Beijing Olympics: Reuters Health Report

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Good evening Srini,

THU 11 Dec 2008

today's headlines

States cutting healthcare, report shows

About 40 pct of docs use electronic records: CDC

U.S. Amish gene trait may inspire heart protection

Glaxo, Novartis drug combo delays breast cancer

FDA panel says two asthma drugs risky

U.S. teen marijuana use decline faltering: survey

FDA advisory panel backs new female condom

Pfizer drug fails to beat tamoxifen at 2.75 years

Mentally ill drug abusers have more ER visits

High heart rates linked to obesity, diabetes: study

more details

States cutting healthcare, report shows

December 11, 2008 01:35 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several U.S. states are cutting their health insurance coverage for residents, including the Medicaid program for the poor, because of budget deficits, according to a report released on Thursday.

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About 40 pct of docs use electronic records: CDC

December 11, 2008 03:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Just under than 40 percent of U.S. doctors use electronic medical records and many say the system they use is only minimally functional, according to federal survey results released on Thursday.

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U.S. Amish gene trait may inspire heart protection

December 11, 2008 03:39 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A rare genetic abnormality found in people in an insular Amish community protects them from heart disease, a discovery that could lead to new drugs to prevent heart ailments, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

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Glaxo, Novartis drug combo delays breast cancer

December 11, 2008 05:34 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Combining GlaxoSmithKline's Tykerb drug with Novartis's Femara can delay significantly the progression of breast cancer in some women, researchers said on Thursday.

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FDA panel says two asthma drugs risky

December 11, 2008 05:25 PM ET

ROCKVILLE, Maryland (Reuters) - Two asthma drugs, GlaxoSmithKline PLC's Serevent and Novartis AG's Foradil, pose serious risks that outweigh their benefits for treating adults, adolescents and children, a U.S. advisory panel ruled on Thursday.

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U.S. teen marijuana use decline faltering: survey

December 11, 2008 01:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recent declines in marijuana use by U.S. teens appear to have stalled this year and their abuse of prescription drugs remains at worrisome levels, researchers said on Thursday.

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FDA advisory panel backs new female condom

December 11, 2008 05:22 PM ET

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - Female Health Co's new, potentially less costly version of its female condom, won crucial backing from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday.

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Pfizer drug fails to beat tamoxifen at 2.75 years

December 11, 2008 05:37 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Thursday its Aromasin cancer drug was no better than tamoxifen at achieving disease-free survival after 2.75 years among postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer.

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Mentally ill drug abusers have more ER visits

December 11, 2008 05:36 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drug abusers with mental illness visit emergency rooms more often than their counterparts without mental illness, according to a study published in BMC Emergency Medicine.