Other News
U.S. may speed approval of "breakthrough" drugs
05/10/2012
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05/10/2012 Experimental drugs that show a big effect early in development for treating serious or life-threatening diseases would get a faster and cheaper path to U.S. approval, under a proposal likely to become law this year.
U.S. drug regulators would be able to label such treatments "breakthrough" therapies, and work with companies to speed up clinical trials, for example by testing the drugs for a shorter time or enrolling fewer patients.
Hospital pay incentives fail to help patients: study
03/29/2012
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03/29/2012 A program to pay hospitals bonuses for hitting key performance measures, or dock them if they miss, failed to improve the health outcomes of patients, according to a large, long-term study.
The study could lead to a re-examination of financial incentives in healthcare, as policymakers seek ways to reward results rather than paying doctors and other providers for each service they provide, such as a diagnostic test.
Such an incentive program for hospitals is a key provision of the U.S. healthcare overhaul law that is being challenged this week before the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court divided over Obama healthcare law
03/27/2012
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03/27/2012 By Joan Biskupic and James Vicini
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared closely divided along ideological lines during tense arguments over President Barack Obama's healthcare law on Tuesday, with conservative justices vigorously questioning the Obama administration's lawyer on whether Congress had the power to require people to buy medical insurance.
New hope for kids with brittle bone disease
03/17/2012
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03/17/2012 By Rachael Rettner
When Lindsey Elsaesser was 20 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound revealed her unborn baby girl had extremely fragile bones. Doctors suspected the child had a bone disorder, and would not live long after birth.
"They thought she would die from respiratory failure because her bones were so weak," Elsaesser said.
When Elsaesser's daughter, Evie, was born in September 2009, doctors were cautiously optimistic about her condition. While Evie's bones were transparent in X-rays, they sufficiently supported her lungs.
Brittle Bone Disease Forced Mother Into 'No Easy Choice
03/17/2012
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03/17/2012 By Rick Green
With a simple blood test, a pregnant mother will soon be able to predict — with 99 percent certainty — whether her baby will have Down syndrome, a life-altering genetic disorder.
If you knew your baby would be born with a disabling genetic disorder, what would you do? What if the baby might one day have breast cancer?
Finding health insurance on your own
03/18/2012
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03/18/2012 By Scott J. Wilson
If you're self-employed, unemployed or work for a company that doesn't offer medical coverage, you may have to find your own insurance. Some tips to get you started:
•U.S. Uninsured Help Line: This service by the nonprofit Foundation for Health Coverage Education helps people determine their insurance options. Be prepared to answer questions about how many family members need coverage, household income and preexisting medical conditions. Call (800) 234-1317 or go to coverageforall.org.
New hope for kids with brittle bone disease
03/03/2012
Date:
03/03/2012 By Rachael Rettner
When Lindsey Elsaesser was 20 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound revealed her unborn baby girl had extremely fragile bones. Doctors suspected the child had a bone disorder, and would not live long after birth.
"They thought she would die from respiratory failure because her bones were so weak," Elsaesser said.
When Elsaesser's daughter, Evie, was born in September 2009, doctors were cautiously optimistic about her condition. While Evie's bones were transparent in X-rays, they sufficiently supported her lungs.
Woman conquers brittle bone disease, exhibits artwork
03/07/2012
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03/07/2012 Even though her bones are so brittle that they fracture easily, artist Sadhna Dhand with unbreakable willpower overcome a congenital condition to present her first solo painting exhibition here.
Paintings and photographs by Dhand, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta also known as brittle bone disease that makes her bones fragile and susceptible to frequent fractures, is on display at the Lalit Kala Academy.
Salutes women power
This is one of the several exhibitions that salutes the work of women who have transcended pain and suffering to come up with beautiful creations.
Group asks FDA to treat superbugs like rare diseases
03/08/2012
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03/08/2012 A research group is proposing a new tool in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria: turn infections into a rare disease.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) offered a plan on Thursday that would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review certain kinds of antibiotics like it reviews "orphan" drugs for rare diseases, making it easier for companies to gain approval.
Misuse of medications and other factors have fueled the evolution of multi-drug resistant bacteria, or "superbugs", for which there are few treatment options.
Rare Disease Day spotlights rare conditions and need for treatments
03/01/2012
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03/01/2012 February 29, known as a "leap day," is a rare day. And this year, it's Rare Disease Day.
In the U.S., a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. There are about 6,800 such diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health. As many as one in 10 Americans suffers a rare disease, often struggling not just from the medical condition itself, but also to get proper diagnosis, information and care.
