Healthcare
The prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions.
BIO welcomes advances in stem cell researchBiotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the news that researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute created 20 disease-specific stem cell lines thru the new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technique:
Difficulty sleeping increases during menopauseSleep difficulties, especially problems staying asleep, are relatively prevalent concerns among women going through the menopausal transition, revealed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
High blood pressure patients advised to use home monitorsPeople with hypertension should routinely monitor their blood pressure at home to help manage the disease, according to a new joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association.
Mothers less likely to vaccinate daughters against HPVU.S. mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus (HPV), even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve mom's acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study.
Women more likely to ignore heart attack warningsMany women under age 55 aren't seeking timely treatment for heart attack because they expect the warning signs and their reaction to follow a Hollywood script - tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, clutching the chest while dropping to one knee.
21% children not fully protected against vaccine-preventable diseasesThe U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) last week.
Brain and genes to improve anxiety treatmentRight now, about half of all people who take medicine for an anxiety disorder don't get much help from it. And doctors have no definitive way to predict who will, and who won't, benefit from each anti-anxiety prescription they write.
VereFlu portable lab-on-chip for detection of bird fluFollowing the success of the evaluation trials conducted at the prestigious National University Hospital of Singapore, Veredus Laboratories and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) announced the commercial availability of VereFlu, a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need.
Foreign PG medical qualifications recognized in IndiaThe Indian Government, exercising powers conferred upon it by the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, has recognized Post Graduate medical qualifications being awarded in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States of America, with the condition that these degrees should be recognized in the respective country for enrolment of medical practitioners in the concerned specialties.
Patients choice may destabilise health services, says BMA, UKPatients deserve real choice when making decisions about their treatment, but exercising that choice may destabilise existing services, the UK BMA warns as the UK Department of Health announces changes to provision of elective hospital care from 1st April 2008 in England.
Better care expected from NHS IT programme, UKThe new IT systems in the NHS, UK are on course to deliver better care and an estimated £1.14 billion in savings by 2014, according to the first annual Benefits Statement published by the UK Government.
FDA to establish offices in ChinaIn an important development, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received approval from the U.S. State Department to establish eight full time permanent FDA positions at U.S. diplomatic posts in the People's Republic of China, pending authorization from the Chinese government.
Eli Lilly denied NYT report of schizophrenia drug ZyprexaEli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) called the assertions in a New York Times online article 'flat out wrong.' A report in The New York Times that said a senior executive had encouraged the promotion of its schizophrenia drug Zyprexa for a use not approved by federal regulators.
BMA launches campaign to safeguard medical training, UKThe British Medical Association (BMA) launches a campaign to alert the UK government to doctors' concerns about the future of medical training. It is calling on doctors and medical students in England to e-mail their MPs about the need for budgets for their training to be ringfenced.
Aspirin reduces asthma risk in womenAspirin in small quantity on alternate days can cut the risk of developing asthma among women, suggests a large study, published ahead of print in Thorax from UK.
92% UK physicians commiited for extended hoursUK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has welcomed a decision by General Physicians to extend surgery opening hours. British Medical Association saw 92% of GPs votes supporting UK Government proposals to include extra sessions in the evening and at weekends.
Germany recalls heparin blood anticoagulantMore than 70 peoples fell sick because of heaprin injections used during dialysis medical procedure for their kidney problems, reported by German health authorities.
GSK statement on MHRA Seroxat investigationGlaxoSmithKline (GSK) notes the conclusions announced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regarding its investigation into disclosure of paediatric trial data for the anti-depressant medicine Seroxat (paroxetine).
NHS should work properly, says BMA UKFaced with two unsatisfactory options for extended hours, the UK's GPs have selected the proposal which they believe poses the lesser risk to patient care. Over nine in ten (92%) selected Option A over Option B - the only two alternatives the government had allowed.
GSK investigation concludes, says MHRA, UKThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has concluded its four year investigation into Glaxosmithkline and its antidepressant drug Seroxat. The investigation focused on whether GSK had failed to inform the MHRA of information it had on the safety of Seroxat in under 18's in a timely manner.
March as Kidney Disease Awareness Month in USThe American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to recognize March as National Kidney Disease Awareness Month. Recent research funded by the National Institute of Health put the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the United States at 26 million. AAKP recognizes National Kidney Disease Awareness Month with several planned educational programs and events.
Helping older people live safely and independentlyComplex interventions such as preventive home visits and community-based care after hospital discharge can help improve physical function and maintain independent living in older people, according to a Bristol University study of more than 90,000 older people published in this week's edition of the Lancet. The authors also advise against withdrawal of existing well-developed services for older people.
New York unveils electronic health record technologyNew York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden unveiled the City's next-generation electronic health records (EHRs), already in use at more than 200 primary-care providers across the city that care for more than 200,000 New Yorkers.
Race differences affect response to drugs and infectionsDifferences in gene expression levels between people of European versus African ancestry can affect how each group responds to certain drugs or fights off specific infections, report researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Expression Research Laboratory at Affymetrix Inc. of Santa Clara, CA.
Quest Diagnostics & Google provide patients electronic access to their diagnostic laboratory dataUS patients may soon have easy and secure access to their own medical diagnostic laboratory records as a result of a new collaboration between Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, and Google, the world's leading Internet search company.
Patients are benefiting from the new GP contract, says BMA, UKGeneral Physicians (GP) are spending more time with their patients and the work they do has become more complex, GP leaders said in response to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the GP contract in England.
72% rise in clostridium difficile linked deathsThe number of deaths involving Clostridium difficile continued to rise between 2005 and 2006, while deaths involving MRSA levelled out, according to new figures published by the Office for National Statistics in Health Statistics Quarterly 37 spring 2008.
Health reform in Australia, ANF expressed concernsIn responding to the Australian government's announcement of the make-up of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) expressed concerns regarding the future direction of health reform in Australia.
4000 new midwives for the NHSUK Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced a package of measures to recruit an extra 4,000 midwives to the NHS over the next three years. During a visit to Royal Victoria Infirmary Maternity Unit in Newcastle, the Health Secretary will outline plans to give former midwives a 'golden hello' worth up to £3,000 to help them return to work after a break in service.
UK government wasting money on private treatment centresResearchers writing in the BMJ, argue that there is no good evidence that independent sector treatment centres provide value for money or high quality care. The involvement of private companies in the UK's National Health Service always generates controversy.
Emerging infectious diseases are on the riseA team of scientists has shown that emerging infectious diseases such as HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus and Ebola are indeed on the rise. The team – including University of Georgia professor John Gittleman and scientists from the Consortium for Conservation Medicine, the Institute of Zoology (London) and Columbia University – recently published their findings in leading scientific journal Nature.
Gastric acid protects against foodborne diseasesA new study suggests that low levels of gastric acid in the stomach can increase one's likelihood of getting a foodborne infection. The researchers from Australia report their findings in the February 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Cleveland Clinic, Google to enhance patients' healthcare experienceGoogle has collaborated with Cleveland Clinic in US to test the features and services of a new health offering to assist Cleveland Clinic health providers to create a new kind of healthcare experience that puts patients in charge of their own health information.
Memory loss, less common in older AmericansIt appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" - the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease - among people aged 70 and older.
Extra investment for Shirley patients, UKSolihull NHS Care Trust has approved an extra £145,000 a year investment to help improve primary care services in Shirley. The money will be used to extend and modernize Haslucks Surgery in Haslucks Green Road, Shirley. Local residents can look forward to even more primary care facilities nearer their homes and may have shorter waits for treatment.
Guidelines for information on unapproved uses of medical productsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued draft guidance on "Good Reprint Practices" for industry use in the distribution of medical or scientific journal articles and reference publications that involve unapproved uses of FDA-approved drugs and medical devices.
New Zealand's health system needs upliftComments from the Health and Disability Commissioner about the safety of New Zealand's hospitals need to be acted on urgently, says the New Zealand Medical Association. Commissioner Ron Paterson told Parliament that New Zealand hospitals are unsafe and the health system lacks national leadership.
Australia's public health spending 2% of total spent on healthAustralia's expenditure on public health activities has remained constant at about 1.8% of total health spending over the last 7 years, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Part of ACCORD study halted due to safety concernsCanadian Diabetes Association has issued its position statement regarding safety concerns of diabetes treatment in ACCORD study - "It is important that people with diabetes not make any changes to their treatments or adjust their blood glucose targets without speaking to their healthcare team".
Health effects of climate change in UKThe possible health effects of climate change are set out in a report published by the Department of Health, UK (DH) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
US improving health care qualityThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issuing more information on special focus facilities to better equip beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to make informed decisions and stimulate robust improvements in nursing homes having not improved their quality of care.
Baxter's multiple-dose vial Heparin causing allergyThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Baxter Healthcare Corporation has temporarily stopped manufacturing multiple-dose vials of the injectable blood-thinning drug heparin due to reports of serious allergic reactions and hypotension (low blood pressure) in patients who receive high "bolus" doses of the drug.
UK Govt. has put GPs in an impossible position, says BMAThe British Medical Association - BMA's GP Committee (GPC) met last week to discuss the two options the UK government has given GPs regarding changes to their contract and passed the following resolution:
Kinship of couples may determine number of childrenIn a paper published by deCODE genetics (Nasdaq:DCGN) scientists establish a substantial and consistent positive correlation between the kinship of couples and the number of children and grandchildren they have.
New immigration rules in UK for international medical graduatesThe UK Home Office has laid immigration rules that will restrict international medical graduates' (IMGs) access to UK post graduate medical training. The new rules start to take effect from 29 February 2008. New immigration rules were welcomed by the UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
New report on global tobacco control efforts, WHOWorld Health Organization (WHO) today released new data showing that while progress has been made, not a single country fully implements all key tobacco control measures, and outlined an approach that governments can adopt to prevent tens of millions of premature deaths by the middle of this century.
FDA updates guidance to seafood processors after recent ciguatera poisoningThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter to seafood processors, advising them of recent illnesses linked to consuming fish carrying the ciguatera toxin, which has led to cases of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in consumers.
UK doctors have no confidence in NHS databaseNine out of ten UK doctors have no confidence in the government's ability to safeguard patient data online, a poll conducted by British Medical Association, BMA News has revealed.
HIV testing compulsory before marriage in IndiaThe Indian state Maharashtra government has proposed the testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) be made compulsory before marriage in the state. If the decision is made into law, Maharashtra would be the first state in the India to have such a scheme.
Suicidal thoughts and behaviours from epilepsy drugs, alerts MedsafeMedsafe, New Zealand's Ministry of Health's medicines regulatory arm, is alerting health care professionals in New Zealand about a small increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in patients taking anti-epileptic medicines.