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Health reform facing early legal tests

Matt Sissel of Iowa City, Iowa, proudly served in Iraq as a combat medic. But he says he objects to being 'conscripted' into an overhauled federal health care system.

7 Oct 2010

Sverica International to acquire CFWH

The Center for Wound Healing, Inc., a leading manager of comprehensive wound care treatment centers that offer wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Sverica International, a leading private equity firm, for approximately $41 million.

7 Oct 2010

HHS partners with PEPFAR to invest $130M for African medical education

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief with a plan to invest $130 million over five years to transform African medical education and dramatically increase the number of health care workers.

7 Oct 2010

Pharmaxis receives FDA approval to market ARIDOL Test Kit

Pharmaxis, a global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic products for chronic respiratory and immune disorders, announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market ARIDOL™ (mannitol inhalation powder) Bronchial Challenge Test Kit, the first new bronchial challenge test in more than two decades.

7 Oct 2010

DCIS patients with high mammographic density face subsequent breast cancer risk

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente have found that patients with a very early form of breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS) who have higher mammographic density may be at increased risk for subsequent breast cancer, especially in the breast opposite to the one with the initial cancer.

7 Oct 2010

Trekkers and climbers face high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness

Climbers of high peaks such as Mount Kilimanjaro are at high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Trekkers should not ignore AMS warning signs, which can progress to more serious medical outcomes.

7 Oct 2010

Sudden cardiac arrest survivors to gather at SCAA Annual Meeting

A nationwide gathering of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors, emergency responders and civilian rescuers will mark SCA Awareness Month with a Survivors & Heroes Celebration on Friday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Marriott City Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

7 Oct 2010

Immune reaction to dystrophin may contribute to muscle disease: Study

An immune reaction to dystrophin, the muscle protein that is defective in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, may pose a new challenge to strengthening muscles of patients with this disease, suggests a new study appearing in the October 7, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

7 Oct 2010

Gymnemic acid nanocrystals could help develop soluble drug compounds

Researchers in India have demonstrated that producing nanoscopic crystals of a pharmaceutical product can allow the medication to be absorbed by the gut even if the drug is not soluble in water.

7 Oct 2010

New microtechnology approach may prevent pelvic autonomic nerve injury in rectal cancer surgical procedure

Surgeons in Germany have found that using microtechnology to elec-tronically stimulate and monitor pelvic autonomic nerves may help prevent problems after a surgical procedure for rectal cancer, such as bladder, urinary and fecal incontinence, and sexual function disorders, according to a study reported at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

Feds try to address hospitals' and doctors' concerns about accountable care organizations

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz told a meeting of 300 health industry representatives Tuesday his agency would explore an 'expedited review process' for hospitals and doctors looking to determine if new partnerships they form to provide care would violate antitrust laws. He was one of several top federal officials trying to address the concerns of hospitals and doctors.

7 Oct 2010

Raloxifene drug may be useful in treating kidney disease in women: Study

The osteoporosis drug raloxifene may be useful in treating kidney disease in women, suggests a new study led by Michal Melamed, M.D., M.H.S., assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology & population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

7 Oct 2010

EONS launches new initiative to improve pain management for cancer patients

The European Oncology Nursing Society launches first European nurse initiative to examine current practices in breakthrough cancer pain and look at ways of improving patient outcomes in palliative care

7 Oct 2010

Vitamin D deficiency may impact orthopaedic procedure outcomes

Forty-three percent of patients scheduled to undergo orthopaedic surgery have insufficient levels of vitamin D and two out of five of those patients had levels low enough to place them at risk for metabolic bone disease, according to a study published this month in the October 6th issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

7 Oct 2010

Indoor tanning beds can cause skin cancer

Back to school means new classes, clothes and schedules, including a heavy calendar of social events. Unfortunately, many young adults, particularly young women, head to indoor tanning salons in preparation for high school and college dances in the fall.

7 Oct 2010

DiFUSION Technologies' Xiphos line of posterior interbody devices receive 510(k) clearance

DiFUSION Technologies Inc., a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of its proprietary CleanFUZE anti-microbial technology for orthopedic implants, announced today the 510(k) clearance of its new Xiphos line of posterior interbody devices indicated for intervertebral body fusion of the lumbar spine, from L2 to SI, in skeletally mature patients who have had six months of non-operative treatment.

7 Oct 2010

U.S. continues to lag behind other nations in life expectancy

The United States continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance-obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities, and homicide-are not to blame, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study published today as a Health Affairs Web First.

7 Oct 2010

Research findings likely to have significant implications for treatment of pre-eclampsia, hypertension

Scientists have discovered a mechanism which raises blood pressure in pre-eclampsia, a potentially deadly condition which occurs during pregnancy.

7 Oct 2010

Microglial inflammation promotes MAPT pathologies

Cells that help to protect the central nervous system may also contribute to pathological changes in the brain. New research, published by Cell Press in the October 7th issue of the journal Neuron, provides mechanistic insight into a link between the immune system and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease that are associated with abnormal accumulation of tau protein.

7 Oct 2010