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Hearing impairment risk high with diabetes

People with diabetes are at high risk for developing a hearing impairment, report researchers.

15 Nov 2012

Roundup: Disparity in states' fiscal health; Ark. Medicaid shortfall threatens care; Mich. Blue Cross pushes to become nonprofit

Factors such as growing unfunded pension liabilities and burgeoning fixed costs related to programs like Medicaid are weighing down weaker states, while stronger states are benefiting from improved business conditions and strong employment growth, he said. A closer look at some specific metrics shows this fiscal disparity.

15 Nov 2012

Pharmaceutical compounding problems spread under lax regulation

News outlets report that congressional oversight was lacking and the Boston Globe uncovers documents about the company that started the meningitis outbreak.

15 Nov 2012

Novel sensor systems to help older people live independently and safely in their homes

University of Adelaide computer scientists are leading a project to develop novel sensor systems to help older people keep living independently and safely in their own homes.

15 Nov 2012

LanPercept to focus on advanced techniques for studying language and perception

LanPercept, a new Marie Curie Initial Training Network funded through the 7th EU Framework Programme, will develop cutting edge techniques to understand vision-language mapping across the life-span in typically and atypically developing populations. New tools and training software will be tested to help disabled and elderly people negotiate the translation between vision and language.

15 Nov 2012

Researchers create new artificial human eye lens

Drawing heavily upon nature for inspiration, a team of researchers has created a new artificial lens that is nearly identical to the natural lens of the human eye. This innovative lens, which is made up of thousands of nanoscale polymer layers, may one day provide a more natural performance in implantable lenses to replace damaged or diseased human eye lenses, as well as consumer vision products; it also may lead to superior ground and aerial surveillance technology.

14 Nov 2012

Hearing impairment more prevalent among patients with diabetes

Patients with diabetes have a significantly higher prevalence of hearing impairment than patients without diabetes, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Study authors note that the finding is likely to be independent of the effect of aging or a noisy environment.

14 Nov 2012

Women with migraines do not appear to experience cognitive decline

Women with migraines did not appear to experience a decline in cognitive ability over time compared to those who didn't have them, according to a nine-year follow up study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

13 Nov 2012

Postural control the best predictor of stroke rehabilitation outcome

Having good postural control at admission to a skilled nursing facility after a stroke significantly increases elderly patients' chances of achieving a successful discharge to independent living and having good functional status at discharge, study results show.

12 Nov 2012

San Diego State University announces opening of new Integrated Regenerative Research Institute

The emerging field tissue regeneration, which harnesses the power and healing potential of stem cells, is an area that scientists around the world are turning their attention to. One of the foremost leaders in this area, Mark Sussman from San Diego State University, today announced the opening of SDSU's new Integrated Regenerative Research Institute (IRRI) to help advance this area of research in San Diego.

9 Nov 2012

International Day of Radiology marks 117th anniversary of X-ray discovery

International Day of Radiology — November 8, 2012 — marks the 117th anniversary of the discovery of the X-ray and the tremendous advances in patient care made possible by radiation therapy and medical imaging exams, such as MRI and CT scans. It is also a reminder that Congress needs to pass the Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act (H.R. 3269/ S. 2347) and halt drastic cuts in Medicare funding for imaging scans. This vital legislation would preserve ready access to lifesaving imaging care and may help reduce harm to seniors already resulting from cutbacks.

8 Nov 2012

Early clues regarding progression of Alzheimer's disease found in brain's metabolism

When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, scientists usually - and understandably - look to the brain as their first center of attention. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University say that early clues regarding the progression of the disease can be found in the brain's metabolism.

8 Nov 2012

Health law viewed as a big winner on election day

President Barack Obama's re-election is viewed as a "reprieve" for the health law but this development raises questions and issues about some of the implementation challenges that the overhaul will now face.

8 Nov 2012

Calcium intake does not increase risk of coronary artery calcification

Researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have published a study that shows no evidence of a link between calcium intake and coronary artery calcification, reassuring adults who take calcium supplements for bone health that the supplements do not appear to result in the development of calcification of blood vessels.

8 Nov 2012

Visible aging signs linked with increased risk of heart disease

In a new study, those who had three to four aging signs - receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the head's crown, earlobe crease, or yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid (xanthelasmata) - had a 57 percent increased risk for heart attack and a 39 percent increased risk for heart disease.

7 Nov 2012

Europeans spend much time with their grandchildren

Europeans spend much time with their grandchildren. And past 70, the grandfather takes the lead. Norwegian sociologist Knud Knudsen sets great store by his grandchildren. In that respect, he is typical of the grandparents in Europe who are the subjects of his recent research.

7 Nov 2012

State roundup: Ga. considers Medicaid managed care 'light' touch; AMA files Fla. 'docs and glocks' court brief

Kansas has updated its roster of disabled residents who have requested state-funded, in-home medical care and is now better equipped to provide that care more quickly and efficiently, officials in the governor's office said Monday. The waiting list was cut by more than a third, from 3,423 to 2,197 people, after a company hired by the state spent the last few months trying to reach out to those on the lists, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer and Aging and Disability Services Secretary Shawn Sullivan said.

7 Nov 2012

Low vitamin D levels mediate racial disparities in pain

A new study reveals that black Americans display lower levels of vitamin D and greater pain sensitivity compared to white Americans. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be one of many factors that account for increased pain in older black Americans with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

7 Nov 2012

Paragonix files PMNA with FDA for Sherpa Pak Cardiac Transport System

Paragonix Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has successfully completed filing of a Pre-Marketing Notification Application (510(k)) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Paragonix Sherpa Pak Cardiac Transport System (CTS).

6 Nov 2012

ECG analysis may predict risk of death from all causes

Research by Johns Hopkins cardiologists suggests that electrocardiograms (ECGs), which are widely used tests to assess the heart’s electrical activity, may have a greater and more profound future role in predicting the risk of death from any cause, not just heart problems.

6 Nov 2012