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Governors to focus on health exchanges' big picture

During the National Governors Association meeting on Saturday, "broad-stroke policy decisions" will be discussed — in terms of what states need to know to set up an exchange in the face of tight budgets. Meanwhile, a new AARP report concludes that consumers will have an easier time in these marketplaces if they don't have too many options.

16 Jul 2011

New study confirms key risk factors for heavy drinking among adolescents

A low level of response (LR) to alcohol is one of several genetically influenced characteristics that may increase an individual's risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. A new study has confirmed key elements of a LR-based model of risk through examination of a large sample of adolescent boys and girls in the United Kingdom, moving beyond smaller U.S.-based samples and to younger subjects.

16 Jul 2011

Report criticizes Miami hospital's international marketing effort

The Miami-Dade inspector general finds fault with company that used to run Jackson Health System's international marketing program.

16 Jul 2011

Propranolol can block brain from retrieving cocaine-associated memories

New discoveries by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) offer potential for development of a first-ever pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction.

16 Jul 2011

WHO says it is better prepared for influenza pandemic

"More than 100 public health experts have wrapped up a three-day meeting in Geneva to review a Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines that was developed in 2006, and to develop a strategic plan of action for the next five years," VOA News reports, noting that the WHO "says the world is better prepared for the next influenza pandemic than it was in the past".

16 Jul 2011

Successful strategies for launching fixed dose combination products to market

The pharmaceutical industry is under constant pressure to produce new products and fixed dose combination therapies are one of the industry's strategies to offset lackluster pipelines and patent loss.

16 Jul 2011

What do proposed cuts mean for Medicare's future?

The LA Times examines whether recent proposals to raise Medicare's eligibility age might find traction in the future — maybe now, maybe after the 2012 election. Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat offers an analysis about why cutting Medicare is so difficult.

16 Jul 2011

Six UC institutions to improve hospital care

A key component of health care reform involves the improvement of quality, access and value when delivering health services, particularly for patients admitted to a hospital. To help meet these needs, the University of California established the Center for Health Quality and Innovation, which provides financial support for health quality initiatives across the UC health system.

16 Jul 2011

Politics and personalities swirl around budget negotiations

The Wall Street Journal reports that House Democrats are gaining leverage — and, according to The Washington Post, Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., is a key liberal leader. Meanwhile, statements by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., a GOP presidential hopeful, highlight the GOP's rift.

16 Jul 2011

Heavy rains, disease affecting drought refugees in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia

People who have fled the drought in Somalia to camps near the capital Mogadishu are being hit by cold, heavy rains, and at least five people have died of exposure, according to aid workers, BBC News reports.

16 Jul 2011

Capsules: Drug industry rebates: The sequel

Mary Agnes Carey writes that, "at a Friday news conference, President Barack Obama made it clear that drug industry rebates to Medicare are very much in the mix as negotiators try to find ways to reduce federal spending on entitlement programs.

16 Jul 2011

Research: 17 genetic mutations linked to colon cancer formation

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center say there are at least 70 genetic mutations involved in the formation of colon cancer, far more than scientists previously thought.

16 Jul 2011

Study indicates bi-directional relationships between alcohol and stress

Acute stress is thought to precipitate alcohol drinking. Yet the ways that acute stress can increase alcohol consumption are unclear. A new study investigated whether different phases of response to an acute stressor can alter the subjective effects of alcohol. Findings indicate bi-directional relationships between alcohol and stress.

16 Jul 2011

International affairs budget is issue of national security, State Department official says

Tom Nides, the State Department's new deputy secretary for management, said the State Department will argue against potential budget cuts by highlighting the essential role international affairs spending plays in preserving U.S. national security, Foreign Policy's "The Cable" blog reports.

16 Jul 2011

Tips for preventing allergy during ragweed pollen season

Feel like there's no end in sight when it comes to fall allergy misery? Blame global warming. Research suggests that with global warming, nasal allergy during the ragweed pollen season - also called hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis - lasts up to three weeks longer than it used to, and the further north you live, the longer you have to wait for relief.

16 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Debt dilemma; IPAB intense defense; Minnesota middle-ground

Let's talk for a minute about what Republican leaders are rejecting. President Obama has made it clear that he's willing to sign on to a deficit-reduction deal that consists overwhelmingly of spending cuts, and includes draconian cuts in key social programs, up to and including a rise in the age of Medicare eligibility. These are extraordinary concessions.

16 Jul 2011

New ways for treating diabetes

Surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center are innovating new ways to treat diabetes using techniques from weight-loss surgery, including experimental procedures to improve blood glucose levels and address a major complication of the disease.

16 Jul 2011

Retinal cells require vitamin C to function properly

Nerve cells in the eye require vitamin C in order to function properly - a surprising discovery that may mean vitamin C is required elsewhere in the brain for its proper functioning, according to a study by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

16 Jul 2011

Female teens more vulnerable to negative effects of binge drinking

Binge or "heavy episodic" drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol's effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period.

16 Jul 2011

New DNA sequencer will provide deeper insight into gene regulation

The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany, will be the first academic research institution in Continental Europe to acquire a novel DNA sequencer enabling the sequencing of single DNA molecules in real time.

16 Jul 2011