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Health-care coverage program for kids ends in Ariz.; Florida Medicaid patient information may be at risk

A new audit criticizes the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and a contractor for failing to properly control access to computer systems that include sensitive information about Medicaid beneficiaries (Saunders, 12/17).

20 Dec 2010

State Roundup: UMass bone marrow registry practices probed; Insurance woes hit many Calif. middle income families

Bone marrow registries are usually noble efforts to find donors with the right genetic match to save the life of a terminally ill person, but one such program in New England is under investigation by attorneys general in two states (Greenberg, 12/17).

20 Dec 2010

Researchers examine socio-economic consequences of hypersomnia

Danish sleep researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Institute for Health Services Research have examined the socio-economic consequences of the sleep disorder hypersomnia in one of the largest studies of its kind.

20 Dec 2010

Social Security's long-term impact on women's financial security

Without Social Security, research indicates that about half of women age 65 and older would be living in poverty. With the program in place, the poverty rate for women falls to 12 percent. These facts - paired with recommended future courses of action - are presented in the latest installment of the Public Policy & Aging Research Brief series from the National Academy on an Aging Society, the public policy branch of The Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

17 Dec 2010

Research project examines unfamiliar space to make it 'older person-friendly'

Urban planning needs to consider how older people use walking routes as well as public areas, concludes a Research Council UK-funded research project from the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme.

17 Dec 2010

Emotional intelligence and cognitive skills sharpen after 60

Older people have a hard time keeping a lid on their feelings, especially when viewing heartbreaking or disgusting scenes in movies and reality shows, psychologists have found. But they're better than their younger counterparts at seeing the positive side of a stressful situation and empathizing with the less fortunate, according to research from the University of California, Berkeley.

17 Dec 2010

Iowa moves forward on health exchange; Texas medical school highlights geriatrics; Concerns grow about prisoners' mental health needs

Republican lawmakers on the state level are largely against the new health reform law—but they aren't against all of the behemoth legislation. Virginia dominated headlines this week when a federal judge ruled the individual mandate to buy insurance unconstitutional on Monday. Much less noticed: the very next day, a task force appointed by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell recommended that the state implement a health insurance exchange earlier than federal guidelines require (Kliff, 12/16).

17 Dec 2010

Positive economic signs evident in health sector

News outlets report that the health care sector has recently been posting more jobs and been the focus of more private equity investment interest.

17 Dec 2010

Researchers discover allium vegetable consumption may lower hip osteoarthritis

Researchers at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have discovered that women who consume a diet high in allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks, have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis

16 Dec 2010

Some cancers more prevalent in the wealthy

A new report has shown that Australians living in wealthy areas are more likely to get breast, prostate and skin cancers than those living in poorer zones. The report from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released yesterday also shows that those living in disadvantaged parts of the country are more likely to have bowel, cervical and lung cancers. Not so much with bowel cancer, but lung cancer incidence varied to a large extent. Main results showed;

16 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 16, 2010

In today's headlines, continuing analysis of how the health law is faring in the courts and what the sweeping measure's future might look like.

16 Dec 2010

New visualisation software tool for older people to understand mobility problems

Mobility challenges facing older people can now be better understood by clinicians, healthcare practitioners and design professionals, thanks to a new innovative software tool.

16 Dec 2010

Three million Western Europeans suffer from critical limb ischemia

A recent analysis published by THE SAGE GROUP concluded that 3 million people in Western Europe have critical limb ischemia (CLI). Reflecting the aging population, this number is projected to grow to 4 million by 2030.

16 Dec 2010

Precise method to measure telomeres

Life Length, S.L. is a new biotechnology company set up to measure the length of telomeres which form caps at the end of chromosomes and that have a fundamental role in avoiding the break down and the aging of cells and organisms. The breakthroughs that Dr. Maria Blasco has made at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas, or CNIO) in Madrid, Spain form the founding basis of the company.

16 Dec 2010

Atrium acquires Belgium-based Minami Nutrition

Atrium Innovations Inc., a recognized leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of professionally endorsed, science-based dietary supplements for the health and nutrition industry, today announced the purchase of Belgium-based Minami Nutrition, a niche brand of superior quality scientifically proven Omega-3 products primarily sold in several European countries.

15 Dec 2010

Researchers introduce new class of drugs for HCV patients

To improve the care for individuals infected with the hepatitis C virus, a major health problem and a leading cause of chronic liver disease around the world, nearly 200 international hepatitis experts have taken an important step in escalating the introduction of a new class of targeted therapies for HCV – direct-acting antivirals.

15 Dec 2010

New skincare product with cellular activators

Scientists in Iceland have developed a revolutionary skincare product after more than a decade of extensive research in plant biotechnology. The skin-rejuvenating phenomenon is called BIOEFFECT(TM) EGF Serum. Made by Sif Cosmetics, it is the world's first skincare product to contain cellular activators made in plants. Six months after its launch in Iceland, the serum is already being used by over 20% of Icelandic women.

15 Dec 2010

New HHS Strategy on Multiple Chronic Conditions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued its new Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions - an innovative private-public sector collaboration to coordinate responses to a growing challenge.

15 Dec 2010

Study: HUCBs boost survival and maturation of hippocampal neurons

Laboratory culture studies examining the activity of human umbilical cord blood cells on experimental models of central nervous system aging, injury and disease, have shown that HUCBs provide a 'trophic effect' that enhances survival and maturation of hippocampal neurons harvested from both young and old laboratory animals.

15 Dec 2010

African American patients less likely to receive medications for parkinsonian symptoms

African American patients and those with lower socioeconomic status have more advanced disease and greater disability when they seek treatment from Parkinson's disease specialists, according to a study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

14 Dec 2010