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Silicone wires in newer defibrillators less reliable than older polyurethane-insulated leads

German researchers say the newer wire leads now used in implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are not as reliable as first thought.

2 May 2007

Doctors still waiting to be paid after Katrina

Almost 400 doctors at a New Orleans hospital are suing the state for $100 million for treatment and care they provided to uninsured patients following Hurricane Katrina.

2 May 2007

Brain scans provide evidence of the damage of war

Scientists in the United States have found that some veterans of the first Gulf War have differences in their brain structure.

2 May 2007

When hospitals follow the guidelines deaths from heart attack are halved

A study by an international team of researchers say they have found that deaths from severe heart attacks after hospital admission have almost halved in six years.

2 May 2007

Gene therapy used to try and cure type of blindness

A team of doctors from Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London (UCL) have carried out world's first eye operations using gene therapy to try to cure a serious eye disorder.

2 May 2007

Low libido experienced by female cancer survivors is not boosted by testosterone creams

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, say the low libido experienced by many female cancer survivors is not boosted by testosterone creams.

2 May 2007

Smokers and the obese banned from UK hospitals

Certain hospitals in the UK who have imposed a ban on smokers and the obese from receiving particular treatments have been defended for their action by the Health Secretary.

2 May 2007

Millions wasted each year in Britain on asthma

An asthma charity in Britain says more than £40 million a year could be saved if asthma sufferers were given better advice on how to manage their condition.

2 May 2007

CBO report examines proposed changes to prescription drug user fee act

Cost Estimate: S 1082, Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2007," Congressional Budget Office: The CBO report details proposed changes to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and outlines spending and costs to federal and state governments.

1 May 2007

Oregon children's insurance expansion fails to obtain three-fifths majority in legislature

The Oregon House on Thursday voted 32-24 in favor of a plan to expand health coverage to all children in the state by increasing the state cigarette tax by 84.5 cents per pack, but the proposal failed to win approval because a three-fifths majority is required to pass a tax increase, the Oregonian reports.

1 May 2007

Actions taken on abortion-related legislation in Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas

The following highlights recent news of state actions on abortion-related legislation.

1 May 2007

Komen study profiles eight communities nationwide 'most affected' by breast cancer

Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Thursday released a report that profiles eight communities "most affected" by breast cancer and launched a campaign that aims to curb disparities and remove gaps in breast cancer-related care, the Washington Post reports.

1 May 2007

PEPFAR 'on track' to meet goals when authorization expires, Dybul says

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is "dead on track" to meet its goal of providing antiretroviral drugs to two million people when it's five-year authorization expires in 2008, Ambassador Mark Dybul, who serves as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and administers PEPFAR, said Thursday in an interview during a visit to San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

1 May 2007

Lawmakers have proposed 'witch's brew' of biotech bills

Lawmakers in recent months "have stirred up a witch's brew of initiatives that is cause for some concern -- not only for the biotech industry, but for all Americans," James Mullen, president and CEO of Biogen and chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

1 May 2007

Court should strike campaign finance law provisions challenged by antiabortion group, uphold other requirements

Although a Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Wisconsin antiabortion group's constitutional challenge to the McCain-Feingold federal campaign finance law would be "good news for those ... who believe that Americans have a constitutional right to petition and criticize public officials," the court should uphold "reasonable provisions" of the law, a Los Angeles Times editorial says ( Los Angeles Times , 4/27).

1 May 2007

Abstinence-only sex ed 'foolish,' 'indefensible' method of reducing teen pregnancies, STIs

Relying on abstinence-only sex education as the "primary tool to reduce teenage pregnancies" and sexually transmitted infections, as "favored by the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress, looks increasingly foolish and indefensible," a New York Times editorial says.

1 May 2007

HHS should enforce federal law that abstinence education programs teach 'medically accurate' information

American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and Advocates for Youth on Thursday sent a letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt saying that the agency should enforce a federal law that states abstinence education must include "medically accurate" information about condom effectiveness, the Washington Times reports (Wetzstein, Washington Times , 4/27).

1 May 2007

Asset transfers that would allow elderly to qualify for Medicaid rare

Most nursing home residents are unlikely to have sold off assets below market value to qualify for long-term care coverage from Medicaid, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Thursday, CongressDaily reports.

1 May 2007

States increasingly expanding SCHIP coverage to middle-class families

Several states are working to raise income eligibility limits for SCHIP, despite White House opposition, AP /Long Island Newsday reports. According to a survey conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, 18 states already have received federal approval to offer SCHIP coverage to families with annual incomes greater than 200% of the federal poverty level -- the income threshold established when SCHIP began a decade ago.

1 May 2007

Health officials urge Nevada legislators to support HIV testing bill aimed at pregnant women

Physicians and health care officials on Wednesday called on Nevada lawmakers to support a bill ( SB 266) that would guarantee all pregnant women in the state have access to an HIV test as part of routine prenatal care, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

1 May 2007

Medical News

Silicone wires in newer defibrillators less reliable than older polyurethane-insulated leads

Doctors still waiting to be paid after Katrina

Brain scans provide evidence of the damage of war

When hospitals follow the guidelines deaths from heart attack are halved

Gene therapy used to try and cure type of blindness

Low libido experienced by female cancer survivors is not boosted by testosterone creams

Smokers and the obese banned from UK hospitals

Millions wasted each year in Britain on asthma

CBO report examines proposed changes to prescription drug user fee act

Oregon children's insurance expansion fails to obtain three-fifths majority in legislature

Actions taken on abortion-related legislation in Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas

Komen study profiles eight communities nationwide 'most affected' by breast cancer

PEPFAR 'on track' to meet goals when authorization expires, Dybul says

Lawmakers have proposed 'witch's brew' of biotech bills

Court should strike campaign finance law provisions challenged by antiabortion group, uphold other requirements

Abstinence-only sex ed 'foolish,' 'indefensible' method of reducing teen pregnancies, STIs

HHS should enforce federal law that abstinence education programs teach 'medically accurate' information

Asset transfers that would allow elderly to qualify for Medicaid rare

States increasingly expanding SCHIP coverage to middle-class families

Health officials urge Nevada legislators to support HIV testing bill aimed at pregnant women

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