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Experts discuss SCHIP

The U.S. House voted Tuesday to extend and expand the 10-year-old State Children's Health Insurance Program, called SCHIP. The Senate was expected to follow suit this week.

1 Oct 2007

About half of California adults diagnosed with high blood pressure take blood pressure-lowering drugs

About half of California adults diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, do not take medication to lower it, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association's 61st Annual Fall Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research.

29 Sep 2007

Occupational exposures in farming and industry may be linked to death from autoimmune disease

A new study examined the possible associations between occupation and the risk of dying from systemic autoimmune diseases and found that occupational exposures in farming and industry may be linked to higher death rates from these diseases.

29 Sep 2007

Health and economic benefits of reducing the number of students per classroom in US primary schools

Reducing class sizes in the early grades of elementary school could be among the most cost-effective ways to reduce costs for health care and medical intervention, a new study has found.

27 Sep 2007

36 million Americans have never checked their cholesterol

Despite the much publicized link between cholesterol and heart disease, one in six Americans age 20 and older – almost 36 million people – have never had their cholesterol levels checked, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

27 Sep 2007

Ten years of pharmaceutical television advertisements have Pennsylvanians asking their docs about medications

poll of Pennsylvania adults 10 years after the first direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical television advertisement ran suggests that nearly half of the participants have asked their doctor about a specific prescription drug or medical procedure they saw advertised.

27 Sep 2007

Relief for arthritic knees

If you're among the estimated 10 million Americans who have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee, take heart in knowing that several nonsurgical options, pharmacologic and otherwise, are available for easing the pain of an arthritic knee, according to Cleveland Clinic's Arthritis Advisor.

25 Sep 2007

African American and Latino diabetics far less likely to blood sugar under control

Despite decades of advances in diabetes care, African Americans and Latinos are still far less likely than whites to have their blood sugar under control, even with the help of medications, a new nationally representative study finds.

25 Sep 2007

APHA urges Bush to reconsider and sign the SCHIP bill

"President Bush stated this week that he intends to veto pending legislation that would reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which is set to expire Sept. 30. The bill would extend health coverage to approximately 4 million uninsured children and continue providing coverage to 6 million children.

23 Sep 2007

AHRQ and FDA to collaborate in ADHD study

Two U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies will collaborate in the most comprehensive study to date of prescription medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the potential for increased risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems.

21 Sep 2007

Largest study ever to look at possible heart risks with ADHD medications

18 Sep 2007

Breast reductions of less than 500 grams per breast greatly ease women's pain

Smaller-framed women reap significant health and quality-of-life benefits from breast reductions that involve the removal of under 500 grams of tissue per breast, according to a first-of-its-kind study from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the New York University School of Medicine.

17 Sep 2007

Smaller breast reduction surgeries provide health benefits and should be reimbursed

13 Sep 2007

Hispanics' hypertension better controlled with equal access to care

With equal access to medical care and medication, Hispanic men and women have as good or greater chance as non-Hispanics of controlling their high blood pressure, researchers reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

13 Sep 2007

Study finds HIV patients lead chaotic lives - a barrier to regular medical care

Unstable and unpredictable lifestyles are significant factors in determining access to health care among low-income HIV-positive people, a new UCLA study has found.

13 Sep 2007

Immigrants and health care: sources of vulnerability

Expanding opportunities for immigrants to obtain legal residency and citizenship may be the best option to offer them better access to health care, according to an article published today by the RAND Corporation in the journal Health Affairs.

12 Sep 2007

Personal chaos in HIV patients' lives may be a barrier to regular medical care

Unstable and unpredictable lifestyles are significant factors in determining access to health care among low-income HIV-positive people, a new UCLA study has found.

12 Sep 2007

Premiums increased at slowest rate since 1999

Health insurance premiums increased at the slowest pace in eight years, marking the fourth consecutive year premium increases have declined, according to a new report released today.

11 Sep 2007

New techniques to diagnose hearing loss

A Purdue University researcher is working on a new technique to diagnose hearing loss in a way that more accurately reflects real-world situations.

10 Sep 2007

Detailed picture of prevalence of ADHD in U.S.

Most children in the United States who meet the medically accepted definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have not been diagnosed by a physician, and are not consistently treated with medications, according to the first national ADHD prevalence study in children based on the "gold standard" of diagnostic criteria, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

4 Sep 2007