impact of the law banning smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants on those working in these places. The results are positive - 5% of waiters have stopped smoking, and the number of cigarettes smoked by those who still smoke has fallen by almost 9%.

'You Lie,' GOP Lawmaker Shouts During President's Speech

Partisan tensions at President Obama's address to Congress on Wednesday "went beyond the usual theatrics," with one Republican congressman shouting, "You lie," in the midst of the speech when the president promised his reform proposal would not pay for insurance for illegal immigrants, the Wall Street Journal reports. The congressman, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

Also In Global Health News: PEPFAR In Swaziland; GSK HIV Patent Pool; Pediatric ARVs In Uganda; PNG Declares Health Emergency; More

PEPFAR Donates Computers To Swaziland's Ministry of Health PEPFAR on Wednesday donated eight computers to Swaziland's Ministry of Health to aid in the country's ability to track the progress of the nation's HIV/AIDS programs, the Swazi Observer reports. According to the newspaper, the computers will be distributed to regional clinics across the country (Masilela, 9/10).

In The Middle Of Brain Surgery, Patients Wake Up And Begin Talking

Kim Delvaux was undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor when doctors at Loyola University Hospital woke her up. Dr. Vikram Prabhu talked to her about her favorite topics -- NASCAR and her kids. "I can remember two distinct conversations," said Delvaux, who lives in Downers Grove. "My friends can't believe it, but it's true.

Young People Fuzzy About Drinking Limits

Young people are unaware that government guidelines would class them as binge drinkers. This is the finding of Dr Richard Cooke from Aston University and Dr Falko Sniehotta from the University of Aberdeen who will present their research at the Division of Health Psychology, part of the British Psychological Society, annual conference today, 10th September 2009.

ASCO Awarded CEO Cancer Gold Standard: Achievement Underscores Organization's Commitment To The Health And Well-Being Of Its Employees

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has earned CEO Cancer Gold Standardâ„¢ accreditation from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, recognizing its commitment to reducing the cancer risk of its employees and their families through screenings, early detection, and healthy changes in lifestyle and in the workplace. "We are very proud to gain this designation.

Terrence Higgins Trust Asks Men In Coventry To Come To The New MOT (Men Only Testing) Centre, UK

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is piloting a new testing service for gay men in Coventry. The charity is calling for men to come to the MOT Centre (Men Only Testing) for a free sexual health screening at its centre on 10 Manor Street. The pilot will take place on Tuesday 15th September between 5.30pm - 8pm.

First Cape Cod Macular Degeneration Symposium To Be Held On September 17

The latest research on macular degeneration, its causes, potential cures, current treatments and strategies for living well with it will be the focus of the first Cape Cod Macular Degeneration Symposium on September 17. A free public educational program, the symposium will take place from 9 am to noon at the Barnstable Senior Center, 825 Falmouth Road (Rt.

British Dental Association Advises Members Not To Sign Current Draft Access Contracts

The British Dental Association (BDA) has today issued a warning to members that they should not sign a draft access contract that has been offered by a number of PCTs tendering for new services. The draft contract has been developed by the dental access team at the Department of Health led by Dr Mike Warburton.

Why 'Caring' Isn't Enough For Britain's 60,000 Untouched Children

As Chief Executive of Barnardo's Martin Narey calls for society to rethink its efforts at "fixing families that can't be fixed", an important new book from SAGE, Achieving Positive Outcomes for Children in Care, explains how interventions for looked-after children could be reshaped to provide children with the support they need to rebuild their lives.

What Is Arrhythmia? What Causes Arrhythmia?

An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat - the heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), too early (premature contraction) or too irregularly (fibrillation). Arrhythmias are heart-rhythm problems - they occur when the electrical impulses to the heart that coordinate heartbeats are not working properly, making the heart beat too fast/slow or inconsistently.

States Extend, Create New Programs For Vulnerable; In Texas, Home Health A Problem

New outlets report on a variety of health stories at the state level including a new program that provides prescription drug help and routine medical care to low-income people in Iowa, an assurance that poor children will be able to keep their insurance in California and recognition that home health agencies waste Medicare dollars in Texas.

Swine Flu Could Wreak More Havoc On U.S. Economy, Says UAB Economist

H1N1 influenza could slow growth in key industries and stall already-weak GDP growth in the third and fourth quarters of 2009, says a health economist in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Business. "Tourism and travel are vitally important sectors in the economy of many U.S. cities and communities," Bryce Sutton, Ph.D.

Everolimus-Eluting Stent Proves Signifcantly Safer, More Effective Than Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Late-breaking data from SPIRIT IV, a large-scale multi-center study of nearly 4,000 patients in the U.S., shows that an everolimus-eluting stent demonstrated enhanced safety and efficacy in the treatment of de novo native coronary artery lesions when compared to a paclitaxel-eluting stent, and showed that "low late loss" may be achieved with drug-eluting stents without sacrificing safety.

Environmentally Safe 'Planetary Boundaries' Being Overstepped By The Human Race

Human activities have already pushed the Earth system beyond three of the planet's biophysical thresholds, with consequences that are detrimental or even catastrophic for large parts of the world; six others may well be crossed in the next decades, conclude 29 European, Australian and U.S. scientists in an article in the Sept. 24 issue of the scientific journal Nature.

Groundbreaking Model Of Heart Disease Rewarded With NIH Pioneer Award

A pioneering model that a University of Utah cardiologist proposes as a cause of heart disease is the kind of creative thinking the National Institutes of Health (NIH) likes to see-and reward with one of its most prestigious honors, a $2.5 million 2009 Pioneer Award. Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., professor of internal medicine and biochemistry and the Christi T.

UNC Scientists Garner New NIH Awards For High Risk, Transformative Research

Three scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have received prestigious awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at encouraging "high risk" and innovative research. Klaus Hahn, Ph.D., and Mark Zylka, Ph.D., have received "Transformative" RO1 awards, while Joseph DeSimone, Ph.D.

When Assessing Risks, Our Emotions Can Lead Us Astray

If you find yourself more concerned about highly publicized dangers that grab your immediate attention such as terrorist attacks, while forgetting about the more mundane threats such as global warming, you're not alone. And you can't help it because it's human nature, according to a new study led by University of Colorado at Boulder psychology Professor Leaf Van Boven.

Safety Regulator Disappointed By 'killer' Advert Ruling, UK

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expressed its deep disappointment at a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to uphold a complaint about its 'Asbestos: The hidden killer' awareness campaign. The ASA has upheld one complaint from a single source challenging HSE on the numbers of workers it quoted as dying as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Men's Blood Pressure Increased By High-Sugar Diet

Study 1 highlights: Just two weeks on a high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men. A drug used to treat gout seems to protect against that blood pressure increase and some aspects of metabolic syndrome. Study 2 highlights: A study in mice finds that the time of day when fructose is consumed is linked to abnormalities in blood pressure, weight gain and behavior.

Opinions: Reforming U.S. Aid; Delivering Health Care In Developing Countries

To Reform Foreign Aid Institutions, 'Rewrite' The Rules To change the U.S. foreign aid system, we must "[d]o what the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) did: break the rules and then rewrite them," Mark Dybul, former U.S. global AIDS coordinator, writes in a Foreign Policy opinion piece examining the development and implementation of the program.

Women Living In Group Homes Need To Learn To Make Decisions About Leisure Time To Enrich Their Lives

Most people don't think twice about the ability to choose the movie they want to watch, the book they want to read or with whom they will have coffee. But what if you didn't have the choice, or were never taught how to make decisions regarding leisure activities? That's the reality for some women living in group homes according to a new study from the University of Alberta.

Regular Prenatal Exercise May Reduce Risk of Having Overly Large Baby

All expectant mothers look forward to the birth of a healthy newborn and prenatal care is an important step toward that goal, especially to monitor fetal growth when a baby seems too small or too large. Regular examinations during pregnancy that show a large baby can also help identify a mother who may have undetected diabetes, which is the most common cause of larger than average babies. Diabetes during pregnancy causes the mother’s increased blood sugar (glucose) to circulate to the baby, and in response the baby’s body makes insulin.

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PAION Announces Patient Recruitment For Phase IIa Study With Its Short Acting Anesthetic/Sedative CNS 7056 Successfully Completed

The biopharmaceutical company PAION AG (ISIN DE000A0B65S3; Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Prime Standard: PA8) today announces the successful completion of the Recruitment for the Phase IIa clinical trial assessing the new short-acting intravenous anesthetic/sedative CNS 7056 in patients undergoing endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract. "Again our development team has beaten our expectations.

Chimps Trained To Enable Keepers To Take DNA Samples With Cheek Swabs

As the University of Leicester approaches the 25th anniversary of the discovery of DNA fingerprinting (September 10), Leicester geneticists interested in a particular type of DNA are receiving some help from an unusual band of assistants. Chimpanzees at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire have been trained to enable keepers to take DNA samples with special cheek swabs.

Candy And Fruit Flavored Cigarettes Now Illegal In United States; Step Is First Under New Tobacco Law

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on cigarettes with flavors characterizing fruit, candy, or clove. The ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking in America. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America.

Brain Blood Flow Affected By Balance Organs

The organs of the inner ear have a direct effect on brain blood flow, independent of blood pressure and CO2 levels in the blood. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience used a series of human centrifuge experiments to investigate the effects of stimulation of the otoliths and semi-circular canals on cerebrovascular response. Dr.

NCPA Urges Senators To Reduce Health Care Costs By Supporting Transparency Requirements For Pharmacy Benefit Managers

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today praised U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for authoring an amendment to lower health care costs by adopting common-sense disclosure requirements for any pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) participating in the health insurance exchanges envisioned under a proposal by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT). The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen.

Impax Laboratories Confirms Patent Challenge Relating To ORACEA(R) Delayed-Release Capsules, 40mg

Impax Laboratories, Inc. today confirms that it has initiated a challenge of the patents listed by Galderma Laboratories, L.P. in connection with its ORACEA® (doxycycline) delayed-release capsules, 40 mg. Impax filed its Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") containing a paragraph IV certification for a generic version of ORACEA® with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration ("FDA").

New Way Deadly Food-borne Bacteria Spread Discovered By University Of Central Florida Professor

University of Central Florida Microbiology Professor Keith Ireton has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the spread of a deadly food-borne bacterium. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause pregnant women to lose their fetuses and trigger fatal cases of meningitis in the elderly or people with compromised immune systems.

Best Practice Care Lacking For Many Australians At Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

Many people are not receiving the best possible care when it comes to managing cardiovascular conditions according to two new Australian research studies. The studies highlight the need for wide scale reform to ensure that people at the highest risk of having a heart attack or stroke are identified early and are provided with optimal care.

University Of Queensland Researcher Offers A Greater Incentive To Eat Your Greens

UQ PhD candidate and nutritionist Christine Houghton is set to investigate whether broccoli could help in the fight against diabetes. Ms Houghton's research focuses on sulforaphane - a substance produced when broccoli sprouts are cut or chewed that has been found to protect against heart disease, some types of cancers and act as an anti-ageing agent.

Professor Tim Evans Becomes Academic Vice-President - Royal College Of Physicians

As of September 2009 Professor Tim Evans is the new Academic Vice-President of the Royal College of Physicians. In addition to being Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at Imperial College and a Consultant in Intensive Care & Thoracic Medicine at the Royal Brompton, he also occupies senior management roles at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. Prof.

Anti-Tumor Activity In Mice Enhanced By Short-Term Stress, Stanford Study Shows

Public speaking, anyone? Or maybe a big job interview? Dry your palms and take a deep, calming breath; there may be a silver lining. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that, at least in laboratory mice, bouts of relatively short-term stress can boost the immune system and protect against one type of cancer.

Vitamin D Helps Improve Survival From Bowel And Skin Cancer

New research shows higher levels of vitamin D may help improve survival for both bowel and skin cancer patients*. The results of two studies published in the British Journal of Cancer and Journal of Clinical Oncology found people with higher levels of vitamin D - at the time they were diagnosed - were more likely to survive.

IRIN Examines HIV/AIDS Advocates' Reaction To U.N. Agency For Women

IRIN examines how a recent resolution to create an agency to promote women's "rights and wellbeing" by the U.N. General Assembly is being welcomed by international HIV/AIDS advocates. According to IRIN, "[w]omen make up 60 percent of people living with AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, a figure that rises to 75 percent in the 15-24 age range.

Effective Prevention Extends Lives And Increases Medical Cost Savings

Prevention measures against chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes will lead to both health benefits as well as medical cost savings in older Americans, a new study indicates. Researchers tracked a national cohort of persons 51 and 52 years of age and projected their health and medical spending in prevention scenarios for diabetes, hypertension, obesity and smoking.

Risky Behaviors Among Truckers Lead To Higher Rates Of STIs Including Hepatitis C

Long-distance truck drivers participate in higher risk behaviors, a New Mexico study reports. Researchers examined sexually transmitted infection, HIV and hepatitis C virus prevalence and risk behaviors among 652 truck drivers between 2004 and 2006. Mobile clinic vans were used to conduct this study at a large trucking terminal in Albuquerque, N.M., and at 10 truck stops throughout the state.

For Brain Metastases, Whole-Brain Radiotherapy After Surgery Or Radiosurgery Not Recommended

Whole-brain radiotherapy should not be given routinely to all patients whose cancer has spread to the brain, say researchers who found that using it after surgery or radiosurgery in patients with a limited number of brain metastases and stable cancer in the rest of the body did not extend lives or help patients remain functionally independent for longer.

Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoporosis May Be Reversed By Experimental Approach

Researchers have identified a mechanism that may keep a well known signaling molecule from eroding bone and inflaming joints, according to an early study published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Bone is continually recycled to maintain its strength through the competing action of osteoclasts, cells that break down aging bone, and osteoblasts, which build new bone.

In Speech Before State Commissioners, Biden To Call For New Insurance Rules

Vice President Joe Biden will announce a new White House report on insurance rates at a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports: "Mr. Biden will use the appearance to press for ground rules for all insurance companies 'to restore stability and security to our health-care system.' The rules, which Mr.

Facing Aging Without Insurance

Also part of the special series, "Are You Covered?" Kaiser Health News and NPR report on Fernando Arriola. He "had full health coverage for years at his former job, but since starting his own contracting business, there are no affordable coverage options for him and his wife" (Elliott, 9/21). KHN explains how the proposed health overhauls could affect the uninsured (Weaver, 9/21).

School Nurses Stretched To Breaking Point

The average school nurse has to look after more than 2,500 school children[i], according to a new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The report found that two thirds felt overstretched and unsupported by their rising workload, and that government targets to increase the numbers of school nurses are unlikely to be met by the deadline next year.

Plexxikon Announces Encouraging Data From Phase 1 Extension Study Of PLX4032 Showing Objective Responses In Metastatic Melanoma Patients

Plexxikon Inc. announced encouraging clinical data from a Phase 1 extension study of PLX4032 (RG7204) in metastatic melanoma patients, which expand the results announced from the initial phase of the study. PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly selective drug that targets the BRAFV600E cancer-causing mutation that occurs in about 50 percent of melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors.

Disease Diagnosis, Toxin Detection And More Are Possible With DNA-Graphene Nanostructure

Biomedical researchers suspect graphene, a novel nanomaterial made of sheets of single carbon atoms, would be useful in a variety of applications. But no one had studied the interaction between graphene and DNA, the building block of all living things. To learn more, PNNL's Zhiwen Tang, Yuehe Lin and colleagues from both PNNL and Princeton University built nanostructures of graphene and DNA.

HHS Secretary Sebelius And Education Secretary Duncan Announce Winner Of 2009 H1N1 PSA Contest

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius and Department of Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan today announced that Dr. John Clarke of Baldwin, N.Y., is the winner of the 2009 H1N1 PSA Contest. More than 50,000 votes were cast by Americans across the country on YouTube. Dr. Clarke will receive a $2,500 cash prize and his ad will be broadcast on national television.

'Intelligent Car' Able To Learn From Driver And Warn Him In Case Of Accident Hazard

UGR News Scientists from six European countries, including Spain, have developed a new computer system so called DRIVSCO that allows vehicles to learn from the behaviour of their drivers at the wheel, in such a way that they can detect if a driver presents an "unusual behaviour" in a curve or an obstacle on the road and generates signals of alarm which warn him on time to react.

Declining Money Management Skills May Be Sign of Impending Alzheimerâs

If you’re 30 years old and having trouble managing your finances, it could be a sign you need to rethink your budget and perhaps seek professional guidance to get back on track and strengthen your financial skills. On the other hand, if you’re 65 and suffer from mild memory problems, a decline in your money management skills could signal progression toward Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.

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What Is An Ectopic Pregnancy? What Is A Tubular Pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where the fertilized egg settles and grows outside the inner lining of the uterus (not in the uterus). The uterus is the womb. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube - known as a tubular pregnancy - but they can also occur in the cervix (neck of the womb), abdominal cavity and ovary. Slightly over 1% of all pregnancies are ectopic pregnancies.

Bans on Public Smoking Lead to One-Third Less Heart Attacks

By stamping out the smoking stubs in public places, lives are being saved. Smoking bans across the nation have helped in reducing the number of heart attacks by as much as 36 percent. Armed with evidence that smoking restrictions work, U.S. researchers are calling for widespread bans to be place on smoking in enclosed public places to further improve public health. The new study appears in the journal Circulation.

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FDA Grants Priority Review Status To Supplement Containing Long-Term Survival Data For VELCADE(R) (bortezomib) For Injection

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to the Company's supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for VELCADE. The sNDA contains long-term overall survival (OS) data from the landmark VISTA1 trial examining the use of VELCADE based therapy in patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma (MM).

World Of Country Life Farm, Exmouth, Closed As Precautionary Measure

East Devon District Council and the Health Protection Agency this afternoon advised the precautionary closure of the World of Country Life farm, Exmouth, acting on information that potentially linked the farm with three individuals with confirmed E. coli O157 infection. The farm has closed voluntarily and the local authority, HPA and partners are conducting a full investigation.

Early Signs Of Eye Disease In Preemies Diagnosed By New Device

Tell-tale signs of a condition that can blind premature babies are being seen for the first time using a new handheld device in a study at Duke University Medical Center. The technology, developed in part by Duke biomedical engineers, uses spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) to create a 3-D picture of the back of the eye.

Immune Response To Spinal Cord Injury May Worsen Damage

After spinal cord injury, certain immune cells collect in the spinal fluid and release high levels of antibodies. What, if anything, those antibodies do there is unknown. A new study by neuroscientists at The Ohio State University Medical Center may have solved the mystery. It found that the antibodies may actually worsen and extend the spinal cord damage.

Pregnancy Serves As Opportune Time For HIV Prevention Education

Coupling an HIV prevention program with group prenatal care may be an effective method of reducing risks for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Researchers bundled an HIV prevention program with group prenatal care and examined its effect on STI incidence, repeat pregnancy, sexual risk behavior and psychosocial risk. Among the sample of 1,047, the average age of participants was 20.

MethylGene To Resume Development Of Its HDAC Inhibitor, MGCD0103 (Mocetinostat)

MethylGene Inc. (TSX:MYG), announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the partial clinical hold placed on MGCD0103, the Company's proprietary selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor for cancer. New patient enrollment in the refractory follicular lymphoma cohort of the Company's ongoing Phase II clinical trial (Trial 008) is expected to resume as soon as possible.

Yale Researchers Explain Why Hunger Triggers Infertility

Scientists have long known that calorie restriction increases longevity in animals but at an evolutionary cost - the animals become infertile. Yale University researchers report in the September 21 to 25 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have discovered the molecular switch in the brain that turns off the reproductive system in times of severe hunger.

Seniors With Insufficient Levels Of Vitamin D At Increased Risk Of Dying From Heart Disease

A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age. The research, just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older.

Flu Can Trigger Heart Attacks But Vaccine May Offer Protection For Cardiac Patients

A review of the facts published in the October edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases reports that flu can trigger heart attacks and cause cardiovascular death. However, the influenza vaccine may offer protection for cardiac patients. As a result, more efforts are required to encourage people with heart disease and diabetes (which increases the risk of heart attacks) to have the flu shot.

Charity Finds That 'Despite Recession' More Young People Are Going Out And Risking Hearing Damage

The number of young people going out to loud clubs, gigs and festivals has increased by 20% in 2009, RNID's Don't Lose the Music campaign has found as part of its annual poll of music lovers. The campaign - which aims to tell music lovers how and why to look after their hearing - reports that in spite of this year's financial problems, 45% of young people now go out more than once a week.

Dems Divided Over How To Pay For Reform

Democrats are divided over where the funds to pay for a health care overhaul will come from. President Barack Obama has stated that the health care bill should cost less than $900 billion, which is $100-200 billion less "than what the House had in mind, cuts that could lead to less coverage and smaller subsidies to buy insurance," Politico reports.

Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Women May Be Increased By Large Fat Cells

Middle-aged women with large abdominal fat cells have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women with smaller fat cells. Waist circumference divided by body height can also be used to determine which women are at risk. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dieters Beware Of Skinny Friends With Big Appetites

Thin friends who eat a lot could put your waistline at risk, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, which examines how other peoples' weight and food choices influence how much we eat. "Obesity is obviously a tremendous public health concern," write authors Brent McFerran, Darren W. Dahl (both University of British Columbia), Gavan J.

Mortality In Trauma Patients May Be Doubled By Old Red Blood Cells

Severe trauma patients requiring a major transfusion are twice as likely to die if they receive red blood cells stored for a month or longer, according to research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care. The increased rate of death was measured up to six months post transfusion which is consistent with previous reports in cardiac surgery patients.

Survey Reveals Folly Of Slashing Medicare Patient Rebate For Cataract Surgery, Australia

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that an AMA survey of ophthalmologists highlights why the Government should reverse its Budget decision to halve the Medicare patient rebate for cataract surgery. Dr Pesce said that older Australians would be hit hardest by this callous Budget cut at a stage of life when they are struggling to keep their sight and afford a good quality of life.

Long-Term Risky Decision Making May Have Its Roots In Adolescent Alcohol Expsoure

Picture this. A bunch of adolescent rats walk into a bar and start consuming Jell-O shots. Lots of them. Then, three weeks later, some of those party rats are given the choice of pushing one lever that always will give them two sugary pellets or another lever that will give them a larger but uncertain reward of either four or zero treats.

Increase In Allergies Among Youth

Asthma, nasal symptoms and eczema is a major public health problem in Sweden, not least among young people. Half of all teenagers are affected in Västra Götaland County in West Sweden. This is shown in a study conducted in 2008 by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, on the request of the Public Health Committee, Region Västra Götaland.

What Is A Nosebleed? What Causes A Nosebleed?

The medical term for nosebleed is epistaxis. We can also say nasal hemorrhage. The human nose, and those of many animals are rich in blood vessels. Because of the position of the nose - right in the middle of the face - and all its blood vessels, most of us will have had at least one nosebleed at some time during our lives.

Mayo Clinic May Prove To Be A Difficult Model To Replicate

The Washington Post examines the Mayo Clinic, a large Minnesota group practice in which physicians are on salary, which has won praise for delivering high quality and low cost care, to see if it is a possible model for health reform: "The Mayo Clinic looms out of the prairie here like the mecca it has become, a world-renowned medical complex that is often cited by President Obama. ...

For The Good Of The Service Home-Help Staff Stretch The Rules

A new thesis from the University of Gothenburg reveals that out of loyalty to the people for whom they provide care, groups of home-help staff sometimes break the rules dictating how their work should be performed. "Sometimes they do more work, or they do it differently, and as it delivers good quality care and keeps things moving the management turn a blind eye to it," says Marie Hjalmarsson.

Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits Yields Mixed Results

American employees who take advantage of employer-sponsored health benefits have watched their health coverage premiums more than double over the last ten years. This year, the decade-long trend was broken when the average premium for single coverage did not see a statistically significant increase. In addition, a number of other health benefit related statistics held steady in the face of an unstable economy, although some, including family coverage premiums, did not fare as well.

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Daily Aspirin Cuts Colon Cancer Risk in People Genetically Prone to the Disease

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, diagnosed in more than 130,000 new patients each year. For most people, the life-time risk for developing colon cancer is about six percent, but the risk is more pronounced for those with hereditary colon cancer syndromes. Patients who have inherited one of these syndromes have an extremely high risk for developing colon cancer, approaching 90 to 100 percent.

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Understaffed Rotas Are Pushing The NHS To Breaking Point, Says New Junior Doctors Leader, UK

The BMA has uncovered Department of Health data that estimates that junior doctor staffing rotas in the UK were short by almost 3,000 doctors at the end of 2008*. The BMA fears this problem has got worse as a result of inadequate preparations prior to the implementation of the 48 hour week which came into force for junior doctors in August.

Biotech Innovation Could Extend Dosing Intervals, Simplify Production

Many biopharmaceuticals comprise small proteins that are quickly eliminated from the body. Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) combine such small proteins with a kind of molecular balloon that swells and thus prolongs the half-life of the proteins in the body. The TUM spin-off XL-Protein GmbH has now started to further develop this new technology with blockbuster potential.

Experts Debate Merits Of Public Plan And Individual Mandate

Some news outlets take a step back to explain various parts of health care legislation. NPR reports: "The pitch for a public plan is that somehow it will be able to put the brakes on health care costs. Right now health care spending is rising so fast that Medicare and Medicaid are on pace to cripple the federal budget.

Dental Research Website Gets 'X' Factor

The newly redeveloped Shirley Glasstone Hughes Trust Fund website puts research commissioning into the hands of the primary dental care team. Members of the site are now able to vote online for the questions they need answers to, to help their practice. The new voting system is designed so that dental teams can choose a "question of the month".

Patients At Risk Of Cardiovascular Events Missing Out On Treatment, Australia

Many general practice patients at high risk of suffering cardiovascular events are not receiving adequate medical treatment, according to the results of a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Ruth Webster, of The George Institute for International Health, and her co-authors analysed data from 2618 adult patients who presented to GPs over a five week period in 2006.

What Is Kidney Cancer? What Causes Kidney Cancer?

Kidney cancer, or cancer of the kidney, is any type of cancer that has arisen from the kidney. Kidney cancer does not usually include a cancer that arose outside the kidney and metastasized to include metastatic cancer of the kidney. The most common types of kidney cancer include renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis.

Are College Students The 'Invisible Minority' In Health Care Debate?

President Barack Obama's speech at the University of Maryland Thursday put attention on how health care reform may affect young people. NPR reports: "Young people make up one of the biggest chunks of the uninsured: One in three adults under 30 does not have health insurance. And, Obama said, most of them are just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy.

Help Bring Diabetes To Light On World Diabetes Day

Diabetes UK is calling on people to help bring diabetes to light on World Diabetes Day (Saturday 14 November). Diabetes UK, along with six other diabetes charities in the UK, is taking part in the World Diabetes Day Monument Challenge and we are asking people to join in by lighting local landmarks and buildings in blue on or around Saturday 14 November.

Many People Are Confused Or Misinformed On What Is, And Is Not, In Health Reform Proposals

A new Harris Poll finds that large numbers of people either believe damaging misinformation about the health care proposals being discussed in Washington or are not sure what to believe. The polls also shows that almost half of all adults continue to support what they see as President Obama's health care reform proposals, significantly but not substantially more than oppose them.

New AACN Data Show The Impact Of The Economy On The Nurse Faculty Shortage

New data collected by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) show that the downturn in the economy may be impacting the nurse faculty shortage by lowering the national vacancy rate. Based on data received from 554 schools of nursing in the U.S. with baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs (70.2% response rate), the nurse faculty vacancy rate in 2009 was 6.6%, down from 7.

Prostate Cancer Guide For African-American Men And Their Families Now Available

A new guide, Straight Talk for African-American Men and their Families, is now available from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). It was produced in alliance with Charlie Wilson, famed R&B singer and recent prostate cancer survivor. African-American men are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 2.4 times more likely to die from it than Caucasian men.

Cancer Experts Are Developing A Tool To Work Out Percentage Risk Of Developing Cervical Cancer

Cancer experts at the US National Cancer Institute (part of the US National Institutes of Health [NIH]) are creating a tool to work out the percentage risk a woman has of developing cervical cancer. The proposal is in a Keynote Comment, published Online First and in the November edition of The Lancet Oncology, written by Dr Hormuzd A Katki, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Turning Drugs On And Off Using Magnetism

Many medical conditions, such as chronic pain, cancer and diabetes, require medications that cannot be taken orally, but must be dosed intermittently, on an as-needed basis, over a long period of time. A few delivery techniques have been developed, using an implanted heat source, an implanted electronic chip or other stimuli as an "on-off" switch to release the drugs into the body.

Statement By Kathleen Sebelius, Regarding The Selection Of Dr. Francis Collins As A National Medal Of Science Recipient

I applaud President Obama's selection of our National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins as one of this year's recipients of the National Medal of Science. As Director of the NIH, Dr. Collins is continuing the work that has defined his career: pushing the boundaries of science and finding new ways to translate these discoveries into real improvements in people's lives.

Notre Dame President To Join Annual Antiabortion March For Life

The Rev. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, announced in an e-mail to students and associates that he will attend the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., "to witness the sanctity of life," the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. Jenkins encouraged others from the university to attend the Jan. 22 antiabortion-rights protest, which is held each year on the anniversary of the U.

Is Body Contouring Surgery Right for You?

With the increasing popularity of bariatric surgery, weight losses of over 100 pounds have become a reality for thousands of people worldwide. As gratifying as this accomplishment is, often following bariatric surgery and resulting weight loss, skin does not shrink to firmly fit the new, smaller frame. The result is something similar to having a size 12 body in a size 24 skin.

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Underage Drinking May Lead to Alcohol Dependency

In today’s society, alcoholism is a major problem and the younger you start drinking the more problems it can lead to as you age. Many people who grew up in a place in time when you could legally purchase alcohol before the age of 21 are considered to be much more likely than others to be alcoholics or have a drug problem, even well in to their adult years.

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New HIV Test Approved by FDA

Each year, an estimated 56,300 people in the U.S. become newly infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS—in part because about one-quarter of the more than 1.1 million Americans believed to be living with HIV don’t know they are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV is transmitted primarily through sexual intercourse or contact with infected blood, semen, or cervical and vaginal fluids; injection-drug use; and perinatally from infected mothers to their infants.

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HealthNews Dozen: 12 Most Frequently Recommended Herbal Remedies

There are many reasons that people have turned to herbal and homeopathic remedies over the years. Whether it is because they cannot afford medical insurance—or if they can, the copayments and prescription costs are too high—or they’ve grown to distrust traditional Western medicine through the years, or simply that they wish to use the healthiest and most natural ways to care for themselves, the masses are looking to treat their common ailments with herbs.

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Stimuli For Clinical Research

DFG establishes five new Clinical Research Units to tackle the challenges faced by medicine With the establishment of five new Clinical Research Units the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) hopes to give a further boost to clinical research in Germany and drive progress in the scientific investigation and possibilities for the treatment of disease.

American Lung Association Study To Be Designated As An Editor's Choice Article In Next Edition Of The "Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology"

The American Lung Association's Asthma Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) completed the largest and most comprehensive study to evaluate placebo effects in patients with asthma. This new study investigated whether it is possible to enhance the effectiveness of treatment for poorly controlled asthma by increasing patients' expectations of the health benefit prescription drug therapy will provide.

Researchers Find Two More Genetic Risk Factors For Alzheimer's Disease

An international team of scientists has identified two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The findings are reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics. The group, led by investigators from the School of Medicine at Cardiff in the United Kingdom and including scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Smoke No Longer Found In European Hospitals

Tobacco use is prohibited in hospitals in many European countries, although levels of compliance with this regulation differ. A study carried out by researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has shown for the first time that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in European hospitals is "low", and "without any notable differences" between them.

$8 Million Grant From National Institutes Of Health To Expand Laboratory Animal Research Facility At Fox Chase Cancer Center

The Fox Chase Cancer Center has received an $8 million grant from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health (NCRR/NIH) to expand their laboratory animal research facility. The new facility will support advanced research into the fundamental biological processes underlying cancer, opening the way for the development of new treatments.

Adult Smoking Drops Again, Saving Lives And $2.8 Billion In Future Health Care Costs

Washington's adult smoking rate has hit a new low for the sixth consecutive year. Results from the state's most recent survey show the smoking rate has dropped to 15.3 percent -- down from 16.5 percent the previous year. Washington has the sixth lowest smoking rate in the nation and remains well below the national rate of 18.4 percent.

California's Real Death Panels: Insurers Deny 21% Of Claims

More than one of every five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private insurers, amounting to very real death panels in practice daily in the nation's biggest state, according to data released today by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

Vion Pharmaceuticals Announces Results Of The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting For Onrigin(TM)

VION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: VION) announced the results of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) Meeting at which data for its lead oncology therapeutic Onrigin(TM)(laromustine) Injection were presented for the indication of remission induction treatment for patients sixty years of age or older with de novo poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Inflammatory Diseases Linked To Increased Cardiovascular Risk

Patients suffering from two serious autoimmune disorders which cause muscular inflammation are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, says a group of Montreal researchers. Dr. Christian A. Pineau and his team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have linked muscular inflammation to increased cardiovascular risk for the first time.

Proton Pump Inhibitors Do Not Counteract Benefits Of Antiplatelet Drugs Clopidogrel Or Prasugrel In Patients After An Acute Coronary Syndrome

An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) do not interfere with the clinical benefit of the anticlotting drugs clopidogrel or prasugrel (thienopyridines) in patients after an acute coronary syndrome such as heart attack or unstable angina. PPIs are a commonly prescribed antacid medication.

Major Review Confirms Safety, Efficacy Of Corneal Transplant Procedure; Widely Used Antibiotic Can Cause Double Vision

Highlights of September's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy), include a 2009 review by the Academy of the safety and efficacy of a widely used corneal transplant procedure and a warning about an unusual but serious reaction to systemic fluroquinolones, a class of antibiotics used to treat a variety of bacterial infections.

Monkeys Get A Groove On, But Only To Monkey Music

Music is one of the surest ways to influence human emotions; most people unconsciously recognize and respond to music that is happy, sad, fearful or mellow. But psychologists who have tried to trace the evolutionary roots of these responses usually hit a dead end. Nonhuman primates scarcely respond to human music, and instead prefer silence.

New Study Finds Problems Accessing Medications Through Medicare Part Dassociated With Increased Emergency Room Visits

Patients with mental illness who had problems accessing medications through a Medicare Part D plan were more likely to visit a psychiatric emergency department according to study in the September issue of Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association. The study looked at medication access problems and use of intensive services (i.e.

Research Highlights Of The September 2009 Issue Of Ophthalmology

Highlights of September's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy), include a 2009 review by the Academy of the safety and efficacy of a widely used corneal transplant procedure and a warning about an unusual but serious reaction to systemic fluroquinolones, a class of antibiotics used to treat a variety of bacterial infections.

Do Women Who Smoke Like Men Die Like Men?

Smoking still kills more men than women, because men started smoking substantial numbers of cigarettes long before women did. But, because so many men have now quit, male death rates from smoking are decreasing in many European countries where female death rates from smoking are still increasing. Taking men and women together, smoking causes about 0.

Gates Foundation Task Force Visits Flooded Indian State

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently sent an eight member task force, led by the foundation's country head Ashok Alexander, to the Indian state of Bihar, which has experienced significant flooding in many districts, PTI/Hindu reports (8/30). "With major rivers in spate, there is no let up in the overall flood situation in Bihar where 1.

Drug Stores Consider How Reform Efforts May Affect Drug Stores

If reform passes, CVS expects profits to remain steady while benefit managers worry about other drug stores' plans to go around them and negotiate directly on price. The Wall Street Journal reports: "CVS Caremark's retail business is healthy, and its pharmacy-benefit-management unit should reap rewards from the flood of branded drugs about to go generic.

Second Alabama Child Dies From Novel H1N1 Influenza

The Alabama Department of Public Health has been informed that a school-age child from Jackson County has died from influenza. It is presumed that novel H1N1 influenza is the likely cause of death because of its prevalence in Alabama. This would be the third known death in the state from novel H1N1 influenza.

House Bill Would Strengthen Federal Comparative Effectiveness Programs

The Christian Science Monitor: "Should the US government mount a comprehensive effort to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various treatments for health conditions? That question is at the heart of a dispute over whether some provisions in the healthcare reform bills now under consideration in Congress eventually might lead to the rationing of care.

Pancreatic And Colorectal Cancer Novel Antibody Developed From A Vaccine To Begin Phase I Trial

Neogenix Oncology, Inc. (Neogenix) announced that NPC-1C, the company's first IND (Investigational New Drug Application) was granted permission by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the company to begin a Phase I trial. NPC-1C is derived from a colorectal cancer vaccine that had previously demonstrated safety and clinical activity in prior human studies.

Hyperion Therapeutics Receives Orphan Drug Designation For HPN-100 For The Treatment Of Hepatic Encephalopathy

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. announced that its investigational product HPN-100 (glycerol phenylbutyrate) has received orphan product designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for intermittent or chronic treatment of patients with cirrhosis and any grade of hepatic encephalopathy. The Company is planning to initiate a phase II clinical program in this indication later this year.

80 Percent Of Cases Of Postnatal Depression Predicted By New Method

Worldwide, 13% of women who give birth suffer from postnatal depression, which causes a significant deterioration in a mother's quality of life and her ability to care for her baby. Now, Spanish researchers have developed a model to diagnose this illness with a predictive power of 80% - the best result to date for this kind of depression.

Meridian Granted Special 510(k) Clearance To Add 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus Analytical Sensitivity Claim To The TRU FLU(R) Test Package Insert

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ:VIVO) announced that the company has been granted a Special 510(k) clearance to update the TRU FLU package insert to include analytical sensitivity claims with two strains of 2009 H1N1 virus cultured from positive respiratory specimens. TRU FLU is a rapid test which identifies influenza A and B in human specimens.

Diabetes Forecast Offers "10 Tips" To Save Money And Improve Your Health

Diabetes has so many costs - to your health, your emotions, and of course, your wallet. The October issue of Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association, features ten ways to save some money and improve your health. With a little know-how, you can save some big bucks on screenings, supplies, and preventive treatments.

Harvard Study Reveals 45,000 Excess Deaths Annually Linked To Lack Of Health Insurance

A study published online estimates nearly 45,000 annual deaths are associated with lack of health insurance. That figure is about two and a half times higher than an estimate from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2002. The new study, "Health Insurance and Mortality in U.S. Adults," appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

Computer Scientists At Freie Universität Berlin Develop New Information System For Blind And Visually Impaired

The artificial intelligence group at Freie Universität Berlin, under the direction of the computer science professor Raúl Rojas, has developed a new type of information system for blind and visually impaired individuals. Field trials are being carried out to optimize the device for future users. During the next six months it will be tested by 25 persons.

Under Pressure: The Impact Of Stress On Decision Making

We are faced with making decisions all the time. Often, we carefully deliberate the pros and cons of our choices, taking into consideration past experiences in similar situations before making a final decision. However, a new study suggests that cognitive stress, such as distraction, can influence this balanced, logical approach to decision making. Psychologists Jane Raymond and Jennifer L.

HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Cornerstone Funding Of The $650 Million Recovery Act Community Prevention And Wellness Initiative

Creating ways for healthful lifestyle habits to be the natural first choice for Americans is the goal of a $650 million initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, decrease obesity, and decrease smoking in U.S. communities.

The Roles Of S100A2 And P63 In The Carcinogenesis Of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

As a member of the S100 family, S100A2 is considered a candidate tumor-suppressor gene. Recently, p63 gene, a new member of the p53 gene family, has been studied in the fields of tumorigenesis, cell apoptosis and tissue growth. At present, few studies have been carried out on the expression and relationship of S100A2 and p63 in EC.

Natural Hydrogel Helps Heal Spinal Cord, Barrow Researcher Finds

Research led by a scientist at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has shown injecting biomaterial gel into a spinal cord injury site provides significantly improved healing. The project that also included researchers from Purdue University and Arizona State University indicates that a "practical path" to treatment may be found for spinal injury patients.

The Japanese Guideline For Prostate Cancer Screening

UroToday.com - Although the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in Japan have increased, they are lower than in Western countries, including the USA. In 2005, there were 9,264 deaths from prostate cancer, accounting for 4.7% of the total number of cancer deaths in Japan. The previous Japanese guidelines published in 2001 did not recommend prostate cancer screening using PSA and DRE.

Heart Risk Factors In Middle Age Can Cut Life Span By Up To 15 Years

Middle aged men who smoke, have high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels can expect a 10-15 year shorter life expectancy from age 50 compared with men without these risk factors, concludes research published on bmj.com today. Death rates from heart disease in the United Kingdom have declined steadily since the early 1970s, resulting in substantial improvements in life expectancy.

Spread The Word, Not The Flu: "How To"

The reach of the H1N1 flu is devastating. According to the World Health Organization, 168 countries and territories have at least one confirmed case of pandemic H1N1 flu. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that in the United States, the virus caused people to get sick and even die in the summer when the country is normally flu-free.

What Is Rubella? What Are German Measles? What Causes Rubella Or German Measles?

Rubella, also known as German measles, is an infectious disease caused by the rubella virus. The virus passes from person-to-person via droplets in the air expelled when infected people cough or sneeze - the virus may also be present in the urine, feces and on the skin. The hallmark symptoms of rubella are an elevated body temperature and a pink rash.

Some Ethnic Minorities Rate Medical Care Worse Than White Patients

Some ethnic minority patients rate certain aspects of their care more negatively than do white patients, according to research published on bmj.com today. The authors suggest that adjusting survey results for ethnicity may be justified when comparing healthcare providers. Patient surveys both from the UK and US are increasingly being used as a way of measuring the quality of medical care.

Baucus Approach To Financing Health Care Reform Step In Right Direction

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (Alliance) characterized the health care finance reform plan released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus as a step in the right direction, and said the process moving forward to a final bill should avoid steep cuts to Medicare financed nursing home care for the benefit of U.S.

What Is Lazy Eye? What Is Amblyopia? What Causes Lazy Eye Or Amblyopia?

Lazy eye is also known as Amblyopia. Lazy eye is an early childhood condition where a child's eyesight in one eye does not develop as it should. The problem is usually in just one eye, but can sometimes affect both of them. When a patient has amblyopia the brain focuses on one eye more than the other, virtually ignoring the lazy eye.

UNAIDS Welcomes Creation Of New UN Women's Agency

UNAIDS welcomes the adoption of a resolution by the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations calling for the creation of a new UN agency on women. "This is a historic opportunity to advance the rights of women and girls," said UNAIDS' executive director Mr. Michel Sidibé. "UNAIDS will work closely with the new agency to promote women's access to health and development.

Fall Chores Spark Safety Advice From Orthopaedic Surgeons

It's that time of year again and the fall season has begun. As each changing season brings its own set of activities and chores, families start thinking about outdoor yardwork. From raking leaves, to mowing lawns and using ladders, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) offers outdoor safety advice to make sure your autumn clean-up is as safe and injury-free as possible.

H1N1: Common Sense For Parents

After closing schools and making headlines this spring, Novel H1N1 A (swine flu) is back in the news and stirring up parental anxieties anew. Of course, H1NI really didn't go anywhere over the long, hot Texas summer; it quietly continued to infect kids in summer camps and at home. Most cases were not life threatening, with symptoms similar to that of seasonal flu.

Later Drinking Ages Mean Less Alcohol Use

A new study finds that adults who legally were able to purchase alcohol before the age of 21 in their states are more likely than others are to be alcoholics or addicted to drugs. Researchers are not certain how to explain the difference, but it is possible that a higher drinking age could cut back on the intensity of alcohol use before the age of 21, said lead study author Karen Norberg, M.D.

Diet for Your Blood Type

After a recent doctor appointment and being advised to get blood drawn, a phlebotomist (blood technician) friend of mine asked if the blood type diet would be a good idea for me to try. With some investigation as to exactly what “eating for my blood type” meant, the results were interesting enough to share.

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Suicidal Thoughts Among U.S. Adults Present Grave Risk for Tragic and Needless Loss of Life

A first ever large-scale national scientific survey has revealed that 8.3 million U.S. adults, accounting for 3.7 percent of mature Americans, seriously contemplated suicide last year alone. Another 2.3 million moved forward in planning their own demise, while 1.1 million people actually took action and made an attempt to take their own lives. Those attempting suicide accounted for 0.5 percent of all American adults. Approximately 32,000 of all suicides attempted within the U.S. each years are tragically successful.

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