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States struggle to rein in medical costs

About half of all states are cutting public health care, an area that is already stretched thin by previous cuts in 31 states and a spike in Medicaid enrollment induced by high unemployment. Services for mental health, abused children, the elderly and the underinsured are the primary targets (Hube, 5/27).

27 May 2011

New Web portal makes FDA's enforcement and compliance-related activities more accessible

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it is disclosing more information about inspections and court actions, and now has a Web portal on its enforcement activities as part of Phase II of the agency's Transparency Initiative. These actions are being taken to make FDA's enforcement and compliance-related activities more accessible, downloadable, and searchable online.

27 May 2011

NILVAD consortium awarded €6 million grant to develop new Alzheimer's disease treatment

An international research consortium led by Trinity College Dublin that aims to develop a new Alzheimer's disease treatment has just been selected for grant funding of €6 million by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

27 May 2011

Nature special issue focuses on vaccines

The May 26 issue of Nature explores vaccines, which the journal says "are responsible for some of the world's greatest public health triumphs." Though new vaccines for deadly diseases have been developed in the past 10 years, and more are in development, "funding is tight, and unfounded doubts about the safety of vaccines persist." The issue features stories on polio, measles, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as issues surrounding vaccine rejection and hysteria about risk.

27 May 2011

Switching to a newer electronic health record system reduces prescription errors

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the government is investing billions of dollars to encourage health care providers to use electronic health record systems. Many providers will probably switch from older systems to new systems to qualify for the federal incentives, but whether the upgrade improves patient care and safety has remained an open question.

27 May 2011

WGO to focus on diarrheal disease prevention, management during World Digestive Health Day

Diarrheal disease, a common gastrointestinal problem with potentially fatal implications in the developing world is the focus of World Digestive Health Day on May 29. Infections that cause diarrhea are serious public health challenges, both in the United States and globally.

27 May 2011

Disparities based on race and ethnic origin exist in every aspect of stroke care

Disparities between racial/ethnic minorities and whites cross all aspects of stroke care, according to an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association scientific statement.

27 May 2011

NHLBI stops AIM-HIGH combination clinical trial in high blood cholesterol

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment 18 months earlier than planned. The trial found that adding high dose, extended-release niacin to statin treatment in people with heart and vascular disease, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and stroke.

27 May 2011

Research provides new understanding of how heroin affects the brain

New research from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health suggests that our understanding of how heroin affects the brain should be changed. A new report shows that heroin is metabolised to 6-MAM which then crosses the blood-brain barrier to cause the intoxicating effects that arise shortly after heroin administration.

27 May 2011

Exposure to pesticides near any workplace increases risk of Parkinson's disease

In April 2009, researchers at UCLA announced they had discovered a link between Parkinson's disease and two chemicals commonly sprayed on crops to fight pests.

27 May 2011

State roundup: Budget battles continue in statehouses

Massachusetts labor leaders have given up their full-throated battle to protect certain collective bargaining rights amid an increasing likelihood that the Legislature will empower local governments to raise the health insurance costs of teachers, firefighters, and other municipal employees.

27 May 2011

iBioLaunch Platform successfully expresses hookworm-derived molecule for potential vaccine

iBio, Inc. today announced that its proprietary iBioLaunch Platform successfully expressed the hookworm-derived molecule known as NaAPR1M-74, which will be evaluated as a potential vaccine candidate for human hookworm disease.

26 May 2011

ATA recognizes 4th Annual World Thyroid Day

The American Thyroid Association, in cooperation with sister international thyroid societies, the European Thyroid Association, the Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association, and the Latin American Thyroid Society, recognizes the 4th Annual World Thyroid Day, May 25, 2011.

26 May 2011

Study links decrease in U.S. workplace physical activity with obesity epidemic

In a new study conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, scientists have found that the decrease in workplace physical activity over the past fifty years is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic.

26 May 2011

More wealthy families in India choosing to abort female fetuses, study shows

India's 2011 census data show that "wealthier, better-educated families," who have a first-born daughter "are choosing more and more often to abort subsequent pregnancies if the child is female," despite fetal sex determination and sex-selective abortion being illegal in the country, according to a study published on Tuesday in the Lancet, National Journal reports.

26 May 2011

Researchers propose 'advance directives' for driving

Researchers studying driving habits and accident rates among the elderly found a majority surveyed supported mandatory retesting of drivers based on age while saying they would hand over the keys if a doctor or loved one said they were no longer fit to drive.

26 May 2011

New Hypertension Management Program study results revealed at ASH scientific meeting

High blood pressure - the silent killer - is taking a hit from a new, ground-breaking treatment program from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

26 May 2011

Taking prenatal vitamins early during pregnancy can reduce risk of having children with autism

Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements - and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.

26 May 2011

Low vitamin D could account for link between obesity and cancer, heart disease, diabetes

Overweight or obese women with less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D who lose more than 15 percent of their body weight experience significant increases in circulating levels of this fat-soluble nutrient, according to a new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

26 May 2011

Novel way to immobilise radioactive iodine

A novel way to immobilise radioactive forms of iodine using a microwave, has been discovered by an expert at the University of Sheffield.

26 May 2011

Public Health News and Research

States struggle to rein in medical costs

New Web portal makes FDA's enforcement and compliance-related activities more accessible

NILVAD consortium awarded €6 million grant to develop new Alzheimer's disease treatment

Nature special issue focuses on vaccines

Switching to a newer electronic health record system reduces prescription errors

WGO to focus on diarrheal disease prevention, management during World Digestive Health Day

Disparities based on race and ethnic origin exist in every aspect of stroke care

NHLBI stops AIM-HIGH combination clinical trial in high blood cholesterol

Research provides new understanding of how heroin affects the brain

Exposure to pesticides near any workplace increases risk of Parkinson's disease

State roundup: Budget battles continue in statehouses

iBioLaunch Platform successfully expresses hookworm-derived molecule for potential vaccine

ATA recognizes 4th Annual World Thyroid Day

Study links decrease in U.S. workplace physical activity with obesity epidemic

More wealthy families in India choosing to abort female fetuses, study shows

Researchers propose 'advance directives' for driving

New Hypertension Management Program study results revealed at ASH scientific meeting

Taking prenatal vitamins early during pregnancy can reduce risk of having children with autism

Low vitamin D could account for link between obesity and cancer, heart disease, diabetes

Novel way to immobilise radioactive iodine

News Medical 2025: Healthcare Shifts That Mattered Most eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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