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High cancer treatment costs in the US – are they worth it? Study explores

Healthcare in the United States is costlier than care in other countries. A new analysis suggests that the cost may be worth it at least when it comes to cancer care. Americans may pay more for cancer treatment, but they also live longer after diagnosis — getting a benefit that offsets their higher health expenses the study says.

10 Apr 2012

USAID Administrator credits reduction in Ethiopia's child mortality rate to effective use of aid

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah "says development assistance to Ethiopia's health sector has helped save thousands of children's lives in the past year," VOA News reports, noting, "The progress came even as the Horn of Africa was hit by the worst drought in more than half a century."

10 Apr 2012

First study to examine long-term effects of climate change on life expectancy

New research from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that seemingly small changes in summer temperature swings-as little as 1-C more than usual-may shorten life expectancy for elderly people with chronic medical conditions, and could result in thousands of additional deaths each year.

10 Apr 2012

Potential role of aspirin in reducing risk of cancer death

A new report by American Cancer Society scientists says new data showing aspirin's potential role in reducing the risk of cancer death bring us considerably closer to the time when cancer prevention can be included in clinical guidelines for the use of aspirin in preventative care.

10 Apr 2012

Higher blood glucose levels may improve survival rates for heart failure patients with diabetes

Lowering glucose levels for people with diabetes is normally critical to improving health outcomes. But for those with heart failure, that might not always be the case, say UCLA researchers.

10 Apr 2012

ReCor Medical provides updated data from REDUCE Percutaneous Renal Denervation System study

ReCor Medical, an emerging medical device company, disclosed today updated data for the REDUCE First-In-Man clinical study of its PARADISE (Percutaneous Renal Denervation System) ultrasound platform for achieving renal denervation.

10 Apr 2012

Australia-first meeting tackles unacceptable maternal and child health in Burma

Unacceptably high maternal and infant mortality rates in Burma are being addressed for the first time in Australia at a conference at the University of Sydney today.

9 Apr 2012

Novel anti-leukemia compound with little toxicity successfully treats zebrafish

A novel anti-leukemia compound with little toxicity successfully treated zebrafish with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), suggesting its potential to become a new highly targeted therapy for humans - even those resistant to conventional therapies - according to results from a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

9 Apr 2012

Bimodal genes can define molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer

Scientists from Duke University Medical Center have determined that genes acting as molecular "on/off" switches can define clinically relevant molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer, providing ideal potential targets for use in clinical prognostic and diagnostic testing.

9 Apr 2012

Researchers identify new gene variants linked with common childhood obesity

Genetics researchers have identified at least two new gene variants that increase the risk of common childhood obesity.

9 Apr 2012

Delegates at 126th IPU Assembly in Uganda focus on child, maternal health

"Over 600 parliamentarians from more than 100 countries" met in Kampala, Uganda, this week for the 126th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, where participants discussed child and maternal health and nutrition, UNICEF reports in a news article.

7 Apr 2012

Nursing research news from Johns Hopkins

Two decades ago, the landmark Cruzan decision catalyzed individual thinking, policy discussions and lawmaking about advance care directives and choices.

7 Apr 2012

'Benefits and burdens' of participating in clinical research trials

In one of the first studies of its kind, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing researchers have identified what cancer patients consider the "benefits and burdens" of participating in clinical research trials.

7 Apr 2012

Ohio AIDS advocates, patients protest against rationing of lifesaving HIV medicines

A group of Ohio AIDS advocates, patients and medical providers hosted a protest in Columbus today in conjunction with a public hearing held by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and its Director, Theodore E. Wymyslo, M.D., on proposed rule changes that would restrict access to lifesaving AIDS drugs for low-income Ohioans based on medical criteria.

6 Apr 2012

PBS NewsHour interviews developer of 'solar suitcase'

In this PBS NewsHour report, NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels interviews obstetrician Laura Stachel about the "solar suitcase," a "a suitcase containing elements to produce and store solar energy," devised by Stachel with the aim of reducing maternal mortality rates in the developing world after "witnessing the consequences of power outages in Nigeria's health facilities."

6 Apr 2012

Development gains in Afghanistan must be made sustainable

Alex Thier, assistant to the administrator and director in the USAID Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, writes about the agency's new report, titled "USAID in Afghanistan: Partnership, Progress, Perseverance," in this IMPACTblog post.

6 Apr 2012

Electronic pathology report more accurately identifies nonmelanoma skin cancer

Henry Ford Hospital dermatology researchers are urging caution about using claims data for identifying nonmelanoma skin cancer, suggesting that the commonly used method, which previously had not been validated, may be unreliable.

6 Apr 2012

Positive effect of tafamidis on neurological degeneration

Tafamidis meglumine was approved in November 2011 for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis in adults. This rare disorder is caused by a defective gene and is associated with progressive nerve damage (neurological degeneration) that tafamidis is supposed to delay.

6 Apr 2012

Susan G. Komen Community Health Advisor program kicks off April 12 in Cleveland

More than 110,000 minority and medically underserved women in Northeast Ohio and across the nation will soon have new health resources through a landmark program that trains volunteers to provide breast cancer education and healthcare support in local communities.

6 Apr 2012

Doctors continue to prescribe dangerous nifedipine drug to elderly patients

Despite the fact that nifedipine increases the risk of heart attacks and death, doctors still prescribe this immediate-release blood pressure drug to elderly patients. The Cologne-based research group led by Ingrid Schubert has now published the results of their investigation in the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International.

6 Apr 2012