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Geographic variations in US diabetic foot expenditure identified

Researchers report that in the USA, Medicare spending on patients with diabetic foot disease varies significantly between different hospital referral regions.

25 Oct 2012

Empire BlueCross BlueShield introduces Medicare Advantage plans in New York City

Empire BlueCross BlueShield is introducing a number of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in New York City that include access to the acclaimed CareMore health delivery system, which helps members maintain their health.

15 Oct 2012

Study assesses ethnic disparities among construction workers with injuries

White non-Hispanic construction workers are awarded higher workers' compensation settlements in Illinois than Hispanic or black construction workers with similar injuries and disabilities, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

15 Oct 2012

Type 2 diabetes screening: an interview with Dr Simon Griffin, MRC Epidemiology Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body does not make sufficient insulin or the insulin it makes doesn’t work sufficiently well to maintain a normal level of blood glucose and so the blood glucose rises.

12 Oct 2012

Safety tips to avoid common farm injuries

The hectic fall harvest is under way, and that means the dangers of everyday farm work -- one of the nation's most hazardous occupations -- are compounded by the rush to bring in crops on time. Many agricultural injuries can be prevented with basic safety equipment and mindfulness about the need for caution on the job, says emergency medicine physician Howard Schumaker, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic Health System in Sparta.

11 Oct 2012

S100A1 protein critical for endothelial cell function in ischemic angiogenesis

Restoring diminished levels of a protein shown to prevent and reverse heart failure damage could also have therapeutic applications for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), suggests a new preclinical study published online October 9 in Circulation Research from researchers at the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.

11 Oct 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

Researchers investigate African plants effective in treating snakebite

A PhD student at the University of Copenhagen has drawn on nature's own pharmacy to help improve the treatment of snakebites in Africa.

17 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

Revision surgery improves upper limb amputation outcome

Revision surgery can significantly reduce pain and increases prosthesis use in veterans who undergo combat-related major upper-extremity amputation, US research demonstrates.

24 Aug 2012

Plexin B2-CD100 interaction for prompt activation of γδ T cells and wound healing

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a breakthrough in understanding a class of cells that help wounds in skin and other epithelial tissues heal, uncovering a molecular mechanism that pushes the body into wound-repair mode.

17 Aug 2012

About half of adults with type 2 diabetes experience acute and chronic pain

Almost half of adults with type 2 diabetes report acute and chronic pain, and close to one quarter report neuropathy, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance and physical or emotional disability, according to a study of more than 13,000 adults conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, the University of California, San Francisco and the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA. The researchers also found significant rates of shortness of breath, nausea and constipation.

8 Aug 2012

Prior contralateral amputation predicts outcomes after LEB for critical limb ischemia

Researchers from the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) report that prior contralateral amputation predicts worse outcomes for lower extremity bypasses (LEB's) performed in the intact limb.

6 Aug 2012

Planarian flatworms now a model system for studying eye development and eye diseases

Planarian flatworms have come under intense study for their renowned ability to regenerate any missing body part, even as adults. But now they may take on a starring role as a model system for studying eye development and eye diseases in vertebrates, including humans.

3 Aug 2012

U of U researchers to develop new prosthetic device for veterans with limb amputations

Thousands of veterans and warfighters returning to the U.S. suffer with limb amputations, and for many, standard prosthetics are not an option. Skin issues or short remaining-limb length can cause amputees to forgo the typical socket-type attachment systems.

28 Jul 2012

Blood flow in blocked arteries to extremities improved by new angioplasty procedure

Patients with blocked arteries to their extremities, known as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or critical limb ischemia (CLI), may now find relief from lower leg pain and wounds caused by impaired leg artery circulation with the previously unproven therapy, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).

24 Jul 2012

Clinical study to examine retrograde tibiopedal interventional approach for CLI

Clinical investigators are for the first time examining the retrograde tibiopedal interventional approach, an endovascular technique that has the potential to reduce the rate of leg amputations by as much as 50 percent in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), a manifestation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

26 Jun 2012

Report: Autoimmune diseases are all being diagnosed at rapid rates

There is a disturbing trend in autoimmune disease diagnosis; many are on the upswing. Recent reports show that type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disease not related to obesity), celiac disease and lupus, among others autoimmune diseases, are all being diagnosed at rapid rates.

22 Jun 2012

HCHD to offer APTA-accredited post-professional physical therapy residency programs

The Harris County Hospital District joins only one other public healthcare system in the nation to offer two post-professional physical therapy residency programs with the recent accreditation of the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency by the American Physical Therapy Association.

20 Jun 2012

Humana, Novo Nordisk enter research partnership to explore diabetes treatment and care

Humana Inc. and Novo Nordisk Inc. today announced a one-year research partnership to explore diabetes treatment and care. Together, researchers will identify opportunities to change how patients might be treated to improve quality and outcomes for the millions of people who battle diabetes.

18 Jun 2012