Connect to share and comment

UK plastic surgeons arrange to insure cosmetic ops

LONDON (Reuters) - A leading British cosmetic surgeons' association has arranged insurance for its members' patients to cover the cost of righting procedures such as breast enhancements that go wrong. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said it arranged the Aesthetic Surgery Commitment policy through the Lloyds of London insurance market in response to recommendations made in a government backed report.

South Africa to investigate private health market

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African competition authorities will launch an investigation into the private healthcare industry, where early evidence showed high prices and market distortions, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is working on a long-term nationwide health insurance plan, but the $28 billion scheme will not be in place until 2025.

Could family longevity protect against dementia?

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The sons and daughters of people who live very long lives tend to get the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease later than others, but they're not immune from the memory-robbing disease, according to a new study. Based on comparisons of people in their 90s, their spouses, siblings, children and their children's spouses, researchers found that the offspring of people with exceptional longevity were about 40 percent less likely than peers to be cognitively impaired between ages 65 and 79.

Doctors to older, heavy smokers: Get CT screening for lung cancer

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stepping into the debate over who should be screened for lung cancer, a leading medical specialty group issued new guidelines on Tuesday recommending that doctors offer annual low-dose CT (computed tomography) scanning to people whose age and smoking history puts them at significant risk of lung cancer.

FDA strengthens warnings on tanning beds to reduce cancer risk

By Toni Clarke Washington (Reuters) - Tanning beds and sunlamps will be required to carry stronger warning labels under new regulations proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is also recommending the machines not be used by people under the age of 18. The FDA said on Monday that it plans to reclassify sunbeds from low-risk to moderate-risk products, meaning they will need to be cleared by the agency before being allowed onto the market.

Baxter's Alzheimer's disease drug fails in late-stage trial

(Reuters) - Baxter International Inc said a late-stage study of its experimental drug to treat Alzheimer's disease failed to reduce the decline of cognitive functions and preserve functional abilities. The trial showed that after 18 months of treatment, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease taking Baxter's immunoglobulin treatment did not show a statistically significant difference in the rate of cognitive decline compared to a placebo.

Supplement builds strength in fibromyalgia trial

By Trevor Stokes NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Creatine, a supplement favored by bodybuilders, modestly boosted muscle strength in patients with fibromyalgia, Brazilian researchers report. Apart from helping with muscle weakness, though, the treatment had little effect on other symptoms of the mysterious disorder, such as chronic pain, fatigue, memory loss, depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.

Sucking on your kid's pacifier: good idea or gross?

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Toddlers are less likely to have asthma and itchy rashes if their parents "cleaned" their pacifiers by sucking on them when the kids were infants, a small new study suggests. The findings don't prove that technique protects kids against asthma, eczema or other allergies. But researchers said it's possible the transfer of mouth microbes from parents to baby may help boost the bacterial diversity of the young child's digestive system and foster immunity.

FDA advisers vote against Delcath's cancer therapy

(Reuters) - A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator said that risks outweighed the benefits in Delcath Systems Inc's cancer therapy for a rare form of eye cancer that spreads to the liver. The panel of independent experts voted 16-0 against the drug/device combination. The drug-device combination product consists of a chemotherapy drug, melphalan hydrochloride, and a device known as the Delcath Hepatic Delivery System. The two are combined in a single package known as the Melblez Kit.

Programs to reduce antibiotic use often work

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Programs that attempt to encourage or force hospital doctors to cut back on prescribing antibiotics achieve that goal and help reduce the number of dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, says a review of past research.
Syndicate content