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Obese children face increased risk of stroke and heart disease

By as early as 7 years of age, being obese may raise a child's risk of future heart disease and stroke, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

27 Jan 2010

Veterans with PTSD could receive more benefits

The Associated Press/New York Times: "The military has agreed to expedite a review [of] the records of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder to determine whether they were improperly denied benefits.

27 Jan 2010

Hoyer: Options to advance health reform have 'pluses and minuses'

The Washington Post / Reuters: In a National Press Club speech today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., outlined various options including that of not passing a bill. "The Democratic leader said another option would be to try to pass a scaled-backed measure 'that will make modest improvements for Americans, assuming Republicans want to work with us.'

27 Jan 2010

Care to Care granted license to manage outpatient diagnostic imaging services in Virginia

Care to Care, a radiology benefits management company, has been granted a license by the Virginia Department of Health to manage outpatient diagnostic imaging services in the State of Virginia as a Private Review Agent (PRA).

27 Jan 2010

Regrouping Democrats consider next steps on health overhaul

Democrats are trying to regain health reform momentum during the week of the president's State of the Union address.

27 Jan 2010

APHA urges Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president

The American Public Health Association today urged Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president in the coming weeks.

27 Jan 2010

Aurora physician receives Hind Rattan Award for MS research

Today the NRI Welfare Society of India recognized Bhupendra Khatri, M.D., of Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center with its prestigious Hind Rattan Award.

27 Jan 2010

Democratic leaders still pondering reconciliation pros and cons for health bill

Congressional Democrats are facing a critical decision about whether to use the procedural maneuver known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill, The New York Times reports.

27 Jan 2010

Doctors react to recent health overhaul developments

Some doctors are already living in a post-health-reform world because of their own initiatives, including efforts to control costs and improve the quality of care, reports The (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise.

27 Jan 2010

Bayh urges Dems to move to the center; Nelson says he cannot support national exchange

The Wall Street Journal: "Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, the very embodiment of calm understatement, seems an unlikely character to play the role of scold. But in recent weeks—particularly after last week's Massachusetts mauling—he has been scolding his Democratic Party, and sternly.

27 Jan 2010

As state legislatures gear up, federal health overhaul is on their agenda

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog: "The question of equality, or inequality, among states is a major reason President Obama's overhaul of the health care system, and the legislation in Congress to make it happen, seemed to reach the brink of collapse last week." The issue also reflects "one of the biggest challenges" the President and Congressional leaders face in their efforts to overhaul the health care system. The key question: "how to devise a national solution for a problem that varies sharply from state to state."

27 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 25, 2010

Today's news begins to set the scene for the President's upcoming State of the Union address, and provides continuing coverage of Democrats' efforts to regroup on health reform.

25 Jan 2010

BioScrip signs definitive agreement to acquire Critical Homecare Solutions

BioScrip, Inc. today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Critical Homecare Solutions (“CHS”), a leading provider of home infusion and home health agency services to patients suffering from chronic and acute medical conditions.

25 Jan 2010

Prostate cancer: Surgery in county hospitals, radiation or hormone therapy in private facilities

Researchers at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and colleagues have found that prostate cancer treatments varied significantly between county hospitals and private providers. Patients treated in county hospitals are more likely to undergo surgery while patients treated in private facilities tend to receive radiation or hormone therapy. These findings were published online by the journal Cancer on January 25.

25 Jan 2010

Labeled menus may lead to reduced calorie intake in children

In a new study, the amount of calories selected by parents for their child's hypothetical meal at McDonald's restaurants were reduced by an average of 102 calories when the menus clearly showed the calories for each item. This is the first study to suggest that labeled menus may lead to significantly reduced calorie intake in fast food restaurant meals purchased for children.

25 Jan 2010

SEIU proposes a 44% increase in companies’ contributions to family health care coverage

First, these janitors are paid significantly higher wages and benefits than their counterparts in other major Midwestern cities. Second, their compensation package includes excellent health care coverage for which they pay less than 6% of the costs. Third, the union proposed un-affordably high pay increases in excess of 15% and other significant benefit changes, including, for example, a 44% increase in the companies’ contributions to family health care coverage.

25 Jan 2010

Isha Foundation wins the coveted $1mm online competition

On Thursday night, people from all over Southern India rallied to bring out the vote for Isha Foundation’s race to win the Chase Community Giving charity contest hosted on line by Facebook. The Isha Foundation, an international non-profit humanitarian social organization with U.S. headquarters in middle-Tennessee and international headquarters in Tamil Nadu, India worked tirelessly to win the coveted $1mm first place prize.

24 Jan 2010

Democrats float ideas on future of health reform

Politico: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have begun considering a list of changes to the Senate bill in hopes of making it acceptable to liberal House members, according to sources familiar with the situation.

24 Jan 2010

Connecticut relief agencies join forces to deliver medical aid

Save the Children and AmeriCares have partnered to bring medical aid to more than 85,000 Haitians affected by the earthquake. Westport-based Save the Children's emergency response team in Haiti has distributed more than 16.5 tons of medical supplies in the town of Leogane and at the general hospital in Port-au-Prince – supplies donated by AmeriCares, the global health and disaster relief organization based in Stamford, Conn.

24 Jan 2010

Democrats suggest efforts on health reform will continue

Politico has a compilation of comments by Washington officials on the Sunday morning talk shows, including discussions about the health care overhaul legislation, which is facing a serious challenge following the election last Tuesday of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

24 Jan 2010