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Rising vaccine costs put kids at risk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is alarmed that the soaring costs of vaccines combined with lower reimbursements from insurance companies will lead to the under- immunization of the nation's children and unnecessary outbreaks of preventable diseases.

11 Apr 2007

Full impact of mental health and substance abuse disorders on U.S. community hospitals

Almost one-fourth of all stays in U.S. community hospitals for patients age 18 and older – 7.6 million of nearly 32 million stays – involved depressive, bipolar, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders or substance use related disorders in 2004, according to a new report by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

11 Apr 2007

Rep. Dave Weldon comments on stem therapy and type I diabetes

In yet another advance in adult stem cell therapy, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today released a study in which 14 of 15 Juvenile Diabetes patients demonstrated significant improvement as a result of an adult stem cell treatment.

11 Apr 2007

Fostering the advancement of women and minority physicians in academic medicine

Although men and women attend medical school in equal numbers, for most women who go on to academic medicine, that's where the numbers stop adding up.

11 Apr 2007

Aspirin under used for heart attack prevention

Although taking an aspirin regularly can lower the risk of heart disease, a new study finds that too few adults are using the common pain reliever for prevention.

11 Apr 2007

AIDS Healthcare Foundation commends the passing of HIV testing bill

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the US' largest provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, prevention and education, and operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California which conducts more than 15,000 HIV tests annually, today lauded the California Assembly Health Committee for its unanimous vote (12/0) in favor of Assembly Bill 682, California's Routine HIV Screening Bill, which will now move on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

11 Apr 2007

Abbott opens biotech facility in Puerto Rico

"This new facility is a key milestone for Abbott as we move to focus our resources and future growth on biologic and potent-drug manufacturing," said Lawrence Kraus, vice president of manufacturing, global pharmaceutical operations, Abbott.

11 Apr 2007

Canada tackles growing obesity epidemic

The first-ever Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management and Prevention of Obesity in Adults and Children, published April 10, 2007 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), recommend that waist circumference be measured in all Canadian adults, and that a national surveillance system be developed that incorporates this measurement along with height and weight.

10 Apr 2007

Waist measurement a better guide to obesity

New research by Canadian scientists suggests that doctors should add a tape measure to their key diagnostic tool kit.

10 Apr 2007

More aggressive breast cancer in Hispanics independent of healthcare utilization

A new study provides evidence that racial differences in the clinical presentation of breast cancer may be due more to biological factors rather than differences in access to healthcare alone.

9 Apr 2007

Newborn screening programmes for cystic fibrosis should be adopted internationally

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis saves on treatment costs and would offset the actual costs of the screening programme.

8 Apr 2007

Conceptualizing and defining public health emergency preparedness

A panel of experts convened by the RAND Corporation has recommended actions that communities around the United States should take to be better prepared to deal with bioterrorist attacks, pandemic flu outbreak and other large-scale public health emergencies.

7 Apr 2007

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators offer lifesaving benefits, return to active life, and reduced cost

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine have discovered that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) -- electric monitoring devices that deliver a lifesaving shock in the event of a cardiac arrest -- help patients with heart problems live longer more active lives.

7 Apr 2007

Chlamydia screening questioned

The value of opportunistic chlamydia screening is called into question in the British Medical Journal.

7 Apr 2007

Healthy heart behaviors delay onset of heart disease

Most Americans engage in behaviors that can help prevent or delay the onset of heart disease, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Apr 2007

Beneficial effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children re-emphasized

Routine infant immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has caused a 39 percent fall in all-cause pneumonia hospital admission rates for American children under 2, according to an article published in this week's edition of The Lancet .

7 Apr 2007

Serious side effects from large amounts of niacin

Taking excessive doses of a common vitamin in an attempt to defeat drug screening tests may send the user to the hospital -- or worse.

5 Apr 2007

Rural hospitals shown to provide quality care for patients with heart attacks

Contrary to some previous studies, rural hospitals in Iowa do provide quality care for patients with heart attacks and do not have higher death rates when compared to urban hospitals, report University of Iowa researchers.

5 Apr 2007

Hypnotism as a potential component of care

Hypnotism has expanded its realm from magic shows to health care.

5 Apr 2007

Weight-lifting exercises during dialysis improves muscle mass, strength, quality of life

Performing high-intensity weight-lifting exercise during dialysis sessions brings meaningful improvements in muscle mass, strength, quality of life, and other important health outcomes in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), reports a study in the May Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

5 Apr 2007