CMS on Monday announced a proposal to limit Medicare reimbursements for the treatment of cancer patients with anemia medications manufactured by Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, the Wall Street Journal reports. [click link for full article]

The “small but significant decline” in mammogram rates reported among women ages 40 and older from 2000 to 2005 is “disturbing” because it means that an increasing number of women will “fail” to receive the early detection that raises their chances of breast cancer survival, a New York Times editorial says (New York Times, 5/15). [click link for full article]

A rising number of severely mentally ill New Jersey residents is “overwhelming” hospital emergency departments across the state, according to medical and mental health professionals, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. According to the [click link for full article]

Higher dietary intake of fiber from grains and cereals and of magnesium may each be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report and meta-analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Projections indicate that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide may increase from 171 million in 2000 to 370 million by 2030, according to background information in the article. [click link for full article]

The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on Tuesday will hold a hearing to consider potential reductions in Medicare reimbursements for hospitals, home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities, CQ HealthBeat reports. According to CQ Today, the hearing is part of an effort by subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif. [click link for full article]

Hurricane Katrina was the most significant natural disaster to strike the United States. Thousands of people were exposed to destruction, human violence and desperate circumstances. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was likely to be a significant medical issue in the aftermath of Katrina. In a paper to be presented at the 2007 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Annual Meeting, Professor Lisa D. [click link for full article]

Bronchiolitis, a wheezing much like asthma in adults, is responsible for many hospital admissions of infants. It is the commonest cause of hospital admission in this age group. There are two drugs in general use to treat this condition, epinephrine and albuterol, and there is some controversy and passion involved in the choice of medication. [click link for full article]

Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Silent Spring Institute announce the publication of Environmental Factors in Breast Cancer, the most comprehensive review to date of scientific research on environmental factors that may increase breast cancer risk.The study findings were released today in the scientific journal Cancer. [click link for full article]

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced the schedule of the Company’s major events and press announcements at the annual Paris Course on Revascularization (EuroPCR), which will run from May 22 to 25 in Barcelona, Spain. “We will be announcing new data from several of our clinical trials and registries, adding to the knowledge base for treating coronary artery disease,” said Paul LaViolette, Chief Operating Officer of Boston Scientific. [click link for full article]

The European Commission and Euro-toques International, the European Chefs’ association, today launched “EU Mini-chefs” - a website for children which aims to contribute to the fight against child obesity by encouraging healthy eating and cooking. It promotes the European Day for Healthy Food and Cooking, to be celebrated on 8 November 2007. On that day chefs across the EU will demonstrate to children how to cook and eat healthily in schools and restaurants. [click link for full article]