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Measure of blood flow in lungs could help identify smokers at risk of emphysema

Using CT scans to measure blood flow in the lungs of people who smoke may offer a way to identify which smokers are most at risk of emphysema before the disease damages and eventually destroys areas of the lungs, according to a University of Iowa study.

7 Apr 2010

Five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day may not cut cancer risk that much

Despite eating your five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day you may not be cutting your risk of cancer as suggested by a World Health organization study in 1997. The latest study based on healthy eating habits conducted by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York was published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute. The study was led by Paolo Boffetta and covered almost 500,000 Europeans.

7 Apr 2010

Social groups can influence individuals’ drinking habits: Study

A new study found that the influence of your friends and people you have connections with can affect your health just as much as your family history or your genetic background. According to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine the drinking habits of the people in your extended social group can determine if you're likely to drink heavily or not at all.

6 Apr 2010

EPO upholds Nabi Biopharmaceuticals' opposition to Drug Abuse Therapy patent

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals announced today that the European Patent Office upheld the Company's opposition to European Patent No. 1,329,226 (Hapten Carrier Conjugates for Use in Drug Abuse Therapy) requesting revocation of this patent. The EPO revoked this patent in its entirety.

6 Apr 2010

Comprehensive cardiac health study provides superior results

Kenneth "Buddy" Conant hit some clothing stores for a little shopping spree recently, but it wasn't because he'd suddenly become enthralled with the latest fashions. The truth was, he was starting to resemble a kid wearing a grown man's clothes.

6 Apr 2010

Are Australians popping too many pills?

These reports have emerged from a Daily Telegraph investigation. Australian Medical Association vice president, GP and former Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee member Dr Steve Hambleton said the resons for these trends may include the increasing population of the aged, newer medicines as well as a rise in chronic lifestyle ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.

5 Apr 2010

Colo. gets federal approval for new patient fees to help fund Medicaid; Ga. Senate passes hospital tax

Denver Business Journal: "A federal agency has approved Colorado's plan to charge a per-patient fee to hospitals in order to expand Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus eligibility and insure more state residents. Gov. Bill Ritter's office said Thursday that it had received notice from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services that it had given its OK to the hospital provider fee. Receiving that approval means that the state can match each dollar collected by the fee with one from the federal government and double the amount it raises through the plan."

3 Apr 2010

Study highlights need for public education on osteoporosis risk factors and treatment

Underscoring what researchers call a serious international public health concern, results from the Global Longitudinal Study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) showed that among women at an elevated level of risk for osteoporosis-associated fractures, there is a failure to perceive the implications of having important risk factors.

3 Apr 2010

Passage of health reform bill promotes clinical and community prevention plans

The passage of HR 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, introduces important funding and provisions that could transform the nation's illness-oriented, reactive medical care model to a more proactive, wellness-oriented approach.

2 Apr 2010

2010 Internal Medicine conference at Toronto Convention Center

More than 5,000 internists (adult medicine specialists), subspecialists, medical students, and allied health professionals will meet in Toronto, Canada, for Internal Medicine 2010, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP), April 22 - 24 (Thursday - Saturday), at the Toronto Convention Center.

2 Apr 2010

UMDNJ-University Hospital among top five academic medical centers for heart failure treatment

Patients treated at UMDNJ-University Hospital for heart failure receive some of the best care in the nation, according to newly released rankings. The data, from the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), place the hospital among the top five academic medical centers in the nation for treating heart failure patients with recommended care. This care was measured in the areas of discharge instructions, appropriate prescriptions of heart failure medications at discharge, evaluation of left heart function, and adult smoking cessation advice/counseling.

2 Apr 2010

ASA classification can help identify impact of hip surgery in high-risk patients

Hip fractures are the second leading cause of hospitalization of elderly patients. In many cases, a hip fracture is the first step in a complete decline in the patient's health, setting off a long list of potential complications.

2 Apr 2010

Tel Aviv University researcher finds link between cigarette smoking and IQ

"Only dopes use dope," goes the memorable warning about drugs. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher cautions that the same goes for cigarettes.

2 Apr 2010

UK NICE recommends Eli Lilly's ALIMTA as maintenance therapy for nonsquamous NSCLC

Eli Lilly and Company announced today that its chemotherapy ALIMTA® (pemetrexed for injection) received a positive "Final Appraisal Determination" from the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

2 Apr 2010

Cigarette filters contain pig’s blood

The next time you light up a cigarette you may be puffing on a filter which contains pig’s blood. A recent Dutch research found that pig hemoglobin was being used to make filters of cigarettes more effective in blocking harmful chemicals before they enter the smoker’s lungs.

1 Apr 2010

High radon levels in residential buildings can cause lung cancer

About 1900 deaths from lung cancer per year in Germany are due to radon within residential buildings. This was the conclusion reached in the current edition of Deutsches -rzteblatt International by Klaus Schmid of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and his coauthors (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107(11): 181-6).

31 Mar 2010

Research explores association between BP and psychopathological symptoms

A paper published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the relationship of body piercing with psychopathology. The term 'body piercing' refers to the 'insertion of jewellery and other objects into artificially made openings in body parts', while body modifications encompass BP and tattoos. Recent research has explored the association between BP and psychopathological symptoms with unclear results.

29 Mar 2010

American obesity problem: Ongoing support to make lifestyle and behavior changes needed

An administration task force chaired by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Services is asking the public for recommendations to solve the American obesity problem, and a new poll by the American Psychological Association may have some answers.

29 Mar 2010

Study finds association between socioeconomic position and risk of death

An analysis of nearly 25 years of data for about 10,000 civil servants in London finds an association between socioeconomic position and risk of death, with much of this relation accounted for by health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and physical activity, according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA.

27 Mar 2010

Pravastatin benefits elderly carriers of KIF6 gene variant with prior vascular disease

Celera Corporation today announced the publication of data reporting that elderly (over age 70) carriers of the KIF6 gene variant with prior vascular disease received significant benefit from pravastatin (Pravachol®) therapy. Previous research has shown that a variant of the KIF6 gene, a member of the molecular motor protein kinesin family, is associated with up to a 55% increased risk of primary and recurrent coronary heart disease (CHD) events in the placebo arms of the clinical trials, and that this increased risk is virtually eliminated with statin therapy.

26 Mar 2010