CTS: VA Study of NSCLC Finds Better Survival for Black Patients (CME/CE) - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
CHICAGO (MedPage Today) -- When barriers to care are removed, previously observed racial disparities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outcomes are not seen, researchers found.

SABCS: HER2-Targeted Drugs Not Equal in Breast CA (CME/CE) - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
SAN ANTONIO (MedPage Today) -- For presurgical treatment of HER2-positive early breast cancer, lapatinib (Tykerb) doesn't measure up to standard trastuzumab (Herceptin), according to head-to-head trial results.

Washington Week: Finally, A Longer-Term SGR Fix - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Congress passed a year-long doctor payment fix this week, and an FDA advisory panel endorsed what could become the first new pharmaceutical option in weight loss in a decade.

SABCS: HER2 Combo Ups Breast CA Response (CME/CE) - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
SAN ANTONIO (MedPage Today) -- A dual anti-HER2 attack before surgery substantially boosts complete response rates in HER2-positive breast cancer, according to results of the Neo-ALTTO trial.

Cut Salt to Lower BP in Diabetics (CME/CE) - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
(MedPage Today) -- Reducing salt intake can help lower blood pressure in patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

HHS: Mini-Med Plans Must Spell Out Coverage Limits - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is instructing health insurers who sell low-benefit "mini-med" plans to spell out to consumers that the plans don't cover much.

SABCS: Women Not Diligent About Mammography (CME/CE, with video) - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
SAN ANTONIO (MedPage Today) -- Despite the outcry over mammography guideline changes, many women still don't get screened, according to a study of utilization in more than 1.5 million women.

WebMD Health

Experts: Exercise Crucial for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
New guidelines call for people with type 2 diabetes to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise over the course of at least three days during the week, and not to skip more than two days of exercising.

False-Positive Mammograms Linked to Breast Cancer - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Women who have false-positive results on a mammogram are at increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to findings of a large Danish study.

Wandering Tumor Cells Predict Poor Outcome - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Women with metastatic breast cancer who have no tumor cells circulating in their blood after the first round of treatment live longer than those who do, French researchers report.

30 Million Americans Admit They Drive Drunk - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
About 30 million Americans admit to driving while drunk each year, and another 10 million say they get behind the wheel of motor vehicles when under the influence of illicit drugs, according to new federal research.

Kids' Diets Rarely Mimic Their Parents' - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
A new study suggests that parents have minimal sway over their children’s diets.

Birth Control Pills Not a Major Source of Estrogen in Water Supply - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Oral contraceptives account for just 1% of the estrogen found in our drinking water supply, according to a new report in Environmental Science & Technology.

12 Reasons Why Adults Need Vaccinations - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Experts tell WebMD why adults need vaccinations.

Bone Drug Fails in Breast Cancer Study - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
The bone-building drug Zometa does not appear to prevent breast cancer from coming back in most women, researchers report.

Surgeon General: No Amount of Smoking Is Safe - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
Even a single cigarette poses health risks. That’s the latest conclusion from the U.S. surgeon general in a new report on the health effects of smoking.

Rolaids Recalled - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
In the latest of a string of huge recalls, Johnson & Johnson's McNeil division has recalled 13 million packs of various brands of Rolaids Softchew products.

ScienceDaily

Thought for food: Imagining food consumption reduces actual consumption - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A new study shows that when you imagine eating a certain food, it reduces your actual consumption of that food. This landmark discovery changes the decades-old assumption that thinking about something desirable increases cravings for it and its consumption.

Drug combination shows promise for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients, study finds - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A new three-drug combination used to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma may be effective as a front-line therapy for newly diagnosed patients, according to a new study.

Personalized molecular therapy shows promising results for people with advanced lung cancer - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A new study shows that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer according to new research.

Computer-based program may help relieve some ADHD symptoms in children - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
An intensive, five-week working memory training program shows promise in relieving some of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, a new study suggests. Researchers found significant changes for students who completed the program in areas such as attention, ADHD symptoms, planning and organization, initiating tasks and working memory.

When to end a run to avoid injury: Runners change form when running exhausted - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Runners and scientists for years have pondered when runners should end a run in order to avoid injuries. A new study by a physical therapy professor sheds light on this with findings that runners unknowingly change their running form when they run while exhausted. The change in mechanics could be related to an increased risk for injuries.

Double block of blood vessels to starve cancerous tumors - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A novel strategy of blocking the growth of blood vessels with antibodies should result in improved treatment of cancerous tumors, researchers in Finland report.

New risk factors for brain metastases in breast cancer patients uncovered - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Nearly one-fifth of all metastatic breast cancer patients develop brain metastases and have significantly shorter overall survival than patients who do not have brain involvement. One way to improve the affected patients' survival might be to prevent the brain metastases from arising in the first place.

Buprenorphine treatment produces improved outcome for babies born addicted - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Babies born into the world addicted to drugs because of their mother's dependence on pain medication, or opioids, may be weaned off the substance more comfortably, with a shorter hospital stay and at a reduced cost, if the mother receives a new treatment option during pregnancy.

Trio of drugs may combat 'triple negative' breast cancer - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Working with cell cultures and mouse models, researchers have tested a cocktail of three drugs that holds promise for treating so-called triple negative breast cancers.

Immune system changes linked to inflammatory bowel disease revealed - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Scientists have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease.

Health News

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Endocrine Today

The Obesity Epidemic! Exploring Emerging Strategies for Weight Control and Risk Reduction - Fri, 31 Dec 2010

Anti-Müllerian hormone may predict premature ovarian failure - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
hagen cp. j clin endocrinol metab. 2010;95:5003-5010.

Food insecurity from recession increases risk for those with diabetes in low-income, rural areas - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
homenko dr. j nutr educ behav. 2010;42:404-409.

New genes link onset of puberty, body fat in women - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
elks ce. nat genet. 2010;doi:10.1038/ng.714.

Congress delays Medicare physician payment cut, extends 2.2% update for 1 year - Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Exercise linked to fewer, milder colds - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
nieman dc. br j sports med. 2010;doi:10.1136/bjsm.2010.077875.

Ranibizumab injections provide improved vision for patients with diabetic retinopathy - Wed, 08 Dec 2010

FDA advisory committee recommends approval of combination weight-loss drug - Tue, 07 Dec 2010

Weight maintenance achieved with high-protein, low-glycemic-index diet - Mon, 06 Dec 2010
larsen tm. n engl j med. 2010;363:2102-2113.

Lap-Band safe and effective in less obese, FDA advisors vote - Fri, 03 Dec 2010

BBC Health News

Hospital bugs 'hit poor nations' - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
The fight against malaria and TB in the developing world should not obscure the problems poor countries face with hospital infections, experts say.

Protein removal Alzheimer's clue - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Scientists have found that people with Alzheimer's disease clear a damaging protein from their brains more slowly than healthy people.

India-EU generic drug row 'over' - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
A row with India over the transit of generic drugs through the EU has been resolved, negotiators tell Reuters news agency.

EU deal fails to quell food fight - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
EU ministers agree on new food labelling rules to show nutritional data more clearly - but a top Euro MP attacks them.

Music 'helps ventilator patients' - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
Playing music to hospital patients on ventilators helps them to breathe more easily, findings show.

French team uncover infanticides - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
The number of infants killed just after birth is at least five times greater than records suggest, a French study says.

EU maternity leave plan rejected - Tue, 07 Dec 2010
EU ministers reject Euro MPs' call to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay across the European Union.

Women 'anxious about dentists' - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
Women are twice as likely to suffer extreme anxiety when visiting a dentist compared to men, according to a government survey of dental health.

Daily aspirin 'cuts cancer risk' - Tue, 07 Dec 2010
A small daily dose of aspirin substantially reduces death rates from a range of common cancers, a study suggests.

Half of Europeans are overweight - Tue, 07 Dec 2010
Over half of adults living in the European Union countries are now overweight or obese according to a report.

Daily Telegraph

Let the new mums eat cake - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Samantha Cameron may have regained her figure four months after giving birth, but what's the hurry for the rest of us, asks Jenny McCartney

Genetic tests could prevent those like me being born at all - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A new pre-natal test promises increased safety and accuracy - but how will doctors decide which defects are severe enough for abortion, asks Alasdair Palmer

Health officials urge vaccine take-up amid swine flu deaths - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Health officials have urged the public to take up flu vaccines after it emerged that swine flu has claimed the lives of ten adults in the UK in the past six weeks.

Salvia: more powerful than LSD, and legal - Mon, 06 Apr 2009
Salvia divinorum - aka the 'YouTube drug' - is banned in many countries around the world, but not in Britain. Is it as harmless as its users claim?

Appeal: Man's best friend - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
Cassandra Jardine discovers how Dogs for the Disabled, one of our 2010 charities, can transform lives.

Surrogacy couple: paying American woman was our last chance for a child - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
A British couple who won the legal right to pay a "commercial" rate to a surrogate mother in the US have said that the act was their last chance to have a child - and disclosed that the woman is now "firmly part of our family".

Bishops back Christian B&B owners on eve of legal action from gay pair - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Senior Church of England bishops have lent their support to the Christian owners of a seaside guesthouse who are being sued after refusing to allow a gay couple to stay in a double room.

Breast cancer boost from using Herceptin and Tyverb together - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Women with one of the most common types of breast cancer were offered new hope yesterday after scientists said using two drugs together could dramatically boost success rates.

British scientist awarded Nobel Prize for Medicine - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
The British scientist who pioneered IVF treatment, Prof Robert Edwards, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine on Friday.

Cameron pledges 'family-friendly' tax reforms for married couples - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
David Cameron promised to offer tax breaks to both married couples and homosexuals in civil partnerships as he set out the coalition's plans to support relationships.

International Herald Tribune

Push for Strict Abortion Limits Expected in House - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A leading Congressional opponent of abortion rights, Representative Joe Pitts, is in line to take charge of an influential House panel and plans to press for strict limits on the procedure.

Patient Money: Snoring: What to Do When a Punch in the Shoulder Fails - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Snoring can be disruptive and, in some cases, a sign of a serious health problem, but treating it can be time-consuming and expensive.

Vital Signs: Childhood: Sick in Day Care May Mean Healthier in School - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Young children in day care get more ear and respiratory tract infections than other children their age, a new study reports. But once they reach elementary school, they are sick less often.

Vital Signs: Risks: Hospital Admissions for Dog Bites Are on the Rise - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
The figure almost doubled over a 15-year period, vastly exceeding population growth, and pet ownership increased only slightly during the same period, according to a government study.

Recipes for Health: Pasta With Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Breadcrumbs - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Bread crumbs, crisped in olive oil with garlic, make a wonderful addition to this pasta.

Secret Cable Discusses Pfizer’s Actions in Nigeria Case - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A secret cable indicated that information about the Nigerian attorney general was spread through the media to publicly pressure him to drop lawsuits against Pfizer.

Use of Cholera Vaccine in Haiti Is Now Viewed as Viable - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
The World Health Organization shifted its position, though it acknowledged there would be no quick fix.

Radiation Rules Differ for Humans and Pets - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
While pets who take a radioactive thyroid treatment are quarantined, humans can go home right away.

Study Finds Setbacks in Women’s Health - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
A health “report card” finds failures in areas like drinking, obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Long Road for Lawyer Defending the Health Care Law - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Ian Gershengorn has been busy defending the administration against nearly two dozen legal challenges to the health care law.

New York Times

Push for Strict Abortion Limits Expected in House - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A leading Congressional opponent of abortion rights, Representative Joe Pitts, is in line to take charge of an influential House panel and plans to press for strict limits on the procedure.

Patient Money: Snoring: What to Do When a Punch in the Shoulder Fails - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Snoring can be disruptive and, in some cases, a sign of a serious health problem, but treating it can be time-consuming and expensive.

Vital Signs: Childhood: Sick in Day Care May Mean Healthier in School - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
Young children in day care get more ear and respiratory tract infections than other children their age, a new study reports. But once they reach elementary school, they are sick less often.

Vital Signs: Risks: Hospital Admissions for Dog Bites Are on the Rise - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
The figure almost doubled over a 15-year period, vastly exceeding population growth, and pet ownership increased only slightly during the same period, according to a government study.

Recipes for Health: Pasta With Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Breadcrumbs - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Bread crumbs, crisped in olive oil with garlic, make a wonderful addition to this pasta.

Secret Cable Discusses Pfizer’s Actions in Nigeria Case - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
A secret cable indicated that information about the Nigerian attorney general was spread through the media to publicly pressure him to drop lawsuits against Pfizer.

Use of Cholera Vaccine in Haiti Is Now Viewed as Viable - Sat, 11 Dec 2010
The World Health Organization shifted its position, though it acknowledged there would be no quick fix.

Radiation Rules Differ for Humans and Pets - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
While pets who take a radioactive thyroid treatment are quarantined, humans can go home right away.

Study Finds Setbacks in Women’s Health - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
A health “report card” finds failures in areas like drinking, obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Long Road for Lawyer Defending the Health Care Law - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Ian Gershengorn has been busy defending the administration against nearly two dozen legal challenges to the health care law.

Los Angeles Times

Weighing effectiveness versus risk in obesity drugs - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
Experts disagree on whether the FDA is too tough or not tough enough on weight-loss medications.

In their quest to find drugs to curb obesity, scientists have had about as much success as long-term dieters who want to stay thin — which is to say, very little. In fact, the last year has been so bleak on the research front that some experts are questioning whether a long-desired safe and effective diet pill can be found.

A closer look at the safety, effectiveness of weight-loss drugs - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
Several have recently come before the FDA. Do they work? Are they safe?

For many people who carry excess pounds, lifestyle changes don't do enough or are too hard to maintain day in and day out.

Enriched eggs, milk may not be best source for omega-3s - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
Milk and eggs have earned their place in the American diet because they're good sources of calcium and protein, respectively. These days, some brands are also being touted as a good source of another nutrient: omega-3s.

Rates for adult vaccinations remain low - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
Even though shots can prevent flu and serious diseases such as shingles, pneumonia, hepatitis and cervical cancer, few grown-ups get them, CDC data show.

The United States already does a pretty good job immunizing kids — roughly 90% of them get the vaccines they need, thanks to federal programs and other initiatives that subsidize the shots until children reach adulthood.

Doctors and nurses' weight biases harm overweight patients - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
Negative reinforcement demonstrably does not work and can discourage patients from seeking future treatment.

I'm quite thin now, but that wasn't always the case. As a child, I carried around extra weight for many years — and my brothers never let me forget it. They called me "Logs" (as in, my legs looked like them) and "Orca" (as in, I was the size of one). I think "Moo Cow Chunk Chunk" was the one that stung the most.

No-sweat holiday gifts for serious athletes - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
The serious athlete is a picky fellow or gal, normally quite unwilling to delegate the critical task of shopping for high-tech training gadgets to mere holiday well-wishers. But the stuff here is disappointment-proof — compact, functional, not prohibitively expensive and, best of all, so new that it will impress any recipient's hard-core buddies.

Father's death linked to use of heart drug, avocados touted for lowering cholesterol - Mon, 13 Dec 2010
My dad recently died after going into the hospital for pneumonia. It was discovered he had lung disease due to taking amiodarone for many years. He was never warned about the side effects. Does the Food and Drug Administration keep track of how many people die after taking this drug?

In small doses, toxic gases can be medicinal - Mon, 6 Dec 2010
Nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide are studied as aids for angina, organ transplants and more.

When belched out of cars and factories at high levels, the noxious gasses nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide are deadly poisons. But scientists are finding that, in miniscule doses, those same gases can serve as medicines.

FDA to reexamine use of mercury in dental fillings - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
Prodded by activists, the agency is reviewing the evidence used to declare that the amount of mercury in dental amalgam is 'not high enough to cause harm' to patients.

Prodded by consumer and dental activists, the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the scientific evidence underlying its pronouncement less than 18 months ago that dental fillings containing mercury do not cause harm to patients.

Before giving to a health , do some research - Mon, 6 Dec 2010
You want to support a group, but which one? Help is available online.

Like those big-box stores that bank on holiday sales, charities too depend on end-of-the-year donations. Hence the current stream of seasonal solicitations.

CNN Health and Fitness

Could I be getting too much iron? - Fri, 10 Dec 2010
I began taking an iron supplement because I thought I might have a case of running-induced anemia. It seemed to help, but now I wonder if I should continue taking the supplement or let it go. Am I getting too much iron?

Surgeon General report: Tobacco smoke does immediate damage - Thu, 09 Dec 2010
Even occasional smoking or secondhand smoke causes immediate damage to one's organs and poses risk of serious illness or death, the U.S. Surgeon General said in a new report released Thursday.

Dying at home, surrounded by family - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
Elizabeth Edwards died Tuesday, after doctors had told her further cancer treatment would be "unproductive." She was at home, surrounded by people who loved her.

Officials: French report about origin of cholera in Haiti inconclusive - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
A French doctor's report suggests that the strain of cholera ravaging Haiti may have originated with United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal, but U.N. officials and others cautioned that the report was inconclusive.

Traveling with aortic valve transplant? - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
Are there any travel limitations on one who has had an aortic valve transplant two years ago?

WHO endorses speedy test for TB - Wed, 08 Dec 2010
The World Health Organization endorsed a new, rapid test for tuberculosis Wednesday that cuts the diagnosis time for patients from months to hours.

Are mood swings, extreme sleeping signs of depression? - Tue, 07 Dec 2010
I would like to know what you recommend for a person that believes he or she is suffering from depression. There are mood swings, and extreme sleeping, and just thoughts of being lonely, and that no one cares. Is this depression?

Is the HPV shot advised for teen males? - Mon, 06 Dec 2010
What is the deal with the HPV shot for teen boys? I have heard that is now being advised for males. I have a 15-year-old son.

Advocates: Food safety bill doesn't have teeth - Fri, 03 Dec 2010
Turkey breasts, eggs, cilantro, and deli meat are just some of the foods that you may have avoided this year because of recalls associated with foodborne illness.

U.N. chief makes urgent appeal to fight cholera in Haiti - Fri, 03 Dec 2010
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made an urgent appeal Friday for more money to fight the cholera epidemic in Haiti that has claimed more than 1,800 lives.