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Survey finds women mistreat yeast infections

Few women go through life having never suffered from the uncomfortable symptoms of a yeast infection. In fact, nearly 3 in 4 (72 percent) women will experience their first yeast infection before age 25. Furthermore, the incidence of yeast infections is highest among young women ages 18-24, who are new to the category and uncertain about symptoms and available treatment options.

10 Sep 2010

Method to predict risk of major coronary event may underestimate risk for millions of Americans: Study

A method that is widely used to predict the risk of a major coronary event may over- or underestimate risk for millions of Americans, according to a study directed by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

10 Sep 2010

Today's OpEds: Medicare's long-term liabilities; Reforming and funding native health care; Frustrations surrounding stem cell research

Under ObamaCare it will get much worse. Hospitals also will shut down or stop serving Medicare patients. … Everyone should know by now that Medicare suffers dramatic long-term deficits and unfunded liabilities, and is in need of fundamental, structural reforms. But effectively refusing to pay the doctors and hospitals that provide the medical care the program promises to seniors is no way to solve that problem (Peter Ferrara and Larry Hunter, 9/9).

10 Sep 2010

Ohio doctor starts new clinic with lower charges but doesn't accept insurance

Dr. James Brockman has taken on a new business model with his medical practice to maintain less overhead and avoid hassles with insurance companies and people who won't pay their bills. No insurance is accepted at his Affordable Health Care Center, which opened in April and offers visits starting at $45 and capped at $100 for more complicated cases.

10 Sep 2010

Democrats, Republicans take health reform, midterm battle to the airwaves

The group "Revere America" is running a multi-million dollar television ad campaign aimed at defeating Democrats who voted for the health overhaul. The ad campaign was announced by former Gov. George E. Pataki of New York, a Republican who is now serving as chairman of Revere America.

10 Sep 2010

VAP Cholesterol Test can evaluate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS, is a silent and often mysterious disease that plays havoc with a woman's body and increases the risk of serious illness. There is no single test for diagnosing the illness, but a detailed cholesterol profile called the VAP Cholesterol Test, along with diet, exercise and the right medication, is changing how doctors approach PCOS and is dramatically altering patients' lives for the better.

10 Sep 2010

56% of Australians won’t vaccinate against Swine flu: Survey

Over fifty per cent of Australians were not vaccinated against the swine flu before winter arrived this year, with many of these people deliberately choosing not to be vaccinated.

9 Sep 2010

Microvisk secures £2.5 million to develop world’s first medical diagnostic SmartStrip®

Microvisk Technologies, the developer of a handheld system to monitor the blood clotting status of patients taking the drug Warfarin, has raised £2.5 million through a rights issue to existing investors. The round was significantly oversubscribed and completed within four weeks.

9 Sep 2010

BioMedTracker launches Thought Leader Opinions service for drug information

BioMedTracker, a product of Sagient Research Systems, the leading provider of competitive intelligence and investment analytics on the biotech/pharmaceutical sector, today announced the recent launch of its new service, Thought Leader Opinions (TLO). This service provides its subscribers with direct access to the latest expert opinions in the disease areas that they follow within the intuitive BioMedTracker drug information platform.

9 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 9, 2010

Today's headlines highlight a government study that finds the new health law won't fuel significant increases in spending.

9 Sep 2010

Health reforms alone not sufficient to reduce healthcare inequality gap

A new study looking at the effects of the 2006 Massachusetts Health Reform on access to care, health status and ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare, shows that the legislation has led to improvements in insurance coverage as well as a decline in financial barriers to care. However, to date, it has not increased people's access to a personal physician or improved their self-rated health. Neither has it reduced healthcare inequalities between ethnic or income groups.

9 Sep 2010

SDI's VaccineTrack data reports on season's flu vaccination

More than 690,000 Americans have already received this season's flu vaccine from their doctor, according to SDI's VaccineTrack data through Sept. 4. VaccineTrack provides syndicated weekly vaccine usage by physicians based on medical office electronic healthcare reimbursement claims data.

9 Sep 2010

Focusing on most disadvantaged children more cost-effective than current strategies, UNICEF reports say

UNICEF on Tuesday said that by "comparing the effectiveness of different strategies for aid delivery, targeting the poorest and neediest children could save more lives per $1 million spent than the current path," Reuters reports (Charbonneau, 9/7).

9 Sep 2010

US Oncology selects PatientPoint's self-service solutions to enhance patient experience

PatientPoint, a provider of multi-channel self-service applications for the healthcare industry, today announced that US Oncology, the leading integrated oncology company supporting more than 1,300 affiliated physicians in 500 locations throughout 39 states, has selected PatientPoint solutions to provide self-service technologies to enhance the patient experience.

9 Sep 2010

Defensive medicine costs much less than 'imagined' by malpractice reformists

The combined cost of malpractice -- and doctors' efforts to avoid it by practicing so-called defensive medicine -- costs about $55.6 billion a year, or 2.4 percent of total health spending, according to a new analysis by "Harvard University's Atul Gawande and co-authors, Bloomberg reports. "The yearly price of so-called defensive medicine -- tests, visits and procedures performed to reduce litigation risk -- is about $45.6 billion, the authors said today in the journal Health Affairs, in a report using 2008 dollars."

9 Sep 2010

Overweight and obesity contribute to increase in womb cancer cases

The number of women diagnosed with womb cancer is at its highest for over 30 years according to new figures published today by Cancer Research UK which show more than 7,530 people now develop the disease each year in the UK.

9 Sep 2010

Study finds long-term use of bone-strengthening drugs increase risk of oesophageal cancer

People who take bone-strengthening pills called bisphosphonates over a long period of time could be more likely to develop cancer of the oesophagus (gullet), new research suggests.

9 Sep 2010

Indiana State Legislators holds hearing to improve methamphetamine production

Today, the Indiana State Legislature's Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee is holding a hearing on how the state can improve its policies for preventing the illegal diversion of pseudoephedrine (PSE) a key ingredient in leading cold and allergy medicines for methamphetamine production.

9 Sep 2010

Conservative group forecasts Medicare doctor access problem

Writing for Kaiser Health News, Marilyn Werber Serafini reports in a KHN short take: "Getting a doctor's appointment may become increasingly difficult for seniors and the disabled over the next decade unless Congress changes the new health law, according to a report that the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis plans to release today.

9 Sep 2010