Pancreatitis :: Diabetes drug Byetta, exenatide may cause acute pancreatitis
FDA has reviewed 30 postmarketing reports of acute pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta (exenatide), a drug used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes.
Healthcare
Cancer :: Cancer death rate decline doubling in US, says CDC
A new report from the nation’s leading cancer organizations shows cancer death rates decreased on average 2.1 percent per year from 2002 through 2004, nearly twice the annual decrease of 1.1 percent per year from 1993 through 2002.
Healthcare :: Mortality rates 71 percent lower at top-rated hospitals, HealthGrades 2008 hospital-quality study
Patients have on average a 71 percent lower chance of dying at the nation’s top-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals across 18 procedures and conditions analyzed in the tenth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, issued today by HealthGrades, the healthcare ratings company. The study, which documents a wide variation in the quality of care between the highest-performing hospitals and all others, also found that if all hospitals performed at the level of hospitals rated with five stars by HealthGrades, 266,604 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved over the three years studied.
Alzheimer’s Disease :: New blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease
A team of international researchers reported they have identified a group of cell-signaling proteins found in blood that serve as a unique “voiceprint” that can not only be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but also classify and predict presymptomatic individuals who will eventually develop the memory-robbing disorder.
Cough :: Recommendations for the appropriate use of cough and cold products in children
Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of “over-the-counter” (non-prescription) cough and cold products in children. Health Canada is advising consumers on the appropriate use of these products, including drugs and natural health products, particularly in children under 2 years of age. Life-threatening adverse events, including unintentional overdose, have been reported to Health Canada in association with the use of these products in children under 2 years of age.
Health :: Excerpta Medica and Elsevier Interactive Solutions merge into 1 integrated provider
Excerpta Medica, an Elsevier business that has delivered medical communications for over six decades, has merged with corporate sibling Elsevier Interactive Solutions (EIS), an award-winning interactive health communications agency with more than a decade’s experience creating online marketing and educational programs for leading healthcare brands.
Health :: Regenstrief institute selected to help design nationwide health information network
In a move that is viewed as a major step toward developing a secure and portable health information system for all Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Indiana University School of Medicine a $2.5 million contract to begin a trial implementation of a Nationwide Health Information Network.
Healthcare :: Residents urged to register for fair pharmacare
The provincial government is encouraging all British Columbians and their families to register for Fair PharmaCare if they have not done so already.
Health :: Australian adolescent health in decline
Adolescent health, an indicator of the nation’s future health, is declining as rates of obesity, depression, diabetes and other health problems increase in teenagers, according to a population health expert at The Australian National University.
Cochlear Implant :: Cochlear Implants linked to increased risk of bacterial meningitis
FDA informed healthcare professionals and consumers that the Cochlear Implant device used in profoundly deaf or severely hard-of hearing patients has been associated with some increased risk of bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.