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First Edition: March 23, 2012

Today's health policy headlines are full of previews of next week's health law action at the Supreme Court.

23 Mar 2012

No added benefit of aliskiren-amlodipine fixed drug combination for hypertension

The fixed drug combination of aliskiren and amlodipine (trade name: Rasilamlo-) was approved in April 2011 for the treatment of people with hypertension in whom aliskiren or amlodipine alone has an insufficient effect.

23 Mar 2012

Quest Diagnostics unveils redesigned corporate website

Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, has unveiled its redesigned corporate website at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

From Quest Diagnostics 23 Mar 2012

Nearly three in five Kentuckians believe pain is just a part of life

New research released today finds that pain affects the majority of Kentuckians, yet most underestimate its severity and the need for effective treatment. The survey by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) uncovered that nearly three in five Kentuckians believe pain is just a part of life and two in five don't believe it can be eased with proper treatment.

23 Mar 2012

USAID Administrator Shah addresses agency's FY13 budget proposal at House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing

Speaking Tuesday at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said USAID's FY 2013 budget proposal "is slightly lower than last year," but that "future U.S. foreign aid investments will be more 'prioritized, focused and concentrated,'" and he "promised that U.S. aid will still be able to meet global development challenges," VOA's "Breaking News" blog reports.

23 Mar 2012

$Large geographic variation in risk of hip fracture$

Large geographic variation in risk of hip fracture

An extensive study of country-specific risk of hip fracture and 10-year probability of a major fragility fracture has revealed a remarkably large geographic variation in fracture risk. Even accounting for possible errors or limitations in the source data, there was an astonishing 10-fold variation in hip fracture risk and fracture probability between countries.

22 Mar 2012

Link between autism risk gene and changes in brain structure and connectivity

Healthy individuals who carry a gene variation linked to an increased risk of autism have structural differences in their brains that may help explain how the gene affects brain function and increases vulnerability for autism.

22 Mar 2012

USAID World TB Day website

USAID's website features a page dedicated to World TB Day, which will be commemorated on March 24. The page lists information on upcoming events, as well as links to several reports, such as the FY2010 Report to Congress on the Global TB Context, stories, and features.

21 Mar 2012

State lawmakers consider abortion, contraception legislation; Other states deal with fallout

A bill in Arizona would allow employers to deny contraception coverage on religious grounds and a Tenn. bill would require the state publish the names of doctors who perform abortions.

21 Mar 2012

IQMS releases new version of ERP software, EnterpriseIQ

IQMS, a manufacturing ERP software developer with an ongoing, proactive commitment to its product and relationships, today announced the release of a new version of its manufacturing ERP software, EnterpriseIQ. Featuring more than 1,000 enhancements and reports across all aspects of the system, IQMS' newest release again demonstrates its commitment to the product and its clients.

21 Mar 2012

Study identifies function of GlialCAM gene in brain edema

A study of the pathophysiology of this rare disease has uncovered one mechanism that destabilizes the homeostatic balance of brain cells causing edema.

20 Mar 2012

CSIS report examines HIV prevention, care among people who inject drugs in Ukraine

A new report, titled "Injection Drug Use in Ukraine" and published by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), examines the challenges of providing HIV prevention and care services in the country, particularly to people who inject drugs (PWID), who accounted for "nearly 50 percent of new HIV infections registered in 2010," according to the CSIS website.

20 Mar 2012

U-M teams up with India's top academic medical programs for trauma care research

The University of Michigan Health System is teaming up with one of India's top academic medical programs to collaborate on trauma care research and to foster exchanges of medical personnel and ideas.

20 Mar 2012

Groundbreaking cystic fibrosis clinical trial to proceed after renewed funding

The team of scientists based in Edinburgh, Oxford and London were developing a treatment which involves putting genes into the lungs of patients suffering the fatal, inherited wasting disease, passed early clinical trials in 2010. But the recession badly affected the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the charity that had funded the programme, and work had to stop last year just as the consortium was closing in on its goal.

19 Mar 2012

New medical education portal - Lipoprotein Perspectives - launched

LipoScience, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company advancing patient care by developing high value proprietary clinical tests using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, announced the launch of Lipoprotein Perspectives - a medical education portal featuring experts in clinical and preventive cardiology, endocrinology, and lipidology - at www.lipoprotein.org.

19 Mar 2012

Study reveals how Bdnf gene mutation contributes to severe obesity

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have revealed how a mutation in a single gene is responsible for the inability of neurons to effectively pass along appetite suppressing signals from the body to the right place in the brain. What results is obesity caused by a voracious appetite.

19 Mar 2012

WHO releases global report on Mortality Attributable to Tobacco

A global report published by the WHO, titled "Mortality Attributable to Tobacco," "provides information by country on the proportion of adult (age 30 years and above) deaths attributable to tobacco by major communicable and non-communicable causes by age and sex," the agency's website states.

17 Mar 2012

The Medical Letter introduces mobile apps for iPad, Android

The Medical Letter – recognized since 1959 as the most trusted source of unbiased prescription drug information and drug facts - announces the launch of its mobile apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android.

17 Mar 2012

Solos to introduce new endoscopic instrument line, SteriTAP

Solos Endoscopy, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Company will be launching a new endoscopic instrument line, SteriTAP.

17 Mar 2012

Echo total revenues increase to $447,000 for fiscal year 2011

Echo Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing its needle-free Symphony tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring system and its Prelude SkinPrep System for transdermal drug delivery, today announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2011.

17 Mar 2012