Rising health care costs are a primary driver of American?s increasing dissatisfaction with the nation?s health care system, the 2006 Health Confidence Survey (HCS) shows. Many Americans report that rising health care costs have hurt their household finances and believe that steps should be taken to slow the increases.
Preventing cavities could one day involve the dental equivalent of a military surgical strike. A team of researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research report they have created a new smart anti-microbial treatment that can be chemically programmed in the laboratory to seek out and kill a specific cavity-causing species of bacteria, leaving the good bacteria untouched.
Beginning with the winter season of 2004-2005, influenza vaccination has been recommended for all children 6 to 23 months old in the United States. However, its safety in young children has not been adequately studied in large populations. A study was conducted by Simon J. Hambidge to screen for medically attended events in the clinic, emergency department, or hospital after administration of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in children 6 to 23 months old.
Health chiefs in Norfolk plan to save money by encouraging smokers to quit before undergoing routine operations. Doctors say they are following a programme tried in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, and health authority hope that the move will improve general health and cut hospital costs. They say research shows that smokers take more time to recover from surgery – and therefore have longer and more expensive stays in hospital – and are more likely to suffer complications.
Although moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower risk for myocardial infarction (MI), guidelines generally suggest that adults seek other lifestyle measures to reduce cardiovascular risk. Physical activity, smoking, and diet, moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower risk for MI.
Tackling wide variation could deliver benefits for patient care and better value for money. Improved NHS productivity and better efficiency could unlock resources worth ?2.2bn for the NHS and improve patient care at the same time, Health Minister Andy Burnham said today.
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) will showcase innovative cardiac solutions designed to streamline workflow and facilitate advanced information management at Cardiovascular Research Foundation?s (CRF) eighteenth annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in Washington, D.C.Shown for the first time ever in the U.S., the pre-release of the Philips Xcelera 2.1 Cardiovascular Information Solution is one of the key components to Philips integrated catheterization (cath) lab, which includes physiomonitoring, reporting and cardiovascular X-ray technologies to improve patient care and lab management.
At the MS Trust we strongly object to Multiple Sclerosis – MS being described as a terminal disease, as happened yet again yesterday in relation to the sad death of Gillian March. ‘Terminal’ is defined as “predicted to lead to death, especially slowly” (OED). We are all dying slowly but in fact the vast majority of people with MS will live fulfilling lives to an advanced age.
Health Canada announced that it will grant licences with conditions to Inamed Corporation and Mentor Medical Systems to market their silicone gel-filled breast implants in Canada. These Class IV licences are conditional on the manufacturers meeting several requirements to ensure their devices continue to meet the safety and effectiveness requirements of the Medical Devices Regulations.
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) and Flamel Technologies (NASDAQ:FLML) announced FDA approval of once-a-day Coreg CR (carvedilol phosphate) extended-release capsules, for the treatment of three cardiovascular conditions: 1. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension. 2. A heart attack that has reduced how well the heart pumps (known medically as post-myocardial infarction left ventricular dysfunction). 3. Mild to severe heart failure.