Nutrition
Infighting among Democrats over inclusion of a public plan in health care reform is turning disagreement between moderates and liberals into a "Democratic civil war" with outside groups taking part in the attacks, Politico reports.
A plan to pool the ownership of health insurance into cooperatives owned by groups of residents and small businesses is attracting renewed hopes that a bipartisan public plan bill will pass Congress with wide support, The Associated Press reports.
Several newspapers had articles on major players in health care reform. Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, has "toiled for much of his career in the anonymous bowels of the nation"s economic superstructure," the Washington Post reports. But now, some lawmakers "think he holds the fate of public policy in his hands." After delivering a "skeptical analysis of a stimulus package intended to rescue the U.S. economy" and forecasting "bigger-than-expected losses from a $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system, Elmendorf now "faces the toughest task of his brief tenure: attaching a price to a monumental overhaul of the nation"s health-care system." Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has "publicly lectured Elmendorf, saying he has a moral duty to be "creative" and deliver the favorable budget estimates "we have to have" to win broad support." But Elmendorf says "his office will offer an objective analysis, "without regard to the political consequences."" Elmendorf told the Post that his office would provide the information, but the decision is in the hands of Congress. "CBO is not going to make or break health-care reform," he says.
The Senate is to vote on an extensive tobacco control bill expected to gain approval today. The bill would "give the Food and Drug Administration legal authority to regulate the sale, manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products" and "give the federal government broad new powers to monitor and change a toxic substance that contributes to some 400,000 deaths every year," according to the Associated Press. "Supporters hailed it as a milestone in efforts to reduce smoking," the AP notes.
Congress is turning its" attention to long-term care insurance producing information about how such insurance may help consumers make informed decisions for their long-term care needs.
"The prices of hundreds of brand-name drugs are about to be cut 4%, and millions of Americans may soon receive a check in the mail as compensation for having overpaid for their prescriptions," but "the extent to which the average consumer will benefit isn"t yet clear," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The price cuts and expected payments are the result of federal class-action settlements involving two drug-price publishers and a major drug wholesaler that were accused of inflating drug prices."
Nearly two-thirds (63
The New England Journal of Medicine published a series of perspectives that examine a variety of topics--from the struggle to finance health care reform to vaccine issues, the Food and Drug Administration and prescription drug marketing legislation in Vermont. The collection of perspectives includes a piece by Jonathan Gruber, PhD., "A Win-Win Approach to Financing Health Care Reform" and John K. Iglehart"s examination of Democrat"s challenge to securing money in "Finding Money for Health Care Reform - Rooting Out Waste, Fraud, and Abuse." Another piece, this one by Robert Steinbrook, M.D., examines new legislation in Vermont amid the background of reform of physician-industry relations in his piece "A Higher Bar - Vermont"s New Law on Marketing Prescribed Products."
Testing for genetic mutations can help identify breast cancer patients who do not benefit from a certain type of chemotherapy, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, Reuters reports. The study included 588 breast cancer patients in the U.S. and Norway. Some of the subjects received chemotherapy, while some did not. The study found that chemotherapy patients with a certain mutation of the SOD2 gene had a higher risk of dying than those with no SOD2 mutation. It also found that those with a second type of SOD2 variation were the most likely to die. The researchers also divided the groups based on the type of chemotherapy drugs they received. The SOD2 mutations were the best indicator of who would fare better from treatment with the drug cyclophosphamide, they found. Women in this group who had a certain variant of the SOD2 mutation were the most likely to die, according to the study.The researchers suggested that testing patients for the SOD2 gene mutations before beginning treatment with cyclophosphamide could be helpful. Stefan Ambs of the National Cancer Institute, who took part in the study, said, "In the future, such tests may be used to guide the treatment of patients with the SOD2 variation, ensuring that they receive a therapy that is more effective than cyclophosphamide-based therapies" (Reuters, 6/9).
The Hawai"i State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 83 additional cases of novel H1N1 Influenza A of swine origin this week. Two of the individuals live on the island of Kaua"i, one individual lives on the island of Maui, two individuals live on the island of Hawai"i, and 78 are O"ahu residents. It is important to note that all of the individuals have recovered or are recovering at home with no complications. The next weekly update will be posted at http://www.hawaii.gov/health on Wednesday, June 17 at 11:00 a.m.
A new and novel computer modeling platform developed through intensive, multidisciplinary collaboration at New York University can help hospitals and cities to be more prepared for catastrophic public health scenarios, according to an article published in the American Medical Association"s Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal.
The evidence is in. Estrogen does not halt aging or protect women from heart disease and dementia, nor is it the safest or best treatment for the hot flashes, night sweats and the insomnia that are associated with menopause and perimenopause. Quite simply - estrogen is not a good and magical hormone - as Susan Baxter, PhD., and Dr. Jerilynn C. Prior, painstakingly prove in their book, The Estrogen Errors; Why Progesterone is Better for Women"s Health.
The body mass index (BMI) and waistline measurement overestimate obesity in blacks, according to a new study. The results, which were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., suggest that conventional methods for estimating body fat may need to become race-specific.
New data from Phase 3 European clinical trials reinforce that Wyeth"s (NYSE: WYE) investigational pneumococcal vaccine, Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine, 13-valent [Adsorbed]), has the potential to provide coverage against the 13 most prevalent serotypes associated with pneumococcal disease (PD), the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death in children younger than five worldwide.
Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of swine flu pandemic, the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announced it has successfully developed an adjuvant that could significantly enhance both the effectiveness and supplies of pandemic flu vaccines. The Seattle-based not-for-profit organization will make its adjuvant technology available to flu vaccine manufacturers for the production of A (H1N1) or future pandemic flu vaccines.
Kaiser Permanente"s presence this week at the National Childhood Obesity Conference in Los Angeles highlights the need for a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to stop the health crisis caused by childhood obesity. More than 15 million children are obese or overweight in the United States, contributing to skyrocketing type 2 diabetes rates and more than $14 billion in health care expenses.
South Carolinians are encouraged to join in obesity prevention efforts where they live, work, and play, and to make healthier decisions in their day-to-day lives during Obesity Awareness Month, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
Given Imaging Ltd.
A phase 2 trial of the drug belimumab in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) showed positive results, according to the drug
A new report tracking selected indicators of health system performance over 10 years in Canada shows significant improvements in the prevention and management of heart disease, with fewer Canadians having a heart attack, one of the leading causes of death in this country. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows the rate of patients admitted to hospital for heart attack in Canada (outside Quebec) dropped 13% between 2003-2004 and 2007-2008, after population growth and aging were taken into account. Over the same time period, deaths in hospital within 30 days of admission for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart attack, were down 11%, and unplanned readmissions to hospital after a heart attack declined by 31%. Health Indicators 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of CIHI"s annual report. Produced with Statistics Canada, the report provides more than 40 comparable measures of health and the health system by health region, province and territory.
Results from an international online survey, carried out by UCB in conjunction with Lupus Europe and the Lupus Foundation of America, the two principal advocacy groups that represent people with lupus, were presented during the EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) congress at a symposium called, "Lupus - considering the future."
Seventeen-year-old Sara Abousuiony, who has been homebound since she was an infant, never imagined that she would be able to leave her home in Cairo, Egypt, and travel to the United States for a life-saving heart procedure.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada praised the government"s announcement of $15 million to study the impact of a wide variety of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis.
Cancer Research UK scientists have been part of an international collaboration that has revealed the structure of a protein found in simple yeast cells and shown how it flags up damaged DNA for repair. The results of their study are published in Nature*. The finding may provide clues as to how some cancer cells become resistant to certain chemotherapy drugs.
The American Lung Association cheers the Senate"s overwhelming vote in favor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (HR 1256) today.
GPs have warned that the reorganisation of health visitor services is putting children at risk and underlined the importance of them remaining in practice based teams. The call came at the Annual GPs Conference being held in London.
NanoScan Imaging, LLC announced the publication of new data demonstrating the use of its investigational, radio-opaque contrast agent (N1177) to visualize vulnerable plaques that can cause heart attack or stroke using advanced, non-invasive and high-resolution computed tomography (CT) techniques. Results of the study were published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Nuclear Medicine (J Nucl Med. 2009 Jun;50(6):959-965).
Quintiles Consulting released the first in a three-part series of white papers addressing how best to navigate risk in drug development. The first paper, "On the Re-Balancing of Risk to Transform Cost and Productivity in Drug Development," focuses on operational risk. It is available for download at http://www.quintiles.com/consulting.
Dr. Jonathan C. Song, director of the Cornea Institute in the Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and an eye surgeon specializing in corneal diseases and transplantation, has just returned from a medical mission in which he worked with Syrian and Iraqi eye surgeons at the Syrian city of Dier Ezzor. During the medical mission, May 18-22, Dr. Song saw 50 patients and performed eight corneal transplants and five cataract surgeries. In addition to holding training sessions with Syrian ophthalmologists, he also lectured to 25 Syrian and Iraqi medical professionals about advanced eye surgery techniques.
The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC) at Centennial Medical Center last week began treating patients with a new non-invasive weapon in the battle against cancer. The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the first and only cancer center in Middle Tennessee to offer image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery.
MedPredict Market Research, a global provider of pharmaceutical competitive intelligence and market research, has published a new report entitled "Thought Leader Insight & Analysis: Alzheimer"s Disease," designed to provide critical strategic insight for pharma and biotech companies with a stake in the market for diagnostics and treatments in this disease area.
Seeing others in pain can automatically engage the brain"s empathy systems even if we are not paying attention, according to new research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine presented at the Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. The investigators showed people images of hands and feet in painful or non-painful situations while scanning the brain using magnetic resonance imaging. Under some conditions the subjects paid attention to whether the situation was painful, while in other conditions they paid attention to other aspects of the images. The results showed that a brain area called the insula responded to pain even if the subject was not paying attention to pain, while another area called the anterior cingulate cortex was important for the voluntary control of empathy for pain. The research provides a better understanding of how the social brain responds to others" pain.
The number of talented and motivated applicants for integrated vascular training programs far outweighs available positions according to a new, four-year study by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Fighting infectious disease, the very heart of public health and the genesis of contemporary nursing, is about more than hand washing and immunizations. It"s about screening and early detection, identifying risk and protective factors, and educating clinicians, facilities and the public. But it all begins with research, like that underway by nurse researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON). Their work is more important now than it has been in nearly the past century. Infectious disease rates, stable since the 1918 influenza pandemic, have been on the rise since the mid-1980s. The battle against these illnesses from HIV/AIDS to MRSA and from STDs to resurgent tuberculosis (TB), and others has been escalating, and long before the recent emergence of the H1N1 influenza virus earlier this year.
Men with low testosterone should have their hormone levels retested after they fast overnight because eating may transiently lower testosterone levels, a new study concludes. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed a new method to study single cells while exposing them to controlled environmental changes. The unique method, where a set of laser tweezers move the cell around in a microscopic channel system, allows the researchers to study how single cells react to stress induced by a constantly changing environment.
UroToday.com - This publication describes our unique finding that the steroidogenic enzyme CYP17A1 is present in prostate derived exosomes, isolated from human serum. We also describe CYP17A1 expression in human prostate tissues during castration resistant progression of cancer and identify a subcellular pattern of distribution for CYP17A1 consistent with a secretory protein in human prostate tissues, similar to that of PSA.
The British Journal of Psychology has reached its 100th edition, and the British Psychological Society is celebrating with the publication of a special edition containing some of the seminal papers that have been published within its pages since 1904.
When President Obama chose Green Bay, Wis., to talk about the need for health reform, he did so in part because the area has achieved a high level of quality, and compared with other parts of the country, succeeded in restraining health care costs, National Public Radio reports. "They"re certainly spending a lot less money, and they are providing care that is equal or better than the care that is provided in many other communities around the country," Elliot Fisher, a researcher at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice told NPR in an interview. NPR says: "Some of the research the administration is relying on comes from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice," which focuses on variations in health quality and costs around the country.
"The nation"s deep recession is helping to alleviate the decade-long nursing shortage, as workers who had left the field in better times are returning in droves," the Wall Street Journal reports. The paper quotes a study, one of six papers on the nursing workforce published today in the journal Health Affairs, that found "nearly a quarter-million nurses entered the work force in 2007-08, an 18% surge that was the largest two-year increase in at least three decades." Many of them had left nursing, but "re-entered the work force to compensate for a spouse"s lost income or health benefits, the study said." The increase is "particularly remarkable at a time when the U.S. economy has shed more than six million jobs, helping to solidify the profession"s "recession-proof" image." The study found that the surge in new nurses is due to "efforts to expand nursing schools, attract more young people into the field and improve working conditions," along with an increase in the number of foreign-born nurses.
India launched a project to promote its $10.7 billion pharmaceutical industry in Africa after fake drugs labeled "Made in India," but with actual origins in China were seized on the continent, IANS/Hindu reports. According to a commerce ministry statement, an effort to show ministers and senior officials in African nations "that the Indian generic industry is as safe as its patented versions and is available at much reasonable prices" is underway.
The NFU has told a European Commission review of anti-dumping duties imposed on fertiliser from the Ukraine that such measures act as artificial trade barriers and, given the importance of fertiliser to agriculture, can curb profitability of farms across the UK and EU.
Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Thursday said that the GOP has not ruled out the use of procedural tactics, such as a Republican boycott, to attempt to delay Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing, Roll Call reports. Republicans have complained that the scheduled July 13 start date for the hearing does not give them enough time to review Sotomayor"s record. Kyl said that Republicans will try to negotiate with Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) for more time if they feel they cannot meet the July 13 deadline (Stanton, Roll Call, 6/11). Leahy said that Sotomayor is entitled to be confirmed on the same timetable as Chief Justice John Roberts, who appeared before the Judiciary Committee less than two months after his nomination (Kivlan, CongressDaily, 6/11).Republican Senate aides say Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is not likely to make a final decision for several weeks on whether the GOP will try to delay the nomination. According to Roll Call, Sessions has sought to approach the issue "in a careful, measured way," though he has been critical of some of Sotomayor"s public statements. Roll Call reports that Republicans are apt to display an impartial stance on Sotomayor until the hearing starts, meaning that they likely will delay a decision on whether to stall the nomination until the last minute (Roll Call, 6/11).Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that Republican senators are stalling to give conservative groups more time to organize a campaign against Sotomayor that they hope will taint her nomination. Feinstein said that there are "groups out there who need more time for attacks and sound bites." She added, "This is a woman who is qualified, who is brilliant, and who worked her way up" (CongressDaily, 6/11).
The following summarizes news coverage on women"s health-related legislation in Arizona and North Carolina. ~ Arizona: The Arizona Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 4-3 to approve a bill (S.B. 1206) that would place several restrictions on abortion rights and allow pharmacists or other health care providers to refuse to distribute emergency contraception based on religious or moral objections, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports. The state House passed an identical bill in March. The measure would impose a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion procedures and mandate that doctors inform women about risks and alternatives. It also would toughen an exisiting parental consent requirement for minors seeking abortion. The bill requires an in-person consultation before the 24-hour waiting period, which would increase costs for women who are forced to travel to a clinic twice, according to Planned Parenthood of Arizona President Bryan Howard. The Legislature approved bills with similar restrictions in recent years, but the measures were vetoed by then-Gov. Janet Napolitano (D). Current Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has said she supports mandatory disclosures and a 24-hour waiting period (Billeaud, AP/Arizona Daily Star, 6/10).~ North Carolina: The North Carolina Senate Mental Health and Youth Services Committee this week approved a bill (S. 221) that would require all public school systems to offer information on the use of contraceptives to students in grades seven through nine, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports. The information would be presented as part of a larger reproductive health education program that would maintain the abstinence-only education curricula currently taught at nearly all of the state"s 115 school districts. Parents would be permitted to prevent children from participating in the classes with contraceptive information. The measure is a revised version of state House-approved legislation (H.B. 88) that would have required schools to teach two separate abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education tracks. If the full state Senate passes the new bill, the two chambers will meet to negotiate a compromise (Robertson, AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 6/11).
Cystic fibrosis patients may benefit from a new therapy that increases airway hydration, preventing the buildup of mucous, which is a key factor in the disease, according to researchers at Parion Sciences in Durham, N.C.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds the efforts of lawmakers to bring primary care services offered through registered nurses to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes by reintroducing the "Independence at Home Act of 2009" (H.R. 2560/S. 1131). ANA supports this legislation because it provides patients with care options that enhance individual independence and can lead to a better quality of life. This legislation also smartly recognizes the integral role nurses and nurse practitioners play in the delivery of primary care and helps bring the focus of our health care system back where it belongs- on the patient and the community.
Could sleep be a critical component to maintaining a healthy body weight? According to new research presented on Sunday, May 17, at the American Thoracic Society"s 105th International Conference in San Diego, body mass index (BMI) is linked to length and quality of sleep in a surprisingly consistent fashion.
LSU"s WAVCIS, or Wave-Current-Surge Information System for Coastal Louisiana, has a few new tricks up its sleeve in preparation for the 2009 hurricane season.
A new type of robot being developed will make it easier to detect drugs, weapons, explosives and illegal immigrants concealed in cargo containers.
Individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in lower gross domestic product (GDP) countries (GDP below $11,000) are more likely to continue working despite higher disease activity and functional disability scores compared to their counterparts in higher GDP countries (GDP >$24,000) according to a new multinational study presented today at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark.
New figures from the NHS Information Centre reveal a sobering tally of over 300 heart attacks, 300 strokes, 65 foot or toe amputations and 38 leg amputations among people with diabetes each week.
92.8% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer anxiety and depression which significantly affects both their physical and emotional quality of life (QoL), according to the results of a new study presented today at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depression was the most significant factor shown to affect QoL (p=0.015; OR=0.18; CI 95%:0.045-0.72).
Over half (63%) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also suffer from psychiatric disorders, with the majority of these (87%) occurring in the depressive spectrum, according to the results of a new study presented recently at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark. Interestingly, over half (52%) of the patients studied indicated that they had experienced stress events before the onset of their RA.
Young patients at The Portland Hospital in London, part of the HCA group, will now undergo less stressful MRI examinations due to the installation of a MAGNETOM® Avanto from Siemens Healthcare. The system is used for a range of imaging procedures from brain to spine to small bowel.
In June, the Royal College of Physicians will be holding a series of workshops with local schools and families exploring The Great Plague of 1665 and the involvement of the Royal College of Physicians.
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (NYSE Amex: SVA), a leading developer and provider of vaccines in China, announced today that it has completed construction of the H1N1 virus seed bank necessary to produce a virus antigen.
Body mass index (BMI) should be taken into account when assessing a cancer patient"s vitamin D status, according to researchers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), who found that obese cancer patients had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to non-obese patients.
Protein Sciences Corporation (PSC) announced that it commenced manufacturing of a vaccine to protect humans against the H1N1 "swine flu" virus. The Company estimates that it can produce 100,000 doses this week and at least 100,000 doses per week thereafter. The vaccine, called PanBlok(R), is made using PSC"s proprietary baculovirus and insect cell manufacturing technology. PSC believes that PanBlok is the first and only vaccine that could be used to protect against the escalating worldwide pandemic, at least for the next few months.
People who suffer from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, a rare inherited cancer syndrome, develop gastrointestinal polyps and are predisposed to colon cancer and other tumor types. Carefully tracing the cellular chain-of-command that links nutrient intake to cell growth (and which is interrupted in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome), allowed researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies to exploit the tumors" weak spot.
Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.
Geisinger Health System senior investigator and U.S. Army veteran Joseph Boscarino, Ph.D., is proud of his military service, yet he doesn"t like to talk much about his combat experiences.
Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations. Cell-based manufacturing technology[1] allows vaccine production to be initiated once a pandemic virus strain is identified without the need to adapt the virus strain to grow in eggs, as with traditional vaccine technologies. This advance has cut weeks off the time required to begin vaccine production. This first batch of ten liters of wild type influenza A(H1N1) vaccine monobulk will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing and is also being considered for use in clinical trials. It demonstrates the value of the cell-based production approach, that is also being used by Novartis with reassortant influenza A(H1N1) seed.
-Mental Health America honored two extraordinary mental health advocates on Saturday during the final day of its Centennial Conference.
A new study by researchers in the US suggests there may be a link between the use of stimulant drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Cheltenham Borough Council has today lost its case to sue former employee Christine Laird for ÷£1million for not disclosing her past experience of depression. Leading mental health charity Mind says the landmark ruling serves as an important reminder to employers about the importance of providing adequate support to people with mental health problems in the workplace.
US researchers found that people with memory problems who are depressed are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer"s disease than people who
The Genetic Interest Group, the UK patient organisation for all those affected by genetic disorders,
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says the annual Roy Morgan professions survey, which shows nurses are regarded as the most "ethical and honest" of all professions, confirms the Australian public continues to appreciate the benefits nurses bring to Australia"s health.
Diabetes UK is today bringing together 100 people, including 20 diabetes amputees, at the "Body Worlds and Mirror of Time" exhibition at London"s O2 Arena for a photo call to highlight the fact that diabetes causes 100 amputations a week in the UK.
Governments and drug companies are struggling with efforts to prepare for a possible resurgence of swine flu in the fall as well as questioning who should receive swine flu vaccines as they ramp up production.
Reuters reports that "a North American shortage of medical isotopes has forced many U.S. hospitals to begin rationing scores of diagnostic tests, and doctors said on Friday they see no quick solution." The shortage is due to last month"s shut down of a "nuclear reactor in eastern Ontario that produces a third of the world"s supply of medical isotopes, used in scans to check for an impending heart attack or see if cancer has spread." Reuters notes that "the Canadian plant is one of five aging reactors worldwide -- none located in the United States -- to produce molybdenum-99, the most commonly used medical isotope. The rapidly decaying substance has a shelf life of just 67 hours, making it impossible to stockpile."
National pharmacy benefit management company Medco will significantly improve access to its services for limited English proficient members in 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today.
Wrong Way On Health Reform Washington Post
Reuters examines the WHO"s battle against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus in "[d]eveloping countries, where medical care systems are weak and supplies of antivirals insufficient." In addition to "supplying countries with diagnostic kits, medicines and masks and gloves to protect health care workers and minimize the further spread of the new virus," the WHO is continuing to distribute doses of the antiviral Tamiflu, which has been "shown to be effective so far against H1N1," according to Reuters.
Roche Diagnostics announces launch of new Accu-Chek Smart Pix diabetes management system for consumers. Traditionally, Accu-Chek Smart Pix has been an information management tool used by healthcare specialists in clinics, but now people with diabetes can benefit from this advanced technology for home use. With this brand new device, manual log books become a thing of the past, and patients remain fully in control of their diabetes at all times.
All Global, the world"s
Today Center for Health Development - Metro Manila (CHD-MM) and World Lung Foundation (WLF) published the first results of a survey that shows 52% of Metro Manila citizens are exposed to second-hand smoke every day in workplaces, restaurants and other public spaces. The comprehensive survey of smoking knowledge, attitudes and behavior also revealed that 74% are exposed at least once per week.
A lung cancer treatment that inhibits nicotine receptors was shown to double survival time in mice, according to Italian researchers.
Appearing on CBS" "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.) said that Senate Republicans have not ruled out a filibuster on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, The Hill reports. Although McConnell acknowledged that he has "consistently opposed filibustering judges," he added that the "precedent was established" when Democrats filibustered Miguel Estrada, an appeals court nominee under former President George W. Bush. When asked to clarify his statement, McConnell added, "The Democrats have firmly established that as a precedent, but that doesn"t mean you are going to use it" (Blake, The Hill, 6/14). McConnell also said that it is "way too early to be talking about whether or not anybody opposes this nominee" (Schieffer, "Face the Nation," CBS, 6/14).According to The Hill, McConnell is the first top GOP senator to state that a filibuster is a possibility, as most other Republicans have said only that it is too early to determine if it should be an option. Republicans "face a difficult path" if they choose to filibuster Sotomayor because party members have long decried judicial filibusters, The Hill reports (The Hill, 6/14).
We"ve all experienced listening to a song until we can"t stand it. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research may help people continue to enjoy the products and experiences they once loved.
Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a cognitive shortcut, or heuristic, they call "Unit Bias," which causes people to ignore vital, obvious information in their decision-making process, points to a fundamental flaw in the modern, evolved mind and may also play a role in the American population"s 30 years of weight gain.
Paul Ennals, Chief Executive of NCB, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen"s Birthday Honours list.
Disabled children missing out on basic NHS care Parents tell of "battle" to get basic healthcare for disabled children and of agencies routinely "passing the buck"
Cempra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel antibiotics for difficult-to-treat and drug-resistant infections, announced that it has successfully raised $46 million in a Series C financing. The funds will be used for the continued clinical development of CEM-101, Cempra"s lead macrolide compound; CEM-102, its promising oral antibiotic for gram-positive infections; and other preclinical stage, non-antibacterial macrolide programs. Quaker BioVentures led the Series C round, which also included Devon Park Bioventures, as well as original investors, Aisling Capital, Intersouth Partners, investment banker Wistar Morris III, and Teachers" Private Capital. Geeta Vemuri, Ph.D., Partner at Quaker BioVentures, will join the board with this financing.
Using a highly sensitive new test, scientists in Europe are reporting "convincing evidence" that marijuana smoke damages the genetic material DNA in ways that could increase the risk of cancer. Their study can be found in the June 15 issue of ACS" Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal.
Fluoride is a chemical ion of the element fluorine (from the Latin fluo meaning "to flow"), in that fluoride has one extra electron that gives it a negative charge. Fluoride is found naturally in water, foods, soil, and several minerals such as fluorite and fluorapatite. However, it is also synthesized in laboratories where it may be added to drinking water or used in a variety of chemical products.
The University of California, San Francisco, has partnered with Abbott, a global health care company, to launch a first-of-its kind, non-profit viral diagnostics center near the UCSF Mission Bay campus to help identify unknown viruses from around the world.
We know that the environment can have long-term effects on our health, but what about the health of those who aren"t born yet? A recent study looking at the birth weights of more than 5 million children born in Canada between 1981 and 2003 showed an increase in the frequency of genital malformations in male newborns and a decrease in male fertility.
June is National Osteoporosis Month and health experts from NHS Somerset are urging people to look after their bones by living well and eating well.
Breast cancer researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have been awarded a prestigious Department of Defense Synergistic Idea Award, one of just 12 such grants in the United States. The $725,000 research grant over two years will allow Lisa Baumbach, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Miller School, and Mark Pegram, M.D., professor of medicine and associate director for clinical and translational research at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute at Sylvester, to expand their work examining the genetic differences found in African-American breast cancer patients.
In remarks on health care reform to the American Medical Association"s (AMA) House of Delegates on Monday, President Barack Obama pointed to pharmacists" participation on "multidisciplinary rounds" as an "island of excellence" that should become the "standard in our health care system."
In 2004, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center announced a crucial discovery in the understanding of cellular aging. They found that as cells and tissues age, the expression of a key protein, called p16INK4a, dramatically increases in most mammalian organs. Because p16INK4a is a tumor suppressor protein, cancer researchers are interested in its role in cellular aging and cancer prevention.
The Medical Protection Society (MPS) - which represents around half of all GPs in the UK - is committed to working with its members through education to prevent avoidable harm to patients and has a wealth of experience and expertise in helping doctors when things go wrong. MPS welcomes the launch (12/06/09) of the National Patient Safety Agency"s (NPSA) guide; Seven Steps to Patient Safety in General Practice as patient safety is at the core of what MPS does.
The NPA has the following initial comments to make on the Government"s response to the Pharmacy Order 2009 consultation, which came out today.
Pakistan "s Allocations For Public Health MDG Lagging
Ark Therapeutics Group plc (AKT:LSE) announces that Named Patient Supply (NPS) for Cerepro® (sitimagene ceradenovec) has been approved in Finland by the National Agency for Medicines (NAM). The approval follows an application made by a neuro-surgeon in Finland for the use of Cerepro®.
The AP/Kansas City Star on Sunday examined how the upcoming election for the next president of the National Organization for Women has brought to the forefront a debate over how the feminist movement should define itself moving forward. NOW President Kim Gandy is stepping down after eight years in which she led the group in opposition to many of former President George W. Bush"s policies. Running to replace her are Latifa Lyles, a 33-year-old who serves as a vice president to Gandy, and Terry O"Neill, a 56-year-old who served as NOW"s vice president for membership from 2001 to 2005. Lyles, who is black, would be NOW"s youngest president while O"Neill, who is white, would be its oldest to start a term. According to the AP/Star, the election represents "both an unusual clash of generations and an opportunity for activists to confront some of the challenges facing the feminist movement." The election will be held at NOW"s conference in Indianapolis this weekend.The candidates share the goals of ensuring that women"s needs are represented in health care reform and economic recovery efforts, and they both support working to make abortion and birth control more accessible. Lyles said she contrasts with NOW"s current membership, which is mostly white and older than age 40. Lyles believes she could help give the organization a more diverse, younger image and help encourage participation from a broader range of women. "The profile of NOW is just as important as the work we do," she said, adding, "There are a lot of antiquated notions about what feminism is." Gandy, who has endorsed Lyles, said, "It"s hard to ignore the fact there"s been a generational shift in the country, and an organization that doesn"t recognize that is living in the past." She added that Lyles" "youth is not a detriment, but an advantage. ... She"ll take NOW to a different level." Jessica Valenti, a prominent younger feminist and founder of the blog Feministing, said, "This could be the moment where NOW becomes super-relevant to the feminist movement again."O"Neill said she would focus on grassroots organizing and membership recruitment. She said that "even with a friend in the White House and a lot of friends in the Congress, it"s going to take well-organized, grassroots movement to advance our agenda." O"Neill added, "I keep hearing "Terry, I want to see more activism in my community,"" adding, "The press releases, the media exposure, invitations to the White House -- these are excellent things, but they"re not enough. The grass roots are not personally engaged." Former NOW President Patricia Ireland, who supports O"Neill, said, "There is a role that requires us to take unpopular stands and push on our friends. That"s what I think [O"Neill] really gets. She"s the one I believe will be very willing to use a wide array of tactics -- not just traditional letters and e-mails, but also engage in civil disobedience, organize fasts, be at some congressman"s district office" (Crary, AP/Kansas City Star, 6/14).
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) today honored Christopher A. Hatwig, M.S., FASHP, with the ASHP Board of Directors Award of Excellence for his work to help safety net hospitals provide safe and cost-effective drug therapy to low-income and uninsured patients. Hatwig, vice president of Apexus in Irving, Texas, received the award during ASHP"s Summer Meeting in Rosemont, Ill.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is concerned that from today, only
The General Optical Council (GOC) has launched an open consultation on its five-year strategy. Registrants, patients and the public, and partner organisations are encouraged to have their say on the GOC"s role and work priorities for 2010-2015.
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Duke University engineers have taken a first step toward a minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors by combining chemotherapy with heat administered from the end of a catheter.
This week, a study came out that scared us big-time ... it suggests that children and teens who take stimulants like Ritalin for ADHD have an increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Our pediatrician weighs in.
The following statement was issued by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) regarding a study on biosimilars presented to Congressional staff by the AARP:
The use of phone and internet between patients and healthcare providers is an effective way to reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease and the risk of further events after a heart attack, according to new research published today in the June issue of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation.(1) The study"s senior investigator, Professor Ben Freedman from the Department of Cardiology at Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, Australia, says that the provision of "telehealth" models could help increase the uptake of coronary prevention activities by those without access to cardiac rehabilitation, and "narrow the gap between evidence and practice".
Scientists at Harvard University have shown, for the first time, that intelligence varies among individual monkeys within a species - in this case, the cotton-top tamarin.
The lack of awareness in schools is having a serious impact on the education of children with Sickle Cell, according to research published in the British Education Research Journal this month.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced interim results from two Phase II studies of SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) which demonstrate that the medicine may have potential as a treatment for a certain type of advanced prostate cancer.
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Zipsor (diclofenac potassium) Liquid Filled Capsules, a new treatment option indicated for relief of mild to moderate acute pain in adults (18 years of age or older).
Two new studies published by neurologists at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital demonstrate a need for more vigilant monitoring for seizure activity among intensive care patients who may be experiencing subtle seizures that are typically unrecognized. These subtle seizures may be affecting patients" prognoses and causing long-term brain damage, death and severe disability.
Despite great strides in treating childhood leukemia, a form of the disease called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) poses special challenges because of the high risk of leukemic cells invading the brain and spinal cord of children who relapse. Now, a new study in the June 18, 2009, issue of the journal Nature by scientists at NYU School of Medicine reveals the molecular agents behind this devastating infiltration of the central nervous system. The finding may lead to new drugs that block these agents and thus lower the risk of relapse.
In a letter to this week÷“s BMJ, a researcher expresses his concern on how in order to empower NHS patients with choice, the UK government is in danger of sacrificing the principle of equality on which the service was founded.
Data published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer"s Disease demonstrated that minimally-invasive biospectroscopy was able to identify changes in oxidative stress (OS) levels in blood plasma, which may prove to be a useful biomarker in the early detection of Alzheimer"s disease. There is currently no accepted laboratory test for diagnosing Alzheimer"s disease.
A review of the NICE decision on the approval of lenalidomide is published in a special report Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology. About 2,000 multiple myeloma sufferers in the UK could benefit from the drug and improve their life expectancy pending a decision by The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Patients who have received two or more previous therapies could receive lenalidomide, and the cost of cycles beyond the twenty-sixth cycle of treatment would be met by the drug manufacturer.
Hydration expert, Water Wellpoint is playing a key role in helping public sector employers look after the health and wellbeing of their staff. The company has recently been working with East London NHS Foundation Trust to run a series of wellbeing days, giving employees the ability to check key aspects of their health in a total voluntary format.
"Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell are set to join Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker on Wednesday to release a $1.2 trillion proposal that would be fully paid for with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases," the Associated Press reports. The proposal from the four former Senate leaders "combines ideas from both political parties to guarantee coverage for all" and is an attempt to "prevent a repeat of the 1990s standoff over health care."
"A New York State law that takes effect on July 14 has physicians who perform office-based surgery scrambling to upgrade their offices or find new space altogether," The New York Times reports. The Patient Protection Bill, "signed into law by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in July 2007, is intended to ensure high safety standards in offices when surgery and other invasive procedures are conducted with more than minimal sedation" and is "the first time that New York State will regulate office-based surgeries." Doctors may need to modify their office space with "larger elevators, improved ventilation, backup power equipment with the ability to run for a longer period and other mechanical accommodations." But "since some medical offices cannot be physically adapted to meet accreditation requirements, especially in Manhattan, many physicians have been seeking new office space." This can be difficult in the city, where there is "a dearth of recently built medical office space." Claire Pospisil, "a spokeswoman with the New York State Department of Health, said the state did not know how many medical offices were conducting operations; this was one reason for the new law." She estimates that "70 or 75 percent of medical offices in New York City and Long Island do these surgeries."
Opponents and proponents of health care reform are using "rationing" as the word to drive opinion regarding health care reform in the United States, The New York Times reports.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Cool Point™ Irrigation Pump. Used in conjunction with SJM open-irrigated ablation catheters, an irrigation pump supplies a continuous flow of saline through the catheter"s inner lumen to cool the ablation electrode for more effective energy delivery. Designed to enhance physicians" ability to perform successful atrial ablations, the new Cool Point irrigation pump was developed specifically for use with the company"s IBI-1500T9-CP cardiac ablation generator and family of Therapy™ Cool Path™ irrigated catheters.
WHO To Investigate Reported Bubonic Plague Cases In Libya
A new approach to stimulating immune cells enhances their anticancer activity, resulting in a powerful anti-tumor response in mice, according to a study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health. This work represents an important advance in the development of immunotherapy for cancer and appears online June 14, 2009 in Nature Medicine.
Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar - a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods - may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Their study is scheduled for the July 8 issue of ACS" Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
TR BioSurgical, LLC, announced highly encouraging results using their new medical device (bioscaffold) in canine patients with advanced osteoarthritis. The new bioscaffold is implanted in or near diseased tissue and provides a structural matrix for local repair cells, such as stem cells or fibroblasts, to attach and heal tissue by local, physiological repair mechanisms. The new bioscaffold implant contains no drugs, cells or growth factors and is eventually resorbed by the infiltrating cells. The implant is made from a proprietary, copolymerized collagen and is sterile, cost effective, and non- immunogenic.
A new model for the funding of long-term care for older people is needed in the UK, delegates at the Actuarial Profession"s Health and Care Conference in Glasgow heard today.
BOSTON - Favorable 12-month outcomes are maintained through 30 months of follow-up when renal transplant patients are converted from a cyclosporine (CsA)-based regimen to a sirolimus (SRL)-based regimen three months post-transplant, according to results of the CONCEPT study announced here at the American Transplant Congress (ATC) 2009.
A new study reveals that 900 hypertensive patients using IDEAL LIFE remote health management devices to monitor their blood pressure effectively reduced their systolic blood pressure (SYS) by an average of 10 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). For many patients, this decrease brought them below 140 mmHg, the level traditionally defined as the threshold for "high" blood pressure.
In the decade since the Implicit Association Test was introduced, its most surprising and controversial finding is its indication that about 70 percent of those who took a version of the test that measures racial attitudes have an unconscious, or implicit, preference for white people compared to blacks. This contrasts with figures generally under 20 percent for self report, or survey, measures of race bias.