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Treatment of OSA could reduce blood pressure in men with hypertension

A new study suggests that when prescribed by physicians in routine practice and used appropriately by patients, treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could reduce blood pressure in men with hypertension.

15 Oct 2012

Research roundup: Addressing disparities in cancer diagnosis time, Medicare open season awareness

Researchers tested the effectiveness of using patient navigation programs with women who have abnormal breast or cervical cancer screenings. These programs aim to facilitate treatment by such things as arranging financial support, transportation to appointments, child care or interpreter services.

13 Oct 2012

Novel method can determine how ready acute myeloid leukemia cells are to die

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a novel method for determining how ready acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are to die, a discovery that may help cancer specialists to choose treatments option more effectively for their patients who have AML.

12 Oct 2012

State roundup: Minn. says health exchange will cost $40 million

Minnesota budget officials estimate it could cost the state as much as $40 million to run its health insurance exchange in 2015. The state-based online insurance marketplaces are a cornerstone of the federal health care overhaul.

12 Oct 2012

Study identifies pitfalls in current calculation of hospital readmission rates in spine surgery

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. And in addition to reflecting poorly on a hospital's quality of care, a high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements, under provisions now taking effect under the 2010 health care law.

12 Oct 2012

Biogen Idec announces new data from BG-12 Phase 3 studies on RRMS

Today Biogen Idec announced new data from studies evaluating oral BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate), which provide further evidence supporting its strong clinical and radiological effects in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and reinforce its favorable safety profile seen to date.

12 Oct 2012

Nelfinavir slows progress of HER2-positive tumor cells

After screening more than 2,300 drugs for their ability to halt the growth of breast cancer cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that the anti-HIV drug nelfinavir slows the progress of HER2-positive tumor cells, even if they are resistant to other breast cancer drugs.

12 Oct 2012

AACR conference to focus on scientific and lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention

The American Association for Cancer Research will host the 11th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research at the Hilton Anaheim from Oct. 16-19, 2012.

12 Oct 2012

First picture of interaction between leptin and its receptor

Researchers at the University of Michigan have determined how the hormone leptin, an important regulator of metabolism and body weight, interacts with a key receptor in the brain.

12 Oct 2012

Study shows how CaM kinase II triggers cell death following heart damage

University of Iowa researchers have previously shown that an enzyme called CaM kinase II plays a pivotal role in the death of heart cells following a heart attack or other conditions that damage or stress heart muscle.

11 Oct 2012

Campaign buzz: Obama, Romney vie for swing voters

In the background, news outlets break down some of the policy specifics in play regarding Medicare and other health issues -- and how candidates' efforts to control the debate are playing among voters.

11 Oct 2012

U.K. announces $56M to assist Yemen with nutrition

"The U.K. has announced that £35 million ($56 million) in aid over the next three years will be aimed at improving nutrition for mothers and children in Yemen amid fears that a hunger crisis will derail fragile gains in the Middle East's poorest country," the Guardian reports.

11 Oct 2012

Pakistan to become first south Asian country to introduce pneumococcal vaccine

"Pakistan is set to become the first country in south Asia to introduce the pneumococcal vaccine to protect children against pneumonia, one of the biggest killers of children under five in the developing world," the Guardian reports.

10 Oct 2012

Pew poll: Obama's lead over Romney on health care issues narrowed, post-debate

Overall, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll found that GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney wiped out President Barack Obama's advantage and took the lead by four percentage points.

10 Oct 2012

Number, proportion of world's hungry drop but remain too high, U.N. report says

The U.N. "revised down the number of the world's hungry on Tuesday to just under 870 million but slammed the figure as 'unacceptable' and warned that the fight against hunger was slowing down," Agence France-Presse reports.

10 Oct 2012

Report: Health law will benefit many employers, but mid-size firms would see costs rise

According to an Urban Institute study, the health-coverage costs carried by small businesses will likely fall if the 2010 health law is completely implemented, but companies with 101 - 1,000 employees could experience a jump in their costs.

10 Oct 2012

U.N. rapporteurs call for creation of global fund as social safety net for vulnerable populations

Two U.N. experts have called for the creation of a "global fund to promote the creation of social safety nets for the most vulnerable people in poor countries," the Guardian reports.

10 Oct 2012

Mayo researchers discover new therapy for patients with neuromyelitis optica

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a new therapy for patients with neuromyelitis optica that appears to stop inflammation of the eye nerves and spinal cord. NMO is a debilitating central nervous system disorder that is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS).

10 Oct 2012

Somali militant group bans U.K. aid organization; Oxfam warns malnutrition in Somalia at 'alarming' level

"Militant Islamist rebels in Somalia on Monday announced a ban against another aid group working in a region of Somalia hit hard by hunger," the Associated Press reports.

10 Oct 2012

Study identifies cellular adhesion molecules key to cancer metastasis

Although tumor metastasis causes about 90 percent of cancer deaths, the exact mechanism that allows cancer cells to spread from one part of the body to another is not well understood. One key question is how tumor cells detach from the structural elements that normally hold tissues in place, then reattach themselves in a new site.

10 Oct 2012