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Married patients benefit from herniated spinal disc surgery

Some patient subgroups see greater improvement after surgery for herniated spinal discs relative to nonoperative outcomes—notably including married patients whose symptoms are getting worse, reports a study in the January 15, 2012, issue of Spine.

5 Jan 2012

Researchers urged to differentiate between two bladder cancer subtypes in their studies

Researchers are being urged to differentiate between two types of bladder cancer when they carry out studies, after a detailed trends analysis revealed significant differences between the main subtypes of the disease.

5 Jan 2012

Bachmann's parting shot: Repeal health law

News outlets noted that as she announced she was leaving the GOP presidential race, Rep. Michele Bachmann continued to criticize the Affordable Care Act

5 Jan 2012

CMS acknowledges clinical improvement linked with use of Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System

Boston Scientific Corporation announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that administers the Medicare program, has acknowledged the substantial clinical improvement associated with the use of the Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System to perform bronchial thermoplasty for the management of severe asthma.

5 Jan 2012

Health insurance fee draws GOP attacks

The health care law tacks on a fee of $1 per year to private insurance plans. The money will fund comparative effectiveness research - studies into which treatments work best for particular conditions. The Senate Republican Policy Committee contrasted the fee with Obama's opposition, during the 2008 campaign, to taxing employer-based health benefits.

5 Jan 2012

MCW professor to receive American Association of Anatomists' Basmajian Award

The American Association of Anatomists' 2012 Basmajian Award will be presented on April 24 to Todd Hoagland, associate professor in the department of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

5 Jan 2012

HHS issues initial set of 26 Medicaid quality measures

HHS has issued a final notice containing an initial set of 26 quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults. The measures, which cover areas such as prevention, care coordination and chronic disease management, will be used for quality reporting.

5 Jan 2012

Researchers estimate cost and impact of disabilities on finances of disabled people

A team of researchers have for the first time estimated the cost and impact of disabilities on the finances of disabled people. According to data, 90% of the population with a serious disability in Spain is in a state of moderate poverty and 56% lives in a state of extreme poverty.

5 Jan 2012

Study: Drug research often suppressed

Drug research, even from clinical trials sponsored by the federal government, routinely is suppressed, harming patients and increasing health care costs, according to new data highlighting an ethical controversy that continues to plague the field of medicine.

5 Jan 2012

Article focuses on new optical tools that use laser beams to peer painlessly below the skin

A hand-held scanner, reminiscent of the fictional Star Trek medical Tricorder, images blood vessels through the skin and projects a map onto the skin showing nurses exactly where to insert a needle.

5 Jan 2012

U.S. addressing short-, long-term needs in Horn of Africa

"As the United States entered the traditional season of giving and renewal last month, President Barack Obama announced that the United States was increasing its emergency aid to the Horn of Africa region by $113 million," a VOA editorial states adding, "The new monies will be used for food, health, shelter, water and other needs."

5 Jan 2012

Driving in the mid-lane helps pensioners stay safe

It's official: older adults are naturally inclined to drive in the middle of the road, leaving the younger generation to cut corners. This tendency to sit mid-lane is an in-built safety mechanism that helps pensioners stay safe behind the wheel, according to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK.

5 Jan 2012

Romney wins GOP Iowa caucus by eight votes

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney edged out rival Rick Santorum by a margin so slim it is viewed by many as a tie. News outlets review the political dynamics behind the vote tally, and highlight how the outcome reflects the ongoing GOP ideological divide as well as what might happen next.

5 Jan 2012

Doctors may need to adjust seizure drug doses for people with HIV/AIDS: New AAN guideline

A new guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology recommends doctors use caution when choosing seizure drugs for people with HIV/AIDS to avoid potential drug interactions.

5 Jan 2012

Industry report finds nursing homes losing money as states cut Medicaid

Also, California officials prepare to appeal federal court decision striking down cuts to some providers, and Wisconsin announces that its shortfall is less than expected.

5 Jan 2012

Probiodrug secures EUR 15M for clinical development of PQ912

Probiodrug AG today announced it has secured EUR 15 million additional financing for the ongoing development of its glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibitor program. The lead compound, PQ912, its first QC inhibitor, is in clinical development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jan 2012

Congress returns to 'same old health fights' in 2012

Congress starts 2012 facing the same old health policy fights, including the GOP push to pay for a more permanent Medicare "doc fix" with cuts to health law programs or Medicare. Meanwhile, Politico Pro reports on how House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp, R-Mich., has been pivotal in Republican efforts to undermine the health overhaul law.

5 Jan 2012

Working Group recommends use of biomarkers in AD clinical trials

A group of thought leaders in Alzheimer's disease says the science is solid and the time has come for more widespread use of biomarkers in Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical trials, to speed the identification of effective disease-modifying treatments for this incurable disorder.

5 Jan 2012

Sri Lankan Presidential Task Force against dengue seeing success

"Sri Lanka is making progress in the battle against mosquito-borne dengue fever, say health officials," IRIN reports.

5 Jan 2012

Daily doses of S-equol reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women

Daily doses of a soy germ-based nutritional supplement containing S-equol significantly improved menopausal symptoms, including significantly reducing hot flash frequency after 12 weeks according to a placebo-controlled study in postmenopausal Japanese women published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Women's Health.

5 Jan 2012