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In India, major reduction seen in polio since 2009, WHO says on World Polio Day

There has been a significant reduction in the number of polio cases diagnosed in India this year compared with the same time last year, the WHO said on World Polio Day Sunday, IANS/Sify News reports.

26 Oct 2010

Dual antiplatelet therapy study expanded into Australia and New Zealand

The Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI) announced today that the DAPT Study has expanded into Australia and New Zealand. Professor Ian Meredith, MBBS, Ph.D., interventional cardiologist at MonashHeart in Melbourne, Australia and National Coordinating Investigator for the DAPT Study in Australia, was the first Pacific Rim investigator to enroll patients into the study.

26 Oct 2010

Michigan hospitals focus on ERs for seniors; GA. voters consider funding new trauma centers

Some hospitals in Michigan seek to address the unique needs of senior patients, including the use of specially designed emergency rooms, while voters in Georgia consider new fees to help improve trauma units.

26 Oct 2010

Doctors, nurses and urgent care centers address increasing demand

The (Lynchburg, Va.) News and Advance reports on doctor shortages in Virginia: "Attracting more physicians to the area, and keeping them, is a challenge that has become more urgent. So much so that Centra is in the midst of creating a formal Physician Recruiting Office, where staff will work to convince physicians to consider coming to Lynchburg for their residency or to practice.

26 Oct 2010

Calif. budget comes in the nick of time for health centers; LA. Gov. announces cuts in health care funding

With some California community health centers just weeks or days away from laying off staff or reducing their hours, the state adopted its latest-ever annual budget on Oct. 8.

26 Oct 2010

Researchers investigate impact of fungal toxin on birth defects

A Creighton University School of Medicine researcher has been awarded a $2.7 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a possible link between the ingestion of tortillas and corn-based food products contaminated with a fungal toxin and increased risk for birth defects.

26 Oct 2010

Fluoride consumption can cause mild enamel fluorosis

Young children who consume substantial amounts of fluoride through infant formula and other beverages mixed with fluoridated water or by swallowing fluoride toothpaste have an increased chance of developing mild enamel fluorosis, according to research published in the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association and supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

26 Oct 2010

Combination of chemotherapy and radiation improves control of cancer within bladder

Adding chemotherapy to radiation therapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer allows 67 percent of people to be free of disease in their bladders two years after treatment. This compares to 54 percent of people who receive radiation alone, according to the largest randomized study of its kind presented at the plenary session, November 1, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Oct 2010

Lead exposure may reverse blindness: Research

Some unexpected effects of lead exposure that may one day help prevent and reverse blindness have been uncovered by a University of Houston (UH) professor and his team.

26 Oct 2010

Confusion over reform may fuel health fraud

CNNMoney: People running health care scams may find new opportunities in consumers' confusion over the health overhaul law. "Most of the schemes are poorly constructed, using the pretext of reform. 'So far there's no major criminal organization behind them,' said James Quiggle, spokesman for non-profit group Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

26 Oct 2010

Study looks at long-term consequences of heavy smoking on dementia

Heavy smoking in midlife is associated with a 157 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and a 172 percent increased risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

26 Oct 2010

NIH awards Phase I SBIR grant to develop Generic Antibodies for cancer

Rockland Immunochemicals Inc., a biotechnology company focusing on antibodies and antibody based tools for basic research, diagnostic assay development and preclinical studies, today announced that it has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop Generic Antibodies "Biosimilars" for the Treatment of Cancer.

26 Oct 2010

CBER's Laboratory Quality System program receives accreditation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation has accredited the Laboratory Quality System program in the Center for Biologics and Evaluation Research (CBER) under ISO/IEC 17025 in the fields of biological and chemical testing.

26 Oct 2010

Amgen reports $3,816 million for 2010 third quarter revenue

Amgen reported revenue unchanged for the third quarter of 2010 at $3,816 million versus $3,812 million for the third quarter of 2009.

26 Oct 2010

Alzheimer’s risk raised 157% with smoking: Study

A Kaiser Permanente study reported this Monday that heavy smoking in midlife more than doubles the odds of developing Alzheimer's disease. This study is one of the first of its kind to examine the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia explained the study's principal investigator, Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. The research is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 Oct 2010

Paramedics at risk of stress, anxiety and depression: Study

According to the latest research paramedics are at a high risk of stress and depression. The Victorian study showed that around ten per cent of paramedics were found to have severe or extremely severe depression, while 40 per cent reported feeling the effects of stress. Nearly 25% were also found to suffer an “above normal degree of anxiety”.

25 Oct 2010

Mergers between hospitals and insurers expected to increase

"Health system reform, in combination with economic factors and trends in play, is expected to speed consolidation of health insurers and hospitals, leaving physicians to figure out how they should adapt," American Medical News reports. "The prospect for mergers and acquisitions throughout the industry is high thanks not only to health system reform, but also more access to financing to buy up other companies.

25 Oct 2010

Online health records gain (a little) popularity

The Wall Street Journal: A crop of websites to help patients store medical information and monitor their health are gaining attention. "With people over 50 increasingly focused on ways to monitor and measure their health, [online personal health records, or PHRs] are drawing more attention. In addition to Microsoft Corp.'s [HealthVault], other well-known PHRs include Google Inc.'s Google Health and WebMD Health Manager from WebMD Health Corp.

25 Oct 2010

S.A.N.E. Vax requests temporary suspension of Gardasil sales as cervical cancer preventive

In a letter addressed to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the FDA commissioner, Ms. Norma Erickson, president of S.A.N.E. Vax, Inc. stated her research team has revealed the fact that in November 2001 the VRBPAC (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee) mistakenly allowed the vaccine manufacturer to use "CIN 2/3, AIS, or cervical cancer; i.e. CIN 2/3 or worse by histology- with virology to determine the associated HPV type- as the primary endpoint in the evaluation of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer."

25 Oct 2010

Tips for unemployed buying health insurance

The Wall Street Journal, in a personal finance column: "With no job prospects long before they can afford to retire -- and Social Security benefits still years away -- many unemployed workers in their 50s and early 60s are struggling to pay the bills. ... Of the 14.9 million unemployed, more than 2.2 million are 55 or older, according to the U.S. Labor Department."

25 Oct 2010