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Participants in antidepressant drug trials are atypical patients

One reason antidepressant medication treatments do not work as well in real life as they do in clinical studies could be the limited type of study participants selected, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

12 May 2009

Research looks at the human factor in spread of pandemic illness

Industrial engineers Sandra Garrett of Clemson University and Barrett Caldwell of Purdue University have proposed a new system to warn of an impending pandemic by monitoring signals in human behavior. The system could result in using a simple icon on a television screen to warn of future phases of an outbreak of an illness such as the flu

12 May 2009

Research shows link between appetite and elderly mortality

A new study by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher reveals a linkage between elderly people's appetite and mortality rates, with those who report impaired appetite more likely to die sooner.

12 May 2009

New understanding of role ZBP1 gene plays in breast cancer

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how a gene crucial in triggering the spread of breast cancer is turned on and off. The findings could help predict whether breast tumors will metastasize and also reveal potential drug targets for preventing metastasis.

12 May 2009

Meditation may increase gray matter

Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers - people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain?

12 May 2009

In retinal disease, sight may depend on second sites

If two people have the same genetic disease, why would one person go blind in childhood but the other later in life or not at all? For a group of genetic diseases - so-called ciliary diseases that include Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Meckel-Gruber syndrome, and Joubert syndrome - the answer lies in one gene that is already linked to two of these diseases and also seems to increase the risk of progressive blindness in patients with other ciliary diseases. The findings are published online this week at Nature Genetics.

12 May 2009

Pioneering technique for treatment of liver tumours

Leicester consultant surgeon who has developed a pioneering technique using microwaves to destroy liver tumours has treated more than 100 patients in the UK and other patients are now being treated internationally.

12 May 2009

Schering-Plough starts patient enrollment in phase 3 trial for Acadesine

Schering-Plough Corporation today announced the start of patient enrollment in RED-CABG, the Phase 3 Trial for acadesine, an investigational, potentially first-in-class adenosine regulating agent (ARA). Acadesine was licensed from PeriCor Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held specialty biopharmaceutical company.

12 May 2009

Sinobiopharma announces Chinese approval of Perindopril

Sinobiopharma, Inc. has announced that it has received approval from the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to manufacture and market its formulation of Perindopril, an anti-hypertension drug.

12 May 2009

Sanofi-aventis to acquire Oforta, oral chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment

Sanofi-aventis U.S. announced today that it has acquired from biotechnology company Antisoma plc the U.S. commercial rights to Oforta (fludarabine phosphate film-coated tablets), an oral B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) drug. Oforta is currently approved in the United States for use as a second-line therapy to treat adults with B-cell CLL.

12 May 2009

Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy

Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLOS Medicine.

12 May 2009

Oxidation of potassium channel in cells linked to loss of neuronal function in aging

Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are one step closer to determining how human cells can be protected against the affects of age-related neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

12 May 2009

DHEA supplement combined with vitamin D and calcium significantly improves spinal bone density in older women

"The results of our study are very promising. Similar studies have demonstrated much smaller benefits for bone than we found. However, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, which are present in half of older adults, may have prevented DHEA from improving bone density in the earlier studies," said Edward Weiss, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

12 May 2009

CDC to review vaccine policies; immigrant, women's rights advocates anticipating repeal of HPV vaccine requirement

A coalition of more than 100 groups representing women, immigrants, and public health and reproductive rights advocates are hoping CDC will repeal its rule requiring female immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the AP/Newark Star-Ledger reports (Garay, AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 5/7).

12 May 2009

Obama ensures Hispanic community they will be included in H1N1 flu outbreak efforts

In a town hall-style meeting at the White House on Friday, President Obama ensured Hispanic community leaders and advocates that the U.S. will not alienate the group as a result of the recent H1N1 flu outbreak believed to have started in Mexico, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports. Obama also assured the group that they will receive treatment related to the virus regardless of legal status.

12 May 2009

West Virginia Gov. Manchin vetoes Medicaid mental health reimbursement hike

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) on Thursday vetoed a $1.5 million bill to increase Medicaid reimbursements for mental health care services over three years, but said that the state will direct $12.7 million in state and federal money to community-based mental health services and reduce overcrowding in psychiatric hospitals, the Charleston Gazette reports.

12 May 2009

Hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions not recognized under current payment model

Hospitals' efforts to reduce the portion of patients who are readmitted for follow-up care are proving successful in many cases, but even though the moves often result in savings for insurers, the hospitals do not necessarily benefit financially, the New York Times reports. Because insurer payments are based on treatments provided rather than the health of patients, hospitals can "actually lose money by providing better care," the Times reports.

12 May 2009

HHS will release guidance on 'meaningful use' of health IT this summer, Blumenthal says

HHS soon will issue guidance and specifications on the definition of "meaningful use" of health information technology, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal said on Friday, CongressDaily reports (Noyes, CongressDaily, 5/8). "Meaningful use is very much on our mind," he said, adding, "We hope to provide a direction and some specifications in the late spring, early summer" (Goldstein, "Health Blog," Wall Street Journal, 5/8).

12 May 2009

Job losses have negative effect on health, study finds

Workers who lost their job through no fault of their own were twice as likely as continuously employed workers to report over the next 18 months that they developed a new illness, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, according to a study released last week, the New York Times reports.

12 May 2009

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines college graduates' search for health insurance

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined health insurance for young adults, many of whom lose coverage after they graduate from high school or college or reach a certain age.

12 May 2009

Medical News

Participants in antidepressant drug trials are atypical patients

Research looks at the human factor in spread of pandemic illness

Research shows link between appetite and elderly mortality

New understanding of role ZBP1 gene plays in breast cancer

Meditation may increase gray matter

In retinal disease, sight may depend on second sites

Pioneering technique for treatment of liver tumours

Schering-Plough starts patient enrollment in phase 3 trial for Acadesine

Sinobiopharma announces Chinese approval of Perindopril

Sanofi-aventis to acquire Oforta, oral chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment

Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy

Oxidation of potassium channel in cells linked to loss of neuronal function in aging

DHEA supplement combined with vitamin D and calcium significantly improves spinal bone density in older women

CDC to review vaccine policies; immigrant, women's rights advocates anticipating repeal of HPV vaccine requirement

Obama ensures Hispanic community they will be included in H1N1 flu outbreak efforts

West Virginia Gov. Manchin vetoes Medicaid mental health reimbursement hike

Hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions not recognized under current payment model

HHS will release guidance on 'meaningful use' of health IT this summer, Blumenthal says

Job losses have negative effect on health, study finds

Kaiser Health News/Philadelphia Inquirer examines college graduates' search for health insurance

Bioprocess Efficiency with Cell Density Monitoring

Exploring electron microscopy for plant and microbial imaging at the John Innes Centre

Extending the reach of Amperia™

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