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Medicare to launch website showing comparative drug pricing

Medicare has announced it will be publishishing detailed information comparing the prices of most prescription drugs, which is set to shake up the pharmaceutical industry.

12 Apr 2004

New nose cancer test kit promises to simplify the process and speed cancer testing

Inflexion a Singapore based offshoot of Nanyang Technological University has announced a new kit to test for and diagnose nose cancer. The kit was prepared some 3 years ago and had been forgotten until 3 young entrepreneurs realised it's commercial potential.

12 Apr 2004

$4.5 million overweight and obesity prevention initiative launched

The N.C. Health & Wellness Trust Fund Commission (HWTFC) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) launched Fit Together, a long-term, comprehensive statewide overweight and obesity prevention initiative uniting $4.5 million in public and private resources.

12 Apr 2004

Green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that a component in green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia in the United States.

12 Apr 2004

Most common skin condition, Molluscum Contagiosum

From diaper rash to eczema to warts, your child's skin can play host to a seemingly endless variety of lumps, bumps and rashes. Although often itchy and uncomfortable, most are benign conditions that can be easily treated or controlled with readily available treatment. Some are the result of allergies or skin irritants, while others are caused by viruses.

12 Apr 2004

Latest developments in prostate cancer research

New research on genes linked to hereditary prostate cancer helps scientists better understand how prostate cancer grows. Tests to find abnormal prostate cancer genes could also help tell which men are at high risk. They could then be tested more often. Further research could provide answers about the chemical changes that lead to prostate cancer. Then, perhaps, we could design drugs to reverse those changes.

12 Apr 2004

Researchers isolate gene responsible for Chron's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease and its prevalence is increasing in industrialized nations. Existing treatments are considered unsatisfactory, often requiring recurring hospitalization and surgeries.

12 Apr 2004

Measles found on children travelling from China

Public Health officials have reported a laboratory-confirmed case of measles in a recently adopted child from China. Public health authorities in Washington state notified CDC, which collaborated with health officials in other states to locate other recently adopted children from China and contact their adoptive families.

12 Apr 2004

Birth of First Deadly Jellyfish In Captivity Could Lead To Anti-Venom

The first Irukandji jellyfish to be bred in captivity have been born in Townsville, Australia. ‘Irukandji syndrome' is a painful and debilitating set of symptoms that has caused the deaths of at least two people on the Great Barrier Reef. Up to seven species of jellyfish found in northern Australian waters are thought to be responsible for the syndrome, but only one, Carukia barnesi , is a proven culprit.

11 Apr 2004

Why business is bad for your health

Downsizing in the workplace has been associated with increased sickness absence. However, few data are available on the possible health effects, on individuals, of rapid expansion.

11 Apr 2004

US Study Suggests New Approach to Breast Cancer Needed

Women with early-stage breast cancer face three late breast cancer consequences: disease recurrence within the conserved breast, development of a contralateral breast cancer, and manifestation of distant metastases. Although local therapy with surgery and radiotherapy is used to minimize the first possibility, adjuvant systemic therapy may theoretically reduce the likelihood of all three events.

11 Apr 2004

Sponsors of Medicare-approved discount cards will begin marketing their cards

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced last week that 28 private sponsors will offer 49 different Medicare-sponsored drug discount cards, beginning June 1. Additionally, 43 private health plans have received CMS approval to offer Medicare drug discount cards to their members only.

11 Apr 2004

China steps up fight against AIDS

China will increase medical aid and offer free education to hundreds of children orphaned by AIDS in a central province ravaged by the deadly disease.

11 Apr 2004

FDA issues warning againts street drug alternatives

FDA issued a warning in February 2004, about adverse events experienced by four teenagers after they consumed Green Hornet Liquid that contained high levels of the over-the-counter drugs diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan.

11 Apr 2004

FDA claims high levels of lead in Mexican candy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is aware of a problem associated with lead contamination of some Mexican candy products being sold in the United States and is suggesting that parents, care providers and other responsible individuals do not allow children to eat these products at this time.

11 Apr 2004

Bush Administration Undermining World Health Organisation Guidelines

Since the release of President George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and former CEO of Eli Lilly, Randall Tobias, and other Bush administration officials have made public remarks that question the quality of generic antiretroviral drugs and undermine international quality standards set by the World Health Organization.

11 Apr 2004