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Hearing loss linked to dementia & Alzheimer’s: Study

New research suggests that adults with hearing loss may face a higher risk of dementia and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease than those who do not suffer hearing loss. The risk of dementia rises with greater loss of hearing say researchers. The study appears in the February issue of the journal Archives of Neurology.

15 Feb 2011

Green on satellite images warns of hantavirus outbreaks

The risk of deadly hantavirus outbreaks in people can be predicted months ahead of time by using satellite images to monitor surges in vegetation that boost mouse populations, a University of Utah study says. The method also might forecast outbreaks of other rodent-borne illnesses worldwide.

15 Feb 2011

Study explores levels of burden and depression in caregivers with sensory impairment

When a person experiences impairment or declining health, caregiving typically falls to a family member, most often a spouse. This increased burden can cause burnout, stress, and illness in the caregiver. The health care system focuses first on the client and provides little support for the caregiver.

14 Feb 2011

HIV infection in mothers reduces disease resistance in babies: Study

New research suggests that babies whose mothers have HIV, but are not HIV-infected themselves, are born with lower levels of specific proteins in their blood called antibodies, which fight infection, compared with babies not exposed to HIV.

13 Feb 2011

Patients with sensorineural hearing loss can benefit from mucosa-derived stem cell transplant

Stem Cell scientists in Australia have found that patients suffering from hearing problems which began during infancy and childhood could benefit from a transplant of stem cells from their nose. The research, published today in STEM CELLS, reveals that mucosa-derived stem cells can help preserve hearing function during the early-onset of sensorineural hearing loss.

10 Feb 2011

Photodynamic therapy could be useful in eradicating tumor-associated lymphatic vessels

Tumor cells have several routes that enable them to move from the primary tumor to distant tissues, a process called metastasis. It is metastasis of the primary tumor that kills most cancer patients. One of the least studied routes of metastasis is the lymphatic system. Many tumors produce factors that promote the formation of new lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis).

10 Feb 2011

UK's first totally implantable hearing aid operation performed at Queen Alexandra Hospital

A woman from Portsmouth has received the UK's first totally implantable hearing aid thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC), based at the University of Southampton.

8 Feb 2011

Some House Republicans see health law as prime spot for deep budget cuts

Even as GOP lawmakers advance their strategies, Dems see a plan of their own — they plan to cast Republicans as trying to take away patients' rights. Meanwhile, physicians take to the Hill to press for medical liability reforms, with lots of lobbying money streaming in.

8 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 7, 2011

Today's headlines focus on how states face major budget challenges -- with health policy at the heart of the issue.

7 Feb 2011

HHMI launches $60M documentary film initiative to bring science features to television

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is launching a $60 million documentary film initiative that aims to bring high quality, compelling science features to television. Sean B. Carroll, HHMI's vice president for science education, unveiled the project today at the "Summit on Science, Entertainment and Education" in Los Angeles.

5 Feb 2011

Tonsillectomy linked to obesity later in life: Study

The study involved 795 children from 0 to 18 years who were described as normal to overweight prior to their operations, and they were separated into three separate groups. Group 1 included three studies involving 127 children, whose body mass index (BMI) increased by 5.5 per cent to 8.2 per cent.

2 Feb 2011

Intricon introduces new patent-pending APT Open in-the-canal hearing aid

IntriCon Corporation, a designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of body-worn devices, today announced that it has launched its all-new, patent-pending APT Open in-the-canal hearing aid.

1 Feb 2011

Free radicals may damage eyes of patients with Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy

Scientists have found that free radicals (unstable molecules that cause the death of cells as the body ages) may also cause the damage in the eyes of patients with Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), a hereditary disease that is one of the most common reasons for corneal transplants worldwide.

1 Feb 2011

Reduction in secondhand smoking associated with fewer cases of middle ear infection among children

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers and colleagues from Research Institute for a Tobacco Free Society have found that a reduction in secondhand smoking in American homes was associated with fewer cases of otitis media, the scientific name for middle ear infection. The study appears on January 26, 2011, as an online first article on the website of the journal Tobacco Control.

28 Jan 2011

FDA grants 510(k) clearance to Sonitus Medical's SoundBite Hearing System

Sonitus Medical, Inc., a medical device company that manufactures the world's first non-surgical and removable hearing prosthetic to transmit sound via the teeth, today announced that it has received FDA clearance for its SoundBite Hearing System. The FDA 510(k) clearance is the first for the company and the product.

27 Jan 2011

Alcon fourth quarter sales raise 5.7% to $1.81 billion in 2010

Alcon, Inc. reported that global sales rose 5.7 percent to $1.81 billion for the fourth quarter of 2010. Revenue from acquisitions added 100 basis points to sales growth in the quarter, while foreign currency fluctuations reduced reported sales growth by 20 basis points.

27 Jan 2011

Welch Allyn to feature new suite of devices at 2011 Arab Health Congress in Dubai, UAE

Welch Allyn, a leading global provider of medical products and solutions, will showcase its newest suite of devices that capture, format and transmit vital signs from the point of care to electronic medical records this week at the 2011 Arab Health Exhibition & Congress in Dubai, UAE.

24 Jan 2011

Mutation of microRNA miR-96 causes deafness

New research from the University of Sheffield has revealed that the molecular mechanism underlying deafness is caused by a mutation of a specific microRNA called miR-96. The discovery could provide the basis for treating progressive hearing loss and deafness.

21 Jan 2011

BOKA Powell releases new images of Methodist Hospital for Surgery in Texas

BOKA Powell released new images today of the completed Methodist Hospital for Surgery in Addison, Texas, a dedicated surgical hospital which opened last month.