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Faster FDA action against alcoholic energy drinks needed

Alcoholic energy drinks have been making national headlines and four states to date have banned their sale following reports of blackouts and unsafe behaviors, especially among college students. These actions are encouraging to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center emergency physician Mary Claire O'Brien, M.D., who conducted groundbreaking research into the dangers of the manufactured drinks.

17 Nov 2010

Specific brain changes suggest new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease

New studies identify brain changes in people with Alzheimer's disease. The results give researchers a greater understanding of the disease and may help at-risk individuals by improving early detection. New animal research also shows a novel approach to Alzheimer's vaccine design that may avoid dangerous side effects. These new results were reported at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.

17 Nov 2010

Noninvasive method to determine estrogen levels in infants through diapers

With the help of babies and more than 5,000 of their diapers, Emory University researchers have developed an accurate, noninvasive method to determine estrogen levels in infants.

17 Nov 2010

John Muir Health opens The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower

Today, John Muir Health opened the doors of The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower at John Muir Medical Center, Concord, which includes 120 new private rooms (61 open with 59 shelled for future use), a new Cardiovascular Institute and a new Emergency Department. The 172,000 square foot facility, which took three years and $212 million to complete, also features state-of-the-art technology and a patient-focused, healing environment.

17 Nov 2010

Health officials gather in Uruguay to discuss WHO anti-smoking treaty

"As sales to developing nations become ever more important to giant tobacco companies, they are stepping up efforts around the world to fight tough restrictions on the marketing of cigarettes," the New York Times reports in an article ahead of a conference in Punta del Este, Uruguay, which began on Monday. At the conference health officials are debating guidelines to enforce a global anti-smoking treaty known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) (Wilson, 11/13).

17 Nov 2010

Enzon presents data on three investigational mRNA antagonists at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today presented data from preclinical studies of three investigational messenger RNA (mRNA) antagonists. These antagonists are based on the locked nucleic acid (LNA) technology platform targets licensed from Santaris Pharma A/S.

17 Nov 2010

Metallic particles in smoke from fireworks affect human health

The metallic particles in the smoke emitted by fireworks pose a health risk, particularly to people who suffer from asthma. This is the conclusion of a study led by researchers from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), published this week in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

17 Nov 2010

One in seven Medicare patients harmed by problems in hospital, HHS report finds

The New York Times: "One of every seven Medicare beneficiaries who is hospitalized is harmed as a result of problems with the medical care there, according to a new study [.pdf] from the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The study said unexpected adverse events added at least $4.4 billion a year to government health costs and contributed to the deaths of about 180,000 patients a year."

17 Nov 2010

Study suggests cross-infection with P aeruginosa occurs between CF centers in the UK and Canada

A common transmissible strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Canada, suggesting that cross-infection has occurred widely between CF centers in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Infection with this strain among Canadian CF patients has been associated with an increased risk of death or lung transplantation.

17 Nov 2010

FDA partners with CDC to kick off Get Smart about Antibiotics Week

This year, millions of antibiotics will be prescribed. Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections; however, they are commonly over-prescribed. Patients sometimes ask their health care professional to prescribe antibiotic drugs for viral infections, like the common cold, despite the fact that they will not work and may lead to potentially harmful side effects. The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to one of the world's most pressing public health problems today, antibiotic resistance.

17 Nov 2010

Kansas may join health lawsuit; 71 lawmakers from 26 states ask to file brief to support law

Kansas City Star: "If Kansas Gov.-elect Sam Brownback and Attorney General-elect Derek Schmidt have their way, Kansas will soon be among" states participating in a federal lawsuit against implementation of the federal health law. "Although several of the lawsuits have been dismissed, one of the most prominent — filed by the state of Florida on behalf of 20 other states — was recently approved for further review.

17 Nov 2010

Type 2 diabetes market in Mexico to grow to $1.22 billion in 2014: Report

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, forecasts that the type 2 diabetes market in Mexico will grow to $1.22 billion in 2014. Drivers of this growth include increasing prevalent population, expanding medical insurance coverage as well as the launch and use of new drugs in the market.

17 Nov 2010

Elsevier launches new module for scientific community

Elsevier , a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the launch of SciVerse Applications beta, a new module within the SciVerse platform that will empower the scientific community to develop and share customized solutions that advance the search and discovery process through its marketplace and developer network.

17 Nov 2010

Maine has most improved health care quality; Kansas needs more dentists

Maine Public Broadcasting Network News: "Nationwide, Maine is most improved when it comes to health care quality, according to 2009 statistics from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In one year, Maine jumped from 12th place to fourth best in categories ranging from cancer to patient safety, from maternal and child health to long-term care.

17 Nov 2010

JDRF, Amylin collaborate to support metreleptin study for type 1 diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that they entered into a research collaboration agreement to provide financial support for a clinical proof-of-concept study to investigate the effects of metreleptin, an analog of the human hormone leptin, in patients with type 1 diabetes. Researchers at The University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center will conduct the study.

17 Nov 2010

Medicare roundup: Payment cuts irk healthcare industry; officials mull new prostate-cancer treatment

Doctors across the United States are taking a wait-and-see approach while Congress decides whether or not to allow a scheduled 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement rates to take effect on Dec. 1.

17 Nov 2010

Researchers explore interplay between pain and anxiety

Disability from chronic pain in adolescents can be exacerbated by high levels of anxiety, according to research reported The Journal of Pain, the peer review publication of the American Pain Society.

17 Nov 2010

Officials look to 2 states for advice on setting up exchanges; other health overhaul news

Two states Massachusetts and Utah are forerunners in establishing health insurance exchanges, a key part of the health overhaul, and are likely to serve as models for other states, Politico reports.

17 Nov 2010

UMass, PolyMedix receive Phase 2 STTR contract to conduct test on antimicrobial compounds

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), have received a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in the amount of $750,000.

17 Nov 2010

New safety reporting website for electronic health records launched

The Wall Street Journal: An alliance of executives from medical societies and professional liability carriers yesterday launched "EHRevent.org, a new safety reporting system for [electronic health records] EHRs. Doctors and other health-care workers can go online and report problems and mistakes they experience as they ramp up the use of digitized records.

17 Nov 2010