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News highlights: Study finds reform didn't slow ER visits in Mass.; 2 ACOs take shape in Calif.; Md. hospitals report problems

Health care reform in Massachusetts only had a small impact on the number of trips residents took to the emergency room, according to a new study.

4 Jun 2011

Bexarotene and erlotinib drugs effective in treating advanced lung cancer

Scientists have identified a drug combination, when used in advanced lung cancer patients, shows a survival advantage in patients who no longer respond to existing therapies.

3 Jun 2011

New approach for identifying 'self' proteins targeted in autoimmune diseases

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and MIT have developed a new approach for identifying the "self" proteins targeted in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

3 Jun 2011

Transcendental Meditation reduces symptoms of PTSD in veterans just within 8 weeks

Veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars showed a 50 percent reduction in their symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after just eight weeks of practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique, according to a pilot study published in the June 2011 issue of Military Medicine.

2 Jun 2011

PCF funds 14 new Creativity Awards for advanced prostate cancer research

The Prostate Cancer Foundation today announced that it has funded 14 new Creativity Awards for advanced prostate cancer research. These two-year awards are designed to support innovative research ideas that have the potential to achieve breakthroughs for improved prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

2 Jun 2011

Men with migraine suffer from PTSD than women

A recently published paper highlights that while the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more common in those with migraine than those without migraine irrespective of sex, the risk is greater in male migraineurs than female migraineurs. Study details are now available in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Headache Society.

1 Jun 2011

Natural killer cells promote induction of dry eye disease: New discovery

If you are one of the millions of people around the world who struggle with dry eye disease, good news is on the way. A new research discovery published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology offers hope for new drugs that treat the cellular cause of the disease rather than its symptoms.

1 Jun 2011

School children with bullying behavior more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing

Children who are bullies or have conduct problems at school, are more likely to be sleepy during the day according to University of Michigan Medical School researchers.

1 Jun 2011

State roundup: Texas budget cuts; Florida's 'F' in kids' teeth; new insurance programs for Conn., Maine

Texas lawmakers adopted a state budget Saturday night ... Facing a massive revenue shortfall, lawmakers crafted the $172 billion budget by making cuts and using deferrals rather than raising taxes or dipping into the $10 billion reserve fund.

1 Jun 2011

Latest Breast cancer screening guidelines deemed unsafe by 80% women

Nearly 80 percent of women feel the new guidelines against breast cancer are unsafe as they stated that screening for those under 50 is not mandatory. The controversy over screening mammography flared up in late 2009, when a government-funded group of independent experts decided to change its recommendations. Instead of advising annual mammograms in all women age 40 and above, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) said women shouldn't routinely get screened until they hit 50, and those between 50 and 74 should only have mammograms every two years. But most of the women also seriously overestimate their risk of developing the disease, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester found.

31 May 2011

'Ultra-bad' cholesterol increases risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes

Scientists from the University of Warwick have discovered why a newly found form of cholesterol seems to be 'ultra-bad', leading to increased risk of heart disease. The discovery could lead to new treatments to prevent heart disease particularly in people with type 2 diabetes and the elderly.

30 May 2011

People with unexplained symptoms can benefit from traditional acupuncture

Attending frequently with medically unexplained symptoms is distressing for both patient and doctor and effective treatment or management options are limited: one in five patients have symptoms that remain unexplained by conventional medicine.

30 May 2011

New positive Cimzia phase IIIb study data on rheumatoid arthritis presented at EULAR meeting

UCB today announced data which showed that the addition of Cimzia to current therapy was associated with a rapid and consistent clinical response in a diverse group of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

30 May 2011

Ultra bad cholesterol

Bad cholesterol, known as LDL is known to be sticky but this ultra –bad called MGmin-LDL is found to be stickier meaning it's more likely to attach to arterial walls. This is more dangerous because when LDL attaches to artery walls it forms fatty plaques that cause coronary heart disease (CHD). As fatty plaques grow, they narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow and also may trigger a stroke or heart attack. CHD is the most common type of heart disease and kills almost 450,000 Americans each year.

29 May 2011

Research Roundup: Medicaid co-payments, access to docs causes worse health

Disparities In Child Access To Emergency Care For Acute Oral Injury -- This study looked at the "impact of insurance status on dental practices' willingness to schedule an appointment for a child with a symptomatic fractured permanent front tooth." Six researchers posed as mothers of 10-year-old boys who all had the same injury but different coverage: Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or private Blue Cross dental insurance.

27 May 2011

Neurologix presents NLX-P101 Phase 2 trial in Parkinson's disease at 10th INS World Congress

Neurologix, Inc. announced the presentation today of efficacy results through one year of follow-up in patients treated as part of the Company's successful Phase 2 clinical trial for its novel, investigational gene therapy NLX-P101 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

27 May 2011

Opinion: How universities can advance global health

"I am glad to see that U.S. research universities, too, now all seem to boast programs in global health. But claiming to have programs in global health is not the same thing as creating programs that can make a difference to populations facing poverty and ill health," Paul Farmer, chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and founding director of Partners In Health, writes in the Harvard Crimson.

27 May 2011

U-M develops new tool that helps physicians better evaluate patient's depression outcomes

Primary care doctors have long been on the front lines of depression treatment. Depression is listed as a diagnosis for 1 in 10 office visits and primary care doctors prescribe more than half of all antidepressants.

26 May 2011

Paxil and Pravachol in combination cause unexpected increase in blood glucose levels

A widely used combination of two common medications may cause unexpected increases in blood glucose levels, according to a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School. Researchers were surprised at the finding because neither of the two drugs - one, an antidepressant marketed as Paxil, and the other, a cholesterol-lowering medication called Pravachol - has a similar effect alone.

26 May 2011

New cancer study finds benefit in old therapy

Cancer patients who used a 5,000-year-old combination of gentle exercise and meditation experienced significantly higher wellbeing levels, improved cognitive functioning and less inflammation compared to a control group, new University of Sydney research has found.

24 May 2011

Medical School News and Research

News highlights: Study finds reform didn't slow ER visits in Mass.; 2 ACOs take shape in Calif.; Md. hospitals report problems

Bexarotene and erlotinib drugs effective in treating advanced lung cancer

New approach for identifying 'self' proteins targeted in autoimmune diseases

Transcendental Meditation reduces symptoms of PTSD in veterans just within 8 weeks

PCF funds 14 new Creativity Awards for advanced prostate cancer research

Men with migraine suffer from PTSD than women

Natural killer cells promote induction of dry eye disease: New discovery

School children with bullying behavior more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing

State roundup: Texas budget cuts; Florida's 'F' in kids' teeth; new insurance programs for Conn., Maine

Latest Breast cancer screening guidelines deemed unsafe by 80% women

'Ultra-bad' cholesterol increases risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes

People with unexplained symptoms can benefit from traditional acupuncture

New positive Cimzia phase IIIb study data on rheumatoid arthritis presented at EULAR meeting

Ultra bad cholesterol

Research Roundup: Medicaid co-payments, access to docs causes worse health

Neurologix presents NLX-P101 Phase 2 trial in Parkinson's disease at 10th INS World Congress

Opinion: How universities can advance global health

U-M develops new tool that helps physicians better evaluate patient's depression outcomes

Paxil and Pravachol in combination cause unexpected increase in blood glucose levels

New cancer study finds benefit in old therapy

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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