Healthcare News

FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for High Blood Pressure The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Tekturna (aliskiren) tablets for the treatment of high blood pressure, or hypertension, which affects an estimated 25 percent of Americans and causes increased risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, heart failure and death. [3-7-2007]

Study Confirms That Significant Insulin Dose Errors Can Result When Blood Glucose Meters are Miscoded When persons with diabetes use miscoded blood glucose meters to determine how much insulin to take, significant errors in insulin dose can result that may potentially lead to short- and long-term health complications. [3-2-2007]

HRSA Awards Lutheran Family Health Centers $2 Million for HIV/AIDS Oral Health Initiative The Lutheran Family Health Centers network has received a special grant for $2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA) to support groundbreaking oral health care initiatives for people living with HIV/AIDS. [3-2-2007]

New York Methodist Hospital Hosts Diabetes Awareness Day New York Methodist Hospital will host a Diabetes Awareness Day, the free event will feature blood pressure and foot screenings, and dental counseling. [3-1-2007]

FDA Proposes to Strengthen Label Warning for Xolair The boxed warning emphasizes that Xolair, used to treat patients with asthma related to allergies, may cause anaphylaxis. [2-21-2007]

Common Cold Virus May Send Some Young Children to the Hospital New evidence supports the link between a cause of the common cold and more severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis. [2-21-2007]

New Research May Overturn Conventional Wisdom on Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis A newly released study suggests that the majority of cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) among patients undergoing treatment for the disease may be due to new infections, not acquired resistance. If confirmed in future studies the research, in the March 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, may drive a major shift in strategy for controlling TB. [2-20-2007]

Study Finds Deadly Bacteria Found on Common Hospital Equipment A recent study commissioned by EquipSystems found dangerous levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, yeasts and fungi on high-traffic hospital equipment. Most items were not standardly disinfected because they were not considered critical care equipment. [2-18-2007]

New York Methodist Hospital: Sensitive to Pain Blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature have long been considered the basic vital signs to check for good health. Within the last decade, a new and equally important vital sign was added. By Allison Langeler [2-14-2007]

Health Department Launches the Nation's First Official City Condom The NYC Condom is the same high-quality LifeStyles product the Health Department now distributes through health centers and community organizations. The price hasn't changed – it's still free – but the package has a bold new look. [2-14-2007]

More Than 100,000 New Yorkers Face Complications Due to Out-of-Control Diabetes Unprecedented Door-to-Door Survey Finds That One Third of New Yorkers with Diabetes Do Not Know They Have the Disease [2-9-2007]

Common Parasitic Infection Leads to Increased Risk for HIV Infection A new study shows a significantly increased risk of HIV infection among women with a common sexually transmitted disease, trichomoniasis. Although studies have been undertaken in the past to show the link between sexually transmitted infections and susceptibility to HIV, the study published in the March 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, is one of the first to demonstrate a statistically significant association between trichomoniasis and HIV infection. [1-25-2007]

Could Home Telehealth Make Nursing Homes Obsolete for Baby Boomers? Telephone, internet and videoconferencing technologies that Baby Boomers used throughout their careers are now being applied to the health care industry in a way that could potentially revolutionize the future of their own long term care services, saving them both time and money while preserving their independence. [1-24-2007]

Disposable Wipes Receive EPA Approval As Virucidal Against Hepatitis C Virus Healthcare professionals can now count on Sani-Cloth Plus and Super Sani-Cloth Germicidal Disposable Wipes to kill Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as well as disinfecting, cleaning, and deodorizing hard, non-porous surfaces in healthcare settings. [1-19-2007]

Winthrop-University Hospital Holds First Annual Women’s Heart Health Symposium The evening will focus on the importance of women taking time out for themselves and will feature practical information about stress reduction, including how the arts can positively impact their health. [1-12-2007]

Infant Deaths Associated with Cough and Cold Medications To identify additional cases, CDC examined media and medical-journal reports of infant deaths suspected to be linked to cough and cold medications during 2005. A total of 15 local medical examiners in 12 U.S. states and Canada responded to the NAME survey. [1-11-2007]

VA Health Care System Outscores Private Sector for Seventh Straight Year For the seventh straight year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has received significantly higher marks than the private health care industry on a leading independent survey of customer satisfaction. [1-10-2007]

HANYS Unveils Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Proposal “REAL Health Care Reform” Plan Seeks Fundamental Changes, Better Patient Care Embraces Governor’s Call for Reform, But Cautions: “There is No Quick Fix” [1-10-2007]

Prenatal Multivitamins for Undernourished Women May Reduce Risk of Low Birth Weight Undernourished women who take a vitamin and mineral supplement while pregnant may be less likely than women taking only iron and folic acid supplements to have babies weighing less than 2,500 grams, and their newborns may be less likely to have morbidity in the first seven days of life. [1-2-2007]