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Minimally invasive renal denervation performed for the first time in Canada

Doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre today performed a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat high blood pressure, called renal denervation, for the first time in Canada.

18 Jan 2012

New pathways in battle against obesity and other lifestyle diseases

The world is encountering an epidemic of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In the west it is already widespread and it is now exploding in the developing world with the rapid change in the lifestyles of recent generations.

18 Jan 2012

Peter Munk Cardiac Centre doctors perform renal denervation in first Canadian patient

Doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre today performed a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat high blood pressure, called renal denervation, for the first time in Canada. The procedure can significantly reduce high blood pressure in patients who cannot effectively treat their hypertension through drugs. These patients, numbering approximately 250,000 Canadians, have to endure an especially high risk of heart attacks and stroke, which continues to kill thousands of Canadians every year.

18 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: Health care is a civil right; A Medicare strategy based on Lenin

Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is one of progress toward a better life for every American, including equal opportunity in voting, housing, education, and employment. Reflecting on his legacy also means recognizing the steps we must take to address the inequalities that persist. Many of these involve health care. Poor and minority Americans suffer from more preventable diseases on average, lower-quality care, fewer treatment options, and less health insurance coverage.

18 Jan 2012

S.D., Wisc. wrestle with health exchange implementation

While Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker faces a dilemma regarding his state's Early Innovator Grant, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced his state wouldn't try to pass health exchange legislation because "there is too much uncertainty."

18 Jan 2012

US BioDesign introduces new cardiovascular biomaterials business unit

US BioDesign announced today the launch of its cardiovascular biomaterials business segment. This portion of US BioDesign will be responsible for the research, analysis and production of products and services in the cardiovascular device area.

18 Jan 2012

Two new studies focus on causes of arrhythmia and SCD

Researchers in Rhode Island Hospital's Cardiovascular Research Center have published two new studies focusing on the causes of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD) when a genetic disorder is present.

18 Jan 2012

State roundup: State lawmakers, governors planning health legislation; Some Pa. kids losing Medicaid

Iowa House and Senate Republicans could support legislation requiring lawmakers to contribute to the cost of their state-provided health-care benefits, party leaders told the Des Moines Register's editorial board this morning. The health-care packages now offered by the state - in which most employees, including legislators, are not required to make contributions from their salaries - are "out of touch" with the plans available to average Iowans, ... House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said.

18 Jan 2012

Vitamin D supplements can fight against age-related macular degeneration

Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have found that vitamin D reduces the effects of ageing in mouse eyes and improves the vision of older mice significantly. The researchers hope that this might mean that vitamin D supplements could provide a simple and effective way to combat age-related eye diseases, such as macular degeneration (AMD), in people.

17 Jan 2012

Rumor-mongering can prevent exploitation and lower stress

For centuries, gossip has been dismissed as salacious, idle chatter that can damage reputations and erode trust. But a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests rumor-mongering can have positive outcomes such as helping us police bad behavior, prevent exploitation and lower stress.

17 Jan 2012

Nurse donates kidney to patient

A nurse offered to donate her own kidney to a 23-year-old patient. Allison Batson spent two years on the transplant floor of Emory University Hospital before her encounter with Clay Taber, a recent Auburn University graduate who fell sick one day after his 22nd birthday. He was diagnosed with kidney failure. The Auburn University graduate was diagnosed with Goodpasture's syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that can result in severe damage to the kidneys and lungs.

17 Jan 2012

Dental Lab Products magazine recognizes Objet Eden260V 3D Printer as 2011 Readers' Choice

Objet Ltd., the innovation leader in 3D printing for rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, today announced that the Objet Eden260V 3D Printer has been recognized as a 2011 "Readers' Choice" by subscribers to Dental Lab Products magazine.

17 Jan 2012

Hot yoga practicing tips

Yoga is one of the hottest fitness trends and a style known as "hot yoga" is gaining in popularity. Hot yoga refers to yoga practiced in a heated environment, with the room temperature generally reaching 90 to 105 degrees. The theory behind it is that hot yoga helps the body to sweat out toxins while allowing the practitioner to safely achieve deeper poses. Bikram is a common form of hot yoga.

17 Jan 2012

Traditional autopsy is still the gold standard in determining cause of death

TV crime shows like Bones and CSI are quick to explain each death by showing highly detailed scans and video images of victims' insides. Traditional autopsies, if shown at all, are at best in supporting roles to the high-tech equipment, and usually gloss over the sometimes physically grueling tasks of sawing through skin and bone.

17 Jan 2012

Angioplasty improves quality of life in MS patients

Although using angioplasty to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly controversial, sufferers often insist it helps - in some cases dramatically, such as allowing them to walk without a cane. Patients with less severe MS also reported additional quality of life improvements, such as being able to talk more clearly, after having treatment to open blocked blood vessels in the chest and neck, according to research being presented at the 24th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy.

17 Jan 2012

Patriot Health Initiative to provide $450,000 to NSU's College of Dental Medicine

Steven M. Mariano, Chairman & CEO of Patriot National Insurance Group, today announced the launch of the Patriot Health Initiative, a program which will provide Nova Southeastern University's College of Dental Medicine with up to $450,000 of funding to support its efforts to provide dental programming targeting underserved populations of Greater Fort Lauderdale.

17 Jan 2012

Researchers discover HS1.2 enhancer as the cause of SLE

A "genetic accelerator" is responsible for the most severe cases of Lupus (systemic lupus erythemathosus), an autoimmune disease: the accelerator, called enhancer HS1.2, speeds up the activity of some critical genes of the immune system involved in the disease.

17 Jan 2012

Positive outcomes from Boston Scientific's Epic Stent trial on iliac artery disease

Boston Scientific Corporation reports nine-month clinical endpoint data from its ORION trial, demonstrating excellent outcomes for the Company's Epic Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent System in patients with iliac artery disease, a form of peripheral artery disease associated with severe leg pain caused by insufficient blood flow.

16 Jan 2012

Man gets new windpipe with stem cell therapy

Christopher Lyles, 30, of Abingdon, Md, became the first American to undergo an experimental procedure, involving stem cells to treat his trachea cancer. A trachea or windpipe connects the nose and mouth to the lungs, serving a crucial function for life.

16 Jan 2012

Annual stress survey reveals 1 in 5 Americans under pressure

Each year the American Psychological Association releases its “Stress in America” survey. The last was released yesterday and it showed that too many Americans are stressed.

15 Jan 2012