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Alzheimer's Australia, Bupa Health launch brain health app in the UK

The Bupa Health Foundation and Alzheimer's Australia have announced the UK launch of a world-first brain health app, the latest digital tool to help in the fight against dementia.

6 Dec 2011

Xeltis receives PEI conditional approval to initiate tissue-engineered cardiovascular graft study

Xeltis, a biomedical technology company developing growing, living and self-healing cardiovascular implants using tissue-engineering technology, has announced conditional approval by the Paul Erlich Institute (PEI) in Germany to commence the first clinical study of its tissue-engineered cardiovascular grafts.

6 Dec 2011

Biosensors can detect oxidant production in living organism

Arterial calcification and coronary heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, cancer and even the aging process itself are suspected to be partially caused or accelerated by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress arises in tissues when there is an excess of what are called reactive oxygen species.

6 Dec 2011

WSU study to improve diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are one of the most common causes of birth defects worldwide and are particularly prevalent in some South African communities where heavy drinking during pregnancy is a major public health issue, particularly in the wine-growing areas of the Western Cape.

6 Dec 2011

Endocrine Society supports policies that aim to combat pediatric obesity

Today, The Endocrine Society issued a Position Statement supporting policies that bring together doctors and other healthcare providers, family, schools and the community to combat pediatric obesity through education and encouragement of lifestyle modifications.

6 Dec 2011

MHI cardiologists use ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold to treat CAD

The interventional cardiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) used the world's first drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold to successfully treat a woman suffering from coronary artery disease. This landmark procedure was performed by Dr. Jean-Fran-ois Tanguay, interventional cardiologist and coordinator of the Coronary Unit, as part of the ABSORB EXTEND clinical trial.

6 Dec 2011

Medicare tightening payments for 'big ticket' cardiology and orthopedic procedures in 11 states

In an effort to rein in costs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will in 2012 perform an audit before paying for certain cardiology and orthopedic procedures in key states, including Florida.

6 Dec 2011

Aspirin decreases risk of major complications from cardiac surgery

Aspirin taken within five days of cardiac surgery is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of major postoperative complications, including renal failure, a lengthy intensive care unit stay and even early death (30-day mortality), according to a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis Medical Center set to appear in the journal Annals of Surgery.

6 Dec 2011

Cameron says all NHS patients should share their medical data for research

According to British Prime Minister David Cameron, every NHS patient should be a “research patient” with their medical details “opened up” to private healthcare firms. The PM announced that all those who use the NHS in England will be helping in the fight against disease by helping advance research. He hopes the result will be that patients get faster access to new treatments and Britain's life sciences sector will become a world leader.

6 Dec 2011

Enrollment commences in Estech's HISTORIC-AF staged hybrid ablation study

Estech, a leader in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, announced today that the first three patients have been enrolled in the HISTORIC-AF European multi-center staged hybrid ablation clinical study.

5 Dec 2011

Stem cells for the damaged heart

Stem cell research got its latest boost. For the first time, stem cells were injected into the hearts of humans who had suffered serious heart damage, and patients improved dramatically. The scientists found that the stem cells grew into new heart cells to replace the damaged tissue.

5 Dec 2011

Factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery

Investigators from Hospital for Special Surgery have identified factors that are associated with an increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery.

5 Dec 2011

Growth hormone PDGF-BB and blood protein EPO implicated in development of cancer

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated that a growth hormone, PDGF-BB, and the blood protein EPO are involved in the development of cancer tumours and that they combine to help the tumours proliferate in the body.

5 Dec 2011

InfraReDx receives $10M senior secured multi-draw term loan from GE Capital

GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services announced today that it was the sole lender on a $10 million senior secured multi-draw term loan to InfraReDx, Inc., a medical device company committed to advancing the diagnosis and management of coronary artery and other vascular diseases. The financing will be used to help support product commercialization efforts.

5 Dec 2011

Subconscious nervous impulses may be prognostic markers for weight-loss outcome

A recent study of obese volunteers participating in a 12-week dietary weight-loss program found that successful weight losers had significantly higher resting nerve activity compared to weight-loss resistant individuals.

5 Dec 2011

Beyond Lucid Technologies launches MediView software platform

Beyond Lucid Technologies, Inc., a healthcare IT startup serving the emergency medical, disaster management, and First Response industries, today announced the launch of its MediView software platform at the mHealth Summit, and the publication of a first-of-its-kind white paper surveying technologies currently available to connect ambulances with hospitals via telemedicine.

5 Dec 2011

Research roundup: Recession's big impact on men's insurance coverage

Researchers examined three sets of surveillance data and found that of the estimated 1.2 million persons in the United States living with the human immunodeficiency virus, 942,000 persons were aware of their infection. More than three-quarters of those were "linked to care" and among HIV-infected adults in care, "45 percent received prevention counseling, and 89 percent were prescribed antiretroviral therapy."

3 Dec 2011

NASA-developed technology for treatment of hardened arteries in the heart

NASA has signed a patent license agreement that will allow a California company use of NASA-developed technology that could be used to treat hardened arteries in the heart.

3 Dec 2011

NIAAA awards Rutgers $10M grant to explore genetic links to alcoholism

Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository (RUCDR) has received a $10 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to provide DNA extraction, basic genetic testing, and repository services for more than 46,000 saliva samples, in support of national research efforts to determine the genetic and environmental factors that lead to alcoholism.

3 Dec 2011

Obstacles people with type 2 diabetes face that prevent them from getting ultimate treatment

Eli Lilly and Company today announced it is conducting the first major international, prospective observational study designed to understand the real-world obstacles that people with type 2 diabetes face that prevent them from reaching their ultimate treatment goals.

2 Dec 2011