Category: Health News

HIMSS weighs in on FDA software pre-cert program

The FDA's software precertification program aims to take a new approach to regulation for a health technology space that's evolving at dizzying speed. It's meant to offer a voluntary pathway that can keep tabs on the safety and efficacy of new software and devices without stifling innovation or hindering patient access. For vendors that have

The Dark Truth Behind NYPD Officer Nick Budney's Suicide

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For too long, men have been silent about mental health and it’s literally killing us. We can change that. Our Healthy Mind, Healthy Body series shines a light on mental health issues that everyone should be talking about. When Nicholas Budney was a kid playing cops and robbers in

New hope for fight against genetically determined obesity

Around two to six per cent of all people with obesity develop obesity already in early childhood; it’s in their genetic cards. Obesity-causal mutations in one of their ‘appetite genes’ gives them a strong genetic predisposition for developing obesity, also called monogenic obesity. Their experience of hunger is overruling and their feeling of satiety limited.

Synthetic ’tissues’ build themselves: Biologists program cells to self-organize into 3D-structures in a first step towards tissues that regrow and self-repair

How do complex biological structures — an eye, a hand, a brain — emerge from a single fertilized egg? This is the fundamental question of developmental biology, and a mystery still being grappled with by scientists who hope to one day apply the same principles to heal damaged tissues or regrow ailing organs. Now, in

AWS releases Amazon Neptune to help health organizations build apps

AWS has rolled out its new Amazon Neptune technology, a cloud-based tool that enables healthcare organizations and others to manage complex connected data for faster application development. The graph database service stores and navigates these datasets, allowing developers at health systems, life sciences companies and others to more easily make interactive graph apps, and query

‘Why not take a risk’ attitude widespread among patients and providers: Belief could lead to unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics and spread of superbugs

“Antibiotics can’t hurt. They might even make me feel better. Why not take a risk?” You may have had similar thoughts when sick with the flu or common cold. Your doctor may think so too. A new study led by David Broniatowski, an assistant professor in the George Washington University’s department of engineering management and

Comprehensive primary care initiative improves care delivery

(HealthDay)—Introducing the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPC), a health care delivery model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), improves primary care delivery but does not reduce Medicare spending enough to cover care management fees, according to a study published online May 23 in Health Affairs. Deborah Peikes, Ph.D., from Mathematica Policy

Gastrointestinal perforation: Causes, treatment, and complications

Gastrointestinal perforation is a painful condition that can lead to further health complications, so emergency surgery is often necessary. This article explores the causes and symptoms of gastrointestinal perforation. It also covers complications, diagnosis, treatment, and when to see a doctor. What is gastrointestinal perforation? Gastrointestinal perforation is a hole in the wall of the

As FDA signals wider AI approval, hospitals have a role to play

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, got a lot of attention this past month when he delivered a speech touting the big promise of artificial intelligence for healthcare, and pledging that the agency has been reconsidering its approach to regulating AI-powered software and devices. "One of the most promising digital health tools is artificial intelligence, particularly

Atherosclerosis: Stopped on time

The internal clock controls all vital functions in the body. Body temperature as well as blood pressure or the release of certain enzymes are subject to oscillations throughout the day, the so-called circadian rhythm. For the first time, a team around Professor Oliver Söhnlein has now shown the influence of circadian rhythms on atherosclerosis —

Genomic medicine may one day revolutionize cardiovascular care

A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association summarizes the state-of-the-science of genomic medicine — the study of the health effects of the molecular interactions of a person’s unique genes — for studying cardiovascular traits and disorders and for therapeutic screening. “The promise of genomic medicine is to be able to use a patient’s

Schatzki ring: What to know, imaging, and treatment

When a ring forms, a person may have no symptoms. Or, they may have difficulty swallowing, which the medical community calls dysphagia. The difficulty may get worse when a person eats dry bread or meat. Schatzki rings are not cancerous, and they are usually harmless. Changing the diet and patterns of eating can help with

Promise of faster, more accessible schizophrenia diagnosis: Researchers explore eye function in schizophrenia as a window into the brain

A portable device common in optometrists’ offices may hold the key to faster diagnosis of schizophrenia, predicting relapse and symptom severity and assessing treatment effectiveness, a Rutgers University study finds. In the study, published in the May 2018 issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, researchers used RETeval, a hand-held device developed to record electrical

Chemical used in packaging and disposable cups probably causes cancer

Common chemical used in plastic packaging and disposable cups is ‘probably carcinogenic for humans’, the World Health Organisation has warned Styrene, a chemical used to make rubber and plastics, is ‘probably carcinogenic’ Its rating was upgraded from possibly cancer-causing after thorough research Exposure to the chemical at work raises risk of leukaemia and nasal cancer