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New reports underscore a litany of health law implementation obstacles

Obstacles to the implementation of the health overhaul abound, including lawsuits, regulatory issues, concerns about patients' choice, and, of course, costs.

1 Oct 2010

Personalized cancer drug delivery could soon be a reality

Imagine the day a machine can draw your blood, screen it for genetic mutations and chemical variations that can cause cancer, and pop out a drug tailor-made for your DNA.

1 Oct 2010

Experts provide information on H1N1 and seasonal flu at Johns Hopkins hospital

Johns Hopkins has a wide range of experts available for interviews and comments about seasonal flu, H1N1, emergency preparedness, infection control, flu transmission in children, vaccine safety, flu treatment, public health ethics, flu in cancer patients, and related public communications strategies. If you would like to interview a Johns Hopkins expert, call or e-mail the designated information officer in the list below.

1 Oct 2010

Researchers discover new factors that regulate fat formation

By creating a "map" of histone modifications in fat cells, investigators have discovered two new factors that regulate fat formation, a key step on the road to better understanding obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

1 Oct 2010

AP examines delayed U.S. aid for Haiti reconstruction

"Nearly nine months after the earthquake, more than a million Haitians still live on the streets between piles of rubble. One reason: Not a cent of the $1.15 billion the U.S. promised for rebuilding has arrived," the Associated Press writes in an article examining why this aid has not been delivered.

1 Oct 2010

BioVigil system can improve hand sanitizer usage

Over 99,000 Americans die each year as a result of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hand hygiene is the single most effective way to combat hospital-acquired infections and prevent these unnecessary deaths.

1 Oct 2010

School vending machines can influence students' dietary choices

With over 23 million children and adolescents in the US overweight or obese, the risks for many chronic diseases continue to increase. An article in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association examines the diets of American youth and finds some disturbing results.

1 Oct 2010

Candidates who have strong religious connection have better post-transplant survival

Italian researchers report that liver transplant candidates who have a strong religious connection have better post-transplant survival. This study also finds that religiosity—regardless of cause of death—prolongs the life span of individuals who underwent liver transplantation.

1 Oct 2010

Study demonstrates rufinamide therapy is effective in reducing partial seizure frequency

Researchers from the Arkansas Epilepsy Program found treatment with rufinamide results in a significant reduction in seizure frequency compared with placebo, for patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures (POS).

1 Oct 2010

APhA urges consumers to discuss proper medication usage with pharmacists

In honor of American Pharmacists Month, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) encourages consumers to hold an open dialogue with their pharmacists about a growing problem in the United States, the proper usage of and adherence to medications.

1 Oct 2010

Study indicates neurotransmitters are abnormal in people with psychotic illness

There is growing evidence that two neurotransmitters - dopamine and glutamate - are abnormal in people with psychotic illness, including schizophrenia. Among many other things, these chemicals play a role in cognitive functions, such as memory, learning, and problem-solving.

1 Oct 2010

Biologics can achieve great success - but at great cost

The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog: Insurers want to know why biologic drugs are so expensive. "UnitedHealth Group's Prescription Solutions unit hosted a roundtable this morning in midtown Manhattan focusing on a topic that's hot right now: the rocketing growth of spending on biologic drugs.

1 Oct 2010

Mammography screening of middle-aged women reduces breast cancer mortality rate by 30%

The landmark breast cancer screening study of women 40-49, published online in Cancer, has proven that annual mammography screening of women in their 40s reduces the breast cancer death rate in these women by nearly 30 percent.

1 Oct 2010

Health reform law bubbling up as campaign issue

The Associated Press: Lawmakers have left Washington to campaign and focus on their messages regarding the economy and health care. "Majority Democrats facing significant losses in the wake of unpopular bills to stimulate the economy and overhaul the nation's health care laws sought to do their party no further harm on Capitol Hill" (Kellman and Abrams, 9/30).

1 Oct 2010

Neurologic Clinics journal publishes latest advances in neurologic disorders

The latest advances in treating neurologic disorders such as stroke, headache, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and sleep disorders are detailed in a special issue of the journal Neurologic Clinics.

1 Oct 2010

Obesity linked to overfeeding during infancy: Study

Two studies have found that babies who put on weight too fast in their first months are more likely to become fat as adults. The studies showed that at 5–8 years old, children who were given the enriched formula had more body fat than those who were given normal formula.

1 Oct 2010

NHS makeover not welcomed by the BMA

The British Medical Association (BMA) has expressed doubts about the radical makeover of the NHS and how it would affect patient care. The reorganization of the NHS in England was unveiled in health secretary Andrew Lansley's white paper in July. The BMA says that the plans are potentially damaging, risk setting groups of clinicians against each other and are not a good use of public money when the NHS has to save £15 to £20 billion.

1 Oct 2010

Food labeling urged to be more stringent

After recent research from campaigning organization Greenpeace found the S-26 Soy brand of infant formula contains GM or genetically modified ingredients that are not disclosed on the product label, two Senators are urging the Federal Government to tighten Australia's food labeling laws.

30 Sep 2010

Breast cancer breakthrough

New research on gene expression provides a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment. Women who have triple-negative breast cancer are a small proportion of breast cancer cases, but it is difficult to treat and might have a more aggressive clinical course than other forms of the disease.

30 Sep 2010

Sleeping with baby raises SIDS risk

South Australian Coroner Mark Johns ruled against parents sleeping with their babies as he was conducting an inquest into the deaths of five babies in 2007 and 2008 who had slept with a parent or grandparent.

30 Sep 2010