Medical News

RSS

California Senator Sheila Kuehl reintroduces single-payer health system legislation

California state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D) on Tuesday for the third time introduced legislation (SB 840) that would eliminate health insurers and create a state-run, single-payer health insurance system, the Los Angeles Times reports.

1 Mar 2007

FDA reaches agreement with medical device lobby for user fees

The Advanced Medical Technology Association and FDA have reached an agreement in principle regarding reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act, according to AdvaMed President Steven Ubl, CQ HealthBeat reports.

1 Mar 2007

Democrats awaiting MedPAC report to begin discussing Medicare physician payment reform

Members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Thursday will testify before House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over Medicare about their annual report, which likely will include recommendations on revisions to the Medicare physician reimbursement formula, the Palm Beach Post reports.

1 Mar 2007

Researchers wake up viruses inside tumors to image and then destroy cancers

They say this strategy could offer a novel way of treating many cancers associated with Epstein-Barr, including at least four different types of lymphoma and nasopharyngeal and gastric cancers.

1 Mar 2007

Green tea and COX-2 inhibitors combine to slow growth of prostate cancer

Drinking a nice warm cup of green tea has long been touted for its healthful benefits, both real and anecdotal. But now researchers have found that a component of green tea, combined with low doses of a COX-2 inhibitor, could slow the spread of human prostate cancer.

1 Mar 2007

Final attack on the poliovirus

Today, governments, donors and international agencies leading the drive to eradicate polio fully supported the planned final attack on the poliovirus.

1 Mar 2007

Further study of past flu pandemics key to future preparedness

Scientists and public health officials, wary that the H5N1 avian influenza virus could trigger an influenza pandemic, have looked to past pandemics, including the 1918 "Spanish Flu," for insight into pandemic planning.

28 Feb 2007

Latest food scare in the U.S. hits Hollywood party scene

Hollywood's celebrities may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus at one of 13 catered events, in particular a Sports Illustrated's swimsuit party.

28 Feb 2007

New Crohn's disease treatment Humira promises to reduce symptoms

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has given it's approval for the use of the drug Humira (adalimumab) to treat adults suffering from Crohn's disease.

28 Feb 2007

Scientists alter electrical properties of cells inducing regeneration

Scientists at Forsyth may have moved one step closer to regenerating human spinal cord tissue by artificially inducing a frog tadpole to re-grow its tail at a stage in its development when it is normally impossible. Using a variety of methods including a kind of gene therapy, the scientists altered the electrical properties of cells thus inducing regeneration.

28 Feb 2007

New terms for describing gene products involved in microbial-host interactions

An international group of scientists has announced a major expansion of a lingua franca used to describe the activities of genes in living organisms.

28 Feb 2007

IntraLase settles patent litigation with Escalon Medical

IntraLase Corp. has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Escalon Medical Corp. to settle all outstanding disputes and litigation between the parties.

28 Feb 2007

Exposure to diesel exhaust during commutes poses a serious public health risk

The Boston-based environmental research group reported today that even though we spend only a tiny portion of our day commuting, it's during the commute that we receive more than half our overall exposure to deadly fine particle pollution.

28 Feb 2007

Physical fitness and activity levels decline substantially as we reach middle age

Those are the findings of the largest, long-term study of physical fitness change, presented by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research today at the American Heart Association's 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Orlando, Fla.

28 Feb 2007

New York State moves closer to lower drug prices

It's a lot easier to negotiate a better price on something when you buy in volume -- that's the approach the State Assembly is hoping the state will take when buying its prescription drugs.

28 Feb 2007

Stress-related adult disease may originate in fetal development birth weight, gestation period may be linked to depression

According to a review in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, evidence is mounting that lifelong stress-related conditions such as depression and chronic pain may be linked to fetal growth and timing of delivery.

28 Feb 2007

Prostate brachytherapy causes fewer side effects than surgery

Men with prostate cancer have a slightly better long-term side effects profile with radiation seed implants than they do with surgery, according to a study released today in the International Journal for Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official journal of ASTRO.

28 Feb 2007