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Advance in genetics of cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and/or palate remains one of the most common birth defects in the world. It occurs when the sides of the face fuse abnormally in a developing baby, resulting in a malformed lip and/or roof of the mouth.

12 Apr 2005

Protection against 12 different communicable diseases available for infants and toddlers

In recognition of National Infant Immunization Week (April 24, 2005 through April 30, 2005), the Nassau County Department of Health urges all parents to ensure that their infants and toddlers are fully protected from the following vaccine preventable diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenza (meningitis), varicella (chickenpox), pneumococcal disease and influenza.

12 Apr 2005

Cardiac stem cells come closer to clinic

The laboratory of MDA grantee Kenneth Chien at the University of California-San Diego announced in a recent issue of Nature that its researchers have discovered in the hearts of mice, rats and humans a new type of stem cell that can become a mature cardiac cell.

12 Apr 2005

Pharmacies to sell syringes without a prescription

Beginning Tuesday, April 12th, pharmacists in San Francisco will be able to sell sterile syringes without a prescription when legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors and signed by Mayor Newsom last month goes into effect.

12 Apr 2005

Framework agreement creates safe blood for China

In an important step to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in China, The People's Republic of China's Ministry of Health signed a groundbreaking framework agreement with Washington, D.C.-based Safe Blood International Foundation (Safe Blood International), an organization dedicated to providing a safe blood supply for developing countries to help them stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases at the Ministry of Health in Beijing.

12 Apr 2005

Vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer and genital warts shows promise

A vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer and genital warts could reduce persistent infection and disease by 90%, suggest the results of a randomised trial published online by The Lancet Oncology.

12 Apr 2005

Researcher grows new insulin-secreting beta cells from pancreatic tissue

JDRF-funded researchers in Canada and Massachusetts have stimulated the birth of new insulin-secreting beta cells by treating human islets with a mixture of two naturally occurring peptides: epidermal growth factor (EGF) and gastrin.

12 Apr 2005

People who eat rice have healthier diets

People who eat rice have healthier diets, eat more fruits and vegetables, consume less added sugar and fat and are likely to have a lower body mass index than non-rice eaters, according to a new study presented for the first time today at a meeting of two key member groups of the American Dietetic Association.

12 Apr 2005

105 new health center grants totaling more than $63 million

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced plans to award 105 new health center grants totaling more than $63 million. These grants will help an estimated 632,000 Americans, including many without health insurance, obtain comprehensive primary health care services.

12 Apr 2005

Women with heart attacks benefit from stenting

Female heart attack patients undergoing angioplasty have a higher risk of death than men, but stenting may improve their outcomes, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 Apr 2005

Death rates of Australian males

A new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that men who work in blue-collar jobs have a higher rate of illness than those men who work in white-collar jobs.

12 Apr 2005

Ontario issues warning against unpasteurized milk

Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, has warned the public not to consume unpasteurized milk.

12 Apr 2005

FDA issues public health advisory for antipsychotic drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers, patients, and patient caregivers to new safety information concerning an unapproved (i.e., “off-label”) use of certain drugs called “atypical antipsychotic drugs.”

12 Apr 2005

Germany leads the way with e-health

Germany is poised to introduce its next generation e-health card in 2006. The new version, set to replace the existing insurance card – holding only the patient’s name, address and insurance number – will be the latest example of smart card technology to hit the market in Europe. It will be able to store prescription information and might even be used as the standard card for a digital signature – the key to modern eGovernment applications.

12 Apr 2005

Medicare announces funding for health insurance counseling

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 50 percent increase in funding for the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). SHIPs are a key partner in Medicare’s Education and Outreach effort to insure that everyone with Medicare knows they are eligible for prescription drug coverage, that they will have a choice of at least two plans, and that there will be extra assistance for those in need.

12 Apr 2005

Race influences how we cope with cancer

White patients cope better with the pressure of cancer than their British Asian counterparts according to research published on-line in the British Journal of Cancer.

12 Apr 2005

Disability tax credit benefits Canadians with diabetes

Some Canadians who use insulin to manage their diabetes may be eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $1,055 when they file their 2005 tax returns next year, the Canadian Diabetes Association announced recently.

12 Apr 2005

Women with pedometers step up exercise levels

Women with pedometers and a goal of 10,000 steps per day walked more than those whose goal was a brisk, 30-minute walk, according to new research published in the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

12 Apr 2005

Health resources must go to patients, not administration

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Bill Glasson, said recently that reports of Government changes to the health system seemed to have the priorities all wrong.

12 Apr 2005

Commons committee blasts dementia discrimination

On 10 April 2005 the House of Commons Health Select Committee published a damning report about the government’s policy on fully funded NHS continuing care.

12 Apr 2005