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Boehner, Obama move to direct talks on budget

As the negotiations shift to the president and House speaker, some Republicans appear to be encouraging their colleagues to abandon staunch opposition to any tax rate hike, The Washington Post reports. But several outlets note that little movement is apparent from either side.

7 Dec 2012

Longer looks: The frustrations of academic medicine; Small business owners fear health law changes; A doctor struggles to save his mother

Like many franchisees, Robert U. Mayfield, who owns five Dairy Queens in and around Austin, Tex., is always eager to expand and - no surprise - has had his eyes on opening a sixth DQ. But he said concerns about the new federal health care law had persuaded him to hold off.

7 Dec 2012

People with glaucoma show delayed eye movement reaction times

Rapid eye movements are significantly delayed in patients with glaucoma, even those in the early stages of the disease, research has found.

7 Dec 2012

CINJ urologic oncology chief completes 1,000th robotic prostatectomy at RWJUH

Marking a major milestone in what has become a fast-growing standard of care in prostate cancer surgery, the chief of urologic oncology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has completed his 1,000th robotic prostatectomy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), the Flagship Hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

6 Dec 2012

Roundup: Building more Texas medical schools; Calif. mental health care for children

Recommendations in a new draft report on Texas undergraduate medical education caution against rushing to build any new medical schools, which may irk those that are pushing to do exactly that. The report was prepared by the staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and posted on the agency's website on Monday in preparation for an upcoming meeting of their Task Force on Graduate Health Professions.

5 Dec 2012

Researchers derive dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. It is caused by loss of the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine (known as dopaminergic neurons). One of the primary goals in Parkinson's disease research is to develop a replacement for dopaminergic neurons.

4 Dec 2012

Scheduled Medicare doctor pay cut could be just a few weeks away

Medscape and The Connecticut Mirror covered the looming 26.5 percent cut, mandated by the SGR law.

4 Dec 2012

Roundup: Iowa Gov. proposes insurance premium hike for state workers; Mental health care fund questioned in Calif.

Proposition 63, which voters approved in 2004, was touted as a way to address serious mental illnesses in California, but in the years since, critics -- including some of the original supporters -- have argued that it has gone off the rails in its implementation.

3 Dec 2012

Hard-core smokers more likely to cut back when cigarette taxes rise

When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

1 Dec 2012

Medicare, other entitlement programs key to 'fiscal cliff' deal

Politico reports that "inside the talks," a framework for addressing the "fiscal cliff" is taking shape that includes both tax increases and entitlement cuts. Other news outlets note that publicly, President Barack Obama is playing down spending cuts, while GOP leaders demand entitlement reductions but offer few specifics.

30 Nov 2012

GM1 ganglioside effectively treats patients with Parkinson's disease

Treating Parkinson's disease patients with the experimental drug GM1 ganglioside improved symptoms and slowed their progression during a two and a half-year trial, Thomas Jefferson University researchers report in a new study published online November 28 in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

30 Nov 2012

Scientists define key underlying process implicated in multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have defined for the first time a key underlying process implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS)-a disease that causes progressive and irreversible damage to nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This discovery offers new hope for the millions who suffer from this debilitating disease for which there is no cure.

30 Nov 2012

States confront menu of Medicaid changes

A two-year payment hike for primary care doctors who treat Medicaid patients, called for by the health care law, might not happen without a struggle in Florida. Meanwhile, Kansas waits to hear back from the feds on its proposal to change Medicaid, and New Hampshire officials seek more money for their program.

29 Nov 2012

Combining statin treatment with better fitness improves survival in people with dyslipidaemia

Taking statins or being even modestly physically fit markedly improves survival in people with dyslipidaemia (abnormal levels of harmful blood fats/cholesterol), according to new research published Online First in The Lancet. But combining statin treatment with better fitness may do more to ward off death than either intervention alone.

29 Nov 2012

Creative art therapy combined with MBSR program shows promise for women with breast cancer

Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients. The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine combined creative art therapy with a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for women with breast cancer and showed changes in brain activity associated with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week program.

29 Nov 2012

Cancer-related fatigue and exercise: an interview with Dr Fiona Cramp

It is likely that there is more than one reason why people with cancer experience fatigue. The causes are likely to include side effects of the treatment that people are receiving for cancer as well as the direct effects of the cancer.

28 Nov 2012

Impact of Medicaid expansion would vary by state, according to study

The analysis released Monday explored how some states would experience savings while others would see cost increases as a result of the health law's plan to expand Medicaid.

28 Nov 2012

Researchers aim to improve feeling of 'walking on marbles' for arthritis patients

Researchers at the University of Southampton are to undertake a new stage of a study aimed at improving the health and mobility of those suffering from the common complaint of 'walking on marbles' associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in the feet.

28 Nov 2012

Democrats resist significant changes to Medicare, other entitlement programs

Efforts to avert the looming "fiscal cliff" have revived talk of raising Medicare's eligibility age. Some Republicans also suggest that spending to carry out the health law should be viewed as a source for savings. Meanwhile, an important meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

28 Nov 2012

Simple steps for healthy holidays and wellbeing into the New Year

The holidays are here, and weight gain is on everyone's mind. Being skinny, however, doesn't equate to being healthy, according to a video by Connie Gee, vice president and employee wellness strategist for Med-Vision.

28 Nov 2012