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Four abstracts on spatial neglect to be presented at upcoming AAN meeting

Anna M. Barrett, MD will represent Kessler Foundation's Stroke Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology Conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA, April 21 - April 28.

12 Apr 2012

U.S. spends more on cancer care, but gains time in return

A new analysis published in Health Affairs found that American cancer patients lived almost two years longer than those in 10 European countries -- leading the researchers to say that the additional expense is worth it.

12 Apr 2012

ECG abnormalities associated with increased risk of CHD in older adults

In a study that included elderly men and women without preexisting cardiovascular disease, major and minor electrocardiographic abnormalities were associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and improved the prediction of CHD events such as heart attack, beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study in the April 11 issue of JAMA.

12 Apr 2012

Quest Diagnostics receives FDA clearance for Simplexa C. difficile Universal Direct test

Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance to its Simplexa C. difficile Universal Direct Test on the 3M Integrated Cycler.

From Quest Diagnostics 12 Apr 2012

Access to modern contraceptives, family planning services is human right

"In the developing world, an estimated 215 million women who want to delay or avoid their next pregnancy cannot exercise this right as they lack modern contraceptives, resulting in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and more than 100,000 maternal deaths," UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin writes in this Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" blog post.

12 Apr 2012

TBI can negatively affect medical decision-making capacity

A traumatic brain injury can negatively affect a patient's medical decision-making ability at a time when patients or their families must make myriad complex decisions, say researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

12 Apr 2012

Study: Health law would add $340 billion to nation's deficit

Although the health overhaul is touted by the Democrats as a means to control health care costs, a study by a Republican member of the board that oversees Medicare financing contends that it will add at least $340 billion to the federal deficit.

12 Apr 2012

FDA takes three steps to protect public health and promote judicious antimicrobial use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is taking three steps to protect public health and promote the judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals.

12 Apr 2012

Preliminary results from GE Healthcare’s flutemetamol Phase 3 studies on AD

GE Healthcare today announced the preliminary results of two Phase 3 studies of its investigational PET amyloid imaging agent, [18F]flutemetamol, where both studies met their primary endpoints. One study, in terminally ill patients who agreed to undergo brain autopsy, showed strong concordance between flutemetamol PET images and Alzheimer's disease-associated beta amyloid brain pathology.

12 Apr 2012

Advocates urge Obama to address food security at upcoming G8 meeting

"Anti-poverty advocates are urging President Obama to 'find political will to end global hunger' during the upcoming G8 Summit at Camp David," Inter Press Service reports. Members of ActionAid last week held signs in front of the White House "that read 'Obama: Find the Will to be a Hunger Hero at the G8,' next to a cutout of the president in a superhero suit," the news service writes.

12 Apr 2012

Study: Stem cells from pelvic bone marrow may help hearts beat stronger

Stem cells from the pelvic bone may help hearts beat stronger. Doctors and other clinicians at the Orlando Health Heart Institute are researching the use of stem cells from pelvic bone marrow to restore tissue and improve heart function after muscle damage from heart attacks.

12 Apr 2012

GAVI Alliance secures deal to purchase rotavirus vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline, Merck

The GAVI Alliance "has struck a deal for bulk buying rotavirus shots from GlaxoSmithKline and Merck, which cuts the price by two-thirds and will allow poorer countries access to them at around $5 per course," Reuters reports.

12 Apr 2012

Biogen Idec launches FAMPYRA in Canada

Today, Biogen Idec Canada announces that FAMPYRA (fampridine sustained release tablets or fampridine SR) is now available for prescription for patients living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Canada.

12 Apr 2012

ST2 more specific than BNP for heart failure diagnosis

Critical Diagnostics today announced publication in the latest issue of the Journal of Heart Failure results of a study involving 995 patients who presented to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain. The study concluded that in this undifferentiated, symptomatic patient population ST2 was more specific for acute heart failure than BNP and that ST2 is independently predictive of future death and/or heart failure and has incremental utility in combination with BNP.

12 Apr 2012

HHS proposes to push back ICD-10 -- a billing system unpopular with docs

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would push back for one year the compliance deadline for doctors to convert to the ICD-10 revision of diagnostic and procedural codes.

12 Apr 2012

PURE Bioscience launches new disinfectant/sanitizer product

PURE Bioscience, Inc., creator of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, today reported the launch of the PURE Complete Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting System.

12 Apr 2012

The urgency of autism: Progress in combating it, even as diagnoses increase

News outlets examine progress being made in diagnosing autism and understanding its possible causes.

12 Apr 2012

Transcription factors do not act like an 'on-off' switch

A UNC-led team of scientists has now shown that transcription factors don't act like an 'on-off' switch, but instead can exhibit much more complex binding behavior.

12 Apr 2012

Scientists transform skin cells directly into induced neurons

Until recently, the production of pluripotent "multipurpose" stem cells from skin cells was considered to be the ultimate new development. In the meantime, it has become possible to directly convert cells of the body into one another - without the time-consuming detour via a pluripotent intermediate stage. However, this method has so far been rather inefficient.

12 Apr 2012

In past campaign, Santorum played up support for Medicare drug plan

In 2006, Rick Santorum took a moderate stance on the prescription drug plan -- and cast a vote in the Senate that he has called a mistake in this presidential campaign. Meanwhile, in Maine, a Senate candidate who is running as an independent, is keeping "people guessing" about which political side he would pick.

12 Apr 2012