Health and Medical News Headlines for December 3, 2009

Smoking first thing 'the worst'

Banning smoking in public places has had a bigger impact on reducing heart disease than expected, studies claim.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 3 Dec 2009 | 2:01 am

Globalisation clouds vision of Israel's Negev desert

Israel's founding father had a dream of making the Negev desert bloom, a vision clouded today by the harsh reality of industrial wastelands, chronic unemployment and fading hopes. David...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 1:54 am

Couture must juggle the creative with the commercial

The tribulations of the celebrated French fashion house Christian Lacroix at a bankruptcy hearing this week show more than ever that haute couture cannot pay its way on its own. Although
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:56 am

UPDATE 7-Peugeot, Mitsubishi seek deeper ties as downturn bites

* Peugeot in talks to acquire 30-50 pct in Mitsubishi - Nikkei * Deal likely to be worth around $2.3 bln-$3.4 bln - Nikkei * Peugeot "ideal" partner for Mitsubishi Motors - analyst * Mitsubishi group...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:46 am

Chopin's homeland, a magnet for Asian musical talent

More and more young Asian musicians are choosing Poland to perfect their skills and absorb the atmosphere in the native land of renowned 19th century romantic composer Frederic Chopin,...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:45 am

UPDATE 2-Market Chatter -- Corporate finance press digest

BANGALORE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The following corporate finance-related stories were reported by media on Thursday:
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:36 am

UPDATE 2-Market Chatter -- Corporate finance press digest

BANGALORE, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The following corporate finance-related stories were reported by media on Thursday:
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:36 am

UPDATE 1-Galapagos gets 10.2 mln euro payment from J&J unit

BRUSSELS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Belgian bone and joint disease specialist Galapagos said on Thursday it has been paid 10.2 million euros ($15.37 million) as developments under its licensing deals with Janssen...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:26 am

UPDATE 1-ST-Ericsson targets extra $115 mln in savings

* Sees savings from lower op expenses, efficiency programme
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:21 am

UPDATE 1-Novartis wins EU approval for lung drug

ZURICH, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said on Thursday it had won Europan Union approval for use of its Onbrez Breezhaler to widen the bronchial passages of patients with chronic obstructive...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:15 am

LSE head sees only five bourses in 10 years-paper

MILAN, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Consolidation among the world's stock markets could mean that in five to 10 years there are only five bourses, the head of the London Stock Exchange said in a newspaper interview...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:03 am

HealthYes!(R) Expands Preventive Screening Offering By Focusing On Heart Disease

HealthYes!®, a leading mobile medical screening provider, is offering several new preventive screenings directly focused on heart disease. The new tests include: a six-lead electrocardiogram (EKG), cholesterol finger-stick, and 10-year Framingham Cardiac Risk Score as well as diabetes and liver function testing. HealthYes! is able to provide more testing for nearly the same cost of their current screening packages. "Our clients requested these crucial tests and HealthYes! once again responded to the market," said Dale W...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 3 Dec 2009 | 12:00 am

Senate Breaks Health Stalemate; First Votes Today

Senate Democrats and Republicans said they had broken an impasse over the seemingly simple question of how and when to vote on the first amendments to a sweeping health care bill.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 11:30 pm

Fitness: Becoming Your Own Massage Therapist

A foam roller, a ball, your own fingers: All can be therapeutic devices when used properly.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 11:19 pm

US Family Health Plan Earns Member Satisfaction Rating Among The Highest In America

The US Family Health Plan, a Department of Defense-sponsored healthcare plan serving military family members in six areas across America, has achieved 2009 national member satisfaction ratings 40 percent higher than the national average for member satisfaction with health plans, compared to the 237 plans documented by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in its Quality Compass 2009 Public Report. In fact, when compared with the other managed care plans included in the report, the US Family Health Plan ranks in the 99th percentile in overall member satisfaction...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 11:00 pm

Skin Deep: Your Own Fat, Relocated

Surgeons can transplant unwanted fat from a patient’s thighs or buttocks and use it to create bigger breasts; after being condemned in the early ’90s, this procedure is generating newfound excitement.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 10:55 pm

Toshiba Installs 100th RADREX-i X-ray System Worldwide At Aurora Health Care

Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., an industry leader in X-ray technology, reached a significant milestone in installing its 100th RADREXTM-i X-ray system worldwide at Aurora Health Care's newly opened Aurora Wilkinson Clinic. The system's patient-focused design enables health care facilities to automate X-ray examinations, improving patient care and enhancing departmental workflow. Toshiba will be featuring the RADREX-i Mixed Detector Digital Radiography (DR) system at this year's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, held in Chicago, Nov...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 10:00 pm

Vital Signs: Risks: Leaving ‘Stroke Belt’ but Not the Dangers

A study suggested that the risk for the disease might be established early in life.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:58 pm

H.I.V. Tests Turn Blood Into Cash in China

An ambitious H.I.V. prevention program financed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in China is unusual because it offers a financial incentive.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:51 pm

New Stem Cell Lines Open to Research

The action by the National Institutes of Health followed President Obama’s decision to change a policy set in the Bush administration.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:51 pm

Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes (HealthDay)

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Women who drink five or more servings of sugar-sweetened cola per week before they conceive increase their risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, a new study indicates.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:49 pm

Clinical Trials Update: Dec. 2, 2009 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:49 pm

Baby Boys May Be at Risk From Mom's Bug Spray Use (HealthDay)

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Male babies of women who use insect repellents during the first three months of pregnancy appear to be at increased risk for a birth defect called hypospadias, researchers report.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:49 pm

Provectus Announces Preliminary Phase 2 Data For PH-10 In Its Psoriasis And Atopic Dermatitis Trials

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced preliminary data for the company's PH-10 Phase 2 clinical trial for Psoriasis as well as for its Phase 2 clinical trial for Atopic Dermatitis. Dr. Craig Dees, Ph.D., CEO of Provectus said, "We are excited by the positive data reported from both of the Phase 2 clinical trials for PH-10. As previously announced, our development plans include seeking licensure of PH-10 for the treatment of serious dermatological diseases...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:00 pm

Teva Announces The Submission Of A Biologics License Application (BLA) For XM02 For The Treatment Of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: TEVA), announced the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for XM02, a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the reduction in the duration of severe neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in patients treated with established myelosuppressive chemotherapy for cancer. XM02 was principally developed as a similar biological medicinal product to Neupogen®, the trademark for filgrastim (G-CSF)...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 8:00 pm

Dissection Begins on Famous Brain

The brain of a man who lost the ability to form new memories will be digitally mapped in exquisite detail.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 7:35 pm

UMF Introduces Micrillon(R); New Technology Reduces Risk Of Healthcare-Associated Infections

UMF Corporation, a leader in developing high-performance infection-prevention products, announced today the introduction of Micrillon®, the first patented and rechargeable antimicrobial-polymer chemistry developed to help combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) - infections that are picked up by patients during hospital stays. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, HAIs account for an estimated 1...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 7:00 pm

ImThera Medical Successfully Implants First Patients With Neurostimulation Device To Treat OSA

ImThera Medical, Inc. today announced that two patients have been surgically implanted with ImThera's aura6000™ neurostimulation device for treating tongue-based Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Patients are being enrolled in ImThera's pilot clinical investigation in Belgium with the first results expected to be published in the first half of 2010. The patients were implanted with the aura6000, during which the hypoglossal nerve was briefly stimulated to verify system and nerve integrity...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 6:00 pm

Well: In Month of Giving, a Healthy Reward

For a woman with multiple sclerosis, a gift-giving plan changed her outlook and improved her health — and science appears to back her up.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 5:07 pm

New Study Reports Three Times More People Receiving Health Care Support At Home Rather Than In Nursing Homes Or Assisted-Living Facilities

American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance and Homewatch CareGivers, the largest, most experienced international provider of home care for people of all ages, teamed up to conduct a study examining trends in long-term health care and the utilization of associated support services. Among the conclusions of the study is the dramatic growth of people receiving support care at home and the significantly greater percentage of those with long-term care insurance who are able to receive home-based care and stay in the their homes longer...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 5:00 pm

We May Be Born With an Urge to Help

Biologists are forming a better view of humankind than the traditional opinions of it as warlike and selfish.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 4:59 pm

13 new stem cell lines approved for research

Thirteen new human embryonic stem cell lines have been approved for use in federally funded research -- the first to be approved under an executive order from President Obama -- the National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 4:30 pm

Nanostart-Owned MagForce Nanotechnologies AG: Application Submitted For EU Regulatory Approval Of Nano-Cancer(R) Therapy

MagForce Nanotechnologies AG, the Berlin-based medical nanotechnology company majority owned by Nanostart AG, has submitted its application for the European regulatory approval of its Nano-Cancer® therapy. The application is based on the successful results of recent clinical trials involving patients with recurrent glioblastoma, an especially aggressive form of brain tumor...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 4:00 pm

"Flaws" Seen in Studies Claiming Added Value to New CV Risk Predictors

A large proportion of studies over the past decade that recommended new risk markers as refinements to the Framingham Risk Score have methodological problems that "cast doubt on the validity of their claims," researchers say.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:52 pm

US approves 'ethical' stem cells

US regulators approve 13 new lines of human embryonic stem cells for use in federally funded scientific research.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:23 pm

Cosmetic surgery boom revamps doctors' offices

The recent death of former Miss Argentina and model Solange Magnano is raising a lot of questions about the risks of cosmetic surgery. But even non-surgical beauty procedures can carry with them serious risks -- especially if the doctor performing them isn't a specialist.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:22 pm

Opinion: A step back for women's health

I've been digesting the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for two weeks now. And I'm still swallowing hard.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:01 pm

Study finds hospitals speeding heart attack care (AP)

AP - Hospitals are giving faster care to lots more heart attack patients, a speed-up sure to be saving lives.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:00 pm

Cat Or Dog Might Be 'Purr-Fect' Holiday Gift For Seniors, Says Matrix Home Care Psychologist

When choosing a holiday gift for an older relative, consider a warm and fuzzy dog or a cat. A pet can provide companionship, open the door to neighborhood conversations and even improve a senior's physical health, according to Matrix Home Care psychologist Alexander Fiuza, PhD, as director of client services for Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. "A dog or cat can be the 'purr-fect' gift for a senior," said Dr. Fiuza. "A pet offers a feeling of love and connection, which is very important to someone who is living alone or lacks companionship...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 2 Dec 2009 | 3:00 pm

Opinion: With mammograms, listen to the experts

The new recommendations for breast cancer screening -- and the public debate surrounding them -- underscore the need to distinguish between rationing and establishing science-based standards of health care. That distinction will be crucial as we strive for better and more affordable care in the United States.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 2:31 pm

Global Update: Salmonella: Drug-Resistant Strain of Bacteria Gains in Africa, With High Death Rates

A new drug-resistant strain of salmonella is causing an unusual number of deaths in Africa.

Source: NYT > Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 2:18 pm

Task force defends mammogram guidelines

Members of a task force that issued controversial recommendations for breast cancer screenings defended the group's guidelines but acknowledged "poor" communication in explaining them to women.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 1:36 pm

Children With Persistent AOM Have Poor Immune Responses to Pneumococcal and HiB Vaccines

Children with recurrent ear infections have a poor immunogenic response to pneumococcal-7 and Hemophilus influenza B vaccines; only 13% appear to be fully immunized against Streptococcal pneumonia.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 11:00 am

Model's death highlights plastic surgery risks

Following the death of a former Miss Argentina after complications arising from plastic surgery, questions are being raised about the risks of cosmetic surgery.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 2 Dec 2009 | 10:40 am

'Night of the gas'

Bhopal survivors still fighting for justice 25 years on
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 2 Dec 2009 | 10:37 am

DHHS Issues New Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Therapy

The Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council has issued new guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1-infected adults and adolescents.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 10:01 am

Rifabutin Dose in HIV Patients With TB May Be Too Low

The recommended rifabutin doses for use with lopinavir-ritonavir in HIV patients with TB may be inadequate. Plasma concentrations should be used to guide dosing, new research suggests.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:59 am

Half of ICU Patients World-Wide Have Active Infections

Fifty-one percent of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) throughout the world have infections, a strong risk factor for in-hospital death, investigators report in the Journal of the American Medical Association for December 2.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:59 am

Long-Term Enzyme Therapy Appears Useful for Fabry's Disease

In Fabry's disease, a rare, progressive disorder caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase, 5 years of enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa can markedly improve cardiovascular, renal, and quality of life outcomes.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:59 am

U.S. Unemployed Face Higher Healthcare Premiums

Millions of unemployed U.S. workers face sharply higher health insurance premiums and loss of coverage as temporary federal subsidies expire, a healthcare advocacy group said on Tuesday.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:53 am

U.S. Health Officials to Review Disaster Plan

Stung by the continuing struggle to make a vaccine against the H1N1 flu virus, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Tuesday her department would review its approach to disaster preparedness.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:53 am

Early PSA Doubling Time After Prostatectomy Might Be Misleading

In men with biochemical prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy, early prostate-specific antigen doubling time (ePSADT) based on ultrasensitive PSA assay results does not correlate well with standard PSADT, researchers report in the December issue of .
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:53 am

Work Site Wellness Intervention Decreases Health Care Costs

Low-cost health interventions while on the job can significantly improve employees' health and quality of life, researchers report in the November 15th issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:53 am

Ultrasound effective at spotting breast cancers (Reuters)

Reuters - Breast ultrasounds found 100 percent of suspicious cancers in women under 40 who found lumps or other suspicious areas of the breast, offering a cheaper, less-invasive alternative to surgery or biopsies, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 2 Dec 2009 | 9:49 am

Blogs : Humor pages | Norkay's Blog | Kids Stories | Indian Recipes | Database Tech Blog

Sundries : World Video Clips | Songs Clips | Indian Video Clips |