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Gay men in Britain allowed to give blood after a decade of celibacy: Trust system

The ban on gay men in Britain donating blood is being lifted because it was decided that the rule could be discriminatory and might breach equality legislation.

11 Apr 2011

First Edition: April 11, 2011

In today's headlines, as details emerge regarding the last-minute budget deal for current-year spending, President Barak Obama is poised to lay out a new long-term budget vision which will include everything from Medicare and Medicaid to tax hikes for the wealthy.

11 Apr 2011

Researchers manage to grow human rhinovirus in culture using sinus tissue

Using sinus tissue removed during surgery at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have managed to grow a recently discovered species of human rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, in culture.

11 Apr 2011

Scientists to discuss innovative technologies at UMDNJ Symposium

Advances in technology have accelerated the effectiveness of scientific and medical research, producing rapid advances that were unthinkable even a decade ago. At its Third Annual Inter-School Technology Symposium, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will bring together scientists from throughout the University who are at the forefront of this revolution.

11 Apr 2011

New point-of-care trial can reduce cost and length of studies

Doctors at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System are testing a new kind of clinical trial that's not only less costly but guides doctors to switch to the best treatment even before the trial is completed.

11 Apr 2011

IDSA, U.S. health officials describe ways to respond to global threat of antimicrobial resistance

To coincide with World Health Day on Thursday, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released a policy paper with nine recommendations for how to control the "ever-growing threat of antimicrobial resistance," CIDRAP News reports.

11 Apr 2011

New survey to understand patterns of disability and aging in older Americans

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have been selected to lead a new national survey of older Americans to understand patterns of disability and aging.

11 Apr 2011

Study: Unemployment linked to high risk of death in men than women

In a meta-analysis of 42 studies with data on 20 million people regarding the relationship between unemployment and the risk of death, a team of researchers at Stony Brook University found that the risk of death was 63 percent higher in those who experienced an episode of unemployment than those who did not.

11 Apr 2011

Doctors backing single payer system fault Vermont's plan

Physicians for a National Health Program suggest the proposal in Vermont falls "far short" of their goals, The Hill Reports. Meanwhile, The Boston Globe has an interview with one of the architects of the Vermont plan.

8 Apr 2011

Is the U.S. prepared for a nuclear emergency?

A blunt assessment circulating among American officials says "Current capabilities can only handle a few radiation injuries at any one time." That assessment [was] prepared by the Department of Homeland Security in 2010 ...

8 Apr 2011

Survivors of severe critical illness requiring intensive care do not regain physical or psychological health

A unique and richly detailed long-term study of survivors of severe critical illness requiring intensive care found that even those who were previously healthy, young and working did not regain the physical or psychological health they had before their illness.

8 Apr 2011

Current 'metrics' don't paint clear picture of health care quality

With a push to make hospitals and doctors more accountable for health care quality, more attention must be paid to the accuracy and reliability of measures used to evaluate caregivers, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert.

8 Apr 2011

Canadian political parties called upon to focus on health system during election campaign

The Health Action Lobby today called on all political parties to focus on the health system during the federal election campaign. HEAL is a coalition of 35 national health organizations that represents a broad cross-section of health providers, health regions, institutions & facilities.

8 Apr 2011

IBM discovers biodegradable nanoparticles that seek out and destroy drug-resistant bacteria

IBM's announcement of the first biodegradable nanoparticles that can seek out and destroy drug-resistant bacteria caps off a century of healthcare and life sciences innovation from IBM.

8 Apr 2011

Democratic Congresswoman highlights threat climate change poses to public health

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) "called climate change a bigger public health threat than AIDS, malaria and pandemic flu" before a vote on Wednesday on a bill aimed at thwarting Environmental Protection Agency climate regulations, The Hill's "E2-Wire" blog reports.

8 Apr 2011

Caffeine disrupts glucose metabolism and may contribute to type 2 diabetes

A growing body of research suggests that caffeine disrupts glucose metabolism and may contribute to the development and poor control of type 2 diabetes, a major public health problem.

8 Apr 2011

Antidepressant medication improves physical recovery from stroke

A University of Iowa study finds that patients treated with a short course of antidepressants after a stroke have significantly greater improvement in physical recovery than patients treated with a placebo. Moreover, the study is the first to demonstrate that this physical recovery continues to improve for at least nine months after the antidepressant medication is stopped.

8 Apr 2011

Study suggests depression treatment may have long-term benefits

Ian Colman, an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, recently completed a study that suggests that treatment of depression may have long-term benefits.

8 Apr 2011

Johns Hopkins patient safety expert: Unreliable "outcomes" measures hamper efforts to assure better, safer care

8 Apr 2011

National policy needed to address heath care system for immigrants, ACP says

As the U.S. immigrant population grows it will be necessary to address the vast number of immigrants who do not have access to health insurance coverage, or who face other barriers to accessing health care, the American College of Physicians said in a new policy paper released today at Internal Medicine 2011, ACP's annual scientific meeting.

8 Apr 2011