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IPS examines controversy over WHO-approved drug to prevent hemorrhage after labor

Inter Press Service examines the reaction to calls for the WHO "to reverse its listing in April 2011 of misoprostol among essential medicines that 'satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population' and are 'available at all times in adequate amounts and in appropriate dosage forms, at a price the community can afford'" as a result of a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

13 Sep 2012

Roundup: Mich. Gov. proposes making BCBS a tax-paying insurer; Merger creates one of largest hospitals in Conn.; W. Va. chiropractor board scrutinized

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan would no longer be exempt from about $100 million a year in state and local taxes but would be subject to more streamlined and speedier rate reviews and approvals under legislation proposed today by Gov. Rick Snyder. The nonprofit health insurer would also pay $1.5 billion over 18 years into a separate nonprofit aimed at tackling issues such as obesity and infant mortality to improve the health of all Michigan residents, Snyder said at a news conference.

13 Sep 2012

Novel serum assay measures calcification risk

Researchers have devised a nephelometer-based assay that measures the risk for calcification in serum samples.

12 Sep 2012

Early CATCH improves thrombocytopenia outcomes

One in five patients using heparin to protect against venous thromboembolism develops thrombocytopenia, reveal results from the CATCH Registry.

12 Sep 2012

More evidence supporting cardiac danger of painkillers after MI

Heart attack survivors who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have an increased risk for long-term mortality or a second heart attack, research suggests.

12 Sep 2012

Alarm raised over preoperative hyponatremia

Preoperative hyponatremia is common and, even when mild, carries a risk for perioperative complications and mortality, shows a large cohort study.

12 Sep 2012

Exercise and health: An interview with Professor Karim Khan

I’ll quote from the ‘7 investments’ document (see below) as I don’t believe we need to reinvent the wheel to argue for the benefits of exercise. I am very keen to move to the issue of ‘how can we help people exercise’. But for the record:

12 Sep 2012

New model reveals how immune system functions under conditions of neutropenia

Cancer chemotherapy can be a life-saver, but it is fraught with severe side effects, among them an increased risk of infection. Until now, the major criterion for assessing this risk has been the blood cell count: if the number of white blood cells falls below a critical threshold, the risk of infection is thought to be high.

12 Sep 2012

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may not prevent major cardiovascular adverse outcomes

In a study that included nearly 70,000 patients, supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, or stroke, according to an analysis of previous studies published in the September 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Sep 2012

End-stage renal patients 'suffer stroke-related impairments'

Stroke symptoms are relatively common among patients with end-stage renal disease and are associated with cognitive impairments and reduced ability to perform daily activities, the results of a US study indicate.

11 Sep 2012

Evidence shows endovascular repair may be of more use than operative

Endovascular repair may be more viable for some patients with peripheral arterial trauma than operative repair, experts say.

11 Sep 2012

HIF-1 activity directly responsible for spread of breast cancer to lymph vessels

The invasion of cancer cells into the lymph vessels that connect the breast to surrounding lymph nodes is the first step leading to the metastasis, or spread, of cancer throughout the body. Metastasis is the primary cause of breast cancer deaths. Surprisingly little is known about the control of this process and how it might be interrupted to prolong the lives of women with breast cancer.

11 Sep 2012

Oxyphenbutazone can kill drug resistant TB

An off-patent anti-inflammatory drug that costs around two cents for a daily dose in developing countries has been found by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College to kill both replicating and non-replicating drug resistant tuberculosis in the laboratory -- a feat few currently approved TB drugs can do, and resistance to those is spreading.

11 Sep 2012

Warning over sirolimus in HCV-positive liver transplantation

Sirolimus, whether given at the time of liver transplantation or after, is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with hepatitis C virus infection compared with those who do not take the immunosuppressant, shows a US study.

10 Sep 2012

American footballers at high risk for neurodegenerative death

Professional American Football players are significantly more likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease than the general public, say US researchers.

10 Sep 2012

Keep moving, socializing to prolong life in old age

Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, to include physical exercise and leisure and social activities, prolongs life even among the elderly, show results of a Swedish study involving individuals aged 75 years and over.

10 Sep 2012

New molecular pathway that leads to preeclampsia identified

Preeclampsia is one of the most dangerous conditions for the expectant mother and the unborn child and is characterized by elevated blood pressure and protein in the urine in the last trimester of pregnancy.

10 Sep 2012

September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month

In this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Sharon D'Agostino, vice president of worldwide corporate contributions and community relations for Johnson & Johnson, reflects on the two-day Child Survival Call to Action held in mid-June, writing, "An estimated seven hundred people from around the world traveled to the event in Washington, D.C., all embracing the theme that every child deserves to have a 5th birthday, no matter where on this planet she or he is born."

10 Sep 2012

Atox Bio AB103 for Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections granted FDA Fast Track designation

Atox Bio, a clinical stage biotechnology company engaged in the development of novel immunemodulators for severe infections in critically ill patients, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to AB103, its lead product, currently in development for the treatment of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections (NSTI).

10 Sep 2012

Recent data from Silence Therapeutics’ Atu111 pre-clinical study on acute lung injury

Silence Therapeutics plc, a leading RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics company is pleased to announce that recent data in pre-clinical models demonstrated the efficacy of Atu111 in acute lung injury.

10 Sep 2012