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Clinical trials highlight beneficial effect of CRT in heart failure

However, large-scale clinical trials have highlighted the beneficial effect of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) in the improvement of symptoms and reduction of mortality, and CRT is now recommended in the major European and American guidelines for the treatment and prevention of heart failure.

19 Dec 2011

ESC, SAGE to launch European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care

SAGE and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) have announced the launch of the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care.

19 Dec 2011

Many maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia in the UK linked with substandard care

An editorial published this week in the Lancet online highlights the shocking fact that many maternal deaths in the UK are associated with substandard care and are potentially preventable.

17 Dec 2011

Vanderbilt to develop low-cost extraction device for people in resource-poor settings

They call it "The Extractionator." The prototype looks like nothing more than a length of clear plastic tubing until you inspect it closely. But it could be the basis of an easy-to-use and low-cost sample collection and preparation system that will help bring the benefits of medical diagnostic testing to the people who live in the poorest areas of the world.

17 Dec 2011

TAU researcher develops capsule endoscope to investigate digestive system

Endoscopes - small cameras or optic fibres that are usually attached to flexible tubing designed to investigate the interior of the body - can be dangerously invasive. Procedures often require sedative medications and some recovery time. Now a researcher at Tel Aviv University is developing a "capsule endoscope" that can move through the digestive tract to detect problems independent of any attachments.

16 Dec 2011

Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges to develop new diagnostics for tropical diseases

Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up on an unprecedented global effort to discover and develop affordable, easy-to-use tools to help developing country health workers rapidly diagnose diseases in rural communities. The expected result: more timely and appropriate treatment of illnesses in poor countries, potentially saving countless lives.

16 Dec 2011

Scientists discover gene that causes Weaver syndrome

Scientists have found a gene that causes Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that typically causes large size at birth, tall stature, developmental delay during childhood, and intellectual disability.

16 Dec 2011

Metabolomx' colorimetric sensor array can identify subtype of lung cancer

Metabolomx, a diagnostic company focused on the detection of the metabolomics signature of cancer from exhaled breath, today announces publication of results from the first clinical study demonstrating a breath test that can both detect lung cancer and differentiate between types of lung cancer in humans.

16 Dec 2011

Scientists uncover critical genetic mutation in patients with MDS

Scientists have uncovered a critical genetic mutation in some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes - a group of blood cancers that can progress to a fatal form of leukemia.

16 Dec 2011

Hologic receives FDA approval for Cervista HTA system to detect cervical cancer

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Cervista HTA (high throughput automation) system for use with the Company's previously approved Cervista human papillomavirus (HPV) HR test.

From Hologic, Inc. 16 Dec 2011

FIND, NUS collaborate to identify novel biomarkers for TB diagnosis

A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING) is collaborating with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to identify novel target molecules to be employed as biomarkers for the detection of active tuberculosis.

15 Dec 2011

FUJIFILM to acquire SonoSite

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, a diversified technology company that operates in healthcare, highly functional materials, and document solutions, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with SonoSite, Inc., a pioneer and leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound technology, pursuant to which Fujifilm will acquire SonoSite for approximately $995 million.

15 Dec 2011

Simple online calculator can tackle pancreatic and bowel cancer

A simple online calculator could offer family GPs a powerful new tool in tackling two of the most deadly forms of cancer, say researchers.

15 Dec 2011

M. pneumoniae CARDS toxin plays a critical role in asthma

Five years ago, microbiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio discovered the toxin produced by a common respiratory bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Joel Baseman, Ph.D., who led the discovery, said at the time that the toxin's presence in humans could be causing as many as 40 percent of all asthma cases.

15 Dec 2011

Multiple CT scans can increase risk of cancer

From the doctor's office to the airport, Americans have more opportunity for radiation exposure than ever before. While low levels of radiation are used in medical imaging and airport body scanners, there is much debate about exposure levels and potential cancer risks. New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has found that there could be an increased risk of cancer for certain individuals who are exposed to multiple CT scans.

15 Dec 2011

Fast Forward, Lineagen to fund clinical development and validation of blood-based assay for MS

Lineagen, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company focused on complex, genetically linked disorders, and Fast Forward, LLC, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, today announced an alliance to fund the clinical development and validation of a blood-based assay for multiple sclerosis.

15 Dec 2011

Olympus introduces EZ Shot 2 single-use aspiration needles for Endoscopic Ultrasound procedures

Olympus America Inc. today expanded its medical portfolio by introducing a collection of EZ Shot 2 single-use aspiration needles for Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) procedures.The four unique needles offer excellent puncture capability along with an adjustable sheath designed to help physicians more accurately approach the targeted site.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 15 Dec 2011

Roundup: Nonprofits get big money in disabled payments; Calif. budget problems bring additional Medicaid cutbacks

Spending on this little-known home care program, called Community Habilitation, has soared in recent years, creating multimillion-dollar surpluses at some nonprofit agencies and eye-popping salaries and benefits for those who run them. And it helps explain how New York's costs of caring for developmentally disabled people have ballooned in recent years, creating the nation's most generous system of Medicaid-financed programs, with little scrutiny of its efficiency or result.

15 Dec 2011

Research on pancreatic cancer diagnostic test wins QED award

Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University and co-director of the Jefferson Pancreatic, Biliary and Related Cancers Center, and Mon-Li Chu, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, were awarded $200,000 from the University City Science Center's QED Proof of Concept Program for their breakthrough work on a diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer.

14 Dec 2011