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Wellness provisions advance in reform legislation

Employers could incentivize wellness if provisions passed by the Senate finance and health committees become law. The Washington Post reports: "By more than doubling the maximum penalties that companies can apply to employees who flunk medical evaluations, the legislation could put workers under intense financial pressure to lose weight, stop smoking or even lower their cholesterol."

19 Oct 2009

Elected officials have no excuse for failing to enact comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws: IOM

A landmark report released today by the Institute of Medicine provides powerful new evidence that elected officials have no excuse for failing to enact comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws. The IOM report concludes smoke-free laws reduce the number of heart attacks and save lives. The report also confirms that there is conclusive scientific evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, including heart attacks, and finds there is compelling evidence that even relatively brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to a heart attack.

19 Oct 2009

Counseling program to promote education and lifestyle change in lupus patients

According to a new study by Hospital for Special Surgery investigators presented at the American College of Rheumatology meeting on October 21 in Philadelphia, most lupus patients are not aware that their condition puts them at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and a counseling program is a valuable way to promote education and lifestyle change.

19 Oct 2009

Asthma is the most common underlying condition associated with H1N1 Swine Flu: CDC Report

Cannabis Science Inc., an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, notes a report by epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that, among people hospitalized with severe cases of the pandemic strain of H1N1 Swine Flu, asthma is by far the most common underlying condition associated with he disease.

19 Oct 2009

BJUI: Testicular cancer survivors face an increased risk of long-term illness due to effective treatment

Testicular cancer survivors can face an increased risk of long-term illness, not because of the malignancy, but the highly effective treatment they receive, according to a study in the urology journal BJUI.

19 Oct 2009

Breathe Right "Extra" to help consumers sleep better at night

While many of us will never know the feeling of playing in a professional football game, we all should know the feeling of getting a good night's sleep. However, many adults suffer from night-time congestion, a good night's sleep can be as elusive as a speedy running back - until now.

15 Oct 2009

Five research teams receive $2.4 million to help breast cancer survivors

A total of $2.4 million has been awarded to five research teams in the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance/Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Special Research Competition on Psychosocial Aspects of Breast Cancer.

15 Oct 2009

NY Senators co-sponsors bill to establish comprehensive program for lung cancer

Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) hailed the support of Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) who have signed on as co-sponsors of a bill to establish the first ever multi-agency, comprehensive program targeted at lung cancer.

14 Oct 2009

Swedish Risk Drinking Project surveys physicians and nurses of Sweden

The proportion of health care personnel reporting that they always or often queried their patients regarding alcohol use has increased significantly. This is particularly notable with nurses, where the proportion has doubled to 60 per cent, and midwives, where 92 per cent estimate their capacity to identify risk consumption as good or very good.

14 Oct 2009

Positive results from BioMimetic Therapeutics' Phase III trial comparing Augment Bone Graft to autograft

BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. today announced positive top-line results from its North American pivotal (Phase III) randomized controlled trial comparing its fully synthetic, off-the-shelf bone growth factor product, Augment Bone Graft (“Augment”), to autograft for use in hindfoot and ankle fusion surgery.

14 Oct 2009

University of Nottingham pioneers new type of MRI scan

People with chronic lung disease and asthma could soon be offered better treatment thanks to a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan being pioneered at The University of Nottingham.

13 Oct 2009

ECA commends Governor Schwarzenegger's stance on alternative smoking devices

Matt Salmon, president of the Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA), today praised California Governor Schwarzenegger’s wise decision to veto Senate Bill 400, which would have banned electronic cigarette sales in the state, protecting adult consumers’ access to these alternative smoking devices.

13 Oct 2009

Report on health plan performance related to tobacco cessation strategies

Tobacco cessation is one of the most cost-effective activities an employer can implement to improve the health and productivity of their employees while reducing health care costs.

13 Oct 2009

Phone-based counseling can help teen smokers to quit

For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have demonstrated that it is possible to successfully recruit and retain a large number of adolescent smokers from the general population into a smoking intervention study and, through personalized, proactive telephone counseling, significantly impact rates of six-month continuous quitting.

13 Oct 2009

President Obama to sign a healthcare reform package, according to members of Congress

At a healthcare forum hosted by Politics magazine, current and former members of Congress said they believed President Obama would sign some sort of a healthcare reform package, most likely later this year. "There would be too much political damage done if something doesn't pass, so Congress will find a way," said Congressman Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX).

13 Oct 2009

Rice consumption improves overall diet and reduces obesity and Type II diabetes

According to recent research published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA), eating rice helps improve overall diet and potentially reduces the risk for many chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes.

12 Oct 2009

Wake Forest University School of Medicine honours researchers

Wake Forest University School of Medicine honored eight of its researchers with awards for excellence at the 13th Annual Research Awards Day Oct. 1.

12 Oct 2009

COPD Management Program for South Region TRICARE beneficiaries

Humana Military Healthcare Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Humana Inc., announced today an additional benefit available for South Region TRICARE beneficiaries. The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Management Program offers telephonic education and coaching by dedicated registered nurses.

12 Oct 2009

ECA President denounces falsely attributed misleading claims about e-cigarettes

Matt Salmon, President of the Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA), today denounced a quotation attributed to him by Epiphany Media Group in a press release dated September 14, 2009. The falsely attributed quotation conveys the mistaken impression that some e-cigarette products have been approved by the FDA for consumer use. Salmon underscored the ECA’s commitment to abide by FDA regulations.

12 Oct 2009

Anti-smoking campaigner Konrad Jamrozik receives the Nigel Gray Award for Achievement in Tobacco Control

An international award has today been given to the University of Adelaide's Professor Konrad Jamrozik, who has spent the past 30 years campaigning against smoking and helping smokers to kick the habit.

9 Oct 2009