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Tips to avoid infections during Valentine's Day

Say "I love you" with flowers, chocolates or a greeting card, but be careful when you kiss this Valentine's Day. "Mid-February is usually the peak season for infectious diseases, such as the seasonal and H1N1 flu, mononucleosis, colds and coughs," says Jorge Parada, MD, medical director, infectious disease at Loyola University Health System. "And don't rely on obvious signs of illness - such as sneezing or fever as a tip off. People with infectious diseases start shedding the virus before they experience the full effect of the illness."

2 Feb 2012

USF receives DOD grant for battlefield-related TBI research

The University of South Florida (USF) has received a $1.57 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to conduct translational research on traumatic brain injury and other battlefield related injuries and diseases.

2 Feb 2012

Cooked tomatoes could help in prostate cancer: Study

Scientists have discovered the nutrient, lycopene, which is found in cooked tomatoes, can slow the growth and even kill the cancer cells. Dr Mridula Chopra and colleagues at the University of Portsmouth found that lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color, intercepts the cancer's ability to make the connections it needs to attach to a healthy blood supply.

1 Feb 2012

Leading medical groups collaborate to ensure consistent, responsible uptake of TAVR

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients with aortic valvular stenosis, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), along with the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), today released an expert consensus document to provide important guidance on its use.

1 Feb 2012

Study reveals substantial differences in rates of follow-up surgeries after partial mastectomy

A new study reveals substantial differences - by both surgeon and institution - in the rates of follow-up surgeries for women who underwent a partial mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer.

1 Feb 2012

Progenitor cells have potential to develop into RBCs

A study of the cells that respond to crises in the blood system has yielded a few surprises, redrawing the 'map' of how blood cells are made in the body.

1 Feb 2012

Nearly one in four women have another surgery following partial mastectomy

Nearly one in four women who undergo a partial mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer have another surgery to remove additional tissue (reexcision), and there is substantial surgeon and institutional variation in the rate of reexcisions that cannot be explained by patients' clinical characteristics, according to a study in the February 1 issue of JAMA.

1 Feb 2012

Study demonstrates safety of weight reduction surgery in morbidly obese adolescents

Today, about one in five children in the United States are obese. That means that in just one generation alone the number of obese kids in this country has quadrupled.

1 Feb 2012

Oxidative stress in sperm linked to male infertility

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) patented an innovative system to specify in a simple, cost-effective and reliable manner the infertility of a person through the study of oxidative stress on sperm, a parameter rarely studied until now.

1 Feb 2012

New combination clinical trial may improve outcome for cancer surgery patients

The week before and two weeks after surgery are a critical period for the long-term survival rate of cancer patients. Physiological and psychological stresses caused by the surgery itself can inhibit the body's immune responses, heightening vulnerability to tumor progression and spreading.

1 Feb 2012

Link between maternal nurturing and size of hippocampus in healthy children

School-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus, a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. The new research, by child psychiatrists and neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the first to show that changes in this critical region of children's brain anatomy are linked to a mother's nurturing.

31 Jan 2012

Lycopene can kill prostate cancer cells

A nutrient in cooked tomatoes has been shown in laboratory studies to slow the growth of or even kill prostate cancer cells.

31 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: Contraceptive controversy; Revising mental health definitions

It was good news that the Obama administration withstood pressure from Roman Catholic bishops and social conservatives to deny contraceptive coverage for millions of American women who work for religiously affiliated employers. Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services secretary, rejected broad exemptions from a new rule requiring all health plans to cover birth control, without a deductible or co-payment.

31 Jan 2012

Proteus receives U.S. patent entitled, 'Body Associated Receiver and Method'

Proteus Biomedical Inc., a pioneer in digital health, announced today that the United States Patent Office will award U.S. Patent Number 8114021 to Proteus. The patent, entitled "Body Associated Receiver and Method," is directed to the Proteus wearable and ingestible sensor technologies and related sensor devices used to create digital communication networks within, on and around the human body for health-related and other applications.

31 Jan 2012

UMC to offer ditto device for pediatric patients

Diversionary Therapy Technologies is pleased to announce one of the first U.S. sales of its groundbreaking ditto device, which is clinically proven to lower anxiety and treatment times while improving pediatric patient outcomes. UMC Health System, based in Lubbock, Texas, has purchased and will be offering this revolutionary aid to children at the hospital.

31 Jan 2012

Key Surgical launches Be Healthy 2012 program

Key Surgical, a leading supplier of sterile processing and operating room supplies, is launching a year-long program to encourage its employees to adopt new, healthier lifestyles. And if the company's employees achieve a set level of healthy activities, they can earn a 1% year-end bonus - for simply getting healthier!

31 Jan 2012

First Edition: January 30, 2012

Today's health policy headlines include a report that GOP leaders are pledging quick action on legislation to extend the payroll tax break and to prevent a scheduled cut in Medicare physician payment.

30 Jan 2012

Research roundup: Families in high deductible plans more likely to delay care; Cancer screening prevalence

Delayed And Forgone Care For Families With Chronic Conditions In High-Deductible Health Plans -- Researchers studied 208 families in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and 370 in traditional health plans who had children and at least one family member with a chronic condition.

30 Jan 2012

Hard drug users in 50s more likely to die earlier

Young adults often experiment with hard drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines and opiates, and all but about 10 percent stop as they assume adult roles and responsibilities. Those still using hard drugs into their 50s are five times more likely to die earlier than those who do not, according to a new study by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers published online Jan. 27, 2012, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

30 Jan 2012

Study finds protein's entwined arm movements may control fate of potentially toxic payload

Like a magician employing sleight of hand, the protein mitoNEET -- a mysterious but important player in diabetes, cancer and aging -- draws the eye with a flurry of movement in one location while the subtle, more crucial action takes place somewhere else.

30 Jan 2012