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VA begins distributing disability benefits to Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun distributing disability benefits to Vietnam Veterans who qualify for compensation under recently liberalized rules for Agent Orange exposure.

2 Nov 2010

Researchers explain how adiponectin prevents stress-induced damage in heart

One of the many advantages of maintaining a normal body weight is having healthy fat, which in turn supports a healthy heart. Fat tissue is increasingly seen as more than just a storage depot - it's also an active secretory organ that normally produces high levels of a cardioprotective hormone called adiponectin. How adiponectin protects the hearts of healthy people has long been a mystery, and now a team led by Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D. and Pilar Ruiz-Lozano, Ph.D. at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveals that the protein T-cadherin is the receptor that anchors adiponectin to heart cells.

2 Nov 2010

Brain MRI could predict duration of stroke onset

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain could expand the number of stroke patients eligible for a potentially life-saving treatment, according to a new study, published online and in the December issue of the journal Radiology.

2 Nov 2010

Innovative lifesaving device for patients with advanced heart failure

Bradley Cantley, 41, headed home from UC San Diego Medical Center connected to a lifesaving heart machine called a left ventricular assisted device (LVAD). For patients with advanced heart failure, the mechanical pump rapidly improves circulation throughout the body and serves as a bridge to transplant. Cantley is the first of many patients, locally and globally, who will benefit from the expanded heart surgery program at UC San Diego Health System.

2 Nov 2010

Older adults are three times as likely to die following ground-level fall

While simple falls, such as slipping while walking off a curb, may seem relatively harmless, they can actually lead to severe injury and death in elderly individuals, according to a new study published in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care.

2 Nov 2010

Eli Lilly's new research center to focus on diabetes in China

Eli Lilly and Company announced today plans to open a research center focused on diabetes in China, where the incidence of the disease has reached epidemic proportions.

2 Nov 2010

Arrayit sells third advanced microarray manufacturing system to UT Southwestern

Arrayit Corporation announced today that it has sold a third advanced microarray manufacturing system to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The NanoPrint LM60 Microarrayer equipped with Arrayit's Patented Microarray Manufacturing Technology (US Patent 6,101,946) is a computer-driven robotic microarray manufacturing system that enables the screening of 1.5 million lead therapeutic compounds per run, and the NanoPrint LM210 enables more than 5 million.

2 Nov 2010

Study finds increasing dosage of blood thinners can help cardiovascular disease patients with genetic defect

Cardiovascular disease patients who have a genetic defect that makes them less responsive to blood thinners may be helped with an increased dosage, according to results of an innovative pilot study led by a cardiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

2 Nov 2010

Most hospital patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Eighty-one percent of hospital patients are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, a Loyola University Health System study has found.

2 Nov 2010

MedCath completes sale of Heart Hospital of Austin to St. David's Healthcare Partnership

MedCath Corporation and its physician partners announced today the completion of the sale of substantially all the assets of Heart Hospital of Austin to St. David's Healthcare Partnership, L.P. The transaction, which was announced in February and was subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory requirements, was completed today.

2 Nov 2010

FDA approves Medtronic Talent Thoracic Stent Graft with Captivia Delivery System

Advancing the minimally invasive treatment of aortic aneurysms, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Talent Thoracic Stent Graft with Captivia® Delivery System, which features a tip capture mechanism for controlled deployment and precise placement of the implantable medical device.

2 Nov 2010

NICE to lose its power to ban life saving drugs

Ministers have finally clarified that patients would not be denied life-extending drugs just because the NHS rationing body decides they are too expensive. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) the drug watchdog in the UK will be stripped of its powers to stop drugs being available on the NHS due to price. The arbitrary limit on the cost of new drugs – around £30,000 per year of extended high-quality life – will be scrapped from 2014.

1 Nov 2010

Dr Sartori’s contentious alternative therapy: inquest date set

The Medical Practitioner's Board of Western Australia is looking into the case of a doctor and her role in an alternative cancer therapy program. Five cancer patients have died after apparently being given industrial solvents and dangerous minerals as a part of an alternative therapy program by Alexandra Boyd, a well-known Mosman Park breast cancer specialist. She along with two registered nurses administered the concoctions to the people in question.

1 Nov 2010

FDA approves cancer drug Afinitor for treatment of rare genetic disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the cancer drug Afinitor (everolimus) on Friday to treat patients with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS), a rare genetic disorder. This approval was for treatments of SEGA that can not be treated with surgery.

1 Nov 2010

Gore announces new Early TIPS for Ascites Study

W.L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced a new prospective, randomized, multi-center study at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The hypothesis of the study is that early intervention with the GORE® VIATORR® TIPS Endoprosthesis improves transplant-free survival when compared to large volume paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis and difficult to treat ascites.

1 Nov 2010

Global Genes Project launches new campaign to create awareness about rare diseases

The Global Genes Project, a non-profit advocacy organization that aims to raise awareness about the prevalence of rare diseases worldwide, today launched the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign. The 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign is designed to draw attention to an estimated 7,000 different chronic, life-threatening and fatal rare diseases and disorders affecting approximately 30 million Americans and millions more globally.

1 Nov 2010

Catalyst’s CPP-115 improves retinal safety profile than vigabatrin

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. today announced positive results from a series of CPP-115 preclinical safety and efficacy evaluations. CPP-115 was found to have a significantly improved retinal safety profile compared to vigabatrin.

1 Nov 2010

Acorda reports net income of $12.4 million for third quarter 2010

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010.

1 Nov 2010

Sugar in excess leads to complications

In light of Diabetes Awareness Month, many people are showing increased interest in the topic of sugar and sugar alternatives. With the various forms of sugar available table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, agave, and honey understanding the differences between sugars and their effects on the body is not all sweet.

1 Nov 2010

CyberKnife radiosurgery studies for breast cancer treatment to be presented at ASTRO Meeting

Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today studies underway at two leading academic institutions using CyberKnife radiosurgery in breast cancer treatment. These two studies, from the University of Texas Southwestern and Fox Chase Cancer Center, will be presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in San Diego from October 31 to November 4.

1 Nov 2010