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Federal health law pushes insurers to retool

Major U.S. health insurers, including Aetna Inc., Humana Inc. and WellPoint Inc., are retooling to become more than just health plans, in the wake of the federal health-care overhaul that is changing the rules for the industry's core business.

13 May 2011

Stress related to pregnancy affects health of expectant parents and their infants

A University of Missouri researcher has found that stress related to pregnancy uniquely affects the health of expectant fathers, which in turn, influences the health of expectant mothers and their infants.

13 May 2011

PCR testing for B. burgdorferi bacteria in joint fluid may confirm Lyme arthritis diagnosis

New research shows that polymerase chain reaction testing for Borrelia burgdorferi DNA—the spirochetal bacteria transmitted by deer ticks—in joint fluid may confirm the diagnosis of Lyme arthritis, but is not a reliable indicator for active joint infection in patients whose arthritis persists after antibiotic therapy. Findings of this study are published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

13 May 2011

Spouse caregivers may have high risk of cognitive impairment or dementia

An older individual who cares for a spouse with dementia may be at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems because of the lifestyle that was shared with the spouse and because of the stress of caring for a loved one who is ill.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Ending female genital mutilation

"Is it cultural imperialism for Westerners to oppose [female] genital mutilation? Yes, perhaps, but it's also justified. But it is clear that the most effective efforts against genital mutilation are grass-roots initiatives by local women working for change from within a culture".

13 May 2011

ISCO announces near-term marketing plans for Lifeline Skin Care products

International Stem Cell Corporation today announced the Company's near-term marketing plans for products manufactured by its Lifeline Skin Care subsidiary.

13 May 2011

Notum gene plays a key role in planarian's regeneration decision-making process

A seldom-studied gene known as notum plays a key role in the planarian's regeneration decision-making process, according to Whitehead Institute scientists. Protein from this gene determines whether a head or tail will regrow at appropriate amputation sites.

13 May 2011

Shared wind instruments may cause sickness

Germs survive for several days in wind instruments including the clarinet, flute, and saxophone, according to a pilot study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research. The researchers, led by Stuart Levy, MD, of Tufts University School of Medicine, urge proper cleaning of these instruments.

13 May 2011

Romney uses speech to take on his political vulnerability: Health reform

Mitt Romney, GOP presidential hopeful, delivered a speech today detailing what was right about the Massachusetts health reform plan that became law while he was governor, what is wrong with the federal health law that was enacted last year and what he would do to bring change to the health system. He spoke at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

13 May 2011

AMS signs research grant contract for six sites to evaluate vaginal prolapse repair techniques

American Medical Systems a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, announced today the signing of a research grant contract for six sites to evaluate anatomical, functional and safety outcomes of two different treatments for vaginal prolapse, Anterior Colporrhaphy, a technique which uses traditional suture plication, versus the Elevate Anterior and Apical Prolapse Repair System.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Three-pronged approach needed to fight malaria

A closer look provides a valuable reminder that sustained gains against malaria must be built upon a three-legged 'stool'.

13 May 2011

People with sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to Automatic External Defibrillators

People who suffer sudden cardiac arrest at District libraries now have access to Automatic External Defibrillators at all locations thanks to a partnership between the Federation of Friends of DC Public Library, Mended Hearts, Inc. and The George Washington University Cheney Cardiovascular Institute.

13 May 2011

AHRQ: Rural Americans more likely to be treated in emergency departments for eye injury

Rural Americans were five times more likely than urban residents to be treated in emergency departments for eye injuries in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

13 May 2011

Midbrain habenula region plays a key role in nicotine dependence

A person's vulnerability to nicotine addiction appears to have a genetic basis, at least in part. A region in the midbrain called the habenula plays a key role in this process, as Dr. In-s Iba-ez-Tallon and her team from the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have now shown.

13 May 2011

Researchers uncover unexpected role of estrogen receptors in brain inflammation

Researchers have uncovered an unexpected role for estrogen receptors in the brain in keeping inflammation under control. The findings reported in the May 13 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell may have important implications for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and many other neurodegenerative diseases.

13 May 2011

Elevated levels of cardiac troponins T or I after angioplasty linked to long-term all-cause mortality

New research shows that elevated levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) or I (cTnI) in patients who had angioplasty indicate a higher risk of all-cause mortality and long-term adverse events such as heart attack.

13 May 2011

Opinion: Haiti's cholera epidemic endures

"The United Nations' overall appeal to respond to the [Haiti cholera] epidemic, for $175 million, is 48 percent financed. Haiti's continuing health emergency may have been overlooked in a crush of world events, but while the sick and dying are waiting for the world to respond, the disease is not".

13 May 2011

New study sheds light on origins of myeloid leukemia

A new study by the NYU Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center, sheds light on the origins of myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer that affects children and adults.

13 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile infection presented at AGS Annual Meeting

Optimer Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of an additional analysis of data from the company's two Phase 3 clinical trials of DIFICID, an investigational antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection, at the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Annual Meeting held in National Harbor, Maryland.

13 May 2011

Leading public health experts agree: Menthol ban could save thousands of lives

Today, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to weigh a potential menthol ban, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Center for American Progress and Legacy called for menthol cigarettes to be taken off the market, citing key findings published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

13 May 2011