Check it out: Plavix (clopidogrel): Reduced effectiveness in patients who are poor metabolizers of the drug

When Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks was diagnosed with cancer overseas, she didn ��t hightail it back home, to ��the best health care in the world �� ��she stayed in Australia, home to a humane, rational system.In 2004, I ��d just finished a novel and by way of celebration had taken my family for an extended visit to Australia, where I was born and raised.I didn ��t expect that trip to save my life. But I ��m convinced it did, because of Australia ��s ��socialized �� medicine.I retreat ... more

When Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks was diagnosed with cancer overseas, she didn ��t hightail it back home, to ��the best health care in the world �� ��she stayed in Australia, home to a humane, rational system.In 2004, I ��d just finished a novel and by way of celebration had taken my family for an extended visit to Australia, where I was born and raised.I didn ��t expect that trip to save my life. But I ��m convinced it did, because of Australia ��s ��socialized �� medicine.I retreat ... more

While there are many benefits of losing weight, weight reduction also might negatively affect bones in the body. During weight loss, bones are being remodeled - breaking down old bone and forming new bone - at an accelerated rate. As a result, bone density is reduced, causing increased fragility... ... more

A $6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has funded the creation of ORBIT: Obesity Related Behavioral Intervention Trials to focus on reducing obesity and obesity-related deaths in New York City's African-American and Latino communities... ... more

An ongoing outbreak of mumps in the Hasidic (Jewish) community in New York and New Jersey prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a Health Advisory this week. Medscape Medical News ... more

Older women with cancer in one breast should have other one scanned, researchers say ... more

More players had ligament damage, ankle sprains than on natural grass, study shows ... more

New test finds those who eat the most have lower levels of a disease-causing process ... more

All primary care doctors in Denmark use electronic medical records and 98 percent have the ability to electronically manage patient care-including ordering prescriptions, drafting notes about patient visits, and sending appointment reminders. In addition, almost all medical communication between primary care doctors, specialists, and hospitals is electronic, according to a new Commonwealth Fund profile of the Danish health care system... ... more

The central and over-riding priority in all aspects of health care, in every hospital, at every meeting and in every last detail of administration is the interest of patients. Patients' interests and standards of care must come first. For that reason the review of unread X-rays is being given top priority by the hospital. The investigation of circumstances that gave rise to this situation will be fully addressed through the independent review announced by the HSE... ... more

"The expected increase in the numbers of older people in the population in the years ahead will present great opportunities for Irish society", the Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, �ine Brady TD said yesterday in Sligo (Thursday, 11th March 2010). "There will be more older people in Ireland in the future and we must take a much more positive view and grasp the many opportunities that the increase in the numbers of people aged 65 and over will present to us as a society," the M ... more

The Minister for Older People, �ine Brady, T.D, has urged nursing home residents and their families, to inform themselves about nursing home services and supports, particularly the new Nursing Homes Support Scheme. "The year 2009 was a time of fundamental change in the nursing home sector. In addition to the new Quality Standards and system of independent inspection for all nursing homes, the Government also introduced a new scheme of financial support for nursing home care, A Fair Deal... ... more

Building on its extensive efforts to establish a flexible vaccine development and production facility to strengthen the nation's biosecurity, UPMC announced today that it has been joined by Battelle, IBM and Merck Co. Inc. in this first-of-its-kind initiative. These industry and non-profit leaders are supporting UPMC and GE Healthcare in pursuing the construction of this facility, which UPMC proposes to operate in a unique partnership with the federal government... ... more

While there are many benefits of losing weight, weight reduction also might negatively affect bones in the body. During weight loss, bones are being remodeled - breaking down old bone and forming new bone - at an accelerated rate. As a result, bone density is reduced, causing increased fragility. In a new study, University of Missouri researchers found that weight-bearing exercise, in this case, fast walking or jogging, did not prevent the increased bone turnover caused by weight loss... ... more

As critical care professionals develop a better understanding of the progression of H1N1, they are becoming better prepared to treat children with severe cases, according to a new study that will be published in the March issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM). Additionally, with careful management, the pediatric critical care system is expected to be able to meet the increased demands of a flu pandemic, according to a resource modeling study published in the same issue of PCCM... ... more

Researchers at Oregon Health Science University's School of Dentistry have discovered that nitric oxide is a powerful regulator of a molecule that plays a critical role in the development and function of the nervous system. The finding could someday play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States. The new discovery is published online and will appear in the May issue of the Journal of Neuroscience Rese ... more

Conventional biological wisdom holds that living cells interact with their environment through an elaborate network of chemical signals. As a result many therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases in which cell behavior goes awry focus on drugs that block or disrupt harmful chemical signals. Now, a new road for future therapies may have been opened with scientific evidence for a never seen before way in which cells can also sense and respond to physical forces... ... more

Cancer cells in rapidly growing brain tumors must adjust to periods of low energy or die. When energy levels are high, tumor cells grow and proliferate. When levels are low, the cells grow less and migrate more. Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute have discovered the switch responsible for this grow-or-go behavior. Their study shows that a molecule called miR-451 coordinates the change, and ... more

What: Scientists studying the Anopheles gambiae mosquito - the main vector of malaria - have found that when the mosquito takes a blood meal, that act triggers two enzymes to form a network of crisscrossing proteins around the ingested blood. The formation of this protein barrier, the researchers found, is part of the normal digestive process that allows so-called "healthy" or commensal gut bacteria to grow without activating mosquito immune responses... ... more

A group of Argentine scientists, including health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society, have announced that yellow fever is the culprit in a 2007-2008 die-off of howler monkeys in northeastern Argentina, a finding that underscores the importance of paying attention to the health of wildlife and how the health of people and wild nature are so closely linked. The paper - appearing in a recent edition of the American Journal of Primatology - focuses on yellow fever outbreaks that were doc ... more

The promise of stem cells lies in their unique ability to differentiate into a multitude of different types of cells... ... more

BMJ Group, publisher of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has recognized University of British Columbia Clinical Associate Prof. Evan Wood with its first annual Junior Doctor of the Year honour. Wood, a lead researcher at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), was selected from more than 100 nominations from Britain, Sudan, Iraq, Australia and Brazil for his research in and contribution to HIV, public health, illicit drug policy and addiction... ... more

A $6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has funded the creation of ORBIT: Obesity Related Behavioral Intervention Trials to focus on reducing obesity and obesity-related deaths in New York City's African-American and Latino communities. "African-Americans and Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic, and its related risks for diabetes and heart disease," says Dr. Mary Charlson, the center's director, the William T... ... more

Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) researchers, in collaboration with the biotechnology company Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL) have developed a new method to deliver medications that may benefit thousands of patients with particular types of cancer, HIV and lymphatic conditions world-wide. The Melbourne-based research team has shown how PEGylated Polylysine dendrimers, a new type of nano-sized drug delivery system, can be altered to target either the lymphatic system or the blo ... more

Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) scientists have identified a new link between strong period pain experienced in adolescence and early adulthood and the risk of endometriosis. Researchers from QIMR's Gynaecological Cancer Laboratory have found having strong period pain often at an early age doubles a woman's risk of developing endometriosis. The study also found that girls starting their menstrual cycle after 14 years old had a significantly decreased risk of endometriosis... ... more

Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients. Impaired balance and increased tendency to fall are common complaints among the elderly suffering from severe osteoarthritis (worn cartilage)... ... more

Computer programs have been able to predict which of three short films a person is thinking about, just by looking at their brain activity. The research, conducted by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London), provides further insight into how our memories are recorded... ... more

Repair proteins appear to efficiently scan the genome for errors by jumping like fleas between DNA molecules, sliding along the strands, and perhaps pausing at suspicious spots, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Essex and the University of Vermont who tagged the proteins with quantum dots to watch the action unfold. The findings are available in Molecular Cell... ... more

Alterations in our response to the taste or smell of food may be another culprit responsible for Type 2 diabetes, according to scientists at Duke University Medical Center who have identified the specific mechanism in human specimens and in mice. When we anticipate or smell a meal, the parasympathetic nervous system triggers salivation and increases insulin production in response to the expectation that glucose will be entering the blood stream. "We think this parasympathetic response is potenti ... more

A research team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder has discovered a previously unknown cellular "switch" that may provide researchers with a new means of triggering programmed cell death, findings with implications for treating cancer. The new results are a big step forward in understanding programmed cell death, or apoptosis, a cell suicide process that involves a series of biochemical events leading to changes like cell body shrinkage, mitochondria destruction and chromosome fragment ... more

As shifts change in a hospital, outgoing physicians must "hand off" important information to their replacements in a brief meeting. But a new study of this hand-off process finds that the most important information is not fully conveyed in a majority of cases, even as physicians rate their communication as successful. The research, published by University of Chicago researchers in the March issue of Pediatrics, highlights the importance of educating doctors about successful communication skills ... more

It turns out that there is a striking similarity between how the human brain determines what is going on in the outside world and the job of scientists. Good science involves formulating a hypothesis and testing whether this hypothesis is compatible with the scientist's observations. Researchers in the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt together with the University of Glasgow have shown that this is what the brain does as well. A study shows that it takes less effort for the br ... more

Alterations in our response to the taste or smell of food may be another culprit responsible for Type 2 diabetes, according to scientists at Duke University Medical Center who have identified the specific mechanism in human specimens and in mice... ... more

Conventional biological wisdom holds that living cells interact with their environment through an elaborate network of chemical signals. As a result many therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases in which cell behavior goes awry focus on drugs that block or disrupt harmful chemical signals... ... more

Cancer cells in rapidly growing brain tumors must adjust to periods of low energy or die. When energy levels are high, tumor cells grow and proliferate. When levels are low, the cells grow less and migrate more. Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J... ... more

Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) researchers, in collaboration with the biotechnology company Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL) have developed a new method to deliver medications that may benefit thousands of patients with particular types of cancer, HIV and lymphatic conditions world-wide... ... more

A research team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder has discovered a previously unknown cellular "switch" that may provide researchers with a new means of triggering programmed cell death, findings with implications for treating cancer... ... more

Researchers 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, which are linked to a protein called "tau," might prove to be a new way to prevent or slow the growth of these secondary cancers, the scientists say. ... more

New findings shed light on how genetic damage to muscle cell proteins can lead to the development of the rare muscle-wasting disease, nemaline myopathy. ... more

The American Thoracic Society has released a new official clinical policy statement on congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, a disorder of respiratory and autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation. The ANS regulates reflexive acts, including heart rate and blood pressure, digestion, body temperature and pain perception. ... more

It is common for patients 65 and older to receive potentially inappropriate medications when treated in an emergency room. Nearly 19.5 million older patients, or 16.8 percent of eligible emergency visits from 2000-2006, received one or more of these medications. ... more

WWF and TRAFFIC welcome a World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies statement urging its members not to use tiger bone or any other parts from endangered wildlife. ... more

Researchers have found a national trend toward younger, more diverse patients having total knee replacement surgery. ... more

As shifts change in a hospital, outgoing physicians must "hand off" important information to their replacements in a brief meeting. But a new study of this hand-off process finds that the most important information is not fully conveyed in a majority of cases, even as physicians rate their communication as successful. ... more

A research team has shown how PEGylated polylysine dendrimers, a new type of nano-sized drug delivery system, can be altered to target either the lymphatic system or the bloodstream, which may improve the treatment of particular types of diseases. ... more

Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a new study. ... more

Entirely different signal paths and parts of the brain are involved when you try to remember something and when you just happen to remember something, prompted by a smell, a picture, or a word, for instance. ... more

LONDON (Dow Jones)--AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) said Friday it will not appeal a ruling by a British regulatory panel that found the U.K. drug maker failed to accurately reflect side-effects of its key antipsychotic medicine Seroquel in an advertisement to doctors.A preliminary ruling by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, or PMCPA, found that AstraZeneca breached three points of the British pharmaceutical industry's code of practice with a marketing claim that Seroquel had "a fa ... more

To drive sales, Janssen paid doctors to speak at continuing medical education, or CME, programs about Risperdal, according to the documents. Janssenarmed them with slides touting its effectiveness, the documents show. ��Medical Services/Affairs has little input on speaker ��s slides, �� according to a January 2003 e-mail from Jeni Bastean, a Janssen executive. ��The content of the Speakers Slide Kit is driven by marketing as they are promotional in nature. ��At a 2003 meeting, a Janssen executi ... more

LONDON (Dow Jones)--AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) said Friday it will not appeal a ruling by a British regulatory panel that found the U.K. drug maker failed to accurately reflect side-effects of its key antipsychotic medicine Seroquel in an advertisement to doctors.A preliminary ruling by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, or PMCPA, found that AstraZeneca breached three points of the British pharmaceutical industry's code of practice with a marketing claim that Seroquel had "a fa ... more

To drive sales, Janssen paid doctors to speak at continuing medical education, or CME, programs about Risperdal, according to the documents. Janssenarmed them with slides touting its effectiveness, the documents show. ��Medical Services/Affairs has little input on speaker ��s slides, �� according to a January 2003 e-mail from Jeni Bastean, a Janssen executive. ��The content of the Speakers Slide Kit is driven by marketing as they are promotional in nature. ��At a 2003 meeting, a Janssen executi ... more

By Mike Havrilla, MikeHavRx.com HavRx Global Crop Science Index: Potash (NYSE: POT) is poised to open trading at new highs after posting strong earnings and upping its guidance. Meanwhile, Yara International (OTC: YARIY.PK) has withdrawn its bid for Terra Industries (NYSE: TRA), which will be acquired by CF Industries (NYSE: CF). In addition, Agrium (NYSE: AGU) has dropped its hostile bid for CF. Delcath Systems (NASDAQ: DCTH) is an emerging, small-cap medical device innovator that is developing ... more

Reducing salt intake delivers big health benefits. So why are you still piling it on? ... more

The chair of the NHS Confederation, Bryan Stoten, has used National No-Smoking Day to warn against any complacency in the efforts to reduce smoking. Mr Stoten also said that, despite the financial pressures currently affecting public services, it was crucial for the NHS and society did not forget about the cost and harm of smoking. He said: "Enormous public health success has been achieved by bringing smoking prevalence down to 21 per cent three years earlier than the Government's own target. ... more

UNISON, the UK's largest public sector trade union, today warned that measures to reform social care will be undermined by widespread cuts taking place at councils across the country. The union is calling for investment in the social care workforce, including better pay and conditions, to improve recruitment and retention in the sector. Helga Pile, UNISON National Officer for Social Care said: "This report recommends making choice for care users a priority... ... more

The Pesticide Residues Committee today published its third quarterly report for samples collected in 2009. The report found that the majority of foods had no detectable residues and those that did contain pesticides were not likely to be harmful to health. Tests found that 656 out of 911 samples of 14 different foods tested had no detectable residues. Also, 248 samples contained levels below the maximum residue level (MRL) - the legally permitted amount... ... more

In an essay published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a Johns Hopkins emergency physician outlines how he and other physicians who worked in Haiti after the earthquake had to make emotionally difficult ethical decisions daily in the face of a crushing wave of patients and inadequate medical resources. Thomas D. Kirsch, M.D., M.P.H... ... more

People whose "bad" cholesterol and risk of future heart disease stay too high despite cholesterol-lowering statin therapy can safely lower it by adding a drug that mimics the action of thyroid hormone. In a report published in the Mar. 11, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Johns Hopkins and Swedish researchers say an experimental drug called eprotirome lowered cholesterol up to 32 percent in those already on statins, an effect equal to that expected from doubling the statin drug dose ... more

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) �� A union representing Dutch nurses will launch a national campaign on Friday against demands for sexual services by patients who claim it should be part of their standard care. The union, NU apos;91, is calling the campaign #8220;I Draw The Line Here, #8221; with an advert that features a young woman covering her face with crossed hands. via Care does not include sex #8211; Dutch nurses #8217; union #8211; Yahoo! News. Hmmm.  Their nursing curriculum must be quite diff ... more

The primary staging of an oesophageal cancer can be difficult, if accompanied by sarcoidosis. In these patients endosonography, CT and PET may not be sufficient for staging purposes concerning lymph node and distant metastases. In these special cases operative biopsies of enlarged lymph nodes and unclear pulmonary nodules have to be obtained. In connection with the radiographic examinations the histopathological results of the biopsies contribute to further precise staging and help to decide on ... more

A survey shows that one year after knee replacement surgery, 95% of patients were happy with their new knees. ... more

A Canadian study suggests that SSRI antidepressants raise the risk of cataracts by about 15% -- enough to cause 22,000 extra U.S. cataract cases per year. ... more

University of Washington researchers have identified a gene involved in susceptibility and resistance to tuberculosis. This same gene, they have found, has a role in the severity of leprosy, which is ... more

Like any successful team effort, the best qualities of two drugs commonly prescribed for enlarged prostate yielded better results than either of the medicines alone, according to a new study from Univ ... more

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism (JCEM), obese teenage girls with a greater ratio of vi ... more

Physicians may be able to safely lower the platelet dosage in transfusions for cancer and bone-marrow transplant patients without risking increased bleeding, according to new research involving UT Southwestern Medical Center and 28 other medical institutions. ... more

Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery experience changes in their urine composition that increase their risk of developing kidney stones, research from UT Southwestern Medical Center investigators suggests. ... more

Total knee arthroplasty patients may be able to participate in high-impact sports without increasing risk of early implant failure, according to a new study. ... more

Engineers and doctors 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. ... more

One of the oldest available anti-seizure medications, ethosuximide, is the most effective treatment for childhood absence epilepsy, according to initial outcomes. ... more

Nanocages that efficiently convert light to heat are the basis for a targeted form of phototherapy that would destroy tumors without making cancer patients sick. ... more

Researchers have shown that the biochemical activity of a key player in cancer metastasis can be altered by the application of a direct physical force. This new way in which cells can sense and respond to physical forces presents a new road for future cancer therapies. ... more

The usual excuse of "lack of time" for not doing enough exercise is blown away by new research. The study adds to the growing evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise. Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less! ... more

Scientists are investigating the cause and effects of Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome. This team is hot on the trail of understanding how a multi-gene syndrome, one of the causes for SCA, operates inside the body. Once they figure out how the disorder operates and describe its molecular system in detail, they hope to develop a drug or therapy to stop this condition before it strikes. ... more

Aided by ultrasound guidance, treating tumors with extreme heat or moderate heat may provide a possible therapeutic option, according to early research. ... more

There are gray skies hovering over the Pharmalot corporate campus this morning, but our spirits are sunny. And why not? If nothing else, the weekend is just around the corner. Yes, there are deadlines and meetings between now and then, but still, we look ahead to spending time with the short people and catching up on our to-do list. What will you do? While you ponder, here are a few items to help you along. Whatever your choice, have a nice weekend #8230; Birth Control Pills May Help Women Live ... more

Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we ��ll share with it others. That ��s right. Send us your announcements and we ��ll find a home for them. Don ��t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? Portola Pharmaceuticals promoted William Lis to ceo; BayBio Jeremy Leffler c ... more

The controversy over the Gardasil vaccine for HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer, has never really gone away and this morning six women will hold a teleconference with several FDA officials to discuss numerous adverse events they say they have collected from various countries in hopes of convincing the agency to take a tougher look at the Merck product. They call themsevles the #8220;Little Women, #8221; and they say they #8217;ve spent the past three years documenting Gardasil. They also ... more

An analysis of comparative effectiveness studies finds that only 32 percent, which were published in leading medical journals, compared the effectiveness of existing drugs. Instead, few compared meds with non-pharmacologic interventions, while only 19 percent examined safety and 2 percent eyed cost effectiveness, according to the study in this week #8217;s Journal of the American Medical Association (here is the abstract). The analysis examined 328 studies, of which 104 were CE studies, and dis ... more

In his latest attempt to probe the pharmaceutical industry, US Senator Chuck Grassley has written two big pharmacy benefit managers, as well as a trade group, asking them to provide information about their financial relationships with drugmakers. This week, he sent letters to Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (click on name to see letters). In explaining his action, Grassley - who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee - wrote tha ... more

With obesity in America reaching alarming levels -- across our adult and youth populations -- results from a clinical trial unveiled by BodyMedia confirm that participants who used BodyMedia's wearable body-monitoring technology either in conjunction with a group weight loss program or as part of their own self-directed program lost up to three times more weight than individual... ... more

The excuse that there is not enough time to exercise effectively is beginning to wear thin according to evidence from a study by scientists in Canada who found that short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) can deliver in significantly less time the same health benefits as moderate long term "endurance" training... ... more

Two studies published on Wednesday show it is possible to sequence the entire gene maps of families with inherited diseases and pinpoint the offending bit of DNA. Reuters Health Information ... more

In children, living in violent neighborhoods more than doubles the risk for asthma, and high levels of stress double the risk for severe asthma. Medscape Medical News ... more

A prospective study highlights the importance of nucleic acid amplification testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at extragenital sites, which might otherwise be missed by cultures. Medscape Medical News ... more

The staging of clinically negative axilla and the use of PET/CT are among the most important changes to the NCCN breast cancer guidelines. Medscape Medical News ... more

Differences in malathion potency and other factors are likely to limit ivermectin use in the United States. Medscape Medical News ... more

The great hope for serendipitous transformation of a shelved antihistamine into an Alzheimer's treatment has been dashed by negative results in phase 3 trials. Medscape Neurology polls experts on what went wrong. Medscape Medical News ... more

Unusual fractures have appeared in women who have taken bisphosphonates for more than 4 years, raising concerns that these drugs might adversely affect bone quality. Medscape Medical News ... more

Novel variants identified in a family with inherited neuropathy that previously screened negative for Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. Medscape Medical News ... more

The warning will inform clinicians that tests are available to predict whether a patient will convert the drug to its active form, based on the genetic profile of a key liver enzyme. Medscape Medical News ... more

Researchers are reporting a new clue to the puzzling relationship between smoking and a reduced risk for Parkinson's, with results showing that long-term smoking rather than smoking intensity is more important in the link. Medscape Medical News ... more

Previously nonexercising cancer patients report less fatigue and show improvement in other outcome measures once they begin an exercise program. Medscape Medical News ... more

Persons who had pain in both knees were more likely to have a low level of functioning and were less likely to recover from a low level of functioning vs persons with 1 painful knee. Reuters Health Information ... more

Only 11% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years receive all 3 doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to a new CDC investigation. Medscape Medical News ... more

Adapalene-benzoyl peroxide gel is more effective than the individual components for the treatment of inflammatory acne, and it has a rapid onset of action. Medscape Medical News ... more

Telling patients that they have cancer and/or that the end is near should be handled in an informative, compassionate, individualized manner. Medscape Medical News ... more

The overweight and obese should be more aggressively treated with antihypertensive therapy than normal-weight individuals, because they will derive greater benefit, a new analysis of the PROGRESS study suggests. Heartwire ... more

Replacement joint seems to help prevent falls among elderly, study finds Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Falls, Knee Replacement ... more

Who is more likely to get this deadly cancer? Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Page: Melanoma ... more

Inflammatory bowel disease isn't confined to the intestinesSource: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Digestive Diseases, Ulcerative Colitis ... more

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Related MedlinePlus Pages: Diabetic Kidney Problems, Kidney Diseases ... more

CDC study found newest vaccine lowered chances of those under 5 getting the disease Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Childhood Immunization, Streptococcal Infections ... more

Weakness in rotator cuff a warning sign, but exercise regimens can help, experts say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Shoulder Injuries and Disorders, Sports Injuries ... more

Among children and teenagers with asthma, those who also have peanut allergies may have more or more-severe asthma attacks, a new study suggests. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: Asthma in Children, Food Allergy ... more

Needle-exchange programs designed to cut injection drug users' risk of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and other infections do seem to reduce needle sharing, but there is only limited evidence that they lower disease transmission, a new research review concludes. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: AIDS, Hepatitis C ... more

A gene mutation could trigger key insulin reaction in some, researchers say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Diabetes, Genes and Gene Therapy, Taste and Smell Disorders ... more

Scientists have found the "mother," or origin, of all skin cells and say their discovery could dramatically improve skin treatments for victims of serious wounds and burns.Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Page: Skin Conditions ... more

More 12-year-olds in the United States admit to using potentially deadly inhalants to get high than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: Drugs and Young People, Inhalants ... more

Cancer Society study finds drop in death rates since 1970 Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Cancer, Health Statistics ... more

In two studies, scientists quickly scanned individuals' DNA to get at causes of disease Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Genes and Gene Therapy, Genetic Testing ... more

Even a drive to the local store can end in getting lost, hurt, study finds Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Alzheimer's Disease, Impaired Driving ... more

Women who gain weight too quickly during the first three months of pregnancy are more prone to develop pregnancy-related diabetes, new research shows.Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Page: Diabetes and Pregnancy ... more

Getting a bit more calcium in your diet could help you live longer, new research suggests.Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Pages: Calcium, Men's Health ... more

Device works on skin lesions caused by parasite in Iraq, Afghanistan, study finds Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Skin Infections, Veterans and Military Health ... more

Big ups and downs in readings may call for specific treatments, experts say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: High Blood Pressure, Stroke ... more

Combination increased chances of cirrhosis, studies found Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Alcohol, Cirrhosis, Obesity ... more

Source: HealthDay - Related MedlinePlus Pages: Fractures, Leg Injuries and Disorders, Medicines, Osteoporosis, Women's Health ... more

Mammogram screening for breast cancer continues to simmer in the news. The recent USPSTF guidelines, no longer recommending a routine mammogram for women between the ages of 40 and 49, continue to stir controversy between physicians and their patients. In a recent survey from the Annals of Internal Medicine, it looks like the debate between doctors and patients will continue for the foreseeable future: . . . a divide has emerged between doctors and patients �� with the doctors more inclined to ... more

Originally published in MedPage Today by Chris Emery, MedPage Today Contributing Writer Nearly a third of children with special healthcare needs are underinsured, and where a child lives strongly influences whether he or she will have adequate healthcare coverage, a new study found. The unadjusted proportion of underinsured special-needs children varied strongly by state, ranging from 24% in Hawaii (standard error=1.75) to 38% in Illinois (SE=2.13), found the study published online March 8 in ... more

No words are needed in this graphic, high-impact public health ad. (via Street Anatomy, where you can find other shocking public health ads) Brain ads for aspirin A swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, mask that tells you to get the hell away How to make a urinal sexy at KevinMD.com. Stay updated and subscribe, follow me on Twitter, or connect on Facebook. ... more

by Jeffrey Knuppel, MD Many non-correctional health care providers will also treat inmates from time to time. This may occur in the office or hospital. How can one best approach the challenges of working with the incarcerated in order to deliver the best possible care while simultaneously managing risk? 1. Treat the patient with respect. Not submissive respect, but mutual respect �� the way we all want to be treated. I believe that this principle alone goes a long way towards helping one to es ... more

Preference cascade: "in which people who have been obliged to conceal their true beliefs by social pressure or sheer force suddenly discover that a lot of other people feel the same way." For example: "everyone knows that x is our only real choice," until one learns that other folks have expressed a preference for "y.' It's really an extension of group-think or peer-pressure; we don't want to be "different" because we believe that everyone else thinks a certain way. Sometimes, though, other folk ... more

As we've seen, those intent on destroying the world's best health care system keep moving the goalposts, date-wise. First it was last August, then it was Christmas, now it's March 18.So, how likely do you think it is that we'll have the vote on the 18th?UPDATE: Just wanted to note that our last poll about whether or not "accident only" plans should pay out if one dies of complications from a surgery. And the results are:Yes (by a margin of 53% to 47%). ... more

Apparently, when it comes to his own health, Barack Obama doesn't mind those "unnecessary" expensive medical tests. He just wants the rest of us to have less. Good thing his physician didn't have to check with the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (what some refer to as a death panel) already funded under H.R. 1 (Porkulus - more commonly known as the Recovery and Reinvestment Act), like his health care plan wants our physicians to have to be governed by. As ... more

Democrats Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen warn the Democrats on ObamaCare:[...] Their blind persistence in the face of reality threatens to turn this political march of folly into an electoral rout in November. In the wake of the stinging loss in Massachusetts, there was a moment when the president and the Democratic leadership seemed to realize the reality of the health-care situation. Yet like some seductive siren of Greek mythology, the lure of health-care reform has arisen again. he past two D ... more

Dan Riehl has a post up that needs to be passed around. As he aptly points out, this is one of those times when you can't sit on yours hands and let Obamacare be passed without your voice being heard. There are so many ways to be heard today, there are no excuses. The ad below - "No Reconciliation" is from Freedom Works. Click on it and it will direct you to a petition "No Reconciliation." As it seems changes may put this back into the Senate, take the time to click and be heard. If you're ... more

Given the unpopularity of Obamacare, little wonder that hardly any Democrat running for Congress seems to want to talk about healthcare: Of the 26 leading Democratic House candidates contacted by The Hill, only one would commit to voting for the Senate healthcare bill if and when it comes to the House floor.They can run but they can't hide. The damage to the Democratic Party has already been done, regardless of the outcome of Obamacare. ... more

What diabetics should look for ... more

Before getting replacement joint, have a frank talk with your doctor, researchers say ... more

Study finds that diabetes drug works longer if started soon after diagnosis ... more

Childhood response to stress could lead to lasting problems, researchers say ... more

Most travelers return to their normal state of mind soon after they get back, study finds ... more

Study suggests that poverty and lack of insurance contribute to the problem ... more

Spirit of generosity multiplies and persists, researchers find ... more

Props open vessel that supplies blood to the legs ... more

More active patients had better joint function, study found ... more

With obesity in America reaching alarming levels -- across our adult and youth populations -- results from a clinical trial unveiled by BodyMedia confirm that participants who used BodyMedia's wearable body-monitoring technology either in conjunction with a group weight loss program or as part of their own self-directed program lost up to three times more weight than individuals who attempted to battle the bulge solo. BodyMedia Inc... ... more

On March 10-11, 2010, the Joint Advisory Committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- including the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committees -- discussed the design of post-marketing safety studies for long-acting beta-agonist (LABA)-containing products in the U.S., including SYMBICORT® (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate)... ... more

Clinicians at the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center (RPTC) in Munich have treated their 100th patient using advanced proton therapy systems supplied by Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). The landmark treatment comes just three months after a second treatment gantry was commissioned at the center, which offers advanced pencil-beam proton scanning to cancer patients. These patients, requiring treatment for a wide range of cancers, have come from across Germany and 19 other countries, including Cana ... more

Cancer patients in Kent will gain access to advanced radiotherapy treatments with the decision by the Kent Oncology Centre to acquire two fully-equipped treatment machines from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). The machines, due to be delivered to oncology departments in Maidstone and Canterbury in the spring, will mean these departments are among the first in the country to offer fast and efficient RapidArc® radiotherapy treatments... ... more

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Express® LD Iliac Premounted Stent System for use in iliac arteries. The Express LD Iliac Stent is the first and only low-profile, premounted, balloon-expandable stent approved by the FDA for use in treating iliac artery disease. The Company said it plans to launch the product immediately in the United States... ... more

Terry Burnside, general manager and senior vice president responsible for Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy operations, today issued the following statement in response to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio by seven Medicine Shoppe and Medicap franchisees, purporting to represent a class: Medicine Shoppe is dedicated to serving the needs of retail pharmacies and to helping them succeed. This has been true since 1970 when we began, and it is a value we ho ... more

As the incidence of diabetes and hypertension continues to grow worldwide - and increasing numbers of patients progressing to kidney disease and kidney failure place a financial strain on public health systems - the need for early patient education about kidney disease and treatment options, including home-based treatments, has become critical. More than 240 million people have diabetes and this figure is projected to rise to 380 million by 20251. In the United States alone, 17.9 million have be ... more

Mental illness can affect anyone, including celebrities and public leaders. The American Psychiatric Foundation's ninth annual Conversations event, will feature sportscaster and former NFL star Terry Bradshaw, who will talk candidly about his personal story of living with mental illness. Bradshaw was diagnosed with clinical depression, and following his successful treatment, he began to talk publicly about his experience and to help fight stigma about mental illness and to encourage peopl ... more

Responding to the publication of the Health Committee's report on Social Care, Hilary Evans, Age Concern and Help the Aged's Head of Public Affairs, said: 'With the debate on social care raging, the publication of this report is extremely timely. In the midst of the political bickering it serves as a reminder that millions of older people and their families are being let down by a crumbling care system that is in desperate need of reform... ... more

News outlets report on new trends in health insurance for employers. The Washington Post: "Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey to be released Thursday. ... Meanwhile, employees at many companies can expect significantly higher premiums, deductibles and co-payments, according to the annual survey by the National Business Group on Health, a coalition of big employers, and Towers Watson, a consulting firm that advise ... more

An analysis of clinical negligence claims costs made against doctors has shown an exceptionally sharp rise in the size of claims in England and Wales. The Medical Protection Society (MPS) - which handles medical negligence claims brought against GPs and private doctors - said the total value of reported claims which have not yet been settled leapt by 40% in 2009. The impact was the greatest amongst the largest claims - typically these are claims involving serious neurological injury combined ... more

Medill Reports: "Unless federal legislation closes the Medicare coverage gap colloquially known as the 'doughnut hole,' seniors may opt for online drug imports to alleviate steep prescription costs. ... 'As seniors start falling into the doughnut hole, they are going online to find deals on prescription drugs, whether they're based in the U.S. or in other countries,' said Gabriel Levitt, vice president of PharmacyChecker.com LLC, a leader in the evaluation of online and mail-order pharmacies in ... more

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $6.3 million lobbying Congress and other government arms on health care in the fourth quarter of 2009, The Associated Press reports. PhRMA "spent just 2 percent more than the $6.17 million it paid out for lobbying in the year-ago period. The group's members include drug giants Pfizer Inc., Merck Co., Johnson Johnson and more than two dozen other U.S. and foreign companies... ... more

Congressional Democrats, reportedly closing in on a final health reform agreement, are seeking to alleviate concerns of reluctant members. The Associated Press: "It will come down to a phenomenal effort by congressional leaders and the White House to win over skittish lawmakers after a year of incendiary debate ... ... more

March 11, 2010 mdash; Abortion-rights supporters "who came from generations where women had no legal abortion choices understand how precious the right to choose is," Mary Ann Sorrentino -- who served as executive director of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England from 1977 to 1987 -- writes in a Salon opinion piece. However, 27-year-old Angie Jackson's decision "to use Twitter as a public stage for her private decision to terminate a pregnancy" through medical abortion, is "[a]t its worst, ... more

Alaska health officials have reported that the state's gonorrhea rates increased by 69% in 2009 after remaining steady for years, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Susan Jones of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services said the increase is the biggest one-year jump since the 1970s. Gonorrhea is sexually transmitted and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and miscarriages in women; eye problems in newborns; and infections in men. It is frequently accompanied by chlamy ... more

Women's health experts are watching closely to see whether a recent grant to provide no-cost female condoms in Washington, D.C., will "really make a difference" in the area's HIV/AIDS rate among women, Newsweek's Kate Dailey writes. The goal of the program is to empower women to take control of their own health and safety. The $500,000 grant from the MAC AIDS Fund will allow health centers in the district to promote and distribute the latest version of the female condom, FC2, which FDA approved ... more

On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said lawmakers are focusing on resolving issues that fall outside the scope of the budget reconciliation bill -- legislation Democrats are drafting that would include changes to the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590), CQ Today reports. While Democrats are waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to score the various provisions in the budget reconciliation bill, lawmakers are "meeting on an ongoing basis to discuss non-CBO issues," she said. ... more

UCB has announced that the antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® (lacosamide) (C-V) demonstrated significantly fewer partial-onset seizures versus placebo in adults living with epilepsy, according to a Phase III clinical study published online in Epilepsia. This study was one of three that supported the approval of Vimpat by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008 for use as an add-on therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 17 years and older. ... more

bioMerieux a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics announced the launch of the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared chromID �� VRE, a simple and cost-effective solution in the struggle against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). chromID VRE is the first to receive an FDA 510(k) clearance for the qualitative detection of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis showing acquired resistance to vancomycin in stool specimens. The product can be used as an aid to iden ... more

When it comes to the documented 40 percent effectiveness of PSA testing in preventing death from prostate cancer, neither the American Cancer Society nor the discoverer of the PSA protein, Richard Ablin, are telling the public the complete story. "The American Cancer Society is a 'false prophet' when it comes to telling the truth about the effectiveness of the PSA test," said ZERO's CEO Skip Lockwood. "Dr. Otis Brawley disregards scientific data about the value of the PSA test in saving lives... ... more

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) of a new six-month 45-mg formulation of Lupron® Depot (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension) for use in the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Palliative treatment helps to relieve symptoms associated with advanced prostate cancer. Lupron Depot works by suppressing the production of the hormone testosterone... ... more

Infertility affects between 10 and 15 percent of couples worldwide. Surprisingly, problems with male fertility account for approximately 50 percent of infertility cases. A new home test kit based on a protein in sperm discovered by University of Virginia Health System cell biologist John C. Herr, PhD, can assist couples in determining if a man's sperm count is normal, low, or very low. SpermCheck Fertility recently underwent clinical and consumer studies to evaluate its accuracy and ease of us ... more

Every year more than 100,000 women in the United States undergo a lumpectomy, a conservative procedure to remove cancerous tumors while preserving the breast. The surgeon's goal is to attain a tumor-free, or negative, surgical margin the first time they operate. Current surgical tools may cause heat damage to the tissue samples needed for examination by a pathologist in order to identify the presence of cancerous cells on the edges of tumors... ... more

M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are encouraging men and women to learn more about colon polyps and how they affect a person's risks for cancer. "Finding out you have colon polyps doesn't have to be frightening," said Gottumukkala S. Raju, M.D., professor in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at M. D. Anderson. "Most colon polyps are not cancer. Yet, certain kinds of polyps may make you more likely to develop colon cancer." The colon is part of the large intestine. A colon ... more

Dr Robert Kinloch, Chair of the Scottish Dental Practice Committee, has branded the announcement of a 0.9 per cent increase to item of service fees for independent contractor dentists in Scotland as a major disappointment that fails to recognise the significant challenges dentists are trying to overcome. The Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body recommended a 1.44 per cent increase to the NHS dental fee scale, a recommendation intended to produce no uplift to dentists' pay... ... more

The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today strongly objected to a recent statement by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in which he implied that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should be the "soft power" component to military strategy. In conflict areas, MSF never works alongside, or partners with, any military strategy. The organization's complete independence and neutrality is what helps negotiate ac ... more

Medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply concerned by the rapidly worsening situation in the isolated area of Hauts Plateaux in the region of Uvira, South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Thousands of civilians are trapped by conflict that has been raging in the area since the beginning of February 2010 between the Congolese army (FARDC), FDLR rebels and various armed groups... ... more

In hybrid catheterization procedures it is crucial that the imaging system provides the flexibility to quickly and easily access both the patient and ancillary equipment. To form its new hybrid catheterization suite, Miami Children's Hospital, a pioneer in hybrid procedures, recently installed Toshiba America Medical System's InfinixTM CF-i bi-plane system with the new CAT-880B hybrid catheterization table... ... more

WFP Agrees To Cooperate With Probe Of Its Operations In Somalia The World Food Program (WFP) "said Thursday it will cooperate with any independent probe into its food operations in Somalia, after a report found that up to half the food aid intended for the nation's hungry people does not reach its destination," the Associated Press reports. The agency has also agreed "not to engage with transport contractors that the report alleges were involved in arms trading," according to the news servi ... more

AIDS 2010, the International AIDS Conference to be held July 18-23 in Vienna, Austria, will "highlight the situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, regions experiencing fast growing [HIV/AIDS] epidemics largely through unsafe injecting drug use," conference organizers announced Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports. Though the number of new HIV cases worldwide has been on the decline, "infection rates are continuing to rise in some parts of the world, especially Eastern Europe and Central ... more

Former President Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, said Wednesday at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing "that U.S. investments in fighting [HIV/]AIDS, malaria and other diseases in underdeveloped nations save lives and play a vital role in improving America's image abroad," the Associated Press reports. Clinton and Gates "appeared before the panel to discuss U.S. investments in global health and to push for continued support of governmen ... more

The Trouble With 'Reconciliation' The Wall Street Journal House Democrats would be foolish to trust a process that has deeply alienated the American public. Republicans know that and are determined to make House Democrats think hard about the price they will pay for passing this health-care monstrosity (Karl Rove, 3/11). Heaven Can Wait: The Health-Care Edition The Washington Post My fellow Americans, don't be scared - this is Ted Kennedy with a final word about health-care reform. . ... more

The New York Times: "The General Assembly became the first state legislature to approve a measure that bucks any effort by President Obama and Congress to carry out a national health care overhaul in individual states." Numerous Democrats joined the Republican majority to support the measure 80-17 in the House of Delegates (3/10). Boston Herald: "A staunchly pro-free enterprise business group yesterday embraced price controls for the state's health-care industry, saying sykrocketing medical expe ... more

A recent study raises questions about the frequency of doctors' use of elective heart angiograms, which showed no disease in almost 40 percent of patients. BusinessWeek reports: "Doctors may be sending patients too quickly for elective angiograms to detect heart disease, exposing them to radiation and driving up U.S. health-care costs, a study suggests. An analysis of records of about 400,000 patients concluded that 37... ... more

Kentucky's Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare is eliminating 500 jobs this month. The layoffs represent the first large-scale cuts in a Louisville-area hospital system since the recession began. Louisville Courier-Journal: The cuts come because of "lower patient volume and a growing number of uninsured patients brought on by the lingering recession." They are only one part of a cost-cutting program the hospital enacted... ... more

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "pleaded with insurance companies on Wednesday to scrap their campaign against President Obama's health care bill and to work with the White House to pass it," The New York Times reports. "Speaking at the annual policy conference of America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, Ms. Sebelius said, 'It's not too late to work on this issue together, for insurance companies to come to the table and work with us.' In addition, Ms... ... more

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 ... more

A team of Swedish researchers concludes that taking misoprostol at home as part of a medical abortion regimen is a safe option for women who are 50 to 63 days pregnant, according to a study published in the journal Human Reproduction, Reuters reports. The study's authors said that their research is the first published report to examine at-home medical abortion in women who were more than 49 days pregnant. In the U.S., women have been permitted to take physician-prescribed misoprostol at home sin ... more

Video games can have a very positive influence in the education of children, and, when used in moderation, they do not harm children's academic performance. This conclusion emerges from research conducted by Angeles Llorca Diez from the Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression at the University of Granada, and directed by professors M Dolores Alvarez Rodriguez (University of Granada) and M Angeles Diez Sanchez (University of Salamanca)... ... more

Early detection is key to more effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive impairment, and new research shows that a test developed at the University of Tennessee is more than 95 percent effective in detecting cognitive abnormalities associated with these diseases. The test, called CST -- for computerized self test -- was designed to be both effective and relatively simple for medical professionals to administer and for patients to take. Rex Cannon, an adjunct resear ... more

French medical researchers from the AP-HP (Henri Mondor Hospital and Avicenne Hospital) and Inserm (Unit 738 "Models and methods for therapeutic evaluation of chronic illnesses" and CIC 202, at Tours) have recently demonstrated the effectiveness of a new molecule in the fight against lice. Faced with the emergence of increasing resistance to conventional treatments by these parasites, this new medication represents a real therapeutic alternative which is effective in 95% of cases. This work has ... more

Arizona State Univeristy scientist N.J. Tao and his colleagues at the Biodesign Institute have hit on a new, versatile method to significantly improve the detection of trace chemicals important in such areas as national security, human health and the environment. Tao's team was able to detect and identify tiny particles of the explosive trinitrotoluene or TNT - each weighing less than a billionth of a gram - on the ridges and canals of a fingerprint... ... more

According to a study recently completed by an LSU group charged with conducting studies on improving hurricane crisis communication in coastal communities, many families have a well-developed hurricane response plan of their own but have little faith in the preparation developed at higher government levels... ... more

Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome (SCA) is poorly understood, but it's a real danger for the otherwise young and healthy. For no apparent reason, the heart suddenly stops beating, and without treatment death may follow within minutes. It's why some athletes drop dead on the track and why a young man, without any warning, suddenly dies while sitting at his desk. SCA accounts for approximately 300,000 deaths per year in the U.S. Dr. Joel Hirsch of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biochemistry has ... more

By studying the hydra, a member of an ancient group of sea creatures that is still flourishing, scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made a discovery in understanding the origins of human vision. The finding is published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British journal of biology. Hydra are simple animals that, along with jellyfish, belong to the phylum cnidaria. Cnidarians first emerged 600 million years ago. "We determined which genetic 'gateway,' or ion channel ... more

Established actor, Kulvinder Ghir has joined forces with NHS Blood and Transplant to lend further support to a new campaign designed to increase the number of people from BME communities on the NHS Organ Donor Register. The actor features alongside patients with first-hand experience of organ donation and transplantation to create a series of powerful and informative television commercials for both the African-Caribbean and the South Asian community... ... more

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned health care providers and consumers about counterfeit surgical mesh being distributed in the United States under the C. R. Bard/Davol brand name. Surgical mesh products are used to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists. The warning is of particular significance to health care professionals and their patients with surgical mesh implants as well as hospitals and surgical centers, operating room medical professionals and staff, and purchasin ... more

"With so much focus on recent political tribulations here in Albany, it has become increasingly difficult to focus attention on policy and budgetary issues that we believe are far more important to the lives and livelihood of everyday New Yorkers. "HANYS is deeply disturbed by the thousands of health care jobs that have already been lost in the wake of six recent rounds of budget cuts and taxes totaling more than $4 billion. We are troubled more so by the loss of critical health care services t ... more

The majority of new cancer tests coming to market are proprietary assays with the test services being provided by certified labs opened by the IVD companies that developed the tests. All the major reference labs in North America and Europe are also offering a slew of in-house developed diagnostic tests. This shift is leading to greater profits for those companies offering test services, notes healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information in its new report "The Worldwide Market for Ca ... more

Omni Bio Pharmaceutical, Inc. ("Omni Bio") (OTCBB: OMBP) announced that its acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Charles A. Dinarello, will moderate a panel at the 8th World Congress on Trauma, Shock, Inflammation and Sepsis ("TSIS") (http://www.tsis2010.org) in Munich, Germany on Friday, March 12, 2010. The panel on Alpha-1 Antitrypsin ("AAT") as a Novel Therapeutic in Inflammatory Diseases will feature the following presentations: "Introduction and Background for AAT Safety in Humans and Expe ... more

The excuse that there is not enough time to exercise effectively is beginning to wear thin according to evidence from a study by scientists in Canada who found that short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) can deliver in significantly less time the same health benefits as moderate long term "endurance" training. The scientists who did the study are based at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. A paper on it is about to come out in print in the The Journal of Physiology, although ... more

A growing volume of global drug development and commercialization activity during the past decade has dramatically increased the workload for regulatory affairs professionals at pharmaceutical and biotech companies, according to a study recently completed by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. The study, the first systematic assessment of global regulatory affairs performance, found that the regulatory affairs function within drug development companies has grown steadily, with mo ... more

NHS Confederation chair Bryan Stoten responds to yesterday's Panorama programme 'Trust Us, We're an NHS Hospital'. Bryan Stoten, Chair of the NHS Confederation, stated: "On its own, self assessment is an incomplete measure of hospital performance. It needs to be validated and augmented by a range of other methods, which could include peer review, planned and unplanned inspections, and better use of the large range of data that is already being collected by the large number of regulators which ... more

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today added a boxed warning to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), alerting patients and health care professionals that the drug can be less effective in people who cannot metabolize the drug to convert it to its active form. ... more

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today added a boxed warning to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), alerting patients and health care professionals that the drug can be less effective in people who cannot metabolize the drug to convert it to its active form. ... more

Diet and aerobic exercise are highly effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but not for obese subjects that have developed the disease when very young... ... more

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP) announced that it has received reports of significant bioavailability of orally delivered insulin in two independently-conducted animal studies. The studies, which confirm earlier findings, were performed as part of on-going work with commercial collaborators that are evaluating Access' Cobalamin �� Oral Drug Delivery Technology... ... more

As the incidence of diabetes and hypertension continues to grow worldwide - and increasing numbers of patients progressing to kidney disease and kidney failure place a financial strain on public health systems - the need for early patient education about kidney disease and treatment options, including home-based treatments, has become critical... ... more

News outlets report on new trends in health insurance for employers. The Washington Post: "Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey to be released Thursday. ... ... more

The excuse that there is not enough time to exercise effectively is beginning to wear thin according to evidence from a study by scientists in Canada who found that short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) can deliver in significantly less time the same health benefits as moderate long term "endurance" training... ... more

Updated Date: Mar 12, 2010 EST ... more

Updated Date: Mar 12, 2010 EST ... more