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Research finds novel chemical that targets drug-resistant bacteria

Eric Brown, a professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, and a team of researchers from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research have identified a novel chemical compound that targets drug-resistant bacteria in a different way from existing antibiotics. The discovery could lead to new treatments to overcome antibiotic resistance in certain types of microorganisms.

29 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: News outlets explore AIDS vaccine research; chloroquine resistance unraveled; authorities contest maternal mortality report

The Associated Press examines the role of the Thai participants in the recent clinical trial of an experimental HIV vaccine which showed modest potential for preventing infection. "Nearly 16,000 Thais ignored the false rumors that they were being infected by the AIDS virus, and overcame their fears of becoming social outcasts to participate in trials of the first vaccine found to prevent infection with the deadly virus," the news service writes (Ahuja/Casey, 9/27).

29 Sep 2009

NHGRI and NIMH fund $45 million to establish Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced grants expected to total approximately $45 million to establish new Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science at the Medical College of Wisconsin and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill as well as to continue support of existing centers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Southern California.

29 Sep 2009

NINDS: $50 billion spent each year for low back pain

A study by researchers at The George Institute for International Health in Australia found that it is rare for patients presenting to PCPs with acute lower back pain to have previously undiagnosed serious diseases. The most common serious disease cause documented was vertebral fracture, with half of the cases identified at the time of initial consultation.

29 Sep 2009

Baucus target of ad favoring a public option

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is the target of an advertising campaign by two progressive groups advocating for the inclusion of a public option in legislation to overhaul the health care systeml, according to Capitol Briefing, a Washington Post blog.

29 Sep 2009

Januvia in combination with metformin or taken alone lowers blood sugar

A post-hoc analysis, presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), of data pooled from studies of 104 weeks in duration showed ‘Januvia’ (sitagliptin), when taken alone or in combination with metformin, provided significant blood sugar lowering over two years.

29 Sep 2009

State round up: California E.R. traffic up while Massachusettes plan proves popular

Newspapers report on the rising number of emergency patients in California's state capital and the popularity of Massachusetts' health system.

29 Sep 2009

Women feeling more positive about their genitals find it easier to orgasm

An Indiana University study published in the September issue of the International Journal of Sexual Health found that women who feel more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors, such as having regular gynecological exams or performing vulvar self-examinations.

29 Sep 2009

Continuous chest compressions during CPR improve survival rates during cardiac arrest

Maximizing the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) substantially improves survival in patients who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, according to a multicenter clinical study that included UT Southwestern Medical Center.

29 Sep 2009

AAPS Annual Meeting to discuss new research and technologies in pharmaceutical sciences

More than 8,500 individuals from the field of pharmaceutical research are expected to attend this year's AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition November 8 - 12, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California.

29 Sep 2009

Research study on the U.S. life expectancy

The Great Depression had a silver lining: During that hard time, U.S. life expectancy actually increased by 6.2 years, according to a University of Michigan study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

29 Sep 2009

Life Care Retirement Communities renamed as Lifespace Communities

Lifespace Communities, Inc., is the new corporate name and identity being launched on October 1, 2009, by the former Life Care Retirement Communities Inc., a not-for-profit organization that owns and manages 11 senior living communities in the U.S.

29 Sep 2009

CIHR and CMAJ honour eight Canadian Health Researchers

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) today honoured eight outstanding Canadian individuals and teams with the first ever CIHR-CMAJ Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research Awards, which recognize and celebrate Canadian health research and innovation excellence.

29 Sep 2009

Underinsured struggle to keep up with bills; uninsured seek clinic care or play the odds

The underinsured are continuing their struggle to keep up with piling medical bills, and are seeking care at federally funded clinics in greater-than-ever numbers, but some choose to remain uninsured.

29 Sep 2009

Research study examines the link between neuregulin 1 gene and creativity

In order to examine the link between psychosis and creativity, psychiatrist Szabolcs K-ri of Semmelweis University in Hungary focused his research on neuregulin 1, a gene that normally plays a role in a variety of brain processes, including development and strengthening communication between neurons. However, a variant of this gene (or genotype) is associated with a greater risk of developing mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

29 Sep 2009

OTI to participate in new Extremity Trauma Clinical Research Consortium

The Orthopaedic Trauma Institute (OTI) at the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and University of California, San Francisco has been chosen to serve as one of 12 core clinical centers in a newly established Extremity Trauma Clinical Research Consortium.

29 Sep 2009

Republicans switch tact on Medicare for current health debate

Republicans, have switched sides, and now accuse Democrats of trying to cut Medicare. Meanwhile, Dems are vexed by the affordability issue.

29 Sep 2009

Walk-in flu shots to lure customers into drugstores

Americans may be as likely to get a flu shot at one of the nation's largest pharmacy chains as in a doctor's office or clinic. That should not be surprising, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information. The nation's major drugstores have been using flu shot programs to earn revenue and to draw customers in the store to make other purchases, an indirect revenue strategy that Kalorama Information predicted in its reports on the retail clinic phenomenon in recent years.

29 Sep 2009

Leptin can determine osteoarthritis in obese patients

The link between obesity and osteoarthritis may be more than just the wear and tear on the skeleton caused by added weight.

29 Sep 2009

New York hospital system invests in digital patient records

The New York Times reports: "The nation's drive toward computerized medical records is getting a push from big hospitals, which hope not only to improve patient care but to gain an edge on competitors. And an effort to be announced on Monday by a big New York regional hospital group may be the most ambitious effort of this type yet — a sizable investment intended as a linchpin in the group's $400 million commitment to digitize patient records throughout its system, including 13 hospitals."

29 Sep 2009