Medicare :: CMS announces payment changes for Medicare home health services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to refine and update the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) for Calendar Year (CY) 2008.
Medical
Cholesterol :: British Heart Foundation comments on side effects of raising HDL cholesterol
Dr Jay Heinecke of the University of Washington School of Medicine this week presented a paper about raising HDL cholesterol at the American Chemical Society.
Diarrhea :: UN-led campaign against diarrhea outbreaks in Sudan brings results
A campaign led by the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF) to prevent major outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea in Sudan during the rainy season this year is paying dividends, with the number of cases of the sometimes fatal condition in the north of the country almost 90 per cent below last year?s figures.
Leukemia :: Cancer Stem Cell Scientists Get $1.7M to Develop New Leukemia Drugs
Cancer stem cell researchers at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center have received grants totaling $1.7 million to pursue the study of experimental therapies that target leukemia stem cells.
Blood :: American College of Medical Genetics responds to new FDA labeling decision for warfarin
On August 16, the Food and Drug Administration approved new labeling information for the blood-thinner warfarin, sold under the brand name Coumadin. The new label suggests that one can prescribe higher or lower doses that may be safer for patients with variations in two genes, CYP2C9 or VKORC1. These variations can be learned through genetic testing, which may be a useful tool in determining appropriate dosing levels for individual patients and lower risks of bleeding complications.
Healthy :: First out-of-body experience induced in laboratory setting
A neuroscientist working at University College London has devised the first experimental method to induce an out-of-body experience in healthy participants. In a paper published today in Science, Dr. Henrik Ehrsson, UCL Institute of Neurology, outlines the unique method by which the illusion is created and the implications of its discovery.
Gene :: Bits of Junk RNA Aid Master Tumor-suppressor Gene
Scientists have shown in literally thousands of studies that the p53 gene deserves its reputation as ?the guardian of the genome.? It calls to action an army of other genes in the setting of varied cell stresses, permitting repair of damaged DNA or promoting cell death when the cell damage is too great. A key net effect of p53?s action is to prevent development of cancerous cells.
Sexual Health :: First comprehensive national survey charts sexual behavior among older adults
The first comprehensive national survey of sexual attitudes, behaviors and problems among older adults in the United States has found that most people ages 57 to 85 think of sexuality as an important part of life and that the frequency of sexual activity, for those who are active, declines only slightly from the 50s to the early 70s.
Obesity :: Surgery for severe obesity saves lives
An extensive Swedish study from the Sahlgrenska Academy has established that surgery reduces premature death in patients with severe obesity. A long-term follow up has shown that mortality is significantly lower among patients who undergo surgery than among those who do not.
Neurology :: Mice provide important clues to obsessive-compulsive disorder
Mice born without a key brain protein compulsively groom their faces until they bleed and are afraid to venture out of the corner of their cages. When given a replacement dose of the protein in a specific region of the brain, or the drugs used to treat humans suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, many of these mice seem to get better.