Medical News

RSS

Hemova device can reduce risk of infection, clotting and vessel narrowing in dialysis patients

Johns Hopkins University graduate students have invented a device to reduce the risk of infection, clotting and narrowing of the blood vessels in patients who need blood-cleansing dialysis because of kidney failure.

30 Jun 2011

Rapid, accurate test differentiates between bacterial and viral infections

Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a rapid and accurate test to tell the difference between bacterial and viral infections. Those common afflictions often have similar symptoms but vastly different treatments - antibiotics work for bacterial infections but not for viruses. The report appears in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry.

30 Jun 2011

Women recover faster from knee replacement surgery than men

Although women generally have worse knee function and more severe symptoms before undergoing surgery for knee replacement than men, they recover faster after the operation. Men take longer to recover but, after a year, they catch up with women and there are no differences in surgery outcomes at that time.

30 Jun 2011

Social stigma surrounding abortion

An international team of researchers says abortion stigma is under-researched, under theorized and over emphasized in one category: women who've had abortions. As a result, they're launching a new direction into research that explores the social stigma surrounding abortion.

30 Jun 2011

Early metformin treatment may prevent adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that early, prolonged treatment with the diabetes drug metformin may prevent or delay the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescence.

30 Jun 2011

Protect your ears from loud noise of fireworks, trains, and concerts

The sounds of summer can be noisy. "Fireworks, trains, concerts and road construction can be harmful to your hearing. And once hearing is damaged, it cannot be repaired," said Jyoti Bhayani, certified audiologist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System.

30 Jun 2011

FDA's ODAC recommends withdrawal of Avastin approval for metastatic breast cancer

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced today that, during a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing, the FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommended that the FDA withdraw its approval of Avastin in combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy for previously untreated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Genes in Tasmanian Devil give new hope to children with cancer

Cancer researchers have generated a genetic blueprint of the Tasmanian Devil genome, revealing cancer-associated genes that may answer important questions about adult and childhood cancer.

30 Jun 2011

NLST: CT scans more effective in reducing lung cancer death rates

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) is the first scientific study that provides clear evidence that CT screening significantly reduces the death rate due to lung cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Modulating interaction between 'rotten eggs' gas and nitric oxide may treat heart failure

Research carried out by scientists from the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter and the National University of Singapore has analysed the complex 'cross talk' between hydrogen sulphide and nitric oxide, both gasses that occur naturally in the body, and found that the interaction may offer potential strategies in the management of heart failure.

30 Jun 2011

Provectus presents additional data on PV-10 at two separate melanoma conferences

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced that data and study design features on PV-10 for metastatic melanoma were presented at two separate conferences.

30 Jun 2011

Dendreon receives FDA approval for Los Angeles cancer immunotherapy manufacturing facility

Dendreon Corporation today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Los Angeles cancer immunotherapy manufacturing facility, allowing the company to continue to increase the availability of PROVENGE across the U.S. to help meet the needs of patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Pregenen, Cellectis partner to develop meganucleases

Cellectis, the French genome engineering specialist, announced today the signing of a collaboration agreement with Pregenen, an American biotechnology start-up company dedicated to the creation of innovative tools for genome engineering.

30 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Calif.'s budget, Supreme Court drug rulings, the Avastin debate

The budget is not realistic, counting on fantastical revenue projections as well as a redevelopment gambit that's likely to be blocked in court. It makes deep cuts in state programs that will have unwelcome repercussions in years to come. And if the revenue projections prove to be as overly optimistic as they seem, there will be more damaging cuts to education, child care and health services. Nevertheless, it's a more earnest effort to clean up the state's budget mess than Sacramento has seen in a decade or more.

30 Jun 2011

Supreme Court rules in favor of ‘pharma’ data mining

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the pharmaceutical companies could use the information that they gained from doctors’ prescribing records. The data mining had been restricted in Maine following the high court ruling that struck down a similar law in Vermont.

29 Jun 2011

COIN hosts ‘Risk vs. Reward: Financing Early-Stage, Emerging Technologies’ roundtable event

The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN) has announced the upcoming NanoBio Executive Roundtable event to be hosted at The Hawthorne Inn in Winston-Salem, NC on July 14, 2011. This Roundtable will address a significant hurdle to nanobiotechnology development and commercialization—early-stage funding.

29 Jun 2011

Children and adolescents should not consume sports drinks

“Caffeine-containing "energy" drinks should never be used by children and adolescents, and carbohydrate-rich "sports" drinks should be restricted or avoided completely,” according to an American Academy of Pediatrics report in the journal Pediatrics.

29 Jun 2011

Video consultation initiative great opportunity for patients and GPs

With the new video consultation MBS items being available from 1 July 2011, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is committed to supporting the profession during the telehealth rollout and highlights the value of the GP in this healthcare model.

29 Jun 2011

NHS complaint system may need a ‘make over’

According to a committee of MPs, a “more open culture” is required to handle complaints about the health service in England. The committee has members from different political parties and said the system should be overhauled to ensure patients who complained were treated fairly. They also criticized the role of the Health Ombudsman and said it was not dealing with enough complaints.

29 Jun 2011

Doctors refuse to accept NHS reform bill

Labour warned that the health secretary, Andrew Lansley was still planning to create a “full-scale market” after Steve Field acknowledged that the government would leave hospitals vulnerable to European Union competition law due to the presence of private patients in NHS hospitals.

29 Jun 2011