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Solta Medical's Fraxel re:store Dual system for actinic keratosis receives FDA 510(k) clearance

Solta Medical, Inc., the pioneer in fractional resurfacing and non-invasive skin tightening and a market leader in aesthetic skin treatments, today announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance of its Fraxel re:store®Dual for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AKs). The Fraxel re:store Dual system takes the industry leading fractional laser technology to the next level by adding a novel 1927 nm wavelength, the first ever application of a Thulium laser in the aesthetics market.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers identify role of bile acid in lifespan extension

The human quest for longer life may be one step closer, thanks to research from Concordia University. Published in the journal Aging, a new study is the first to identify the role of a bile acid, called lithocholic acid (LCA), in extending the lifespan of normally aging yeast. The findings may have significant implications for human longevity and health, as yeast share some common elements with people.

16 Sep 2010

SCAN Foundation releases six fact sheets on critical long-term care issue

The SCAN Foundation released today six fact sheets compiling national figures that provide basic information on some of the most important issues surrounding long-term care.

16 Sep 2010

Wistar Institute scientists publish detailed report on structure, function of Cdc13 domain in protein

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have published the first detailed report on the structure and function of a crucial domain in the protein known as Cdc13, which sustains telomeres by clamping to DNA and recruiting replicating enzymes to the area.

16 Sep 2010

Scientists discover 13 genes linked to human body mass

Johns Hopkins scientists who specialize in unconventional hunts for genetic information outside nuclear DNA sequences have bagged a weighty quarry 13 genes linked to human body mass. The experiments screened the so called epigenome for key information that cells remember other than the DNA code itself and may have serious implications for preventing and treating obesity, the investigators say.

16 Sep 2010

Same brain lesions associated with dementia responsible for mild memory loss in old age

New research suggests that old age may not play a role in why older people become forgetful. According to a study published in the September 15, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the same brain lesions that are associated with dementia are responsible for mild memory loss in old age.

16 Sep 2010

Mild memory loss can indicate progressive dementia: Research

Simply getting older is not the cause of mild memory lapses often called senior moments, according to a new study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. The study, published in the September 15, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that even the very early mild changes in memory that are much more common in old age than dementia are caused by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

16 Sep 2010

Australians young at heart: Survey

According to a new survey that included more than 1,200 people nationwide and 12,000 globally by healthcare company Bupa, Australians when compared to other countries felt younger at heart.

16 Sep 2010

Johns Hopkins offers sources who can answer queries on prostrate cancer

September 19-25 is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Week. If you are planning a story on prostate cancer, a disease that's diagnosed in more than 200,000 American men each year, please consider calling on experts from the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute.

16 Sep 2010

Californians lead national trend to reassess seniors' economic needs

Data and research on what it really takes for seniors to make ends meet in each of California's 58 counties will be released today at the state Capitol in Sacramento.

15 Sep 2010

Nine new projects to uncover link between diet and health

9 new projects aimed at uncovering links between diet and health and worth a total of £4M are announced today by a public-private partnership of three research councils (BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC) and 13 food and drink companies. The new projects tackle issues such as reducing fat content or proportion of saturated fat in food, fortification with bioactive compounds including Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants and increasing the dietary fibre in white bread.

15 Sep 2010

In Calif., breakaway union creates schism with SEIU; Poor patients will continue to receive dialysis in Georgia

"The S.E.I.U.'s national leadership ousted [Sal] Rosselli last year after a power struggle that ended with a jury finding that he had improperly used member dues to form a breakaway union. Shortly after being ousted, Mr. Rosselli did create a rival union, and now he is trying to lure many of his former members — 43,000 workers at Kaiser Permanente, the largest health care provider in the state. On Monday, workers at 331 Kaiser facilities across California began voting by mail on whether to bolt the S.E.I.U. and join Mr. Rosselli's group, the National Union of Healthcare Workers. A victory would give a vital boost to Mr. Rosselli's fledgling 6,000-member union, all but assuring its long-term survival" (Greenhouse, 9/13).

15 Sep 2010

FDA-cleared LaserTouchOne device for chronic and acute pain treatment available without prescription

The American Pain Foundation reports that despite the fact that the majority of the U.S. population looks healthy, statistics tell a different story: Approximately 1 in 3 Americans suffer from chronic pain. This chronic pain could be related to an illness like cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, or a condition such as arthritis, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia or back pain from a car accident.

15 Sep 2010

Broccoli blocks joint destruction in osteoarthritis: Research

Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are launching a groundbreaking new project to investigate the benefits of broccoli in the fight against osteoarthritis.Initial laboratory research at UEA has found that a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane blocks the enzymes that cause joint destruction in osteoarthritis the most common form of arthritis.

15 Sep 2010

Organizations issue five-point plan to accelerate research, discovery of effective prostate cancer treatments

With $3 billion spent on the over-treatment of prostate cancer each year, new discoveries are prompting the prostate cancer community to Advance on Washington the week of September 13 - 18. This initiative calls for renewed commitments to finding answers that will enable physicians to cure more and over-treat less. The nation's leading prostate cancer organizations today issued a five point plan, targeted to policymakers, to accelerate research and discovery of effective prostate cancer treatments.

15 Sep 2010

TNS NIPO study underlines need for wide-scale, reliable prostate cancer screening

A recent TNS NIPO survey, on behalf of the Dutch Association of Urology (NVU) and the European Association of Urology (EAU), showed that almost four out of 10 Dutch men of 50 years and older suffer, or have suffered, from urinary complaints. The same number of men also said in the same survey they are worried that they may have prostate cancer.

15 Sep 2010

MRI brain scans can accurately predict young person's age

Using MRI technology and mathematical analysis, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Washington University in St. Louis are now able to accurately predict a young person's age simply by studying their brain scans. The research, which will likely have several clinical applications, including assessment and diagnosis, is published in the current edition of the journal Science.

15 Sep 2010

Medicare, Social Security grow with baby boomer retirement, joblessness

The Washington Post: Rapid growth in the number of applicants for Social Security disability benefits has soared between 2008 and 2009, threatening the solvency of the program. With an increase of 21 percent in that timeframe, "growth is the sharpest in the 54-year history of the program. It threatens the program's fiscal stability and adds to an administrative backlog that is slowing the flow of benefits to those who need them most." Broad economic problems and a flood of jobless applicants have caused the spike (Fletcher, 9/14).

15 Sep 2010

Aged care faltering in Australia: Report

According to National Seniors Australia, the countries’ aged-care system is riddled with problems and will become unsustainable unless urgent reform is undertaken. In its report “The Future of Aged Care in Australia”, the current system of aged care is evaluated. The report says that there are staffing and bed shortages that are crumbling under financial pressures and are unable to meet the future demands of an ageing population. The report compiled for the lobby group by Access Economics says policymakers must implement viable funding alternatives to sustain the system.

14 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 14, 2010

Among today's headlines, Berwick talks, health reform politics continue and coverage of the run up to Sept. 23 - the day several health overhaul provisions take effect - is in full swing.

14 Sep 2010