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Administration officials signal White House might accept cuts to proposed budget as long as health care reform, other priorities are preserved

Obama administration officials have indicated they might be willing to accept reductions to President Obama's budget proposal as long as his "signature initiatives," including health care reform, remain untouched, the Washington Post reports.

24 Mar 2009

Lancet opinion piece examines progress made against HIV/AIDS

"Nearly 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, we are able to access our progress in tackling the disease with both increased knowledge and the benefit of hindsight," former UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot of Imperial College London, who also serves as an adviser on global health strategy to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Mark Dybul of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; and Julian Lob-Levyt of the GAVI Alliance write in a Lancet opinion piece.

24 Mar 2009

Philadelphia Inquirer examines developments, ethics in microbicide research

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined issues surrounding microbicide research, including recent developments and ethical issues. Philadelphia Inquirer examines developments, ethics in microbicide research

24 Mar 2009

New HIV/AIDS data released in Latvia

Latvia's Public Health Agency recently released data about HIV/AIDS in the country in 2008, indicating that the spread of the virus through heterosexual contact is increasing, the Baltic Times reports.

24 Mar 2009

USAID switching to cheaper condoms produced overseas

USAID -- which has distributed an estimated 10 billion U.S.-manufactured condoms worldwide -- is switching to less-expensive condoms made overseas, the Kansas City Star reports.

24 Mar 2009

Formal education curbing spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Formal education is helping to curb the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa after having opposite effects during the early stages of the pandemic, according to a study by researchers from Pennsylvania State University and published recently in the UNESCO journal Prospects, UPI/RedOrbit reports.

24 Mar 2009

Clotrimazole drug used to treat skin conditions is a marine pollutant

Clotrimazole is a common ingredient in over-the-counter skin creams. Recent results from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, now show that it is associated with major environmental risks. "The pharmaceuticals and chemicals in everyday use form a mixture in the ocean that has a direct impact on the growth and reproduction of organisms", says scientist Tobias Porsbring.

24 Mar 2009

Anti-microbial catheter to cut infection risk for dialysis patients

Medical experts at The University of Nottingham have shown that an innovative anti-microbial catheter could vastly improve treatment and the quality of life for many community-based dialysis patients.

24 Mar 2009

Ownership of electronic health information must be addressed

The recently passed 'Stimulus' funding will create a huge amount of electronic medical information in the next few years, but legal uncertainty about who owns the information "presents a major obstacle to integrating and using" it to improve public health and health care, according to a national commentary co-authored by a Wake Forest University and a Duke University faculty member.

24 Mar 2009

Quality of life may impact coping strategies of young women with breast cancer

Numerous studies have shown a relationship between coping strategies and quality of life (QOL) among women with breast cancer. In a study published today in the online edition of Journal of Behavioral Medicine, an investigation of coping strategies and quality of life among younger women with breast cancer suggests that QOL determines the use of coping strategies.

24 Mar 2009

New insights may help HIV and cancer patients

Important progress in understanding the function of tetherin, known to have both anti-cancer and anti-viral properties, has been made by researchers at the University of Bristol.

24 Mar 2009

Diabetics on high-fiber diets might need extra calcium

The amount of calcium your body absorbs might depend, in part, on the amount of dietary fiber you consume.

24 Mar 2009

HIV-related tuberculosis deaths higher than past estimates

The total number of new tuberculosis (TB) cases remained stable in 2007, and the percentage of the world's population becoming ill with TB has continued the slow decline that was first observed in 2004, according to a new report released by WHO today.

24 Mar 2009

Osteoporosis linked to vertigo

People who have osteoporosis are more likely to also have vertigo, according to a study published in the March 24, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Mar 2009

Time (and PPAR-beta/delta) heals all wounds

Mammalian skin requires constant maintenance, but how do skin cells know when to proliferate and at what rate?

23 Mar 2009

Early epilepsy surgery may have a positive impact on babies' brain development

A new study published in Epilepsia reveals surgery for babies and toddlers suffering from epilepsy is relatively safe and is effective in controlling seizures.

23 Mar 2009

Super-microsurgical technique brings hope to breast cancer patients with lymphedema

Breast cancer patients with lymphedema in their upper arm experienced reduced fluid in the swollen arm by up to 39 percent after undergoing a super-microsurgical technique known as lymphaticovenular bypass, report researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

23 Mar 2009

Study shows how Salmonella survives in environment

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have demonstrated how a single-celled organism, living freely in the environment, could be a source of Salmonella transmission to animals and humans.

23 Mar 2009

Tai chi improves balance in stroke survivors

Stroke can impair balance, heightening the risk of a debilitating fall.

23 Mar 2009

New strategy for fighting persistent bacterial infections

Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered a promising strategy for destroying the molecular scaffolding that can make Pseudomonas bacterial infections extremely difficult to treat in cystic fibrosis patients, wearers of contact lenses, and burn victims.

23 Mar 2009