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Opioids may influence breast cancer survival

A new study in the April issue of Anesthesiology analyzed inherited (genetic) differences in how the body responds to its own morphine-like chemicals and pain-relieving opioid drugs, and whether they influence breast cancer survival. Preclinical animal studies have suggested that opioids may promote tumor growth.

22 Mar 2012

$Large geographic variation in risk of hip fracture$

Large geographic variation in risk of hip fracture

An extensive study of country-specific risk of hip fracture and 10-year probability of a major fragility fracture has revealed a remarkably large geographic variation in fracture risk. Even accounting for possible errors or limitations in the source data, there was an astonishing 10-fold variation in hip fracture risk and fracture probability between countries.

22 Mar 2012

BHR Pharma enrolls first 400 patients for BHR-100 pivotal trial for TBI

As communities in the United States gather in support of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Day, BHR Pharma, LLC's SyNAPSe- clinical trial reaches an important enrollment milestone.

22 Mar 2012

TGA clears Bioline's illumigene Group B Streptococcus test

Bioline, The PCR Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meridian Bioscience, Inc., today announced that it has received clearance from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for its illumigene Group B Streptococcus (GBS) test, the newest molecular product on the illumigene platform.

22 Mar 2012

Study finds higher death rate in calorie-restricted models of IBD

In a surprising result, Michigan State University researchers looking at the effects of diet on bowel disease found that mice on a calorie-restricted diet were more likely to die after being infected with an inflammation-causing bacterial pathogen in the colon.

21 Mar 2012

Improving health outcomes with mHealth

"The use of cell phones by community health workers and other medical practitioners in low-income countries has been promoted as a potential revolution for health systems development," Sanjay Basu, a resident physician in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, writes in this GlobalHealthHub.org post.

21 Mar 2012

Colorectal cancer screening rates higher in population with multiple morbidities

A study by University of Kentucky researchers showed that in Appalachia, colorectal cancer screening rates were higher in the population with multiple morbidities or diseases compared to those who had no morbidities at all.

21 Mar 2012

Terason receives FDA 510(k) clearance to use Soma's AxoTrack technology

Terason, the leading manufacturer of high-performance portable ultrasound systems and Soma Access Systems LLC today announced that they have received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for a new transducer equipped with AxoTrack needle visualization technology.

21 Mar 2012

HealthGrades identifies America's 50 and 100 Best Hospitals for 2012

HealthGrades America's 50 and 100 Best Hospitals for 2012 were identified in a report issued today by HealthGrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital.

20 Mar 2012

Novartis' Arcapta Neohaler now available in the U.S. for COPD treatment

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation today announced that once-daily Arcapta Neohaler (indacaterol inhalation powder) 75 mcg is now available in the US and in pharmacies nationwide.

20 Mar 2012

Americans not adhering to the 7 healthy heart recommendations

A new study of nearly 45,000 adults showed that participants who met more of seven recommended cardiovascular health behaviors or factors (such as not smoking, having normal cholesterol levels, eating a healthy diet), had a lower risk of death compared to participants who met fewer factors. The study was published in Journal of American Medical Association. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at a specialty meeting of the American Heart Association.

19 Mar 2012

Low literacy equals high death risk among elderly

A new study that appeared last Friday in British Medical Journal showed that one in three adults aged over 65 in England have difficulty understanding basic health-related information. They are more than twice as likely to die within five years as adults with no literacy problems, it was found.

19 Mar 2012

Al Jazeera examines global maternal mortality

Al Jazeera examines maternal mortality worldwide, saying, "If the situation continues at its current rate, the world will not meet" the U.N. Millennium Development Goal "to reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent between 1990 and 2015."

19 Mar 2012

Improvements in trauma care could save two million lives

Up to two million lives, annually, could be saved globally with improvements in trauma care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This estimate by Charles Mock, from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his team provides support for investment in and greater attention to strengthening trauma care services globally. Their work is published online in Springer's World Journal of Surgery.

19 Mar 2012

High job strain decreases risk of mortality in white-collar women

Work defined by high job demand and also high control, a so-called 'active job', decreased the risk of mortality in white-collar women, the Finnish study published in BMJ Open found.

19 Mar 2012

U.S. to launch graphic anti-smoking warnings

The United States Government is starting a major new effort to cut the country's smoking rate by showing graphic images of people who have sustained life-altering health problems after smoking for years.

18 Mar 2012

Researchers report higher price tag for robotic prostatectomy surgery

In perfecting the science of medicine, advancements always face exhaustive scrutiny and opposition. Typically, these rigors focus on confirming the efficacy of a procedure or treatment to ensure it remains in the patient's best interest for healing or wellness. More recently, with heightened emphasis on government-funded healthcare, medical procedures such as robotic prostatectomy surgery for prostate cancer treatment are under fire for cost.

17 Mar 2012

WHO releases global report on Mortality Attributable to Tobacco

A global report published by the WHO, titled "Mortality Attributable to Tobacco," "provides information by country on the proportion of adult (age 30 years and above) deaths attributable to tobacco by major communicable and non-communicable causes by age and sex," the agency's website states.

17 Mar 2012

Only 21 states require public reporting of hospital data on surgical site infections

Only 21 states require public reporting of hospital data on surgical site infections and, even when disclosure is mandated, the information is often not easily accessible to patients who could use it to make decisions about their medical care, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

17 Mar 2012

Positive data from VBL Therapeutics' VB-201 Phase 2 study on psoriasis, atherosclerosis

VBL Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced that a Phase 2 sub-study of VB-201 in moderate to severe psoriasis patients with cardiovascular risk has successfully achieved its primary endpoint demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in vascular inflammation associated with atherosclerotic lesions as measured by PET-CT imaging.

17 Mar 2012