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Osteoporosis medication Aclasta now available on Canadian public drug plans

Osteoporosis Canada congratulates the Ontario government, the New Brunswick government, the Saskatchewan government and the British Columbia government for providing access to a new osteoporosis medication. Aclasta (zoledronic acid) is now available on public and private drug plans in Ontario, BC, SK, and NB meaning Canadians at high risk for fractures have access to increased treatment options.

23 Nov 2012

Unacceptable levels of asbestos leads to closure of Welsh high school

A specialist industrial disease lawyer has said that the closure of a Welsh high school after ten times more than acceptable levels of asbestos were found comes as no surprise, adding that the hidden danger of asbestos in our schools has been known for years.

23 Nov 2012

People worried about catching infections in public transport during flu season

As flu season gets underway, public transport such as buses, trains and subway trains head the list of places where people worry about catching viruses and infections, according to new research by Microban.

23 Nov 2012

Behavioural support programme to make TB patients quit smoking receives BUPA Foundation prize

The BUPA Foundation has awarded a high commendation prize for research led by the University of York into effective ways of helping tuberculosis patients in Pakistan to give up smoking.

23 Nov 2012

Excess drinking on Black Wednesday is cocktail recipe for a life changing holiday disaster

Alcohol impairs everything - from judgment, to reflexes, to balance, making one prone to serious injury .... and who wants to celebrate Thanksgiving in the emergency department-- or if you're lucky enough to make it home alive-- with a hangover?" says Thomas Esposito, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center.

23 Nov 2012

Simple method reduces amount of phosphorus in wastewater

Researchers at Aalto University have developed a simple method for reducing the amount of phosphorus in the wastewater of a pulp mill. The method is called simultaneous precipitation using iron sulphate. A separate treatment stage is not required, as the precipitation takes place simultaneously with the actual biological wastewater treatment.

22 Nov 2012

Second annual Dance To Conquer Cancer, Disco Days & Boogie Nights to take place on Mar. 3

The second annual Dance To Conquer Cancer, Disco Days & Boogie Nights, raising funds for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, will take place on March 3, 2013, and will feature fitness guru Richard Simmons and three-time Grammy Award winners, the Pointer Sisters!

22 Nov 2012

Significant gaps in quality of clinical information on designer vagina procedures

The quality of internet information available for women opting for "designer vagina" procedures is "poor," and in some cases, inaccurate, reveals a small study published in the Obstetrics & Gynaecology edition of the online only journal BMJ Open.

22 Nov 2012

Tips to help make holidays a little brighter

Ornaments glistening on a pine tree, carols filling the air, shoppers scurrying through stores and the smell of goodies baking in the oven—it's the holidays. For many this truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Still, for those who have lost a loved one, the empty chair at the table or one less present under the tree can be a painful reminder of the one who is missing.

22 Nov 2012

Fiscal cliff: Lame duck budget talks begin

News sources report on the beginnings of negotiations among White House and congressional staff.

22 Nov 2012

'Doc fix' cost: $25 billion for one year, CBO says

The Hill reports that delaying a scheduled pay cut for one year to doctors who treat Medicare patients would cost $25 billion.

22 Nov 2012

BRFSS survey offers state-level rates of COPD prevalence

The age-adjusted prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) varies considerably within the United States, from less than 4 percent of the population in Washington and Minnesota to more than 9 percent in Alabama and Kentucky.

22 Nov 2012

Health law provisions still unknown to lots of Americans

After surviving a Supreme Court decision and a presidential election, the Obama administration's health-care law faces another challenge: a public largely unaware of major changes that will roll out in the coming months.

22 Nov 2012

AMFm should continue, improvements should be explored

The "grand experiment" of the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) -- a pilot program that aims to get artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) into rural areas of several African nations -- "seems likely to end, its successes underrated and potential improvements not yet explored," a Nature editorial says.

22 Nov 2012

WHO presents updated health promotion strategy for Africa

The WHO "has unveiled a new set of priority actions to better address preventable health conditions in Africa," presented on Tuesday at the 62nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa session in Luanda, Angola, Devex reports.

22 Nov 2012

Online access to Colorado docs linked to more office visits

The assumption had always been that offering patients email access to their doctors and records would reduce office visits, but a new study from Kaiser Permanente of Colorado showed the opposite.

22 Nov 2012

OB-GYN group calls for over-the-counter birth control pills

In an attempt to reduce unintended pregnancies that cost the nation an estimated $11.1 billion a year, the nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists said Tuesday that oral contraceptives should be available without a prescription.

22 Nov 2012

Study predicts shortage of primary care doctors will worsen

The United States will need about 52,000 new primary-care doctors as the population grows and ages, according to a new study. Research published in the Annals of Family Medicine estimated that most of the doctor shortage will be caused by the rising U.S. population.

22 Nov 2012

Six-step approach can help clinicians identify and effectively manage dementia symptoms

Behavior changes are among the most visible, disruptive and distressing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. From confusion, repetitive questioning and combativeness to wandering, hallucinations and loss of inhibition, the symptoms carry their own risks of injury.

22 Nov 2012

Aetna CEO: Deficit fix rests on slowing health care wasteful spending

Washington lawmakers are still working to avoid the fiscal cliff. That's the expiring of tax cuts at the end of the year and deep spending cuts that could throw the economy into recession.

22 Nov 2012