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Health News from Medical News Today
Organic strawberries were found to have more vitamin C and antioxidants than non-organic ones, and they also had a nicer taste, but are 13.4% smaller and have considerably lower levels of dietary minerals potassium and phosphorous, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal PloS One. As consumers, we are usually willing to pay a bit more for organic produce for reasons of nutrition, health, the environment and/or the quality of life of farm animals...
When your newborn infant is crying with uncomfortable teething or otherwise obviously suffering, feeding sugar to the little one has been a home remedy for years based on not only perceived behavior, but also physiological reactions. However, a new article by Dr. Rebeccah Slater of University College London that appears in the current issue of The Lancet, shows there is no direct connection between pain reduction activity in the spinal cord or brain and the administration of sucrose...
US researchers found that short sleep and insomnia was linked to a four times higher risk of early death in men; they urged public health policy makers to emphasize earlier diagnosis and treament of chronic insomnia. You can read how researchers from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, came to these findings in a paper they wrote that was published on 1 September in the journal SLEEP...
Contrave (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR), an investigational drug aimed at combination therapy to address both biological and behavioral drivers of obesity, will be developed and commercialized by Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The two drug firms have just signed an exclusive partnership for the North American area. The Contrave combination treatment targets the central pathways involved in controlling the balance of both food consumption and metabolism, as well as regulating eating behavior, Orexigen informs...
Where's the beef? Rather, where are the Escherichia coli (commonly referred to and spelled as E. coli) in my beef? It has been found that infrared spectroscopy detects E. coli (named for discovery by German pediatrician and bacteriologist Theodor Escherich) far more rapidly than current testing options. Utilizing infrared would speed up the detection process dramatically, and potentially curb outbreaks. In addition, spectroscopy can identify strains of E. coli (such as 0157:H7) in much less time than the current seven days necessary to complete the multi-step identification process...
Cases of human infection of West Nile virus (WNV) have been reported in Greece where 13 people have died and at least 140 have become ill, according to the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Greek authorities say 32 patients are currently hospitalized. Several other countries in Europe are also affected, especially Central Europe and the Mediterranean area, according to the latest issue of Eurosurveillance. The publication adds that numerous animal cases have also been documented. A "single probable case" was reported in Portugal in July this year...
All 12 TLC Laser Eye Centers in Southern California are changing their names to NVISION Laser Eye Centers. The name change accompanies the sale of TLC Vision's interest in the 12 centers to Medical Director Dr. Tom Tooma to become a separate LASIK brand. The new brand will operate as NVISION Laser Eye Centers and will have the same 12 Southern California locations, same surgeons and staff. In fact, the only thing that will change is the name to reflect additional eye care services now available for Southern California residents...
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working in partnership with the charity No Smoking Day to help thousands of smokers to kick the habit and stop smoking on Wednesday, 9th March 2011. This year's "Time to Quit?" campaign will encourage and support smokers across the UK to start counting down to the 9th March, to quit smoking and start a healthier and wealthier life...
A report by the NHS Confederation's London Relations Programme published outlines the significant challenges faced by the capital's health service. It says tough decisions will need to be taken if London's healthcare is to continue to improve during the financial downturn. The paper Capital challenge: improving healthcare in London highlights particular issues around health inequalities and variation in the quality of services in the capital...
BIO today announced the preliminary set of speakers who will be featured on the Therapeutic Workshops during the 9th Annual BIO Investor Forum - a national meeting focused on investment trends and opportunities in the life-sciences with a focus on public and venture-stage growth companies. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the 9th annual event will take place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Calif. on October 5-6...
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announces Eric Olson's appointment as President of the IVD Industry Connectivity Consortium (IICC). Founded by the top worldwide in vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers, IICC's mission is to create and ensure adoption of a unified connectivity standard to reduce the complexity and variability of data exchange between IVD testing and healthcare systems...
Neutrogena, the #1 dermatologist-recommended skin care brand, announced today that, with the help of teens across America, the Wave for Change campaign achieved its goal of raising $200,000 for communities in need. The donation will be divided among three causes in the US and globally, as determined by teens on Neutrogena's Facebook Page. Understanding their passion for positive social change, Neutrogena invited teens to show their support for the campaign by purchasing Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit products and the Wave® Sonic Power-Cleanser...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a $153 million contract to Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. of San Carlos, Calif., to continue developing a new way to treat an illness caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation which can damage the body's cells - the type of radiation that would come from a nuclear blast. Under the contract, the company will continue development of a medication called CLT-008 that uses a special kind of cells called myeloid progenitor cells...
Trinh Company, a San Jose, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,070 pounds of cooked shredded pork skin products because the products were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels] - 8-ounce clear plastic bags of "TRINH CO. BI TUOI COOKED SHREDDED PORK SKIN, THUONG HANG BI TUOI V.N. HOP VE SINH." - 10-ounce clear plastic bags of "TRINH CO. BI TUOI COOKED SHREDDED PORK SKIN, THUONG HANG BI TUOI V.N...
Responding to the new energy bill announced in the Queen's Speech, Mike Hobday, Head of Campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support said: 'Whilst the mandatory support from energy companies will help some vulnerable people struggling with their fuel bills, it is vital that cancer patients are not left out in the cold. Cancer patients undergoing treatment are twice as likely to fall into fuel poverty as the general population and must be included in any new support schemes...
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in the City of Ottawa, outside the current Ottawa - Gatineau regulated area. An adult EAB was retrieved from an insect trap south of Fallowfield Road near Richmond Road. Movement restrictions on regulated wood materials will be placed on the affected property. Further regulatory measures will be considered once survey work is completed for the year...
Two studies reveal that smokers may have a significantly lower risk of developing lung cancer and colorectal cancer with the drug metformin, which is commonly prescribed for diabetes type 2 treatment, the medical journal Cancer Prevention Research informs. Metformin, originally sold as Glucophage, is the first-line drug of choice for diabetes type 2 patients, especially those who are obese or overweight, as well as diabetes patients with normal kidney function. Metformin may have the following brand names: Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, or Riomet...
The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey announced that it has been chosen as one of nine foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing's Future (PIN), a unique national initiative to help find innovative ways to create an effective nursing workforce appropriate in size and equipped with the specific skills necessary to meet the changing demands of the 21st century patient population...
For many students away from home for the first time, college marks the first time they begin shopping, cooking and eating for themselves. Figuring out how to prepare quick yet healthy meals on a budget can be a daunting task, and the allure of fast take-out food often leads to the dreaded "Freshman Fifteen." To help students figure out a healthy meal plan, Student Health Services has begun offering tours of the local Fresh Grocer supermarket...
Sorell Family Practice in Sorell, 25 km north-east of Hobart, has been named the winner of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Tasmania General Practice of the Year Award 2010. The General Practice of the Year Award recognises the outstanding work of general practices, the commitment of the practice to ongoing quality improvements, the standard of facilities offered to patients and staff and the services offered to the local community...
URAC announced a call for public comment on the second set of toolkits for its new Patient Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH) Program. The program, comprised of an integrated series of three educational toolkits, will help health care practices follow a step-wise process in their journey to becoming a PCHCH. Comment on the first toolkit, the Health Care Practice Assessment Toolkit, closed on August 12, 2010. This call for comment focuses on the second and third PCHCH Toolkits: the Patient Survey and Performance Measures Toolkits, and are available for review and comment here...
Anxiety disorders afflict women twice as often as men, but estrogen might not be the reason. Testosterone, though, could be. That is one of the preliminary findings in the lab of Florida State University researcher Mohamed Kabbaj, associate professor in the College of Medicine. He recently was awarded a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to investigate the sex differences in anxiety. His research team also is working to identify the role of a gene called zif268. "It's a very important molecule," Kabbaj said...
On average, a lower blood pressure goal was no better than the standard blood pressure goal at slowing progression of kidney disease among African-Americans who had chronic kidney disease resulting from high blood pressure, according to results of the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), the largest and longest study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in African-Americans. However, the blood pressure goal did benefit people who also had protein in the urine, which is a sign of kidney damage. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, appears in the Sept...
Health News Florida: "The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that targeted the new federal-health reform law, ruling that state lawmakers included misleading wording that could not be fixed. Justices, in a 5-2 ruling, upheld a circuit judge's decision to strip 'Amendment 9' from the November ballot. ...
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that women with a gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer face lower risks of developing such cancer after receiving mastectomies or having their ovaries removed, The Wall Street Journal reports. The study, which involved 2,482 women, "provides the most concrete evidence to date about the benefit of undergoing such preventative surgeries in women who carry mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes...
The Los Angeles Times: "As state leaders blast giant health insurers for raising rates, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has quietly allowed hefty increases for thousands of sick or jobless Californians who must rely on expensive safety-net coverage -- if they want insurance at all. To the frustration of policyholders, state regulators have given insurance companies permission to raise maximum premiums for most of the 20,000 Californians who depend on the coverage of last resort...
Pawlenty's Order Pure Politicking The Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer The move can be explained in no other way than in being a totally partisan decision, intended to shore up his conservatism in what will be a 2012 battle of who is more conservative to wear the Republican mantle for president (9/1). Dear Patients: Vote To Repeal ObamaCare The Wall Street Journal Because the issue this election is so stark - literally life and death for millions of Americans in the years ahead - we are this week posting a "Dear Patient" letter in our waiting rooms (Dr. Hal Scherz, 9/1)...
The World Bank on Tuesday issued a report (.pdf) calling for a more integrated approach to worldwide water management, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports (9/1). "We can't properly tackle global priorities of food security, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change, public health and urbanization unless we manage water better," Julia Bucknall, water sector manager for the World Bank, said, according to a World Bank press release (8/31). The report also reviewed the effectiveness of the World Bank's 2003 water strategy, VOA News reports (DeCapua, 8/31)...
Some of the malaria drugs given to Africa by international donors are "being stolen and resold on commercial markets," according to a study to be released Thursday in the journal Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine, the Associated Press reports. "During three periods from 2007 to 2010, American and British experts bought malaria medicines randomly from private pharmacies in 11 African cities. Of the 894 samples, they found 58, or 6.5 percent, were supposed to have been donated to government hospitals and clinics," according to the news service...
During the 60th session of the Africa Committee of the WHO on Monday, Luis Sambo, regional director of the WHO for Africa, proposed the creation of a public health emergency fund to provide financial support to African countries in emergency situations, Agencia AngolaPress reports (8/30). According to a WHO press release, Sambo's proposed $100 million African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF) would be "financed from agreed appropriations and voluntary contributions from member states...
More than 200 agricultural experts from around the world are meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, for the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network's (FANRPAN) regional conference, New Era/allAfrica.com reports (Sasman, 8/31). The meeting will "address African priorities on food security and climate change and its impacts on agricultural development, natural resource management and rural livelihoods," according to a FANRPRAN press release (undated)...
After touring flood-hit areas in Pakistan on Tuesday, the executive directors of UNICEF and the World Food Program (WFP) appealed for more flood relief aid, VOA News reports (Maroney, 8/31). WFP head Josette Sheeran "warned during a joint press conference in the capital, Islamabad, that there is a triple threat unfolding as the crisis widens and deepens," U.N. News Centre writes. "People have lost seeds, crops and their incomes leaving them vulnerable to hunger, homelessness and desperation - the situation is extremely critical...
Court Accepts China's First HIV Discrimination Case, State Media Reports "A municipal court in central China has accepted the country's first lawsuit alleging work discrimination because of HIV status, state media reported Tuesday," the Associated Press reports (8/31). "The lawsuit alleges city officials denied the plaintiff, a recent college graduate, a teaching job after a medical screening revealed he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS," Agence-France-Presse reports (8/31)...
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is providing a new dimension to its Hearts & Minds initiative, an educational program that promotes "mind and body" health practices for individuals who live with mental illness. A new "Mindfulness" section on NAMI's Hearts and Minds website includes a 10-minute video of guided mediation, along with information about other holistic methods to complement medication and therapy and help a person to gain greater control over the recovery process...
University of Illinois scientists will learn whether protein supplements and cycling during treatments can help dialysis patients fight cardiovascular disease and retain physical function, thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "Patients with kidney failure face many health problems...
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have been called the defining moment of our time. Thousands of people died and the attacks had huge individual and collective consequences, including two wars. But less is known about the immediate emotional reactions to the attacks. For a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, researchers analyzed text messages sent on September 11, 2001 for emotional words. They found spiking anxiety and steadily increasing anger through that fateful day...
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) encourages current and retired federal employees to direct pledges to the Lupus Foundation of America (CFC #10566) during the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) which kicks off this Wednesday, and runs through December 15, 2010...
The American Lung Association is offering a free-of-charge, online caregiving coordination service called "My Fighting for Air Community" to support individuals affected by acute and chronic lung diseases. As an organization dedicated to public health, the American Lung Association will offer this online service through Lotsa Helping Hands to support the more than 37 million people in the US who suffer from chronic lung disease every day. This includes more than 24 million adults and children with asthma, 13...
Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan, President & CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai") announced today the start of the first patient enrolled clinical study with BAN2401, a novel monoclonal antibody that is being developed as a potential next-generation therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's disease. BAN2401 is the first monoclonal antibody to selectively bind, neutralize and eliminate soluble protofibrils, the toxic amyloid-beta aggregates thought to cause Alzheimer's disease...
Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) (NYSE:MRK) and Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME/ TSX: COM) announced that the intravenous (IV) formulation of BRINAVESS™ (vernakalant) has been granted marketing approval in the European Union (EU), Iceland and Norway for the rapid conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm in adults: for non-surgery patients with AF of seven days or less and for post-cardiac surgery patients with AF of three days or less...
Bausch + Lomb Storz® Ophthalmic Instruments announces the U.S. release of a new, single-use, asymmetric peeling forceps for vitreoretinal surgery. The forceps are available in 23- and 25-gauge options for facilities seeking the safety, consistency and convenience a single-use instrument offers. The peeling forceps feature an asymmetric jaw design for excellent visualization of retinal membranes with a sleek, ergonomic handle consistent with the popular Storz Ophthalmics reusable design...
Using readily available computer programs, researchers have developed a system to identify genes that will be useful in the classification of breast cancer. The algorithm, described in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research will enable researchers to quickly generate valuable gene signatures without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training. Robin Hallett, a graduate student working under the supervision of Dr...
Eye M.D.s are intent on finding better ways to diagnose and treat glaucoma, a complex, potentially blinding disease. September's Ophthalmology journal includes new data from the Rotterdam Study that will help doctors better predict visual field loss (VFL) in glaucoma patients. Johannes R. Vingerling, MD, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands, and his colleagues followed 6,630 participants for ten years. The patients had optic nerve damage but no VFL when they joined the study. Ophthalmology is the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology...
As Hurricane Earl draws closer to the U.S. coast, the American Red Cross today marked the start of National Preparedness Month by urging people across the country to become better prepared. This message comes at a time when the Red Cross and the entire East Coast is making preparations for possible landfall of Hurricane Earl, with the possibility of Tropical Storm Fiona to follow. The National Hurricane Center has urged people from the Carolinas to New England to closely monitor the storm as it makes its way toward the United States...
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, issued an executive order Tuesday instructing state agencies to reject discretionary federal funds that stem from the health overhaul, The Wall Street Journal reports. That makes "Minnesota the first state to formally restrict itself from taking some federal dollars under the law" and carries "political overtones for a possible presidential candidate...
The American Red Cross is ready to respond to Hurricane Earl from North Carolina to New England, preparing to open shelters and feed those affected by the Category 3 storm that is bearing down on the United States, bringing heavy rains and sustained winds blowing at 125 mph. "We are making preparations for Earl's landfall, and we urge everyone who may be in the path of the storm to also get prepared and follow the instructions of local authorities about evacuating," said Joe Becker, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services...
Seven states that are suing the federal government to throw out the health overhaul are also preparing to take subsidies that will help them afford medical costs for retirees, The Associated Press reports. "An administration official said Tuesday seven states suing the federal government are among 16 already approved for subsidies to help with the health care costs of early retirees. The seven are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Nevada...
The Census Bureau reported Thursday that federal "domestic spending increased a record 16 percent, to $3.2 trillion, in 2009 ... largely because of a boost in aid to the unemployed and the huge economic stimulus package enacted to rescue the sinking economy," The Washington Post reports. "Overall, the largest chunk of federal spending -- about 46 percent of the $3.2 trillion -- went to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, entitlement programs that are projected to swell as the population ages. ...
The Wall Street Journal: "The Obama administration asked a federal judge Tuesday to allow the government to continue funding embryonic stem-cell research while a case challenging the program makes its way through the courts. The judge, Royce Lamberth in Washington, D.C., ordered a temporary halt last week to the funding, saying it violated a federal law that prohibits the use of public funds for research that involves the destruction of human embryos...
A study in the US has found a protein that could be a driver of severe asthma. Dr Elaine Vickers, Research Relations Manager at Asthma UK comments: 'Although this research is in its early stages and focuses solely on mouse models, this discovery provides vital new information on the immune system's role in severe asthma, that could one day lead to the creation of new treatments. This is particularly crucial as around a quarter of a million people in the UK have severe asthma and experience debilitating asthma symptoms despite taking high levels of asthma medicines on a daily basis...
The Associated Press/Washington Post: Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War veterans are receiving disability compensation for diseases normally associated with aging - not combat - because of the possibility of a link Agent Orange exposure. The diseases in question range from diabetes, for which 270,000 veterans receive Agent Orange-related checks, to erectile dysfunction. "And taxpayers may soon be responsible for even more: VA said Monday that it will add heart disease, Parkinson's disease and certain types of leukemia to the list of conditions that might be connected to Agent Orange...
The Fiscal Times: A Medicare program that has agreed to pay for counseling for seniors who smoke but are not yet sick could help the program, and America's health system, lower costs. "Smoking costs the U.S. economy $97 billion annually in lost productivity, in addition to the $96 billion a year in direct health care costs, according to [the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services]. Counseling coupled with smoking prevention drugs and devices are among the most cost-effective interventions in the disease prevention arsenal...
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), a proud participant in the seventh annual National Preparedness Month sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Ready Campaign, encourages Americans to take action now to prepare for emergencies. This year, National Preparedness Month focuses on encouraging all Americans to take active steps toward getting involved and being prepared. Preparedness is everyone's responsibility, and working together as a team ensures that individuals, families and communities are ready...
A survey of hospital finances by Forbes found that "some American hospitals make 25 cents or more for every $1 in patient revenue they take in," Forbes reports. The list, "done by the American Hospital Directory, is based on operating income figures that hospitals must report to the federal Medicare program each year. It found that 24 hospitals in the country with over 200 beds make an operating margin of 25% or more. That kind of profit margin compares favorably to drug giants like Pfizer, who are often vilified for charging too much for their drugs...
News outlets report on how the delivery of health care is being changed by empowered patients. USA Today: "In the past, most patients placed their entire trust in the hands of their physician. Your doc said you needed a certain medical test, you got it. Not so much anymore. Though some doctors find the newer 'empowered' patients taxing, others ... welcome involvement and questions, especially since they recognize more patients are ponying up for larger co-pays or are uninsured and covering entire medical fees themselves...
Cancer Research UK's Drug Development Office has launched a clinical trial* to test an experimental drug in patients with advanced (Stage IV) pancreatic cancer - one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Around 60 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer will be recruited for the first Phase I/IIclinical trial of a drug called MK-0752** in this disease. MK-0752 will be administered in combination with the standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer, gemcitabine*** . Trials have already tested the effects of the drug when administered in isolation...
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, accepted the recommendations on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research recently presented to her by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) President Dr. Alain Beaudet. These recommendations are based on a thorough review of the current state of science conducted at an August 26, 2010, meeting of leading North American MS experts...
In response to the 'National Hip Fracture Database National Report 2010', Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said: "Falls represent the most frequent and serious type of accident in the over 65s. So it's very worrying that following a hip fracture, nearly one third of people aren't being given the appropriate medication, care and support to reduce the risk of falling and injuring themselves again...
Scientists are reporting new evidence that the fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches - far from being a dormant storage depot for surplus calories - is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases. They are reporting discovery of 20 new hormones and other substances not previously known to be secreted into the blood by human fat cells and verification that fat secretes dozens of hormones and other chemical messengers...
Errors related to missed or delayed diagnosis are frequently a cause of patient injury and therefore an underlying cause of patient safety related events. Autopsy analysis spanning several decades show error rates at four to 50 percent, according to an article released by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority and published in its September Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory. Diagnostic error is a diagnosis that is missed, incorrect, or delayed as detected by a subsequent definitive test or finding...