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FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of expanded use of LAP-BAND gastric band

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee has recommended with an 8-2 vote that the FDA extend the currently approved use of the LAP-BAND® System, Allergan's gastric band, on the basis of a favorable benefit-risk profile for weight reduction in obese adults who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35 or a BMI ≥30 and at least one comorbid condition.

4 Dec 2010

Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy may cause learning disabilities in children: Research

Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy leads to a decrease in adult stem cells and a change in synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of the offspring, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego in November.

4 Dec 2010

Review shows need for standardized approach to outcome assessment in breast reconstruction

Improved standards for outcome reporting in breast reconstruction are needed, according to a review published online December 3rd in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

4 Dec 2010

Electronic cigarettes are potentially harmful, researchers say

Electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes), also called "electronic nicotine delivery systems," are increasingly used worldwide even though only sparse information is available on their health effects. In the United States, e-cigarettes are readily available in shopping malls in most states and on the Internet.

4 Dec 2010

Healthy lifestyle choices, emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes

Healthy lifestyle choices and emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes, according to revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.

3 Dec 2010

Dysfunction in blood vessels plays a role in Alzheimer's disease development

A dysfunction in the lining of blood vessels that is linked to cardiovascular illness also appears to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.

3 Dec 2010

Quitting smoking eases symptoms of depression

Quitting smoking is certainly healthy for the body, but doctors and scientists haven't been sure whether quitting makes people happier, especially since conventional wisdom says many smokers use cigarettes to ease anxiety and depression. In a new study, researchers tracked the symptoms of depression in people who were trying to quit and found that they were never happier than when they were being successful, for however long that was.

3 Dec 2010

Smoking reduces brain thickness

Many brain imaging studies have reported that tobacco smoking is associated with large-scale and wide-spread structural brain abnormalities.

3 Dec 2010

Weighty issues

A new study shows that the ideal body mass index or BMI is between 20 and 24.9. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in Kilograms by the square of height in meters. The study authors examined nearly 1.5 million adults and found that even being slightly overweight but not obese, are enough to raise the risk of an early death.

2 Dec 2010

Freedom to Breathe Act improves health without imposing economic burden on hospitality

New research released in the December 2010 supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) concludes that Minnesota's statewide smoke-free law has not adversely affected bar and restaurant employment. The research adds to the growing body of evidence on the Freedom to Breathe Act's success and offers the first analysis of independent data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

2 Dec 2010

Impairments to health and physical performance are due to unfavorable lifestyle habits and lack of exercise

Impairments to health and physical performance are not primarily a result of aging but of unfavorable lifestyle habits and lack of exercise. This is the position taken by Dieter Leyk and his coauthors in the new issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[46]: 809-16).

2 Dec 2010

Advent of HAART leads to decrease in mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS

During the decade since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), or 1996-2006, mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) sharply decreased in the United States. So, too, did the percentages of PLWHA deaths attributable to AIDS-defining illnesses, just as there was a marked increase in the percentage of deaths attributable to heart, kidney, and liver disease.

2 Dec 2010

Maintaining ideal BMI reduces mortality risk in healthy non-smoking adults: Study

A study looking at deaths from any cause found that a body mass index (BMI) between 20.0 and 24.9 is associated with the lowest risk of death in healthy non-smoking adults.

1 Dec 2010

British Journal: Obesity, alcohol consumption may increase cancer risk

People should be warned that cancer is linked to obesity and alcohol, rather than urged to eat more fruit and vegetables to protect against the disease.

1 Dec 2010

IDEA clinical study seeks to promote weight loss among young adults

Obesity It's a national epidemic and on the rise in young adults. Using technology to combat this problem, the University of Pittsburgh Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center will offer the IDEA (Innovative Approaches to Diet, Exercise, and Activity) study, one of seven clinical trials to be funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

1 Dec 2010

Research reveals tricyclic anti-depressants increase risk of CVD

Research that followed nearly 15,000 people in Scotland has shown that a class of older generation anti-depressant is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study showed that tricyclic anti-depressants were associated with a 35% increased risk of CVD, but that there was no increased risk with the newer anti-depressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

1 Dec 2010

Washington State Hospital Association makes public surgical infection rates

Today, the Washington State Hospital Association is releasing hospital-specific surgical infection rate data. This is the first time this information has been made public.

1 Dec 2010

Flawed health care system fuels low life expectancy rank for U.S., researchers say

The U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation but ranks 49th in life expectancy which has led researchers to conclude that the problem is the health care system.

1 Dec 2010

Canadians at increased risk for flu complications not aware of all the facts

It starts with a headache, chills or that all-over-achy feeling. It comes on quickly, yet too many Canadians ignore the rapid onset of flu symptoms. But for the millions of Canadians at increased risk for developing serious complications from the flu, including people 65 and older, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart disease and diabetes, this 'laissez faire' attitude could be putting their health in jeopardy.

30 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 30, 2010

Today's headlines include reports on congressional action on the Medicare doc 'pay fix' as well as results from a new poll related to how the public thinks Medicare should be addressed in the context of deficit reduction.

30 Nov 2010

Smoking News and Research

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of expanded use of LAP-BAND gastric band

Exposure to nicotine during pregnancy may cause learning disabilities in children: Research

Review shows need for standardized approach to outcome assessment in breast reconstruction

Electronic cigarettes are potentially harmful, researchers say

Healthy lifestyle choices, emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes

Dysfunction in blood vessels plays a role in Alzheimer's disease development

Quitting smoking eases symptoms of depression

Smoking reduces brain thickness

Weighty issues

Freedom to Breathe Act improves health without imposing economic burden on hospitality

Impairments to health and physical performance are due to unfavorable lifestyle habits and lack of exercise

Advent of HAART leads to decrease in mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS

Maintaining ideal BMI reduces mortality risk in healthy non-smoking adults: Study

British Journal: Obesity, alcohol consumption may increase cancer risk

IDEA clinical study seeks to promote weight loss among young adults

Research reveals tricyclic anti-depressants increase risk of CVD

Washington State Hospital Association makes public surgical infection rates

Flawed health care system fuels low life expectancy rank for U.S., researchers say

Canadians at increased risk for flu complications not aware of all the facts

First Edition: November 30, 2010

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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