Medical News

RSS

Racial disparities in smoking cessation treatment

A new study from the American Cancer Society finds black and Hispanic smokers are less likely than whites to receive and use smoking cessation advice and aids.

24 Apr 2008

Cuddles diminishes pain from heel lance in preterm babies

Research published today in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics suggests that very preterm babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks, could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddling with their mother before and during painful procedures such as a heel lance.

24 Apr 2008

Smokers more depressed

The risk of suffering depression increases 41% in smokers, in comparison with non-smokers. This was the conclusion of a study undertaken with 8,556 participants by scientists of the University of Navarra, in collaboration with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Harvard School of Public Health (USA), and which demonstrates in a pioneering way the direct relationship between tobacco use and this disease.

24 Apr 2008

Discovery of gene behind new form of intellectual disability

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has discovered a new form of intellectual disability involving mental retardation (MR) along with the eye defect retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

24 Apr 2008

Doctors should consider alternatives to antibiotics for sinusitis

When suffering through a sinus infection, many people ask for an antibiotic to speed their recovery. However, a recent review of clinical trials found that while antibiotics can provide minor improvements in uncomplicated sinusitis cases, most patients recover without the drugs within two weeks.

24 Apr 2008

Interventions for enhancing medication adherence

Patients often do not take the medicines their doctors prescribe, and a new review of existing research suggests that there is no proven way to get them to follow directions for long periods.

24 Apr 2008

Blacks on Medicaid carry heavier cancer burden than whites do

African-American patients receiving Medicaid benefits have markedly higher rates of breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancer than whites on Medicaid according to a recent study.

24 Apr 2008

Multiple studies demonstrate use of hyperthermia therapy in treating pancreatic cancer

BSD Medical Corporation has began to report highlights from 204 abstracts summarizing presentations at the International Congress on Hyperthermic Oncology (ICHO) conducted this month in Munich, Germany

24 Apr 2008

Tredaptive and Janumet recommended for approval in European Union

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing the combination of extended release (ER) niacin and laropiprant under the trademark Cordaptive (ER niacin/laropiprant). The CHMP recommendation does not apply to regulatory decisions by the FDA and no inferences should be made about pending FDA regulatory actions based on the recommendation of the CHMP.

24 Apr 2008

FDA approves Relistor for opioid-induced constipation - helps reduce effects of drugs like morphine on bowel function

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Relistor (methylnaltrexone bromide) to help restore bowel function in patients with late-stage, advanced illness who are receiving opioids on a continuous basis to help alleviate their pain.

24 Apr 2008

Do patients have equal access to coronary angiography?

Seven in ten patients who have suspected angina are not given appropriate testing and are more likely to suffer from serious heart problems as a result, according to a study published on bmj.com (25 April).

24 Apr 2008

Brain tumor care, treatment in spotlight

Patients, physicians, and those caring for loved ones with brain tumors will have an opportunity to attend two full days of programs hosted by health care professionals from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

24 Apr 2008

Former Bristol-Myers Squibb exec indicted for lying about Plavix blood-thinning drug

The Department of Justice announced today that the former senior vice president of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), Andrew Bodnar, was indicted for his role in lying to the federal government about a patent deal involving the popular blood-thinning drug, Plavix, used by heart attack, stroke and other patients.

23 Apr 2008

Medicare prescription drug benefit improved access to medications for most seniors, but sickest seniors continued skipping pills because of cost issues, study finds

The percentage of seniors who said they skipped taking medications because of costs declined after the Medicare prescription drug benefit took effect in January 2006, but the sickest beneficiaries still skip prescriptions because they cannot afford to pay for them, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Reuters reports.

23 Apr 2008

Senators request resignation of VA Mental Health Director

Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chair Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and committee member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on Tuesday called for the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Director Ira Katz, alleging he withheld important information regarding suicide risk among veterans, the AP/Washington Post reports.

23 Apr 2008

White House issues formal veto threat against legislation that would delay Medicaid regulations

The Bush administration on Tuesday issued a formal veto threat against legislation (HR 5613) that would place a one-year moratorium on seven new Medicaid regulations, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 4/22).

23 Apr 2008

NACDS seeks passage of E-prescribing bill to finance Medicaid reimbursement rule change

National Association of Chain Drug Stores CEO Steven Anderson on Tuesday in a letter asked lawmakers to pass a bill (HR 4296) that would require physicians who participate in Medicare to adopt e-prescribing by 2011 to finance legislation (S 1951, HR 3700) that would revise a new rule related to Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies, CongressDaily reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 4/23).

23 Apr 2008

FDA cannot properly inspect foreign companies that manufacture medications, medication ingredients, report finds

FDA does not have adequate resources to inspect foreign companies that manufacture medications or medication ingredients, and current funding levels for the agency will not address the issue, according to a Government Accountability Office report presented on Tuesday at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

23 Apr 2008

Children's center aims to promote home-based HIV testing among youth in Botswana

The Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Center of Excellence recently provided home-based HIV tests to orphans and vulnerable children, as well as their parents and caretakers, in Gaborone, Botswana, the Mmegi reports.

23 Apr 2008

U.S. prisons missing opportunities to provide HIV testing, education, prevention, panel says

The U.S. correctional system is missing valuable opportunities to provide HIV testing, educating and prevention to its more than two million state, federal and local inmates, panelists said at a recent briefing on HIV/AIDS in correctional settings, CQ HealthBeat reports.

23 Apr 2008

Medical News

Racial disparities in smoking cessation treatment

Cuddles diminishes pain from heel lance in preterm babies

Smokers more depressed

Discovery of gene behind new form of intellectual disability

Doctors should consider alternatives to antibiotics for sinusitis

Interventions for enhancing medication adherence

Blacks on Medicaid carry heavier cancer burden than whites do

Multiple studies demonstrate use of hyperthermia therapy in treating pancreatic cancer

Tredaptive and Janumet recommended for approval in European Union

FDA approves Relistor for opioid-induced constipation - helps reduce effects of drugs like morphine on bowel function

Do patients have equal access to coronary angiography?

Brain tumor care, treatment in spotlight

Former Bristol-Myers Squibb exec indicted for lying about Plavix blood-thinning drug

Medicare prescription drug benefit improved access to medications for most seniors, but sickest seniors continued skipping pills because of cost issues, study finds

Senators request resignation of VA Mental Health Director

White House issues formal veto threat against legislation that would delay Medicaid regulations

NACDS seeks passage of E-prescribing bill to finance Medicaid reimbursement rule change

FDA cannot properly inspect foreign companies that manufacture medications, medication ingredients, report finds

Children's center aims to promote home-based HIV testing among youth in Botswana

U.S. prisons missing opportunities to provide HIV testing, education, prevention, panel says

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Latest News