Medical Devices
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomes the amendments made to the Health Workforce Australia Bill 2009 this week. The Bill establishes the Health Workforce Authority (HWA) as proposed by the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG). The legislation was passed subject to an amendment, which restricts the HWA from having responsibility for the accreditation of clinical education and training, which includes general practice vocational training.
Efforts by Massachusetts General Hospital to reduce health spending could be indicative of the difficulty the health industry faces in trying to reduce spending growth, the Boston Globe reports. Industry groups last week pledged to seek a 1.5% overall reduction in health care spending over the next 10 years.Massachusetts General"s program, which began in 2006, aims to reduce hospitalizations among the elderly by 15% to 20%, as well as to improve the quality of care the elderly receive. A study looking at 35 efforts to improve elderly care found that only six, including Massachusetts General"s program, saved money or covered their costs, the Globe reports. Massachusetts General"s program relies on nurses in primary care practices to be in regular contact with patients and provide assistance with nonmedical services. The program also uses electronic health records to coordinate care. The hospital spent $8 million to $9 million over the first three years of the program to provide enhanced services to patients. Hospital readmissions fell by 19%, admissions decreased by 17% and ED visits dropped by 15% between 2007 and 2008, according to preliminary research. The program saved enough by reducing hospital admissions and emergency department visits to cover its costs and also to generate savings of $7 million to $10 million. The overall cost for the program was about 5% less than for a group of other patients treated in a more traditional way.According to Harvard University health care economist David Cutler, improving care and reducing costs among the elderly is a necessary component of health reform. He said, "If we can"t do this, it doesn"t bode well for health reform." Eric Weil, a primary care physician and medical director of the program at Massachusetts General, said, "Medicare is looking for any and every way to save money," adding, "This is a population of patients who are sick and will get sicker over time. Any opportunity to demonstrate savings in this group of patients is good, and 5% is very good" (Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, 5/17).
New research, published in The Lancet Oncology, has found that combining human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with routine liquid-based cytology (LBC) screening does not increase the detection of cervical cancer compared with LBC screening alone. The trial funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme aimed to determine whether testing for HPV in the cervix might increase the effectiveness of the cervical screening programme.
A group of doctors in Pittsburgh have developed the Computer Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI) to identify cognitive difficulties easily and reliably. In an article in the March issue of Postgraduate Medicine entitled "Computer Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment," the program creators detail the procedures and the benefits of the new test, which they claim is sensitive enough to notice the smallest amount of forgetfulness. By conducting a controlled study with 524 people >60 years old, they were able to demonstrate the ease and effectiveness of the testing system.
An election date has now been set for July 21 and 22 in the campaign by registered nurses at HCA"s MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas to be represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, the nation"s pre-eminent professional association and union for RNs.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) commended
U.S. Marshals, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, today seized drug products manufactured by Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. (Caraco), at the company"s Michigan facilities in Detroit, Farmington Hills, and Wixom. The seizure also includes ingredients held at these same facilities. "The FDA is committed to taking enforcement action against firms that do not manufacture drugs in accordance with our good manufacturing practice requirements," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA"s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Compliance with these standards prevents harm to the public."
"A bipartisan group of governors told President Obama yesterday that they share his urgent desire to restructure the nation"s health-care system but warned that any changes should not place more burdens on strained state budgets or eliminate innovative programs they already have in place," The Washington Post reports. "With many state budgets burdened by ballooning... Medicaid costs, the five governors who met with Obama at the White House agreed that changes are needed to expand health-care coverage and contain its costs." But they were also "adamant that the restructuring of the health-care system not push new costs on states. "If we"re going to add more population onto the Medicaid rolls, there has to be a way to pay for that," said Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, D-Mich., adding that it is a position Obama supported." Republican governors Jim Douglas of Vermont and Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Democrats Granholm, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Chris Gregoire of Washington, attended the meeting (Fletcher, 6/25).
Staying ahead of the upcoming drive to sell electronic health records to hospitals and physicians may be difficult for smaller vendors, Pharmawire/Financial Times reports. General Electric announced a program last week to provide health care organizations with financing options to purchase health technology through its financial services arm even as it sells electronic records through its health care wing. Other large vendors like Cerner and McKesson will be able to keep up, but smaller producers will be left behind, industry experts said.
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that it will help fight the spread of HIV in Washington D.C., New York City and Oakland, Calif., cities among the 20 areas in the U.S. with the highest rates of HIV and AIDS, the Washington Post reports. The coalition - which includes Pfizer, the National Basketball Association, Facebook, Nike, Nokia and others - said it will offer financial donations to city health departments, marketing expertise to promote prevention and treatment campaigns and appearances by professional basketball players for events, as part of their effort. John Newsome, a spokesperson for the coalition, said, "I think the ability of our corporate partners to help develop really effective messages, help provide res to get the message out, contribute talent, air time and media space" is crucial to HIV/AIDS awareness efforts. The coalition plans to expand the effort to other cities in the future (Fears, Washington Post, 6/25).
The world is slowly losing the fight against hunger in the Horn of Africa, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which renewed its call for emergency food supplies, water and recovery activities to help about 2.5 million food insecure people in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, Xinhua/CRIENGLISH.com reports. The IFRC"s revised emergency appeal seeks $67 million to assist 2.5 million people over five years.
President Barack Obama"s signature on a bill this week to grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over tobacco was historic, and represents a step in the march to eliminate tobacco use in this country by 2047, two national tobacco experts said recently (June 25).
Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center have conducted research into the link between atrial fibrillation, a fairly common heart rhythm disorder, and dementia. The study of more than 37,000 shows that patients with atrial fibrillation were 44% more likely to develop dementia than patients without the disorder.
Providing reliable evidence of viruses in human blood presently requires time- and labor-intensive molecular-biological procedures. Established methods are particularly hard pushed to produce evidence when the viral burden is very low, for example during a phase of therapy. This could soon change. While developing new types of micro-pumps without movable parts, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT came across an unexpected phenomenon: stable turbulence structures formed in the microscale pump channels. The nano- and microparticles actually intended to verify the pump effect accumulated in large quantities in the channels. The vortex patterns completely filled the whole microchannel, creating a virtually 100% trap for the particles that followed the generated flow profile, although there is a very large cross-section to flow through. "The development of flow vortices is nothing unusual on the macroscopic scale. However, in microchannels the flow lines almost run in parallel," explains Richard Stein from the IBMT. "The question, therefore, was, how is it possible for vortices to be formed from this which were sufficiently stable and effective for the concentration of nanoparticles?"
If you have hay fever, headaches or a cold, it"s only a short way to the nearest chemist. The drugs, on the other hand, can take eight to ten years to develop. Until now animal experiments have been an essential step, yet they continue to raise ethical issues. "Our artificial organ systems are aimed at offering an alternative to animal experiments," says Professor Heike Mertsching of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart. "Particularly as humans and animals have different metabolisms. 30 per cent of all side effects come to light in clinical trials." The test system, which Professor Mertsching has developed jointly with Dr. Johanna Schanz, should in future give pharmaceutical companies greater security and shorten the path to new drugs. Both researchers received the "Human-centered Technology" prize for their work.
Contrary to predictions, males of high genetic quality are not very successful when it comes to fertilizing eggs. A new study on seed beetles by Swedish and Danish scientists Goran Arnqvist and Trine Bilde shows that when a female mates with several males, the males of low genetic quality are the most successful in fertilizing eggs. The study is published in this week"s issue of Science.
In a review in Science, a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher sorts out the controversy and promise around a dangerous subtype of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells, which seem capable of resisting many modern treatments.
Although the recorded HIV prevalence in Pakistan is relatively low, health officials are concerned that a concentrated epidemic of the virus among injection drug users could carry over to commercial sex workers and other high risk groups in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports. To address the issue, the National AIDS Control Program and the United Nations Population Fund recently held a meeting, called the National Consultation on HIV and Sex Work, in an effort to improve HIV prevention efforts targeted at sex workers by consulting with workers in the field.Sex workers at the meeting made various recommendations, including HIV testing, referrals and increased efforts to decrease stigma. The Ministry of Health reports that from 2006 to 2007, female sex workers were at a high risk of HIV in 12 cities across Pakistan. A survey of 4,639 female sex workers found that less than 25% reported condom use; 10% had a partner that had used injection drugs during the past six months; and that illiterate sex workers were less likely to use condoms than those with a higher level of education. A female sex worker at the meeting said, "It is very hard for us to convince [partners] to put on a condom, but I feel that a female condom would put us in a position where we can protect ourselves against HIV and sexually transmitted infections." She added that female condoms are not widely available. Legalizing sex work would make it easier for sex workers to protect their rights, another female sex worker at the conference said. She added that often, outreach workers face barriers from police forces. Daniel Baker, UNFPA"s country representative for Pakistan, said that sex workers should have greater involvement in creating and implementing HIV programs. He added, "The female sex workers have to be in there as managers, workers and leaders to benefit in the long run." Safdar Kamal Pasha with UNFPA agreed that the recommendations from sex workers are critical points to address in future programming. "The female sex workers agreed that there should be vocational training and the means for alternative work opportunities for those who want to move out of sex work, as well as those who are past their prime and do not find sustainability in sex work," Pasha said (IRIN/PlusNews, 5/14).
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has teamed with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to launch a far-reaching program to help Latin American and Caribbean nations prepare for the impacts of global warming.
A multi-institutional team of researchers, led by the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, will begin a five-year, $2.9 million National Institutes of Health-funded study. They will examine the lives of patients with both cataracts and Alzheimer"s disease (AD) to document how restored vision improves everyday life for people with dementia.
The Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM), comprised of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cleveland Clinic (CC), University Hospitals (UH), and Athersys, Inc. has received 5 million dollars from Ohio"s Third Frontier Commission under the Research Commercialization Program. The funding will help support new and innovative stem cell technologies including two commercial, four emerging and three pilot projects. This funding will be matched by each of the projects to create a $10 million grant benefiting stem cell and regenerative medicine in Ohio.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"s annual release of state-by-state quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, AHRQ"s 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, or even death. The term poliomyelitis is from the Greek poliÃös meaning "grey", myelÃös referencing the spinal cord, and -itis meaning inflammation.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"s annual release of state-by-state quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, AHRQ"s 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures.
The stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori is not transmitted through drinking water as previously thought, but rather through vomit and possibly faeces. This is shown in a thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is therefore possible to prevent the spread of the bacterium in developing countries through some fairly simple measures.
Social network sites should be designed to meet the needs of 55-65-year-old people. Researchers at Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT found out that many baby-boomers think social network sites like Facebook are unfit to them. This is the reason why so few of them use any social network services on the net.
Combating high blood pressure is a global challenge. But while developed countries have enjoyed reductions in cardiovascular disease over recent decades, Latin America has been less fortunate. In fact new research published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease shows that high blood pressure is on the increase in many Latin American countries, a situation set to worsen unless immediate action is taken.
Eric Goosby, U.S. global AIDS coordinator and administrator of the President"s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said that slowing the spread of HIV among pregnant women is one of his top priorities, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. In an interview with the Chronicle, Goosby said he also plans to focus U.S. global efforts on education and prevention, as well as convincing other nations to increase their involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Although Goosby stressed the importance of indentifying people who could benefit from antiretroviral drugs, he added that "[w]e"re not going to be able to treat ourselves out of the epidemic, and prevention efforts will need to be continued and increased." He continued, "We also need to look for concentration of patients who have a higher probability of HIV infection, such as pregnant women -- getting them tested, getting them on antiretrovirals, which will prevent transmission to the fetus." Goosby estimated that only around 35% of pregnant women who are HIV positive and could benefit from antiretrovirals receive the drugs.Goosby also praised the efforts of PEPFAR, which was established six years ago under former President George W. Bush. However, he said that more work must be done and that the disease is not controlled. Sub-Saharan Africa, where about 23 million people are living with HIV, "is clearly the epicenter on the planet of this epidemic," Goosby said. He also noted that HIV/AIDS has begun to spread more rapidly among certain populations in Russia, Ukraine, China and Southeast Asia (Doyle, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24).
USAID announced on Thursday a $1 million commitment to a Red Cross project aimed at helping those "living along southern Africa"s Zambezi River cope with worsening natural disasters because of climate change," the AP/Washington Post reports.
In malaria-endemic areas, vitamin A supplements - which cost about 2 U.S. cents each - can help reduce infections in children by one-third, according to a study published in the Malaria Journal, IRIN reports. The study analyzed results from previous studies conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Papua New Guinea since 1995. It found that vitamin A supplements decreased malaria cases by one-third in Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso.
The Miami-Dade County Department of Health on Thursday launched a campaign called "Test Miami,"" which is designed to educate physicians, at-risk communities and pregnant women on the importance of routine HIV testing, the Miami Herald reports. ""A major emphasis of the campaign is to train and educate physicians, particularly in hospitals and other medical facilities,"" Evelyn Ullah, director of the Office of HIV and AIDS in Miami, said. As part of the campaign, over the next year, four area physicians will appear in advertisements and speak at forums to encourage medical providers to offer routine HIV testing. Florida is one of the states hardest hit by HIV/AIDS (Montes-Delgado, Miami Herald, 6/26). Separately, nonprofit groups and public health departments in Southwest Florida are offering free HIV testing as part of National HIV Testing Day (Freeman, Naples Daily News, 6/25).
"It"s getting harder to convince people of the urgency, that knowing your HIV status is better than not knowing, that this is still a serious problem," columnist Wendi Thomas writes in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She writes that some people "assume being HIV positive is no big deal" because former National Basketball Association player Earvin "Magic" Johnson has lived with HIV since 1991 and appears to be healthy. "But if you are HIV positive and delay finding out, the virus could progress" to a point where it becomes "much more difficult to treat," Thomas adds (Thomas, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6/25). Philadelphia Inquirer columnist George Curry today discussed HIV statistics and findings from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey that looked at U.S. residents" views on HIV/AIDS. He said, "It"s time to refocus our attention on HIV and AIDS. And a good way to do that is by getting tested tomorrow" on National HIV Testing Day (Curry, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/26).
The Kaiser Family Foundation, ahead of National HIV Testing Day on Saturday, has released new and updated informational res on HIV testing in the U.S., including a fact sheet that provides HIV testing statistics, policies and CDC recommendations. In addition, the Foundation released two survey briefs, which examine the public"s attitudes, experiences and knowledge related to HIV testing, one of which focuses on black residents. The briefs are based on the 2009 Survey of Americans on HIV/AIDS released this spring. Information regarding HIV testing by state also is available through statehealthfacts.org (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 6/24).
No time to keep abreast of the most important osteoporosis-related research? Progress in Osteoporosis, the free online journal published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) on http://www.iofbonehealth.org/pio provides concise summaries of new research published in the preceding three to four months. The journal is edited by leading osteoporosis researcher and author, Professor Ego Seeman of the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Staphylococcus epidermidis is quite an opportunist. Commonly found on human skin, the bacteria pose little danger. But S. epidermidis is a leading cause of infections in hospitals. From catheters to prosthetics, the bacteria are known to hitch a ride on a range of medical devices implanted into patients.
Researchers have found that the anti-malarial drug quinine can block a cell"s ability to take up the essential amino acid tryptophan, a discovery that may explain many of the adverse side-effects associated with quinine. Once confirmed, these findings would suggest that dietary tryptophan supplements could be a simple and inexpensive way to improve the performance of this important drug.
Respironics announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 4,992 infant apnea monitors. This recall of the SmartMonitor®2 models 4002 and 4003 is being conducted due to the possibility of an audible alarm failure. Caregivers or parents who are using a SmartMonitor 2 Infant Apnea Monitor for their infant, should contact their homecare provider immediately to determine if their device is affected. However, they should continue using the apnea monitor until it is replaced, unless directed otherwise by a physician.
Alcohol"s inebriating effects are familiar to everyone. But the molecular details of alcohol"s impact on brain activity remain a mystery. A new study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies brings us closer to understanding how alcohol alters the way brain cells work.
Transferring heart attack patients to specialized hospitals to undergo angioplasty within six hours after receiving clot-busting drugs reduces the risk of life-threatening complications, according to a Canadian-led study published today. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that routine early transfer of patients after clot-busting drugs are administered results in significantly better outcomes than the current practice of transferring patients only when the clot-busting drugs fail.
Doctors will have greater clarity around releasing a patient"s full medical notes to insurance companies after the Privacy Commissioner concluded that the law allows insurers to collect only the information that they need to make insurance decisions.
Over the last five days, the Middlesex-London Health Unit has received reports of three children with E. coli O157:H7. To receive three laboratory confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 in such a short timeframe is unusual. In two of these cases, the common food consumed was kofta (spiced ground beef) purchased on June 14 and 15 from the Westmount Halal Food Store located at 490 Wonderland Road South. The of the third child"s infection is currently unknown. This child"s family also eats halal food but did not purchase any food from the Westmount Halal Food Store.
The American Lung Association calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen the national ambient air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). EPA is expected to release its proposal to revise this public health standard that has remained unchanged since 1971.
Diabetes UK is asking you to donate your unwanted or broken jewellery and accessories to our jewellery appeal.
Diabetes UK has just reached the 1,000 follower mark on Twitter, the social networking and micro-blogging site that allows its users to send and receive each other"s updates, or "tweets".
The number of local health services implementing NICE"s fertility guideline and offering three cycles of IVF treatment to couples who are unable to conceive naturally has increased significantly in the past year, according to a new survey published by the Department of Health. According to these new figures, more than a quarter of primary care trusts now offer the full number of cycles recommended by NICE- this figure is up from five per cent in 2007.
Experimental devices that read brain signals have helped paralyzed people use computers and may let amputees control bionic limbs. But existing devices use tiny electrodes that poke into the brain. Now, a University of Utah study shows that brain signals controlling arm movements can be detected accurately using new microelectrodes that sit on the brain but don"t penetrate it.
Physio-Control Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced today that LUCAS™ 2, the next-generation LUCAS™ Chest Compression System, has been granted 510(k) market clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Developed and manufactured by Jolife AB and distributed exclusively in the United States by Physio-Control, the LUCAS 2 is an automated, battery-powered device that is designed to give consistent, uninterrupted compressions to victims in cardiac arrest.
UNISON and UNITE are calling on North Somerset Council to put a stop to plans to privatise transport services, warning that outsourcing could put vulnerable young children at risk.
The two leading bodies representing GPs in the UK have backed a call by the Wellcome Trust for clearer guidance for GPs to ensure medical records can be safely used in research.
A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology refers. The research team lead by Dr. Gabriela Beatriz Acosta, observed that the activity of GS was increased in the hippocampus in PH rats. There was a significant decrease in glutamate uptake in both brain areas, which was more marked in the hippocampus. The decrease in glutamate uptake might be caused by deficient transport function and persistent glutamate activity, which is not metabolized. This leads to severe damage in the cells of the central nervous system (CNS), associated with the presence of moderate ammonia concentration in the blood, as observed in this model. These results demonstrated that partial stricture of the portal vein is able to modify normal function in important areas of the rat brain.
MedImmune continues to advance its commitment to pediatric research with today"s announcement of the first observational prospective study designed to assess the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among preterm infants 32-to-35 weeks gestational age (GA) in outpatient settings during their first year of life.
On June 26, 2009 several articles published online in Diabetologia by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes investigated the possible relationship between use of insulin glargine (Lantus, sanofi-aventis) and the development of certain malignancies. The authors themselves, and the accompanying editorial, cautioned against over-interpretation of their limited data and analyses, which precluded them from drawing any firm conclusions. For example, there were contradictory findings among the studies, patient populations were not always comparable, and the duration of observation was short. Nonetheless, since the relationship of type 2 diabetes to cancer is of critical importance, further study is warranted.
In a leading medical journal this week US researchers describe the 90-year history of swine flu and warn about working with "freezer" viruses,
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, diagnosed in more than 50,000 new patients in the United States annually. While the rate of incidences continues to rise, survival rate has not improved and the race is on to find the genetic and cellular changes driving melanoma and to devise new means of detection and treatment. In a study published online in Genome Research, scientists have mapped chemical modifications of DNA in the melanoma genome, finding new markers that will help develop more effective treatment strategies to fight this disease.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) announced completion of enrollment in the TTOP-AF (Tailored Treatment of Permanent Atrial Fibrillation) clinical trial. The study is evaluating the use of the latest radiofrequency (RF) ablation technology, the Medtronic Ablation Frontiers Cardiac Ablation System, for the treatment of continuous atrial fibrillation (AF). A leading advancement from currently available RF ablation tools, the system is comprised of a RF generator (or energy ) and three anatomically shaped mapping and ablation catheters that target three areas of the heart for AF treatment. The system is approved for use in Europe and is under investigational use in the United States.
A federal judge will hear oral arguments on July 17 regarding a lawsuit challenging a South Dakota law that requires doctors to tell women seeking abortions that the procedure will end a human life, the AP/Sioux City Journal reports. Planned Parenthood, which operates the state"s only abortion clinic, appealed the law after it was passed in 2005. U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier temporarily prevented the law from going into effect, but the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July 2008 overruled that order, and the state began enforcing the law. According to the AP/Journal, Schreier will decide during the hearing whether to grant motions for summary judgment and will consider Planned Parenthood"s request to stop the state from imposing sanctions over the law"s requirements (AP/Sioux City Journal, 6/26).
Federally mandated health insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization for women of childbearing age "could lower the extraordinary health care costs associated with the birth of triplets or more" and "even the reproductive odds, giving the middle-class and lower-income Americans access to treatment that is currently reserved for the well-off or the unusually well insured," according to a Washington Post opinion piece by Liza Mundy, a writer for the Post magazine and author of "Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction Is Changing Men, Women and the World." About one in eight U.S. couples experience infertility, defined as the inability to conceive within one year or to bring a pregnancy to term, Mundy writes. Infertility is about equally common among both sexes, though it is "possibly more common among the poor than among the rich, for the simple reason that the less money you have, the less likely you are to have had access to health care that could prevent serious consequences from relatively minor infections," according to Mundy. She adds that a low income does not prevent people from seeking infertility treatments -- "it just means that the treatment you get is more likely to saddle you with high-order multiples, whose care you are least likely to be able to afford."Mundy cites Jon and Kate Gosselin, the couple from TLC"s reality television show "Jon and Kate Plus 8," as an example of such a "scenario." According to Mundy, the Gosselins "were hardly affluent" and lived in Pennsylvania, "which like most states does not require insurers to cover IVF," when they sought infertility treatments. The Gosselins conceived a set of twins and, later, a set of sextuplets through intrauterine insemination, though the couple has said they had sought to have a singleton with the second pregnancy. The "good thing" about IUI is that it is "relatively cheap, a couple thousand dollars compared to the more than $10,000 average cost for a single round of IVF," Mundy writes. However, the "bad thing is that it"s notoriously hard to control how many eggs will be fertilized" compared with IVF, she continues. IUI carries a higher risk for ""unpreventable high-order multiple births,"" Mundy writes, citing a recent study on the procedure. In addition, infants "born as multiples are far more likely to be premature, the health risks to infants and mother are much greater, and the toll on parents for triplets or more -- "severe physical and psychological exhaustion" as one study put it -- is immense," Mundy states. Mundy writes that a recent study in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that it "often makes sense to bypass IUI/injections and go straight to IVF." The study found that couples who were "fast tracked" to IVF "got pregnant more quickly, and the overall price tag for both treatment and delivery was thousands of dollars lower in the IVF-only group," according to Mundy. The study also noted that IVF success rates have significantly improved over the past two decades, meaning that the procedure has become more effective than IUI. Mundy acknowledges that the "price tag for health care reform is already higher than anybody expected, so it"s probably unreasonable to think that it could include better insurance coverage for the millions of Americans who suffer from infertility." However, health insurance coverage for IVF "is hardly the big-ticket item you might think," she continues. A 2002 study on Massachusetts" mandated coverage found that "the rise in the annual premiums is really a matter of just a few dollars," Mundy writes. "Yet replicating Massachusetts around the country is a tall order because of the persistent public view that infertility is somehow not a legitimate disease, or that infertility patients are to blame for their plight," she says. Advocates for mandated IVF coverage "should work to make the long-term benefits clear: fewer high-order multiples, healthier children, less exhausted parents," according to Mundy. She concludes, "If sweeping health care refor
Reuters reports that "President Barack Obama"s drive to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system may be back on track thanks to Senate efforts to cut the price tag to $1 trillion, but a bipartisan deal on the sweeping proposal still is far from certain ... Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus was upbeat last week after announcing that panel members had found ways to bring the price tag to about $1 trillion over 10 years, down from an earlier estimate of a staggering $1.6 trillion ... Instead, the core group of negotiators -- three Democrats and four Republicans -- issued a tepid statement on Thursday merely affirming their commitment to continue negotiations."
Roll Call reports that "several major industry stakeholders" will be "noticeably absent from the advertising airwaves over the July Fourth recess. Though they will continue to keep in touch with Members through meetings and grass roots, AARP, the American Medical Association, America"s Health Insurance Plans, the Federation of American Hospitals and AdvaMed all say they are sitting out this recess when it comes to advertising campaigns." Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and White House aides have "warned that any groups that run ads attacking reform efforts before the bills have been crafted would lose their seats at the bargaining table," but the "advocacy ad floodgates" may "open shortly." Until then, "groups are working in a lower-profile way to get their messages across to Members," such as planning in-district meetings with Members and activating grassroots networks.
Some homeless teenagers in Colorado are getting dental work done for free as part of the economic stimulus that has expanded service to more poor and uninsured, The Associated Press reports.
A new report finds that "a growing global trade in black market cigarettes is killing tens of thousands of people a year, causing massive health problems and costing governments billions of pounds," the Guardian reports.
The Retail Advisory Board (RAB) of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) met yesterday during the 2009 NACDS Marketplace Conference to discuss social networking opportunities within their businesses.
Each Fourth of July, thousands of people are injured from using consumer fireworks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 9,000 fireworks-related injuries happen each year. Of these, nearly half are head-related injuries with nearly 30 percent of these injuries to the eyes. One-fourth of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision loss or blindness.
At the annual meeting of the American Optometric Association (AOA), members voted Friday 1,126 to 887 in favor of establishing the American Board of Optometry (ABO) as the entity to develop and implement the framework for board certification and maintenance of certification.
Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that an ingredient in human breast milk protects and repairs the delicate intestines of newborn babies.
Please help us protect people with neuromuscular diseases from the potentially harmful impact of the recently released House Tri-Committee healthcare reform proposal. The package eliminates the first month purchase option for all power wheelchairs.
Recommendations for how the HHS Office of the Secretary will spend $400 million in funds for patient-centered research, also known as comparative effectiveness research, were released by Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER). The report, mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is designed to help the HHS Secretary and lawmakers improve the quality of care for patients, and provide patients and doctors the best information possible to make decisions about health care.
XCounter AB (publ) (AIM:XCT), a technology leader in the development of tomosynthesis-based 3D medical imaging, announced positive initial results from the first clinical evaluation of its innovative breast screening device XC Mammo - 3T. The device is the world"s first dedicated 3D digital mammography system for the detection of breast cancer, the most common form of cancer found in women.
The first microsatellite-based genetic linkage map has been published for Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke that is known to infect over 90 million people in Africa, the Middle East and the New World. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Genome Biology hope the map will stimulate research and open doors to new advances in combating this neglected human pathogen.
New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine finds that aerobic activity may keep the brain young.
A Kansas State University researcher is studying the potential health benefits of a specially bred purple sweet potato because its dominant purple color results in an increased amount of anti-cancer components.
Scientists have discovered gene expression differences that could lead to better ways to classify, predict outcome, and treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Eventually such findings could enable doctors to target more aggressive treatment to children at risk of more severe arthritis, while those likely to have milder disease could be spared the stronger treatments that carry a greater risk of side effects. The researchers were supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Improved communication among patients and primary care physicians increases the chances those due for colorectal cancer screening will follow their doctors" advice and complete the procedure, a University at Buffalo study has found.
Doctors have warned that the NHS is not prepared for the introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) limit on working hours in August this year. Although figures published today show that 99.8% of doctors in training do not exceed the maximum average of 56 contracted hours per week, data from the end of May showed that 38% of posts were still not compliant with the 48 hour working week. In light of these figures, BMA Scotland is concerned that, with just over one month to go, the implementation of a 48 hour week will see a massive rise in the number of junior doctors working in non-compliant posts.
New data from an economic analysis presented today at this year"s European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) congress showed that, within the parameters of the simulation model used, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment MENOPUR (highly-purified human menopausal gonatropin or HP-hMG) offered considerable cost-savings over recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH).1 The cost-effectiveness of HP-hMG compared with rFSH suggested by this data could make it a more attractive choice for use in infertility treatment within a fixed healthcare budget.
K2M, Inc., a spinal device company developing innovative solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies, today announced the launch of the CASPIAN™ Spinal System. CASPIAN is an all-inclusive system for rigid posterior fixation addressing the high surgeon demand for treatment of complex cervico-thoracic spinal conditions.
Enigma Diagnostics Limited, the decentralised and point-of-care molecular diagnostics company, announced successful independent testing for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to evaluate the performance of the Enigma FL (Field Laboratory).
Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. presented the results of a secondary analysis to determine the response rates to three doses of transdermal Divigel(R) (estradiol gel) 0.1 percent at the recent 57th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in Chicago. The objectives of this secondary analysis of a phase III efficacy trial were to determine the percent of postmenopausal women who achieved a greater than 50 percent reduction in the frequency of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (MSVMS), or hot flashes, and to assess the change from baseline in a quality of life (Kupperman) index score that evaluated various menopausal symptoms. Divigel(R) doses studied included 1.0 mg, 0.5 mg and 0.25 mg of estradiol/day - the lowest effective approved dose of estradiol available for the treatment of MSVMS. The analysis showed a significantly greater percentage of women in all treatment groups versus placebo experienced > / = 50 percent reduction in the frequency of MSVMS at week 12. In the Divigel(R) 1.0 mg estradiol/day dosing group, 90 percent of women reported at least a 50 percent reduction in the frequency of MSVMS. Additionally, at 12 weeks, each of the doses of Divigel(R) significantly reduced the severity of menopausal symptoms identified by a quality of life index score compared to placebo.
Calixa Therapeutics Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of CXA-101 in patients with complicated urinary tract infections. CXA-101 is a new broad-spectrum, parenteral cephalosporin antibiotic with excellent in vitro and in vivo activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including drug resistant isolates. Calixa is investigating CXA-101 as a potential treatment for serious bacterial infections in hospitalized patients.
Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) released its updated 2009 Facts About Lung Cancer illustrating again the devastating toll caused by lung cancer. LCA last released its Fact Sheet in 2008.
Children and young adults love the thrill of skateboarding. They learn to master their skills of "riding the rail" and "catching air." But according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), such tricks, while fun, can be physically demanding and cause serious foot and ankle injuries.
Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects more than eight million Americans, with significant risks of limb loss, disability and death. Treatment of lower extremity PAD focuses on restoring normal blood supply to the affected limb. Traditional treatment, such as surgical bypass, is effective but invasive. In recent years, many patients have been treated with newer endovascular interventions, using catheter-based devices to reopen peripheral arteries in a less-invasive fashion. According to past research, it is unclear if these newer treatments are as effective as conventional surgical bypass in preventing amputation.
Physiological changes associated with the metabolic syndrome may play a role in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to study results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The UK"s leading dementia charities united with eminent scientists to urge the government to commit to a national dementia research strategy and triple annual investment to ÷£96 million in five years.
NPR interviewed Robert Reich, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, on the steps President Barack Obama needs to take to successfully reform health care. Recently, Reich sent Obama a memo "outlining six things the president must to do save universal health care." Reich told NPR that "health care is stalling in the Senate," and Obama must "fire people up" and "be tough" to counter the medical industry, which has "some of the most formidable lobbies in the country." Reich said that Obama is only going to succeed if he "counts noses, cajoles, twists arms, threatens - and I think he does have it in him." He adds that while "bipartisanship is a noble aspiration," "we"re getting to the point where the president has got to say if I do not get your votes on this, Republicans, I"m going to go through reconciliation. I"m going to do it without you" (Martin, 6/29).
The British Medical Journal examines the outcome of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, last week. More than 200 international health experts came together to discuss finding therapies for such diseases as visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and sleeping sickness. "Current treatments are often toxic, prohibitively expensive, or difficult to administer in countries with limited res," and "[d]rug companies have little incentive to develop treatments for neglected diseases that mainly affect poor people," the journal writes.
A recent study carried out by the Health Protection Agency and LACORS (Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services) has revealed the presence of Salmonella and E. coli bacteria in a small number of samples of ready-to-eat shelled nuts.
Since being declared a pandemic earlier this month, swine flu has continued to cause concern for many people across the world, not least those in high risk groups such as people with diabetes.
Neural stem cells represent the cellular backup of our brain. These cells are capable of self-renewal to form new stem cells or differentiate into neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. Astrocytes have supportive functions in the environment of neurons, while oligodendrocytes form the myelin layer around axons in order to accelerate neuronal signal transmission. But how does a neural stem cell "know" which way it is supposed to develop? On the molecular level receptors of the Notch family play a significant role in this process. So far, only stimulating extracellular ligands of Notch receptors had been described. Biochemists of Goethe University Medical School now describe a long time assumed but not yet identified soluble Notch inhibitor.
Experts are predicting record-breaking temperatures this week, so it"s important to take precautions to ensure that your diabetes remains well-controlled in this extreme weather.
Transcriptomic tests have uncovered the protein composition of venom from the Scorpiops jendeki scorpion. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics have carried out the first ever venom analysis in this arachnid, and discovered nine novel poison molecules, never before seen in any scorpion species.
A front portion of the brain that handles tasks like decision-making also helps decipher different phonetic sounds, according to new Brown University research.
MUSCLE BIOLOGY: Not strong enough: the protein OPN promotes muscle degeneration
Tuberculosis (TB) is a difficult infection to treat and requires six months of multiple antibiotics to cure it. To combat the TB pandemic, a shorter and simpler drug treatment would be a huge advance since most TB occurs in re-limited settings with poor public health infrastructures.
The misleading "health" halo surrounding highly-publicized marketing campaigns regarding sweetener reformulations is starting to dim.
It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why.
A novel vaccine strategy using virus-like particles (VLPs) could provide stronger and longer-lasting influenza vaccines with a significantly shorter development and production time than current ones, allowing public health authorities to react more quickly in the event of a potential pandemic.
Treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents is recognized as a risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn"s disease, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. Most TB cases develop as a result of reactivation of a latent TB infection, and health authorities worldwide recommend screening for latent TB and treating patients before initiating anti-TNF treatment. A new study examined cases of TB associated with anti-TNF therapy and found that the risk of TB is higher for patients receiving anti-TNF monoclonal antibody therapy (infliximab or adalimumab) than for those receiving soluble TNF receptor therapy (etanercept). The study is published in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
A just published Review in the publication "Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs", Volume 18, Issue 7 2009, confirms the previous published information on PROSTVAC(TM). This is the most comprehensive and updated Review on PROSTVAC(TM) so far.
A clinical trial is being launched in three African countries of a drug that could eliminate onchocerciasis, or river blindness, one of the leading infectious causes of blindness across Africa. The drug, moxidectin, is being investigated for its potential to kill or sterilize the adult worms of Onchocerca volvulus, which cause onchocerciasis.
Many low-income women are failing to take the hormonal therapy prescribed as part of their breast cancer treatment, possibly lowering their survival rates, according to a study led by a researcher in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released today by the Trust for America"s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). In addition, the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
A new study of obese adolescents has shown that laparoscopic gastric banding surgery -- the "Lap-Band" procedure -- not only helps them achieve significant weight loss but can also improve and even reverse metabolic syndrome, reducing their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Survivors of childhood cancer run particular risks when pregnant and should be closely monitored, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Wednesday 1 July). Dr. Sharon Lie Fong, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, said that, although such women may have conceived spontaneously and considered themselves to be perfectly healthy, their deliveries should always take place in a hospital.
Saying that the savings from chronic disease prevention and treatment "can fill the funding gap for health care reform," the New Jersey Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) was joined by key state business leaders in urging federal lawmakers to "take the savings and run" with a health care reform bill that works for all Americans.
One of the most controversial issues in men"s health is whether men should routinely have a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer. Some experts argue that PSA testing saves lives by helping detect this common form of cancer early. Others say it triggers unnecessary treatment that disrupts many more lives than it saves. The results of two studies released this spring focused the debate, but scientists are still a long way from concluding the discussion, reports the July 2009 issue of Harvard Men"s Health Watch.
AstraZeneca announced that it has received a licence by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for its oral targeted anti-cancer drug, gefitinib, for EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase) activating mutation positive patients with Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for 80% of all lung cancer cases. [1] The licence means that for the first time, thousands [2] of patients undergoing first line treatment of NSCLC in the UK may benefit from a more effective, [3] oral alternative to doublet chemotherapy (UK standard of care) without many of the side effects associated with chemotherapy. [3]
Medarex, Inc. (NASDAQ:MEDX) announced it will receive a milestone payment of an undisclosed amount from Novartis Pharma AG (Novartis), in connection with the marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to market Ilaris® (canakinumab, previously known as ACZ885) for the treatment of children as young as four years old and adults with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, or CAPS, a serious life-long auto-inflammatory disease caused by rare genetic mutations.
The pharmaceutical company Roche on Wednesday announced a program to help ensure developing countries have access to its antiviral Tamiflu, for "the management of a novel influenza strain defined by the WHO as having significant and current pandemic potential," Reuters reports (Egenter, 7/1). The program will make Tamiflu, which has been shown to be effective against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, available to developing countries for "half the price normally charged," Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal reports (Mengewein, 7/1).
Mental health charity Mind has announced that Times journalist Sathnam Sanghera has won this year"s Mind Book of the Year Award for "The Boy with the Topknot: a memoir of love, secrets and lies in Wolverhampton" (1). The memoir is about growing up in Wolverhampton and retrospectively discovering at the age of 24 that both his father and sister had schizophrenia.
Two doctors with over 30 years of experience spoke with National Public Radio about how medicine has changed over their careers, and what they expect to see come out of the current health reform debate.
Health care is increasingly expensive, including for the insured, and many insurance plans offer only limited benefits and a false sense of security.
Community pharmacies are urged to register to participate in Phase 2 of the Dose Administration Aids
"Cuts to Medicaid benefits for hundreds of developmentally disabled people in Colorado take effect today, a move that will be devastating, caretakers and advocates say," The Gazette reports. "Annual payments for services such as transportation and work programs are being cut by at least half for about 700 Coloradans with developmental disabilities ... Others will lose a lesser percentage, but some stand to gain financial assistance, said Timothy Hall, deputy executive director for veterans and disability services for the Colorado Department of Human Services."
Comparative-Effectiveness Research - Implications of the Federal Coordinating Council"s Report The New England Journal Of Medicine
A diverse international network has proposed to significantly increase the
More than fifty institutions from eighteen African countries - from Senegal to Sudan to South Africa - are to participate in international consortia under a ÷£30 million initiative from the Wellcome Trust to strengthen research capacity on the continent.
Mental Health America announced the establishment of a Regional Policy Council made up of 10 affiliate policy leaders from around the country to strengthen its state advocacy work.
Being overweight or obese is a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors; however, in patients with established CVD, obesity appears to play a protective role. In fact, data suggest obese patients with heart disease do better and tend to live longer than leaner patients with the same severity of disease, according to a review article published in the May 26, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Pfizer Australia announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the local distribution rights for THELIN® (Sitaxentan sodium), an oral, once-daily highly selective endothelin receptor antagonist, indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with NYHA/WHO Functional Class III symptoms to improve exercise ability. Efficacy has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and in pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease1.
Pfizer Inc announced that it has updated the U.S. product labeling for CHANTIX® (varenicline), a prescription aid to smoking cessation treatment, to communicate important safety information in a boxed warning as well as in revised warnings and precautions. These updates are based on post-marketing reports and are being made in agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer is making this information available immediately to U.S. health care providers and patients through multiple communication channels, including letters to doctors and pharmacists, Web site updates, and the CHANTIX patient Medication Guide.
Occupational therapist, Ms Hannah McIlhinney has been suspended from the
For years, genes have been considered the one and only way biological traits could be passed down through generations of organisms.
Doctors attending the BMA"s annual conference in Liverpool have today (Thursday 2 July 2009) backed calls to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol. Proposing a motion which also included calls for clearer labelling and a total ban on alcohol advertising, Dr Chandra Mohan from Barking, Havering and Brentwood, said:
Scientists at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency"s (CFIA) National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) have mapped the full genetic sequence of the virus found in swine from Alberta-a development that will help scientists around the world better understand the virus and its affects on animals.
HIV-infected infants risk contracting a deadly form of tuberculosis from the bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, instead of receiving protection against the disease, according to research published today in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP identified a distinct ECG-derived spectrographic phenotype, designated as narrow-band elevated low frequency coupling (e-LFCNB), that is associated with prevalent hypertension, stroke, greater severity of sleep disordered breathing and sleep fragmentation in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology.
A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP demonstrates that levels of inflammatory markers varied significantly with self-reported sleep duration in women but not men.
-- 30 confirmed cases in Wales, with 4 new cases:
As many as five to ten million males in the U.S. struggle quietly with an eating disorder because they"re ashamed to admit they have the illness, reports Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders. Healthcare professionals, family members and close friends often are unaware of the high-risk behaviors in males that may signify an eating disorder. Therefore, effective intervention is often not available to the male population.
-- 34 confirmed cases in Wales, with 4 new cases:
A lack of emotional intelligence leads to poor coping strategies and seriously increases the likelihood of self-harm in teenagers, claims a study published yesterday, in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) advises consumers to take acetaminophen products as recommended on the labeling and seek guidance from pharmacists or other healthcare providers on evaluating medication options. This recommendation comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened a public advisory committee meeting on June 29 and June 30, 2009 regarding acetaminophen use in both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) products, the potential for liver injury, and potential interventions to reduce the incidence of liver injury.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"s (ONC) request for feedback on determining criteria for the term "meaningful use" of electronic records (EHRs), prepared by ONC"s HIT Policy Committee.
The following summarizes news coverage of state abortion statistics in Minnesota and Wisconsin.~ Minnesota: The number of abortions performed in Minnesota decreased for the second consecutive year in 2008, according to an annual report from the state Department of Health, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Except for a one-time increase in 2006, the number of abortions in Minnesota has trended downward since a peak in 1980, when 19,028 procedures were performed. The new report found that 12,948 abortions were performed in the state in 2008, a decrease of 895 from 2007. Women ages 20 to 24 accounted for about one-third of the procedures, the most among any age group. The number of procedures among teenagers continued a decline that began in the 1990s but had leveled off slightly earlier this decade, the report found. The report also found that less than one-third of women reported using contraception and about one in seven was married at the time of conception (Von Sternberg, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 7/1).~ Wisconsin: Wisconsin abortion providers performed 8,229 procedures in 2008, the lowest number since the state began collecting statistics in 1974, according to an annual report by the state Department of Health Services, the AP/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. The number of abortions has declined annually since 2003, when 10,557 procedures were performed. State law requires abortion providers to provide DHS with the data. According to the report, slightly more than half of abortions took place in the first eight weeks of pregnancy. Women who had never been married accounted for about three-fourths of all procedures. The report found that 12% of abortions occurred among women ages 35 and older; 34% were among women ages 20 to 24; 11% were among women ages 18 and 19; and 6% were among girls ages 15 to 17. The number of abortions among minors decreased from 551 in 2007 to 500 in 2008, with parents providing consent in 452 of those cases (Richmond, AP/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 6/30).