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Emergency food security interventions

Implementing best-practice standards for emergency international food aid will improve the quality, timeliness and appropriateness of food aid, reports Daniel Maxwell, PhD, research director for Food Security and Complex Emergencies at the Feinstein International Center (FIC), part of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

23 Jun 2007

Indiana Medicaid program to enroll disabled, elderly in managed care plans

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is negotiating two managed care contracts for state Medicaid beneficiaries who are blind, elderly or disabled, agency Secretary Mitch Roob said on Tuesday, the AP/Louisville Courier-Journal reports.

22 Jun 2007

New treatments for migraines and chronic headaches

Twelve percent of the population, three quarters of them women, suffer at least occasionally from migraines and about 5 percent from chronic headaches.

20 Jun 2007

High rate of misdiagnosis in patients in an acute vegetative state

New studies underline the importance of extreme caution in any decision to limit the life chances of patients during the acute phase of a vegetative state.

20 Jun 2007

Men fall short when it comes to managing their personal health

From skipping important health screenings to avoiding a visit to the doctor altogether, new results from a survey released by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) indicate men continue to fall short when it comes to managing their personal health.

20 Jun 2007

Acquired DNA key to certain bacterial infection

Researchers announced this week the discovery of a mechanism by which Mycobacterium avium - a bacterium which can result in serious lung infections and is prevalent in emphysema and AIDS patients among others - infects tissue cells or macrophages and thus compromises the body's immunity.

19 Jun 2007

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have greater arterial stiffness

The researchers also found that those COPD patients with osteoporosis, a common complication of the respiratory disease, had even greater arterial stiffness. These premature signs of aging may explain why COPD patients are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

19 Jun 2007

Extended exposure to the psoriasis medication etanercept reduces psoriasis severity without increased adverse events

Extended exposure to the psoriasis medication etanercept does not appear to cause more infections or adverse events than placebo, and improvements in several measures of disease severity were observed for up to 96 weeks of therapy, according to a study in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology.

19 Jun 2007

Genzyme announces results of clinical trials of Renvela and Renagel

Genzyme Corp. has announced the results of two new studies comparing a powder form of Renvela (sevelamer carbonate) to Renagel tablets (sevelamer hydrochloride), including one trial in which patients received the powder form three times per day, and one in which it was administered once per day.

19 Jun 2007

Do common treatments for ADHD increase risk of drug abuse?

Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse.

19 Jun 2007

Columbia dentists target chronic oral health problems in sub-Saharan Africa

A new initiative from Columbia University Medical Center will be the first to target chronic oral health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, where the vast majority of chronic diseases are left undetected and untreated.

19 Jun 2007

Many college students on the path toward chronic health diseases

Obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inactivity: they're not just your father's problems any more, University of New Hampshire research finds.

17 Jun 2007

Focus on motor neurone disease

Motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative disease of unknown cause which causes patients to lose basic motor functions and has a devastating effect on them and their families.

17 Jun 2007

Imagery rehearsal therapy helps insomniacs

In a study that insomniacs may find welcoming, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) has been shown to subjectively improve their ability to get a good night's sleep, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

17 Jun 2007

Enbrel safety data for up to 8 years in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth have announced the presentation of additional data that showed that the safety profile of Enbrel, (etanercept) was maintained with long-term use in patients with moderate-to-severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) who completed up to eight years of therapy.

17 Jun 2007

Educating OSA patients about continuous positive airway pressure critical to successful treatment

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition in which enhancement of patient self-efficacy is critical for long-term management.

17 Jun 2007

Gaps in diabetes care identified

A symposium, sponsored by the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Joslin Diabetes Center and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing identified barriers to, and strategies for, more effective diabetes self management and reaffirmed the nurse's critical role to facilitate better patient self care.

17 Jun 2007

Impaired anti-inflammatory response plays role in pathology of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is classified as a metabolic disorder, but a growing number of researchers are beginning to think of it also as a disease of the innate immune system. Inflammation, a key component of the early immune response, is chronically elevated in people with type 2 diabetes.

17 Jun 2007

Patient-physician time in the U.S. lower than New Zealand and Australia

The average American spends a total of about 30 minutes a year with a primary care physician in a system that is less comprehensive than that of Australia or New Zealand, according to a new study comparing primary care practice in the three countries.

17 Jun 2007

Solvay Pharmaceuticals submits supplemental NDA for AndroGel

Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has announced that it submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for AndroGel (testosterone gel) 1% CIII to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment in male adolescents ages 13-17 years old with primary or secondary hypogonadism.

17 Jun 2007