The loss of hair in men is difficult to accept as it indicates aging, loss of physical strength and the fear of not looking attractive to women anymore. And since baldness occurs in mid life, the emotional effects are stronger. Though men undergo substantial emotional effects with aging, it is the women who tend to find it much more difficult to handle hair loss. [click link for full article]

Gannett/Jackson Clarion-Ledger on Wednesday examined the potential impact on independent pharmacies of a CMS plan to cut reimbursement rates for generic prescription drugs provided through Medicaid. [click link for full article]

Tens of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide who were enrolled in one of the few HMOs that paid all or part of their Part B premiums for 2006 have waited as long as 15 months for refunds of as much as $1,062 because of computer problems, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The HMOs sent the payments to [click link for full article]

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the school shooting tragedy on Virginia Tech’s campus on Monday, April 16. “The loss of life is overwhelming. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the Virginia Tech community,” said AACAP President, Thomas F. Anders, M.D. [click link for full article]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday examined a proposal in the fiscal year 2008 budget released in February by President Bush that would reduce federal Medicaid reimbursements for graduate medical education. [click link for full article]

The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday voted 13-8 to approve legislation sponsored by committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that would allow the government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, [click link for full article]

NHS Direct has added four new question and answer pathways covering anxiety, stress, feeling low and depression to its online self-help guide at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk in time for Mental Health Action Week. Commenting on this development, Adrian Reyes-Hughes, Associate Clinical Director with responsibility for the website said: “These new pathways have a greater emphasis on advice to help people care for themselves. [click link for full article]

More cancer patients and their loved ones are making decisions on what treatments to undergo based on the advice of their friends and family, according to a study commissioned by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO). In 2003, 7 percent of cancer patients and their families made their treatment decision after talking to friends and family. In 2007, however, this increased to 16 percent. The survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va. [click link for full article]

SunTech Medical’s Oscar 2 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM) has received an A/A rating based upon the British Hypertension Society (BHS) protocol as reported in the April 2007 issue of Blood Pressure Monitoring (Goodwin et al., 2007). The independent evaluation was conducted in the United Kingdom by researchers at James Cook University Hospital. Results showed the Oscar 2 received an A grade for both systolic and diastolic pressures. [click link for full article]

UCSD Medical Center cardiology and neurology specialists are using a novel method to save the lives of patients in cardiac arrest. Using an innovative technology that rapidly cools the blood, the body temperature of the cardiac arrest patient is lowered, protecting the brain from damage that can result immediately after a heart attack. [click link for full article]