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Age-related hearing loss associated with low serum levels of folic acid in the elderly

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), one of the four most prevalent chronic conditions in the elderly, is associated with low serum levels of folic acid, according to new research published in the December 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Dec 2010

Rush University enrolls first U.S. patient in international clinical trial for melanoma

Rush University Medical Center has just enrolled the first U.S. patient in an international clinical trial testing a novel drug to treat certain kinds of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that in its advanced stages currently has few effective treatments.

1 Dec 2010

Scientists create couch potato mouse model to study muscle function

Daniel Kelly, M.D., and his colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) at Lake Nona have unveiled a surprising new model for studying muscle function: the couch potato mouse.

1 Dec 2010

Elorac's naloxone lotion receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for pruritus associated with mycosis fungoides

Elorac, Inc., a rapidly growing specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of dermatological disorders announced that it has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its naloxone lotion for the topical treatment of pruritus accompanying cutaneous t-cell lymphoma (CTCL, also known as mycosis fungoides).

1 Dec 2010

HIV testing rates rise among Americans

A U.S. government report released Tuesday says that a record number of Americans are getting tested for HIV but more than 200,000 Americans are infected and are unaware of their status. In 2009 82.9 million adults age 18 to 64 had been tested for HIV. This is 11.4 million more than the total in 2006. Also until 2009 45 percent of adults had been tested at least once in their lives, up from 40 percent four years ago. However 55 percent of adults, and 28.3 percent of adults at risk for HIV, have never been tested, according to the report.

30 Nov 2010

Internists plead Congress to avert scheduled Medicare SGR cut

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today is sending a video to Congressional leaders and others that features internists - speaking in their own words (http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/video/sgr.htm) - issuing a heartfelt plea for Congress to avert the scheduled Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut and work toward putting an end to the repeated cycle of cuts. The 3-minute and 25-second video emphasizes how patients, in particular, will be hurt by the scheduled cuts.

30 Nov 2010

Canadians at increased risk for flu complications not aware of all the facts

It starts with a headache, chills or that all-over-achy feeling. It comes on quickly, yet too many Canadians ignore the rapid onset of flu symptoms. But for the millions of Canadians at increased risk for developing serious complications from the flu, including people 65 and older, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart disease and diabetes, this 'laissez faire' attitude could be putting their health in jeopardy.

30 Nov 2010

Largest remote health monitoring project in the world launched in China

Canada-based IDEAL LIFE and China's Shandong NovaTech Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and medical products distribution network in China, announced the launch of the largest remote health monitoring project in the world, bringing wireless, remote health monitoring to the People's Republic of China.

30 Nov 2010

Zogenix completes enrollment in ZX002 Phase 3 study for moderate to severe pain

Zogenix, Inc. today announced completion of enrollment in its open-label Phase 3 safety study (Study 802) of ZX002. ZX002 is a novel, oral, single-entity, controlled-release formulation of hydrocodone for the treatment of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring around-the-clock opioid therapy for an extended period of time.

30 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 30, 2010

Today's headlines include reports on congressional action on the Medicare doc 'pay fix' as well as results from a new poll related to how the public thinks Medicare should be addressed in the context of deficit reduction.

30 Nov 2010

Spinal Modulation's Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Pilot Clinical Trial results to be presented at 14th NANS

SPINAL MODULATION, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on developing devices to treat chronic pain, today announced that the results of its prospective, multicenter Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) Stimulation Clinical Trial will be presented by David Caraway, MD, PhD, Timothy Deer, MD and Robert Levy, MD, PhD at the 14th Annual North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting.

30 Nov 2010

Super-sized World conference to address national health crisis of obesity

A conference at the New York Academy of Sciences on December 9 will convene leading obesity researchers to explore the latest science and policy initiatives addressing the global and national health crisis of obesity.

30 Nov 2010

BioTrends releases annual syndicated publication of CKD-ND patient charts

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. released ChartTrends: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Chronic Kidney Disease Non-Dialysis (CKD-ND), an annual syndicated publication based on patient and laboratory data collected from over 1,000 U.S.

30 Nov 2010

ARIAD to present clinical data on ponatinib for CML at ASH Annual Meeting

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that updated clinical data from a fully enrolled Phase 1 trial of its investigational, pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, ponatinib, will be presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology being held in Orlando, Florida, December 4-7, 2010.

30 Nov 2010

New review from JASN highlights hazards of fructose

More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be.

30 Nov 2010

Study finds chronic pain can affect every aspect of a person’s life

Coping with chronic pain can affect every aspect of a person's life and cause conflict between what their mind wants to achieve and what their body allows them to do, according to research in the December issue of the Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness.

30 Nov 2010

Majority of Americans and Canadians are getting enough vitamin D and calcium, says report

The majority of Americans and Canadians are getting enough vitamin D and calcium to meet their needs, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Most people up to age 70 need no more than 600 international units, or IUs, of vitamin D per day, and those 71 and older may need as much as 800 IUs, the report finds. The amount of calcium needed ranges, based on age, from 700 to 1,300 milligrams per day.

30 Nov 2010

Fenwal's new Autopheresis-C software facilitates faster plasma-collection times

Fenwal, Inc., a global medical technology company focused on improving blood collection, separation, safety and availability, announced today that in a trial of its new Autopheresis-C® software, plasma-center professionals and donors reported faster plasma-collection times and an improved plasma-collection and donation experience. More than 90 percent of donors surveyed reported a decrease in their donation wait time. Donors who are more satisfied are more likely to donate regularly.

30 Nov 2010

State legislatures ask: Are insurers practicing medicine without a license?

A survey by the Global Healthy Living Foundation, www.ghlf.org, a non-profit patient advocacy group, shows that up to 70 percent of prescription medications are changed by health insurers, denying patients the drugs their doctors prescribe.

30 Nov 2010