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Indonesian authorities slow to react to bird flu outbreak

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Indonesian authorities have confirmed another case of a human case of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

28 Aug 2006

Boosting enzyme may reverse Alzheimer's

New research by scientists at Columbia University suggests that boosting the function of a certain enzyme may provide a promising strategy for battling Alzheimer's disease, and possibly reversing its effects.

28 Aug 2006

Bird flu database to be established

A global initiative has been launched by some of the world's top scientists and health officials to encourage more openness when it comes to sharing data on bird flu.

28 Aug 2006

Abolish Asthma!

Asthma is unlikely to be a single disease, so we should abolish the term altogether, states an Editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Drug combo could reduce risk of severe asthma attacks

Giving asthma patients on regular preventive drugs the same drugs to relieve the symptoms of their condition, rather than conventional reliever drugs, could reduce their risk of severe attacks and hospitalisations.

24 Aug 2006

Wheezy kids more prone to asthma

Children who become sensitive to allergens, such as cat hair, and suffer from wheezing in their first three years of life are prone to developing asthma, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Childhood allergies on the rise

The prevalence of childhood allergies, such as hayfever, have increased over the past decade in many countries of the world, especially among younger age groups, reveals an article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Historical records detailing past attitudes towards prostitution, homosexuality and gender issues

Experts will examine a range of sources such as the UK's first-ever sex survey from the 1940s and documents detailing the life of Josephine Butler, the Victorian feminist who campaigned for the welfare of prostitutes.

24 Aug 2006

Diverting nonemergency cases from EDs in Canada does little to improve care quality for other patients

Diverting nonemergency cases from emergency departments in Canada does not have much impact on the efficiency or timeliness of care given to sicker patients, according to a study published Wednesday on the Annals of Emergency Medicine Web site, the Houston Chronicle reports.

24 Aug 2006

West Virginia revisions to Medicaid programs examined

NPR's "Morning Edition" on Tuesday examined revisions to the Medicaid programs in Kentucky and West Virginia, which are the first two states to revise their programs under a new federal law that allows states increased flexibility in determining benefits and out-of-pocket costs (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 8/22).

24 Aug 2006

WellPoint to expand consumer-driven health plans to individuals, more companies

Officials for Indiana-based WellPoint, the largest U.S. health insurer in terms of membership, on Tuesday announced that the company on Jan. 1, 2007, will begin to offer consumer-driven health plans to individuals and companies of all sizes, the Indianapolis Star reports.

24 Aug 2006

Opponents of abortion rights launch initiatives to increase number of crisis pregnancy centers in Black, Latino inner cities

Heartbeat International and Care Net, both of which oppose abortion rights, have launched initiatives to increase the number of crisis pregnancy centers, which "seek to dissuade women with unplanned pregnancies from having abortions," in inner cities nationwide to help minority women, the AP/Washington Times reports.

24 Aug 2006

A look at available birthing methods

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined five birthing methods available to pregnant women.

24 Aug 2006

A close look at Accutane drug registry iPledge

The Chicago Sun-Times on Monday examined the online FDA tracking database iPledge, with which all people taking Roche's acne drug Accutane much register to receive their prescriptions (Ritter, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/21).

24 Aug 2006

Benefits, misconceptions, frequency of condom use to protect against unplanned pregnancy, STIs

The New York Times on Tuesday examined the benefits and misconceptions of condom use to protect against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unplanned pregnancy.

24 Aug 2006

Virginian-Pilot examines uterine fibroid removal procedures

The Virginian-Pilot on Monday examined the different surgeries that can remove uterine fibroids.

24 Aug 2006

Prevalence of herpes in the U.S. is declining

The prevalence of herpes in the U.S. is declining, according to a study published in the Aug. 23 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Reuters reports (Reuters, 8/22).

24 Aug 2006

Women's health policy highlights

Highlights recently released from journal articles on women's health issues

24 Aug 2006

FDA approves nonprescription sales of Plan B for women over age 18

FDA on Thursday approved Barr Laboratories' application for nonprescription sales of its emergency contraceptive Plan B to women ages 18 and older, the Washington Post reports.

24 Aug 2006

Legislation allowing conscientious objection for pharmacists introduced in about half of state legislatures this year; none were approved

Legislation that would have allowed pharmacists not to fill some prescriptions, such as emergency contraception, because of moral or religious objections were introduced in nearly half of the state legislatures in 2006, the Washington Times reports.

24 Aug 2006