Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Children's asthma highlights need for the State Children's Health Insurance Program

Not surprisingly -- but definitely significantly -- children with asthma had fewer asthma-related attacks and medical visits after enrolling in the state children's health insurance program (SCHIP), according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study in Pediatrics this month.

7 Feb 2006

Share of pharmaceutical spending in total healthcare expenditure remains high across most EU countries

Most EU member states have publicly funded healthcare systems and the proportion of pharmaceutical expenditure, as a portion of GDP remains high, particularly in countries such as Italy, Portugal, France, Spain and Greece.

2 Feb 2006

Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections

Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections. Recent research at the University of Southampton shows that the Influenza A virus is virtually eradicated within six hours on copper surfaces.

2 Feb 2006

European markets for cardiac catheterisation imaging systems

With a sharp increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disorders and mortalities in Europe, the need for early detection as well as cardiac interventional procedures has created enhanced scope for the uptake of cardiac catheterisation imaging systems.

2 Feb 2006

Drug used worldwide doubles risk of kidney failure

A drug approved by the FDA, and sold worldwide for the last 13 years, has now been proven to double a patient's risk of kidney failure, and increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

26 Jan 2006

No link between reduced cancer risk and Omega-3 fatty acids

Researchers in the U.S. have found in a comprehensive review of numerous studies, that there is little evidence to support the belief that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids reduces risk of cancer.

26 Jan 2006

British Health Secretary lists top hospital losers

As part of the shake up of the National Health Service in Britain the health secretary Patricia Hewitt has named the top worse managers.

26 Jan 2006

No more sickies - see the doc on the way to work!

This week will see the opening of the first two walk in medical centres in Britain.

24 Jan 2006

Children with autism found to have specific memory problems that may underlie aspects of disorder

If children with autism can't see the forest for the trees, that may be partly because the burden of processing all those trees at once makes it harder to lock in the scene.

23 Jan 2006

Watchful waiting may be appropriate for some inguinal hernia patients

As long as they remain under the watchful eyes of their primary care physicians, men who have an inguinal hernia (a weakening of the abdominal wall that bulges into the groin area) may postpone surgical repair unless the condition causes symptoms that interfere with their usual activities.

23 Jan 2006

FDA fast track status for Alfimeprase

Nuvelo Inc. today announced that it has been granted fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product candidate, alfimeprase, for the treatment of acute peripheral arterial occlusion (PAO), or "leg attack."

23 Jan 2006

How to be an "expert patient" and save your hospital money

British health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, in an attempt to resolve the financial quagmire the National Health service has got itself into, is demanding that in future financial management be put ahead of clinical objectives.

23 Jan 2006

Team approach helps older patients suffer less depression

A new team approach helps older patients suffer less depression, function better physically, enjoy better overall health and a better quality of life. The study appears in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

23 Jan 2006

Caretek Medical signs feasibility agreement with major pharma for protein based drug

Caretek Medical Ltd, an Oxford-based company developing an innovative needle-free drug delivery system, today announced that it has signed a feasibility study agreement with a major global pharmaceutical company.

19 Jan 2006

Lab-on-chip can detect bird flu in humans

European microchip maker STMicroelectronics is planning to market a disposable laboratory microchip that can confirm within about an hour a human case of bird flu.

18 Jan 2006

Uptake of obesity surgery devices to rise as obese population increases

Today, obesity is considered a disease of epidemic proportions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that obesity has risen by nearly 10-40 per cent in most European countries over the past decade.

18 Jan 2006

Anti-Obesity diet drug from cannabis works!

For those whose New Year's resolution was to yet again try to lose those extra kilos help may be at hand in the form of a new wonder drug derived from cannabis.

17 Jan 2006

FDA warns against buying prescription drugs on the net or overseas

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumers and healthcare professionals who fill out their prescriptions abroad are putting themselves at risk.

17 Jan 2006

Emergency angioplasty better than clot-busting drugs

Across America, hospitals large and small have been racing to offer angioplasty and other minimally invasive treatments to open blocked heart arteries. But not all of them have the ability to do it on an emergency basis, performing angioplasty around the clock on heart attack patients. So, during evenings and weekends, many hospitals use clot-busting drugs instead.

16 Jan 2006

Ontario challenges opening of private health clinics

The announcement by Copeman Healthcare Inc. that it intends to open private health clinics in some parts of Canada is being challenged by the Ontario Health Coalition.

16 Jan 2006