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Researchers receive grant to improve treatment for patients with COPD

Research into improving treatment for patients with one of the UK's most common respiratory diseases has received a -810,000 funding boost.

28 Jul 2014

Surgical patient safety program significantly reduces cardiac surgical site infections

A common postoperative complication after open heart operations-infection at the surgical site-has been reduced by 77 percent at a Canadian hospital through its participation in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP-), according to a new case study presented at the 2014 ACS NSQIP National Conference.

27 Jul 2014

New York City moves forward to implement law banning tobacco discounting schemes

Tobacco companies have abandoned their legal challenge to New York City's innovative new law prohibiting tobacco discounting schemes, as they chose not to appeal a federal court ruling that upheld the law. The deadline for the tobacco companies to appeal was July 18.

26 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Ryan's 'thoughtful blueprint' to end poverty; GOP challenges after health law ruling

The Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee today released a thoughtful blueprint for overhauling $800 billion worth of U.S. anti-poverty programs.

26 Jul 2014

Montefiore-Einstein investigators to present new findings from eight abstracts at IFHNOS 2014

Clinicians and researchers from Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University will present new findings from eight abstracts at the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies World Congress being held July 26 - July 30 in New York.

26 Jul 2014

RI Defeats Hepatitis C project aims to eliminate HCV in Rhode Island

Lynn E. Taylor, M.D., director of The Miriam Hospital's HIV/Viral Hepatitis Coinfection program, states in the July, 2014 Rhode Island Medical Journal special edition, "RI Defeats Hep C" that eliminating hepatitis c virus infection (hep c or HCV) is feasible, can provide economic benefits, enhance capacity to address other health challenges, and improve health care disparities.

26 Jul 2014

Study: Slow walking, memory complaints may predict future dementia

A study involving nearly 27,000 older adults on five continents found that nearly 1 in 10 met criteria for pre-dementia based on a simple test that measures how fast people walk and whether they have cognitive complaints.

26 Jul 2014

Experts at ABTA conference reveal possible causes, risk factors for brain tumors

Today, nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. are living with a brain tumor, and yet, when it comes to pinpointing causes or risk factors, scientists are still searching for answers.

25 Jul 2014

Direct medical costs projected to increase to $49 billion annually by 2020

The American College of Chest Physicians announced today the Online First publication of 'Total and State-Specific Medical and Absenteeism Costs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years in the United States for 2010 and Projections Through 2020' in the journal CHEST.

25 Jul 2014

Statins reduce patient's risk of developing Barrett's esophagus

Statins, a class of drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol levels, significantly reduce a patient's risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

24 Jul 2014

Combined risk score enhances radiation pneumonitis prediction

Combining dose-volume histogram parameters with age and baseline pulmonary fibrosis score creates a novel predictive risk score that improves prediction of radiation pneumonitis in patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer, research shows.

23 Jul 2014

Collaboration classification useful for Japanese lung cancer patients

Epidermal growth factor receptor status and prognosis in Japanese patients can be predicted by a recently developed lung adenocarcinoma classification system, say researchers.

23 Jul 2014

More genetic suspects for schizophrenia brought to light

A meta-analysis from the Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium has revealed a large number of previously unreported genetic loci that may have a role in schizophrenia.

23 Jul 2014

Highlights: Florida officials crack down on direct Medicaid marketing; a wellness plan in Washington state breaks the mold

[Florida] health officials are taking a cue from past problems and are banning health insurance companies from marketing their plans directly to Medicaid consumers as the state is rolling out a massive overhaul by transitioning millions into managed care. Insurance companies are allowed to market to consumers under the contracts, but only if the state gives prior approval (Kennedy, 7/22).

23 Jul 2014

Activity level predicts how well patients recover from injuries after treatment

According to a literature review in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, patients' activity level is a strong predictor for how well they will do with certain treatments and how well they recover from injuries after treatment. Patients are encouraged to ask their orthopaedic surgeon if activity level is an important factor in their treatment decision.

23 Jul 2014

Long-acting inhaled combination therapy best for COPD

The combination of a long-acting β22-agonist and an inhaled corticosteroid may be the best choice for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who need more than short-acting bronchodilators, suggest the results of a Cochrane Collaboration network meta-analysis.

22 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 22, 2014

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Susan Jaffe writes: "Medicare officials have allowed patients at dozens of hospitals participating in pilot projects across the country to be exempted from the controversial requirement that limits nursing home coverage to seniors admitted to a hospital for at least three days.

22 Jul 2014

ROS1 fusion genes found in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma

ROS1 fusion genes were successfully detected independent of gender or smoking history in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma, a histological subgroup in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) diagnostic tests.

22 Jul 2014

BP variability may be ‘CV risk integrator’

Increased variability in blood pressure may be an indicator of overall cardiovascular risk rather than being a risk factor per se, suggest researchers.

21 Jul 2014