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A loving partner can save your skin

Even couples that have been together for years may be embarrassed to let a spouse or partner see their less than perfect bodies naked in bright light. That shyness can hamper a couple's willingness to do total body skin exams on each other to check for a new or recurring melanoma. Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, can appear in more than one spot so these checks are important.

20 May 2008

Confused about HRT? read on!

As if women are not confused enough about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), an international group of experts now say safety issues regarding HRT have been "over hyped".

20 May 2008

HRT safe for healthy women entering menopause

HRT in the early postmenopausal period is safe, and healthy women going through the first few years of the menopause who need HRT to relieve symptoms should have no fears about its use. This is the conclusion and clinical advice of the First Global Summit on Menopause-Related Issues, which was held in Zurich on March 29th and 30th, 2008.

20 May 2008

Blood pressure confusion for diabetics

For people with diabetes, high blood pressure poses a special threat, multiplying their risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems.

19 May 2008

Would you let your child participate in medical research?

Advances in medicine - new treatments, cures, vaccines and medicines - are driven by research involving humans. But when it comes to medical research that requires children to be involved, researchers often struggle to find participants.

13 May 2008

New York Times examines health care access of undocumented immigrants

The New York Times on Saturday examined access to health care for undocumented immigrant farm workers in the U.S., who often do not have health coverage.

13 May 2008

How your heart sounds could tell your heart attack risk

According to scientists in the United States, a doctor may be able to determine a person's risk of having a heart attack just by listening to their heart with a stethoscope.

11 May 2008

New guidelines say botulinum toxin effective for many neurological disorders, but not headache

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology confirm that the drug botulinum toxin is safe and effective for treating a variety of neurological conditions. Surprisingly, the drug may not be effective for chronic headaches, accrding to Allison Brashear, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, who helped develop the guidelines.

9 May 2008

Hearing to focus on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs

Officials for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Schering-Plough on Thursday will testify at a House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing that Democrats hope will "lay the groundwork for future legislation to tighten controls on drug marketing," the Wall Street Journal reports.

8 May 2008

Holiday 'binge tanning' increasing skin cancer risk for young brits

A new survey, released today by Cancer Research UK to raise awareness of its annual SunSmart campaign, has identified a worrying trend for 'binge tanning' among young people heading off on holiday this summer.

8 May 2008

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Health care in the United States is expensive, but its funding is crucial because it also is a major contributor to the economy and can better lives, according to an essay appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Because of the cost of health care, this is not time to shrink the budget at the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research that leads to potentially curative therapy.

7 May 2008

Researchers highlight distinct subtypes of myalgic encephalomyelitis

Researchers have identified distinct subtypes of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS - also referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome) and there is renewed hope that treatments are available for this debilitating neurological illness.

7 May 2008

Autonomous robot surgery a step closer

The day may be getting a little closer when robots will perform surgery on patients in dangerous situations or in remote locations, such as on the battlefield or in space, with minimal human guidance.

6 May 2008

More than 25 percent of pediatric emergency visits could be conducted online

A community-wide study in upstate New York found that nearly 28 percent of all visits to the pediatric emergency department could have been replaced with a more cost-effective Internet doctor's "visit," or telemedicine, according to investigators from the University of Rochester Medical Center

6 May 2008

Skin cancer protection tips

With the days growing longer and the temperatures rising, Hoosiers will spend more time outdoors this spring and summer. And May, which is Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month -- is a good time to refresh memories about protection from the sun.

5 May 2008

Who pays for health care when workers are uninsured?

Health insurance coverage and unpaid health care for full-time workers and their family members without employer coverage costs the U.S. public $45 billion a year, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund released today.

2 May 2008

High blood pressure still sneaking past doctors, Stanford study shows

Despite the well-known dangers of high blood pressure, major shortfalls still exist in the screening, treatment and control of the disease even when patients are getting a doctor's care, according to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

1 May 2008

Aspirin a day cuts risk of common breast cancer

Scientists in the U.S. say an aspirin a day may afford women some protection against the most common type of breast cancer, estrogen receptor or ER-positive breast cancer.

30 Apr 2008

Health Minister says rural health in Australia is in a dire state

An audit of regional and rural Australia's health workforce has revealed that the 'bush' has become increasingly reliant on overseas-trained doctors to ensure health services are maintained.

30 Apr 2008

Mothers less likely to pursue HPV vaccination for youngest daughters

Because the first national study of its kind has found that U.S. mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus (HPV), even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve moms' acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus known to cause cervical cancer.

30 Apr 2008