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Coronary CTA non-invasive and safe for children

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) has excellent image quality and diagnostic confidence for the entire spectrum of pediatric patients, with significant reduction of risk with recent technological advancements, according to a study to be presented at the Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) in Denver, July 14-17.

18 Jul 2011

European Commission Framework 7 programme awards €3 million grant to Enigma Diagnostics

In October 2007, Enigma Diagnostics announced the award of a euro 3 Million grant by the European Commission Framework 7 programme. This EU Commission award was won in a competitive process and the grant was to support development of a rapid, fully automated molecular diagnostic system for Seasonal Influenza (circulating strains of Influenza types A & B) to be based on Enigma's concept ML instrument system.

18 Jul 2011

Cancer rates increase among middle-aged people in Great Britain

CANCER rates in middle-aged men and women in Great Britain have gone up by nearly 20 per cent in a generation - an increase of 17,000 cases a year - according to new figures released today (Monday) by Cancer Research UK.

18 Jul 2011

Experimental online tool launched to guide HIV treatment decisions without the need for resistance testing

A new free online service with the potential to help HIV treatment in countries with limited healthcare resources was launched today. The system accurately predicts how patients will respond to different combinations of drugs without the need for expensive tests to read the viral genetic code. Data presented today at the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) demonstrated the accuracy of the system for patients in Romania and South Africa whose treatment was failing (abstract MOPE146).

18 Jul 2011

Transcept decreases workforce following FDA news on Intermezzo NDA

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today plans to reduce operating expenses by eliminating approximately 45% of its workforce following notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the resubmitted New Drug Application (NDA) for Intermezzo, the company's lead product candidate, cannot be approved in its present form.

16 Jul 2011

Study recommends short and simple HIV consent forms

An in-depth review of consent forms provided to volunteers for HIV/AIDS research in the United States and abroad about study procedures, risks and benefits has found that the forms were extremely long and used wording that may have been complex enough to hinder full understanding, according to bioethicists at The Johns Hopkins University.

16 Jul 2011

Record number of abortion restrictions enacted

A report by the Guttmacher Institute identifies 162 new laws passed by states this year. Meanwhile, conservatives are pointing to another report by an anti-abortion group that alleges misconduct by Planned Parenthood.

16 Jul 2011

World's largest conference on addiction, mental health and criminal justice system

About 3,500 attendees are expected to convene at the world's largest conference on addiction, mental health and the criminal justice system July 17-20, when the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) hosts the 17th Annual Drug Court Training Conference at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

16 Jul 2011

U.S. will strengthen health work in Haiti

In a post on the AIDS.gov blog, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator, writes about a recent visit to Haiti and gives an update on U.S. work with Haiti.

16 Jul 2011

Shah congratulates researchers on PrEP findings

In statement released Thursday, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said, "I congratulate the Partners PrEP and CDC TDF2 teams on their study findings demonstrating that PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) - and HIV medication when taken orally, once a day - is highly effective in preventing HIV in heterosexual men and women.

16 Jul 2011

AHRQ: Employees with family coverage pay 27% of health insurance premium

Nationwide, private-sector employees with single coverage contributed 21 percent of the cost of their health insurance and employees with family coverage paid 27 percent, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Jul 2011

Study examines acute effects of low-dose alcohol on cardiac performance

Few studies have examined the acute effects of alcohol on myocardial or heart function. While moderate-to-high blood concentrations of alcohol acutely impair conventional echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) performance, the effects of low concentrations are unclear.

16 Jul 2011

Plan B gaining traction in debt-ceiling strategy

A proposal offered earlier this week by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is emerging as a means to resolve the current stalemate in negotiations to raise the nation's debt limit. But even as this approach continues to gain momentum, it will face considerable political and procedural hurdles.

16 Jul 2011

New antidepressant prescription linked to increased risk of falls in nursing home residents

Nursing home residents taking certain antidepressant medications are at an increased risk of falling in the days following the start of a new prescription or a dose increase of their current drug, according to a new study by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

16 Jul 2011

DRC facing cholera, measles outbreaks, U.N. says

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded more than 3,000 cases and 192 deaths from cholera since March, according to a U.N. report on the outbreak, VOA News reports.

16 Jul 2011

Gladstone plans to create new center for Alzheimer's disease research

The Gladstone Institutes today announced plans to create a Center for Comprehensive Alzheimer's Disease Research, offering new hope for the millions of families stricken by this debilitating neurodegenerative disease.

16 Jul 2011

Global MDR-TB response has been slow, report says

A report released recently and compiled by the Treatment Action Group, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Partners In Health says that international efforts aimed at scaling up treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have been slow due to weak government action, low funding and a "sluggish response by international support mechanisms," BMJ News reports.

16 Jul 2011