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Ochsner Medical Center selected to participate as an FDA investigative site in the PARTNER clinical trial

On Tuesday, August 11, 2009, an 82-year old New Orleans resident with severe aortic stenosis successfully had a heart valve replaced at Ochsner Medical Center using the same technique as angioplasty, a far cry from the traditional open heart procedure. Patients who are considered high-risk or non-operable for conventional open heart valve surgery now have a potential new research option available regionally only through The John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute.

28 Aug 2009

New rule from CMS for improving stroke patient care in hospitals

A new rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS Final FY 2010 Rule) focuses on improving stroke patient care in hospitals. Beginning 2010, hospitals submitting Medicare claims for stroke must let CMS know if they participate in a database registry for stroke care, such as that maintained by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) quality improvement initiative.

28 Aug 2009

Thickening of neck arteries in healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness

Healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness appear to experience thickening of the neck arteries, which can be a precursor to stroke, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

27 Aug 2009

Blood thinner warfarin may have opposite effects in kidney disease patients on dialysis

The blood thinner warfarin can prevent strokes in most individuals with abnormal heart rhythms, but the drug may have the opposite effect in kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that warfarin should be prescribed with caution in patients with kidney failure.

27 Aug 2009

Study: Patients may face radioactive risk from imaging tests

"At least four million Americans under age 65 are exposed to high doses of radiation each year from medical imaging tests, according to a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine," The New York Times reports. And about ten percent of those patients "receive very high doses, more than the maximum annual exposure allowed for nuclear power plant employees or anyone else who works with radioactive material." The study was based on a survey of nearly one million patients insured by UnitedHealthcare.

27 Aug 2009

FBN features Prescient Medical's CEO

Prescient Medical Inc. announced that CEO Patricia Scheller, appeared on FOX Business Network (FBN) to discuss the company's groundbreaking products and recent achievement of CE Mark approval for their vProtect(TM) Luminal Shield Stent System.

27 Aug 2009

Adventist Medical Center receives the Community Value Index Five-Star hospital award

Adventist Medical Center (AMC) has received the Community Value Index (CVI) Five-Star hospital award for the third consecutive year. Developed by Cleverley and Associates, the national recognition signifies AMC’s dedication to meeting the healthcare needs of the community in a financially responsible, efficient and effective manner.

27 Aug 2009

Haber’s Electromolecular Propulsion technology offers high molecular separation speeds

Haber, Inc. (“Haber”), (OTC: HABE), a Delaware corporation headquartered in Arlington, Mass., with proprietary technologies in the separations sciences and environmentally friendly processing of gold bearing ores, announced today that it has formed a wholly owned subsidiary incorporated in Delaware called “EMP Diagnostics Inc.” (“EDI”). The business of the new company will focus on the application of Haber’s Electromolecular Propulsion technology (EMP). EMP is a separation technology that achieves unrivaled molecular separation speeds and has other unique capabilities not attainable with electrophoresis or liquid chromatography.

27 Aug 2009

Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure

A University of Leicester-led study may have uncovered the reason why Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure, when compared to other drugs for high blood pressure.

27 Aug 2009

Urgent requirement for O negative blood group in Memorial Blood Centers

The need for blood never takes a vacation. Every two seconds, someone in our community needs blood. From premature infants to an organ transplant recipient who will typically require 40 units of blood to survive. And right now, the need is urgent. We are currently facing a shortage of Type 0 negative, the universal blood type that can be given to save the life of anyone, from premature infants and children having heart surgery to an organ transplant recipient who will typically require 40 units of blood to survive. Type B negative blood also is urgently needed.

27 Aug 2009

Study reveals that asthma patients fare better by taking oral controllers than inhaled corticosteroids

Mayo Clinic Proceedings published a peer-reviewed comparative effectiveness study performed by HealthCore, Inc. in its August edition. The study demonstrated that asthma patients in general had better clinical outcomes with oral controllers than inhaled corticosteroids.

27 Aug 2009

Spacelabs Healthcare launches Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor in international markets

Spacelabs Healthcare today announced the launch of the Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor (USCOM) in several new geographies, including Latin America, Africa, Europe, Australia and Middle East. USCOM’s unique and totally non-invasive method of cardiac monitoring provides an accurate, safe and efficient way of measuring how well the heart is functioning.

27 Aug 2009

New genetic mechanism to control body's fat-building process identified

At a time of alarming increases in obesity and associated diseases -- and fiery debates about the cost of health care -- a UCF research team has identified a new genetic mechanism that controls the body's fat-building process.

27 Aug 2009

European Medicines Agency accepts reviewal of Merck's MAA for regulatory approval of vernakalant IV

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, announced today that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) accepted for review the Company’s Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for regulatory approval of vernakalant intravenous (IV).

27 Aug 2009

Kudzu vine root extracts may be developed as a dietary supplement for people with metabolic syndrome

Kudzu, the nuisance vine that has overgrown almost 10 million acres in the southeastern United States, may sprout into a dietary supplement.

27 Aug 2009

CardioMEMS raises $22.1M to fund clinical trial of its heart failure pressure measurement system

CardioMEMS, Inc., a medical technology company that has developed and is commercializing proprietary wireless sensing and communication technology for the human body, today announced the completion of a $22.1M financing. The financing provides the company with additional capital to fund the company's CHAMPION clinical trial.

27 Aug 2009

Polycystic ovary syndrome in women can be relieved by acupuncture and exercise

Polycystic ovary syndrome, a common condition among women, can be relieved by the use of acupuncture and exercise. This has been shown by a recent study at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

27 Aug 2009

Significant drop in prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis between 2000 and 2001

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health examined records of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from the national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system to determine the prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) in this population. The study found a downward trend in the number of RA patients who go on to develop RV, with a significant drop of 53% among inpatients and 31% among outpatients between 2000 and 2001.

27 Aug 2009

Floundering health care campaign translates to slipping polls

Public anxiety about spending and a proposed public health insurance plan, routine distractions like Henry Lewis Gates Jr.'s arrest, and delays in rebutting Republican's attacks are triggering speculation that President Obama may be loosing his groove when it comes to his famous message discipline, the Boston Globe reports.

27 Aug 2009

NPR reviews the heated debate over the creation of Medicare and Medicaid

NPR gives a historical perspective on current reform efforts with an interview about the debate during the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.

27 Aug 2009

Heart News and Research

Ochsner Medical Center selected to participate as an FDA investigative site in the PARTNER clinical trial

New rule from CMS for improving stroke patient care in hospitals

Thickening of neck arteries in healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness

Blood thinner warfarin may have opposite effects in kidney disease patients on dialysis

Study: Patients may face radioactive risk from imaging tests

FBN features Prescient Medical's CEO

Adventist Medical Center receives the Community Value Index Five-Star hospital award

Haber’s Electromolecular Propulsion technology offers high molecular separation speeds

Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure

Urgent requirement for O negative blood group in Memorial Blood Centers

Study reveals that asthma patients fare better by taking oral controllers than inhaled corticosteroids

Spacelabs Healthcare launches Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor in international markets

New genetic mechanism to control body's fat-building process identified

European Medicines Agency accepts reviewal of Merck's MAA for regulatory approval of vernakalant IV

Kudzu vine root extracts may be developed as a dietary supplement for people with metabolic syndrome

CardioMEMS raises $22.1M to fund clinical trial of its heart failure pressure measurement system

Polycystic ovary syndrome in women can be relieved by acupuncture and exercise

Significant drop in prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis between 2000 and 2001

Floundering health care campaign translates to slipping polls

NPR reviews the heated debate over the creation of Medicare and Medicaid

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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