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Higher measures of walking speed associated with increased length of survival among older adults

In an analysis that included data from 9 studies, having higher measures of walking speed among older adults was associated with increased length of survival, according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2011

Study suggests new experimental drug is better than standard morphine

A little-known morphinelike drug is potentially more potent, longer lasting and less likely to cause constipation than standard morphine, a study led by a Loyola University Health System anesthesiologist has found.

5 Jan 2011

Levindale's Specialty Hospital inagurates high intensity unit

The Specialty Hospital at Levindale has opened Maryland's first high intensity unit inside a chronic hospital. This unit provides heart monitoring for patients who require specialized medical care and treatment for serious illnesses and/or injuries.

5 Jan 2011

Today's Opinions: GOP rerun; Finding bipartisanship; Pawlenty's legacy

You just can't close the door on this crowd. The party that brought us the worst economy since the Great Depression, that led us into Iraq and the worst foreign policy disaster in American history, that would like to take a hammer to Social Security and a chisel to Medicare, is back in control of the House of Representatives with the expressed mission of undermining all things Obama (Bob Herbert, 1/3).

4 Jan 2011

Boston Scientific acquires Sadra Medical

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the completion of its acquisition of Sadra Medical, Inc. of Los Gatos, California. The transaction follows the definitive merger agreement announced on November 19, 2010.

4 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 4, 2011

The House GOP leadership sets Jan. 12 as the date for a vote on repealing the health law. Meanwhile, California's new health insurance commissioner takes action on health insurers' expenditures while New York's governor targets Medicaid spending.

4 Jan 2011

New program may help reduce hospital readmission rates for high-risk seniors

SCAN Health Plan and Lakewood IPA have partnered with Dovetail Health in a program designed to reduce readmission rates for high-risk seniors following discharge from hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

4 Jan 2011

Take control of your healthcare

Medical decisions are too important to leave in the hands of doctors. That is why Dr. Steven Z. Kussin recently launched a campaign, www.MedicalAdvocate.com, to teach Americans how to take control of their healthcare by becoming their own patient advocate.

4 Jan 2011

Mediterranean diet appears to slow cognitive decline in older adults

The Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, fish, and olive oil and moderate in wine and alcohol, is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline in older adults, according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

4 Jan 2011

Baby boomers lack knowledge about Alzheimer's disease

An online survey of baby boomers across Canada conducted by the Alzheimer Society reveals a worrying lack of awareness about Alzheimer's disease.

4 Jan 2011

Embryome Sciences announces $4M equity financing, changes name to ReCyte Therapeutics

BioTime, Inc. today announced a $4 million equity financing by its subsidiary, Embryome Sciences, Inc. Concurrent with the financing, Embryome Sciences will be renamed ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. and will develop therapeutic products for cardiovascular and blood diseases. The new equity financing is being led by a $2.5 million investment by private investors and a $1.5 million investment from BioTime that valued ReCyte Therapeutics at a post money valuation of $60 million on a fully diluted basis.

4 Jan 2011

Depression and diabetes linked to increased risk of death from heart disease in women

Depression and diabetes appear to be associated with a significantly increased risk of death from heart disease and risk of death from all causes over a six-year period for women, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Jan 2011

Fondation Leducq awards Penn Medicine researcher $6M grant for cardiovascular disease study

An international team of researchers led by Daniel J. Rader, MD, associate director of Penn Medicine's Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, has received a $6 million grant from the Paris-based Fondation Leducq to study the molecular genetics of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The team's proposal, "Molecular Mechanisms of Novel Genes Associated with Plasma Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease," was selected to receive the award through the Fondation's Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program.

4 Jan 2011

Flu worries continue

The flu season continues to affect more people. Experts have warned the Britons are still at risk as the surge in flu cases has still not yet peaked. The cases would increase they warn, over the next two to four weeks. World Health Organization released figures that show the rate of influenza-like illnesses is still low across continental Europe but has risen dramatically in Britain since the flu season began in October.

3 Jan 2011

Brits get free healthy food vouchers in 2011

As the festive season comes to a close the British government has announced a £250 million ($390 million) industry-financed plan to promote healthy eating. Now millions of people will receive vouchers offering discounts on healthy foods. It is a part of the coalition government’s ‘Change4Life’ programme that is targeting Britain’s growing rates of obesity. The Change4Life campaign was initially begun in 2009 by the previous Labour government, which said that if the plan failed to reduce obesity within three years it might look at regulating the food industry. Now the eight month old Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition feels regulations do not do the job but a gentle push towards healthy habits may help.

3 Jan 2011

Fear of the fat promoted to curb obesity

The Australian Medical Association has recommended the use of graphic television advertisements in Victoria to warn people about the risks of eating fatty foods. Rising rates of obesity has prompted these extreme measures. The proposed ads in television and newspaper would cost $25 million and would show the effects of fat on the body’s internal organs. The AMA’s proposals are part of a submission calling for $63 million to fight obesity.

3 Jan 2011

Deceptive food labels lead to increased risk of deadly diseases

Did you know that when you pick up a product promoted as trans fat free, you may still be ingesting a significant amount of this potentially harmful substance? An article by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine student Eric Brandt, published in the January/February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, reveals that misleading labeling practices can result in medically significant intake of harmful trans fat, despite what you read on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labels.

3 Jan 2011

FDA authorizes Juventas' JVS-100 Phase II clinical trial for critical limb ischemia

Juventas Therapeutics, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing novel therapies for cardiovascular disease, announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized commencement of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead product, JVS-100, for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI).

3 Jan 2011

MedCath completes sale of TexSan Heart Hospital to Methodist Healthcare System

MedCath Corporation announced today the completion of the sale of substantially all the assets of TexSan Heart Hospital, owned by MedCath and its physician investors, to Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio. The transaction, which was announced in November, and was subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory requirements, was completed effective December 31, 2010.

3 Jan 2011

Celera seeks FDA premarketing approval for KIF6 Genotyping Assay

Celera Corporation today announced that it has submitted a Premarket Approval Application (PMA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its KIF6 Genotyping Assay, a new molecular In Vitro diagnostic (IVD) test designed to detect a marker for risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) independent of traditional risk factors and aid clinical evaluation when statin treatment is being considered.

3 Jan 2011