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AP poll: Health law remains divisive, but Americans worry less that it will undermine their own care

Attacked as a rationing scheme and praised as a lifesaver, President Barack Obama's health care law remains as divisive and confusing as ever. But a new poll finds Americans are less worried that the overhaul will undermine their own care. As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the Associated Press-GfK poll shows that Americans are less concerned their own personal health care will suffer as a result of it.

10 Mar 2012

World commemorates International Women's Day

Speaking at an event at U.N. Headquarters to commemorate International Women's Day, which is observed annually on March 8, "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday joined other senior United Nations officials ... in highlighting the potential of rural women to improve the well-being of entire societies if given equal access to resources and set free from the discrimination and exploitation that hold them back," the U.N. News Centre writes, noting this year's theme is "Empower Rural Women -- End Hunger and Poverty."

9 Mar 2012

Ultragenyx completes UX001 Phase 1 study on hereditary inclusion body myopathy

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, today announced that the Phase 1 study of UX001 for hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) has been completed.

9 Mar 2012

Consumer coalition sues drugmakers over coupon programs

The lawsuit claims that these popular programs, which appear to save money for patients, actually increase costs and conceal information about the discounts from health plans.

9 Mar 2012

Five new genetic mutations linked with Crohn's disease in Ashkenazi Jews

In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn's disease in Jews of Eastern European descent, also known as Ashkenazi Jews.

9 Mar 2012

Report: Alzheimer's care to cost $200 billion this year

The report issued by the Alzheimer's Association also estimates that as many as 800,000 Americans have this illness and live alone. As many as half of these people don't have specific arrangements to help them get care.

9 Mar 2012

Women exposed to SSRIs during pregnancy are less likely to initiate breastfeeding

Researchers at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a statewide non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have found women exposed to certain antidepressants during pregnancy were significantly less likely to breastfeed their babies compared to unexposed women.

9 Mar 2012

Obama administration: Mandate is respectful of individual rights

The Department of Justice argues that the individual mandate is more protective of individual choices than programs such as Medicare. In other news related to the health law, the clashes between consumer and business groups over the measure's required benefit summaries don't appear to be over.

9 Mar 2012

New study finds significant variation in head CT use

Imaging has been identified as one of the key drivers of increased healthcare costs. A new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School has found significant variation in the use of head computed tomography (CT), even within a single emergency department.

9 Mar 2012

Surgeon General finds much work needed to stop teen smoking

The federal report documents an "epidemic" of tobacco use among teens, which it says can stunt lung growth and accelerate development of health problems.

9 Mar 2012

Emergent BioSolutions fourth quarter total revenues increase to $107.9M

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.

9 Mar 2012

CDC: Medical bills present hardship to many families

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on the financial stress caused by high medical costs.

9 Mar 2012

Obesity, medical distrust contribute to high rates of prostate cancer in Louisiana

Factors such as increased risk for African-Americans, obesity and medical distrust contribute to high rates of prostate cancer in Louisiana. Louisiana has the fourth highest prostate cancer death rate in the country and the sixth highest incidence rate, according to data from North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

9 Mar 2012

On the campaign trail, Santorum hits Romney on Mass. health law

GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum continued to press the parallels between the state law signed by his rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the federal measure, as well as to question Romney's explanation of his positions. Meanwhile, news outlets report on how the gender gap and social issues like contraception are playing in this election cycle.

9 Mar 2012

ARC receives Lilly Endowment grant for disaster relief and readiness

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded two grants totaling $3 million to the American Red Cross to support disaster relief and readiness. A $1million grant will allow the Red Cross to help people immediately affected by disaster; a $2 million grant will help the organization create a simpler, more responsive information technology system to meet the needs of people in need, workers, and community partners.

9 Mar 2012

Two-part blog series details Haiti cholera outbreak, response

In the first part of a two-part series in the Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) "Smart Global Health" blog, Alisha Kramer, an intern with the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, and Matt Fisher, project coordinator of the CSIS Project on Global Water Policy and a research assistant at the Global Health Policy Center, provide a brief history of Haiti's cholera outbreak, noting, "Ultimately, by the end of 2011, the outbreak had resulted in over 500,000 infections and 7,000 deaths."

9 Mar 2012

Employees who feel valued more likely to report better physical and mental health

Half of all employees who say that they do not feel valued at work report that they intend to look for a new job in the next year according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

9 Mar 2012

Integration of HIV, family planning services will 'save women's lives'

"Women who are at risk of unplanned pregnancy are also at risk of HIV, and vice-versa so separation of these services no longer makes sense. The global health community must work to bring family planning and HIV services together -- and quickly -- to save women's lives," Dana Hovig, chief executive of Marie Stopes International, and Alvaro Bermejo, executive director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, write in this RH Reality Check blog post marking International Women's Day.

9 Mar 2012

IDRI receives $1 million RHSC grant to eliminate leprosy

Leprosy, otherwise referred to as Hansen's Disease, is one of the most ancient diseases known to humans. Although the World Health Organization declared leprosy to be under control in many previously endemic countries, most experts agree that current approaches to treating the disease are not sufficient to eliminate the disease as a public health problem. Currently, 1.6 billion people are considered at risk of exposure to leprosy, while over 800 new cases occur every day.

9 Mar 2012

Challenges to achieving an AIDS-free generation

In a plenary presentation at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle on Wednesday, Dorothy Mbori-Ngacha of UNICEF examined the challenges to reaching the goal of an AIDS-free generation, by "eliminating 90 percent of HIV infections among children by 2015," and "outlined the four pillars of achieving that goal," including preventing HIV among women, preventing unintended pregnancies, preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and supporting HIV-positive women and their families, the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" reports.

9 Mar 2012