Uninsured RX

In a popular children's game participants stand as close as possible without touching. But on a microscopic level, coaxing cells to be very, very close without actually touching one another has been among the most frustrating challenges for cell biologists. [click link for full article]

A herbal medicinal substance, Crataegus Extract WS®1442, safely extends the lives of congestive heart failure patients already receiving pharmacological treatment for the disease, according to a study presented recently at the American College of Cardiology's 56th Annual Scientific Session. Crataegus Extract WS®1442 is an extract of leaves of the Crataegus tree, and is a natural antioxidant. [click link for full article]

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found naturally in fish oil, could be additionally cardioprotective for people taking statins to lower cholesterol, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.Epidemiological and clinical evidence suggests that the increased intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-found in fish and fish oil-protects against mortality from coronary artery disease. [click link for full article]

In an age when drug companies often find themselves on the receiving end of high-dollar lawsuits, people who work in the pharmaceutical industry may find themselves wishing they had a law degree. Thanks to a lecture series sponsored by the University of Houston Libraries and the UH College of Pharmacy, they'll soon get to hear from someone who does.Benny Agosto Jr. [click link for full article]

If you want the best technology available to relieve blocked blood flow to the heart, the choice is a drug-eluting stent. And you are most likely to obtain the drug-eluting stent for reasons that have nothing to do with your medical condition, a new Mayo Clinic study shows. [click link for full article]

People are mixing supplements, herbs and over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs to cure themselves of ills, unaware that they could be making themselves sicker, says George Grossberg, M.D., director of the division of geriatric psychiatry at Saint Louis University.Dr. Grossberg is about to change all that. [click link for full article]

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger in a speech at the start of the union's two-day national bargaining convention in Detroit said that union officials are prepared to fight companies, including the Big Three automakers, at the bargaining table this year, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. [click link for full article]

Employers who provide incentives for workers who quit smoking cigarettes or lose weight are now offering rewards to workers who might already lead a healthy lifestyle in response to recently approved federal regulations intended to "ensure that all workers are treated fairly in so-called wellness programs," the Wall Street Journal reports. U.S. [click link for full article]

Representatives for pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers have begun to fight a rule proposed by CMS that would revise the formula used to calculate Medicaid reimbursements for generic medications, the Wall Street Journal reports. The rule, mandated under the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act, would save Medicaid an estimated $8.4 billion over five years. [click link for full article]

Federal and Louisiana officials must determine the number of state residents who lack health insurance and the amount of funds available to provide them with private coverage, according to a letter drafted by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and signed by the nine-member state congressional delegation, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. [click link for full article]