Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy receives health insurance coverage

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) today announced its support of recent policy changes by Aetna Inc. and United Healthcare. The national health insurance giants will now cover laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a newer method of bariatric surgery that is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for morbid obesity.

19 Apr 2010

Valedictory Symposium to celebrate Professor David Taylor's contribution to Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Medical experts from across the UK are gathering at the University of Leicester on Friday 23rd April in a Valedictory Symposium to celebrate the work of Professor David Taylor.

19 Apr 2010

Amylin Pharmaceuticals announces $174.1M total revenue for first-quarter 2010

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The Company reported total revenue of $174.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, which includes net product sales of $172.3 million. Non-GAAP operating loss was $3.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, compared to $19.9 million for the same period in 2009.

19 Apr 2010

New p53 knockout rat model improves timelines for carcinogenicity screening

Sigma Life Science, the innovative biological products and services brand of Sigma-Aldrich, today introduced the world's first p53 'knockout' rat model, an important development that is expected to, due to the rat's closer physiological and metabolic similarity to humans, significantly improve timelines for carcinogenicity screening and reduce time to market for therapeutics.

19 Apr 2010

Racial disparities in sleep and health-related quality of life

A study in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that having a sleep disturbance is associated with clinically meaningful reductions in health-related quality of life, and the magnitude of this effect varies by race and sleep disorder.

17 Apr 2010

MEDIHONEY dressings serve as low-cost method for treating wounds in indigent patients

Using a particular brand of medical honey dressing may be a safe, effective and low-cost method of treating chronic, non-healing wounds in indigent patients, according to a poster presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and the Wound Healing Society, an international conference drawing clinicians from all over the globe, which was held April 17-20 in Orlando.

17 Apr 2010

Research roundup: Revamping NCI Clinical Trials, reducing malpractice suits, health disparities persist

A National Cancer Clinical Trials System For The 21st Century: Reinvigorating The NCI Cooperative Group Program - The "system for conducting cancer clinical trials in the United States is approaching a state of crisis," according to this report on inefficiencies and funding issues faced by the NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program - which comprises 10 groups, more than 3,100 institutions, 14,000 investigators and more than 25,000 patients in clinical trials each year.

17 Apr 2010

MU researchers determine efficient method for assessing body composition

Measuring body composition - the amount of fatty tissue, muscle tissue and bone present in the body - can provide valuable information for determining an individual's overall health status. However, obtaining accurate measurements can be difficult and expensive, according to Steve Ball, University of Missouri Extension fitness specialist.

17 Apr 2010

U-M Health System physicians to discuss childhood obesity

As First Lady Michelle Obama launches initiatives to fight childhood obesity, physicians from the top-ranked University of Michigan Health System are available to discuss childhood obesity and what efforts are successful at keeping children healthy.

17 Apr 2010

Harvard researchers' beef? Insurance companies owning fast food stock

Health.com/CNN: "The fast-food industry has long been under fire for selling high-fat, high-calorie meals that have been linked to weight gain and diabetes, but the financial health of the industry continues to attract investors -- including some of the leading insurance companies in the U.S. ... According to Harvard Medical School researchers, 11 large companies that offer life, disability, or health insurance owned about $1.9 billion in stock in the five largest fast-food companies as of June 2009. …"

17 Apr 2010

Funding cuts to Ontario pharmacists would have devastating effect on patients

Funding cuts to Ontario pharmacists would have a devastating effect on patients, particularly those cared for by independent pharmacists, Janet McCutchon, vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, told the Economic Club of Canada yesterday.

17 Apr 2010

Pennsylvania awarded $1M in Recovery Act funding for managing chronic disease in older citizens

Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that $1 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been awarded to Pennsylvania to prevent and manage chronic disease in older citizens.

17 Apr 2010

Immune system cells that impede wound-healing process discovered

A new discovery about the wound-healing process could lead to better treatments for diabetics and other patients who have wounds that are slow to heal.

17 Apr 2010

SNM continues to stress the need for Congress to implement long-term fix

On April 16, the President signed a bill granting temporary relief from looming cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Although a positive step, the medical community-along with millions of patients-continues to face significant threats to medical coverage for critical diagnostic imaging tests and therapeutics.

17 Apr 2010

New data on Cladribine Tablets presented at AAN annual meeting

EMD Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that new data providing further understanding on Cladribine Tablets as a potential new therapeutic option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis were presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Apr 2010

Researchers study effectiveness of TeleCare in keeping individuals healthy

Like the bleeps of an alarm clock, TeleCare, a home monitoring device, gives the chronically ill a wake-up call: "It's time to take your vitals."

17 Apr 2010

Diabetic mice generate new insulin-producing cells following extreme cell destruction

Type 1 diabetes is the most common cause of diabetes in children, although it may occur at any age. Also called juvenile diabetes, this pathology usually results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

16 Apr 2010

eSET program produces high pregnancy rates, minimizes multiple pregnancy risks

Every year thousand of families are created with the assistance of in-vitro fertilization. Many of those newborns are twins. While some may see this as a double blessing, it is important to understand that there are many potential risks associated with multiple gestation.

16 Apr 2010

Calorie restriction may help people to lead longer and healthier lives

Organisms from yeast to rodents to humans all benefit from cutting calories. In less complex organisms, restricting calories can double or even triple lifespan. It's not yet clear just how much longer calorie restriction might help humans live, but those who practice the strict diet hope to survive past 100 years old.

16 Apr 2010

Age-related declines in peripheral nerve function may be related to metabolic factors: Study

New research investigating neurological decline in a population of "super healthy" elderly subjects found that the decline in neurological function of the peripheral nervous system attributed to aging may be related to metabolic factors, such as blood sugar levels, even if these factors are within the normal range.

16 Apr 2010