November 12th 2023
Healthcare researchers say it’s critical to get more women, Black and Latino participants in clinical trials. It can be done, but researchers and institutions must make the effort.
December 2nd 2022
Birth defects risk appears low with newer-generation antiepileptics
May 27th 2011First-trimester exposure to antiepileptic drugs compared with no exposure does not appear to increase the risk of major birth defects, according to a Danish study, published in the May 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Vaginal progesterone gel reduces rate of preterm birth
April 15th 2011The administration of vaginal progesterone from the mid-trimester of pregnancy until term in women with a premature cervical shortening as confirmed by transvaginal ultrasound significantly reduced the rate of preterm birth before 33 weeks gestation, according to a phase 3 study published online April 6 in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Longer oral contraceptive regimens containing a progestogen show higher effectiveness
January 14th 2011Twenty-four-day oral contraceptive regimens containing a progestogen with a long half-life shows higher contraceptive effectiveness under routine medical conditions compared with conventional 21-day regimens, according to research published in the January 2011 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Combination improves human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer response rates
January 1st 2011A combination of lapatinib, trastuzumab, and paclitaxel significantly improved tumor response rates in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancers, according to a new study presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, Texas.
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A newly approved drug, denosumab (Xgeva, Amgen), delays skeletal-related side effects for 5 months longer compared to zoledronic acid (Zometa and Reclast, Novartis) in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases, according to phase 3 trial results presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, San Antonio, Texas.
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Gabapentin monotherapy as effective as gabapentin plus antidepressant in treatment of hot flashes
May 1st 2007A phase 3 study evaluating the use of gabapentin alone and in combination with an antidepressant in women with hot flashes who had an inadequate response with antidepressant monotherapy demonstrated that gabapentin reduced hot flashes by approximately 50%, whereas the combination of an anti-depressant with gabapentin appeared to offer no additional benefit.
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We've come a long way, baby. Yes, women in the workplace, in the board room, in political office-and in healthcare-have come a long way. A status report on Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures specifically targeting women is showing upward trends, or at least steady statistics. Private health plans showed improvement in 35 out of 42 effectiveness of care HEDIS measures in 2005.
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Use of ACE inhibitors in first trimester raises risk of fetal cardiovascular, CNS malformation
July 1st 2006An observational cohort study found that the risk of major congenital malformations for infants who were exposed to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors during their first trimester increased by a factor of more than 2, while exposure to other antihypertensive medications did not demonstrate an increased risk.
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Infusion of advanced vaccines: Medications that change history also present logistical questions
July 1st 2006Drug Manufacturers have introduced vaccines for meningococcal disease, shingles, pertussis, rotavirus, and cervical cancer, meanwhile even more vaccines are in the development pipeline. While each represents a major step forward for public health, the advances present an assortment of challenges from payment rates for physicians to moral issues for parents.
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Politics aside, we have a chance to prevent a deadly cancer
July 1st 2006About two hours after a colleague and I lamented over breakfast about Americans' shortcomings in wellness, I heard the news that the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) had received the final nod from FDA. Now there was something Americans were actually doing pretty well: immunizing.
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More on OTCs (June 2006): Paradigm shift
June 1st 2006Although any change in moving newly released over-the-counter (OTC)medications to benefit designs or formularies is currently beingdriven by health plans, other emerging market factors willinfluence how plans and employer groups think about coverage forOTCs. For example, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has hadnumerous inquiries about OTC coverage, usually from employer groupsthat know Medicaid and some Part D plans can cover OTCs. Inaddition, some states are evaluating their pharmacy practiceguidelines to determine how to revise them to accommodate changesin dispensing OTCs. This change is driven by the addition of OTCsto formularies and by the move to put pseudoephedrines behind thecounter. Another industry trend in some states, includingMinnesota, allows pharmacists to prescribe OTC products for publicprogram recipients.
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Perhaps back when she was a graduate student at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), Dorothy Tarrant, LCSW, MPA, had an idea that someday she would end up in her current role as the healthcare ombudsman/mediator (HCOM) for Kaiser Permanente's Redwood City Medical Center in California.
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Effective medicines now available to combat osteoporosis
March 1st 2006In the United States today, 10 million people have osteoporosis (bone density that's about 25% less than a healthy young adult). In addition, 34 million more people have low levels of bone mass, placing them at increased risk. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including 300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 other fractures. About 68% of those affected by osteoporosis are women.
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If you're going to choose a consultant to help you navigate today's ever-changing healthcare waters, you'd probably look for three key qualifications: experience, insight and diversity. While those characteristics might seem obvious, finding someone with those traits isn't always so apparent.
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Next-generation episode grouping could drive care quality
October 1st 2005In the september issue, Part I of this two-part series on episode grouping focused on how this method of statistical tracking enables healthcare organizations to more effectively deliver the most appropriate treatments in order to manage the associated costs.
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Regional differences might exist in the cost of injectables
June 1st 2005While the overall cost of injectables is relatively consistent from health plan to health plan, regional differences exist in the total cost of individual therapy classes as a result of PMPM utilization, necessitating payers to develop injectable management programs that are customized for their geographical service area. Examples of these regional differences include the higher incidence of multiple sclerosis in northern states, higher prevalence of older Americans in states such as Florida and Arizona (and the associated higher oncology costs), and infertility costs in states where coverage is state-mandated.
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Levodopa remains principal treatment for Parkinson's disease
April 1st 2005Parkinson's Disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that occurs when neurons in the part of the brain that controls movement start to degenerate. This leads to a shortage of the neurotransmitter dopamine, causing characteristic movement problems.
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Surgery, radiation, chemo, recombinant antibody combat breast cancer
March 1st 2005BREAST CANCER is the most common cancer found in women, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. More than 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year, approximately 77% of them in women over 50 years of age.
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