Health and Medical News Headlines for March 31, 2010

Breast screening 'is beneficial'

Breast cancer screening does more good than harm even if some women have unnecessary surgery, a large study concludes.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 31 Mar 2010 | 1:25 am

Pro-Pharmaceuticals Licenses To PROCAPS S.A. Exclusive Marketing And Distribution Rights To Commercialize DAVANAT(R) To Treat Cancer In Colombia

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC: PRWP), a developer of therapeutics that target Galectin receptors to treat cancer and fibrosis, announced that it has granted PROCAPS S.A. exclusive rights to market and sell DAVANAT® to treat cancer in Colombia, South America. Phase ll clinical trial results for late-stage colorectal cancer patients demonstrate that when DAVANAT® is co-administered with the chemotherapy drug 5-FU, survival increased by 46% over the best standard of care and reduced serious adverse events associated with chemotherapy. PROCAPS S.A...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 31 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am

Economic Scene: Weak Rules in U.S. on Toxins and Consumer Safety

America has not been as aggressive as it could be in alleviating toxic risks in everyday products.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:10 pm

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. To Present At The Canaccord Adams' Hepatitis C Conference

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Dr. Omar K. Haffar, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, will present an update on Presidio's drug development activities at the Canaccord Adams Hepatitis C Conference on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 2:30PM in the Tribeca Room at the Peninsula Hotel in New York City. About Presidio Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a San Francisco-based specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of small-molecule antiviral therapeutics for novel and validated targets...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:00 pm

Risks Seen in Wider Use of Statins Like Crestor

With the government’s blessing, a drug giant is about to expand the market for its blockbuster cholesterol medication. But some experts say that these drugs are not safe as preventive medicine.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 10:44 pm

A TV Show and Congress Tackle School Lunches

Lawmakers, a reality-show chef and now a blogger are all tackling poor nutrition in the school lunchroom.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 10:17 pm

Taking Stock After Gene Patents Are Invalidated

Many biotechnology stocks fell as investors struggled to understand the impact of a ruling that threw out parts of two gene patents and called into question thousands more.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 10:15 pm

NCKU Hospital Transformed Obese Patients Into Slim Beauties

Weight control is one of the important topics for modern people. In addition to proper diet, regular exercise and appropriate use of medicine, obese suffers may consider weight loss surgeries for faster effects. The first successful case in NCKU Hospital reduced her weight from 118 kg to 62.8 kg one year after the surgery. Ms. Wang explained the amazing result in a press conference held at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, on March 24th. Now 27-year-old, Ms. Wang has tried various weight loss methods which resulted in short-term effects...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm

Many Kids Not Fully Informed of Their Role in Cancer Studies (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Among children with cancer who are enrolled in clinical research trials, most do not receive a clear explanation of their role in research from their parents and doctors, a new report suggests.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

Clinical Trials Update: March 30, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

Obesity, Alcohol Among Factors Linked to Women's Gout Risk (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity, high blood pressure and alcohol consumption are among the major risk factors for gout in women, a new study finds.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

More Family Support Can Raise Fears For Some Elderly (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Having many supportive relatives actually increases the fear of dying among elderly people in ethnic minorities, according to British researchers.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

Diabetes Screening Should Start Sooner (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Current recommendations suggest that screening for type 2 diabetes start at age 45, especially for those who are overweight, but new research shows cost-effective screening can begin between the ages of 30 and 45 for everyone.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

Women Would Welcome At-Home Test for STDs (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Do-it-yourself tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) apparently would be a hit among women.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

In Pregnancy, Leg Clots More Likely on Left Side (HealthDay)

HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- When pregnant women develop a blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis, it is most likely to occur on the left side, and particularly in the left leg, Canadian researchers have found.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:49 pm

Advocate Physician Partners To Enhance Clinical Integration Program With EClinicalWorks' Electronic Medical Records System

In its continuing efforts to enhance patient outcomes and create efficiency in a challenging economic and regulatory climate, Advocate Physician Partners (APP), has added the power of an electronic medical record (EMR) system to its award-winning Clinical Integration (CI) Program. APP, the largest network of independent physicians in the Midwest, is partnering with eClinicalWorks® in one of the biggest EMR implementations in the country. Many health policy experts say EMRs can decrease costs by reducing medical errors and duplication, as well as improve quality of care...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm

Insurers to Cover Children’s Pre-existing Health Conditions

Under pressure from the White House, insurance companies said they would cover children with pre-existing conditions.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 8:21 pm

Ligand Presents First-in-Human Phase I Data On Lead SARM Molecule LGD-4033 At The International Congress Of Endocrinology

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) announced that data from a Phase I study with its selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) LGD-4033 was featured today in a poster presentation at the 14th International Congress of Endocrinology in Kyoto, Japan. This Phase I clinical trial was the first study in humans of LGD-4033, and evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profiles of the molecule in a single escalating dose, double blind, placebo-controlled study in 48 healthy volunteers...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 8:00 pm

Special Report: Fast machines, genes and the future of medicine

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO/LONDON (Reuters ) - Francis Collins, who helped map the human genome, did not get around to having his own genes analyzed until last summer. And he was surprised by what...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 7:53 pm

Gemin X Completes Patient Enrollment In Phase 2 Clinical Study Of Obatoclax For First-Line Treatment Of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Gemin X Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted cancer therapeutics, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in a Phase 2 clinical trial of the Company's lead product candidate obatoclax (GX15-070) for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of obatoclax, a novel pan Bcl-2 inhibitor, in combination with standard chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with SCLC...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 7:00 pm

UK study finds breast screen programs save lives

LONDON (Reuters) - Regular mammographic screening for breast cancer saves the lives of two women for every one who is given unnecessary treatment, scientists said on Wednesday, in a study...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 6:04 pm

Become An Organ Donor And Make A Life-Saving Difference

With Thursday, April 1, 2010, marking the start of "National Donate Life Month," Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT) is working to increase awareness regarding the urgent need for organ donations - particularly among minority populations - and also to dispute some of the misperceptions surrounding organ donation. There is, however, no disputing the facts surrounding the dire need for donated organs. Consider these statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): - More than 100,000 men, women and children currently require life-saving transplants...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 6:00 pm

Ontario to regulate retirement homes for first time; residents to get rights

TORONTO - Retirement homes in Ontario would face licensing and regulation for the first time under proposed legislation, the government said Tuesday. Regulations would enforce care and
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 5:40 pm

N.S. gov't to cover travel and accommodation for out-of-province health care

HALIFAX, N.S. - Approved patients who need to travel out of province for insurable medical care not available in Nova Scotia will be eligible for financial assistance for travel and...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 5:33 pm

The Last Piece in Place

In Alexandria, Va., President Obama signed into law the final piece of the Democrats' health care overhaul.

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 5:15 pm

New meningitis jab for travellers

Travellers can have a new vaccine which protects against strains of meningitis predominant in sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: BBC News | Health | World Edition | 30 Mar 2010 | 5:12 pm

Urovalve Granted IDE Approval By FDA To Conduct Clinical Study Of Surinate(R) Bladder Management System

Urovalve, a medical device company focused on creating superior products for urinary flow and control, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval for the Company's Surinate® Bladder Management System, allowing Urovalve to conduct a clinical study for the Company's lead device in the United States. The Surinate® Bladder Management System is designed to improve the quality of life of men who suffer from acute or chronic urinary retention, an inability to empty the bladder...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 5:00 pm

Early Lyme Disease DNA Test Reported In Upcoming April Paper In American Journal Of Clinical Pathology

Many of the more than 30,000 people a year in the United States with suspected cases of Lyme disease spirochete (bacterial) infection can now take a DNA test developed by a Connecticut scientist/physician and his team that can quickly determine if they test positive for Lyme spirochetes in their blood. This is the first such early Lyme test available, and most insurance companies have already agreed to cover the cost for their members. The scientific medical paper about the advanced test will be printed in the April 2010 edition of the "American Journal of Clinical Pathology...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 4:00 pm

8 Reasons Our Waistlines Are Expanding

Why are we so fat? From better hygiene to foods that mimic drugs, the answers may shake up your diet.
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:39 pm

Waiting on prostate treatment not distressing for most

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Watchful waiting" for disease progression won't make men with slow-growing prostate cancer more anxious or distressed, especially if they're in relatively good...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:32 pm

Earlier diabetes screening worthwhile: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It's currently recommended that people be screened for type 2 diabetes starting at age 45, particularly if they are overweight. But a new study suggests that it...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:10 pm

IBS patients' families more prone to symptoms too

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) does seem to run in families, a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers shows.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:09 pm

NexMed Files Investigational New Drug Application With FDA For Cancer Drug Candidate

NexMed, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEXM), a specialty CRO with a pipeline of products based on the NexACT® technology, announced that the Company has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a Phase II trial of its recently acquired cancer drug candidate PrevOnco™, in combination with doxorubicin in patients with advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The FDA has 30 days to comment on the IND before NexMed can proceed with human testing...

Source: Health News from Medical News Today | 30 Mar 2010 | 3:00 pm

Nearly 1 in 4 out-of-province hospitalizations for childbirth, infants: study

TORONTO - A new report shows that mothers giving birth and newborns needing hospital care comprise the largest group among patients in Canada who are hospitalized outside their home...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:59 pm

Reduced "Padding" of CT Imaging Lowers Radiation Dose With Same Diagnostic Utility

Duration of radiation exposure during CT can be safely reduced in patients with well-controlled heart rates, a new study shows.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:44 pm

MRI Shows TAVI Produces Many Silent Cerebral Embolic Lesions

Diffusion-weighted MRI of patients undergoing transfemoral aortic-valve implantation finds many "clinically silent" peri-interventional cerebral embolic lesions, but a low incidence of persistent neurologic impairment.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:44 pm

Dr Christian Spaulding Heads to Cordis

Spaulding takes up his new post June 1 as the new worldwide vice president of medical affairs.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:44 pm

Time Magazine Questions Statin Risks and Benefits in Women, But Experts Say Drugs Safe and Effective

While some question whether the evidence is strong enough, particularly given the lower absolute risk in women compared with men, most experts believe that the lipid-lowering medications have undeniable value in women.
Heartwire
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:44 pm

Scientist: FDA suppressed imaging safety concerns (AP)

AP - A former Food and Drug Administration scientist said Tuesday his job was eliminated after he raised concerns about the risks of radiation exposure from high-grade medical scanning.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:35 pm

Fatty foods may be addictive

Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:22 pm

Signs your child is being bullied

There are ways to prevent or mitigate the damage bullying can do to a child, experts stressed after nine Massachusetts teens were charged with harassment in the suicide of a 15-year-old.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:08 pm

County coroner trying to identify body parts found at US medical waste company

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A Kansas coroner is trying to identify body parts found inside a truck at a medical waste company. Seven heads, a torso and several limbs were found last week in a...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 2:06 pm

Study: Chocolate could reduce heart risk (AP)

AP - The Easter Bunny might lower your chances of having a heart problem. According to a new study, small doses of chocolate every day could decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 percent.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:57 pm

10 Surprising Sex Discoveries

Researchers are constantly coming up with new discoveries that teach us more about the many surprising ways sex plays out in our lives and how it affects us.
Source: Livescience.com - Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:52 pm

CDC Issues Disease Preparedness Briefs in Aftermath of Haiti's Earthquake

In the wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti, the CDC has issued 12 "predecision" briefs to contain outbreaks of dengue fever, diphtheria, HIV/AIDS, malaria, measles, and mental health crises.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:37 pm

B.C. Centre for Disease Control issues alert after measles outbreak

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning the public to be alert after a measles outbreak in Metro Vancouver. The centre says there have been 10 confirmed and...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsHealth | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:27 pm

Well: New Health Care Landscape: Questions and Answers

More than a week after President Obama signed the sweeping new health care law, many of us are still scratching our heads. What just happened?

Source: NYT > Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:25 pm

Daily chocolate may keep the heart doctor away

Eating as little as a quarter of an ounce of chocolate each day may lower your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, a new study has found.

Source: CNN.com - Health | 30 Mar 2010 | 1:07 pm

Depression Linked to Subclinical Cerebrovascular Disease in Older Women

Higher levels of depressive symptoms are associated with subclinical cerebrovascular disease in older women but not men, according to a March 11th online paper in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:39 am

Early Crohn's Treatment With Certolizumab Pegol Enhances Outcome

The response of Crohn's disease to certolizumab pegol is particularly good when treatment starts soon after diagnosis, multinational trial data suggest.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:39 am

Glargine and Lispro Disadvantageous to Young Diabetics

In children with type 1 diabetes, mixing lispro with glargine insulin may reduce the number of injections required, but it also markedly flattens lispro's early pharmacodynamic peak, researchers report in a February 11th online paper in Diabetes Care.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:39 am

Economic Crisis Could Worsen HIV/AIDS Epidemic: UN

Economic crisis and climate change concerns could affect the fight against the AIDS virus and lead to a "universal nightmare", the head of the United Nations' agency for HIV/AIDS said on Sunday.
Reuters Health Information
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:39 am

New SAMHSA Report Finds Underage Drinking a "Serious and Persistent" Problem in the United States

A new survey shows that 1 in 4 young people aged 12 to 20 years drank in the past month and nearly 9% purchased alcohol on their own.
Medscape Medical News
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:15 am

Pfizer, Onyx drug offers hope against brain cancer (Reuters)

Reuters - A drug being developed by Pfizer and Onyx and already in clinical trials against a range of cancers has shown in laboratory tests "a remarkable ability" to halt growth of a deadly type of brain tumor, U.S. scientists said on Tuesday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Health News | 30 Mar 2010 | 11:00 am

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