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Berries may reduce Parkinson’s disease risk in men: Study

A new study has found that men who regularly consume foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, apples, certain vegetables, tea and red wine, may significantly reduce their risk for developing Parkinson's disease. The study was published in the journal Neurology this week. It added that there was no such effect among women.

9 Apr 2012

FDA approves scan to detect Alzheimer’s disease early

The test uses a chemical called florbetapir, known by the brand name Amyvid, which is a radioactive agent that tags clumps of a sticky substance called an amyloid. Amyloid proteins are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, which costs $1,600 per dose, then is detected using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography, known as PET scans. For patients who already have some symptoms of cognitive decline, a positive scan suggests that moderate to frequent amyloid plaques are present in the brain, which is consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2012

UK tobacco display ban to reduce youngsters taking up the habit

A ban on displays of tobacco is coming into force in England. Ministers hope it will help curb the number of young people taking up smoking. Cigarettes and other products will have to be kept below the counter in large shops and supermarkets, while small outlets are exempt until 2015. Other parts of the UK are planning similar action to drive down smoking rates.

9 Apr 2012

Eggs developed from stem cells could change reproductive technology

Scientists have developed human egg cells that have been grown entirely in the laboratory from stem cells. These could be fertilized later this year in a development that will revolutionize fertility treatment and might even lead to a reversal of the menopause in older women.

9 Apr 2012

Sperm donor found to have fathered 600 babies

Bertold Wiesner and Mary Barton’s controversial clinic for high IQ donors helped women conceive more than 1,500 babies. Now two of the children conceived from the clinic discovered they are Wiesner’s biological sons and have found that he fathered hundreds of other children.

9 Apr 2012

Prescriptions on the rise for strongest pain pills

High-strength painkillers known as opioids represent the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States.

9 Apr 2012

Coalition members discuss value of collaboration in diabetes patient care

With so much discussion about what's not working in healthcare today, experts are increasingly pointing to a model of care that is working to improve outcomes for patients.

9 Apr 2012

Boston University Medical Campus deploys Actifio PAS platform

Actifio, the Protection and Availability Storage (PAS) platform company, today announced results of its deployment at Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) where it helped to gain control over its diverse, heterogeneous IT infrastructure.

9 Apr 2012

Debate continues about Obama and the high court

News outlets analyze President Barack Obama's recent comments on the Supreme Court's consideration of the health law, looking at historical references, the politics in play and precedents. Reports also take a look at what some judges are saying.

9 Apr 2012

Black fly's blood-sucking tactics may be used for medical advancement

Black flies drink blood and spread disease such as river blindness-creating misery with their presence. A University of Georgia study, however, proves that the pesky insects can be useful.

9 Apr 2012

New dietary supplement may arrest, lower rising PSA in men with recurrent prostate cancer

Preliminary findings from an FDA-approved clinical trial indicate that the experimental dietary supplement Prostate Health Cocktail (PHC) may arrest and in some cases lower rising PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in men with recurrent prostate cancer.

9 Apr 2012

What's the prize in the wellness games?

News reports track the latest trends regarding how insurers are using digital gaming methods to encourage wellness and how patients increasingly are being urged to ask questions about the cost of care.

9 Apr 2012

Med-Tek introduces proprietary Opioid Management Program

Med-Tek a developer of Healthcare Technology Networks ("HTN") designed to improve outcomes for patients, physicians, employers and their constituents today announces the launch of its proprietary Opioid Management Program (OMP).

9 Apr 2012

Medicare, entitlements: Key political sparring points

Although congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama hope to make electoral hay out of the GOP budget's Medicare revamp, GOP Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is proving to have appeal. During the primary thus far, Romney has fared well with older voters in swing states.

9 Apr 2012

Study shows causal effect of obesity on medical care costs

Obesity now accounts for almost 21 percent of U.S. health care costs - more than twice the previous estimates, reports a new Cornell University study.

9 Apr 2012

During the congressional break, voters air their frustrations

At a time of high unemployment and home foreclosure rates, frustration with Congress and rising anxiety over how to deal with the national debt without gutting programs such as Medicare health insurance for the elderly and the Social Security retirement program, such meetings aren't always comfortable for lawmakers.

9 Apr 2012

Delivering chemotherapy drugs with nanobubbles more deadly to cancer cells

Using light-harvesting nanoparticles to convert laser energy into "plasmonic nanobubbles," researchers at Rice University, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) are developing new methods to inject drugs and genetic payloads directly into cancer cells.

9 Apr 2012

New text messaging program to manage diabetes

D.C. Chartered Health Plan, Inc., the oldest Medicaid managed care organization in the District of Columbia, is launching a new text messaging program for 50 of its members to help them better manage diabetes, which requires regular care to avoid costly complications.

9 Apr 2012

Blog posts respond to Melinda Gates' TEDxChange presentation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog published several posts in response to the TEDxChange: "The Big Picture" presentation delivered by Melinda Gates, co-chair of the foundation, in Berlin on Thursday.

9 Apr 2012

Chemotherapy based on individual genomes and genomes of tumors

The Breast Cancer Genome Guided Therapy Study (BEAUTY Project) will help physicians tailor chemotherapy to breast cancer patients based on their individual genomes and the genomes of their tumors.

9 Apr 2012