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Six new gene variations linked to increased BMI

A genetic study of more than 90,000 people has identified six new genetic variants that are associated with increased Body Mass Index (BMI), the most commonly used measure of obesity.

14 Dec 2008

Calls for a change in alcohol culture and promotion

According to a new report from the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, 90% of 12 to 17-year-olds in the state have used alcohol; the report also reveals that the level of risky drinking by adults has decreased from 50% to 30% in men and 37 to 27% in women.

14 Dec 2008

New Georgia initiative to improve rural hospitals

Seven rural Georgia hospitals will participate in a new initiative designed to help increase their capacity to serve patients, improve the quality of their services and reduce costs.

12 Dec 2008

New implantable hemodynamic monitor may help manage diastolic heart failure

An implantable hemodynamic monitor (IHM) may help to guide medical treatment in a large subgroup of patients with heart failure - those with diastolic heart failure (DHF), reports a study in the December Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.

12 Dec 2008

Comparable data on maternal and infant in Europe available for the first time

Promoting healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth is a goal of all European health care systems.

12 Dec 2008

Implantable hemodynamic monitor may help manage diastolic heart failure

An implantable hemodynamic monitor (IHM) may help to guide medical treatment in a large subgroup of patients with heart failure-those with diastolic heart failure (DHF), reports a study in the December Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.

11 Dec 2008

Surge in older cancer survivors expected as baby boomers age

The United States could be faced with a national health care crisis in the coming decades as the country's baby boomer population ages and a growing number of older adults find themselves diagnosed with and living longer with cancer.

10 Dec 2008

Panel blasts Bush administration's nanotech risk strategy

A National Research Council (NRC) committee has issued a highly critical report describing serious shortfalls in the Bush administration's strategy to better understand the environment, health and safety (EHS) risks of nanotechnology and to effectively manage those potential risks.

10 Dec 2008

Nearly all U.S. hospitals have adverse event reporting systems

More than ninety-four percent of U.S. hospitals have centralized systems for collecting reports of adverse events, but only 21 percent fully distribute and consider adverse event summary reports, according to a study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

10 Dec 2008

12 percent of U.S. children use alternative medicine

Approximately 38 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 years and over and nearly 12 percent of U.S. children aged 17 years and under use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a new nationwide government survey.

10 Dec 2008

Electronic prescribing can boost drug cost savings

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems that allow doctors to select lower cost or generic medications can save $845,000 per 100,000 patients per year and possibly more system-wide, according to findings from a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

10 Dec 2008

Death rates in hospital highest for infants, and children without insurance

The vast majority of children who die while hospitalized are newborns, according to a new nationwide study.

10 Dec 2008

Reforms needed in adolescent health care

Current health services for adolescents are fragmented and poorly designed to meet the health needs of all of the nation's adolescents, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

10 Dec 2008

New mobile health van will tackle ear problems amongst children in remote Indigenous communities

An innovative new medical program in Queensland will use the latest technology to help treat children living in remote Indigenous communities.

9 Dec 2008

Study identifies characteristics of hospitals with low rates of surgical site infections

New research published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) suggests that surgical procedures that are shorter in duration and the use of fewer blood transfusions characterize hospitals that have a lower incidence of surgical site infections (SSI).

8 Dec 2008

Mammography screening in women over 80

A lack of clear-cut, scientific evidence illustrating the benefits of mammography screening in women over 80 has created a trail of controversy leading to a disturbing conclusion about cancer care in America.

8 Dec 2008

Low-income settings require local guideline development for childhood illness

The next generation of case management guidelines for childhood illness need to be more locally informed, rather than relying on those centrally generated by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), argues a new essay published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine.

8 Dec 2008