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FDA warns of infections tied to Tennessee pharmacy
Friday, May 24, 2013 5:25:11 PM CST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials are investigating cases involving patients who suffered complications after being injected with potentially contaminated medications made by a Tennessee specialty pharmacy.
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Report: Nation's kids need to get more physical
Thursday, May 23, 2013 1:35:18 PM CST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE?
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Hobby Lobby tests birth-control coverage mandate
Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:23:38 PM CST
DENVER (AP) — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. asked a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill.
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Federal agency accepts Nevada hospital's plan to curb patient-dumping
Friday, May 24, 2013 6:59:12 PM CST
By Ronnie Cohen (Reuters) - Federal authorities approved a Nevada hospital's proposal on Friday for correcting deficiencies that led to newly discharged psychiatric patients being bused out of state without adequate plans for continued care. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also said it would conduct unannounced inspections of Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas to ensure that procedures are in place and working to prevent further instances of so-called patient dumping. ...
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If You Work for Yourself, What Will Obamacare Mean for You?
Friday, May 24, 2013 4:40:18 PM CST
When she was 32, Wendy Drabick opened her own IT and accounting consulting business and started paying health insurance premiums for herself and her family, now a hefty $1,100 every month. That’s about $10,000 more each year than she’d be paying if she worked for a large employer who paid most of the premium. Drabick isn’t complaining, but she would like to know if her premium will go up under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), and if so, how much. Nearly all Americans will need dto have coverage, many through state marketplaces, beginning January 1, 2014.
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Exclusive: 'Workplace wellness' fails bottom line, waistlines - RAND
Friday, May 24, 2013 4:37:47 PM CST
By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - A long-awaited report on workplace wellness programs, which has still not been publicly released, delivers a blow to the increasingly popular efforts, Reuters has learned, casting doubt on a pillar of the Affordable Care Act and a favorite of the business community. According to a report by researchers at the RAND Corp, programs that try to get employees to become healthier and reduce medical costs have only a modest effect. ...
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Watch: 'Service Goat' Saves Woman From Seizures
Friday, May 24, 2013 4:21:29 PM CST
Prince the goat alerts Sara Manley as to when she'll need her medication.
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Certain chronic pain may raise suicide risk
Friday, May 24, 2013 3:28:11 PM CST
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Back pain, migraine and other types of chronic pain without a known physical cause - and therefore little prospect for relief - were associated with an increased risk of suicide in a new study of U.S. veterans. But the researchers, who analyzed data on about five million patients in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, found no link between suicide and arthritis, neuropathies or non-migraine headaches. Dr. ...
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Veterans' claims put pressure on Obama even as backlog dips
Friday, May 24, 2013 3:06:44 PM CST
By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A long-growing backlog of U.S. military veterans' disability claims, which has stoked congressional anger, has dipped in recent weeks, however tentatively. But that is not taking any pressure off President Barack Obama, his Department of Veterans Affairs or the Pentagon to fix a system that has left veterans waiting - sometimes for years - to get answers from the U.S. government about their disability claims. Instead, warnings from Congress are growing more acute. ...
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Judge orders Philadelphia faith-healing couple held in son's death
Friday, May 24, 2013 2:43:12 PM CST
By Dave Warner PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Philadelphia couple charged with murder after their baby died without medical care must be held in jail whether or not they make bail, a judge ruled on Friday. The couple, Herbert and Catherine Schaible, believe in faith healing, and those who share their beliefs might be willing to harbor them if they decide to flee, Judge Benjamin Lerner told a court hearing in Philadelphia. The Schaibles were charged with third-degree murder on Wednesday after the April 18 death of their seven-month-old son Brandon from bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and strep. ...
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Some with defibrillators may safely play sports
Friday, May 24, 2013 2:41:31 PM CST
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite expert guidelines advising against intense sports activity for people with implanted heart defibrillators, a new study suggests that some can compete without serious consequences. Researchers followed 372 athletes with defibrillators for about two and a half years and found that none died while running, skiing or playing sports like basketball and soccer. ...
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New U.S. fears emerge over tainted compounded steroids
Friday, May 24, 2013 2:26:37 PM CST
By Toni Clarke (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it has received seven reports of illnesses in patients who took steroid injections compounded by a pharmacy in Tennessee. The FDA said full clinical information about the patients is still being gathered, but it suggested some of the problems were infections and that "at least one of these infections appears to be fungal in nature." The steroid in question is same one - methylprednisolone acetate - that was linked to a meningitis outbreak last year that has killed some 53 people and sickened more than 700. ...
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Bausch & Lomb's Ista pleads guilty over kickbacks
Friday, May 24, 2013 2:25:40 PM CST
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Ista Pharmaceuticals Inc pleaded guilty on Friday to charges it used kickbacks and improper marketing to boost sales of a drug meant to treat eye pain and agreed to pay $33.5 million to settle criminal and civil liability, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The unit of eye care company Bausch & Lomb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer kickbacks to induce physicians to prescribe Xibrom, a drug meant to treat pain after cataract surgery, and conspiracy to promote that drug for unapproved uses, including after Lasik and glaucoma surgeries. ...
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Valeant near deal to acquire Bausch & Lomb: source
Friday, May 24, 2013 2:16:29 PM CST
By Greg Roumeliotis and Jessica Toonkel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is nearing a deal to acquire eye care company Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc from Warburg Pincus LLC for about $9 billion, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday. Valeant shares spiked to their highest level since 2001 and were up 13 percent at C$86.86 in afternoon trading in Toronto. "This deal would not be too surprising given that Valeant has said it wants to do a big, mega deal and there are not that many candidates," said David Krempa, an analyst at Morningstar. ...
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Sex and the Superbug: Meet Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea
Friday, May 24, 2013 1:17:43 PM CST
Here’s a tidbit you probably didn’t know: Gonorrhea is the second-most frequently reported “notifiable” disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (That means that if you have it, your doctor or local health official needs to report it to the federal government so they can track it; gonorrhea is beaten out only by chlamydia.)
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DOJ subpoenas documents on Forest Labs' inhalation drug
Friday, May 24, 2013 12:15:05 PM CST
(Reuters) - Drugmaker Forest Laboratories received a subpoena earlier this month from U.S. prosecutors requesting documents relating to its small-selling lung disorder product, the Tudorza Pressair inhaler, the company said in a filing. The New York-based company said it was cooperating with the request in the May 6 subpoena. It did not respond to a request for further comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York also declined to comment. The subpoena, which came from the U.S. ...
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Why a Great Therapist Probably Beats a Great Antidepressant
Friday, May 24, 2013 12:02:40 PM CST
Millions of people who suffer from depression believe their antidepressants help them. But the evidence is that antidepressants work no better than “talk therapy” (aka psychotherapy, or counseling); that many different types of psychotherapy work equally well; and that what gets most of us out of an immobilizing bout of depression has little to do with the specific treatment method.
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Watch: Avoiding Memorial Day Weekend Health Hazards
Friday, May 24, 2013 10:53:33 AM CST
Protect yourself from food poisoning, sunburn and other Memorial Day mishaps.
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Watch: Alabama Mystery Illness Solved: Confirmed as Cold, Flu
Friday, May 24, 2013 10:46:14 AM CST
State health officials found no evidence of new viruses or bacteria in the cluster of cases.
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Alabama Mystery Illness Solved, Chalked Up to Coincidence
Friday, May 24, 2013 10:20:34 AM CST
The Alabama mystery illness turned out to be coincidence, attributed to cold and flu.
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New bird flu may be capable of human to human spread - study
Friday, May 24, 2013 10:09:48 AM CST
By Lavinia Mo HONG KONG (Reuters) - The new H7N9 bird flu virus can be transmitted between mammals not only via direct contact but also in airborne droplets, and may be capable of spreading from person to person, Chinese and American researchers have found. A study published in the journal Science and presented at a briefing in Hong Kong on Friday found that three ferrets - an animal often used for research on flu - that were in the same cage as ferrets infected with H7N9 had contracted the disease. ...
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C-sections tied to child obesity
Friday, May 24, 2013 10:09:02 AM CST
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More babies born via cesarean section grow up to be heavy kids and teens than those delivered vaginally, according to a new study of more than 10,000 UK infants. Eleven-year-olds delivered by C-section, for example, were 83 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than their vaginally-born peers once other related factors - such as their mother's weight and how long they were breastfed - were taken into account. ...
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WHO to help Saudi Arabia investigate coronavirus before haj
Friday, May 24, 2013 9:46:18 AM CST
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that it would help Saudi Arabia dig deeper into deadly outbreaks of a new SARS-like virus to draw up advice ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage, which attracts millions of Muslims. The U.N. agency, which is not currently recommending any restrictions on travel to the kingdom or screening of passengers at airports or entry points, will sent a second team of experts in the coming weeks, WHO director-general Margaret Chan said. ...
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Watch: Walking to Cure Arthritis
Friday, May 24, 2013 9:05:48 AM CST
Four members of the Schultz family have been affected by a form of arthritis.
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5 Memorial Day Weekend Health Hazards
Friday, May 24, 2013 7:51:37 AM CST
Protect yourself from food poisoning and other Memorial Day mishaps.
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Novo obesity drug could launch in U.S. end 2014
Friday, May 24, 2013 4:50:37 AM CST
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk said it could launch obesity treatment liraglutide in the United States by the end of next year and rejected some analysts' doubts over the medicine's commercial potential. The world's biggest insulin producer is hoping the treatment for severe obesity will help to at least partly offset the delay to its next generation insulin treatment Tresiba after U.S. regulators asked for more tests. ...
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3-D Printed Windpipe Gives Infant Breath of Life
Friday, May 24, 2013 3:00:00 AM CST
3-D Printed Windpipe Gives Infant Breath of Life
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Autistic People Find Job Niche in Tech
Thursday, May 23, 2013 11:09:40 PM CST
SAP not the only company committing to hire more autistic employees.
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Study: No higher cancer rate at Conn. Pratt plants
Thursday, May 23, 2013 9:17:12 PM CST
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — An 11-year study of the incidence of brain cancer at jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney in the state ended Thursday with university researchers saying they found no statistically significant elevations in the rate of cancer among workers.
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Cannes auction of space trip with DiCaprio raises 1.2 million euros for charity
Thursday, May 23, 2013 7:25:20 PM CST
By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - A trip to space with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio raised 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) for charity at a glitzy fundraiser at the Cannes film festival on Thursday. At the 20th annual event organized by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, DiCaprio emerged as the mystery guest to accompany the winner on a Virgin Galactic flight into space. DiCaprio stars in the film "The Great Gatsby," which opened the 66th Cannes film festival. ...
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Lawyers in Colorado shooting case challenge insanity defense law
Thursday, May 23, 2013 6:52:02 PM CST
By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Lawyers for accused Colorado movie theater gunman James Holmes argued on Thursday the state's insanity defense law was unconstitutional because it forces him to cooperate with court-appointed psychiatrists or forfeit the right to raise mental-health issues at sentencing. Prosecutors countered during a hearing before Arapahoe County District Judge Carlos Samour Jr. that without an independent examination, there would be no way to evaluate defense claims that Holmes was legally insane at the time of the crime. ...
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Study: No higher cancer rate at Conn. Pratt plant
Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:40:43 PM CST
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — An 11-year study of the incidence of brain cancer at jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney in the state ended Thursday with university researchers saying they found no statistically significant elevations in the rate of cancer among workers.
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Boy Scouts Vote to End Ban on Gay Scouts
Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:38:21 PM CST
Some gay rights advocates call the move a step forward, but others say the 103-year-old organization has sent the wrong message to youth if it denies membership to gay leaders.
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Aveo says partner Astellas will not seek EU nod for kidney cancer drug
Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:49:22 PM CST
(Reuters) - Aveo Pharmaceuticals Inc said it was informed by its partner Astellas Pharma Inc that the Japanese company would not be seeking marketing approval for their experimental kidney cancer drug in Europe. Aveo shares fell about 13 percent in extended trade, after closing at $2.70 on the Nasdaq. They have lost about 55 percent of their value since April 30, when FDA reviewers raised questions about the drug. Astellas does not intend to fund any future studies of the drug, tivozanib, in renal cell cancer, Aveo said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. (http://r.reuters. ...
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Birth control coverage up for federal appeal
Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:26:48 PM CST
DENVER (AP) — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. asked a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill.
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California reveals prices for health insurance under Obamacare
Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:13:00 PM CST
By Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California unveiled prices on Thursday that consumers will pay for a selection of health plans offered through the state under the Affordable Care Act, providing a glimpse into how health care reform may look as it is rolled out across the nation. Under the federal health care reform law, Californians who do not get or cannot afford health insurance through their jobs can buy coverage through an exchange, at a group rate negotiated by state regulators. ...
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Lawmaker would give FDA more oversight of drug compounding
Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:07:39 PM CST
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, on Thursday became the latest lawmaker to propose legislation that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration greater regulatory authority over drug compounding. U.S. lawmakers, responding to a deadly meningitis outbreak in 2012, continue to wrestle with ways to regulate the pharmacies that compound large volumes of drugs for hospitals, individuals and clinics. ...
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U.S. House won't follow Senate lead on immigration bill: Boehner
Thursday, May 23, 2013 4:04:10 PM CST
By Richard Cowan and Rachelle Younglai WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday his chamber would chart its own path on immigration rather than simply considering a Senate-passed measure, quashing hopes some Democrats had for quickly enacting the landmark legislation. "While we applaud the progress made by our Senate colleagues, there are numerous ways in which the House will approach the issue differently," Boehner said in a statement. "We will not simply take up and accept the bill that is emerging in the Senate if it passes," he added. ...