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Lawmakers brace for conference as House Liberals vow not to give in on key issues

The Los Angeles Times reports that Democrats are looking ahead — and at each other — before beginning the "potentially difficult" process of reconciling the Senate and House versions of health care reform.

23 Dec 2009

Majority of Australians think H1N1 vaccination is not necessary

Australia risks a serious swine flu (H1N1 influenza virus) outbreak with two-thirds (65 per cent) of unprotected Australians stating they're unlikely to get vaccinated against the disease in the next 12 months, according to an MBF Healthwatch Poll.

23 Dec 2009

Health overhaul will keep insurers from dropping people after they become too expensive

The Los Angeles Times reports on some of the provisions in the health care bills will affect individuals because they will regulate how insurers treat people with chronic diseases.

23 Dec 2009

An FDA 'ambiguity' means patients get unapproved devices

A Chicago surgeon invented a silicone and metal ring to repair heart valves, and implanted them in 150 patients before his new device received FDA approval, The Wall Street Journal reports.

23 Dec 2009

Volcano lauds revised guidelines for treating severe coronary artery disease patients

Volcano Corporation, a leader in the development, manufacturing and sales of products for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease, reacted positively to the new guidelines for treating coronary disease and heart attacks using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure that treats narrowed blood vessels.

23 Dec 2009

BioLife Solutions receives ISO 13485:2003 certification

BioLife Solutions, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of biopreservation tools for cells, tissues, and organs, today announced that it has successfully completed audits of its quality systems and GMP production facility in Bothell, Washington by BSI Group and has been issued a certification to ISO 13485:2003, an international standard for quality systems supporting the design, development, and manufacture of medical devices.

23 Dec 2009

Tips to achieve fitness and weight loss goals

More than 100 million Americans made New Year resolutions for 2009, and four out of five were not able to stick with them, according to the third annual Franklin Covey New Year’s Resolution survey released in January 2009.

23 Dec 2009

Beta blockers may increase risk of anemia-induced adverse cardiovascular events

Routinely used to treat patients for heart attack or high blood pressure, beta blockers are known for their role in helping to protect the heart. A new study in the January issue of the journal Anesthesiology looks at the effects of beta blockers on surgical outcomes, revealing that the cardioprotective effects of the medication could be compromised by acute surgical anemia.

23 Dec 2009

Study reveals patient characteristics can affect image quality of MDCT scans

A large multicenter international trial found that the image quality of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, used for the noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease, can be significantly affected by patient characteristics such as ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and heart rate, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

23 Dec 2009

ARCA biopharma submits Gencaro trial protocol for review under the FDA’s SPA process

ARCA biopharma, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a study protocol for review under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process for the design of a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of GencaroTM, in approximately 3,000 patients with chronic heart failure who have the genotype that appears to respond most favorably to Gencaro. Gencaro is the Company’s investigational, pharmacologically unique beta-blocker and mild vasodilator.

23 Dec 2009

NHLBI grant for identifying genetic and epigenetic causes of human congenital heart disease

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital have received funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to support their search for undiscovered gene defects that cause congenital heart disease. The $4.19 million, 6-year grant is part of the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC), which seeks to identify genetic and epigenetic causes of human congenital heart disease, and relate genetic variants present in the congenital heart disease patient population to clinical outcomes.

23 Dec 2009

Benefits of dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR outweigh potential injury risks

Dispatchers should assertively give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions to bystanders who suspect someone is in cardiac arrest because the benefits from correctly recommending CPR for someone who needs it greatly outweigh the risks from recommending CPR for someone who does not, researchers said in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Dec 2009

Brazilian researchers perform autopsy study to examine the causes H1N1 death

Brazilian researchers have performed the first-ever autopsy study to examine the precise causes of death in victims of the H1N1 swine flu.

23 Dec 2009

Second successful phrenic nerve decompression surgery

The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that immediately following a rare phrenic nerve surgery to repair his paralyzed diaphragm, a 47-year-old man has reported significantly improved breathing and feels “15 years younger.” The surgery marked the second known case of successful phrenic nerve decompression, both of which were performed by a New Jersey medical team led by Dr. Matthew Kaufman of the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

23 Dec 2009

Heart and Stroke Foundation urges government to regulate trans fats in Canada's food supply

The Heart and Stroke Foundation calls on the federal government to live up to the commitment made two years ago to regulate trans fats in Canada's food supply, based on Health Canada's final set of monitoring results released today.

23 Dec 2009

Cardiac rehabilitation improves survival rate in heart attack patients

Medicare beneficiaries with heart disease who attended more cardiac rehabilitation sessions had fewer heart attacks and were less likely to die within four years than those who went to rehab less, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Dec 2009

Niacin may not be beneficial for type 2 diabetic patients

High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as "good" cholesterol, isn't as protective for people with type 2 diabetes, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

22 Dec 2009

Bacterial cellulose: An alternative for artificial blood vessels

The cellulose produced by bacteria could be used for artificial blood vessels in the future as it carries a lower risk of blood clots than the synthetic materials currently used for bypass operations, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

22 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 22, 2009

The big news today follows two main themes -- the Senate's march toward Democrats' Christmas eve deadline for passing a health reform bill; and, the challenges that will be involved when the House and Senate versions of the overhaul are reconciled.

22 Dec 2009

Health and education leaders commend school for promoting physical activity among students

During a visit today to Conrad Weiser Middle School, Department of Health Secretary Everette James and Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak commended the school for its efforts to increase physical activity among students.

22 Dec 2009