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Dems, union activists flex Medicare muscle at town hall meetings

Democrats and union activists have made a concerted effort to play the town hall game this summer, pressing lawmakers to preserve Medicare and end tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

31 Aug 2011

Medicare costs will increase with weight of baby boomers

The largest generation may now be the fattest generation ever. And that spells trouble for the health care system. Studies show that baby boomers - 81 million born between 1946 to 1964 - are losing the battle of the bulge.

31 Aug 2011

Harassment, discrimination can contribute to mental disorders in African-American gay or bisexual men

The harassment, discrimination and negative feelings about homosexuality that black gay and bisexual men often experience can contribute significantly to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, a small new study finds.

31 Aug 2011

Chagas parasite infects 18M worldwide, often without detection

Chagas, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 18 million people worldwide, but is particularly prevalent in Latin American countries, "where a bug called the vinchuga, sometimes known as the kissing bug, transmits the disease," the Atlantic reports. The parasite "remains dormant in peoples' bodies for up to 30 years, until it kills them suddenly by stopping their hearts or rupturing their intestines," the magazine writes.

31 Aug 2011

Stanford method identifies essential regions of Caulobacter's genome

A team at the Stanford University School of Medicine has cataloged, down to the letter, exactly what parts of the genetic code are essential for survival in one bacterial species, Caulobacter crescentus.

31 Aug 2011

Ramped-up anti-fraud efforts trigger significant jump in prosecutions

New government statistics show federal health care fraud prosecutions in the first eight months of 2011 are on pace to rise 85 percent over last year due in large part to ramped-up enforcement efforts under the Obama administration.

31 Aug 2011

Comprehensive review on non-drug interventions for treatment of high blood pressure

More and more, patients show up to appointments with hypertension expert John Bisognano, M.D., Ph.D. carrying bags full of "natural" products that they hope will help lower their blood pressure. And like most physicians, Bisognano doesn't always know if these products will do any good, or if they will cause any harm.

31 Aug 2011

Changes to Medigap plans meet resistance

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Susan Jaffe writes: A provision of the 2010 federal health law seeking to increase Medicare beneficiaries' share of health care costs is meeting resistance from an unlikely group of 33 state insurance regulators, health insurers and consumer advocates charged with revising Medigap insurance policies that cover most out-of-pocket expenses.

31 Aug 2011

Many women give birth in Haiti's tent camps without medical services

In the refugee camps in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince nearly two years after a devastating earthquake, "health and human rights officials warn of another crisis: an explosion of tent babies," the Miami Herald reports.

31 Aug 2011

Poll: Understanding of health law slipping — especially among uninsured

The poll also shows that, among people with employer-sponsored health insurance, very few respondents would accept changes - such as a more restricted list of doctors or hospitals - to their current coverage levels.

31 Aug 2011

Gene variants can cut risk of Parkinson's disease

An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found a genetic variation they say protects against Parkinson's disease. The gene variants cut the risk of developing the disease by nearly 20 percent in many populations.

31 Aug 2011

Erratic weather exacerbates food insecurity in Indonesia's eastern province

"Erratic weather has exacerbated food insecurity in one of Indonesia's driest regions," including the districts of West Timor (TTS), Nusa Tengarra Timor (NTT), and North Central Timor (TTU), "leaving farmers and families hoping for the best as October's planting season approaches," IRIN reports.

31 Aug 2011

Study shows marked gender differences in the use of suicide methods

Women who commit suicide are more likely than men to avoid facial disfiguration, but not necessarily in the name of vanity. Valerie Callanan from the University of Akron and Mark Davis from the Criminal Justice Research Center at the Ohio State University, USA, show that there are marked gender differences in the use of suicide methods that disfigure the face or head.

31 Aug 2011

Cost of second-line ARVs a 'huge barrier to care' in resource-poor countries

In this U.N. Dispatch blog post, Mark Leon Goldberg, managing editor of the blog, examines the costs of second-line antiretroviral treatments (ARVs), which "are several orders of magnitude more expensive than traditional, first-line ARV treatments" and are a "huge barrier to providing care" for resource-poor countries.

31 Aug 2011

CWRU, NeoProteomics sign licensing deal for four bioinformatics software programs

Case Western Reserve University and NeoProteomics Inc. have announced the university's licensing of four software programs designed to improve understanding of biology at a complex molecular level for improved treatment of cancers and various other diseases.

31 Aug 2011

Creighton pharmacology professor receives AAF's Early Excellence Award

Yaping Tu, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at Creighton University School of Medicine, has received a $450,000 Early Excellence Award from the American Asthma Foundation.

31 Aug 2011

Aid floods into Tripoli, hospitals reopen as fighting ends in Libya's capital city

"Tripoli's hospitals have put the worst behind them after an end to the fighting in Libya's capital opened the way to a flood of aid and enabled medical staff to get back to work, aid agencies said on Monday," Reuters reports, adding, "Although the violence in Tripoli has not completely ended, the relative peace has reassured aid agencies that they can now get into the capital."

31 Aug 2011

Sweat meter could alert diabetes patients about low blood sugar

Some diabetic patients receive no warning before they pass out from low blood sugar. A modern sweat meter could alert patients in time. Biathletes and ME patients might also benefit from the sweat meter.

31 Aug 2011

Age-related declines in hearing may accelerate brain atrophy

A new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that declines in hearing ability may accelerate gray mater atrophy in auditory areas of the brain and increase the listening effort necessary for older adults to successfully comprehend speech.

31 Aug 2011

New innovations in plant biotechnology could bring hope for patients with Celiac disease

From medicine and food to energy and agriculture, bio-based innovations are in great demand, providing new solutions to the challenges faced by societies in the 21st century. New innovations in plant biotechnology, such as the development of gluten-free wheat, could bring hope to those suffering from Celiac disease. On a global scale, as the world population nears seven billion people, biotechnology plays an increasing role in plant health and thereby, human food supplies.

31 Aug 2011

Research News and Research

Dems, union activists flex Medicare muscle at town hall meetings

Medicare costs will increase with weight of baby boomers

Harassment, discrimination can contribute to mental disorders in African-American gay or bisexual men

Chagas parasite infects 18M worldwide, often without detection

Stanford method identifies essential regions of Caulobacter's genome

Ramped-up anti-fraud efforts trigger significant jump in prosecutions

Comprehensive review on non-drug interventions for treatment of high blood pressure

Changes to Medigap plans meet resistance

Many women give birth in Haiti's tent camps without medical services

Poll: Understanding of health law slipping — especially among uninsured

Gene variants can cut risk of Parkinson's disease

Erratic weather exacerbates food insecurity in Indonesia's eastern province

Study shows marked gender differences in the use of suicide methods

Cost of second-line ARVs a 'huge barrier to care' in resource-poor countries

CWRU, NeoProteomics sign licensing deal for four bioinformatics software programs

Creighton pharmacology professor receives AAF's Early Excellence Award

Aid floods into Tripoli, hospitals reopen as fighting ends in Libya's capital city

Sweat meter could alert diabetes patients about low blood sugar

Age-related declines in hearing may accelerate brain atrophy

New innovations in plant biotechnology could bring hope for patients with Celiac disease

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