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Polls: Contraception, abortion, health cuts, Medicare factor in to voters' decision-making

A new round of polls show that GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney is closing the gap with President Barack Obama in the fight for women's votes.

17 Oct 2012

Novel drug increases survival in animal models exposed to high-dose radiation

A novel drug that mimics a naturally occurring molecule found in coffee and blueberries has been developed to treat radiation exposure. Charles R. Yates, Pharm.D., Ph.D., and colleagues Duane Miller, Ph.D., and Waleed Gaber, Ph.D., from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Baylor College of Medicine, show that application of this drug, starting 24 hours after radiation exposure, increases survival in animal models by three-fold compared to placebo.

17 Oct 2012

Benzocaine oral strip immediately relieves pain from burns

A dissolvable oral strip has been developed to immediately relieve pain from burns caused by ingestion of hot foods and liquids, such as coffee, pizza, and soup. This research is being presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 14 - 18.

17 Oct 2012

UAF scientists discover evolutionary origin of air breathing in vertebrates

University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists have identified what they think is the ancestral trait that allowed for the evolution of air breathing in vertebrates. They will present their research at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience Oct. 17 in New Orleans.

17 Oct 2012

Fat cells need sleep to function properly: Study

In a study that challenges the long-held notion that the primary function of sleep is to give rest to the brain, researchers have found that not getting enough shut-eye has a harmful impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent their ability to respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates energy.

16 Oct 2012

Flagellin in house dust may worsen allergic responses to inhaled substances

A bacterial protein in common house dust may worsen allergic responses to indoor allergens, according to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health and Duke University. The finding is the first to document the presence of the protein flagellin in house dust, bolstering the link between allergic asthma and the environment.

16 Oct 2012

Maryland scientists create stem cell model for Gaucher disease

A new method of using adult stem cells as a model for the hereditary condition Gaucher disease could help accelerate the discovery of new, more effective therapies for this and other conditions such as Parkinson's, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

16 Oct 2012

In V.P. debate redux, candidates' policies scrutinized

Coverage in the days after the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan examines policy positions, claims, and accusations related to Medicare, Medicaid and other policy points.

16 Oct 2012

Higher health care premiums could wipe out social security increases; Medicare enrollment begins

Social Security recipients shouldn't expect a big increase in monthly benefits come January. Preliminary figures show the annual benefit boost will be between 1% and 2%, which would be among the lowest since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.

16 Oct 2012

Campaign trail news: Polls, debate prep and how candidates are bombarding voters with Medicare, Medicaid ads

Media outlets report on the latest poll findings and preview Tuesday night's presidential debate, amid a high volume of campaign ads.

16 Oct 2012

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin molecule makes mice resistant to skin cancer

A molecule involved in asthma and allergies has now been shown to make mice resistant to skin cancer, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

16 Oct 2012

Roundup: Health care construction boom in Texas; Some Ga. schools, state authorities weigh leaving employee health plan

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is in the midst of an unprecedented health care building boom. You can see the most visible evidence in the Dallas medical district. There, several blocks apart, construction cranes signal more than $2 billion worth of new hospitals -; the $1.27 billion replacement for Parkland Memorial Hospital and an $800 million replacement hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

16 Oct 2012

Experts discuss recent U.S. meningitis outbreak at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 meeting

Four experts in anesthesiology, infectious disease and pain medicine discussed the recent U.S. meningitis outbreak in the Late-Breaking Education Panel, "The Fungal Meningitis Crisis," on Sunday, Oct. 14.

16 Oct 2012

GILZ protein encourages bone growth in mouse model

Georgia Health Sciences University researchers have developed a mouse that errs on the side of making bone rather than fat, which could eventually lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

16 Oct 2012

Empire BlueCross BlueShield introduces Medicare Advantage plans in New York City

Empire BlueCross BlueShield is introducing a number of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in New York City that include access to the acclaimed CareMore health delivery system, which helps members maintain their health.

15 Oct 2012

Few physicians recommend active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer

Few physicians recommend active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer rather than pursuing surgery or radiation, according to a Mayo Clinic study being presented at the North Central Section of the American Urological Association's annual meeting Oct. 10-13 in Chicago.

15 Oct 2012

Loyola employees to be part of Pink Glove Dance contest

Loyola University Health System nurses and staff recently set aside time from their busy schedules to showcase their dancing talent in a Pink Glove Dance video. This video is part of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon that is sweeping the nation in support of breast cancer research.

15 Oct 2012

Indonesia issues order to override patents on 7 HIV, hepatitis drugs

"Indonesia's government has quietly issued an order to override the patents on seven important medicines used to treat people with HIV and hepatitis B and allow cheap versions to be made by local drug companies," Guardian Health Editor Sarah Boseley reports in her "Global Health Blog."

15 Oct 2012

GlaxoSmithKline to make clinical trial data available to other researchers

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) CEO Andrew Witty "said on Thursday detailed data from its clinical trials would be made available to other researchers," Reuters reports, adding, "That would include anonymized patient-level results that sit behind clinical trials of approved and failed drugs."

15 Oct 2012

Highlights of Mount Sinai research at Neuroscience 2012

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine are presenting important discoveries on the involvement of the immune system and dopamine cells in the onset of depression at Neuroscience 2012, the Society for Neuroscience's 42nd annual meeting on October 13 -17 in New Orleans, and are available for interviews.

15 Oct 2012