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MSU to launch levetiracetam clinical trial for treatment of African children with epilepsy

Determined to bring relief to seizure victims, a Michigan State University research team this month begins a groundbreaking clinical drug trial that could help prevent a quarter-million African children from developing epilepsy each year.

16 Feb 2013

CIHR awards $757,722 to Concordia researcher for international study on healthy aging

Carsten Wrosch, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University and member of the Centre for Research in Human Development, was recently awarded a major grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), worth $757,722. Wrosch leads an interdisciplinary research team consisting of lifespan, personality, health, psychiatry and kinesiology researchers from across North America.

16 Feb 2013

Natural probiotic supplement can help male mice produce healthier bones

In what could be an early step toward new treatments for people with osteoporosis, scientists at Michigan State University report that a natural probiotic supplement can help male mice produce healthier bones.

16 Feb 2013

Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

The authors of this study assert that the decisions about which drugs are selected for state Medicaid reimbursement programs "should be based on available evidence and free of conflicts of interests (COIs)."

15 Feb 2013

Depression reduces efficacy of shingles vaccine

Research suggests that the varicella zoster, or shingles, vaccine is less effective in older people with untreated depression.

15 Feb 2013

Tumor texture analysis has prognostic potential

Tumor texture analysis, determined by computed tomography, holds promise as a prognostic biomarker in patients with esophageal cancer, research indicates.

15 Feb 2013

Structured training program improves lymph node biopsy standards

An established training program in sentinel lymph node biopsy ensures patient safety during the adoption of a new technique by enabling surgeons to achieve a very high localization rate and low false-negative rate throughout their training.

15 Feb 2013

Nightmare of insomnia could explain suicide link in patients with depression

The link between insomnia and suicidal thoughts in patients with depression may be mediated by nightmares and dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, research suggests.

15 Feb 2013

Industry involvement in public health ‘like having burglars fit your locks’

Researchers in The Lancet are calling for the complete exclusion of multinational food and drink corporations from the development of public health policy.

15 Feb 2013

Potency of vitamin D pills ‘often at variance with labeling’

A survey of over-the-counter vitamin D tablets in the USA has revealed very wide variations in pill potency, with different tablets containing as little as 9% or as much as 146% of the stated dose.

15 Feb 2013

California unveils standards for health plans

By taking this step, California became the first state to standardize health insurance plans under the federal health law.

15 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Today's headlines include news about how the health law's insurance exchanges are taking shape.

15 Feb 2013

Opinion pieces address violence against women

Several opinion pieces have been published in recognition of One Billion Rising, a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women and gender equality.

15 Feb 2013

Gedunin could help kill cancer cells

Scientists at the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center have identified an Indian plant, used for centuries to treat inflammation, fever and malaria, that could help kill cancer cells.

15 Feb 2013

Fighting gender-based violence this Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, celebrated Thursday, "we will dance in protest of gender-based violence as part of a worldwide movement, One Billion Rising," Kylin Beeson, a member of the Young Global Leaders Program (YGLP) with One By One; Emily Kase, a YGLP intern; and Lindsey Youngquist, a former a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, write in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

15 Feb 2013

VNI cures both acute and chronic forms of Chagas disease

Chagas disease, a deadly tropical infection caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by biting insects called "kissing bugs," has begun to spread around the world, including the U.S. Yet current treatment is toxic and limited to the acute stage.

15 Feb 2013

Examining electronic medical records and over-billing

The Obama administration is forging ahead with a multi-billion dollar plan to shift from paper to electronic medical records, despite continuing concerns the program may be prompting some doctors and hospitals to improperly bill higher fees to Medicare.

15 Feb 2013

New insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures

Research carried out by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Manchester has revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It's thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

15 Feb 2013

Integrating NCD efforts into larger 'sustainability agenda'

"The time has come for the '[non-communicable disease (NCD)] agenda' to be integrated with the broader 'sustainability agenda,' and this was the focus of a joint meeting this week between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Lancet," Richard Smith, director of the United Health Group's chronic disease initiative, writes in the BMJ Group Blogs.

15 Feb 2013

Negative obesity stories could discourage men in African-American community from taking action

Obesity rates have increased dramatically in the last few decades. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans make up more than 60 percent of the overweight and obese population, while only 13 percent of the total population.

15 Feb 2013