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BRCA gene mutations influence a women's views of preventive mastectomy

Women whose cells harbor harmful mutations in the BRCA genes are likely to view preventive mastectomy as the best way to reduce their risk and fears of developing breast cancer, despite other, less drastic options available.

10 Mar 2009

Metabolic and neurological disorders may share common risk factors

Metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes appear to share risk factors with and may influence the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, according to several reports published in the March issue of Archives of Neurology.

10 Mar 2009

Insomnia often a persistent condition

About three-fourths of individuals with insomnia report experiencing the condition for at least one year and almost half experience it for three years, according to a report in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Mar 2009

Health insurance status associated with frequency of eye care visits

Individuals with no or inconsistent health care coverage appear less likely to regularly seek eye care, even if they are visually impaired, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

10 Mar 2009

Relationship between depressive symptoms and cardiac events

New data published in the March 17, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest that relatively healthy women with severe depression are at increased risk of cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death (SCD) and fatal coronary heart disease (CHD).

10 Mar 2009

Extra medicare charges for the rich a slippery slope, expert says

A growing trend toward higher Medicare premiums for the richest Americans could ultimately creep into the retirement income of less-wealthy seniors, a University of Illinois expert on federal health insurance warns.

10 Mar 2009

CytoDyn responds to FDA as high court rules agency cannot guarantee drug safety

CytoDyn, Inc. has sent the FDA what the Company believes is a complete response to the agency's preliminary comments on Cytolin, a monoclonal antibody designed to restore immune function in those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

10 Mar 2009

Hopkins community nursing showcases public health principles

Public Health Week, April 7-13, annually highlights health promotion, disease prevention, and early intervention, but for the faculty and students at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON), every week is public health week.

8 Mar 2009

New clinical support tool gives doctors the complete picture

During the course of a hospitalization, patients are seen by a variety of specialists in addition to the physician who has primary responsibility for their care.

8 Mar 2009

Electronic medical records improve operating room scheduling

In the current economic climate, using electronic medical records to lower health care costs is receiving a great deal of attention.

8 Mar 2009

Saving heart attack patients in the middle of the night

When Joyce Moss recently arrived at Loyola University Hospital with a life-threatening heart attack, it took just 42 minutes to perform an emergency balloon angioplasty.

5 Mar 2009

Racial disparities in ER length of stay point to added risks for minority patients

Sick or injured African-American patients wait about an hour longer than patients of other races before being transferred to an inpatient hospital bed following emergency room visits, according to a new national study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine.

5 Mar 2009

Seattle report ranks local hospitals on access to care for minorities, low-income individuals

Four advocacy groups in Seattle on Tuesday issued a report that highlighted disparities in access to care for minorities at several local hospitals, the Seattle Times reports.

5 Mar 2009

Wilmington News Journal examines bilingual hospital staff serving as interpreters

With a growing population of non-English-speaking patients, many hospitals are training their bilingual staff members to be "effective communicators on health issues," the Wilmington News Journal reports.

5 Mar 2009

Tanzania to introduce ACTs to prevent drug-resistant malaria

Tanzania's government plans to introduce artemisinin-based combination malaria treatments to prevent the development of drug resistance, the Guardian/IPP Media reports.

5 Mar 2009

Botswana to implement pilot HIV/TB program, redesign malaria program

Botswana's Health Minister Lesego Motsumi on Monday presented a pilot program to address HIV/tuberculosis coinfection and support health workers who are treating patients with HIV/TB coinfection, Mmegi reports.

5 Mar 2009

New York paid $28 million in Medicaid payments for 20,000 people receiving benefits in other states, audit finds

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Tuesday said that from 2004 to 2008 the state Health Department made about $28 million in Medicaid payments to about 20,000 people who also were enrolled in Medicaid programs in other states, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports.

5 Mar 2009

More companies offering 'telehealth' consultations

Various "telehealth" services -- allowing consumers access to health care via telephone, Internet or other telecommunications devices -- have cropped up in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Mar 2009

Employers plan to reduce contributions to employees' premiums in 2010, survey says

Two out of every three U.S. employers are examining ways to reduce the amount they contribute to employees' health care expenses in 2010, according to a study by Hewitt Associates, the Chicago Tribune reports. In addition, Hewitt said 4% of U.S. employers are planning "to discontinue providing health care benefits altogether."

5 Mar 2009

Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

One-third of U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years, according to a report released on Wednesday by Families USA, Reuters reports. The report examined data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Mar 2009