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CMS unveils updated website to help consumers compare quality data

Officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Friday that site includes updated data to help consumers compare hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, home care or dialysis providers.

8 Aug 2011

Group Health study finds higher dementia risk with atrial fibrillation

The most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, is associated with a greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This discovery by scientists at Group Health Research Institute and their collaborators was published online in advance of print on August 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

8 Aug 2011

Prosthetic heart valve market to reach $1.3 billion by 2017

The prosthetic heart valve market is expected to reach a value of $1.3 billion by 2017, according to a new report available from companiesandmarkets.com.

8 Aug 2011

Even minor weight loss can improve men’s sex lives: Study

The team of Australian researchers placed 31 obese men with type 2 diabetes on either a meal replacement-based low-calorie diet or a low-fat, high-protein, reduced-carbohydrate diet meant to decrease calorie intake by 600 calories a day. A modest weight loss of 5 percent led to an easing of erectile dysfunction and improved sexual desire within eight weeks, and these improvements continued for 12 months, according to the study published Aug. 5 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Problems with urinary tract function also improved, the team added.

8 Aug 2011

Proact supplies storage systems to Sint Franciscus hospital

The Sint Franciscus Gasthuis is a major hospital with a rich history and offers care covering a wide range of specialisms. As a team its 100 medical specialists and 2000 staff aim to respond positively to the needs of the patient, with high-quality care and a service-oriented attitude.

8 Aug 2011

Patient perceptions don't match Medicare hospital data

More than 120 hospitals given top marks by patients for providing excellent care also have a darker distinction: high death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, a USA Today analysis of new Medicare data has found (Sternberg and Schnaars, 8/5).

6 Aug 2011

Intralipid may protect patients from heart attacks

A man-made fat called Intralipid, which is currently used as a component of intravenous nutrition and to treat rare overdoses of local anesthetics, may also offer protection for patients suffering from heart attacks.

6 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 5, 2011

In the news today... The cost of premiums for Medicare's prescription drug program won't rise in 2012. Meanwhile, Medicare data reveal a gap in hospital performance and perception.

5 Aug 2011

Transvaginal nephrectomy could increase rate of living donors for kidney transplants

Kidney transplant from a living donor, besides of being the best option for young people and those affected by particular conditions, results in increased organ survival and solves in part the organ shortage afflicting Spain since the mid-90 despite the high rate of cadaveric donation.

5 Aug 2011

Clinical warning system that uses wireless sensors can track vital signs of at-risk patients

A clinical warning system that uses wireless sensors to track the vital signs of at-risk patients is undergoing a feasibility study at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

5 Aug 2011

More than 120 hospitals have high death rates for heart failure or pneumonia: USA TODAY

A USA TODAY analysis of more than 4,600 U.S. hospitals has found that 120 of those most highly rated by patients have higher than average death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. More than a dozen of these hospitals have high death rates for at least two of those conditions.

5 Aug 2011

ESC to produce focused update on AF Guidelines following early termination of PALLAS Trial

The Guidelines Department of the European Society of Cardiology has issued the following statement today: "The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is aware of the early termination of the PALLAS trial because of adverse outcomes associated with dronedarone.

5 Aug 2011

University of Kentucky pioneers new use of artificial-lung technology

Surgeons at the University of Kentucky on Aug. 3 announced that they were among the first to use artificial-lung technology to demonstrate the feasibility of a lung transplant, using a device invented by two university faculty members, Dr. Joseph Zwischenberger and Dr. Dongfang Wang.

5 Aug 2011

Elsevier announces Braunwald's Heart Disease Practice Guides App for iPad users

Elsevier, the leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced its Braunwald's Heart Disease Practice Guides App for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch is now available on the App Store.

5 Aug 2011

Roadmap to overcome obstacles for using induced pluripotent stem cells

The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.

5 Aug 2011