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Lifestyle therapy program may help manage cardiovascular risk factors

Two/thirds of adults with high cholesterol and half with high blood pressure are not being treated effectively for these conditions, according to a recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This disturbing data spotlights the crucial need for new solutions to reduce the risk factors that are behind the current epidemic of chronic illness in the U.S.

21 Feb 2011

SAP launches Collaborative E-Care Management application

To address the current reactive approaches to treating chronic and post-acute care conditions, SAP AG is launching a new solution. The SAP® Collaborative E-Care Management application connects patients, care providers and their families through medical monitoring software and mobile devices to better manage their health with individualized treatment plans and educational content.

21 Feb 2011

Advancell announces positive results from Acadra clinical study in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

ADVANCELL, an emerging biopharmaceutical company, today announced positive results from a clinical study conducted with Acadra (Acadesine) in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia patients resistant to current therapies. The company also announced promising non-clinical results in Multiple Myeloma (MM), Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) and other lymphoproliferative disorders. Synergism of Acadra in combination with current treatment in these indications has been demonstrated.

21 Feb 2011

Mouse model could help develop new classes of antidepressant drugs

The most widely prescribed antidepressants - medicines such as Prozac, Lexapro and Paxil - work by blocking the serotonin transporter, a brain protein that normally clears away the mood-regulating chemical serotonin. Or so the current thinking goes.

21 Feb 2011

NCPA, NACDS explain importance of pharmacies in Medicaid program

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association have sent a joint letter to every Governor and State Medicaid Director, explaining the importance of pharmacies in Medicaid, offering recommendations, and expressing a desire to work together to cut costs without endangering Medicaid beneficiaries' access to pharmacy prescription drug services.

21 Feb 2011

Scientists decode DNA of parasitic worm that causes trichinosis

Scientists have decoded the DNA of the parasitic worm that causes trichinosis, a disease linked to eating raw or undercooked pork or carnivorous wild game animals, such as bear and walrus.

20 Feb 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome – eased by psychotherapy: Study

New British research suggests that people with chronic fatigue syndrome may be helped the most when standard treatment is coupled with cognitive behaviour therapy or exercise therapy.

20 Feb 2011

In the Gulf states rates of heart disease are rising with the economy

Rapid improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the Gulf states has been followed by lifestyle changes now contributing to high rates of cardiovascular disease. Professor Hani Najm, President of the Saudi Heart Association whose annual conference begins 21 February 2011, describes risk factor prevalence rates as "extremely high", particularly in the cities of Saudi Arabia.

20 Feb 2011

Treating depression: A vital step in cancer recovery

With all of the stresses of today’s modern world, depression is unfortunately becoming a common household word for many people in this country and abroad. During the cold winter months, many also struggle with seasonal depression or “winter blues,” known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Depression can be caused by any number of factors, such as chronic stress, inactivity, hormone or neurotransmitter imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, chronic inflammation, or lack of adequate sunshine exposure, among others.

20 Feb 2011

PBMI awards CVS Caremark and ArcelorMittal the 2011 Rx Benefit Innovation Award

CVS Caremark announced today that the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) awarded the company and its PBM client ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, the 2011 Rx Benefit Innovation Award. The award recognizes the Pharmacy Advisor program, which was developed by CVS Caremark to manage costs, improve medication adherence and close gaps in care for members with diabetes.

19 Feb 2011

G20 finance ministers kick off meeting in Paris after groups call for food price issues to be addressed

"G20 ministers gather in Paris Friday to hammer out common criteria for measuring global economic imbalances at a two-day session that host France hopes will lead to an overhaul of world finance," Agence France-Presse reports.

19 Feb 2011

Positive results from Medtronic CoreValve System study for treatment of aortic valve disease

Medtronic, Inc. today issued a statement on results from an independent study published online in the journal Circulation, which confirmed both early and sustained clinical benefits for patients receiving the Medtronic CoreValve® System for the treatment of aortic valve disease.

19 Feb 2011

Boys get greater rush and more energy from caffeine than girls

Results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response study of the response of youth to caffeine found that, in general, boys get a greater rush and more energy from caffeine than girls.

18 Feb 2011

Study: Low levels of Klotho protein may serve as early warning sign of CKD

Low levels of the anti-aging hormone Klotho may serve as an early warning sign of the presence of kidney disease and its deadly cardiovascular complications, according to findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

18 Feb 2011

Frequent, potentially avoidable readmissions are major driver of pediatric health care costs

Among a group of children's hospitals, nearly 20 percent of admissions and one-quarter of inpatient expenditures were accounted for by a small percentage of patients who have frequent recurrent admissions, according to a study in the February 16 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2011

Tibotec begins enrollment in TMC435 phase 3 trial for treatment of HCV

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, notes that its development partner, Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, announced today that the global phase 3 studies with TMC435 in treatment-naive patients and patients who have relapsed after prior SOC treatment have started.

18 Feb 2011

Commentary examines current guidelines for cancer survivors, suggests future nutrition research

Cancer survivors die of non-cancer-related causes at much higher rates than the general public. In 2008, the U.S. economic burden of cancer totaled over $228 billion but only 41% of these costs involved direct cancer care. The majority of expenses were attributed to increased morbidity, lost productivity, and premature mortality.

18 Feb 2011

Emotional response to challenging situations predict body's response to stress

Your emotional response to challenging situations could predict how your body responds to stress, according to research published this month in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

18 Feb 2011

AHRQ: Low-income rural Americans with COPD more likely to be hospitalized

Low-income Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and those who lived in rural areas or the South or Midwest in 2008 had the highest rates of hospitalization for symptoms of the disease, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

18 Feb 2011

BDSI announces over 50% enrolled in BEMA Buprenorphine Phase 3 study in chronic pain

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. announced today that enrollment of its Phase 3 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of BEMA Buprenorphine for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain is on schedule, with over half of the needed subjects enrolled.

18 Feb 2011