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Survey: Employers plan to shift more health costs to workers

The Washington Post: "Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey to be released Thursday. ... Meanwhile, employees at many companies can expect significantly higher premiums, deductibles and co-payments, according to the annual survey by the National Business Group on Health, a coalition of big employers, and Towers Watson, a consulting firm that advises companies on employee benefits."

12 Mar 2010

Study explores incidence of eating disorders among type 1 diabetic patients

Diabetics, under the gun to better manage their disease by controlling their food intake and weight, may find themselves in the sticky wicket of needing treatment that makes them hungry, researchers said.

12 Mar 2010

New insurance plan to link a patient's cost to effectiveness of treatments

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby, working in collaboration with USA Today, writes about potentially controversial policies that are a trend toward value-based design.

11 Mar 2010

Intel, Mayo Clinic and GE launch new initiative to study care and benefits of home-based telemedicine

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. was pleased on learning the news that Intel, The Mayo Clinic and GE Healthcare have launched a new initiative to study the care and cost benefits of home-based telemedicine for elderly patients with chronic illnesses.

11 Mar 2010

Collaborative center established to reduce obesity-related deaths in African-American and Latino communities

A $6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has funded the creation of ORBIT: Obesity Related Behavioral Intervention Trials to focus on reducing obesity and obesity-related deaths in New York City's African-American and Latino communities.

11 Mar 2010

Tel Aviv University investigates cause and effects of SCA syndrome

Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome (SCA) is poorly understood, but it's a real danger for the otherwise young and healthy. For no apparent reason, the heart suddenly stops beating, and without treatment death may follow within minutes. It's why some athletes drop dead on the track and why a young man, without any warning, suddenly dies while sitting at his desk.

11 Mar 2010

A new way to control blood pressure

The control of blood pressure is central to people's wellbeing. One in three Australians suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.

11 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 11, 2010

Today's headlines offer details of President Obama's continued full-court press on health reform with an appearance in Missouri. Meanwhile, work to move the bill toward a vote continues on Capitol Hill.

11 Mar 2010

Senetek closes Security Purchase Agreement with DMRJ

Senetek PLC today announced the closing of a Security Purchase Agreement, a Note and a Warrant Purchase Agreement DMRJ Group, LLC on March 4, 2010. DMRJ Group, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company affiliated with Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund L.P., an accredited institutional investor with its investment manager headquartered in New York, New York.

11 Mar 2010

Investigators develop new mathematical approach to analyze molecular data

Investigators have developed a new mathematical approach to analyze molecular data derived from complex mixtures of immune cells. This approach, when combined with well-established techniques, readily identifies changes in small samples of human whole blood, and has the potential to distinguish between health and disease states.

11 Mar 2010

Refining treatments to target only key heart-related mechanisms may improve effectiveness

Current drugs used to treat heart failure and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) have limited effectiveness and have side effects. New basic science findings from a University of Iowa study suggest a way that treatments could potentially be refined so that they work better and target only key heart-related mechanisms.

11 Mar 2010

ACC endorses Emmi Solutions and online patient engagement programs to improve patient communication

When patients hear the words “heart failure” they often remember little of the discussion that follows. Stress, emotions, health literacy and even the patient’s condition itself can create a barrier for good communication between patients and their doctors. Studies show patients forget as much as 80% of their discussion with their doctor by the time they reach the parking garage.

11 Mar 2010

Sleep deprivation may increase heart attack risk

On average, people go to work or school on the first Monday of Daylight Savings after sleeping 40 fewer minutes than normal. And recent studies have found there's a higher risk of heart attacks, traffic accidents and workplace injuries on the first Monday of Daylight Savings.

11 Mar 2010

National freeze on health insurance rates needed

Harvey Rosenfield, author of California's landmark insurance regulation Proposition 103—recognized as the most successful insurance regulation in the country—was joined today by people struggling to pay for health insurance in calling on President Obama and Congress to impose a national freeze on health insurance rates as part of the final round of votes on reform. Consumers must have a breather from yearly premium hikes like the 39% increase planned by Anthem Blue Cross, said Consumer Watchdog, which Rosenfield founded.

11 Mar 2010

Following existing cholesterol-lowering target guidelines can prevent more heart disease-related incidents

Only half of all patients at high risk of heart disease are given correct targets for lowering their cholesterol levels according to a study of 25,250 patients in Germany published online today (Thursday 11 March) in the European Heart Journal.

11 Mar 2010

Key stakeholder groups convene to address noncommunicable diseases at Global Forum

The first Global Forum of the Noncommunicable Disease Network (NCDnet) marks the first time WHO has convened key stakeholder groups to address the large-scale and increasing global health and development burden posed by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

11 Mar 2010

Clinical research trial of new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke passes safety stage

A clinical research trial of a new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke has passed an important safety stage, according to the UC Irvine neurologist who led the effort.

11 Mar 2010

Adherence to lipid-lowering guidelines may help reduce cardiovascular deaths

11 Mar 2010

Sleep disorders may increase risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

Many Americans will lose an hour of sleep on March 14, the first day of daylight-saving time, when clocks are set ahead one hour at 2 a.m. local standard time—making it harder to wake up, causing difficulty in staying alert and increasing the chance of sleepy-driving car crashes.

11 Mar 2010

Lincoln, Kucinich weigh in on health bill votes

The Associated Press/The Washington Times: Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., "insisted Tuesday she remained opposed to pushing a health care bill through the Senate with a simple majority vote, despite saying she wanted to see what was in the legislation." Lincoln "said those comments didn't represent a change of heart on her stance against the controversial majority-vote procedure known as 'reconciliation.' 'I don't support reconciliation. All I said was I want to see what's in it,' Lincoln told reporters outside the Senate floor. She walked quickly into a senators-only area without elaborating" (Werner, 3/9).

11 Mar 2010