Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Technology to defeat bacterial infections shows positive results

The use of natural controls against serious bacterial infection and superbugs is being led by a UK company. Scientists at Biocontrol Ltd have presented at the Bacteriophage 2008 meeting in Hertfordshire a first look at the results of their initial Phase II clinical trial.

25 Feb 2008

XYNTHA approved for teatment of hemophilia A by FDA

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth ( NYSE:WYE) , announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for XYNTHA(TM) (Antihemophilic Factor [Recombinant], Plasma/Albumin-Free), a recombinant factor VIII product, for patients with hemophilia A for both the control and prevention of bleeding episodes and surgical prophylaxis.

22 Feb 2008

Researchers explore the antidepressant effects of ketamine

Drug treatments for depression can take many weeks for the beneficial effects to emerge.

22 Feb 2008

No good evidence that private treatment centres are value for money

There is no good evidence that independent sector treatment centres have provided additional capacity, value for money, or high quality care, argue researchers in this week's BMJ.

22 Feb 2008

New clinician's guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has released its new "Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis" which represents a new era for healthcare providers in the evaluation and treatment of people with low bone mass or osteoporosis.

22 Feb 2008

Comparison of venlafaxine and SSRIs in the treatment of depression

There are numerous antidepressant medications currently on the market, but sadly, many patients still experience the debilitating symptoms of depression even with treatment.

21 Feb 2008

Downward trend in cancer deaths between 2004 and 2005

New data revealing decreasing trends in cancer deaths in the United States overall, and in colorectal cancer deaths in particular, highlight the remarkable benefits of colorectal cancer screening tests, but the lifesaving potential of these tests is unrealized for many Americans according to experts from the American College of Gastroenterology.

21 Feb 2008

U.S. cancer deaths down but far too few Americans screened for colon cancer

New data revealing decreasing trends in cancer deaths in the United States overall, and in colorectal cancer deaths in particular, highlight the remarkable benefits of colorectal cancer screening tests, but the lifesaving potential of these tests is unrealized for many Americans, according to experts from the American College of Gastroenterology.

21 Feb 2008

Thomson Healthcare announces new application portal

Thomson Healthcare has announced the next generation of its decision support tool, Medstat Advantage Suite 4.0(R), based on the leading technology platform in business intelligence.

21 Feb 2008

Study shows effects of vitamin D and skin's physiology

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that previtamin D3 production varies depending on several factors including skin type and weather conditions.

21 Feb 2008

Siemens Healthcare announces exclusive partnership with Prowess Inc.

Siemens Healthcare announces an exclusive partnership with Prowess Inc. to develop advanced radiation oncology treatment planning software for integration into Siemens' linear accelerators.

21 Feb 2008

Multiple approaches to type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes or childhood-onset diabetes, affects 1 to 2 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide.

21 Feb 2008

Annual cancer statistics show substantial declines in mortality rates

The American Cancer Society's annual cancer statistics report finds that death rates from cancer in the United States have decreased by 18.4 percent among men and by 10.5 percent among women since mortality rates began to decline in the early 1990s, which translates to the avoidance of more than half a million cancer deaths (534,500) in the United States.

21 Feb 2008

Memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans

A new nationally representative study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" - the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease - among people aged 70 and older.

21 Feb 2008

More needs to be done for preemie healthcare

A recent survey of 202 neonatologists and pediatricians, which examined current attitudes and practices when caring for the specialized health needs of preterm infants, revealed that most respondents (70 percent) feel the United States' healthcare system does not place enough emphasis on or dedicate enough resources to preventive healthcare for preemies.

20 Feb 2008

More support needed for menopausal women in rural areas

Good social support and reliable information are essential for women who find menopause an intense and life-altering experience, especially if they live in rural areas where health services are patchy or inaccessible.

20 Feb 2008

Stereotypes and misinformation about HIV still commonplace in healthcare

The doctor who wouldn't come into the patient's hospital room. The neurologist who avoided eye contact. The ambulance attendant who angrily threw her bloodied gloves into the street after learning the injured patient was HIV-positive.

20 Feb 2008

Rural doctors say 16,000 more health professionals are urgently needed in the bush

Doctors working in rural Australia have called on the government to offer better incentives to keep doctors in the bush.

20 Feb 2008

Over 30% of pregnant American women have C-sections

The proportion of American women having their babies delivered by C-section jumped to nearly one in three in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Feb 2008

Bush's PEPFAR at risk, says AHF

As President Bush begins a five-country tour of Africa to visit and highlight programs funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the five year-old US global AIDS program which Congress created at his request, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has cautioned the President that his legacy as a leader in the global fight against HIV and AIDS is at risk due to proposed changes in the priorities of PEPFAR that essentially cut the heart out of this lifesaving AIDS care and treatment program. PEPFAR is currently up for reauthorization by Congress.

17 Feb 2008