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U.S. FDA approves Lyrica (pregabalin), the first drug to treat fibromyalgia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Lyrica (pregabalin), the first drug to treat fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by pain, fatigue and sleep problems.

23 Jun 2007

FDA clears computerized medication box

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing the INRange Systems' Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA), a programmable device that stores and dispenses prescription medication for patients' use in the home.

23 Jun 2007

Lack of agreement over compensation package stalling deal on Libyan HIV infection case, families of HIV-positive children say

The families of HIV-positive children in Libya on Friday announced that a lack of agreement over a compensation package has stalled an agreement that could lead to the release of six medical workers who were sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting the children with HIV, AFP/EU Business reports (AFP/EU Business, 6/22).

22 Jun 2007

Men fall short when it comes to managing their personal health

From skipping important health screenings to avoiding a visit to the doctor altogether, new results from a survey released by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) indicate men continue to fall short when it comes to managing their personal health.

20 Jun 2007

Medical standards in 21 states based on local rule, not national standards

Although most patients don't know it, 21 U.S. states follow some form of an 1880 ruling that says the standard of care physicians must meet by law depends on where the doctor practices, even if, in some cases, it is a small town with only two doctors.

20 Jun 2007

New screening kit for vaginal infections

The Vagisil Screening Kit For Vaginal Infections - an inhome screening kit offering rapid results - is now available to help women make a more accurate assessment of what type of infection their vaginal discharge and vulvar symptoms might indicate.

20 Jun 2007

Six medics back in court in Tripoli amid hopes for compensation deal

The Palestinian doctor sentenced to death along with five Bulgarian nurses for allegedly infecting 426 Libyan children with the HIV virus has been Bulgarian citizenship.

20 Jun 2007

Death rate for women with diabetes higher than that of men

A new analysis of data from three large national databases finds that in the 29 years between 1971 and 2000, the death rate of men with diabetes has dropped significantly, in line with the overall decline of the death rate for all Americans.

19 Jun 2007

Lead poisoning in New York City at lowest level in more than a decade

Although childhood lead poisoning remains a serious problem, the number of new cases identified in 2006 marks the lowest level in more than a decade.

19 Jun 2007

Diabetics' death rate for females stalled

New research has revealed that though the death rate for U.S. men with diabetes has fallen sharply since the early 1970s, for women that is not the case.

19 Jun 2007

New Yorkers exposed to hepatitis C during surgery

Health authorities in New York are warning 4,500 people that they may have been exposed to hepatitis C.

18 Jun 2007

Doctor cautions on use of Tamiflu

In the British Medical Journal a senior doctor advises caution over the use of the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

17 Jun 2007

Preventing and treating common foot conditions

Add foot problems to the long list of conditions that being overweight can cause or exacerbate, says Foot Care Basics: Preventing and treating common foot conditions , a newly updated report from Harvard Medical School.

17 Jun 2007

Changing face of dialysis care in the United States

As medical, economic, and policy trends converge to alter the way dialysis care is organized and financed, protecting the unique relationship between dialysis patients and the kidney specialists who direct their care is a top priority, according to a special feature in the July Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

17 Jun 2007

Women well-informed about breast cancer although lack knowledge about current treatments

According to a new GfK Roper Public Affairs survey sponsored by CancerCare, a national nonprofit cancer support organization, while the majority (76 percent) of women surveyed said they know at least a fair amount about breast cancer, many remain unaware of the important recent progress made in treatment.

16 Jun 2007

Simple test predicts a person's risk for developing dementia within six years with 87 percent accuracy

The test, developed in the study by the researchers, is a 14-point index combining medical history, cognitive testing, and physical examination. It requires no special equipment and can be given in a clinical setting such as a doctor's office or at a patient's bedside.

16 Jun 2007

Splitting high-dose pills and swallowing half could save cost

Slicing certain pills in half could slice a hefty amount off of America's prescription drug costs. While only some types of pills can be split safely, the practice could be used by millions of Americans – including many of those who take popular cholesterol-lowering drugs.

15 Jun 2007

Irrational use of medicines is a major problem all over the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) and many other bodies are concentrating on improving the use of medicines. Problem-based teaching of Pharmacology and Therapeutics to undergraduate medical students has been recognized as a key intervention to improve the use of medicines.

15 Jun 2007

Doctors do not address patients by name in half of first-time visits

...even though nearly all patients want this personal greeting, according to new research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

14 Jun 2007

Call for greater research into paediatric drugs for epilepsy

Researchers have called for urgent studies into the long-term safety of newer antiepileptic drugs after discovering that the number given to children has increased significantly over recent years, reports the June issue of British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

14 Jun 2007