A recent study shows that pre-operative assessments of patients with breast cancer by physical therapists allow for early diagnosis and successful treatment of lymphedema. The study, conducted by the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and in collaboration with the University of Michigan-Flint and George Mason University, was published in the journal, Cancer (April 25, 2008).

Elderly people who suffer from metabolic syndrome have an increasedrisk of diabetes, not cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to apaper published online in The Lancet. Previously,metabolic syndrome (a combination of medical disorders) was thought toincrease the risk of both diabetes and (CVD).

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination unit, through Applied Research Associates, has developed new state-of-the-art wind hazard maps for Caribbean islands and nearby coastal areas of Central and South America. The maps use the most up-to-date meteorological records and methods and are intended to replace older maps currently in use for structural design and risk assessment.

A research study has found that a simple blood test may indicate whether post-menopausal hormone therapies present an elevated risk of a heart attack. The study, part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, was conducted in 40 centers nationwide and included 271 cases of coronary heart disease in the first four years of the trials of estrogen alone and of estrogen plus progestin.

A new report from the NHS shows that alcohol-related admissions to hospitals in England have more than doubled since the mid 1990s from 93,500 in 1995/6 to 207,800 in 2006/7. The report, titled “Statistics on Alcohol: England 2008″, produced by the NHS Information Centre, also shows that GP prescriptions for alcohol dependency have gone up by 20 per cent in the last four years.

The Joint Clinical Research Centre in Kampala, Uganda, recently launched a no-cost HIV testing campaign aimed at children born to parents living with HIV/AIDS and those orphaned by the disease, the New Vision/AllAfrica.com reports.

The New York Times recently profiled the Divas, a support group for black and Hispanic HIV-positive women over age 50 in Harlem, N.Y. The Divas, organized through

The risks associated with hormone replacement therapy are not as great as commonly believed, and women in the early stages of menopause should not worry about taking the drugs, according to Amos Pines, chair of the International Menopause Society, who issued a consensus statement from a team of experts who reviewed the safety and effectiveness of HRT in early menopause,

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) proposal to eliminate dental benefits for nearly three million state residents as part of a plan to address the state budget deficit would result in a loss of about $115 million in federal matching funds and lead to more costly medical treatment, according to a report released Monday, the

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday is scheduled to vote on a bill (HR 758) that would require health coverage providers to expand hospital-stay coverage for women undergoing breast cancer surgery, CQ HealthBeat reports.