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Minimally-invasive spinal surgery helps Motocross rider return to racing

Since he was a young five years old, New Jersey resident Demetrius Economou has been tearing through the woods on a Motocross bike. A long-time family passion, Demetrius learned to ride when he was just 5 years old and riding quickly consumed his life and became a constant thought on his mind. While many children were playing team sports like baseball or soccer, Demetrius was learning how to modify his 70cc bike to keep up with the bigger bikes.

26 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 26, 2012

Today's headlines include news about how House Republicans are eyeing the health law's prevention trust fund as a means to pay the cost of extending the current student loan interest rate for another year. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has scheduled a Friday vote on this proposal.

26 Apr 2012

CMS proposal would factor patient safety, efficiency into hospital pay formula

The draft rule adds measures of patient safety and a financial assessment to determine whether hospitals are careful with Medicare's money.

26 Apr 2012

UT Southwestern lung transplant recipient lives through 19 years

UT Southwestern Medical Center has performed more than 300 lung transplants in recent decades, and Michael Young represents a remarkable success story.

25 Apr 2012

Hearings and analyses frame Capitol Hill budget fight over Medicare, deficit

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are tussling over budget proposals that would change Medicare and/or reduce the budget deficit.

24 Apr 2012

Exercise staves off dementia in older women: Study

Older women with first signs of memory decline might ward off full-blown dementia by engaging in routine strength training according to a new study. However supervised weight-lifting seems to be working better than aerobics-based activity programs, the study found. The study was conducted with researchers from the Department of Psychology and Division of Geriatric Medicine at UBC, and Department of Psychology at the University of Iowa.

24 Apr 2012

LCIG improves quality of life, reduces symptoms of Parkinson's

A recent clinical trial conducted at Evergreen Healthcare shows that a new form of a common drug used to treat Parkinson's Disease greatly improves the quality of life for patients and reduces the affects of symptoms such as tremors, slowness, stiffness and difficulty walking.

21 Apr 2012

VA plans big boost in mental health staff

The Department of Veterans Affairs will increase its corps of mental health professionals to try to cope with the increased demand from vets of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

21 Apr 2012

Two new studies analyze treatment decisions in late-stage ALS patients

Two new studies analyzing treatment decisions in late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients shed light onto treatments aimed to extend the duration and quality of life in this progressively debilitating neuromuscular disorder.

21 Apr 2012

First Edition: June 20, 2012

Today's headlines include reports that the Veterans' Administration will increase its mental health staffing.

20 Apr 2012

Thinking about death can actually be a good thing

Thinking about death can actually be a good thing. An awareness of mortality can improve physical health and help us re-prioritize our goals and values, according to a new analysis of recent scientific studies. Even non-conscious thinking about death - say walking by a cemetery - could prompt positive changes and promote helping others.

20 Apr 2012

Researchers describe how they combine two pieces of technology to create neuroprosthesis

An artificial connection between the brain and muscles can restore complex hand movements in monkeys following paralysis, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

19 Apr 2012

Ten tips to avoid or treat common medical problems in the outdoors

"Good fortune favors the well prepared," says Paul S. Auerbach, MD, a founder and past President of the Wilderness Medical Society and editor of Wilderness Medicine, 6th Edition, recently published by Elsevier. With some advance reading, individuals planning vacations or outdoor excursions can become familiar with adverse situations and be prepared to handle them.

19 Apr 2012

Testosterone may help heart failure patients: Study

The researchers used testosterone patches and injections that improved the breathing and exercise abilities of people with heart failure, a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Although most of the study participants were men, the researchers said the results would likely apply to women as well, through much smaller doses of testosterone.

18 Apr 2012

Conventional testing underestimates Rett Syndrome patients' cognitive abilities

Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center have identified, in a pilot study published in the April edition of Pediatric Neurology, that children with Rett Syndrome, who cannot speak or use their hands to communicate and therefore were thought to be unable to understand and process information, do in fact exhibit meaningful visual search whereby they can process and prioritize information.

18 Apr 2012

Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel better than standard oral form to treat advanced Parkinson's disease

A levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) works better than standard oral levodopa-carbidopa in reducing "off" time in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

18 Apr 2012

Federal officials use health law to cite two insurers for excessive premium increases

The insurance companies will be able to charge the higher amount, but they will be required to disclose on websites that reviewers found the rates to be unreasonable and explain why they are still imposing them.

18 Apr 2012

Study explains why women are more prone to knee injuries than men

Women are more prone to knee injuries than men, and the findings of a new study suggest this may involve more than just differences in muscular and skeletal structure - it shows that males and females also differ in the way they transmit the nerve impulses that control muscle force.

18 Apr 2012

Medtronic plans IN.PACT Global drug-eluting balloon SFA clinical study

In conjunction with the Charing Cross International Symposium (CX34), which concludes today in London, Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc. announced its plans for the imminent start of the IN.PACT Global SFA clinical study, an international research program to evaluate the treatment of peripheral artery disease using the company's IN.PACT Admiral drug-eluting balloon.

From Medtronic 18 Apr 2012