Health News

Disaster zones: how medical relief saves lives and protects health

Date: Nov-22-2013
When 2013's Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on November 8th, it measured 300 miles across and was one of the world's most intense tropical storms ever to have hit land.Almost 100 million people populate the islands of the Philippines in the western Pacific Ocean, according to World Bank estimates, and millions living in coastal areas have been affected by the initial destruction and continuing aftermath produced by the super-typhoon, which delivered:Torrential rainWinds of over 185mph, andA storm surge wave of up to 30 feet.

eyeforpharma Pharmaceutical Industry Awards, March 20th 2014, Barcelona

Date: Nov-22-2013
eyeforpharma has announced that nominations are now open for the inaugural Barcelona Awards. The newly created awards differ from other pharmaceutical award ceremonies: instead of focussing on sales and marketing performance, the focus is on patient service, customer centricity and innovating for value.Nominations for the awards will be open until 20th December 2013, at which point a hand-picked panel of celebrated industry experts will decide the winners.

Patients with diabetes who use mail order pharmacy are less likely to visit emergency rooms

Date: Nov-22-2013
Patients with diabetes who received prescribed heart medications by mail were less likely to visit the emergency room than those patients who picked up prescriptions in person, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.The study examined 17,217 adult Kaiser Permanente members with diabetes who were first prescribed heart medications in 2006 and followed them for 3 years.

New tinnitus treatment shows positive results in small trial

Date: Nov-22-2013
The results of a small clinical trial to test the safety of a new treatment for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, showed positive results according to a study newly published online in the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.Led by the University of Texas at Dallas, the trial showed that vagus nerve stimulation-tone therapy is safe for the treatment of tinnitus and brought significant improvement to some participants.The new treatment combines vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with auditory tones to alleviate the symptoms of chronic tinnitus.

90% of pharmaceutical & healthcare employees risk information security

Date: Nov-22-2013
A staggering 80% of pharmaceutical and healthcare professionals now access work documents on the go. Yet in the absence of a safe file sharing alternative, 90% are resorting to unauthorized, free file sharing services, according to a new report released by Workshare. The report titled "Workforce Mobilization" is based on more than 5,000 responses from a range of companies across the UK, EMEA, and the U.S.

Passage of PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act reaffirms U.S. commitment to landmark global health response

Date: Nov-22-2013
The U.S. Senate's unanimous and decisive passage Monday (November 18th) night of legislation extending the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief for five more years gives hope to millions of people around the world still in need of services to prevent and treat HIV, renews a commitment to the most ambitious and effective health response this country has undertaken, and acknowledges the importance of this historic program to the American people."This assurance of continued United States leadership in the Global AIDS response is an important step forward in a challenging era," Dr.

UH research finds potential key to learning a new language

Date: Nov-22-2013
A new study by University of Houston (UH) researchers may lead to dramatic changes in the way language is taught and learned - especially a second language. These findings are important because statistics show 60 percent of the children in the Houston Independent School District are non-native English speakers, a category on the rise across the United States.

Ahead of World AIDS Day 2013 UNAIDS reports sustained progress in the AIDS response

Date: Nov-22-2013
Accelerated progress has been reported in most parts of the world. However, there are worrying signs that some regions and countries are not on track to meet global targets and commitments on HIV.The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that new HIV infections have been on the rise in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by 13% since 2006. The Middle East and North Africa has seen a doubling of new HIV infections since 2001.In many cases stalled progress is due to inadequate access to essential HIV services.

IBT's top ten holiday tips minimize challenges for children with autism and their families

Date: Nov-22-2013
The Institute for Behavioral Training (IBT) this week released ten of its top tips to minimize challenges for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the holiday season. IBT is a leading training institute that provides innovative programs to meet the current and emerging needs of parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, and human service professionals across the globe.

First topical pharmacologic therapy to enter clinical trials for "double chin"

Date: Nov-22-2013
Topokine Therapeutics has initiated dosing in a Phase 2, randomized controlled clinical trial of XAF5 Gel for reduction of excess submental fat, commonly known as "double chin." XAF5 Gel is a proprietary skin formulation of a compound already known to reduce fat around the human eye. Study participants are applying XAF5 Gel or placebo once a night to skin under the chin."Patients are increasingly interested in non-invasive therapies to rejuvenate the face," said Jeffrey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC, a nationally recognized dermatologist and member of the Topokine's Scientific Board of Advisors.