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For doctors in Congress, little harmony on health care

"In the struggle to overhaul the nation's health care system, 16 physicians have ended up in ringside seats - as members of the House and Senate. But they have taken different lessons from their experiences in medicine, and they do not agree on what a bill should look like," The New York Times reports.

14 Jul 2009

President Obama says health care doable but 'hard'

"President Barack Obama said Friday as he left an international summit in L'Aquila, Italy, that he believes a health-care bill will pass Congress this year, but said 'special interests who profit from the existing system' are actively 'scaring people,'" Politico reports.

12 Jul 2009

Administration faces challenges from Democrats on health proposals

President Obama has asked Congress to deliver a bill by October that would "cut healthcare costs and provide medical coverage to most of the 46 million uninsured Americans," a goal that may no longer be realistic as members of the president's own party move to stall efforts, the Reuters/The Washington Post reports (Allen, 7/9).

12 Jul 2009

Dramatic drop in deaths from most common cancers

The death toll from three of the UK's most common cancers has dropped to its lowest level for almost 40 years* - according to new figures released by Cancer Research UK.

12 Jul 2009

Studies provide clues to how Alzheimer’s disease develops and may be treated

The anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin could hold promise as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, says a Saint Louis University doctor and researcher.

12 Jul 2009

Topographical brain maps are new frontier to catch early schizophrenia

John Csernansky wants to take your measurements. Not the circumference of your chest, waist and hips. No, this doctor wants to stretch a tape measure around your hippocampus, thalamus and prefrontal cortex.

9 Jul 2009

Administration officials take health reform reins in Obama's absence

White House staff and administration officials are trying to maintain their visibility on health care reform this week with public events and meetings as President Obama travels, Roll Call reports.

9 Jul 2009

Health care overhaul ignores illegal immigrants

"As Congress wrangles with overhauling the health care system, there is one population not being discussed. No proposal for a national health plan would cover the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants," NPR reports.

9 Jul 2009

Family Research Council President says NIH stem cell guidelines ethically irresponsible

Today, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins responded to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines implementing President Obama's executive order for federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). President Obama's order and the NIH guidelines remove life-protecting limits on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

7 Jul 2009

WSJ examines pharmaceutical companies expansion into developing countries

The Wall Street Journal examines the "strategic shift in the $770 billion pharmaceutical industry to target the working poor in the developing world" through the eyes of a Pfizer pharmaceutical representative working in the slums overlooking Caracas, Venezuela.

7 Jul 2009

Combining two common medical tests provides new way to screen for serious kidney disease

The combination of two common medical tests can improve a doctor's ability to predict which patients will develop serious kidney disease, a research team led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) reports in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

7 Jul 2009

Bowel cancer screening unacceptable to one in ten

At least one person in ten has a negative attitude to bowel cancer screening, particularly those from South Asian backgrounds, says research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

7 Jul 2009

FDA approves Hologic's permanent contraception system

Hologic, Inc.today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company's premarket approval (PMA) application for the Adiana permanent contraception system.

From Hologic, Inc. 7 Jul 2009

Medicare offers lessons for possible 'public plan'

As President Barack Obama and some Democratic lawmakers push for a government-run public plan, Medicare is being scrutinized.

7 Jul 2009

Discovery of genes that cause melanoma

Scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have found two new genes that together double a person's risk of developing melanoma.

6 Jul 2009

Surgeons warn: Skateboarding tough on feet, ankles

Children and young adults love the thrill of skateboarding. They learn to master their skills of "riding the rail" and "catching air." But according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), such tricks, while fun, can be physically demanding and cause serious foot and ankle injuries.

30 Jun 2009

Improved communication encourages patients to seek colorectal cancer screening in primary care setting

Improved communication among patients and primary care physicians increases the chances those due for colorectal cancer screening will follow their doctors' advice and complete the procedure, a University at Buffalo study has found.

30 Jun 2009

In South Florida, risk of unemployment would accompany health reform benefits

The Miami Herald reports that healthcare reform could acutely affect South Florida and provide both benefits and risks.

30 Jun 2009

Obama leaves door open to tax on health benefits

"President Barack Obama on Wednesday rejected the idea of fully taxing Americans' employer-provided health insurance benefits, but suggested he might be persuaded to tax so-called Cadillac coverage ... in the interest of a compromise with Congress," McClatchy/The Star-Telegram reports.

29 Jun 2009

Warranties and reimbursements for family caregivers provide alternative payment methods

The New York Times reports on a proposal for a new health care reimbursement model that offers warranties to patients, a topic also examined in a piece by Francois de Brantes in the journal, Health Affairs.

29 Jun 2009