Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) announced the availability of triplets monitoring functionality for its industry-leading line of obstetrical care fetal and maternal monitors, Avalon FM20 antepartum and Avalon FM30 intrapartum. Philips is the first company to introduce a fetal monitor that enables non-invasive triplets monitoring with a single device.
UCLA radiologists and Siemens Medical Solutions have jointly developed remote-control software that enables an off-site imaging expert to log onto a personal computer and operate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine by remote control. Reported in the November issue of Radiology, the study found that the quality of the remote scans were superior to onsite scans by a less experienced technologist, suggesting options for helping facilities or regions with limited medical staff and expertise.
A class of painkillers which includes ibuprofen can increase the risk of heart attacks if taken over long periods. The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has written to every doctor in the UK warning them that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – which are routinely taken by arthritis and back pain sufferers – “may be associated with a small risk of heart attack or stroke” when used for long-term treatment.
Viruses linked to the common cold could be causing memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease in millions of people, new research suggests. Experts suspect that common viruses which infect around one billion people worldwide each year may be invading the central nervous system and damaging the brain. In later life this could lead to symptoms of memory loss and declining mental ability.
Pregnant women are likely to be offered flu vaccination in the later stages of pregnancy because of the strain that the illness could put on their heart and lungs in childbirth. The move is likely to cause concern among some pregnant women who are already anxious about advice that is offered on what foods and medications are safe.
Dr. Kathryn King, a University of Calgary researcher developed the new compression bra as a result of complaints from women who experience numbness, tingling and shooting sensations in their breasts after heart surgery. King’s design stops the weight of the breast from putting pressure on the surgical wound and also allows women to wear a bra immediately after the operation, instead of three or four days later.
Ottawa will invest $8.4-million over the next two years to develop a new heart health strategy, the Health Minister says. The money will initially be used to determine the extent of cardiovascular disease in Canada, and hypertension in particular, and then to shape a plan of attack, Tony Clement said.
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.
To test the null hypothesis that, after 28 weeks of gestation, uterine blood flow during supine rest and supine exercise is no different than uterine blood flow at left-lateral rest, RM Jeffreys,a W Stepanchak,a B Lopez,a,b J Hardis,a JF Clapp IIIa,b,c conducted study in pregnant women at Department of Obstetrics, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment, gave Canadians the first and central component of Canada’s New Government’s environmental Agenda when she introduced Canada’s Clean Air Act in Parliament. “We listened to Canadians. They told us they were concerned about worsening air quality and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases,” said Minister Ambrose. “After more than a decade of inaction on the environment by the previous government, Canada’s Clean Air Act is the first step in turning things around to protect the health of Canadians.”