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Today's opinions: Ariz. hospital and abortion; Wall Street Journal's issues with PolitiFact; Calif.'s anti-smoking success

St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix announced on Tuesday that it will continue to provide life-saving abortion care to patients even though it means losing its affiliation with the local Roman Catholic Diocese (12/23).

24 Dec 2010

Ohio smokers lose big as 2-year legal battle comes to an end

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that the state had the authority to shut down the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation (OTPF) in 2008 and divert Ohio's share of tobacco settlement funds to other budget items. For the state that ranks dead last in the amount of money it devotes to tackling smoking, the number one preventable cause of death, those who need help in quitting now have few places to turn.

23 Dec 2010

FDA approves Watson's novel oral contraceptive

Watson Pharmaceuticals today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a novel oral contraceptive product – the first and only low dose oral contraceptive to combine 0.8 mg norethindrone and 0.025 mg ethinyl estradiol in chewable form, with four 75 mg ferrous fumarate (iron) placebo tablets. Taken orally, once daily, the product is proven effective in lowering the risk of pregnancy.

22 Dec 2010

Top ten advances in cardiovascular, stroke research in 2010

Research on reducing risks, improving medical treatment and improving lifestyle behaviors to fight the battle against heart disease and stroke are among the key scientific findings that make up this year's top cardiovascular and stroke research recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

22 Dec 2010

Ramius/RP Group extend tender offer to acquire Cypress Bioscience

Ramius V&O Acquisition LLC, affiliates of Ramius LLC (collectively, "Ramius") and affiliates of Royalty Pharma (together with Ramius and Purchaser, the "Ramius/RP Group") announced today that the Ramius/RP Group is extending its previously announced tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Cypress Bioscience, Inc., a pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative drugs to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, until Midnight, January 5, 2011, unless the offer is otherwise extended.

22 Dec 2010

Healthy foods improve survival and quality of life in older adult population

In a study published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers investigated empirical data regarding the associations of dietary patterns with mortality through analysis of the eating patterns of over 2500 adults between the ages of 70 and 79 over a ten-year period.

22 Dec 2010

Smoking can increase pain severity in cancer patients

The relationship between smoking and cancer is well established. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of PAIN, researchers report evidence to suggest that cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis experience greater pain than nonsmokers.

22 Dec 2010

State Roundup: New Minn. Gov.'s plans to expand Medicaid could be off to slow start; Ariz. Gov. asks for federal help

Minnesota Gov.-elect Mark Dayton says a nine-month transition to a new Medicaid health care program carries "enormous financial implications" when state finances are already tight (12/20).

21 Dec 2010

Presence of CTCs may predict disease recurrence in patients with neck and head cancer

A new study suggests that the presence of tumor cells in the circulating blood of patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck may predict disease recurrence and reduced survival.

21 Dec 2010

Recent study finds racial and ethnic minority smokers of menthol cigarettes have lower quit rate

Menthol cigarettes may be harder to quit, particularly for some teens and African-Americans, who have the highest menthol cigarette use, according to a study by a team of researchers.

21 Dec 2010

Motivational interviewing may not be an ideal treatment choice for smoking-cessation

Motivational interviewing, a popular counseling technique for many addictive behaviors, might not be the ideal treatment choice for those who smoke cigarettes.

21 Dec 2010

Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

Exciting advances were made in 2010 in virtually every field of MS research. Progress toward finding new therapies for MS is illustrated by the availability of the first oral disease-modifying therapy for MS. Progress was also made toward finding ways to restore function and improving quality of life and specific MS symptoms through exercise, meditation, rehabilitation and medications, including the first therapy specifically approved to treat a symptom of MS (Ampyra).

20 Dec 2010

UCLA report: Low-income Californians with asthma experience more frequent symptoms

Almost 5 million Californians have been diagnosed with asthma, and those living in poverty suffer more severe consequences from the condition than those in higher income brackets, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

17 Dec 2010

Health inequalities still exist between England's richest and poorest

Significant health inequalities still exist between the country's richest and poorest according to the latest findings from the biggest annual survey of health in England, The Health Survey for England. The survey, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research and UCL and funded by The NHS Information Centre, shows that people in the lowest income households continue to experience much worse outcomes across key health measures than people in the highest income households.

17 Dec 2010

Electronic cigarettes much safer than real cigarettes, says BUSPH researcher

In a new report that bucks the concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration, a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) (sph.bu.edu) researcher concludes that electronic cigarettes are much safer than real cigarettes and show promise in the fight against tobacco-related diseases and death.

17 Dec 2010

Bayer's SAFYRAL oral contraceptive receives FDA approval

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new oral contraceptive (OC), SAFYRAL™ (drospirenone 3 mg/ ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg/ levomefolate calcium 451 mcg tablets and levomefolate calcium 451 mcg tablets). In women who choose an OC for birth control, SAFYRAL raises folate levels for the purpose of reducing the risk of rare neural tube defects (NTDs) in a pregnancy conceived while taking SAFYRAL or shortly after discontinuing it.

17 Dec 2010

Study: Natural high hemoglobin levels safe for kidney disease patients on dialysis

Naturally occurring high hemoglobin levels are safe for kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

17 Dec 2010

Some cancers more prevalent in the wealthy

A new report has shown that Australians living in wealthy areas are more likely to get breast, prostate and skin cancers than those living in poorer zones. The report from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released yesterday also shows that those living in disadvantaged parts of the country are more likely to have bowel, cervical and lung cancers. Not so much with bowel cancer, but lung cancer incidence varied to a large extent. Main results showed;

16 Dec 2010

Living near freeway linked to increased risk of autism

Living near a freeway may be associated with increased risk of autism, according to a study published by a team of researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and the UC Davis MIND Institute.

16 Dec 2010

Study finds no association between vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in cardiovascular mortality of older adults

According to New Study Published in The American Journal of Medicine, there is burgeoning public interest in possible wide-ranging health benefits from vitamin D, including cardiovascular health.

16 Dec 2010

Smoking News and Research

Today's opinions: Ariz. hospital and abortion; Wall Street Journal's issues with PolitiFact; Calif.'s anti-smoking success

Ohio smokers lose big as 2-year legal battle comes to an end

FDA approves Watson's novel oral contraceptive

Top ten advances in cardiovascular, stroke research in 2010

Ramius/RP Group extend tender offer to acquire Cypress Bioscience

Healthy foods improve survival and quality of life in older adult population

Smoking can increase pain severity in cancer patients

State Roundup: New Minn. Gov.'s plans to expand Medicaid could be off to slow start; Ariz. Gov. asks for federal help

Presence of CTCs may predict disease recurrence in patients with neck and head cancer

Recent study finds racial and ethnic minority smokers of menthol cigarettes have lower quit rate

Motivational interviewing may not be an ideal treatment choice for smoking-cessation

Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

UCLA report: Low-income Californians with asthma experience more frequent symptoms

Health inequalities still exist between England's richest and poorest

Electronic cigarettes much safer than real cigarettes, says BUSPH researcher

Bayer's SAFYRAL oral contraceptive receives FDA approval

Study: Natural high hemoglobin levels safe for kidney disease patients on dialysis

Some cancers more prevalent in the wealthy

Living near freeway linked to increased risk of autism

Study finds no association between vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels in cardiovascular mortality of older adults

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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