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State roundup: Colo. reports 'record' number of Medicaid recipients; Hollywood nursing home stymied by Congress?

Nearly 615,000 Coloradans were on Medicaid in November, by far a record high, officials said Wednesday, attributing the vast bulk of the growth to economic hard times rather than recent eligibility expansions. ... the 614,146 Coloradans enrolled in Medicaid in November represented a 57.7 percent increase over January 2007. ... roughly 13 percent of all Coloradans are covered by state health-insurance programs.

6 Jan 2012

Longer looks: The body's fight against losing weight; Rick Santorum's contraception, anti-abortion records analyzed

For years, the advice to the overweight and obese has been that we simply need to eat less and exercise more. While there is truth to this guidance, it fails to take into account that the human body continues to fight against weight loss long after dieting has stopped. ... it's clear, from a public-health standpoint, that resources would best be focused on preventing weight gain. The research underscores the urgency of national efforts to get children to exercise and eat healthful foods.

6 Jan 2012

Cost paid for statins 400% higher in the U.S. than U.K.

In the United States, the cost paid for statins (drugs to lower cholesterol) in people under the age of 65 who have private insurance is approximately 400 percent higher than comparable costs paid by the government in the United Kingdom.

6 Jan 2012

AACR, IASLC sponsor conference on molecular origins of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and often the most fatal unless caught early, but scientists are working on ways to improve their understanding of the disease. Several hundred of scientists will gather in San Diego at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina during Jan. 8-11, 2012, for the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer: Biology, Therapy and Personalized Medicine.

6 Jan 2012

Royals designated hitter to receive 47th annual Hutch Award

Billy Butler, designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, will receive the 47th annual Hutch Award. The award is given each year to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of baseball great Fred Hutchinson, both on and off the field.

6 Jan 2012

UCSD surgeons perform west coast's first ex-vivo liver resection

A team led by Alan Hemming, MD, transplant surgeon at UC San Diego Health System, has successfully performed the west coast's first ex-vivo liver resection, a radical procedure to completely remove and reconstruct a diseased liver and re-implant it without any tumors. The procedure saved the life of a 27-year old mother whose liver had been invaded by a painful tumor that crushed the organ and entangled its blood supply.

6 Jan 2012

Solar power can make hemodialysis treatments more environmentally friendly

Solar power can help offset high utility costs and make hemodialysis treatments more environmentally friendly, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

6 Jan 2012

Experts share 10 symptoms of cervical and other gynecologic cancers

Pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding aren't the only signs of gynecologic cancer. As part of Cervical Health Awareness Month in January, experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center share other symptoms that often are overlooked.

6 Jan 2012

New guideline on management of hyperglycemia in non-critically ill hospitalized patients

Hyperglycemia, or having high glucose levels in the blood, is a common, serious and costly health care problem in hospitalized patients. Today, The Endocrine Society released a clinical practice guideline (CPG) providing recommendations for practical and safe glycemic targets and describing protocols and system improvements required to achieve glycemic goals for hospitalized patients in a non-critical care setting.

6 Jan 2012

Colorful food fare is more appealing to children than adults

Parents of picky eaters can encourage their children to eat more nutritionally diverse diets by introducing more color to their meals, according to a new Cornell University study. The study finds that colorful food fare is more appealing to children than adults. Specifically, food plates with seven different items and six different colors are particularly appealing to children, while adults tend to prefer fewer colors only three items and three colors.

6 Jan 2012

FSU, First Signs and Autism Speaks introduce new treatment section of Video Glossary

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, together with First Signs, a leader in educating parents and professionals about the early signs of autism and related disorders, and Florida State University's Autism Institute today announced the launch of a new treatment section of its acclaimed online Autism Video Glossary, giving parents an important new tool as they work to determine the best treatment options for their child.

6 Jan 2012

Lawsuit alleges hospice co. improperly pushed patients through nursing homes; N.Y. prosecutor investigates hospital practices

Kaiser Health News reports that a lawsuit unsealed this week alleges that a national hospice company committed Medicare fraud by improperly cycling patients through nursing homes. In the meantime, a N.Y. prosecutor is investigating a hospital's management practices.

6 Jan 2012

UPV/EHU lecturer looks at how the act of dying is handled in children's picture books

How do you tell a little girl that her grandfather, her mother, her friend- has died, and that he or she has gone for ever? Txabi Arnal, a lecturer at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), has analysed literary picture books that deal with death to see how they address this question.

5 Jan 2012

CRF sponsors Seventh International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

The Seventh International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is a comprehensive program dedicated to the evolving field of cell-based therapies for the repair and regeneration of cardiac and vascular disease, as well as related diseases such as diabetes and stroke.

5 Jan 2012

Jena chemists develop novel glass ceramics for dentistry

The hardest substance in the human body is moved by its strongest muscles: When we heartily bite into an apple or a schnitzel, enormous strengths are working on the surface of our teeth. "What the natural tooth enamel has to endure also goes for dentures, inlays or bridges", glass chemist Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian R-ssel of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena says.

5 Jan 2012

First Edition: January 5, 2012

Today's headlines include a report that health law opponents want to add plaintiffs to their lawsuit as well as dispatches from the GOP primary election compaign trail.

5 Jan 2012

Loyola celebrates first baby of 2012

Ja'Nyah Crawford-Scotland was born at 11:01 a.m. on New Year's Day, the first baby to be born at Loyola University Medical Center in 2012. The healthy baby girl weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces.

5 Jan 2012

Partnering can boost likelihood of sticking to resolutions

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. While you are more likely to do something if you plan it in advance, research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), shows that partnering up or planning with someone can really boost the likelihood of sticking to your resolutions.

5 Jan 2012

January issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The January issue of the WHO Bulletin features an editorial on non-communicable diseases and post-conflict countries;

5 Jan 2012

Regular moderate exercise reduces risk of catching cold-like infections

Battling colds and doing (or pledging to do) more exercise are familiar activities for most of us in January. But different levels of exercise can actually significantly increase or decrease your chances of catching a respiratory infection, says Professor Mike Gleeson from Loughborough University.

5 Jan 2012