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Federal appeals court begins hearing arguments on Ariz. abortion restrictions

A federal appeals court began hearing arguments Monday challenging Arizona's ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy -- sharply questioning lawyers arguing the case.

7 Nov 2012

Treatment with AMG 145 reduces LDL cholesterol

Amgen today announced that results from the LAPLACE-TIMI 57 and MENDEL Phase 2 studies evaluating AMG 145 in hypercholesterolemic patients with or without statins, respectively, showed that treatment with AMG 145 resulted in a statistically significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

7 Nov 2012

MSF reports violence in western Myanmar preventing delivery of medical services

Ongoing ethnic tension and sectarian violence in areas of western Myanmar are preventing Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) from delivering medical care in the region, the group said on Monday, the New York Times reports. The group "reported that many of its local staff members were afraid to work at refugee camps and medical centers in Rakhine State, where people wounded in clashes need treatment for wounds from guns, knives, arrows and other weapons," the newspaper writes.

7 Nov 2012

People more likely to die of heart-related issues in winter

No matter what climate you live in, you're more likely to die of heart-related issues in the winter, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

7 Nov 2012

Lower 3rd quarter earnings for Health Net, Humana - but optimism still reigns

Woodland Hills insurer Health Net Inc. said third-quarter net income plunged 71%, but its shares rose as the company resolved a dispute with California officials over reimbursement for government health programs. Health Net disappointed investors in August when it slashed its full-year profit outlook and reported higher-than-expected medical costs. On Monday, Chief Executive Jay Gellert ... cited a wide-ranging agreement with California healthcare officials as a major step forward.

7 Nov 2012

Link between SFRP4 protein and risk of type 2 diabetes

When a patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the disease has usually already progressed over several years and damage to areas such as blood vessels and eyes has already taken place. To find a test that indicates who is at risk at an early stage would be valuable, as it would enable preventive treatment to be put in place.

7 Nov 2012

Three quarters of pregnant women take sick leave from work: Study

Three quarters of pregnant women take sick leave from work but employers can help reduce this through flexible work adjustments, suggests a new study published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

7 Nov 2012

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses journal publishes special issue on prevention

The journal of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses has published a special issue examining the "complex factors involved in the sexual transmission of HIV, the urgent need for new preventive approaches, and the most promising methods currently in development," according to a press release from the publisher, Mary Ann Leibert, Inc.

7 Nov 2012

Drug trio may reduce eliminate cardiac side effects of doxorubicin

Combining cancer medication with a drug for erectile dysfunction and one for heart transplants helped kill cancer cells and protected the heart from damage, in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

7 Nov 2012

Researchers divided over effects of climate change on NTD transmission, IRIN reports

IRIN examines the relationship between climate change and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), writing, "Many researchers are concerned changes in rainfall patterns could result in a loss of 'endemic stability' for diseases carried by mosquitoes, ticks, and other disease hosts, and that environmental conditions could become favorable for disease transmission." However, "many researchers believe there is simply not enough information available to warrant alarm," the news service adds.

7 Nov 2012

Alpha-herpesvirus axon-to-cell spread involves limited virion transmission

New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical treatment.

7 Nov 2012

Include policymakers in discussions surrounding UHC

In this UHC Forward blog post, Abeba Taddese, a program officer with the Results for Development Institute, writes about the importance of including policymakers in discussions surrounding universal health coverage (UHC). She provides the example of a recent workshop held in Marrakech, Morocco, which offered "a rare opportunity to bring technical experts and parliamentarians together for a full four days of interactive discussion."

7 Nov 2012

Positive results from Santarus and Pharming’s RUCONEST Phase III trial on HAE

Santarus, Inc. and Pharming Group NV today announced that their pivotal Phase III clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug RUCONEST (recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor) 50 U/kg for the treatment of acute attacks of angioedema in patients with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) met the primary endpoint of time to beginning of symptom relief.

7 Nov 2012

Failure to renew U.S. Farm Bill would be missed opportunity to help end global hunger

"The U.S. Farm Bill that was up for renewal in September in the House of Representatives could have included policies to support farmers in developing countries in their efforts to grow enough food to feed the local population," but "Congress allowed the Farm Bill to expire on Sept. 30," Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service (AJWS), writes in the Huffington Post's "Religion" blog.

7 Nov 2012

Degeneration of serotonergic neurons linked to spasticity in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with an occurrence rate in France similar to multiple sclerosis (two to three new cases per year for every 100,000 residents). It has a specific affect on neurons responsible for motor control, in particular motor neurones and central motor neurones. The former, located in the spinal cord, are directly linked to muscles and are used for muscle contraction and stretching.

7 Nov 2012

Nigeria experiences worst flooding in 50 years; Officials fear disease outbreaks, food shortages

"Nigeria's worst flooding in at least half a century has killed 363 people since the start of July and displaced 2.1 million people," according to the country's National Emergency Management Agency, Reuters reports.

7 Nov 2012

Weight loss can help improve quality of sleep among obese people

Weight loss, whether it's from dietary changes alone or from diet combined with exercise, can help improve the quality of sleep among people who are overweight or obese, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

7 Nov 2012

WHO survey shows low knowledge level, acceptance of polio vaccine among Pashtun Pakistanis

"Polio will never be eradicated in Pakistan until a way is found to persuade poor Pashtuns to embrace the vaccine, according to a study released by the World Health Organization" in its November bulletin, the New York Times reports.

7 Nov 2012

Early treatment improves behavior, communication and brain function in children with autism

When given early treatment, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) made significant improvements in behavior, communication, and most strikingly, brain function, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study.

7 Nov 2012

Recent Africa Braintrust 2012 forum 'informative, inspiring' for those committed to continent's advancement

"Recently I attended the Africa Braintrust 2012 forum entitled 'Africa Rising: A Continent of Opportunity,' hosted by U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) as part of their Annual Legislative Conference, in Washington, D.C.," human rights activist Ivanley Noisette writes in the Huffington Post's "World" blog.

7 Nov 2012