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More large employers offer chronic disease management programs to reduce health care costs

Eighty percent of large U.S. companies this year are offering chronic disease management programs for workers in an effort to reduce health care costs, up from 51% last year, according to a new survey by Hewitt Associates, the Houston Chronicle reports.

5 Apr 2009

Torax Medical launches study of new LINX Reflux management system

Torax Medical Inc., a medical device company focused on the minimally invasive treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has commenced a pivotal clinical trial of its LINX Reflux Management System.

5 Apr 2009

How men and women cope differently with stress traced to genetic differences

Can people's differing reactions to situations of stress be attributed at least in part to genetic differences and do those differences affect men and women in different ways - with the edge seemingly favoring the women? Research conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem would seem to indicate that the answer to both questions is yes.

5 Apr 2009

URMC to trial minimally invasive device that 'reins in' acid reflux

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one of 15 specialized sites across the U.S. and Europe gearing up to trial a new implantable device that could bring relief to the estimated 25 million American adults who suffer from daily heartburn.

4 Apr 2009

What drives brain changes in macular degeneration?

In macular degeneration, the most common form of adult blindness, patients progressively lose vision in the center of their visual field, thereby depriving the corresponding part of the visual cortex of input.

2 Apr 2009

Varicella zoster infection causes severe autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver inflammation of unknown etiology that is characterized by the presence of circulatory autoantibodies and ongoing liver tissue damage.

2 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and colleagues, have identified a gene that modifies the severity of lung disease in people with cystic fibrosis, a lethal genetic condition.

2 Apr 2009

Opioid antagonists show potential for problematic pain

Achieving effective, durable, and safe pain relief, especially in patients with chronic and/or severe pain conditions, can be difficult.

2 Apr 2009

FDA provides positive review of InNexus Biotechnology development plan for lead preclinical candidate

InNexus Biotechnology Inc. has announced the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its comprehensive review of the development plans for InNexus' lead preclinical candidate, DXL625 (CD20) for the prospective treatment of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) and/or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).

2 Apr 2009

Link between poorer growth early in life and heart disease and diabetes risk in adulthood

Lower weight at birth may increase inflammatory processes in adulthood, which are associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

1 Apr 2009

Figures on teenage drinking, smoking and drug use across Europe released

The latest findings on teenage drinking, smoking and drug use across Europe are released the 26th of March, 2009.

1 Apr 2009

Study on Haitian children shows poor diet contribute to gum disease

Haiti's children, already burdened with poverty and malnutrition, may have a health problem related to these chronic conditions -- gum disease.

1 Apr 2009

New York Medicaid adds topical oxygen wound therapy benefit

Beneficiaries of the New York Medicaid program have a new option to choose when dealing with chronic wounds.

1 Apr 2009

Research looks at the elimination of hepatitis B and C

Two new studies in the April issue of Hepatology explore the ways that hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be cleared from patients' bodies.

1 Apr 2009

Compassion fatigue: Impact on healthcare providers of caring for the terminally ill

Compassion fatigue in nurses, doctors and other front line cancer-care providers significantly impacts how they interact with patients, with patient families, with other healthcare workers, and with their own family, according to analysis by Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute researchers published in the March issue of the Journal of Health Psychology.

1 Apr 2009

Insomnia and short sleep combination a risk factor for hypertension

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first to demonstrate that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension.

1 Apr 2009

Babies born to stressed or depressed mothers more likely to have sleep issues

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that babies are more likely to have night wakings at both 6 months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.

1 Apr 2009

Anemia treatment improves heart structure and quality of life in kidney disease patients

In chronic kidney disease patients, different levels of anemia treatment have a beneficial effect on the heart and improve quality of life, according to a pair of studies appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

1 Apr 2009

Accurate assessment of heart disease leads to earlier, more aggressive therapy

In a study comparing the ability of various medical techniques to accurately determine the extent of heart disease and stratify patients according to disease severity, researchers found that myocardial perfusion testing with gated single photon emission computed tomography (gated SPECT) was a more accurate predictor of prognosis in chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD)-a painful condition caused by a temporary reduction of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

1 Apr 2009

Addressing sleep problems could reduce the risk of suicidal behaviours

In a study presented at the World Psychiatric Association international congress "Treatments in Psychiatry," scientists found that the more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, engage in planning a suicidal act or make a suicide attempt.

1 Apr 2009