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Longer looks: AIDS epidemic in the U.S.; how public health and the recession connect

I pull out my phone and check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which tells me that, in the United States, 636,000 people have died since the epidemic began. That's 23 times higher than Germany, for a country with four times the population. This makes no sense. Germany has big cities, it has gay men and sex workers and drug users, it has all the same temptations for them to be uncareful that the United States does. How could so many fewer people have died? (Michael Hobbes, 5/12).

16 May 2014

New collaboration between Australian and European scientists to boost therapeutic drug research

Griffith University's Eskitis Institute will be the gateway for European scientists to access potential building blocks for new drugs and other products sourced from compounds created by Australian chemistry researchers.

16 May 2014

Safe Routes to School program improves safety of school-age children in NYC

As Bike to Work week continues, New Yorkers got some good news from a team of researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Using funds from the federally funded Safe Routes to School program enacted in 2005 in an effort to create safe environments for American children to walk or bike to school, New York City made safety changes to the most dangerous intersections near schools.

16 May 2014

State highlights: 700 nurses needed for health care help in Calif. county; Missouri abortion wait period; nursing home funding in Maine

A selection of health policy stories from California, Missouri, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia.

16 May 2014

New potential treatment for paraplegic patients

People with severe injuries to their spinal cord currently have no prospect of recovery and remain confined to their wheelchairs. Now, all that could change with a new treatment that stimulates the spinal cord using electric impulses.

16 May 2014

Walking shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with kidney disease

A recent study indicates that walking can reduce the risks of premature death and the need for dialysis or kidney transplant among patients with kidney disease.

16 May 2014

UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids selected to join Mayo Clinic Care Network

UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids is the first health care organization in Iowa to be selected to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a national network of like-minded organizations that share a commitment to better serving patients and their families.

16 May 2014

Viewpoints: GOP attacks on health law; challenging assumptions about Obamacare politics; is employer mandate worth it?

A crucial component of the Republican Party's assault on the Affordable Care Act always has been ignorance -- that is, the promotion of ignorance about the ACA's benefits among the general population. Now, from the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., comes hard evidence that the campaign worked, bigtime. In its latest national survey to determine how the healthcare reform act has been working, McKinsey found that the perceived cost of health insurance still was the No. 1 reason given by respondents for not enrolling (Michael Hiltzik, 5/14).

16 May 2014

Researchers examine relationships between alcohol and PTSD

Alcohol abuse occurs in 52% of men and 28% of women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Comorbid alcoholism and PTSD leads more frequently to low income, unemployment, and overall social dysfunction than either condition on its own, in part due to the clinical challenges their simultaneous treatment poses.

16 May 2014

Scientists reveal how and why immune system's B cells respond only to true threats

The immune system's B cells protect us from disease by producing antibodies, or "smart bullets," that specifically target invaders such as pathogens and viruses while leaving harmless molecules alone.

16 May 2014

Telormedix completes Phase II trial of Vesimune in CIS of the bladder

Telormedix, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on TLR7 agonists in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced that it has successfully completed a Phase II trial, conducted under an IND, of Vesimune (TMX-101) in CIS (carcinoma in situ) of the bladder.

16 May 2014

Sleep-breathing disorder diminishes activity among neurons responsible for keeping heart rate low

Sufferers of a common sleep-breathing disorder have diminished activity among neurons responsible for keeping heart rate low, reveals a new study published today [16 May] in The Journal of Physiology.

16 May 2014

Study led by TSRI scientists likely to influence future designs for HIV vaccines, antibody-based therapies

A vaccine or other therapy directed at a single site on a surface protein of HIV could in principle neutralize nearly all strains of the virus—thanks to the diversity of targets the site presents to the human immune system.

16 May 2014

New study of Kansas and Nebraska census data shows young men outnumber young women

In many rural communities hard hit by decades of population declines, young men increasingly outnumber young women, a new study of Kansas and Nebraska census data shows.

16 May 2014

Three large health plans join forces to advance health care price transparency

A partnership was announced Wednesday between insurers UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Humana and the Health Care Cost Institute to create a payment database that will be available at no cost to the public.

16 May 2014

Physician partner allows doctors to focus more on patients

Primary care physicians already have enough administrative duties on their plates, and the implementation of electronic medical records has only added to their burden. As a result, they have less time to spend with their patients.

16 May 2014

Research shows sugar has direct effect on cardiovascular risk-factors independent of weight gain

Researchers from New Zealand's University of Otago have uncovered evidence that sugar has a direct effect on risk factors for heart disease, and is likely to impact on blood pressure, independent of weight gain.

16 May 2014

Research professor of Emory receives 2014 MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research

Lary C. Walker, PhD, research professor of neuropharmacology and neurologic diseases and associate professor of neurology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, is a recipient of the 2014 MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research. The winners were recognized at a scientific briefing and awards ceremony today in New York.

16 May 2014

Anticoagulation therapy with low-dose aspirin can be used with new generation mechanical heart valve

Less aggressive anticoagulation therapy, combined with low-dose aspirin, can be used safely in conjunction with a newer generation mechanical heart valve.

16 May 2014

Lung cancer screening guidelines could cost Medicare billions

A study of Medicare beneficiaries with a history of heavy smoking found that new lung cancer screening guidelines would likely double the proportion of lung cancers found at an early stage, but at a steep cost of more than $9 billion over five years.

16 May 2014

Medical News

Longer looks: AIDS epidemic in the U.S.; how public health and the recession connect

New collaboration between Australian and European scientists to boost therapeutic drug research

Safe Routes to School program improves safety of school-age children in NYC

State highlights: 700 nurses needed for health care help in Calif. county; Missouri abortion wait period; nursing home funding in Maine

New potential treatment for paraplegic patients

Walking shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with kidney disease

UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids selected to join Mayo Clinic Care Network

Viewpoints: GOP attacks on health law; challenging assumptions about Obamacare politics; is employer mandate worth it?

Researchers examine relationships between alcohol and PTSD

Scientists reveal how and why immune system's B cells respond only to true threats

Telormedix completes Phase II trial of Vesimune in CIS of the bladder

Sleep-breathing disorder diminishes activity among neurons responsible for keeping heart rate low

Study led by TSRI scientists likely to influence future designs for HIV vaccines, antibody-based therapies

New study of Kansas and Nebraska census data shows young men outnumber young women

Three large health plans join forces to advance health care price transparency

Physician partner allows doctors to focus more on patients

Research shows sugar has direct effect on cardiovascular risk-factors independent of weight gain

Research professor of Emory receives 2014 MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research

Anticoagulation therapy with low-dose aspirin can be used with new generation mechanical heart valve

Lung cancer screening guidelines could cost Medicare billions

Membrane proteins in focus: Turning high-risk targets into routine workflows

How metabolic phenotyping can detect viral infections in minutes

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

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