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Comprehensive cardiac health study provides superior results

Kenneth "Buddy" Conant hit some clothing stores for a little shopping spree recently, but it wasn't because he'd suddenly become enthralled with the latest fashions. The truth was, he was starting to resemble a kid wearing a grown man's clothes.

6 Apr 2010

Antiarrhythmic drug dronedarone less effective and causes fewer side effects

In a rigorous new review of the antiarrhythmic drug dronedarone (Multaq), researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute conclude that the controversial drug is only modestly effective and has no clear safety benefits.

6 Apr 2010

KHN column: Why Americans should support an individual mandate

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, done in collaboration with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes: "Imagine for a moment that you work in a hospital emergency room. And just outside the door, a man has collapsed from a heart attack.

6 Apr 2010

People with depression and anxiety disorders can benefit from exercise program

Exercise is a magic drug for many people with depression and anxiety disorders, and it should be more widely prescribed by mental health care providers, according to researchers who analyzed the results of numerous published studies.

6 Apr 2010

FDA-approved contrast agent improves optical imaging of stem cells

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (19:1) has found that using the FDA-approved contrast agent Indocyanine Green (ICG) to label human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) substantially improved efforts to optically track stem cells after transplanting them into heart tissues.

6 Apr 2010

Older riders more likely to die from motorcycle accidents

Motorcycle riders across the country are growing older, and the impact of this trend is evident in emergency rooms daily. Doctors are finding that these aging road warriors are more likely to be injured or die as a result of a motorcycle mishap compared to their younger counterparts.

6 Apr 2010

Rice University's nano-bio-chip 93% specific in detecting patients with premalignant lesions

The gentle touch of a lesion on the tongue or cheek with a brush can help detect oral cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive techniques, according to preliminary studies by researchers at Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Centers at Houston and San Antonio and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

6 Apr 2010

Menstrual stem cells may help in treatment of stroke and central nervous system disorders

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. today announced results of a study published this month in the cover article of Stem Cells and Development showing that stem cells found in menstrual blood may one day be a potential source for stem cell therapies in stroke and other central nervous system disorders.

5 Apr 2010

Juventas Therapeutics commences enrollment in Phase I trial of JVS-100 for treatment of Class III heart failure

Juventas Therapeutics, a privately held, clinical-stage regenerative medicine company announced it has started enrolling patients in a Phase I clinical trial for JVS-100 to evaluate safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with Class III heart failure. JVS-100 encodes Stromal Cell-derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) and has been shown in pre-clinical studies to significantly increase cardiac function by promoting cell survival and increasing new blood vessel formation in the damaged organ.

5 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 5, 2010

Both the politics and policies of health reform continue to grab headlines, with reports highlighting how lawmakers are faring in their districts during this congressional recess. News outlets also are exploring how specific provisions of the new law will work.

5 Apr 2010

Rebirth of the cursed drug Thalidomide

Thalidomide was once a dreaded name in the Pharmaceutical industry. It was initially marketed in some European countries nearly 5 decades back as a sedative and after millions of pregnant women took it for morning sickness it had devastating results on the babies. The babies were born with flippers instead of limbs a condition known as phocomelia. Since then it has been under strict control.

5 Apr 2010

Are Australians popping too many pills?

These reports have emerged from a Daily Telegraph investigation. Australian Medical Association vice president, GP and former Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee member Dr Steve Hambleton said the resons for these trends may include the increasing population of the aged, newer medicines as well as a rise in chronic lifestyle ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.

5 Apr 2010

Why is the genome project not yielding results faster?

As the genome projects reaches the 10 year landmark scientists are defending it. While the sequencing of the 3 billion letters in the human DNA took a long time the first draft of the human genome was presented ten years ago. Today it is possible to have your individual DNA mapped in a day and at the low cost of $5,000.

5 Apr 2010

Desert Valley Hospital, Montclair Hospital Medical Center named winners of Top 100 Hospitals

Thomson Reuters announced today that Desert Valley Hospital and Montclair Hospital Medical Center are among the winners of its prestigious Top 100 Hospitals® in the Nation award. Desert Valley Hospital, Victorville, CA, is now among an elite group of hospitals who have received this award five times in the category of small community hospitals. Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Montclair, CA. received the award for the first time in the class of medium size community hospitals.

5 Apr 2010

U.S. Census Bureau highlights vitamin C

Today, we should raise a toast of orange juice to Dr. C.C. King of the University of Pittsburgh. It was on this day in 1932 that he isolated vitamin C.

5 Apr 2010

SRI director on importance of seeking treatment for sex addiction

Following rumours that Jesse James has checked into rehab for sex addiction, Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT-S, founding director of the Sexual Recovery Institute, today issued the following statement to explain how simple pleasure oriented behaviours can evolve into addiction and the importance of seeking treatment.

3 Apr 2010

HCM: Questions to ask

While a jury awarded Tony and Angela Key, $1.6 million following a malpractice trial in the death of their 22-year-old son, Antwoine, a basketball player for Eastern Connecticut State University who collapsed and died during a game in 2005, it is a small measure of solace when a young life is cut short, particularly when the cause - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - could have been treated, had it been properly diagnosed.

3 Apr 2010

Implementing value-based insurance design programs in health care reform law

Value-based insurance design programs -- a concept created at the University of Michigan -- are part of the nation's new national health care plan, and U-M physician A. Mark Fendrick, M.D. is working with policy setters to implement the strategy.

3 Apr 2010

Therapeutic hypothermia helps save marathon cardiac arrest victim

Jay Yim, 21, had worked on improving his fitness since age 15. In preparation for this year's Los Angeles Marathon on March 21, the University of Southern California pre-med student had been training with a marathon club and regularly did 10-mile runs on his own.

3 Apr 2010

Cancer research at Georgia Tech: Report

Cancer treatment typically involves surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or biological therapy. An oncologist may use one therapy or a combination of methods, depending on the type and location of the cancer, whether the disease has spread, the patient's age and general health, and other factors.

3 Apr 2010