Breast cancer funding restored by Komen Foundation to Planned Parenthood

Komen Foundation Restores Funding for Breast Cancer Screenings at Planned Parenthood Health Centers – The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation reversed its decision and continues to fund breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers. The outpouring of support online for Planned Parenthood and women in need of breast cancer screenings has been nothing short of astonishing, and because of it, the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund has received more than $3 million from thousands of people across the country in only three days.

Financial reimbursement increases cardiac stress tests in patients

Cardiac stress imaging more frequent among patients whose physicians provide, bill for procedures – Financial reimbursement and ownership of cardiac imaging equipment appears to influence physicians’ use of cardiac stress testing. The study finds that doctors who are reimbursed for both performing the test using their equipment and then interpreting the results were 50 to 100 percent more likely to order cardiac imaging tests on their patients than those who don’t bill the fees.

CCSVI role in multiple sclerosis seems to be controversial

Some link between CCSVI and MS but quality of evidence prevents definitive conclusion – Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) appears to be more common in people with multiple sclerosis than in people without the condition, states a review of published studies in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).However, there are not enough high-quality studies to allow definitive conclusions.

Le Bonheur surgeons separated rare conjoined pygopagus twins

Le Bonheur Surgeons Successfully Separate Rare Conjoined Twins — Most complex surgery in hospital history – Doctors at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital successfully separated conjoined twins, Joshua and Jacob Spates, on Monday, Aug_29. The Spates family is from Memphis. Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies do not fully separate in utero. A rare phenomenon, conjoined twins occurs in approximately one in 100,000 births.

New blood test can detect fetus gender in early pregnancy

Tests that use DNA from mother?s blood to determine sex of fetus often effective – A boy or a girl baby. Parents-to-be wishing to know the gender of their unborn baby can usually find out during a routine ultrasound performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Now, new technology can tell pregnant women whether they are having a boy or a girl as early as seven weeks into a pregnancy. Scientists have been making rapid progress in identifying foetal DNA in the mother’s blood to predict fetus gender.

Facial wrinkles may predict bone density in early menopause

Severity of facial wrinkles may predict bone density in early menopause – In postmenopausal women the appearance of the skin may offer a glimpse of the skeletal well-being, a relationship not previously described, said Lubna Pal, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. The worse a woman’s skin wrinkles are during the first few years of menopause, the lower her bone density is.

Ovarian cancer screening does not improve survival

Ovarian cancer screening does not appear to reduce risk of ovarian cancer death – In a clinical trial that included nearly 80,000 women, those who received ovarian cancer screening did not have a reduced risk of death from ovarian cancer compared to women who received usual care, but did have an increase in invasive medical procedures and associated harms as a result of being screened.

Half of all children with autism wander and bolt from safe places

Interactive Autism Network releases findings on critical safety issue, launches new research survey on pregnancy – The Interactive Autism Network (IAN), reveals the preliminary results of the first major survey on wandering and elopement among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and announces the launch of a new research survey on the association between pregnancy factors and ASD.

Walnuts and walnut oil can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure

A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress – walnuts can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. – A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil (containing polyunsaturated fats) may prepare the body to deal better with stress, also influence blood pressure at rest and under stress.

Advance toward earlier detection of melanoma

Advance toward earlier detection of melanoma – Scientists are reporting development of a substance to enhance the visibility of skin cancer cells during scans with an advanced medical imaging system that combines ultrasound and light.

Health Newstrack