The prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions.
FDA: Rare Cases of Liver Injury Reported with Use of Xenical, Alli – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised consumers and health care professionals about potential rare occurrences of severe liver injury in patients taking the weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed as Xenical and Alli.
FDA: Possible Fracture Risk with High Dose, Long-term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors — Labeling changes will include new safety information – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers and health care professionals about a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high doses or long-term use of a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors.
Physicians should help patients with depression name their problem – Because people with depression often do not recognize they have a problem or are unable to describe their distress, many do not seek treatment. About a quarter of those with major depression are undiagnosed, according to several studies, and fewer than half receive treatment.
MSU researchers testing vaccine to help people quit smoking — Novel approach blocks ‘pleasure sensation’ – In a unique twist to a decades-old health crisis, Michigan State University researchers are testing a new vaccine to help people quit smoking and avoid relapses.
Clinical study shows patients gain limb movement years after stroke – Patients show modest yet meaningful gains in limb movement and an improved outlook on life years after suffering a stroke, a major clinical study has found.
Health, life insurers hold $1.88 billion in fast-food stocks: AJPH article — Harvard researchers say insurers put profits over health – Just weeks after the passage of a health bill that will dramatically increase the number of Americans covered by private health insurers, Harvard researchers have detailed the extent to which life and health insurance companies are major investors in the fast-food industry ? to the tune of nearly $2 billion.
Federal District Court Rules Isolated DNA Claims are Not Patentable — Myriad to Appeal Decision to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals – A federal judge on Monday struck down patents on two genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2 — linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Shares of Myriad Genetics (MYGN.O) fell as much as 7 percent, a day after the ruling.
FDA Announces Possible Safety Concern for HIV Drug Combination – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced preliminary data suggesting that Invirase (saquinavir) in combination with Norvir (ritonavir) may have potentially important adverse effects on the heart.
New study shows sepsis and pneumonia caused by hospital-acquired infections kill 48,000 patients — Cost $8.1 billion to treat – Two common conditions caused by hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) killed 48,000 people and ramped up health care costs by $8.1 billion in 2006 alone, according to a study released in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
New AAP policy on choking prevention in young children – Choking is a leading cause of injury and death among children, especially children 3 years of age or younger. Food, toys and coins account for most of the choking-related events in young children, who put objects in their mouths as they explore new environments.
IOM report declares high blood pressure a neglected disease — Calls for strategies to change Americans’ lifestyles and diets to curb hypertension – Public health officials and health care providers need to step up their efforts to reduce Americans’ increasing rates of high blood pressure and better treat those with the condition.
More Flexibility at Work Boosts Employee Health – Giving employees more flexibility over their work schedules is likely to boost their health as judged by measures like blood pressure and stress, revealed by researchers.
