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Wis. Planned Parenthoods stops non-surgical abortions; Iowa could ban public funds for abortion in cases of rape, incest

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has stopped giving non-surgical abortions after a new law took effect that requires women to have three doctor visits before getting a drug-induced abortion. In Iowa, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is criticizing the state budget that would disallow public Medicaid funding for abortions in cases of rape or incest.

24 Apr 2012

ICDs may increase risk of complications in patients with infective endocarditis

Patients with infective endocarditis involving implanted cardiac devices experience a high rate of complications such as valve infections, heart failure, and persistent bacteremia, and high in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates, particularly if there is valve involvement, according to a study in the April 25 issue of JAMA.

24 Apr 2012

Political cartoon: 'Birds and Bees'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Birds and Bees" by Nick Anderson.

24 Apr 2012

Life spans of American women not increasing proportionate to that of men: Report

Life spans of the women in the USA are improving at a slower pace than men's and are shorter in many U.S. counties than they were 20 years ago, according to a report released last Thursday.

23 Apr 2012

Cosmetic contact lens on the rise among Malaysians

Malaysia’s beauty contact lens market is fast catching up with developed countries in the region such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, which are all exhibiting similar upward trending in the sales of these beauty accessories. GfK retail tracking reported Malaysians spending a total of nearly USD 55 million on contact lenses in 2011, of which 28 percent was contributed by the beauty segment.

23 Apr 2012

‘Brain freeze’ provides clue to migraine cause and therapy

According to latest reports by researchers the headache that is caused by eating something cold like an ice cream, may be caused by a sudden change in brain blood flow. The U.S. team of researchers add that this study may show targets to treat other, more troubling forms of headache such as migraine.

23 Apr 2012

Health law uncertainty sets up 'moment-of-truth' situations

This circumstance is particularly acute regarding states' decisions about setting up health exchanges.

23 Apr 2012

Older patients trigger new ideas for health care facilities

News outlets report on innovations in the design of health care facilities that respond to the needs of older patients.

23 Apr 2012

GAO report offers rebuke of Medicare bonus program

A report to be released today by government auditors calls the Medicare bonus program wasteful and questions claims it improves quality of care.

23 Apr 2012

Medicare's long-term finances strained by pressures of aging population, economy

News outlets preview pieces of the annual report due out later today from the trustees who oversee Medicare and Social Security.

23 Apr 2012

Kenyan government must review law on counterfeit drugs, High Court rules

"Kenya's High Court ruled on Friday that lawmakers must review legislation that could threaten the import of generic drugs, allowing Kenyans to continue accessing affordable medicine," Reuters reports.

23 Apr 2012

Cancer, genetic screenings under scrutiny

Various news outlets covered issues around cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

23 Apr 2012

Despite campaign rhetoric, Medicare deal may be possible

Meanwhile, though, some say Mitt Romney, if elected president, couldn't deliver on his promise to cut the budget without harming health care programs.

23 Apr 2012

Healthways announces acquisition of Ascentia Health Care Solutions

Ben R. Leedle, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Healthways, announced that the Company has acquired Ascentia Health Care Solutions, a Philadelphia area based company whose business is designed to support and promote population health management, patient centered programs, payer strategies and physician practice enhancement programs.

23 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 23, 2012

Today's headlines feature advance information about what the trustees who oversee Medicare and Social Security will say about the financial well-being of these massive programs when they release their annual report later today.

23 Apr 2012

FDA strengthens and modernizes postmarket drug safety program

A strengthened and modernized postmarket drug safety program has resulted in a substantial improvement in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's oversight of drugs once they reach the American public, according to a new report released today by the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

23 Apr 2012

Study finds survival advantage for Hispanic lung cancer patients

A new analysis has found that Hispanic lung cancer patients seem to live longer than white or black patients. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that, as with several other types of cancer, certain yet-to-be-defined genetic and/or environmental factors put Hispanic patients at a survival advantage.

23 Apr 2012

APS honors MCW professor with Henry Pickering Bowditch Lecture Award

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major problem worldwide, with the latest estimates suggesting that a billion people across the globe may have this condition. Hypertension not only takes an enormous cost on health and wellbeing, but it also exacts an expensive financial toll. Complications from this condition including kidney disease, and its resulting treatments, such as long-term dialysis and kidney transplant, are some of the costliest conditions the American health care system must contend with.

23 Apr 2012

Brain freeze may share common mechanism with other types of headaches

'Brain freeze' is a nearly universal experience—almost everyone has felt the near-instantaneous headache brought on by a bite of ice cream or slurp of ice-cold soda on the upper palate. However, scientists are still at a loss to explain this phenomenon. Since migraine sufferers are more likely to experience brain freeze than people who don't have this often-debilitating condition, brain freeze may share a common mechanism with other types of headaches, including those brought on by the trauma of blast-related combat injuries in soldiers.

23 Apr 2012

Republicans may be vulnerable on Medicare, social issues in Nov. elections

The recent flurry of socially conservative legislation, on issues ranging from expanding gun rights to placing new restrictions on abortion, comes as Republicans at the national level are eager to refocus attention on economic issues.

23 Apr 2012