MedReader: News

U.S. courts toss Virginia killer's bids to avoid execution

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:48:06 +0000

A Virginia serial killer's attempts to avoid execution on Thursday were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court and a federal judge, and defense lawyers appealed the judge's ruling. The inmate, Alfredo Prieto, a 49-year-old native of El Salvador, is scheduled to be executed at 9 p.m. EDT at the Greensville Correctional Center. Prieto was convicted in two 1988 Virginia murders and had been on death row in California.

U.S. to curb smog but stops short of toughest limits

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:32:14 +0000

The Obama administration on Thursday trimmed the amount of ozone allowed in the air, issuing a regulation to fight smog that will prevent hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks but cost businesses and utilities billions of dollars. The Environmental Protection Agency set a new standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) for the amount of ground-level ozone allowed, from the current level of 75 ppb set under former President George W. Bush in 2008. Ground-level ozone is a main component of smog.

Xenoport to seek partner to develop drug; CEO steps down

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:24:09 +0000

(Reuters) - Xenoport Inc said it would stop developing on its own a drug that showed high rates of side effects in a study and instead focus on its treatment for restless leg syndrome. The company also said on Thursday that Ronald Barrett, its chief executive since 2001, has stepped down and will be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Vincent Angotti. Xenoport said it will also cut about 25 jobs by the end of December, and expects to incur related charges of about $2 million in the fourth quarter.

Channel Your Inner Kindergartner: 5 Reasons Coloring Isn't Just for Kids

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:19:17 +0000

Most trends are a waste of time and money (remember the baked potato diet?) not to mention hideous (remember velour jumpsuits and the mullet?), but the latest trend of adult coloring books may be one worth paying attention to. Johanna Basford's Secret Garden coloring book has become a global bestseller, having sold over 1.4 million copies. A...

Legacy of Caribbean slavery still stings despite British PM saying 'move on'

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:13:09 +0000

By Rebekah Kebede KINGSTON, Jamaica (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - After a long time wondering, Verene Shepherd took a DNA test last year and finally learned that her mother's family came from Cameroon in West Africa. Many of the social and economic ills plaguing the region trace back to slavery and could be addressed by reparations, advocates say.

Genetic counseling is rare among BRCA-tested women

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:05:31 +0000

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Although counseling is widely recommended before gene testing, most U.S. women who were sent by doctors to be tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2, two genes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, never met with a counselor beforehand. The main reason, researchers found, is that the women’s doctors didn’t recommend seeing a genetic counselor. "There are very clear and consistent guidelines that people should receive genetic counseling before genetic testing for cancer susceptibility," said Dr. Rebecca Sutphen, the study's senior author from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa.

Meeting the Challenge of Immunizations

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:00:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Planning for flu vaccinations has gotten more complicated

Gunman opens fire at Oregon college in mass killing

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:55:40 +0000

(Reuters) - A gunman opened fire on Thursday at a community college in Oregon, killing 13 people and wounding some 20 others before he was shot to death by police, in the latest mass killing to rock a U.S. school, state and county officials said. There were conflicting reports on the number of dead and wounded in the shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College, which began shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time. The office of Ellen Rosenblum did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

PET Imaging Reveals Subclinical Disease in Early Arthritis (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:42:35 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- PET may be able to spot asymptomatic synovitis

Time to Stop All the 'Should-ing'

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:42:34 +0000

Have you ever realized how powerless you feel when you use the word "should" in a sentence? Personally, any information followed by the words "I should" is a huge indicator to me that I am carrying out something that somebody else thinks I ought to do and adopting that idea as my own. The next time you catch yourself using the word "should", ...

AAFP Demands EMRs Integrate Across U.S.

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:30:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- It's time for EMRs to function well and across systems, the delegates insisted

Bipartisan alliance vows to slow Virginia's school-to-prison pipeline

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:27:28 +0000

Conservatives part of Virginia organization to combat alarming rate of students being sent to court.

Can't Stop Thinking About Those Cupcakes? Here's What to Do

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:25:52 +0000

I LOVE cupcakes.Especially the kind that comes with heaps of vanilla buttercream frosting. And I have to be honest... if you put one in front of me, I'd have a hard time saying "no, thank you."Don't get me wrong, I don't see cupcakes as "bad." In fact, I don't put the foods I eat into "good" or "bad" categories. Instead, what I do is label them...

Talc Poses Under-Recognized Danger to Lungs

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:15:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Talcosis found in Dutch chocolate factory workers

Are You Managing Operating Costs Effectively?

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:00:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Taking a hard look at how scheduling and staffing can save money

26 Reasons I'm Proud to Be a 26-Year-Old Virgin

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:58:37 +0000

I love being an artist. Through writing, modeling and spoken word, I am able to convey my love for the craft. Being left-handed also goes along with me being super creative. But what is even more unique than being left-handed is that I am a proud 26-year-old virgin.I have been modeling since I was 19 years old and have done runway, commercial...

EPA sets new ozone standard, disappointing all sides

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:41:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Thursday established stricter limits on the smog-causing pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness, drawing swift condemnation from business leaders and Republicans who warned of damage to the economy.

Oklahoma seeks to halt three executions after drug mix-up

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:30:21 +0000

The Oklahoma attorney general on Thursday sought an indefinite stay of three upcoming executions including that of Richard Glossip, whose planned execution a day earlier was stopped at the last minute because of a mix-up with lethal injection drugs. Scott Pruitt filed the request with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals so the state could examine what went wrong with its execution protocols. In his filing, Pruitt said the office needed to evaluate what happened on Wednesday, when the state received potassium acetate for use in its three-drug protocol instead of the court-approved potassium chloride.

UTIs Uncommon During MS Exacerbations (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:30:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- But older women may be the exception

WHO on HIV Therapy: Treat Everyone (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:27:48 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- New guideline called "dramatic shift"

U.S. says it will not fight Steris loss in district court

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:22:00 +0000

U.S. antitrust enforcers will not appeal a court ruling that said U.S. medical technology provider Steris Corp could proceed with a merger with British sterilization services provider Synergy Health Plc, a Federal Trade Commission spokesman said on Thursday. Last week a federal court in Ohio refused to block the $1.9 billion deal. "The commission has decided not to appeal the district court’s decision denying the preliminary injunction," FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan said in a statement.

Clinton says to boost city, state funds for addiction treatment

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:19:00 +0000

Democratic White House front-runner Hillary Clinton laid out her $10 billion plan on Thursday to tackle drug and alcohol addiction in the United States by boosting spending on treatment for addicts. The plan, unveiled early last month, focuses on treating addiction, including $7.5 billion to support state and city treatment programs, emphasizing treatment over prosecution for low-level drug offenses and equipping all first responders with the drug naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses. "Those states, those cities that are stepping up are going to get the funds," under the plan, Clinton said in Boston on Thursday.

Potential Myeloma Vaccine Strategy Investigated (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:15:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Immunogenicity observed even in refractory disease

Brain research gets $100 million boost

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:03:55 +0000

The additional funds will add to a $300 million program led by the White House and known as the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, launched by President Barack Obama in April 2013. Half of the money is coming from the Kavli Foundation, which supports scientific research, and the other half is from institutes of higher learning. "These institutes will become part of an international network of seven Kavli Institutes carrying out fundamental research in neuroscience, and a broader network of 20 Kavli Institutes dedicated to astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics," said the statement.

FDA to Docs: We Want YOU to Enroll Your HF Patients

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:59:57 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- An agency leader calls for better clinical trial enrollment in heart failure

For seniors, hearing trouble linked to greater risk of death

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:46:40 +0000

By Madeline Kennedy (Reuters Health) - Older adults with hearing impairment may have a higher risk of dying than people with normal hearing, a recent study suggests. The reasons for the connection are not clear, researchers say, but the results point to hearing impairment at least as a sign of, and possibly a contributor to an older person’s survival odds. “In the simplest terms, the worse the patient's hearing loss, the greater the risk of death,” lead author Kevin Contrera said of the study’s findings.

Stroke Rounds: Vaccinating Kids May Lower Stroke Risk (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:30:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Another benefit of immunizations?

Doctors often uncomfortable soliciting donations from patients

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:10:45 +0000

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Many doctors are asked to seek donations from grateful patients after successful cancer treatment, but most physicians are uncomfortable with this idea and feel a conflict of interest, according to a new study. “There are ethical ways of seeking donations from patients who have the means and want to give back,” said senior author Dr. Reshma Jagsi of the department of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “We need to understand what physicians are being asked to do and create standards that we can all be comfortable with,” Jagsi told Reuters Health by email.

Let Hospitalists Do Their Jobs

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:00:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Leaving hospital care to the experts is good for patients and their doctors, says Fred N. Pelzman, MD

Teen charged in Pennsylvania stabbing spree moved to adult lockup

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:50:58 +0000

A teenager charged with attempting to murder 21 people in a stabbing spree at his Pennsylvania high school was transferred to an adult lockup on Thursday, his 18th birthday, while his lawyers sought to have him tried as a juvenile. Alexander Hribal, who is charged as an adult with 21 counts of attempted murder, was 16 when he was arrested in the April 2014 rampage at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh. A defense request to switch the case to juvenile court has not yet been decided, a Westmoreland County Court administrator said on Thursday.

Family Mourns Father Who Fought Cancer While Raising Money for Cancer-Stricken Stepdaughter

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:48:58 +0000

Both father and daughter were fighting cancer at the same time.

Federal appeals court hears arguments on Wisconsin abortion law

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:39:16 +0000

Federal appeals court judges on Thursday challenged Wisconsin to defend its suspended law requiring abortion doctors to have privileges to admit patients to a nearby hospital, in a case that could help propel abortion rights back to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge William Conley in March blocked the Wisconsin law that requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital located within 30 miles (50 km) of his or her practice. The Attorney General of Wisconsin appealed Conley's decision to the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-member panel made up of Judge Richard Posner, Judge David Hamilton and Judge Daniel Manion heard oral arguments from lawyers for the state and for the state's two abortion providers.

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: What to Know

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:31:05 +0000

There are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

High-Protein Diet Offsets Certain Genetic Risk for Diabetes (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:30:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- May benefit individuals with specific variant in vitamin D-related gene

Call for Britain to over-ride patents on Roche cancer drug

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:18:00 +0000

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - A group of patients and campaigners has called on Britain's health minister to over-ride patents protecting Roche's expensive breast cancer drug Kadcyla to allow for the import or manufacture of cut-price copies. The move shows the growing pricing pressure on drug companies on both sides of the Atlantic, especially in the field of cancer where new treatments can cost well over $100,000 (66,060 pounds). In a letter to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday, the Coalition for Affordable T-DM1 said the government should grant a compulsory licence for patents covering Kadcyla, or T-DM1, allowing other companies to supply so-called biosimilar versions.

Mangia! Mediterranean Diet Good for the Gut (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:15:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Italian scientists analyze intestinal metabolites in different types of eaters

Imaging Shows Sacroiliac Lesions in Men with Axial SpA (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:07:30 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- But outcomes differed in women with axial spondyloarthritis

Surgeon General's Rx for Health: Walk

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:02:09 +0000

We've always known walking is good for us -- it burns calories, reduces stress and helps the environment.But we never knew how really great it is for us until the new Call to Action on Walking from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, who explains, "An average of 22 minutes a day of physical activity -- such as brisk walking - can...

ConAgra to cut 1,500 jobs, shift base to Chicago from Omaha

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:02:03 +0000

ConAgra Foods Inc said it would cut about 1,500 jobs and move its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha as part of a plan to save at least $300 million in three years. The job cuts mark the latest changes implemented by ConAgra Chief Executive Sean Connolly, who joined in April. "While we believe that we can create a lot of value with ConAgra Foods, that's only going to happen if we make bold change, and we're going to continue to push for change," Connolly said in an interview.

Former VW boss Winterkorn remains in four key posts

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:46:23 +0000

Martin Winterkorn, the former boss of Volkswagen who quit last week saying he wanted to give the German carmaker a "fresh start" to tackle a scandal over rigged vehicle emissions tests, remains in four key positions involved with the group. The 68-year-old is chief executive of Porsche SE, the family-owned holding company that controls a majority stake in Volkswagen, as well as chairman of VW's flagship luxury brand Audi, trucks division Scania and the group's newly-created Truck & Bus holding. Volkswagen declined comment on Winterkorn's positions within the group, saying it was up to the supervisory boards of the brands in question to take any decision about his future.

Breast Cancer 2015 by the Numbers

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:41:01 +0000

The stats that impact more than 3.1. million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

Traditional Food: Modern Ingredients

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:38:21 +0000

Summer project is a time to travel, meet new people, acquire new cool stuff and learn contemporary science -- doesn't that sound perfect? Study and fun combined together and that's what exactly happened to me when I got selected for a summer project in IIT, Kanpur, one of the most prestigious institutes in India. When I told my seniors that I...

Weight loss, exercise may boost fertility odds for women with PCOS

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:37:30 +0000

By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - Women who suffer from a leading cause of infertility may increase their odds of conception if they exercise and lose weight, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers compared pregnancy outcomes for 150 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that occurs when the female body makes higher than normal amounts of testosterone and androgens, sex hormones associated with male traits. Women with PCOS often experience irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, excess hair on the face and body and infertility.

Short Film, Big Issues -- Up Close With a Social Impact Filmmaker

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:34:02 +0000

The world is increasingly noisy with important information. In the wake of the new Sustainable Development Goals and as the world looks to new ways to tackle major collective challenges, I examine the role of film in engaging and inspiring populations. In this post, I interview Kim Nguyen - an Australian film maker and social worker about his...

Former peanut plant managers get prison time in salmonella outbreak

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:31:17 +0000

Two former peanut plant managers who testified against their boss in one of the largest food poisoning cases in the United States received prison sentences in Georgia on Thursday for their own roles in the deadly salmonella outbreak. Samuel Lightsey and Daniel Kilgore were sentenced in Albany to three years and six years in prison, respectively, in an outbreak that killed nine people and sickened more than 700 who consumed salmonella-tainted peanut butter that originated from the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia. The former managers are credited with helping to convict the defunct peanut company's owner, Stewart Parnell, who last week was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Antibody Predicts Lung Disease in Myositis (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:30:29 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Risk was highest for rapidly progressing ILD among anti-MDA5-positive patients

Washington, D.C. Cat Cafe Trials New 'Cat Yoga' Concept

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:29:33 +0000

Crumbs and Whiskers cat cafe in Washington, D.C. hosts its first "cat yoga" trial class on Sept. 22, 2015.

U.S. to issue tighter smog standards: sources

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:04:15 +0000

The Obama administration on Thursday will tighten national smog controls but not limit the pollution as much as health advocates want, according to two sources familiar with the plan. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will limit ground-level ozone, the main component of smog, to 70 parts per billion (ppb), tightening from the current level of 75 ppb set under former President George W. Bush in 2008. The EPA had said it was considering a range of 65 to 70 ppb.

Russian Drugs Pass as Supplements in U.S. (CME/CE)

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:00:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Two pharmaceutical-grade drugs are being marketed as brain-boosting supplements

FDA approves costly Bristol-Myers drug combo for melanoma

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:50:16 +0000

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first combination of two drugs that help the immune system fight cancer, a therapy regimen that could cost $256,000 a year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said the FDA had given the green light to combine its immuno-oncology drugs Opdivo and Yervoy to treat advanced or inoperable melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in patients who do not have a mutation of a gene called BRAF. Merck & Co, for example, is testing its Opdivo rival, Keytruda, in combination with other cancer treatments in at least 10 studies.