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Moderate alcohol consumption reduces risk of gallstones

Health researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found that drinking two units of alcohol per day reduces the risk of developing gallstones by a third.

31 May 2009

UnitedHealth Group offers 15 recommendations to reduce federal health spending by $540 billion over 10 years

UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform and Modernization on Wednesday suggested 15 steps that could be taken to save $540 billion in federal in health care costs over the next 10 years, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Werner, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/27).

28 May 2009

Massachusetts health insurance law has increased access to care, though residents' ability to obtain treatment hampered by provider supply

Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law's successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports.

28 May 2009

States consider scaling back funding for Medicare drug benefit amid economic crisis

At least six states have considered eliminating or reducing financial assistance for those enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug benefit program who are affected by the "doughnut hole," or gap in coverage, the AP/Boston Herald reports.

28 May 2009

Miami-Dade, Blue Cross announce low-cost PPO aimed at county's uninsured

Florida's Miami-Dade County and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida on Tuesday announced a new low-cost health plan, called Miami-Dade Blue, aimed at helping the estimated 600,000 uninsured county residents, the Miami Herald reports.

28 May 2009

Low vitamin D levels in blacks could contribute to higher rates of cancer, other diseases, researcher says

Low vitamin D levels in blacks could contribute to health gaps between white and black U.S. residents, Michael Holick, a professor at Boston University and a vitamin D researcher, said recently, the GNS/Chicago Sun-Times reports.

28 May 2009

Survey examines health outcomes of American Indians in Alabama

American Indians in Alabama have better outcomes than the rest of the state's population in some health indicators but are less healthy in other areas, according to a survey released by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.

28 May 2009

'Complacency,' 'stigma' hindering efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS in black communities, opinion piece says

"Nearly 30 years after the discovery of HIV and AIDS, the epidemic is still ravaging black neighborhoods in Baltimore and across the nation," Kevin Fenton -- director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention -- writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece.

28 May 2009

Fishing industry contributing to spread of HIV around Africa's Lake Victoria

The fishing industry and some cultural practices in communities living around Africa's Lake Victoria are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in the area, according to a panel of experts at a recent meeting in Kisumu, Kenya, The Citizen reports.

28 May 2009

About 75% of people in Rwanda who have experienced discrimination are HIV-positive, survey finds

A recently released survey on stigma in Rwanda indicates that at least 74% of people in various segments of society who have experienced discrimination are HIV-positive, the New Times/AllAfrica.com reports. The discrimination often is in the form of isolation from family and physical harassment, according to the survey.

28 May 2009

Thailand aims to halve new HIV cases by 2011, Prime Minister says

Thailand has set a goal of reducing by half the number of new HIV cases in the country by 2011, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday, TNA/MCOT English News reports.

28 May 2009

About 0.59% of Vietnamese fishery workers are HIV-positive, prevalence could rise by 2013, survey says

An estimated 33,000 of the total 5.5 million workers in Vietnam's fishery sector, or about 0.59%, were living with HIV in 2008, according to a survey released Tuesday by Vietnam's fishery program, VNA/VOV News reports (VNA/VOV News, 5/27).

28 May 2009

Farmer still under consideration for Obama administration position, takes Harvard Medical School appointment

While Partners in Health co-founder Paul Farmer is still being considered for a senior role in the Obama administration, Farmer has been appointed chair of Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine -- Jeffrey Flier, the medical school's dean, said on Wednesday -- the Boston Globe reports. Flier said that Farmer will take a leave of absence from the medical school if he is offered a position with the administration. For now, Farmer is slated to succeed the current chair, Jim Kim, on July 1 (Smith, Boston Globe, 5/28).

28 May 2009

FDA approves Besivance as a treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6 percent) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (non-viral), a contagious condition marked by irritation of the eyes and a discharge from the mucous membranes.

28 May 2009

New ultra-sensitive device detects viruses in minutes

Imagine being able to detect in just a few minutes whether someone is infected with a virus. This has now become a reality, thanks to a new ultra-sensitive detector that has been developed by Ostendum, a spin-off company of the University of Twente.

28 May 2009

Warning on athletes’ use of prescription drugs

Athletes could be putting their lives at risk by doping themselves with powerful prescription drugs, a leading academic has warned. Professor Declan Naughton, Professor of Biomolecular Sciences at Kingston University in South West London, cautioned sportsmen and women against trying to improve their performance by taking drugs known as nitrites without clinical supervision.

28 May 2009

FDA approves new ankle prosthetic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a total ankle replacement system for arthritic or deformed ankles that may preserve some range of motion in the joint.

28 May 2009

Genomic research lays groundwork for new approaches for treating, preventing skin diseases

The health of our skin - one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface.

28 May 2009

New surgical tool for complicated eye surgery

Eye surgeons will soon have a new surgical tool to help make a complicated eye surgery less labor intensive while providing significant advantages for corneal transplant patients, as a result of an invention by a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center physician.

28 May 2009

Adult bone marrow stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can repair heart tissue

University at Buffalo researchers have demonstrated for the first time that injecting adult bone marrow stem cells into skeletal muscle can repair cardiac tissue, reversing heart failure.

28 May 2009

Medical News

Moderate alcohol consumption reduces risk of gallstones

UnitedHealth Group offers 15 recommendations to reduce federal health spending by $540 billion over 10 years

Massachusetts health insurance law has increased access to care, though residents' ability to obtain treatment hampered by provider supply

States consider scaling back funding for Medicare drug benefit amid economic crisis

Miami-Dade, Blue Cross announce low-cost PPO aimed at county's uninsured

Low vitamin D levels in blacks could contribute to higher rates of cancer, other diseases, researcher says

Survey examines health outcomes of American Indians in Alabama

'Complacency,' 'stigma' hindering efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS in black communities, opinion piece says

Fishing industry contributing to spread of HIV around Africa's Lake Victoria

About 75% of people in Rwanda who have experienced discrimination are HIV-positive, survey finds

Thailand aims to halve new HIV cases by 2011, Prime Minister says

About 0.59% of Vietnamese fishery workers are HIV-positive, prevalence could rise by 2013, survey says

Farmer still under consideration for Obama administration position, takes Harvard Medical School appointment

FDA approves Besivance as a treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis

New ultra-sensitive device detects viruses in minutes

Warning on athletes’ use of prescription drugs

FDA approves new ankle prosthetic

Genomic research lays groundwork for new approaches for treating, preventing skin diseases

New surgical tool for complicated eye surgery

Adult bone marrow stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can repair heart tissue

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