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Atrial fibrillation increases risk of kidney failure in people with CKD

Many people who suffer from chronic kidney disease progressively lose their kidney function over time and eventually develop a condition called end-stage renal disease - the complete failure of the kidneys - placing them in need of lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant.

18 Jan 2013

Longer looks: 'Bad suga' damages a neighborhood; A nurse's dying gift; Are ethical guidelines impeding patient care?

Bad suga' is devastating my neighborhood of North Lawndale, one of Chicago's poorest communities. Diabetes is commonly called "bad suga'" in many African American communities like the one where I grew up and live today.

18 Jan 2013

Roundup: Officials look to resolve Kancare concerns; Mental health hospitalization rises in Idaho; Calif. ACOs set pace

Kancare Ombudsman James Bart today assured members of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee that he's been able to resolve most of the 74 complaints that have reached his office since it opened on Jan. 2. Almost 95 percent of the concerns raised by providers and 89 percent of those raised by consumers were resolved within a few hours or days. The remaining issues, he said, were in the process of being addressed.

18 Jan 2013

Efforts to correct false beliefs about health care reform may backfire

Efforts to correct false beliefs about health care reform may backfire, depending on individuals' political views and level of knowledge, suggests a study in the February issue of Medical Care.

18 Jan 2013

FDA clears Zimmer’s iASSIST technology for knee replacement procedures

Zimmer Holdings, Inc., a global leader in musculoskeletal health, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market iASSIST Knee, the Personalized Guidance System for knee replacement procedures.

17 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: Obama 'wise' to add mental health focus to gun initiative; Calif. considers giving localities responsibility for expanded Medicaid

President Obama's sweeping proposals to combat gun violence represent a sound response to the mass shootings that have horrified the country. In his legislative proposals and executive actions announced Wednesday, the president and Vice President Biden showed a willingness to confront a difficult problem head-on -- a problem that is not only about laws but also about culture and mental-health care.

17 Jan 2013

IRIN examines global food situation for 2013

"IRIN -- with the help of food experts, the most recent reports from [the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)] and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- reflects on the global food situation in 2012 and the outlook for 2013," the news service reports

17 Jan 2013

Jersey Shore University Medical Center launches Meridian Executive Health program

Jersey Shore University Medical Center announces the launch of the Meridian Executive Health program, a health care pilot initiative designed for busy individuals whose schedule demands a streamlined but high quality experience.

17 Jan 2013

Study: Star rating system resonating with seniors

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that first-time enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans are relying on Medicare's star-rating system to make plan choices.

17 Jan 2013

Feds launch 'full throttle' effort to expand health coverage

The Department of Health and Human Services redesigns its website as part of its campaign to raise awareness about the health law's requirement that most people carry insurance. Meanwhile, a U.S. appeals judge temporarily blocks the government from forcing a Christian publisher to comply with its mandate to cover all birth control options.

17 Jan 2013

Japan's 2012 payment to Global Fund its highest in 10 years

"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria today welcomed the payment by Japan of the second and final tranche of its total 2012 contribution of US$343 million, the highest annual amount that Japan has ever made in 10 years of vigorous support for the Global Fund," a Global Fund press release reports.

17 Jan 2013

China to maintain current family planning policy, minister says

"China will stick with its current family planning policy to maintain the country's low birthrate but will make an effort to fine-tune it, ... Wang Xia, minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, said at a national conference in Beijing on Monday amid widespread speculation that the one-child rule on the Chinese mainland might soon be relaxed," China Daily reports.

17 Jan 2013

Polypill could reduce CVD and stroke in Latin Americans by up to 21% at lower cost

A single combination pill could reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke in Latin Americans by up to 21 percent at a cost of about $35 per quality adjusted life year gained, according to a study led by a University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health research team.

17 Jan 2013

WHO presents '2012 In Review' photo essay

"Key public health milestones were reached in 2012, including the end of polio transmission in India and meeting the Millennium Development Goal target on drinking water ahead of schedule," the WHO reports in a summary of a "2012 In Review" photo essay.

17 Jan 2013

Continued investment needed to maintain gains against malaria

In this post in Management Sciences for Health's (MSH) "Global Health Impact" blog, Frederick Hartman, the global technical lead for communicable diseases and epidemic preparedness, and regional portfolio director, East Africa at the Center for Health Services at MSH, examines advances made in malaria control over the past decade, writing, "Malaria is still one of the five leading causes of child under-five mortality worldwide, and deserves continuing attention."

17 Jan 2013

Global maternal mortality conference focuses on quality of care

Jocalyn Clark, senior editor of PLoS Medicine, reports on the three-day global conference on maternal health taking place this week in Arusha, Tanzania, in a post on the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog.

17 Jan 2013

Big cities face funding gaps for pensions, retiree health benefits

Major U.S. cities emerged from the financial crisis with increasingly underfunded pension and retiree health-care plans, according to a study released Tuesday.

17 Jan 2013

EHRs: Quality care versus cost savings, next 'meaningful use' rules

Some say adoption of electronic health records are not saving money like they'd hoped, but that it does improve care. In the meantime, doctor groups want a delay in the next round of "meaningful use" rules that give doctors financial incentives for utilizing such records.

17 Jan 2013

American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, Milner-Fenwick announce partnership

Milner-Fenwick, a multi-media publisher for the healthcare community, and the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) announced a partnership which includes the AAHFN's endorsement of Milner-Fenwick's Heart Failure Patient Education Video Series.

17 Jan 2013

Cuban authorities work to contain cholera outbreak in capital city

"Cuban authorities are scrambling to contain a cholera outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in Havana, the capital city of 2.2 million residents and a popular tourism destination," Reuters reports.

17 Jan 2013