Health News from Medical News Today
Health News from Medical News Today
Latest Health News and Medical News posted throughout the day, every day.
1.
AMA Welcomes Big Investment In Medical Training, Australia
2.
Functional Technologies Develops Yeast Solution For Acrylamide In Processed Foods
3.
Arcadia Biosciences Completes First Commercial Production Of SONOVA™ 400 High GLA Safflower Oil
4.
Kevin P. Black, MD, Elected To American Academy Of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board Of Directors
5.
AngioScore Announces Favorable Results From The MASCOT Trial
6.
FDA Allows IND For Bio-Path Holdings' Liposomal Grb-2
7.
Patient Advocacy Group Asks FDA To Enhance Its Enforcement Of Unapproved Drugs Initiative
8.
Risk Stratification Imperative To Treatment Selection In Patients With AML
9.
Ligand Announces Approval For Revolade(R) In Europe
10.
Frost & Sullivan Lauds Positron Corporation For Cardiac-Focused PET Molecular Imaging Scanner Attrius™
11.
Cancer Care At The End Of Life: When Is Enough, Enough?
12.
Progenics To Advance Oral Methylnaltrexone Into Late Stage Clinical Development
13.
New NCCN Guidelines™ For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Presented At Annual Conference
14.
Experts Highlight Impact Of Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines On Cancer Care And Cost
15.
Public Health, Redesign Of Services And Social Care The Key Tasks For Whoever Wins The General Election, Says NHS Confederation Report
16.
Abbott Statement: ACCORD Lipid Results Support Treatment Guidelines For Fibrate Use
17.
Daniel W. White, MD, Elected To The American Academy Of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board Of Directors
18.
American Heart Association Comment On The FDA Drug Safety Communication Regarding Boxed Warning For Clopidogrel
19.
PRILIGY(R) - New Approved Medication For Premature Ejaculation Available For New Zealand
20.
GE Healthcare's MAC 800 Portable ECG Device Helps To Advance Physician Care Of Athletes And Visitors At Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
21.
FDA Panel Recommends Approval With Conditions Of Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy For Patients With Refractory Epilepsy
22.
Discovery Of Opposing Functions Of A Key Molecule In The Development Of Organisms Could Benefit Cancer Research
23.
Designing A Tool For Operations On People With Severe Or Profound Auditory Loss
24.
Research May Provide Potential Target For New Therapies To Limit Metastasis Of Primary Breast Cancers
25.
Pancreatic Cancer Study Reveals Mechanism Initiating Disease, In Mice
26.
Intensive BP, Combined Lipid Therapies Do Not Help Adults With Diabetes
27.
New Biomedical Engineering Tools To Control Blood Loss
28.
License Agreement To Develop Treatments For Neurological Disease Announced By Brain Science Institute
29.
Beta Site-Testing Of InDevR AmpliPHOX Colormetric Detection Technology
30.
Updated 'Patient Care In Vascular And Interventional Radiology' And Related 'Study Guide' Now Available
31.
Statement From The Department Of Health & Human Services Regarding The Decisions Of The U.S. Court Of Federal Claims In The Omnibus Autism Proceeding
32.
In The Fight Against Life-Threatening Catheter Infections, Length Of Use Is Key
33.
Men, Not Ladies, First: We're Still Sexist In Writing
34.
People Living With HIV/AIDS: India Must Not Sacrifice Us In Trade Agreement With Europe
35.
Government Called To Action On Obesity And Climate Change, Australia
36.
Driver Licensing Authorities Should Take Responsibility For Deciding Medical Fitness To Drive, Australia
37.
More Vigorous Research Needed Into Effects Of Compensation On Injury Outcomes, Australia
38.
More Adequate Provision Of Eye Care Services Need To 'Close The Gap' In Vision Loss In Indigenous People, Australia
39.
Suffocation Danger To Young Babies In Sling Carriers: US Consumers Warned
40.
OICR Advances Development Of Two Investigational Cancer Innovations
41.
Democrats' Health Bill Plans Could Hinge On Parliamentarian's Ruling
42.
Christian Groups Combat High Health Premiums By Paying Each Other's Bills
43.
Research Roundup: Evaluating Health Bills, Attitudes About Uninsured, Improving Emergency Rooms
44.
A Selection Of Today's Opinions And Editorials
45.
Democratic Leaders Discuss Plans To Advance Health Reform Without Changes To Abortion Language
46.
NPR Examines Health Groups Established By Evangelical Christians
47.
VBAC Reasonably Safe, Should Be More Widely Available, NIH Panel Finds
48.
Blogs Respond To Antiabortion Ads, Use Of Twitter To Describe Abortion, Other Topics
49.
Videos Examine Health Reform Abortion Debate, International Women's Day
50.
95% Success Rate For Grown Teen Pitchers With "Tommy John" Elbow Reconstruction
51.
84 Percent Of Male Patients Still Highly Active 15 Years After ACL Knee Reconstruction
52.
70 Percent Of Able-Bodied Hockey Players Have Abnormal Hip And Pelvis MRIs According To New Study
53.
Getting Athletes 'Back In The Game' Faster: Minimally Invasive Sports Hernia Repair
54.
Tiger Bones Rejected By Chinese Medicine Societies Ahead Of CITES Conference
55.
Nanoparticles Provide A Targeted Version Of Photothermal Therapy For Cancer
56.
Best Treatment For Childhood Epilepsy Identified By New Study
57.
Changes In Muscle Cell Structure Can Affect Gene Expression
58.
Exercising Just Got Easier For Busy People, Study Shows
59.
Exploring The Interplay Between Vitamin D And Calcium
60.
Telemonitoring Improves Patient Care
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AMA Welcomes Big Investment In Medical Training, Australia
2010-03-15 20:00
Medical Students / Training
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA welcomes the Government's significant investment in medical training with the announcement of big increases in the number of medical training places across the board. The Government has announced there will be 1200 general practice training places by 2014, 975 Pre-vocational General Practice Placements Program (PGPPP) places by 2013, and 900 specialist training positions in private, community and rural settings by 2014...
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Functional Technologies Develops Yeast Solution For Acrylamide In...
2010-03-15 12:00
Nutrition / Diet
Functional Technologies Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FEB), a world leader in yeast research and development, announced today that it has developed, tested and filed patent applications for yeast technology that reduces the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed when starchy foods are baked, fried or toasted. Recognized globally as a serious food safety issue since 2002, acrylamide has been found in many widely consumed foods, including bread, cookies, crackers, baby food, breakfast cereal, French fries and potato chips...
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Arcadia Biosciences Completes First Commercial Production Of...
2010-03-15 12:00
Nutrition / Diet
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, announced today that it has successfully completed the first commercial production of SONOVA™ 400 High GLA Safflower Oil. Seed produced by the first High GLA Safflower crop, grown during 2009, was processed to produce commercial quantities of SONOVA™ 400 oil, which is now available for distribution as a key ingredient in dietary supplements...
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Kevin P. Black, MD, Elected To American Academy Of Orthopaedic...
2010-03-15 11:00
Bones / Orthopedics
Orthopaedic surgeon Kevin P. Black, MD, of Hershey, Penn., was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) at the organization's 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. "It's an enormous honor to be elected to the AAOS Board of Directors," said Dr. Black. "I'm looking forward to working with and learning from the other members of the Board and having the opportunity to contribute to our great profession and ultimately the patients for whom we care." Dr...
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AngioScore Announces Favorable Results From The MASCOT Trial
2010-03-15 11:00
Vascular
AngioScore, Inc., a developer of novel angioplasty catheters for use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, announced today favorable clinical trial results from the MASCOT Trial, an important study evaluating the AngioSculpt® PTA Scoring Balloon Catheter for the treatment of femoro-popliteal PAD (peripheral artery disease). "PAD is one of the fastest-growing segments of the Endovascular Market, with an estimated two million annual procedures worldwide...
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FDA Allows IND For Bio-Path Holdings' Liposomal Grb-2
2010-03-15 11:00
Cancer / Oncology
Bio-Path Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: BPTH), a publicly traded biotechnology company with drug development operations in Houston, Texas, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed an IND (Investigational New Drug) for the Company's lead cancer drug candidate liposomal Grb-2 to proceed into clinical trials...
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Patient Advocacy Group Asks FDA To Enhance Its Enforcement Of...
2010-03-15 11:00
Public Health
The National Minority Quality Forum (The Forum) is launching a new public information campaign aimed to help educate consumers, physicians, and policymakers about the risks associated with prescribing and taking unapproved drugs that have not been subjected to the rigorous Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) review and approval process. Unapproved drugs can be dangerous - or even deadly - to patients as a result of the lack of testing, unknown or unregulated ingredients, improper labeling, and as a result of this lack of information, the inability to predict drug to drug interactions...
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Risk Stratification Imperative To Treatment Selection In Patients...
2010-03-15 11:00
Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Using risk stratification to assist in treatment selection was just one of the focal points at a recent presentation of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at the NCCN 15th Annual Conference. B. Douglas Smith, MD of The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and a member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for AML, spoke about the challenges in treating AML as well as recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines™. Dr...
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Ligand Announces Approval For Revolade(R) In Europe
2010-03-15 11:00
Blood / Hematology
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) today announced that GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) was granted marketing authorization from the European Commission (EC) for Revolade® (eltrombopag) for the oral treatment of thrombocytopenia (reduced platelet count) in adults with the blood disorder chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Eltrombopag is indicated for adult chronic ITP splenectomized patients who have not responded (are refractory) to other treatments, such as corticosteroids and immunoglobulins...
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Frost & Sullivan Lauds Positron Corporation For Cardiac-Focused PET...
2010-03-15 11:00
MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Based on its recent analysis of the cardiac molecular imaging systems market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Positron Corporation with the 2010 North American Award for New Product Innovation, for its pioneering cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, Attrius™. The Attrius™ was developed and optimized for molecular imaging of the heart, making it the ideal solution for cardiologists and hospitals looking to add high accuracy, cost effective imaging technology...
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Cancer Care At The End Of Life: When Is Enough, Enough?
2010-03-15 11:00
Cancer / Oncology
Despite the advances and groundbreaking research being performed in the area of cancer treatment, sometimes cancer cannot be cured. In this situation, patients and their families are faced with complex emotions and a variety of end of life issues and decisions. ABC News veteran and anchor Sam Donaldson shared his own perspective as a cancer survivor while moderating a roundtable of notable panelists at the NCCN 15th Annual Conference: Clinical Practice Guidelines & Quality Cancer Care™ on March 11, 2010. "I had to figure out who I was going to be on my own." Mr...
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Progenics To Advance Oral Methylnaltrexone Into Late Stage Clinical...
2010-03-15 11:00
Pain / Anesthetics
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNX) today announced that it plans to advance oral methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) into late stage clinical development and will commence a phase 2b/3 clinical trial of a methylnaltrexone tablet in chronic-pain patients in the second half of 2010. Progenics also announced data from a clinical trial of this methylnaltrexone tablet. The tablet form of oral methylnaltrexone was developed by Progenics' former collaboration partner Wyeth...
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New NCCN Guidelines™ For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Presented...
2010-03-15 11:00
Asbestos / Mesothelioma
A new addition to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™), the NCCN Guidelines for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM), was presented at the NCCN 15th Annual Conference. Lee M. Krug, MD of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel discussed recommended treatment options for patients with MPM as well as first-line therapy regimens. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs...
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Experts Highlight Impact Of Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines On...
2010-03-15 11:00
Cancer / Oncology
The escalating costs of cancer care combined with variations in concordance with evidence-based practice guidelines is putting the United States on a collision course for an impending collapse of its current health care system according to roundtable panelists at the NCCN 15th Annual Conference. Clifford Goodman, PhD, of The Lewin Group, led an engaging roundtable debating the utilization of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) and the impact of escalating health care costs. Dr...
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Public Health, Redesign Of Services And Social Care The Key Tasks For...
2010-03-15 10:00
Public Health
The study, Rising to the challenge: health priorities for the Government and the NHS looks at the scale of the task facing a new administration after this year's General Election. It argues that the demands of a spending squeeze combined with lifestyle factors, the UK's aging population and the increasing cost of healthcare mean the NHS is facing one of the most difficult moments in its history...
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Abbott Statement: ACCORD Lipid Results Support Treatment Guidelines...
2010-03-15 10:00
Diabetes
Results were presented today on behalf of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute from ACCORD, a study in patients with diabetes that evaluated cardiovascular outcomes in three distinct studies - glycemic control, blood pressure control and lipid control. In response to data from the ACCORD Lipid study, Abbott issued the following statement: "The results of ACCORD Lipid were widely expected and not surprising given that two-thirds of patients in the trial would not be treated with fibrates under current guidelines," said Eugene Sun, M.D...
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Daniel W. White, MD, Elected To The American Academy Of Orthopaedic...
2010-03-15 10:00
Bones / Orthopedics
Orthopaedic surgeon Daniel W. White, MD, LTC, MC, was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) at its 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. "As a military physician, I hope to bring a unique perspective to the leadership," said Dr. White. "I am humbled and honored to be a member of the AAOS Board of Directors." Dr. White currently serves as the chief of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation services at Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colo...
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American Heart Association Comment On The FDA Drug Safety...
2010-03-15 10:00
Heart Disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety communication to patients and healthcare professionals regarding the use of clopidogrel, an anti-clotting medication. The FDA is requiring a "Boxed Warning" on the label of clopidogrel to tell patients and healthcare providers that certain patients may lack genetic factors required to effectively metabolize the drug. These "poor metabolizers" may not receive the full benefits of clopidogrel. According to the FDA, approximately 2 to 14 percent of the population are poor metabolizers of clopidogrel...
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PRILIGY(R) - New Approved Medication For Premature Ejaculation...
2010-03-15 10:00
Erectile Dysfunction / Premature Ejaculation
Janssen-Cilag announced that PRILIGY® (dapoxetine) is now approved and available for use in New Zealand for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) in men 18-64 years of age. PE is a common men's medical condition, but it is rarely talked about. However, it is widespread and could affect the quality of life of an estimated 250,000 New Zealand men and their partners . Dr...
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GE Healthcare's MAC 800 Portable ECG Device Helps To Advance...
2010-03-15 10:00
Medical Devices / Diagnostics
GE Healthcare' announced that the company's portable ECG (electrocardiograph) device, the MAC 800, will be implemented in both Vancouver and Whistler to help support physician care of athletes, trainers and visitors throughout the Vancouver 2010 Paralymipc Winter Games...
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FDA Panel Recommends Approval With Conditions Of Medtronic Deep Brain...
2010-03-15 10:00
Epilepsy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Neurological Devices Panel today voted seven to five to recommend approval with conditions of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy for Epilepsy from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) as adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures in adults with medically refractory epilepsy. If the FDA follows the recommendation of the panel, the therapy will be approved for the treatment of epilepsy in patients who have continued seizures with inadequate response to currently available epilepsy treatments...
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Discovery Of Opposing Functions Of A Key Molecule In The Development...
2010-03-15 09:00
Cancer / Oncology
Scientists headed by ICREA researcher Marco Milan, at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), reveal a surprising new function of Notch protein that contrasts with the one known to date. Found in the cell membrane, this protein activates a signalling pathway that regulates the expression of genes that make the cell divide, grow, migrate, specialise or die. Notch activity is required for the correct development of organisms and for the maintenance of tissues in adults...
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Designing A Tool For Operations On People With Severe Or Profound...
2010-03-15 09:00
Ear, Nose and Throat
A team of engineers from the CEIT-IK4 technological centre and doctors from the University Hospital of Navarra have designed a new tool for operating on the inner ear with maximum precision, reducing the possibility of damage to the auditory function during the surgery. This is the first micromanipulator specifically for operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants, of which about a hundred are carried out in this hospital annually. Taking part in developing the new tool were four engineers from CEIT and five ear, nose and throat specialists from the University Hospital of Navarra...
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Research May Provide Potential Target For New Therapies To Limit...
2010-03-15 09:00
Breast Cancer
Researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center have discovered that "microtentacles," or extensions of the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells, appear to play a key role in how cancers spread to distant locations in the body. Targeting these microtentacles might prove to be a new way to prevent or slow the growth of these secondary cancers, the scientists say...
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Pancreatic Cancer Study Reveals Mechanism Initiating Disease, In Mice
2010-03-15 09:00
Pancreatic Cancer
UCSF scientists have discovered how a mutated gene known as Kras is able to hijack mouse cells damaged by acute pancreatitis, putting them on the path to becoming pancreatic cancer cells. The finding, they say, suggests one way in which the mutated gene - found in nearly all cases of the most common and lethal form of pancreatic cancer - exacts its toll in humans...
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Intensive BP, Combined Lipid Therapies Do Not Help Adults With...
2010-03-15 09:00
Heart Disease
Lowering blood pressure to normal levels - below currently recommended levels - did not significantly reduce the combined risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes who were at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease events, according to new results from the landmark Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial. Similarly, treating multiple blood lipids with combination drug therapy of a fibrate and a statin did not reduce the combined risk of cardiovascular disease events more than treatment with statin alone...
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New Biomedical Engineering Tools To Control Blood Loss
2010-03-15 09:00
Blood / Hematology
Carnegie Mellon University's Matt Oberdier is developing a new hydrosurgery system to help physicians better manage excessive bleeding during surgery. Oberdier, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon, said his system will be designed to help surgeons readily clear excess blood and control bleeding during critical stages involving brain operations. "We are creating a device that will house a clear, hermetically sealed dome through which instruments may be passed, and a special pump to apply fluid pressure and monitor the flow to the surgical area,'' said Oberdier...
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License Agreement To Develop Treatments For Neurological Disease...
2010-03-15 09:00
Neurology / Neuroscience
Johns Hopkins University's newly formed Brain Science Institute's NeuroTranslational Program has entered into a licensing agreement with pharmaceutical company Eisai Inc. to discover and develop small molecule glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) inhibitors. The NeuroTranslational Program was launched in 2009 staffed with seasoned drug-discovery scientists to work side by side with Johns Hopkins faculty to help translate basic science discoveries into small molecule therapeutics. Under the terms of the agreement, Eisai has granted the Brain Science Institute, or BSI, non-exclusive U...
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Beta Site-Testing Of InDevR AmpliPHOX Colormetric Detection Technology
2010-03-15 09:00
IT / Internet / E-mail
InDevR, developer of advanced life science products, announced that its ampliPHOX Colorimetric Detection Technology is being beta site-tested in anticipation of an upcoming product launch. The original intellectual property was licensed from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The beta sites include the Influenza Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Laboratory Services Division in Denver and the USDA/ARS/WRRC, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit in Albany, Calif...
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Updated 'Patient Care In Vascular And Interventional Radiology' And...
2010-03-15 09:00
Vascular
"Patient Care in Vascular and Interventional Radiology" - an essential resource and the first offering from Society of Interventional Radiology Press, the society's publishing arm - is now available. Also available is the companion "Patient Care in Vascular and Interventional Radiology Study Guide." Written by top experts in their areas of specialty, this resource is ideal for physicians in their fellowship or in training, for certification or recertification or for those who want to brush up on crucial areas of patient care...
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Statement From The Department Of Health & Human Services Regarding...
2010-03-15 09:00
Autism
As these latest cases illustrated, there's no doubt that autism and autism spectrum disorders place a heavy burden on many families. We know that autism and related disorders are conditions that present many special challenges to all families touched by these disorders. That is why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides services to families with family members with autism spectrum disorder and continues to support research to better understand risk factors and causes of autism spectrum disorders and develop more effective methods of treatment...
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In The Fight Against Life-Threatening Catheter Infections, Length Of...
2010-03-15 09:00
Pediatrics / Children's Health
Hospitals may reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in newborns with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by replacing the device every 30 days or so, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study. The daily risk of getting a dangerous bacterial infection jumped by 33 percent per day around day 35 and remained elevated thereafter in those babies who needed the device long term, the investigators write in the April issue of Pediatrics. Their findings will appear online on March 15...
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Men, Not Ladies, First: We're Still Sexist In Writing
2010-03-15 09:00
Psychology / Psychiatry
Putting male names before female names in writing is a remnant of sexist thinking. This is the finding of a study published online today, 15th March 2010, in the British Journal of Social Psychology by Dr Peter Hegarty and colleagues of the University of Surrey. Dr Hegarty said: "In the 16th century, naming men before women became the acceptable word-order to use because of the thinking that men were the worthier sex. This grammar has continued with 'Mr and Mrs', 'his and hers' and the names of romantic couples like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet...
Top
People Living With HIV/AIDS: India Must Not Sacrifice Us In Trade...
2010-03-15 09:00
HIV / AIDS
As the final round of closed-door negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) is about to start this month, people living with HIV/AIDS are protesting to ensure Indian negotiators do not give in to pressure to accept terms that will seriously hamper access to medicines for millions of people living in the developing world. "We are marching to call on the Indian government not to trade away our lives," said Loon Gangte, president of the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+)...
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Government Called To Action On Obesity And Climate Change, Australia
2010-03-15 09:00
Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Australian politicians must act quickly to combat the rise of obesity and its life-threatening disease consequences, and the great threats to health from global climate change, according to a letter published in the Medical Journal of Australia. The letter has been endorsed by 300 medical and health practitioners, including 40 professors of medicine and health sciences. Prof Garry Egger, Adjunct Professor of Health Sciences at Southern Cross University, NSW, and his co-authors write that big health gains have been made since the onset of industrialisation...
Top
Driver Licensing Authorities Should Take Responsibility For Deciding...
2010-03-15 09:00
Epilepsy
Australian driver licensing authorities must take responsibility for determining whether a person's medical condition makes them unfit to drive. This can be difficult, especially for conditions like epilepsy, where the impairment is intermittent and unpredictable. An expert review mechanism is needed to deal with uncertain or exceptional cases, according to an article published in theMedical Journal of Australia...
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More Vigorous Research Needed Into Effects Of Compensation On Injury...
2010-03-15 09:00
Public Health
A longitudinal study has disproved previous research showing access to motor vehicle accident compensation affects recovery outcomes after injury. Conducted by Dr Meaghan O'Donnell, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, and her co-authors, the study included 391 randomly selected patients with moderate-to-severe injuries. The study is published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia...
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More Adequate Provision Of Eye Care Services Need To 'Close The Gap'...
2010-03-15 09:00
Eye Health / Blindness
Blindness rates in Indigenous Australians are still much higher than in non-Indigenous Australians, despite a probable fall in overall rates of blindness in Indigenous people in the past 30 years, according to research published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Most blindness was due to readily preventable or treatable causes of vision loss, including cataract, diabetes, refractive error and trachoma...
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Suffocation Danger To Young Babies In Sling Carriers: US Consumers...
2010-03-15 09:00
Pediatrics / Children's Health
US consumers are being warned about the dangers of carrying babies up to four months old in a sling carrier as there is a possible risk of them suffocating if carried incorrectly. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) made the announcement in Washington on Friday and said that it is researching 14 infant deaths linked to sling-style baby carriers over the last 20 years, three from last year...
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OICR Advances Development Of Two Investigational Cancer Innovations
2010-03-15 09:00
Cancer / Oncology
The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) announced a significant investment toward the development of two new promising cancer therapies. The recipients of the awards are: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, for Kullervo Hynynen's low-cost focused ultrasound system. This system can find and destroy tumors without surgery, increasing quality of life and lowering the cost of treatment for patients with inoperable bone and liver cancer. Hynynen will use the investment from OICR to develop a complete prototype and perform pre-clinical testing of the new system...
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Democrats' Health Bill Plans Could Hinge On Parliamentarian's Ruling
2010-03-15 08:00
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Roll Call: After initially indicating "the Senate-passed health reform bill must be signed into law before Congress acts on companion reconciliation legislation, the Senate Parliamentarian has acknowledged that there are perhaps ways to draft a reconciliation measure that could move first." But, if Democrats choose to pursue this approach, "they likely would have to narrow the scope of the reconciliation bill...
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Christian Groups Combat High Health Premiums By Paying Each Other's...
2010-03-15 08:00
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
NPR: Some evangelical Christian groups in America are driving down health care costs in their own way, by helping each other pay medical bills instead of paying premiums. "James Lansberry, the vice president of Samaritan Ministries, says the concept is simple. First there's a $170 annual fee to cover Samaritan's administrative costs. His nonprofit group then compiles members' health care bills and tells its 14,000 households where to send their monthly checks." But there are restrictions, as well: "Religion is a large part of Samaritan's business model...
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Research Roundup: Evaluating Health Bills, Attitudes About Uninsured,...
2010-03-15 08:00
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Urban Institute: The Cost Of Uncompensated Care With And Without Health Reform - This report analyzes various health bills. "The cost of uncompensated care will fall from $62.1 billion in 2009 to $46.6 billion in 2019 under the Senate bill, and to $36.5 billion in 2019 with the House bill. Without reform, the cost of uncompensated care will increase to between $107 and $141 billion in 2019, depending on growth in the economy and health care costs. ... Without health reform, the number of uninsured and the amount of uncompensated care will grow substantially...
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A Selection Of Today's Opinions And Editorials
2010-03-15 08:00
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Health Reform Myths The New York Times Health reform is back from the dead. ... But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin (Paul Krugman, 3/11). If Democrats Ignore Health-Care Polls, Midterms Will Be Costly The Washington Post Bluntly put, this is the political reality: First, the battle for public opinion has been lost...
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Democratic Leaders Discuss Plans To Advance Health Reform Without...
2010-03-15 08:00
Abortion
House leaders said Thursday that they will not include changes to the Senate health reform bill's (HR 3590) abortion-coverage language in a budget reconciliation bill that Democrats are expected to use as in their strategy to enact a health overhaul, Politico reports. Under the Democrats' strategy, the House is expected to pass the Senate bill, and then both chambers are expected to pass agreed-upon changes. The Senate would pass the changes through the budget reconciliation process...
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NPR Examines Health Groups Established By Evangelical Christians
2010-03-15 08:00
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
NPR's "Morning Edition" examined evangelical Christian health groups that share the cost of medical bills among members instead of purchasing traditional health insurance plans, many of which cover services that go against evangelical beliefs. For example, a plan operated by Samaritan Ministries charges an annual $170 fee to cover administrative costs, according to James Lansberry, vice president of the group. The plan combines the cost of all members' medical bills and tells participants where to mail checks to cover other members' costs...
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VBAC Reasonably Safe, Should Be More Widely Available, NIH Panel Finds
2010-03-15 08:00
Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Vaginal birth after caesarean section is reasonably safe and more women should have access to it, an NIH advisory panel announced on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Roan, Los Angeles Times, 3/11). The VBAC rate has declined from a peak of 28.3% in 1996 to less than 10% currently. The NIH panel found the risks related to both additional c-sections and VBAC to be small, with a vaginal birth being safer for the mother and a c-section slightly safer for the infant. Panel experts said the general quality of data available on such risk divisions is poor...
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Blogs Respond To Antiabortion Ads, Use Of Twitter To Describe...
2010-03-15 08:00
Abortion
The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries. ~ "Ads Tell Women: 'Abortion Changes You,'" Tracy Clark-Flory, Salon's "Broadsheet": This week, the antiabortion-rights group Abortion Changes You ran a series of ads across the New York City subway system that "depict either a woman saying, 'I thought life would be the way it was before,' or a man saying, 'I often wonder if there was something I could have done to help her,'" Clark-Flory writes. She adds that although "we should acknowledge that abortion can change you, ...
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Videos Examine Health Reform Abortion Debate, International Women's...
2010-03-15 08:00
Abortion
The following summarizes selected women's health-related videos. Uncertainty Surrounds 'Stupak Dozen': On Wednesday, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow challenged Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) claim that he has about twelve lawmakers who will vote against the Senate health reform bill if it doesn't include more restrictions on abortion coverage. According to a senior House leadership aide, an informal whip count found that only four or five House members are willing to back Stupak, Maddow reported (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 3/10)...
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95% Success Rate For Grown Teen Pitchers With "Tommy John" Elbow...
2010-03-15 08:00
Sports Medicine / Fitness
A new study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in New Orleans, (March 13), found that 95 percent of skeletally mature high school pitchers were satisfied with their "Tommy John" elbow reconstruction surgery. Almost as many, (94.7 percent) returned to competitive baseball. "Tommy John" surgery is a procedure where a damaged elbow ligament (ulnar collateral ligament or UCL) is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The surgery is named for Hall of Fame pitcher Tommy John, who was the first person to have the surgery in 1974...
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84 Percent Of Male Patients Still Highly Active 15 Years After ACL...
2010-03-15 08:00
Sports Medicine / Fitness
Eighty-four percent of males who had ACL knee (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction with a patellar tendon (the tendon that attaches the knee to the front of the tibia or shin bone) graft continue at a high level of activity 15 years later, according to a study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in New Orleans, Louisiana (March 13). Additionally, these patients have not developed severe osteoarthritis and their knees remain stable...
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70 Percent Of Able-Bodied Hockey Players Have Abnormal Hip And Pelvis...
2010-03-15 08:00
Sports Medicine / Fitness
Seventy percent of healthy professional and collegiate hockey players had abnormal hip and pelvis MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), even though they had no symptoms of injury, according to a study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in New Orleans, (March 13). The study's surprising findings could serve as a warning for surgeons to not depend excessively on imaging when diagnosing patients...
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Getting Athletes 'Back In The Game' Faster: Minimally Invasive Sports...
2010-03-15 08:00
Sports Medicine / Fitness
A new minimally invasive sports hernia repair gets athletes back in the game 3 times faster than the traditional repair, according to a new study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in New Orleans, (March 13). Sports hernia were often difficult to diagnose and prior to this new repair had a lengthy rehabilitation time. Professional football players such as New England Patriots Tom Brady, Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb and Kevin Curtis, and New Orleans Saints Jeremy Shockey have all suffered sports hernias over the past few years...
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Tiger Bones Rejected By Chinese Medicine Societies Ahead Of CITES...
2010-03-15 08:00
Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
WWF and TRAFFIC welcome a World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) statement urging its members not to use tiger bone or any other parts from endangered wildlife. The statement was made at a symposium Friday in Beijing and notes that some of the claimed medicinal benefits of tiger bone have no basis. The use of tiger bones was removed from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacopeia in 1993, when China first introduced a domestic ban on tiger trade. "Tiger conservation has become a political issue in the world...
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Nanoparticles Provide A Targeted Version Of Photothermal Therapy For...
2010-03-15 08:00
Cancer / Oncology
In a lecture he delivered in 1906, the German physician Paul Ehrlich coined the term Zuberkugel, or "magic bullet," as shorthand for a highly targeted medical treatment. Magic bullets, also called silver bullets, because of the folkloric belief that only silver bullets can kill supernatural creatures, remain the goal of drug development efforts today. A team of scientists at Washington University in St. Louis is currently working on a magic bullet for cancer, a disease whose treatments are notoriously indiscriminate and nonspecific. But their bullets are gold rather than silver...
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Best Treatment For Childhood Epilepsy Identified By New Study
2010-03-15 08:00
Epilepsy
One of the oldest available anti-seizure medications, ethosuximide, is the most effective treatment for childhood absence epilepsy, according to initial outcomes published in New England Journal of Medicine. OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital is one of 32 comprehensive pediatric epilepsy centers nationwide selected to participate in this landmark clinical trial as part of the NIH Childhood Absence Epilepsy Study Group...
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Changes In Muscle Cell Structure Can Affect Gene Expression
2010-03-15 08:00
Genetics
New findings that shed light on how genetic damage to muscle cell proteins can lead to the development of the rare muscle-wasting disease, nemaline myopathy, are reported in the Biochemical Journal. Professor Laura Machesky and colleagues from the CRUK Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, tested cultures of muscle cells that displayed mutations of the ACTA1 gene to determine how the mutations affected the biochemical pathways leading to the muscle damage seen in nemaline myopathy...
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Exercising Just Got Easier For Busy People, Study Shows
2010-03-15 08:00
Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
If you're the type of person who invokes the "not enough time" clause when it comes to exercising, it's time to find a new excuse. Researchers who have been studying interval training have found that it not only takes less time than what is typically recommended, but the regimen does not have to be "all out" to be effective in helping reduce the risk of such diseases at Type 2 diabetes. The study appears in the March issue of The Journal of Physiology...
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Exploring The Interplay Between Vitamin D And Calcium
2010-03-15 08:00
Bones / Orthopedics
Increasing calcium intake is a common - yet not always successful - strategy for reducing bone fractures. But a study supported in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) underscores the importance of vitamin D and its ability to help the body utilize calcium. The study also may explain why increasing calcium alone isn't always successful in dealing with this problem. Currently, calcium intake recommendations are not tied to vitamin D status, which may explain why markedly different recommended calcium intakes exist among countries...
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Telemonitoring Improves Patient Care
2010-03-15 08:00
Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Telemonitoring may reduce the mortality of patients with heart failure by 20%. Silke Schmidt et al. present their study results in the current issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[8]131-8). The term "telemonitoring" covers a very wide variety of clinical applications of electronic transfer of patient data to the physician. Instruments record important information, such as heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, and transmit this to the physician. In addition, patients can report their state of health by phone and image files can be transmitted...
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